Exploring How Gratitude Impacts Cognitive Processes That Enhance Well-Being

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip C. Watkins ◽  
Andrew Pereira ◽  
Andrew Mathews
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Well Being

Individual and Societal Well-Being

2018 ◽  
pp. 698-722
Author(s):  
Shigehiro Oishi ◽  
Samantha J. Heintzleman
Keyword(s):  
Social Psychology ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Life Outcomes ◽  
Cultural Meanings ◽  
Research Topics ◽  
Psychological Science ◽  
The Social ◽  
Genetic Origins

This chapter highlights the contributions that have been made by personality and social psychology, respectively and together, to the science of well-being. Since its humble beginning in the 1930s, the science of well-being has grown to become one of the most vibrant research topics in psychological science today. The personality tradition of well-being research has shown that it is possible to measure well-being reliably, that self-reported well-being predicts important life outcomes, and that well-being has nontrivial genetic origins. The social psychology tradition has illuminated that there are various cultural meanings of well-being, that responses to well-being questions involve multiple cognitive processes, that happiness is experienced often in relationship contexts, and that it is possible to improve one’s well-being. Finally, there are recent methodological integrations of the personality and social psychology perspectives that delineate person–situation interactions.

The Exploitation of Models in Artificial Emotions

2015 ◽  
pp. 152-167
Author(s):  
M.G. Sánchez-Escribano ◽  
Carlos Herrera ◽  
Ricardo Sanz
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Feedback Loops ◽  
Artificial Emotions

Cognitive processes might be seen as reciprocal items and they are usually characterized by multiple feedback cycles. Emotions constitute one major source of feedback loops to assure the maintenance of well-being, providing cognitive processes with quantifiable meaning. This suggests the exploitation of models to improve the adaptation under value-based protocols. Emotion is not an isolated effect of stimuli, but it is the set of several effects of the stimuli and the relationships among them. This chapter proposes a study of the exploitation of models in artificial emotions, pointing out relationships as part of the model as well as the model exploitation method.

scholarly journals Hardiness, Perseverative Cognition, Anxiety, and Health-Related Outcomes: A Case for and Against Psychological Hardiness

2018 ◽  
Vol 122 (6) ◽  
pp. 2096-2118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Marcin Kowalski ◽  
Julie Aitken Schermer
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Personality Style ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Psychological Hardiness ◽  
Perseverative Cognition ◽  
Partial Correlations ◽  
Health Related ◽  
And Coping

The present study investigates the utility of psychological hardiness as well as the differences between rumination and worry. Undergraduate students completed questionnaires assessing hardiness, worry, rumination, mindfulness, neuroticism, anxiety, somatization, coping, and health. Correlations and partial correlations controlling for neuroticism were examined. Hardiness was negatively correlated with neuroticism, rumination, worry, and anxiety and positively correlated with mindfulness, coping, and health. When neuroticism was statistically controlled, the relationships between hardiness and rumination, health, and coping became nonsignificant, and the relationships between hardiness and worry, mindfulness, and anxiety, although attenuated, remained significant. Rumination and worry were positively correlated, but when neuroticism was statistically controlled, this relationship became nonsignificant. The results suggest that hardiness is better conceptualized as a personality style that contributes to psychological well-being. Furthermore, our findings suggest that rumination and worry are distinct cognitive processes.

Action Regulation Theory

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannes Zacher
Keyword(s):  
Mental Models ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cognitive Effort ◽  
Work Behavior ◽  
Cognitive Representations ◽  
Regulation Theory ◽  
Régulation Theory ◽  
Efficiency And Effectiveness

Action regulation theory is a meta-theory on the regulation of goal-directed behavior. The theory explains how workers regulate their behavior through cognitive processes, including goal development and selection, internal and external orientation, planning, monitoring of execution, and feedback processing. Moreover, action regulation theory focuses on the links between these cognitive processes, behavior, the objective environment, and objective outcomes. The action regulation process occurs on multiple levels of action regulation, including the sensorimotor or skill level, the level of flexible action patterns, the intellectual or conscious level, and the meta-cognitive heuristic level. These levels range from unconscious and automatized control of actions to conscious thought, and from muscular action to thought processes. Action regulation at lower levels in this hierarchy is more situation specific and requires less cognitive effort than action regulation at higher levels. Workers further develop action-oriented mental models that include long-term cognitive representations of input conditions, goals, plans, and expected and prescribed results of action, as well as knowledge about the boundary conditions of action and the transformation procedures that turn goals into expected results. The accuracy and level of detail of such action-oriented mental models is closely associated with the efficiency and effectiveness of action regulation. One of three foci can be in the foreground of action regulation: task, social context, or self. A task focus is most strongly associated with high efficiency and effectiveness of action regulation, because it links task-related goals with relevant plans, behavior, and feedback. Action regulation theory has been applied to understand several phenomena in the field of industrial, work, and organizational psychology, including proactive work behavior, work-related learning and error management, entrepreneurship, occupational strain and well-being, reciprocal influences between personality and work, innovation, teamwork, career development, and successful aging at work.

