Differences in the Way to Conceive Happiness Relate to Different Reactions to Negative Events

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giulia Fuochi ◽  
Chiara A. Veneziani ◽  
Alberto Voci
Keyword(s):  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Protective Role ◽  
Stressful Events ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Negative Events ◽  
Orientations To Happiness ◽  
Specific Reactions ◽  
The Way

Abstract. This paper aimed to assess whether differences in the way to conceive happiness, measured by the Orientations to Happiness measure, were associated with specific reactions to negative events. We hypothesized that among orientations to pleasure (portraying hedonism), to meaning (representing a eudaimonic approach to life), and to engagement (derived from the experience of flow), orientation to meaning would have displayed a stronger protective role against recent negative and potentially stressful events. After providing a validation of the Italian version of the Orientations to Happiness measure (Study 1), we performed regression analyses of the three orientations on positive and negative emotions linked to a self-relevant negative event (Study 2), and moderation analyses assessing the interactive effects of orientations to happiness and stressful events on well-being indicators (Study 3). Our findings supported the hypotheses. In Study 2, meaning was associated with positive emotions characterized by a lower activation (contentment and interest) compared to the positive emotions associated with pleasure (amusement, eagerness, and happiness). In Study 3, only meaning buffered the effect of recent potentially stressful events on satisfaction with life and positive affect. Results suggest that orientation to meaning might help individuals to better react to negative events.

scholarly journals Dealing with the Ups and Downs of Life: Positive Dispositions in Coping with Negative and Positive Events and Their Relationships with Well-Being Indicators

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giulia Fuochi ◽  
Alberto Voci
Keyword(s):  
Individual Variation ◽  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Multilevel Models ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Negative Events ◽  
Positive Events ◽  
Self Compassion ◽  
Healthy Functioning

Abstract In a four-wave, longitudinal study (N = 323), we tested the relationships between five positive dispositions—mindfulness, self-compassion, gratitude, hedonism, and eudaimonism—and time-varying negative affect, positive affect, life satisfaction, and meaning in life. These relationships were tested while controlling for the ups and downs in life across three months, operationalized as the effects, for a respondent, of having experienced more frequent and intense positive and negative events compared to other individuals in the sample (inter-individual variation) and of having experienced more frequent and intense positive and negative events than usual for that person (intra-individual variation). We also tested the interactive effects between each disposition and intra-individual variation in the frequency and intensity of negative and positive events on well-being variables. Results, obtained through multilevel models with repeated observations nested in individuals, showed that each disposition had specific associations with well-being indicators, although stronger effects were detected for eudaimonism and, especially, self-compassion. Moderation analyses showed that: mindfulness and self-compassion buffered intra-individual variation in negative events; people scoring higher on hedonism, eudaimonism, and self-compassion showed less need to rely on positive events to experience positive emotions; experiencing a negative event that was more intense than usual was associated with higher meaning in life for people with high levels of eudaimonism. Overall, findings suggest that mindfulness, self-compassion, gratitude, hedonism, and eudaimonism build well-being through different channels. Positive interventions could benefit from mixing these healthy functioning strategies and considering their roles in reactions to events.

The impact of gratitude letters and visits on relationships, happiness, well-being, and meaning of graduate students

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 110-126
Author(s):  
David Stefan ◽  
Erin Lefdahl-Davis ◽  
Alexandra Alayan ◽  
Matthew Decker ◽  
Josie Wittwer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Graduate Program ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Satisfaction With Life Scale ◽  
Life Questionnaire ◽  
The Impact

In this mixed-methods research, we examined the practice of writing and delivering letters of gratitude (gratitude visits) and its impact on well-being, happiness, meaning and relationships for students in an online graduate program in psychology. Participants completed assessments and inventories relating to happiness, well-being and meaning in life, including the Satisfaction with Life Scale, Meaning in Life Questionnaire, Approaches to Happiness Questionnaire and open-ended qualitative questions before and after they wrote and delivered gratitude letters. Quantitative analyses found significant increases in meaning in life, satisfaction with life, and approaches to happiness after the gratitude visit intervention. Using a grounded theory qualitative analysis of the data, eight primary themes emerged related to the impact and meaning of gratitude letters on graduate students:  (1) the impact on the relationship; (2) positive emotions experienced; (3) experiencing a reciprocal expression of gratitude from the receiver; (4) overcoming uncomfortable emotions; (5) relief, release or liberation after sharing; (6) impact on spiritual growth; (7) unexpected responses; and (8) greater reflection on the meaning of life and a changed perspective. Overall, providing graduate students with the opportunity to engage in gratitude visit interventions was related to greater meaning and well-being. This study suggests implications and recommendations related to the use of positive psychology interventions in educational settings.

