Is life dissatisfaction the opposite of life satisfaction?

Abstract

Abstract The circumplex model of affect proposes that states of affect can be categorised according to the two dimensions of valence and arousal. According to this model, satisfaction and dissatisfaction are located on the pleasant and unpleasant ends of the valence axis as bipolar opposites. This study investigated the relationship between these two adjectives when assessed with unipolar or bipolar response formats. This suggests that a reciprocal relationship exists between life satisfaction and dissatisfaction when a unipolar response format is employed, but not when a bipolar response format was used. These results are discussed in relation to current affect theory and subject wellbeing research.