Graduates report higher levels of happiness when answering survey questions on a weekend, according to an analysis by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (Hesa).

The data body identified significant fluctuations in answers to the well-being questions in its Graduate Outcomes survey ¨C taken by 334,095 graduates between 2017 and 2019 ¨C depending on the day of the week that the?respondent filled it in.

Asked ¡°How happy did you feel yesterday?¡¯ on a scale of 0 to 10, the highest average scores were given by those who took the survey on a Sunday while graduates who answered on a Saturday gave the next highest average score, followed by those who answered on a Monday.

Participants also gave higher average scores for the questions ¡°How satisfied are you with life nowadays?¡± and ¡°To what extent do you feel the things you do in your life are worthwhile?¡± when answering the survey on a weekend, although the differences compared with those who answered on a weekday were smaller.

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Hesa said that the study was the first in the UK to identify how well-being fluctuates on a day-to-day basis and backs up the findings of a similar study conducted in the US.

The body noted that measuring the well-being of a population quantitatively is becoming increasingly important in policymaking, pointing to the ambition included in the government¡¯s Levelling Up White Paper to improve well-being in every area of the UK by 2030, which included a commitment to publish regular statistics to enable progress to be tracked. Measuring student well-being is also seen as vital?after studies indicated that the pandemic?exacerbated mental health difficulties?among campus populations.?

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Hesa¡¯s findings indicate that broader questions that ask a participant to evaluate their overall satisfaction in life may be more useful when trying to measure well-being?compared with questions about recent emotions, which can be more changeable.

Principal researcher Tej Nathwani said the research ¡°provides support to the validity of the data we are collecting¡±.

¡°One of the unique aspects of the Graduate Outcomes survey is the inclusion of questions on subjective well-being, as well as asking graduates about the extent to which they believe their activities are meaningful, utilise their skills and are in line with their aspirations,¡± he said.

¡°Our next research will look at the relationship between well-being and these factors which describe the design and nature of work.¡±

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tom.williams@timeshighereducation.com