The Influence of Happiness on the Balance of Positive and Negative Emotions among Indonesian University Students: Implications for Educators
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Abstract
This study aims to evaluate the impact of happiness on the balance between positive and negative emotions among Indonesian university students. A total of 619 university students participated in this research, and data were collected using the Indonesian version of the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ-I) and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed to evaluate the measurement and structural models. The measurement model demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties, indicating that the instruments yielded reliable and valid measurements in this study. The findings showed that happiness positively predicted positive affect (? = .714, p < .001) and negatively predicted negative affect (? = –.494, p < .001). The model explained a substantial amount of variance in both constructs (R² = .51 and .22, respectively). These results suggest that higher levels of happiness are associated with a more favourable affective balance among students. While this study contributes to our understanding of emotional well-being in higher education, its interpretation should consider several limitations. These include gender imbalance in the sample, reliance on purposive sampling from only two faculties, and exclusive use of self-report measures. Future research could address these limitations by using more diverse samples and longitudinal designs to clarify the dynamics of happiness and affective balance in different cultural and academic contexts.
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