Well-being is gradually being recognized as a subjective concept. Even though others may view an individual's situation as less than ideal, that person may still be perfectly happy with their situation. Taking this into account, researchers who focus on subjective well-being realize that any circumstance can be interpreted differently, depending on one's own goals and current life stage (Encyclopedia of Applied Psychology, 2004). Goals and life stages are closely related in that the current position one is in will have a dramatic effect on current or future goals and aspirations. Happiness is linked to having purpose and objectives in life, as well as healthy social relationships, a sense of security, and the absence of major stressors (Diener & Tov, 2012). These factors have been found to be among the most important in subjective well-being in different countries and are closely aligned with what can be seen on Maslow's hierarchy of needs model. The stages of this model can be paralleled with the influencing factors of the biopsychosocial model, which integrates the impact of biology, the individual's psychological state of mind and the social environment. Both Maslow's hierarchical needs model and the biopsychosocial model act as an easy-to-understand framework for the field of health psychology, as demonstrated by the factors most closely associated with happiness. When considering happiness as a subjective domain, we must not only consider individuals. life stage and current goals, but also one's affect or temperament. Temperament, defined as a person's mental makeup or state of mind (Webster's New Basic Dictionary, 1997), will impact how a person perceives a given situation. In a study by Holder and Klassen (2010), 311 c...... middle of article ......6Post, SG (2005). Altruism, happiness and health: it's good to be well. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine. 12(2). 66-77. Retrieved from http://link.springer.com/article/10.1207/s15327558ijbm1202_4Poston, B. (August 8, 2009). An exercise in personal exploration: Maslow's hierarchy of needs. The surgical technologist. Retrieved from http://www.astd2007.ast.org/publications/Journal%20Archive/2009/8_August_2009/CE.pdfSmith, R. C. (2002). The biopsychosocial revolution. Journal of General Internal Medicine. 17(4). 309-310. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1495036/Temperament. (1997). Webster's New Basic Dictionary. Promotional Sales Books, LLC. ISBN: 1-57723-202-X. Well-being. (2004). In Encyclopedia of Applied Psychology. Retrieved from http://www.credoreference.com.library.gcu.edu:2048/entry.do?ta=estappliedpsyc&uh=well_being