Is there a correlation between happiness and sociability?

Abstract:

The aim of this investigation was to discover whether there is a correlation between happiness and sociability. The experimental hypothesis was that there would be a significant correlation between happiness and sociability, because most of the background research indicated that this would be the case. A total of 20 participants were used from college that were selected using a casual sample. The results were in terms of numerical scores and were analysed using the Spearman’ Rank Order Correlation Coefficient, and were found not to be significant at the 0.05 level of significance for a one tailed test. The results for the mean (11.3 (happiness), 7.7 (sociability)), median (12 (happiness), 7.5 (sociability)) and mode (14 (happiness), 5 (sociability)) reflected this with there being fairly significant differences between the results for happiness, and those for sociability. The range (14 (happiness), 12 (sociability)) showed that the data for both sets of scores was skewed. The conclusion was that the results were inconclusive, as most evidence pointed to there being a positive correlation between happiness and sociability.

Introduction:

To be able to gain a better understanding of what this questionnaire is about the terms happiness and sociability need to try and be defined, so it can be seen what is actually being measured.

Definitions of Sociability:

‘The tendency to have and make personal relationships’(*1)

‘Ability to engage in an appropriate range of social relationships.’(*2)

Definition of Happiness:

‘Having, taking, or demonstrating pleasure or satisfaction’(*3)

‘glad, content, happy’(*4)

There is lots of evidence that points towards happiness and sociability being related.

Results: (For table of results see Appendix Item 3)

(For workings of results see Appendix Item 4)

Mean for Happiness = 11.3

Mean for Sociability = 7.7

Median for Happiness = 12

Median for Sociability = 7.5

Mode for Happiness = 14

Mode for Sociability = 5

Range for Happiness = 14

Range for Sociability = 12

Statistical Analysis:

The Spearman’s Rank Order Correlation Coefficient calculated value of –0.0004 at the 0.05 significance level is less than the critical value of 0.377, therefore the results are not significant and the null hypothesis cannot be rejected. This means our correlation did not show a relationship between how happy a person is and how sociable they are. This is reflected in the results of the mean, median and mode, with there being fairly significant gaps between the results of happiness and sociability. This means that the ‘middle points’ for the sociability scores, and the happiness scores were far apart in each of the descriptive statistics done for ‘averages’.

Both the ranges for happiness and for sociability were very far apart, with the range for happiness being 14, and the range for sociability being 12. The range shows that the spread of each of the results for sociability and happiness were far apart, with their being 14 points between the highest score for sociability and the lowest score, and there being 12 points between the highest score for happiness and the lowest score.

As can be seen from the scattergraph there is not a clear relationship between the scores for happiness and those for sociability.

Item 3: Explanation of score sheet

Item 4: Table of results

Item 5: Workings for mean, median and mode

Item 6: Workings for Spearman’s Rank Order

Correlation Coefficient

Appendix Item 4 – Table of Results

Appendix item 5: workings for mean, median and mode

MEAN:

Happiness:                

= 3+6+6+7+8+9+9+10+11+12+12+12+14+14+14+14+15+16+17+17

                                                20

                = 11.3

Sociability:

                = 2+2+3+4+5+5+5+5+6+7+8+8+9+10+11+11+12+13+14+14

                                                20

                = 7.7

MEDIAN:

Happiness:

                = 3, 6, 6, 7, 8, 9, 9, 10, 11, 12, 12, 12, 14, 14, 14, 14, 15, 16, 17, 17

                = 12

Sociability:

= 2, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5, 5, 5, 6, 7, 8, 8, 9, 10, 11, 11, 12, 13, 14, 14

                = 7.5

MODE:

Happiness:

= 3, 6, 6, 7, 8, 9, 9, 10, 11, 12, 12, 12, 14, 14, 14, 14, 15, 16, 17, 17

                = 14

Sociability:

= 2, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5, 5, 5, 6, 7, 8, 8, 9, 10, 11, 11, 12, 13, 14, 14

                = 5

Range:

Happiness:

                = 17 – 3

= 14

Sociability:

=14 – 2

                = 12

Contents

Abstract……..1

Introduction…1

Method……...4

Results………5

Discussion…..7

References….9

Appendices…10

Is there a

Correlation

between Happiness

and Sociability?

Appendix item 3: Explanation of score sheet for questionnaire.

The questions highlighted in pink are questions relating to happiness.

The questions highlighted in yellow are questions relating to sociability.

The questions crossed out are unrelated questions.

On the answers the YES , MAYBE , or NO answers that are circled are the desired answers, meaning a person is happy/sociable. If a participant circles one of these answers on their copy of the questionnaire they are awarded one point, to either happiness or sociability depending on what the question was (whether highlighted in pink or yellow) related to. For example, if a participant was to answer NO to Question 1 (Do you think that people really don’t care what happens to you?) the participant would be awarded one point on their happiness tally.

The scoring system has been done in accordance with Eysenck’s scoring system to ensure the results were as valid and reliable as possible.