scholarly journals The Congregational Character Questionnaire: An Initial Empirical Examination of the Significance of Collective Church Character Traits

2021 ◽  
pp. 009164712110219
Author(s):  
T. Ryan Byerly ◽  
Keith J. Edwards ◽  
Peter C. Hill
Keyword(s):  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Character Traits ◽  
Academic Disciplines ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Religious Congregations ◽  
Empirical Examination ◽  
Christian Churches

Researchers in several academic disciplines have begun to take an interest in group character traits, including the character traits of religious congregations. This article reports the first empirical studies of congregational virtues. The Congregational Character Questionnaire was developed for measuring 12 different virtues of Christian churches: clinging to apostolic teaching, honoring teachers, prayerfulness, hopefulness, discipleship, emotional supportiveness, material supportiveness, spiritual equality, unity, submission, peace with the world, and spreading the faith. The instrument was then used with an online sample ( N = 530) to study how congregants’ perceptions of their congregation’s virtuousness related to congregants’ evaluations of their congregation, participation in their congregation, as well as congregants’ satisfaction with life, presence of meaning in life, and religious well-being. Results indicated that congregants’ overall perceptions of congregational virtuousness were significantly positively related to all of these dependent variables. These results help to reveal the important role that congregational character may play in the experience of congregants. Directions for future research in this area are outlined.

Achieving Financial Inclusion for Persons With Disabilities: Exploring Preparedness and Accessibility of Financial Services for Persons With Disabilities in Malawi

2021 ◽  
pp. 104420732110275
Author(s):  
Alex Nester Jiya ◽  
Maxwell Peprah Opoku ◽  
William Nketsia ◽  
Joslin Alexei Dogbe ◽  
Josephine Nkrumah Adusei
Keyword(s):  
Financial Literacy ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Commercial Banks ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Living Conditions ◽  
Inclusive Development ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Persons With Disabilities

Deplorable living conditions among persons with disabilities and the need to improve their living conditions cannot be overemphasized. This has triggered international discussion on the need for deliberate social policies to bridge the poverty gap between persons with and without disabilities. In Malawi, expansion of financial services has been identified as an essential tool to accelerate economic and inclusive development. However, empirical studies are yet to explore the preparedness of financial institutions to extend their services to persons with disabilities. In this qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with managers from commercial banks in Malawi to understand their perspectives on extending financial services to persons with disabilities. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and a descriptive thematic analysis was performed. Although participants reiterated the need to provide persons with disabilities with financial services to improve their well-being, few initiatives have been undertaken to improve their participation. Particularly, participants stated that barriers, such as a lack of financial literacy and adaptive technologies, communication barriers, and high rates of unemployment, explained the reluctance of commercial banks to extend financial services to persons with disabilities. The limitations, recommendations for future research, and implications of the study for policymaking have been highlighted.

scholarly journals Growing up after childhood cancer: maturity and life satisfaction in young adulthood

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taylor M. Dattilo ◽  
Randal S. Olshefski ◽  
Leena Nahata ◽  
Jennifer A. Hansen-Moore ◽  
Cynthia A. Gerhardt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Childhood Cancer ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Adult Survivors ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Growing Up ◽  
Young Adult Survivors ◽  
Survivors Of Childhood Cancer ◽  
Linear Regressions

Abstract Purpose Young individuals face a variety of developmental tasks as they mature into adulthood. For survivors of childhood cancer, growing up may be more difficult due to their illness and late effects from treatment. This study is the first to quantitatively examine perceptions of maturity and how these perceptions contribute to satisfaction with life among young adult survivors of childhood cancer. Methods Ninety survivors of childhood cancer (Mage = 29.8; 7–37 years post-diagnosis) were recruited to complete online surveys on how mature they felt relative to peers, their perceived maturity on three domains (financial, personal, social), and life satisfaction. Results Most survivors (62%; n = 56) felt they grew up faster than their peers, and over half (56%; n = 50) felt more mature. Perceived maturity was high on all three domains, but brain tumor survivors reported significantly lower maturity than other survivors (d = 0.76–1.11). All maturity domains were positively associated with life satisfaction (r = .49–.56). Hierarchical linear regressions indicated that 44% of the variance in life satisfaction was explained by perceptions of growing up slower (β =  − 1.08, p = .004) and marginally by greater perceived personal maturity (β = 0.45, p = .061). Conclusions Childhood cancer can influence development, with most survivors feeling that they grew up faster and were more mature than peers. Personal maturity was related to life satisfaction, with survivors of brain tumors or those who felt they grew up slower at greatest risk for lower life satisfaction. Future research and clinical practice should consider survivors’ development and maturation across the life span to promote overall well-being.

