Global Report on Student Well-Being

Volume IV: Religion, Education, Recreation, and Health

I suppose that most of the people reading this volume will have read or have access to Volume One of my Global Report on Student Well­ Being. Therefore, I will not review the background literature relevant to multiple discrepancies theory (MDT), the theory itself or the essential features of the international university undergraduate data­ set on which this whole report is based. Anyone familiar with my earlier papers (Michalos 1985, 1987, 1988) will have a good idea of MDT. However, one really has to have a look at the first volume of this study in order to appreciate the richness of a data-set consisting of over 18,000 cases drawn from 39 countries. As I indicated at the beginning of that volume, the data-set is available for a very modest cost to anyone who wants it. I am happy to report that a few re­ searchers have already obtained some or all of the data-set and are currently undertaking their own analyses. I do hope others will also take advantage of this opportunity. The focus of Volume One was on happiness and satisfaction with life as a whole, so-called global indicators of subjective well­ being. Volume Two was devoted to an exploration of satisfaction with the interpersonal relations of family, friends and living partners, and personal self-esteem. Volume Three was concerned with satisfaction of paid employment, with material goods as indicated by the domains finances, housing and transportation.