Can a Good Life Be Unsatisfying? Within-Person Dynamics of Life Satisfaction and Psychological Well-Being in Late Midlife

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 697-710 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry R. Cowan
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Multilevel Modeling ◽  
Good Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Longitudinal Models ◽  
Yearly Variation ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Late Midlife ◽  
Over Time

Psychological investigations into the structure of well-being have been largely cross-sectional. However, longitudinal models are needed as Western societies work to improve individual well-being. The current multilevel-modeling study examined within-person dynamics of well-being over 8 years. I asked two questions: (a) How do life satisfaction and psychological well-being (measures drawn from two well-being research traditions) relate over time? and (b) do these relationships vary on the basis of individuals’ extraversion or neuroticism? Measures of life satisfaction and psychological well-being were collected in 8 consecutive years from 159 American adults in late midlife. A dispositional-life-satisfaction set point and yearly variation in life satisfaction both related to higher yearly psychological well-being. Neuroticism, but not extraversion, predicted a stronger within-person relationship between life satisfaction and psychological well-being. For participants with very low neuroticism, life satisfaction and psychological well-being varied independently. In sum, experiences of life satisfaction and psychological well-being converged for more neurotic individuals and diverged for more emotionally stable participants.

scholarly journals Positive Thinking, School Adjustment and Psychological Well-being among Chinese College Students

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 151-159
Author(s):  
Raymond C.F. Chui ◽  
Chi-K. Chan
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
School Adjustment ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Positive Thinking ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Chinese College Students ◽  
College Going

Background: Previous studies have found that traditional positive Chinese beliefs contribute to the maintenance of the quality of life. It is interesting to explore the functions of positive thinking on stress in the Chinese context in order to test whether positive thinking influences the psychological well-being of college students. Objective: This study aims to examine the associations between positive thinking, school adjustment, and the psychological well-being of Chinese college-going students. It investigates the moderating role of positive thinking in the effects of poor school adjustment on stress and well-being. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was administered to 299 male and 396 female college students aged 17-28 years across eight universities of Hong Kong. Results: Results confirmed that school adjustment was negatively related to stress (β= -.194) and positively related to life satisfaction ( β = .074). It was also indirectly related to psychological distress via stress ( β = -.194; β = .620). Moreover, positive thinking was a moderator to the relationships between school adjustment and stress ( β = .011) and to the relationships between school adjustment and life satisfaction ( β = -.009). School adjustment was more related to stress at higher levels of positive thinking while it was more related to life satisfaction at lower levels of positive thinking. Conclusion: These results suggested that enhancing positive thinking is beneficial to Chinese college-going students’ psychological well-being. Therefore, student services at universities can consider organizing workshops to educate and promote the appropriate use of positive thinking for students to alleviate their stress and enhance their psychological well-being.

scholarly journals Changes in Physical Activity Are Associated with Corresponding Changes in Psychological Well-Being: A Pandemic Case Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (20) ◽  
pp. 10680
Author(s):  
Micael Dahlen ◽  
Helge Thorbjørnsen ◽  
Hallgeir Sjåstad ◽  
Petra von Heideken Wågert ◽  
Charlotta Hellström ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Daily Activity ◽  
Good Reason ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Organized Activities ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Cross Sectional Design

Societal crises and personal challenges are often followed by substantial changes in physical activity. Is there a link between such changes and psychological well-being? Seeking to answer this question, we conducted a correlational study on a representative sample in Sweden during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic (N = 1035). About 49% of the sample had decreased their physical activity compared to their self-reported activity level prior to the pandemic, whereas 32% had increased it. The results showed a positive and robust association between changes in daily activity level and corresponding changes in psychological well-being. Specifically, individuals who had reduced their physical activity over the last year reported lower life satisfaction than before, and individuals who had increased their physical activity reported higher life satisfaction than before. The amount of complete physical inactivity (sitting) showed a similar pattern as the exercise data, meaning that individuals who reported increasing inactivity per day also reported a greater decline in life satisfaction. Additional analyses showed that the association between daily activity level and life satisfaction was somewhat stronger for men than for women, but there was no difference when comparing individual versus organized activities. The current study was based on a cross-sectional design, measuring self-reported change over time. Recent work from other research teams have used longitudinal data and experience-sampling in different settings, finding similar results. We conclude that there is good reason to recommend physical exercise as a coping strategy in difficult times.

