Positive Self-Perception and Well-Being Across Marital Statuses

Unmarried individuals experience lower levels of subjective well-being than married individuals. Some argue that this is due to intrinsic benefits often associated with marriage. Others claim that those who are never married, divorced, or widowed face prejudice, stigma, and discrimination that contribute to their lower levels of subjective well-being. The current research investigates these two perspectives by empirically estimating the role of positive self-view in the happiness levels of different groups by marital status (N = 79,695, excluding missing values). Multilevel regression analyses are conducted using two relevant waves of the European Social Survey (2006 and 2012). The results indicate that unmarried adults show lower levels of positive self-view. However, unmarried individuals derive greater happiness from positive self-esteem, optimism, and a sense of accomplishment than married individuals. In other words, self-view may be impactful in determining the well-being of singles.