GENDER DIFFERENCE IN HAPPINESS

Happiness is a complex emotional state that includes components of life satisfaction, positive affect, and overall perceived well-being It has been recognized as one of the important indicators of mental health and also plays a significant role in influencing various aspects of an individual's development, particularly the social interactions he or she has during adolescence. This study attempts to explore whether high school students in. Kerala experience different levels of happiness based on their gender. The present study has two broad objectives: to assess the level of happiness among students and to determine if there is a significant difference between the mean scores of students' happiness levels based on gender. A survey method was adopted for the study. The sample comprised 170 high school students selected from various schools in Kerala. A Happiness Questionnaire, developed by Michael Argyle and Peter Hills at Oxford University, served as the tool for data collection. The questionnaire is acknowledged for its reliability and validity in measuring levels of happiness. The study results show that students experience different levels of happiness. More importantly, it shows that there is a significant gender difference in the happiness scores of the students. Boys were found to be more homogeneous than girls in their levels of happiness. This finding implies that gender-related factors may be involved in the emotional well-being of adolescents and indicates an intervention-focused approach to support adolescents in general and particularly female students to gain more happiness and mental health improvement. The study points out the need for further consideration of gender differences in emotional development while continuing education.