Higher well-being is related to reduced affective reactivity to positive events in daily life.

Relatively little is known about the links between the events and emotions experienced in daily life and long-term outcomes among people diagnosed with depression. Using daily diary data from the Midlife Development in the United States, we examined how positive daily life events and emotions influence long-term (10 years later) depression severity and well-being. Participants met criteria for major depressive disorder ( n = 121) or reported no depression ( n = 839) over the past 12 months. Participants reported positive events, socializing activities, and negative affect (NA) and positive affect (PA) for 8 consecutive days. Relative to nondepressed adults, depressed adults reported fewer positive events (fewer positive interactions, spending less time with others), lower PA, and higher NA. Among initially depressed adults, higher baseline well-being was related to higher daily PA, lower NA, and fewer days with less reported social time; higher daily PA and positive interactions predicted higher well-being 10 years later ( N = 77). Variations in day-to-day events and emotions among people with depression may presage psychological functioning years later.

Sleep duration and affective reactivity to stressors and positive events in daily life.

Health Psychology ◽

10.1037/hea0001033 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 39 (12) ◽

pp. 1078-1088 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Nancy L. Sin ◽

Jin H. Wen ◽

Patrick Klaiber ◽

Orfeu M. Buxton ◽

David M. Almeida

Keyword(s):

Sleep Duration ◽

Daily Life ◽

Positive Events ◽

Affective Reactivity

Supplemental Material for Sleep Duration and Affective Reactivity to Stressors and Positive Events in Daily Life

Health Psychology ◽

10.1037/hea0001033.supp ◽

2020 ◽

Keyword(s):

Sleep Duration ◽

Daily Life ◽

Positive Events ◽

Affective Reactivity

The Ups and Downs of Daily Life During COVID-19: Age Differences in Affect, Stress, and Positive Events

The Journals of Gerontology Series B ◽

10.1093/geronb/gbaa096 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Patrick Klaiber ◽

Jin H Wen ◽

Anita DeLongis ◽

Nancy L Sin

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Negative Affect ◽

Age Differences ◽

Well Being ◽

The United States ◽

Daily Stressors ◽

Positive Events ◽

Younger Adults ◽

Affective Reactivity ◽

Age Related

Abstract Objectives Past research has linked older age with greater emotional well-being and decreased reactivity to stressors, but it is unknown whether age-related advantages in emotional well-being are maintained in the wake of COVID-19. We examined age differences in exposure and affective reactivity to daily stressors and positive events in the first several weeks of the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods In March and April 2020, 776 adults from Canada and the United States aged 18–91 (mean age 45) years reported COVID-19 threats at baseline, then completed nightly surveys for 1 week about their daily stressors, positive events, and affect. Results Younger age predicted more concerns about the threat of COVID-19 across multiple domains, in addition to lower positive affect, higher negative affect, and less frequent positive events. Younger adults had more non-COVID-19 daily stressors and higher perceived control over stressors, but lower perceived coping efficacy than older adults. There were no age differences in the frequency of COVID-19 daily stressors nor perceived stressor severity. Younger adults had greater reductions in negative affect on days when more positive events occurred and greater increases in negative affect on days when non-COVID-19 stressors occurred. Age moderation was attenuated for negative affective reactivity to COVID-19 stressors. Age did not moderate positive affective reactivity to daily events. Discussion In the early weeks of the pandemic, older adults showed better emotional well-being and less reactivity to stressors but did not differ from younger adults in their exposure to COVID-19 stressors. Additionally, younger adults benefited more from positive events.

Positive Events and Physical Activity in Daily Life for Middle-Aged and Older Adults

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.163 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 44-44

Author(s):

Sun Ah Lee ◽

Lizbeth Benson ◽

Erica O'Brien ◽

David Conroy ◽

David Almeida

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Multilevel Model ◽

Daily Life ◽

Well Being ◽

National Study ◽

Third Wave ◽

Positive Events ◽

Naturally Occurring ◽

Positive Experiences ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Previous studies reveal that positive affective well-being is positively associated with physical activity. The present study extends this work by examining the relationship between positive events and physical activity in daily life. Participants (N=1,016, ages 43-90, 56% women) from the third wave of the National Study of Daily Experiences reported their experiences of positive events and physical activity in eight daily diary interviews. Results from multilevel model analyses showed that on days when participants experienced more positive events than usual, they were more likely to engage in physical activity and reported engaging in greater physical activity than usual. Further, participants who experienced more positive events on average across the study period also reported engaging in greater daily physical activity. These results were invariant across age. Our findings highlight the importance of naturally-occurring positive experiences in daily life across middle- and later adulthood.

Assessment of health related issues in individuals’, couples’, and families’ daily life

Zeitschrift für Gesundheitspsychologie ◽

10.1026/0943-8149.16.3.146 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 16 (3) ◽

pp. 146-149 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Meinrad Perrez ◽

Michael Reicherts ◽

Yves Hänggi ◽

Andrea B. Horn ◽

Gisela Michel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Emotion Regulation ◽

Daily Life ◽

Ecological Validity ◽

Reliability And Validity ◽

Well Being ◽

Computer Assisted ◽

Emotional States ◽

Self Reports ◽

Health Related ◽

Lower Variability

Abstract. Most research in health psychology is based on retrospective self reports, which are distorted by recall biases and have low ecological validity. To overcome such limitations we developed computer assisted diary approaches to assess health related behaviours in individuals’, couples’ and families’ daily life. The event- and time-sampling-based instruments serve to assess appraisals of the current situation, feelings of physical discomfort, current emotional states, conflict and emotion regulation in daily life. They have proved sufficient reliability and validity in the context of individual, couple and family research with respect to issues like emotion regulation and health. As examples: Regarding symptom reporting curvilinear pattern of frequencies over the day could be identified by parents and adolescents; or psychological well-being is associated with lower variability in basic affect dimensions. In addition, we report on preventive studies to improve parental skills and enhance their empathic competences towards their baby, and towards their partner.

