Happiness Loves Company? Positive Affect and the Momentary Social Context

Bibliographic Data

ID24239576
AuthorsA W Goldman (0000-0002-1634-660X, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA), Sara M Moorman (0000-0002-7555-1769, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA)
Year2026
Volume12
Publication date2026-10-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSocius Sociological Research for a Dynamic World (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2378-0231 • E-ISSN: 2378-0231
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/23780231261483803
OpenAlexW7222813046
LanguageEN
References cited61

Being in the company of other people is a key determinant of emotional well-being, including positive affect. Many spaces where older adults spend time alone are also social spaces, but less is known about whether simply being in the vicinity of other people matters for positive affect. The authors distinguish between two social states: being with others (purposeful social company) and being around others (sharing space with people who are not focal social companions). In a series of multilevel models, the authors examined whether being with others and being around others have independent and interactive associations with positive affect. The authors used data from 12,860 ecological momentary assessments collected from 352 older adults living in Chicago in 2018 and 2019. Both being with others and being around others were independently associated with greater positive affect. Being alone, but around others, was associated with greater positive affect than being alone with no others around. Positive affect was highest when older adults were simultaneously with and around others. These findings suggest that both direct companionship and the broader social environment contribute to older adults’ emotional well-being. Interventions and policies that create opportunities for older adults to spend time in social spaces, even without a companion, may support emotional well-being.

being-with-others · ecological momentary assessment · Emotional well-being · Loneliness · older adults · positive affect · social companionship · Social environment · Social space · Aging and Gerontology Research · Health disparities and outcomes · Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction

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