Three Decades of Life Satisfaction: A Bibliometric Review and Research Agenda

Abstract

Over the last two decades, an increasing number of studies have examined the concept of life satisfaction. Since the concept is deeply related to multiple facets of an individual’s life, it has attracted researchers’ interest from different domains. However, the life satisfaction literature is still fragmented and heterogeneous in terms of theoretical and contextual paradigms. This study aims to deconstruct the literature from the last 31 years and (i) identify distinct research clusters, (ii) reveal some major shifts in the research over time and (iii) derive some directions and ideas for future research. Using bibliometric analysis, the article identifies four clusters, and further analysis revealed a shift in theoretical perspective in life satisfaction research. Also, emerging trends within the clusters are detected. Finally, the directions for future research conclude the article.