Do relationships between subjective well-being scales change over time? Analysis of a longitudinal sample

Identifying factors that influence well-being are fruitful for improving the knowledge held about the correlates and predictors of well-being in both practice and theory. This research for the first time aimed to investigate whether irrational happiness beliefs, a newly presented construct, contribute to the affective components of subjective well-being over time. The sample included 103 undergraduate students (88 females and 15 males) whose ages varied from 18 to 29 years (M = 19.39 ±1.62). Participants completed measures of irrational happiness beliefs, positive affect, and negative affect both at Time 1 and Time 2 over three months apart. The findings showed that irrational happiness beliefs were significantly negatively related to positive affect only at Time 1. However, the research failed to provide evidence regarding the value of irrational happiness beliefs in predicting positive and negative affect over time. The results suggest that the impact of irrational happiness beliefs upon well-being may occur momentarily not over time. Implications and limitations of the findings are discussed and directions for future studies are provided.

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The influence of daily spiritual experiences and gender on subjective well-being over time in cancer survivors

Archive for the Psychology of Religion ◽

10.1177/0084672419839800 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 41 (2) ◽

pp. 159-171

Author(s):

Myriam Rudaz ◽

Thomas Ledermann ◽

Joseph G. Grzywacz

Keyword(s):

Life Satisfaction ◽

Cancer Survivors ◽

Well Being ◽

The United States ◽

Moderating Effect ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Spiritual Experiences ◽

Daily Spiritual Experiences ◽

Over Time

Cancer survivors are at risk for poor subjective well-being, but the potential beneficial effect of daily spiritual experiences is unknown. Using data from the second and third wave of the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study, we examined the extent to which daily spiritual experiences at baseline moderate the association between subjective well-being at baseline and approximately 10 years later in cancer survivors ( n = 288). Regression analyses, controlled for age, educational attainment, and religious/spiritual coping, showed that daily spiritual experiences moderated the association between life satisfaction at baseline and follow-up. Specifically, high spiritual experiences enhanced life satisfaction over time in cancer survivors with low life satisfaction at baseline. Also, daily spiritual experiences moderated the association between positive affect at baseline and follow-up, though this moderating effect was different for women and men. No moderating effect emerged for negative affect.

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LIFE AFTER 100: IS GOD THE SECRET TO A SATISFYING AND PURPOSEFUL LIFE?

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.1931 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S524-S525

Author(s):

Nadia Firdauysa ◽

Jyoti Bhatta ◽

Alex J Bishop ◽

Tanya Finchum ◽

James Grice

Keyword(s):

Life Satisfaction ◽

Purpose In Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Analysis Method ◽

Ordinal Analysis ◽

C Value ◽

The Relationship ◽

Over Time

Abstract Data from N = 111 centenarians (M = 100.88; SD = 1.48) residing in Oklahoma was used to examine patterns in the relationship between the God oriented vs. non-God oriented longevity secrets and subjective well-being. Observational Oriented Modeling (OOM) was then used to conduct an ordinal analysis using concatenated ordering to produce degree of fitness between data and underlying patterns in life satisfaction and purpose-in-life across three time points. OOM is a data analysis method used to evaluate fitness of proposed patterns to data called PCC. Results indicated that centenarians maintaining a God-oriented longevity secret fit a decreased pattern in life satisfaction (PCC = 25.00, c-value = .09); whereas centenarians not maintaining a God-oriented longevity secret fit the same pattern (PCC = 49.18, c-value = .06). Meanwhile, centenarians having a God-oriented longevity secret fit a decreased pattern of purpose-in-life (PCC = 71.43, c-value =.12); whereas centenarians having a non-God oriented longevity secret fit the same pattern (PCC = 53.45, c-value = .28). In comparison to centenarians who acknowledged something other than God as the secret to their longevity, those who cite God as the reason for longevity tend to proportionately maintain a more satisfying view of life, yet experience a deteriorating sense of purpose over time. Results indicate that longevity secrets reflect divergent patterns in subjective well-being among persons living beyond 100 years. This has implications relative to how geriatric practitioners design interventions, services, or programs to enhance quality-of-life for long-lived adults.

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Changes in Media Credibility when a Predicted Disaster Doesn't Happen

Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly ◽

10.1177/107769909707400409 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 74 (4) ◽

pp. 797-813 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Ann M. Major ◽

L. Erwin Atwood

Keyword(s):

Real Time ◽

Earthquake Prediction ◽

News Media ◽

Well Being ◽

The Body ◽

Adaptation Theory ◽

Change Over Time ◽

Public Response ◽

Media Credibility ◽

Over Time

This study examines public response to and perceived believability of information disseminated in the news media about a real-time earthquake prediction, and extends the body of media credibility research by examining these responses within the context of Taylor's (1983) cognitive adaptation theory. The theory focuses on people's illusions of well-being that under certain circumstances of threat can lead to adaptive behaviors and provides insights into why some people increased their assessments of message credibility while others lowered their evaluations; still others made no change over time in their assessments of message believability.

