Relating Sensory, Cognitive, and Neural Factors to Older Persons’ Perceptions about Happiness: An Exploratory Study

Table 3

Qualitative content analysis of responses to the task “name things that make people happy” (n = 114 participants, n = 1731 responses).

Domains	% participants with at least one response in the corresponding domain (%)	Mean proportion of responses per participant
Social relationships^a	92.11	0.23
Material wealth^b	56.14	0.08
Physical activity^c	47.37	0.06
Accomplishments^d	33.33	0.04
Religious involvement^e	19.30	0.01
Health factors^f	15.79	0.02
Volunteerism/altruism^g	12.28	0.02
Avocation/hobbies^h	87.72	0.28
Ingestibles^i	63.16	0.09
Special events^j	37.72	0.06
Nature^k	50.88	0.08
Positive emotion^l	31.58	0.03
Vision-dependent tasks^m	74.56	0.14

^aExamples include marriage, love, spouse, family, children, companionship, and friends. ^bExamples include money, new house, nice clothes, and jewelry. ^cExamples include going to the gym, exercise, running, swimming, and playing sports. ^dExamples include getting a promotion, earning a good grade, succeeding, and winning a prize. ^eExamples include prayer, fellowship, attending church, and faith. ^fExamples include good health, sight, dressing oneself, and hearing. ^gExamples include volunteer work, being helpful, visiting the sick, and doing favors for others. ^hExamples include watching sports, playing cards, reading, gardening, and fishing. ⁱExamples include eating, specific food items, wine, and beer. ^jExamples include holidays, birthdays, parties, graduations, and weddings. ^kExamples include scenery, sunshine, ocean, mountains, and nice weather. ^lExamples include laughter, smiles, fun, jokes, and happiness. ^mExamples include completing a crossword puzzle, watching television, and driving a vehicle.