Secrets, Psychological Health, and the Fear of Discovery

2020 ◽  
pp. 014616722094619
Author(s):  
Christopher G. Davis ◽  
Hannah Brazeau ◽  
Elisabeth Bailin Xie ◽  
Kathleen McKee
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Relationship Satisfaction ◽  
Multilevel Modeling ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Longitudinal Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Over Time

Keeping secrets from one’s partner has been associated with lower well-being and relationship satisfaction. Previous research has suggested that individual differences in self-concealment account for these effects. However, we propose that the fear of discovery (FoD)—defined as the fear that one’s secret may be revealed by means other than deliberate disclosure—predicts the extent to which secrets affect well-being beyond the effects attributable to individual differences. Both a cross-sectional and a longitudinal survey (combined N = 471; 54.4% female; Mage = 39.5) of adults in romantic relationships confirmed that FoD predicted greater preoccupation with the secret, more negative affect, and less relationship satisfaction and commitment beyond that of self-concealment. Multilevel modeling in Study 2 indicated that changes in FoD predicted changes in preoccupation over time. The data are consistent with the notion that FoD promotes greater preoccupation, greater negative affect, and lower levels of relationship well-being.

scholarly journals Long-Run Effects of Lottery Wealth on Psychological Well-Being

2020 ◽  
Vol 87 (6) ◽  
pp. 2703-2726 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik Lindqvist ◽  
Robert Östling ◽  
David Cesarini
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Domain Specific ◽  
Important Mediator ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Overall Life Satisfaction

Abstract We surveyed a large sample of Swedish lottery players about their psychological well-being 5–22 years after a major lottery event and analysed the data following pre-registered procedures. Relative to matched controls, large-prize winners experience sustained increases in overall life satisfaction that persist for over a decade and show no evidence of dissipating over time. The estimated treatment effects on happiness and mental health are significantly smaller. Follow-up analyses of domain-specific aspects of life satisfaction implicate financial life satisfaction as an important mediator for the long-run increase in overall life satisfaction.

scholarly journals Loving Others: The Impact of Compassionate Love on Later-Life Psychological Well-being

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Kahana ◽  
Tirth R Bhatta ◽  
Boaz Kahana ◽  
Nirmala Lekhak
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Compassionate Love ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Objectives Existing scholarship in social gerontology has paid relatively little attention to broader loving emotions, such as compassionate and altruistic love, as potentially meaningful mechanisms for improving later-life psychological well-being outside a family framework. Method Drawing from a 3-wave longitudinal survey of community-dwelling older residents (n = 334) of Miami, Florida, we utilized generalized estimating equation models to examine the influence of changes in compassionate love (i.e., feeling love toward other persons and experiencing love from others) on depressive symptoms over time. We also explored cross-sectional relationship between compassionate love and positive and negative affects. Results An increase in the feeling of being loved (β = −0.77, p < .001) and feeling love for others (β = −0.78, p < .001) led to a decline in odds of reporting greater levels of depressive symptoms over time. The odds of reporting higher level of positive affect were significantly greater for older adults who reported feeling loved by others (β = .63, p < .001) and expressed love for other people (β = 0.43, p < .05). Older adults who felt loved and expressed love for other people, respectively, had 0.71 and 0.54-point lower ordered log odds of reporting higher negative affect than those who reported lower levels of love. The statistically significant impact of feeling loved on all well-being outcomes was maintained even after adjustment for altruistic attitudes and emotional support. Except for depressive symptoms, such adjustments explained the positive influence of love for others on well-being outcomes. Discussion Our findings underscore the powerful influence of both receiving and giving loving emotions for the maintenance of later-life psychological well-being.

National longitudinal evidence for growth in subjective well-being from spiritual beliefs

2021 ◽  
pp. 135910532110092
Author(s):  
Benjamin Highland ◽  
Everett L Worthington ◽  
Don E Davis ◽  
Chris G Sibley ◽  
Joseph A Bulbulia
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Traditional Religion ◽  
Spiritual Beliefs ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Life Force ◽  
Industrial Societies ◽  
Nationally Diverse ◽  
Over Time

Previous research finds an association between spirituality and subjective well-being. However, the widespread use of poorly defined concepts of spirituality, tautological spirituality scales, and heavy reliance on cross-sectional samples cast doubts on prior findings. Here, we leverage ten waves of panel data from a nationally diverse longitudinal study to systematically test whether having spiritual beliefs leads to growth in personal well-being and life satisfaction ( N = 3257, New Zealand, 2010–2020). Contrary to previous research, we find that belief in a spirit or life force predicts lower personal well-being and life satisfaction. However, in support of previous speculation, belief (relative to disbelief) in a spirit or life force predicts increasing personal well-being and life satisfaction over time. These findings are robust even while accounting for known demographic influences; they even hold among those who believe in a God but disbelieve in a spirit or life force. The recent growth in spiritual beliefs and decline in traditional religion across many industrial societies motivates further causal investigations of the mechanisms by which spiritual beliefs lead to growth in subjective well-being.

scholarly journals Psychological Well-Being and Social Competence During Adolescence: Longitudinal Association Between the Two Phenomena

