Meaning in Life, Self-Control, Positive and Negative Affect: Exploring Gender Differences Among Adolescents

2019 ◽  
pp. 0044118X1988373 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liat Hamama ◽  
Yaira Hamama-Raz
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Positive And Negative Affect ◽  
Use Of Self ◽  
And Gender

The present study explores gender differences in adolescence with regard to meaning in life and self-control skills and in relation to positive and negative affect. Participants were 500 adolescents between the ages of 13 and 16 years. Outcomes revealed that females reported higher negative affect and self-control skills in comparison with males. Moreover, the association between self-control skills and negative affect was stronger among females than among males. In contrast to our assumptions, positive affect was not found to be higher among females although females scored higher in meaning in life than their male counterparts. In addition, self-control skills mediated the association between meaning in life and negative affect, and gender moderated the association between self-control skills and negative affect only among females. Considering these findings, gender seems to be vital in explaining differences in the use of self-control skills and meaning in life and their links to positive and negative affect.

scholarly journals Distinct Associations of Hedonic and Eudaimonic Motives with Well-Being: Mediating Role of Self-Control

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (15) ◽  
pp. 5547
Author(s):  
Zhijia Zeng ◽  
Hezhi Chen
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
College Freshmen ◽  
Good Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Positive And Negative Affect ◽  
Mediating Role

The pursuit of hedonia and eudaimonia are two ways to fulfill the goal of a “good life”. While some studies report that both hedonic and eudaimonic motives improve well-being, others suggest that hedonic motives are counterproductive, raising the question of whether and why eudaimonic motives are more positively associated with well-being. We aimed to identify the distinct associations of hedonic and eudaimonic motives with well-being and investigate whether they are partly mediated by self-control. A total of 2882 college freshmen (1835 females, 1047 males, mean age 18.16 years) completed measures assessing hedonic and eudaimonic motives, self-control, life satisfaction, positive and negative affect, and eudaimonic well-being. Eudaimonic motives were associated with higher life satisfaction, more positive affect, less negative affect, and better eudaimonic well-being. In contrast, hedonic motives were positively associated with life satisfaction, while also being correlated with a greater degree of negative affect and impaired eudaimonic well-being. Self-control mediated the relationships between hedonic and eudaimonic motives and well-being. Eudaimonic and hedonic motives were positively and negatively related to self-control, respectively. Further, high self-control was associated with greater life satisfaction, positive affect, and eudaimonic well-being and lower negative affect. Thus, eudaimonic motives can lead to a better life than hedonic motives because the former enhance self-control, while the latter lower it.

scholarly journals Affect and psychological well-being in spouses of cancer patients: the mediating role of meaning in life and self-efficacy

Family Forum ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 267-286
Author(s):  
Dariusz Krok
Keyword(s):  
Negative Affect ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Personal Resources ◽  
Positive And Negative Affect ◽  
Psychological Well Being

The examination of the psychological functioning of cancer patients’ spouses implies that affect and personal resources play an important role in their psychological well-being. This is a consequence of the severe stress caused by the medical conditions of a spouse and of responsibilities related to caregiving. This study aimed to examine the role of affect and purpose-oriented personal resources (meaning in life and self-efficacy) in shaping psychological well-being in the spouses of cancer patients. The participants were 214 spouses of gastrointestinal patients who were either undergoing medical treatment in hospital units or attending scheduled clinic appointments at outpatient medical clinics. The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS-X), Psychological Well-Being Scale (PWB), Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ), and General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES) were used. The results indicated that positive affect was positively correlated with meaning in life, self-efficacy, and psychological well-being. In contrast, negative affect was negatively correlated with positive affect, meaning in life, self-efficacy, and psychological well-being. The mediation analyses demonstrated that meaning in life and self-efficacy were mediators between positive and negative affect and psychological well-being. The mediating function of meaning in life and self-efficacy revealed the significant role of personal resources based on purpose and self-motivation in the relationship between affect and psychological well-being. Positive and negative affect can influence motivational processes that enable patients and their families to constructively deal with challenging and illness-related situations. Caregivers and medical staff could take into account the important role of purpose-oriented resources as they affect the functioning of both patients and their families.

scholarly journals Association of Affect and Gait Performance in Dual-Task Walking in Non-Demented Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 287-287
Author(s):  
Deepan Guharajan ◽  
Roee Holtzer
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Dual Task ◽  
Task Demands ◽  
Gait Velocity ◽  
Positive And Negative Affect ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Aging Populations ◽  
Task Conditions