“I Will Never Know the Person Who I Could Have Become”: Perceived Changes in Self-Identity Among Adult Survivors of Clergy-Perpetrated Sexual Abuse

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 1139-1162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott D. Easton ◽  
Danielle M. Leone-Sheehan ◽  
Patrick J. O’Leary
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Clinical Sample ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Adult Survivors ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Relational Self ◽  
Self Identity

Clergy-perpetrated sexual abuse (CPSA) during childhood represents a tragic betrayal of trust that inflicts damage on the survivor, the family, and the parish community. Survivors often report CPSA has a disturbing impact on their self-identity. Despite intense media coverage of clergy abuse globally in the Catholic Church (and other faith communities) over several decades, relatively few empirical studies have been conducted with survivors. Beyond clinical observations and advocacy group reports, very little is known about survivors’ perceptions of how the abuse impacted their long-term self-identity. Using data collected during the 2010 Health and Well-Being Survey, this qualitative analysis represents one of the first large-scale studies with a non-clinical sample of adult male survivors of CPSA from childhood ( N = 205). The negative effects of the sexual abuse on participants were expressed across six domains of self-identity: (a) total self, (b) psychological self, (c) relational self, (d) gendered self, (e) aspirational self, and (f) spiritual self. These findings highlight the range and depth of self-suffering inflicted by this pernicious form of sexual violence. The findings are useful for developing clinical services for survivors, shaping public and institutional policies to address clergy-perpetrated sexual abuse, and guiding future research with this population.

scholarly journals How Does Search for Meaning Lead to Presence of Meaning for Korean Army Soldiers? The Mediating Roles of Leisure Crafting and Gratitude

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jung In Lim ◽  
Jason Yu ◽  
Young Woo Sohn
Keyword(s):  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Search For Meaning ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Presence Of Meaning ◽  
Army Soldiers ◽  
The Republic

Many studies demonstrate that finding meaning in life reduces stress and promotes physical and psychological well-being. However, extant literature focuses on meaning in life among the general population (e.g., college students or office workers) in their daily lives. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the mechanisms of how individuals living in life-threatening and stressful situations obtain meaning in life, by investigating the mediating roles of leisure crafting and gratitude. A total of 465 Army soldiers from the Republic of Korea (ROK) participated in two-wave surveys with a 2-week interval. Structural equation modeling analyses indicated that the direct effects between the search for meaning, presence of meaning, leisure crafting, and gratitude were significant, except for the direct relationship between the search for meaning and the presence of meaning, and between leisure crafting and the presence of meaning. We tested indirect effects using a Monte Carlo approach and found that leisure crafting and gratitude sequentially mediated the relationship between the search for meaning and the presence of meaning. Our findings highlight the importance of the motivation behind searching for meaning, the proactive use of leisure time, and gratitude for individuals in stressful situations and controlled lifestyles. Finally, we discuss the implications and limitations of this research and future research directions.

scholarly journals Are Coping Strategies with Well-Being in Deaf and Blind Parents Related?

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1422-1439
Author(s):  
Maria Luisa Indiana ◽  
Elisabetta Sagone ◽  
Salvatore Luciano Orazio Fichera
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Sensory Loss ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Deaf Parents

The main purpose of this cross-sectional study, carried out with deaf parents and blind parents, is to analyze the association of coping strategies, life satisfaction, well-being, and generalized self-efficacy, compared to a group of parents without a sensory loss. The Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced, Satisfaction with Life, Generalized Self-efficacy, and Psychological Well-Being scales were applied. Results indicate that: (1) deaf parents and blind parents search for social support, use avoidance, and turn to religion more than those without a sensory loss; (2) deaf parents are more satisfied with life than blind parents and those without a sensory loss; (3) deaf parents and blind parents perceive themselves as less efficacious than those without a sensory loss; (4) deaf parents and blind parents report lower psychological well-being (autonomy and personal growth) than those without a sensory loss, except for self-acceptance. Searching for social support and turning to religion are negatively associated with life satisfaction in deaf parents and those without a sensory loss; further, these coping strategies (together with avoidance) affect the psychological well-being of deaf parents and parents without a sensory loss. Future research could investigate deeper into the effects of these dimensions on well-being and the styles of parenting in these families.

scholarly journals Gratitude and Social Media: A Pilot Experiment on the Benefits of Exposure to Others’ Grateful Interactions on Facebook

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simona Sciara ◽  
Daniela Villani ◽  
Anna Flavia Di Natale ◽  
Camillo Regalia
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Specific Property ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Pilot Experiment