scholarly journals One wave or another in the pandemic: Psychological well-being during the third COVID-19 wave

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michela Marchetti ◽  
Daniele Gatti ◽  
Lucio Inguscio ◽  
Giuliana Mazzoni
Keyword(s):  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mental States ◽  
Protective Role ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Third Wave ◽  
The Third ◽  
Data Driven Approach ◽  
Restrictive Measures ◽  
The Impact

After a year from the emergence of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on February 2020, between March and May 2021 Italy faced its third wave of infections. Previous studies have shown that in the first phases of the pandemic certain factors had a protective role against distress. However, as the months in the pandemic went by, people’s feelings and experiences significantly changed and little is known regarding the role of possible protective variables after prolonged pandemic situations. In the present study we aimed to investigate the impact of several behavioral variables on individuals’ mental states and emotions experienced during the third COVID-19 wave in Italy. 454 Italian adults were asked questions regarding the intensity of mental states and emotions experienced, the perceived usefulness of lockdown, the feeling of living a normal life, and the coping strategies implemented to face the pandemic. Using a data driven approach, we calculated the best model on the participation of each factor in explaining participants’ emotions and mental states. Our findings indicate that the presence of acceptance attitudes toward restrictive measures and the implementation of recreational activities helped participants face a prolonged pandemic with positive emotions.

scholarly journals Not Getting What You Want? The Impact of Income Comparisons on Subjective Well-Being—Findings of a Population-Based Longitudinal Study in Germany

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (15) ◽  
pp. 2655
Author(s):  
André Hajek ◽  
Hans-Helmut König
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Total Sample ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Net Income ◽  
The Impact

Previous studies have mainly focused on interindividual income comparisons (e.g., comparisons with colleagues or neighbors), whereas intraindividual income comparisons (i.e., difference between factual income and expectations) have rarely been investigated in well-being research. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the role of intraindividual income comparisons on subjective well-being (negative/positive emotions and life satisfaction) longitudinally. Data from 2005 to 2013 (biannually) were used from the German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP), a nationally representative, longitudinal study. Affective well-being (negative and positive emotions) were quantified by using the affective well-being scale-SOEP. Life satisfaction was quantified using the widely used one-item form. Intraindividual income comparisons were analyzed by using the distance between the own individual income and fair income (“how high would your net income have to be in order to be just”). We tested whether negative (i.e., factual income was lower than their self-rated just income) and positive income comparisons (otherwise) affect the outcome measures differently. Fixed effects regressions showed that positive emotions increased with positive income comparisons in the total sample (β = 0.16, p < 0.05). In contrast, negative income comparisons neither affect negative emotions nor satisfaction with life. Strategies to shift income expectations might be beneficial for increasing positive emotions.

scholarly journals Daily emotional inertia and long-term subjective well-being among people living with HIV

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcin Rzeszutek ◽  
Ewa Gruszczyńska ◽  
Ewa Firląg-Burkacka
Keyword(s):  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
The Mean ◽  
One Year ◽  
Living With Hiv

Abstract Objective The aim of this study was to verify if subjective well-being (SWB) modifies the autoregressive effect of daily emotions and if this emotional inertia predicts long-term changes in SWB among people living with HIV (PLWH). Methods The 131 participants had medically confirmed diagnoses of HIV and were undergoing antiretroviral therapy. They assessed their SWB (satisfaction with life, negative affect, positive affect) twice with an interval of one year. They also took part in a five-day online diary study six months from their baseline SWB assessment and reported their daily negative and positive emotions. Results Results showed that baseline SWB did not modify the emotional carryover effect from one to another. Additionally, after control for baseline SWB, emotional inertia did not predict SWB one year later. However, such an effect was noted for the mean values of daily reported emotions, indicating their unique predictive power over SWB itself. Conclusions This may suggest that emotional inertia does not necessarily provide better information than more straightforward measures of affective functioning.