How Do People Share Their Positive Events?

Journal of Individual Differences ◽

10.1027/1614-0001/a000212 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 37 (4) ◽

pp. 250-259 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Cara A. Palmer ◽

Meagan A. Ramsey ◽

Jennifer N. Morey ◽

Amy L. Gentzler

Keyword(s):

Cluster Analysis ◽

Communication Technology ◽

Big Five ◽

Well Being ◽

Big Five Personality Traits ◽

Big Five Personality ◽

Positive Events ◽

Growing Body ◽

Sharing Patterns ◽

Practical Implications

Abstract. Research suggests that sharing positive events with others is beneficial for well-being, yet little is known about how positive events are shared with others and who is most likely to share their positive events. The current study expanded on previous research by investigating how positive events are shared and individual differences in how people share these events. Participants (N = 251) reported on their likelihood to share positive events in three ways: capitalizing (sharing with close others), bragging (sharing with someone who may become jealous or upset), and mass-sharing (sharing with many people at once using communication technology) across a range of positive scenarios. Using cluster analysis, five meaningful profiles of sharing patterns emerged. These profiles were associated with gender, Big Five personality traits, narcissism, and empathy. Individuals who tended to brag when they shared their positive events were more likely to be men, reported less agreeableness, less conscientiousness, and less empathy, whereas those who tended to brag and mass-share reported the highest levels of narcissism. These results have important theoretical and practical implications for the growing body of research on sharing positive events.

Validation of questionnaire-reported chest wall abnormalities with a telephone interview in Swiss childhood cancer survivors

BMC Cancer ◽

10.1186/s12885-021-08425-z ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Rahel Kasteler ◽

Christa Lichtensteiger ◽

Christina Schindera ◽

Marc Ansari ◽

Claudia E. Kuehni ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Cancer Survivors ◽

Childhood Cancer ◽

Chest Wall ◽

Daily Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Childhood Cancer Survivors ◽

Thoracic Wall ◽

Medical Attention ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background Chest wall abnormalities are a poorly studied complication after treatment for childhood cancer. Chest wall abnormalities are not well-described in the literature, and little is known on the impact on daily life of survivors. Methods We investigated prevalence and risk factors of chest wall abnormalities in childhood cancer survivors in a nationwide, population-based cohort study (Swiss Childhood Cancer Survivor Study) with a questionnaire survey. We then interviewed a nested sample of survivors to validate types of chest wall abnormalities and understand their impact on the daily life of survivors. Results Forty-eight of 2382 (95%CI 2–3%) survivors reported a chest wall abnormality. Risk factors were older age at cancer diagnosis (16–20 years; OR 2.5, 95%CI 1.0–6.1), lymphoma (OR 3.8, 95%CI 1.2–11.4), and central nervous system tumors (OR 9.5, 95%CI 3.0–30.1) as underlying disease, and treatment with thoracic radiotherapy (OR 2.0, 95%CI 1.0–4.2), surgery to the chest (OR 4.5, 95%CI 1.8–11.5), or chemotherapy (OR 2.9, 95%CI 1.0–8.1). The nature of the chest wall abnormalities varied and included thoracic wall deformities (30%), deformations of the spine (5%) or both (55%), and scars (10%). Chest wall abnormalities affected daily life in two thirds (13/20) of those who reported these problems and necessitated medical attention for 15 (75%) survivors. Conclusion It is important that, during follow-up care, physicians pay attention to chest wall abnormalities, which are rare late effects of cancer treatment, but can considerably affect the well-being of cancer survivors.

The Experience of Empathy in Everyday Life

Psychological Science ◽

10.1177/0956797621995202 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 095679762199520

Author(s):

Gregory John Depow ◽

Zoë Francis ◽

Michael Inzlicht

Keyword(s):

Prosocial Behavior ◽

Everyday Life ◽

Perspective Taking ◽

Positive Emotions ◽

Daily Life ◽

Negative Emotions ◽

Well Being ◽

Negatively Associated ◽

The Everyday ◽

Trait Empathy

We used experience sampling to examine perceptions of empathy in the everyday lives of a group of 246 U.S. adults who were quota sampled to represent the population on key demographics. Participants reported an average of about nine opportunities to empathize per day; these experiences were positively associated with prosocial behavior, a relationship not found with trait measures. Although much of the literature focuses on the distress of strangers, in everyday life, people mostly empathize with very close others, and they empathize with positive emotions 3 times as frequently as with negative emotions. Although trait empathy was negatively associated only with well-being, empathy in daily life was generally associated with increased well-being. Theoretically distinct components of empathy—emotion sharing, perspective taking, and compassion—typically co-occur in everyday empathy experiences. Finally, empathy in everyday life was higher for women and the religious but not significantly lower for conservatives and the wealthy.