Facebook and other social networking sites allow observation of others’ interactions that in normal, offline life would simply be undetectable (e.g., a two-voice conversation viewable on the Facebook wall, from the perspective of a real, silent witness). Drawing on this specific property, the theory of social learning, and the most direct implications of emotional contagion, our pilot experiment (N = 49) aimed to test whether the exposure to others’ grateful interactions on Facebook enhances (a) users’ felt gratitude, (b) expressed gratitude, and (c) their subjective well-being. For the threefold purpose, we created ad hoc Facebook groups in which the exposure to some accomplices’ exchange of grateful messages for 2 weeks was experimentally manipulated and users’ felt/expressed gratitude and well-being were consequently assessed. Results partially supported both hypotheses. Observing others’ exchange of grateful posts/comments on Facebook appeared to enhance participants’ in-person expression of gratitude (i.e., self-reported gratitude expression within face-to-face interactions), but not their direct and subjective experiences of gratitude. Similarly, exposure to others’ grateful messages improved some components of subjective well-being, such as satisfaction with life, but not negative and positive affect. Taken together, however, our preliminary findings suggest for the first time that social networking sites may actually amplify the spreading of gratitude and its benefits. Implications of our results for professionals and future research in the field of health, education, and social media communication are discussed.

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.

Immigrant Women’s Experiences of Acculturative Stress

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 497-512 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronni Michelle Greenwood ◽  
Maura Adshead ◽  
Sarah Jay
Keyword(s):  
Acculturative Stress ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Women Of Color ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Psychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Immigrant Women ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Immigrant Group ◽  
Average Score ◽  
Future Research

We examined the relation of two acculturation stressors, exclusion from ordinary privileges and overt discrimination, to two indicators of psychological well-being (i.e., psychiatric symptoms and satisfaction with life) among a diverse sample of immigrant women living in Ireland ( N = 174). We grouped our sample into “visible” immigrant women of color and “nonvisible” White immigrant women. As expected, visible immigrant women reported more experiences of overt discrimination and fewer experiences of ordinary privileges than did nonvisible immigrant women. The associations of belonging to a visible immigrant group with both psychiatric symptoms and satisfaction with life were each mediated through ordinary privileges and overt discrimination. The magnitude of the two indirect effects was equal for psychiatric symptoms, but for satisfaction with life, the indirect effect through ordinary privileges was stronger. After accounting for ordinary privileges and overt discrimination, the average score for satisfaction with life was higher for visible immigrant women than for nonvisible immigrant women. These findings suggest that visible immigrant women experience exclusion from ordinary privileges to a greater extent than nonvisible immigrant women and that this type of exclusion is at least as detrimental to psychological health as more overt forms of discrimination. Our findings demonstrate the importance of attending to discrimination of both visible and nonvisible immigrants and highlight the importance of ordinary privileges to immigrants’ well-being in their countries of destination. We discuss implications for future research and social policy.

The Influence of Life-and-Death Views on the Well-Being of Chinese Tujia Ethnic Adolescents

2020 ◽  
pp. 003022282096123
Author(s):  
Ying Ge ◽  
Jie Luo ◽  
Jay L. Wenger ◽  
Hai-yan Xiang
Keyword(s):  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Satisfaction With Life Scale ◽  
Life Questionnaire ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Life And Death ◽  
Life Scale ◽  
Meaning In Life Questionnaire ◽  
Different Cultures

The purpose of this study was to evaluate how a person’s view of life and death might influence various aspects of well-being. Similar studies have been conducted with adolescents in different cultures, but not with Chinese Tujia ethnic adolescents. Tujia adolescents ( N = 309) completed the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ), the Death Attitude Profile (DAP), the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) and the Happiness Inventory (HI). Results indicated that Chinese Tujia ethnic adolescents maintain a relatively positive life-and-death view and overall well-being. Meaning in life and death attitude both corresponded with overall well-being. A dominance analysis indicated that meaning in life can predict the well-being of a person better than a death attitude. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

scholarly journals Clowning in health care settings: The point of view of adults

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 473-488 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto Dionigi ◽  
Carla Canestrari
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Emotional Reactivity ◽  
Psychological Symptoms ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Health Care Staff ◽  
Pilot Studies

Within the past decade, there has been a surge of interest in investigating the effects of clown intervention in a large variety of clinical settings. Many studies have focused on the effects of clown intervention on children. However, few studies have investigated clowning effects on adults. This paper presents an overview of the concept of medical clowning followed by a literature review conducted on the empirical studies drawn from three data bases (PubMed, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar), with the aim of mapping and discussing the evidence of clowning effects on non-children, namely adults. The following areas were investigated: Adult and elderly patients (mainly those with dementia), observers of clowning, namely non-hospitalized adults who are at the hospital as relatives of patients or health-care staff, and finally clowns themselves. The main results are that 1) clown intervention induces positive emotions, thereby enhancing the patient’s well-being, reduces psychological symptoms and emotional reactivity, and prompts a decrease in negative emotions, such as anxiety and stress; 2) clown doctors are also well-perceived by relatives and healthcare staff and their presence appears to be useful in creating a lighter atmosphere in the health setting; 3) few pilot studies have been conducted on clown doctors and this lacuna represents a subject for future research.

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