Genetic Contribution to the Individual Differences in Subjective Well-Being: A Meta-Analysis

The aim of this meta-analysis was to systemize existing knowledge in the field of subjective well-being heritability and to give guidelines for future research in the field. Subjective well-being is a tendency to have a positive cognitive and affective view of one's life. Research in the field of behavioral genetics has shown that individual differences in subjective well-being are partly determined by genes. Depending on the methodology used (research design, questionnaires, statistical analysis) there is variation in the heritability of subjective well-being. For this meta-analysis, inclusion and exclusion criteria were defined and a literature search has been completed with 14 primary studies identified. Five studies had to be excluded from the analysis because of dependent data (samples). The average subjective well-being index of heritability shows that 39% (k = 1 0, Q(df=9)=241.32, p<0.0001) of the phenotype variance can be explained by genetic contribution. After correcting for publication bias, 32% (k=12, Q (df=11)=392.83, p<0.0001) of the phenotype variance can be explained by genetic contribution. Guidelines for future research are discussed as well as limitations of this meta-analysis.