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mercedes Gómez-López ◽  
Carmen Viejo ◽  
Eva M. Romera ◽  
Rosario Ortega-Ruiz
Keyword(s):  
Social Competence ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Healthy Development ◽  
Equation Analysis ◽  
Longitudinal Association ◽  
Cross Sectional Design ◽  
Over Time

AbstractDespite previous research on adolescence points to an association between social competence and well-being, limited knowledge is available. Most studies have documented a one-way pattern of influence, although reciprocity has also been suggested. However, they mainly use a cross-sectional design, do not focus on psychological well-being, and do not use integrative and multidimensional constructs. From a eudaimonic approach to well-being and situation-specific to social competence, this study aimed to: (1) explore the factorial structure of the dimensions assessed; (2) analyse the longitudinal relationship between psychological well being and social competence during adolescence; and (3) examine psychological well-being and social competence levels and their stability over time. The sample consisted of 662 adolescents aged between 14 and 16 years old (Time 1 Mage = 14.63; SD = 0.64; 51% girls). Structural equation analysis confirmed the existence of second-order factors, showing evidence of a positive and bidirectional relationship between psychological well-being and social competence. Results also revealed medium–high levels in both constructs, which remained stable over time. These findings highlight the importance of promoting both psychological well-being and social competence to achieve successful, healthy development.

scholarly journals Relationships Between Health Promoting Activities, Life Satisfaction, and Depressive Symptoms in Unemployed Individuals

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Nikos L. D. Chatzisarantis ◽  
Sviatlana Kamarova ◽  
Chris Twomey ◽  
Graham Hansen ◽  
Mark Harris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Recreational Activities ◽  
Health Promoting

Abstract. Background: Previous research has documented that unemployed individuals who engage in recreational activities, either alone or with others, experience higher levels of mental health and psychological well-being relative to those who do not engage in recreational activities. Aims: In this study, we examined whether engagement in health promoting activities, alone or with other family members, is associated with reduced levels of depression and enhanced levels of life satisfaction in unemployed individuals. Method: We employed a cross-sectional design in which we measured life satisfaction, depressive symptoms, consumption of healthy meals and engagement in physical activities in 203 unemployed individuals (male = 90, female = 113, age= 33.79, SD = 11.16). Results: Independent of age, gender, and partner employment status, hierarchical regression analyses revealed statistically significant effects for social forms of healthy eating (consumption of healthy meals with others) and solitary forms of physical activity (exercising alone) on depressive symptoms and life satisfaction. Limitations: The research design was cross-sectional using self-report questionnaires. The present study does not to explain why and how health promoting activities enhance well-being outcomes among the unemployed. Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of measuring engagement in health promoting activities through separate constructs that capture engagement in social and solitary health promoting activities and suggest that unemployed individuals are likely to experience optimal levels of psychological well-being if they exercise alone and consume healthy meals with other family members.

scholarly journals Typologies of Loneliness, Isolation and Living Alone Are Associated with Psychological Well-Being among Older Adults in Taipei: A Cross-Sectional Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (24) ◽  
pp. 9181
Author(s):  
Hui-Chuan Hsu
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Living Arrangement ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
The Government ◽  
Lower Life Satisfaction

Background: Loneliness, isolation, and living alone are emerging as critical issues in older people’s health and well-being, but the effects are not consistent. The purpose of this study was to examine the clustering of loneliness, isolation, and living alone, the risk factors and the associations with psychological well-being. Methods: The data were collected from the 2019 Taipei City Senior Citizen Condition Survey by face-to-face interviews and included a community-based sample (n = 3553). Loneliness, isolation, and living arrangement were analyzed by cluster analysis to define Loneliness-Isolation-Living-Alone clusters. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the factors related to Loneliness-Isolation-Living-Alone clusters, and linear regression was used to examine association of clusters with psychological well-being. Results: Five clusters of older adults were identified and named as follows: Not Lonely-Connected-Others (53.4%), Not Lonely-Isolated-Others (26.6%), Not Lonely-Alone (5.0%), Lonely-Connected (8.1%), and Lonely-Isolated-Others (6.9%). Demographics, financial satisfaction, physical function, family relationship, and social participation were related to the Loneliness-Isolation-Living-Alone clusters. Compared with the Not Lonely-Connected-Others cluster, the Lonely-Connected cluster and Lonely-Isolated-Others cluster had higher depressive symptoms and lower life satisfaction, and the Not Lonely-Isolated-Others cluster reported lower life satisfaction; the Not Lonely-Alone cluster was not different. Discussion: Loneliness and isolation are negatively associated with psychological well-being, and living arrangement is not the determinant to loneliness or isolation. Older adults are suggested to strengthen their informal social support, and the government may encourage social care and create an age friendly environment to reduce loneliness and isolation.

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