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Psychosocial outcomes following surgery in women with unilateral, nonhereditary breast cancer.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2020.38.15_suppl.570 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 38 (15_suppl) ◽

pp. 570-570

Author(s):

David Wai Lim ◽

Helene Retrouvey ◽

Isabel Kerrebijn ◽

Kate Butler ◽

Anne C O'Neill ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Regression Model ◽

Surgical Procedure ◽

Psychosocial Outcomes ◽

Well Being ◽

Bilateral Mastectomy ◽

Change Over Time ◽

Younger Age ◽

Unilateral Mastectomy ◽

Over Time

570 Background: Rates of bilateral mastectomy continue to rise in average-risk women with unilateral breast cancer. We aim to characterize psychosocial predictors of surgical procedure and how psychosocial outcomes change over time after surgery for breast cancer. Methods: A prospective cohort of women with unilateral, nonhereditary breast cancer were recruited at University Health Network in Toronto, Canada between 2014-2017. Women completed validated psychosocial questionnaires (BREAST-Q) pre-operatively, and 6 and 12 months after surgery. Outcomes were assessed between three surgical groups (unilateral lumpectomy, unilateral mastectomy, bilateral mastectomy). Predictors of surgical procedure were identified using a multinomial logistic regression model. Change in psychosocial scores over time according to procedure was assessed using linear mixed models. All models control for age, stage, reconstruction and treatment. P values < .05 were considered statistically significant. Results: 506 women underwent surgery as follows: 216 unilateral lumpectomy (43%), 181 unilateral mastectomy (36%) and 109 bilateral mastectomy (22%). In the multinomial regression model, younger age (p < .01), and lower chest physical (p = .03) and sexual well-being (p = .02) predicted having bilateral mastectomy over unilateral lumpectomy while younger age (p < .01) and lower disease stage (p = .02) predicted bilateral mastectomy over unilateral mastectomy. The mixed model demonstrates that breast satisfaction follows a non-linear pattern of change over time, with 6- but not 12-month scores being significantly different from baseline (p = .015). Procedure predicts baseline satisfaction (p = .016), with bilateral mastectomy having worse satisfaction than unilateral lumpectomy. Procedure also predicts change in satisfaction, with unilateral and bilateral mastectomy having lower scores across time than lumpectomy. While a significant improvement in psychological well-being is detected by 12 months (p = .02), those with unilateral and bilateral mastectomy have worse psychological well-being over time compared to lumpectomy. Women having mastectomy start with worse physical well-being than those in the lumpectomy group, but their physical well-being does not decline as much as the lumpectomy group over time (p < .01). Conclusions: Definitive surgical procedure affects the trajectory of psychosocial functioning over time. This emerging data may be used to further facilitate surgical decision-making in women considering contralateral prophylactic mastectomy.

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Declining well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic reveals US social inequities

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0254114 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (7) ◽

pp. e0254114

Author(s):

Krishna C. Bathina ◽

Marijn ten Thij ◽

Danny Valdez ◽

Lauren A. Rutter ◽

Johan Bollen

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Predominantly White ◽

Metropolitan Areas ◽

Negative Mood ◽

Well Being ◽

Ordinary Least Squares ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Communities Of Color ◽

The Us ◽

Over Time

Background The COVID-19 pandemic led to mental health fallout in the US; yet research about mental health and COVID-19 primarily rely on samples that may overlook variance in regional mental health. Indeed, between-city comparisons of mental health decline in the US may provide further insight into how the pandemic is disproportionately affecting at-risk groups. Purpose This study leverages social media and COVID-19-city infection data to measure the longitudinal (January 22- July 31, 2020) mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in 20 metropolitan areas. Methods We used longitudinal VADER sentiment analysis of Twitter timelines (January-July 2020) for cohorts in 20 metropolitan areas to examine mood changes over time. We then conducted simple and multivariate Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regressions to examine the relationship between COVID-19 infection city data, population, population density, and city demographics on sentiment across those 20 cities. Results Longitudinal sentiment tracking showed mood declines over time. The univariate OLS regression highlighted a negative linear relationship between COVID-19 city data and online sentiment (β = -.017). Residing in predominantly white cities had a protective effect against COVID-19 driven negative mood (β = .0629, p < .001). Discussion Our results reveal that metropolitan areas with larger communities of color experienced a greater subjective well-being decline than predominantly white cities, which we attribute to clinical and socioeconomic correlates that place communities of color at greater risk of COVID-19. Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic is a driver of declining US mood in 20 metropolitan cities. Other factors, including social unrest and local demographics, may compound and exacerbate mental health outlook in racially diverse cities.

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Social capital, economic growth and well-being

10.36253/978-88-6655-277-2 ◽

2012 ◽

Author(s):

Francesco Sarracino

Keyword(s):

Economic Growth ◽

Social Capital ◽

Social Comparisons ◽

Well Being ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Long Run ◽

The Social ◽

The Relationship ◽

Over Time

In the long run economic growth does not improve people's well-being. Traditional theories – adaptation and social comparisons – explain this evidence, but they don't explain what shapes the trend of subjective well-being and its differences across countries. Recent research identified in social capital a plausible candidate to explain the trends of well-being. This dissertation adopts various econometric techniques to explore the relationship over time among social capital, economic growth and subjective well-being. The main conclusion is that social capital is a good predictor of the trend of subjective well-being, both within and across countries. Hence, policies for well-being should aim at preserving and enhancing social capital for the quality of the social environment matters.

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