Friendship Quality in College Predicts Well-Being in Qualitative Life Reflections 50 Years Later
2024
Friendship Quality in College Predicts Well-Being 50 Years Later
Sample size: 252
publication
Evidence: moderate
Author Information
Author(s): William Chopik
Primary Institution: Michigan State University
Hypothesis
Does the quality of friendships in college predict well-being later in life?
Conclusion
Having more and closer friends in college is linked to better life reflections and less mental illness fifty years later.
Supporting Evidence
- More friends in college was associated with more positive life reflections later.
- Closer friendships in college correlated with better relationships in later life.
- Having friends in college was linked to less mental illness fifty years later.
Takeaway
If you have good friends in college, you might feel happier and healthier when you're older.
Methodology
Mixed methods study using qualitative reflections and machine learning techniques.
Participant Demographics
Participants were alumni from the Harvard Student Study Class of 1964.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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