A closer look into the materialism construct: the antecedents and consequences of materialism and its three facets

2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 85-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sigal Segev ◽  
Aviv Shoham ◽  
Yossi Gavish
Keyword(s):  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Psychological Variables ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Personal Consequences ◽  
Antecedents And Consequences

Purpose – This study aims to unbundle the materialism construct into its three facets – centrality, success and happiness – to provide a fine-grained model that delineates the relationship between some of its antecedents (i.e. depression, anxiety, self esteem and affect) and consequences (life satisfaction, innovativeness, time spent shopping and environmentalism). Design/methodology/approach – Using a convenience sample of 568 adult consumers, this study tests a model in which a set of psychological variables serve as antecedents of materialism and its three facets, which in turn affect a set of cognitive, psychological and behavioral consequences. Findings – Results indicate that specific facets have more weight than others, depending on the nature of the needs individuals seek to fulfill through possessions, or their resulting behaviors and cognitions. Results validate the view of materialism as a coping mechanism, but also show that the consequences of materialism can be both positive and negative depending on their underlying facet. Research limitations/implications – This study used a convenience sample, which might affect the generalizability of its findings. The materialism centrality subscale showed a lower than desirable level of reliability. Future research might consider using the longer, 6-item version of this sub-scale. Practical implications – This study helps marketers identify the circumstances under which materialism can lead to negative or positive consequences. Marketers should be careful when designing messages that make unrealistically strong associations between consumption and happiness, positive emotions, self-worth and satisfaction with life. Social implications – The negative social and personal consequences of materialism call for the formulation of policies designed to reduce them, and marketers’ responsibility to consumers’ well-being, especially among potentially vulnerable segments of the population. Originality/value – This study provides an in-depth analysis of the materialism construct, its antecedents and outcomes. It advances our understanding of how materialism works by examining each facet separately and how it is related to the various psychological antecedents and consumer behavior outcomes.

scholarly journals Inner Harmony as an Essential Facet of Well-Being: A Multinational Study During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
David F. Carreno ◽  
Nikolett Eisenbeck ◽  
José Antonio Pérez-Escobar ◽  
José M. García-Montes
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Depression Anxiety Stress Scale ◽  
Confirmatory Factor Analyses ◽  
Country Level

This study aimed to explore the role of two models of well-being in the prediction of psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic, namely PERMA and mature happiness. According to PERMA, well-being is mainly composed of five elements: positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning in life, and achievement. Instead, mature happiness is understood as a positive mental state characterized by inner harmony, calmness, acceptance, contentment, and satisfaction with life. Rooted in existential positive psychology, this harmony-based happiness represents the result of living in balance between positive and negative aspects of one's life. We hypothesized that mature happiness would be a more prominent protective factor during the present pandemic than the PERMA composite. A total of 12,203 participants from 30 countries responded to an online survey including the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21), the PERMA-Profiler, and the Mature Happiness Scale-Revised (MHS-R). Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that PERMA and mature happiness were highly correlated, but nonetheless, they represented two separate factors. After controlling for demographic factors and country-level variables, both PERMA Well-being and MHS-R were negative predictors of psychological distress. Mature happiness was a better predictor of stress, anxiety, and general distress, while PERMA showed a higher prediction of depression. Mature happiness moderated the relation between the perceived noxious effects of the pandemic and all markers of distress (depression, anxiety, stress, and total DASS-21). Instead, PERMA acted as a moderator in the case of depression and stress. These findings indicate that inner harmony, according to the mature happiness theory, is an essential facet of well-being to be taken into consideration. The results of this study can also orient policies aimed to alleviate the negative effects of the pandemic on mental health through the promotion of well-being.

scholarly journals Building Resilience in At-Risk Adolescents: Comparing the mechanisms and outcomes of two school-based prevention programmes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Olivia Susanne Notter
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
School Based ◽  
Prevention Programmes ◽  
Personal Resilience ◽  
One Year ◽  
At Risk Adolescents

<p>This study sought to confirm and expand literature on psychological health by comparing and contrasting the effects of two prevention programmes, one focused on reducing negative affect and the other focused on enhancing positive affect, and by revealing possible pathways that might lead to increased wellbeing and resilience and reduced negative affect and depressive symptoms.  Two school-based intervention approaches were examined: Kiwi ACE (Adolescents Coping with Emotions) and PAL (Positive Approaches to Life), to investigate which techniques would prevent the occurrence of depression, increase wellbeing, and help build resilience in Year 9 students (13-yr-olds). Kiwi ACE is a programme based on a CBT (Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy) model and was trialled previously with success. PAL kept within the same structure as Kiwi ACE but used strategies aimed at building a capacity within students to develop positive emotions in order to build resources for present and future challenges. Both programmes aimed to build resilience and prevent the development of depression in at-risk adolescents.  Nine schools from the wider Wellington region in New Zealand participated in the current study. Sixty-five students identified as at-risk, participated in one of the two programmes, and 69 students constituted the control group. All students in the current study were at risk of developing depression, pre-intervention, as suggested by a mild-moderate score on the CDI (Children's Depression Inventory). Both programmes consisted of weekly one hour sessions enacted over 12 weeks during which a group of approximately 10 students met with a clinical psychologist and school counsellor. A survey consisting of a range of scales, measured students' scores pre- and post- programme, at six months and one year after the programme was completed.  Kiwi ACE and PAL both decreased depressive symptoms and increased well-being for up to one year after the programme. However, PAL had stronger effects in promoting gratitude, satisfaction with life, happiness, and resilience. Mediation analysis revealed that Kiwi ACE helped to decrease depressive symptoms by increasing students' sense of environmental mastery and increased students' well-being scores by decreasing the intensity and frequency of participants’ negative emotions. In contrast, PAL helped to decrease depressive symptoms, and increase well-being and resilience through many routes, namely through increasing gratitude, meaning, happiness and satisfaction with life.  The findings of this study reveal that building a capacity for positive emotions can help develop many resources that protect students from depressive symptoms and increase their psychological well-being and personal resilience. In addition, using positive emotions as a resource is equally effective as using CBT strategies in preventing depression and is more effective in increasing positive outcomes, including personal resilience. Finally the results from PAL indicate that cultivating positive emotions such as gratitude and happiness is an effective way to build personal resilience in adolescence.</p>

