In this section, we review the components that make up the domain of subjective well-being. We present these components as a conceptual hierarchy with various levels of specificity (see Fig. 1). At the highest level of this hierarchy is the concept of SWB itself. At this level, SWB reflects a general evaluation of a person’s life, and researchers who work at this level should measure various components from lower levels in the hierarchy to get a complete picture of an individual’s overall wellbeing.
At the next highest level are four specific components that provide a more precise understanding of a person’s SWB. These components – positive affect, negative affect, satisfaction, and domain satisfactions – are moderately correlated
with one another, and they are all conceptually related. Yet, each provides unique information about the subjective quality of one’s life. Finally, within each of thes four components, there are more fine-grained distinctions that can be made. Some researchers, for example, may want to focus on specific negative emotions or satisfaction with specific life domains.