Abstract Aging populations are at increased risk to experience mobility disability, which is associated with falls, frailty, and mortality. Previous studies have not examined the concurrent associations of both positive and negative affect with gait velocity. We examined whether individual differences in positive and negative affect predicted dual-task performance decrements in velocity in a dual-task (DT) paradigm in non-demented older adults. We hypothesize that positive affect would be associated with lower DT costs, and negative affect would be associated with higher DT costs. Participants (N = 403; mean age, = 76.22 (6.55); females = 56%) completed the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) and a DT paradigm that involved three task conditions: Single-Task-Walk (STW), Alpha (cognitive interference requiring participants to recite alternate letters of the alphabet), and Dual-Task-Walk (DTW) requiring participant to perform the two single tasks concurrently. Gait velocity was assessed via an instrumented walkway. As expected, results of a linear mixed effects model (LME) showed a significant decline in gait velocity (cm/s) from STW to DTW (estimate = -11.79; 95%CI = -12.82 to -10.77). LME results further revealed that negative affect was associated with greater decline in gait velocity from STW to DTW (ie., worse DT cost) (estimate = -0.38; 95%CI = -0.73 to -0.03). Positive affect did not, however, predict DT costs in gait velocity (estimate = -0.09; 95%CI = -0.23 to 0.05). These findings suggest that increased negative affect interferes with the allocation of attentional resources to competing task demands inherent in the DT paradigm.

Grandparent-child cohesion, friendship quality, and left-behind children’s positive/negative affect in rural China

2021 ◽  
pp. 135910532110499
Author(s):  
Jingxin Zhao ◽  
Jing Ge ◽  
Qianyu Li
Keyword(s):  
Negative Affect ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Rural China ◽  
Friendship Quality ◽  
Interaction Effects ◽  
Positive And Negative Affect ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
Emotional Adaptation ◽  
Reinforcement Model ◽  
Intimate Exchange

This study examined the roles of grandparent-child cohesion and friendship quality in left-behind children’s positive and negative affect compared with non-left-behind children. Data from 557 participants indicated that grandparent-child cohesion and friendship quality predicted children’s emotional adaptation. Friend trust and support and intimate exchange had a stronger predictive effect on positive affect among non-left-behind children. Moreover, the interaction effects between grandparent-child cohesion and friendship quality on children’s positive affect supported the reinforcement model, while the interaction effects on negative affect supported the reinforcement model among left-behind children but supported the compensation model among non-left-behind children.

A Multilevel Investigation of the Effects of Daily Work–Family Interaction on Daily Affect During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. 0192513X2110444
Author(s):  
Mehmet Çetin ◽  
Bayram Dede ◽  
Özgür Kökalan ◽  
Ezgi Dede
Keyword(s):  
Negative Affect ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Family Conflict ◽  
Positive And Negative Affect ◽  
Work Family Conflict ◽  
Daily Work ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Work Family ◽  
Work Family Enrichment ◽  
Family Enrichment

This research aimed to examine the effects of daily work–family conflict and work–family enrichment on daily positive and negative affect levels of employees during the first phases of the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey. The multilevel structure of the research design makes this study original. 730 day-level data were collected from 146 respondents during five consecutive workdays. One week later, a larger survey was delivered for assessing the person-level variables. The results indicated that both forms of work–family conflict significantly decreased positive affect and increased negative affect. Both types of work–family enrichment significantly increased positive affect; but only daily work to family enrichment significantly decreased daily negative affect. Findings also revealed that positive affect levels of respondents increase while negative affect levels decrease with time. On the days employees worked from distance, lower levels of positive and negative affect were experienced.

Playing for God’s Team: The Influence of Belief in the Supernatural on Perceptions of Religious, Spiritual, and Natural Cues

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 215-244
Author(s):  
Virginia A. Periss ◽  
David F. Bjorklund
Keyword(s):  
Negative Affect ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Social Exchange ◽  
Religious Belief ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Positive And Negative Affect ◽  
Positive Bias ◽  
Evolutionary Perspective ◽  
Supernatural Beliefs ◽  
Supernatural Explanations

Adherence to religious belief may serve to promote group cohesion and cooperation by decreasing the costs associated with social exchange. Consistent with this, organized religious ideologies, unlike secular or spiritual based ideologies, have been argued to facilitate cooperation among individuals living in large-scale societies. In the current study, we examined whether hypothetical adults’ explanations of natural events focused on religious ideologies were more effective at eliciting positive-affect compared to spiritual or natural explanations. Results revealed that religious cues were more effective than spiritual cues in eliciting perceptions of positive-affect, but only when participant religiosity was taken into account. Participants high in religiosity favored the religious cues over the spiritual and natural cues, whereas participants high in spirituality showed no preferences. Conversely, participants low in religious belief demonstrated not only a positive bias towards the natural explanations, but also rated the adults expressing the supernatural explanations, in particular the religious explanations, as having greater negative-affect. From an evolutionary perspective, we interpreted the results as providing support that some forms of supernatural thinking, typical of organized religion, are more effective at eliciting feelings of positive and negative affect compared to supernatural beliefs not rooted in organized religion.

