Happiness and Psychological Well-Being: A Comparative Study Between Argentina and Spain

The present study compares the levels of happiness and psychological well-being of Spanish and Argentine nationals residing in their countries, evaluates the incidence of sociodemographic variables, and analyzes the mediating effects of happiness on psychological well-being differences between countries. A non-probability convenience sample was used (193 Argentines and 162 Spaniards). The Subjective Happiness and Psychological Well-Being scales were applied and revealed satisfactory levels of happiness and psychological well-being. The variance’s analyses conducted indicate that the Spanish participants are happier and that the Argentines enjoy greater psychological well-being. Variance and Student’s t analyses reveal differences by sex, age, marital status, and occupation. Argentine women display more environmental mastery than men, while Spanish women have more positive relationships. In Argentina, participants who had separated from their spouses display more autonomy and personal growth than those who cohabit, whereas Spanish cohabitants show a higher perception of environmental mastery and personal growth than singles. Mediation analyses identified happiness as a mediator between the participant’s country and their psychological well-being, except in environmental mastery.