scholarly journals The Impact of Ruminative Processing on the Development of Intrusive Memories

2007 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 55-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alishia D. Williams ◽  
Michelle L. Moulds
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Emotional Processing ◽  
Depressive Disorders ◽  
Processing Condition ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Self ◽  
Focused Attention ◽  
Substantial Evidence ◽  
Intrusive Memories ◽  
The Impact

AbstractDespite substantial evidence of the detrimental effects of ruminative self-focus, paradoxically (as noted and reviewed by Watkins, 2004) there are clear suggestions that under some circumstances self-focused attention can actually promote well-being and confer benefits. We sought to replicate the findings of Watkins (2004) that adopting an abstract/analytical mode of processing following a negative event results in increased spontaneous intrusions of the event; that is, results in poor emotional processing. In the current study 57 low (BDI-II ≤ 7) and 59 high (BDI-II ≥ 12) dysphoric undergraduate participants viewed a four minute emotion-eliciting video, were randomly assigned to an analytical, experiential, or distraction processing condition, then monitored the frequency of video-related intrusions. Results indicated the effectiveness of the video in inducing moderately distressing intrusions, and suggest that the hypothesised effects of ruminative self-focus on intrusion severity may be dependent upon the self-referential nature of the material to be processed. Results did support previous findings (Williams & Moulds, 2007) that intrusion-related distress is not merely a function of intrusion frequency. Directions for future investigations of the cognitive processes that are important in the maintenance of depressive disorders are discussed.

Cognitive processes involved in the evaluation of life satisfaction: Implications for well-being

2005 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 281-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Mehlsen ◽  
D. Kirkegaard Thomsen ◽  
A. Viidik ◽  
F. Olesen ◽  
R. Zachariae
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Well Being

The EcoEducational-BioPsychoSocial Model in Everyday Education: A Suggestion for Researching Holistic Well-Being as a Contribution to Healthier Learner Autonomy

Relay Journal ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 110-121
Author(s):  
Tim Murphey ◽  
Curtis Edlin
Keyword(s):  
Positive Psychology ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Student Development ◽  
Biopsychosocial Model ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Learner Autonomy ◽  
Short Article ◽  
Improve Student Learning

In this short article, we propose that education could benefit greatly if students and teachers were tuned into the biopsychosocial parts of our holistic well-being, which is considered to be autonomy supportive, as a prerequisite of learning. Thus far, education has largely operated on a bias toward cognitive processes as the sole meaningful contributor to learning, focusing on the acquisition of knowledge while often seeing the biological, psychological, and social contextual contributions as unrelated. With the recent generation of positive psychology and positive sociology, researchers and educators alike are becoming more aware of the contribution that contextual well-being (i.e. considering biopsychosocial factors) has upon learning. This growing awareness suggests the need to broaden rather than narrow our understandings of causality both in the classroom and with learning at large. We propose that showing attention to this wider context could improve student learning substantially and support student development of a more sustainable autonomy.

scholarly journals Perfectionism and sporting practice. Functional stress regulation in adolescence

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 148-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan González-Hernández ◽  
Antonio Jesús Muñoz-Villena
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Functional Characteristic ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Subjective Perception ◽  
Childhood And Adolescence ◽  
Personal Standards ◽  
Stress Regulation ◽  
Influence Functional

Systematic practice of physical activity (PA) in childhood and adolescence enables the development of functional resources for subjective perception of well-being, stimulation of cognitive processes, and construction of the personality. The development of perfectionist beliefs is currently seen as a functional characteristic linked to positive aspects (positive affect, self-esteem, etc.), while its dysfunctional aspects have been associated with anxiety and stress. The aim of this study is to identify which indicators of perfectionism provide functional conditions/skills that, in combination with the level of practice of physical activity, facilitate stress regulation. A sample of 365 adolescents (183 girls and 182 boys) aged between 13 and 17 participated. The results show that as the intensity of physical activity increases, there are significant changes in the indicators for functional perfectionism (high personal standards and organisation), with reference to facilitating (at moderate levels) or limiting (if excessive or absent) perceived stress and, above all, increased intensity of physical activity accentuates dysfunctional perfectionism patterns. This research has made it possible to identify active psychological processes that influence functional or dysfunctional psychological responses in adolescents depending on their level of perfectionism and the intensity of practise of PA.