Relations among Positive Affect, Negative Affect, and Somatic Symptoms in a Medically Ill Patient Sample

2000 ◽  
Vol 87 (1) ◽  
pp. 227-233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven A. Kvaal ◽  
Shobhana Patodia
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Pain Intensity ◽  
Somatic Symptoms ◽  
Somatic Complaints ◽  
Positive And Negative Affect ◽  
Medical Patients ◽  
Medically Ill ◽  
Different Populations

The Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS), a brief measure of Positive and Negative Affect, may be useful in assessing mood of medical patients because it does not include somatic items frequently confounded with medical conditions. In previous research Positive and Negative Affect have been independent and uncorrelated, and Negative Affect but not Positive Affect has been positively correlated with somatic symptoms. However, relationships between variables may vary in different populations, and there is relatively little information on Positive and Negative Affect in medical patients. In the current study, the PANAS was used to assess the relationships among Positive Affect, Negative Affect, and somatic symptoms and pain in a medically ill hospital population. Positive and Negative Affect scores were positively correlated and for patients reporting pain, Positive Affect scores were positively correlated with pain intensity. Results from this and other studies indicate that Positive and Negative Affect are independent but in some populations may be correlated; positive affects such as hopefulness may co-occur with both somatic complaints and psychological distress.

scholarly journals Sleep Quality and Self-Control: The Mediating Roles of Positive and Negative Affects

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinru Liu ◽  
Lin Zhu ◽  
Conghui Liu
Keyword(s):  
Negative Affect ◽  
Sleep Quality ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Poor Sleep ◽  
Poor Sleep Quality ◽  
Negative Affects ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Positive And Negative Affects

This study examined the mediating roles of both positive and negative affects in the relationship between sleep quality and self-control. A sample of 1,507 Chinese adults (37% men; mean age = 32.5 years) completed self-report questionnaires measuring sleep quality, positive and negative emotions, and self-control. Poor sleep quality was positively correlated with negative affect and negatively correlated with positive affect and self-control. Positive affect was positively correlated with self-control, while negative affect was negatively correlated with self-control. Both positive and negative affects significantly mediated the relationship between sleep quality and self-control. Improving individuals’ sleep qualities may lead to more positive emotions and less negative emotion, and these mood changes may increase resources for self-control. Regulating positive and negative affects may reduce the negative effects of poor sleep quality on self-control.

Neuroticism, alexithymia, negative affect and positive affect as predictors of medically unexplained symptoms in primary care

2002 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 181-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. De Gucht
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Affective State ◽  
Medically Unexplained Symptoms ◽  
Positive And Negative Affect ◽  
Medically Unexplained ◽  
Unexplained Symptoms

Background:Somatization has been defined in a number of ways. Despite their differences, these definitions have one element in common, namely the presence of somatic symptoms that cannot be explained (adequately) by organic findings.Objective:The primary objectives of the dissertation were to gain a better insight into the concept of somatization, and to study (prospectively) the relationship between neuroticism and alexithymia, two personality traits that have been shown to be related to somatization, the affective state dimensions positive and negative affect (or psychological distress) and medically unexplained symptoms.Method:A selective review was conducted regarding conceptual and methodological issues related to somatization. A total number of 318 patients, presenting to their primary care physician with medically unexplained symptoms, participated in the prospective study. Both at baseline and at 6-month follow-up a number of measures were filled out with respect to somatization, neuroticism, alexithymia, negative and positive affect, anxiety and depression.Results:The concept of somatization was clarified, thereby making use of the distinction between presenting and functional somatization. The personality traits neuroticism and alexithymia were found to have an indirect influence on symptom reports. Both the cross-sectional and follow-up data pointed to the importance of positive and negative affect as determinants of (changes in) number of symptoms (over time). Negative affect, together with the alexithymia dimension measuring difficulty identifying feelings, predicted symptom persistence.Conclusions:The theoretical as well as therapeutic implications of the present paper may give an impetus to new research in the domain of somatization.

scholarly journals The Investigation of Gender Differences in Subjective Wellbeing in Children and Adolescents: The UP&DOWN Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (8) ◽  
pp. 2732
Author(s):  
Sara Esteban-Gonzalo ◽  
Laura Esteban-Gonzalo ◽  
Verónica Cabanas-Sánchez ◽  
Marta Miret ◽  
Oscar L. Veiga
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
Subjective Wellbeing ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Purpose In Life ◽  
Screening Methods ◽  
Positive And Negative Affect ◽  
Linear Regression Models

Objective: Based on a three-factor model of subjective wellbeing (evaluative, hedonic and eudemonic), the purpose of this study was to analyze gender differences in children and adolescents through three different subjective wellbeing indicators. Method: The sample comprised 1.407 children and adolescents from Cadiz and Madrid (Spain), in the framework of the UP&DOWN study. Life satisfaction was measured with the subjective happiness scale, positive and negative affect were measured with the positive and negative affect schedule, and purpose in life was assessed with the children’s hope scale. Results: Linear regression models indicate the existence of significant gender differences only in adolescents, with higher scores among girls in positive affect (p = 0.016) and negative affect (p < 0.001) but with lower scores in purpose in life (p = 0.024). Conclusions: These results highlight the role of gender as an important factor in explaining differences in subjective wellbeing. Additionally, results indicate that gender differences in subjective wellbeing are observed in adolescents, but not in children, suggesting that the gender gap in subjective wellbeing begins at the age of 12. Mental health practitioners should pay attention to these findings in order to implement screening methods and interventions focused on these needs.

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