scholarly journals Psychological Well-Being among University Students: A Comparative Study

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dr Zulfiqar Ullah Siddiqui ◽  
Prof. Mohd Ilyas Khan
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Positive Psychology ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Positive Mood ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Stressful Events ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Modern Approach

Discovering new constructs in the field of psychological health, positive psychology has been successful to introduce new resistance resources for coping with the stressful events, especially at universities students. Positive psychology, as a modern approach, emphasizes on perception and interpretation of happiness and well-being and prediction of the factors related to them as well. Psychological well-being is a multi-dimensional concept; optimism, self-control, happiness, sense of interests, free of failures, anxiety and loneliness has been considered as the special aspects of well-being (Sinha & Verma, 1992). Mc Culloch (1991) shows that positive mood, positive emotions and social support play basic role in constructing psychological well-being.

scholarly journals Building Resilience in At-Risk Adolescents: Comparing the mechanisms and outcomes of two school-based prevention programmes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Olivia Susanne Notter
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
School Based ◽  
Prevention Programmes ◽  
Personal Resilience ◽  
One Year ◽  
At Risk Adolescents

<p>This study sought to confirm and expand literature on psychological health by comparing and contrasting the effects of two prevention programmes, one focused on reducing negative affect and the other focused on enhancing positive affect, and by revealing possible pathways that might lead to increased wellbeing and resilience and reduced negative affect and depressive symptoms.  Two school-based intervention approaches were examined: Kiwi ACE (Adolescents Coping with Emotions) and PAL (Positive Approaches to Life), to investigate which techniques would prevent the occurrence of depression, increase wellbeing, and help build resilience in Year 9 students (13-yr-olds). Kiwi ACE is a programme based on a CBT (Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy) model and was trialled previously with success. PAL kept within the same structure as Kiwi ACE but used strategies aimed at building a capacity within students to develop positive emotions in order to build resources for present and future challenges. Both programmes aimed to build resilience and prevent the development of depression in at-risk adolescents.  Nine schools from the wider Wellington region in New Zealand participated in the current study. Sixty-five students identified as at-risk, participated in one of the two programmes, and 69 students constituted the control group. All students in the current study were at risk of developing depression, pre-intervention, as suggested by a mild-moderate score on the CDI (Children's Depression Inventory). Both programmes consisted of weekly one hour sessions enacted over 12 weeks during which a group of approximately 10 students met with a clinical psychologist and school counsellor. A survey consisting of a range of scales, measured students' scores pre- and post- programme, at six months and one year after the programme was completed.  Kiwi ACE and PAL both decreased depressive symptoms and increased well-being for up to one year after the programme. However, PAL had stronger effects in promoting gratitude, satisfaction with life, happiness, and resilience. Mediation analysis revealed that Kiwi ACE helped to decrease depressive symptoms by increasing students' sense of environmental mastery and increased students' well-being scores by decreasing the intensity and frequency of participants’ negative emotions. In contrast, PAL helped to decrease depressive symptoms, and increase well-being and resilience through many routes, namely through increasing gratitude, meaning, happiness and satisfaction with life.  The findings of this study reveal that building a capacity for positive emotions can help develop many resources that protect students from depressive symptoms and increase their psychological well-being and personal resilience. In addition, using positive emotions as a resource is equally effective as using CBT strategies in preventing depression and is more effective in increasing positive outcomes, including personal resilience. Finally the results from PAL indicate that cultivating positive emotions such as gratitude and happiness is an effective way to build personal resilience in adolescence.</p>

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