scholarly journals The Validity and Utility of Global Measures of Subjective Well-Being

2013 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 176-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Pavot
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Levels Of Analysis ◽  
Conceptual Basis ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
The Past ◽  
Widespread Acceptance ◽  
Methodological Procedures

Abstract Research interest in topics such as happiness, the quality of life, and the experience of well-being has dramatically increased in the past four decades. Global measures of Subjective Well-Being (SWB) have long held a prominent position in this burgeoning body of research (Diener, 1984; Pavot, 2008). Despite their widespread acceptance and use, the validity and utility of global measures of SWB have been challenged at several levels of analysis. These critiques have ranged from the conceptual basis of SWB (e.g. Ryan & Deci 2001; Ryff, 1989; Ryff & Singer, 2008) to very specific concerns about the context of the assessment situation and the cognitive processes involved in formulating a response to such measures (Pavot & Diener, 1993a; Schimmack & Oishi, 2005; Schwarz, & Strack, 1999). The purpose of this paper is to review and address some of the more prominent critiques of global measures of SWB, and to discuss methodological procedures and strategies for minimizing threats to the validity and increasing the utility of global measures of SWB.

scholarly journals Aligning bodies and minds: New insights about synchrony's effects on creative thinking, cohesion and positive affect

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Reneeta Mogan Naidu
Keyword(s):  
Positive Affect ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Real World ◽  
Creative Thinking ◽  
Divergent Thinking ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Bonding ◽  
Affective Responses ◽  
Convergent Thinking ◽  
Shared Intentionality

<p>Researchers conjecture that rituals have been prevalent in human activities for millennia due to tacit evolutionary functions of solidarity and cooperation. A key element of ritualistic behaviours is synchrony, defined as the matching of actions in time with others. Synchrony has been associated with a range of phenomena, including increased affiliation, connectedness, and cooperation among group members. However, there have been a number of failed replications of key studies. Furthermore, synchrony research has focused mainly on social and affective responses. Synchrony’s effects on cognitive processes remain largely unexamined, even though synchronous actions require social cognition. In this thesis, I investigate the link between synchrony and creative thinking, a basic and distinctively human cognitive process. This thesis reports four empirical studies conducted to investigate two main aims: (1) synthesise existing synchrony literature to determine synchrony’s overall effect on previously studied outcomes; and (2) investigate the relationship between synchrony and creative thinking. The focus on creativity is theoretically relevant because both sociological speculations about synchrony’s role on cultural conformity and real-world observations on reduced decision quality in highly cohesive groups (e.g., groupthink) suggest that synchrony may have detrimental effects on creativity. To address the first aim, a meta-analysis (Study 1) of experimentally manipulated synchrony studies showed that synchrony was positively associated (small to medium effect sizes) with prosocial behaviour, social bonding perceptions, partner cognition, and positive affect. Three experimental studies were conducted to address the second aim. Study 2 investigated the direct association between synchrony and two components of creative thinking – convergent thinking (i.e., synthesis of ideas toward a single creative solution) and divergent thinking (i.e., generation of multiple alternative ideas) – and aimed to replicate shared intentionality (i.e., shared goal/purpose) on positive social and affective responses. Shared intentionality has been argued as one of the main mechanisms amplifying synchrony’s positive social effects. In this study, I found that synchrony impaired convergent thinking when paired with shared intentionality, but I did not find support for a statistically significant effect of synchrony on divergent thinking. Additionally, I replicated synchrony’s positive social and affective effects. Broadening the scope, ritualistic behaviours in real-world contexts often vary in synchronicity and physical intensity simultaneously. Intensity has been shown to increase social bonding, well-being, and certain cognitive processes; therefore, it is important to study the separate effects of synchrony and intensity on these outcomes. To do so, I conducted a naturalistic field study (Study 3) of group exercises varying in synchrony and intensity, and Study 4 examined the same associations with a controlled experiment. I found that synchrony impaired divergent thinking, but high intensity facilitated divergent and convergent thinking. Synchrony paired with shared intentionality as well as high intensity increased cohesion among participants. Moreover, performing movements together regardless of synchronicity may be sufficient to increase positive affect. My thesis offers a novel theoretical and empirical contribution to knowledge by revealing that although synchronised actions may have been evolutionarily adaptive for prosocial behaviours, cohesion, and well-being, synchrony also appears to inhibit cognitive processes such as creative thinking.</p>

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