The Associations of Singlism and Positive Appraisals of Singlehood With Singles’ Subjective Well-Being

This study examines how singles’ subjective well-being is associated with perceived singlism and with a positive-appraisal indicator of singlehood. Using cross-national survey data from 5,017 singles aged 30 and above in the United States ( N = 2,146), the United Kingdom ( N = 1,093), Japan ( N = 719), Mexico ( N = 491), and Spain ( N = 568), the analyses model life satisfaction and singlehood satisfaction as functions of perceived singlism and positive-appraisal indicators, accounting for sociodemographic covariates. Both focal indices showed acceptable internal consistency overall. Across the reported models, perceived singlism was generally negatively associated with well-being, especially with satisfaction with being single, whereas the positive-experience indicator was positively associated with both outcomes. Interaction models by country indicated some slope heterogeneity across the five samples. The study provides an initial cross-national mapping of these associations, and ends with a discussion of these findings and a call for causal and longitudinal designs to test these measures.