The Role of Religiousness on Authentic Happiness Through the Mediator of Optimism Among Middle-Aged Female Sanitation Workers

Abstract

Achieving happiness in middle adulthood varies for everyone, with some feeling unhappy or stagnant during this phase. Two approaches to achieving happiness are hedonism and eudaimonia. This research aims to understand the role of religiosity in authentic happiness through the mediator of optimism. The study employed a quantitative descriptive method with 204 middle-aged women who work as sanitation workers in East Jakarta as subjects. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used to empirically test a theoretical model depicting the direct or indirect influence of three variables. The results supported all four hypotheses: religiosity influences optimism, religiosity has an effect on authentic happiness, optimism has an effect on authentic happiness, and religiosity affects authentic happiness through the mediator of optimism. Therefore, the testing of these hypotheses showed a significant impact.