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Abstract

Eudaimonic theories of well-being assert the importance of achieving one’s full potential through engaging in inherently meaningful endeavors. In two daily diary studies, we assessed whether reports of engagement in behaviors representative of eudaimonic theories were associated with well-being. We also examined whether eudaimonic behaviors were more strongly related to well-being than behaviors directed toward obtaining pleasure or material goods. In both studies, eudaimonic behaviors had consistently stronger relations to well-being than hedonic behaviors. Data also provided support for a temporal sequence in which eudaimonic behaviors were related to greater well-being the next day. Overall, our results suggest that “doing good” may be an important avenue by which people create meaningful and satisfying lives.

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... Numerous longitudinal studies indicate that lower MIL often precedes depression in adolescents and young adults (Dulaney et al., 2018;Disabato et al., 2017;Hadden and Smith, 2019;Lian et al., 2024;Shek et al., 2022). Additionally, having a sense of meaning and engaging in meaningful activities have been shown to elevate positive affect (Miao et al., 2017;Steger et al., 2008a;Machell et al., 2015) and to motivate individuals to engage in actions that amplify positive emotions (Disabato et al., 2017). Based on these findings, we hypothesised that lower MIL may predict anhedonia. ...
... By directly examining MIL and anhedonia we found reduced MIL predicts greater anhedonia and mediates the effects of sense of self and prosocial behaviours on anhedonia, above and beyond depression. The effect of MIL on anhedonia could be explained by MIL's motivational component (Crego et al., 2021;George and Park, 2016;Martela and Steger, 2016), which drives people to attain valuable aims and persevere in meaningful behaviour despite potential obstacles (McKnight and Kashdan, 2009;Steger et al., 2008a;Steger, 2018). For example, it has been demonstrated that, when individuals perceive actions to have more significance and purpose, they may be more inclined to perform them (Crego et al., 2021). ...
... For example, it has been demonstrated that, when individuals perceive actions to have more significance and purpose, they may be more inclined to perform them (Crego et al., 2021). Further, finding meaning in leisure activities is associated with feeling more socially connected and more joyful (Iwasaki, 2008;Iwasaki et al., 2015), and this derived sense of meaning not only boosts positive affect (Miao et al., 2017;Steger et al., 2008a;Machell et al., 2015), but also motivates further actions that amplify these positive emotions (Disabato et al., 2017), all of which could potentially reduce anhedonia. Therefore, future studies could substantiate our findings by directly examining if interventions aiming to increase MIL can reduce anhedonia. ...
... Empirical studies have generally confirmed the positive associations between hedonic motives, eudaimonic motives, and subjective well-being (Anić & Tončić, 2013;Chen & Zeng, 2021;Giuntoli et al., 2021;Jia et al., 2021;Park et al., 2009;Peterson et al., 2005Peterson et al., , 2007Schueller & Seligman, 2010;Steger et al., 2008). Peterson et al. (2005) were among the first to explore both hedonic and eudaimonic perspectives simultaneously in relation to subjective well-being, drawing on Seligman's (2002) theory of Authentic Happiness. ...
... Previous research consistently shows that hedonic and eudaimonic motives are positive predictors of subjective well-being (Anić & Tončić, 2013;Chen & Zeng, 2021;Jia et al., 2021;Giuntoli et al., 2021;Huta & Ryan, 2010;Park et al., 2009;Peterson et al., 2005Peterson et al., , 2007Schueller & Seligman, 2010;Steger et al., 2008). In this study, we emphasized the importance of considering curvilinear effects alongside main effects and interactions to fully account for the complexity of these relationships. ...
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Previous studies have consistently found that hedonic and eudaimonic motives positively predict subjective well-being. In this study, we emphasized the importance of considering curvilinear effects alongside main effects and interactions to fully understand these relationships. Using polynomial regression models, we examined the relationships between hedonic motives, eudaimonic motives, and subjective well-being. To examine both trait-level and momentary-level relations with well-being, we used experience sampling methodology to collect real-time data from 161 participants over a 7-day period. Our findings suggested that engaging in activities towards fulfilling both motives was associated with positive experiences, and individuals with high levels of hedonic and eudaimonic motives in their daily lives generally reported higher subjective well-being. Nevertheless, we also identified negative interaction effects between both motives on subjective well-being, which imply that there may be a limit to the positive contributions of combinations of both motives to subjective well-being. We discuss the implications of our findings for understanding the nuanced relationships between hedonic and eudaimonic motives and subjective well-being.
... SDT draws on the eudaimonic approach to well-being, which emphasizes a way of living that prioritizes autonomous behaviour and pursuing intrinsic goals (e.g., affiliation goals) [38,39]. The eudaimonic approach to well-being is associated with several outcomes, including a sense of meaning, vitality, life satisfaction, positive affect (e.g., [40,41]), psychological well-being (e.g., personal growth and life purpose) (e.g., [38,41]), and physical health [42]. SDT specifies that the pursuit of intrinsic goals facilitates well-being through the satisfaction of the basic psychological needs of autonomy (e.g., a sense of value-driven behaviour), competence (e.g., a sense of efficacy in the environment), and relatedness (e.g., a sense of reciprocal care and concern) [43]. ...
... SDT draws on the eudaimonic approach to well-being, which emphasizes a way of living that prioritizes autonomous behaviour and pursuing intrinsic goals (e.g., affiliation goals) [38,39]. The eudaimonic approach to well-being is associated with several outcomes, including a sense of meaning, vitality, life satisfaction, positive affect (e.g., [40,41]), psychological well-being (e.g., personal growth and life purpose) (e.g., [38,41]), and physical health [42]. SDT specifies that the pursuit of intrinsic goals facilitates well-being through the satisfaction of the basic psychological needs of autonomy (e.g., a sense of value-driven behaviour), competence (e.g., a sense of efficacy in the environment), and relatedness (e.g., a sense of reciprocal care and concern) [43]. ...
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Research has found that helping others facilitates well-being for Indigenous peoples living with HIV and AIDS, but limited research exists that investigates the mechanism(s) underlying this relationship. Indigenous perspectives posit that helping others facilitates well-being through the development of an individual's spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental aspects (four aspects). Similarly, self-determination theory posits that helping others facilitates well-being by satisfying basic psychological needs. In the present study, we examined if helping others facilitates well-being through the fulfillment of the spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental aspects among Indigenous peoples living with HIV and AIDS. We used a convergent parallel mixed methods design, coupled with a community-engaged approach grounded in the United Nations Greater Involvement of People Living with HIV and AIDS principles and Indigenous and decolonizing research methodologies. Survey (n = 117) and interview data (n = 9) collected by an Indigenous-led HIV/AIDS organization in Canada were employed to examine the relationship between helping, the four aspects, and well-being. Participants were primarily First Nations leaders and mentors who live with HIV/AIDS, with some Métis and Inuit. A parallel multiple mediation model and reflexive thematic analysis were used to analyze the relationship between helping, the four aspects, and well-being. Mixed-methods findings support the idea that helping others promotes well-being by fulfilling the emotional and mental aspects. Qualitative findings demonstrated this relationship for all four aspects. This research may facilitate the development of programs to support Indigenous peoples living with HIV/AIDS well-being and contribute to the literature on integrating Indigenous perspectives and methodologies within psychological research.
... Meaning and existential literatures explicate the basic human need to live a meaningful life. Research shows that people who engage in intrinsically meaningful life activities experience greater life satisfaction and well-being [32]. Although previous SDT intervention studies [25,33,34] assessed personal life goals and values, they did not deliberately integrate them with behavior change techniques or enhance awareness of meaning in life during the intervention. ...
... Positive mood and negative mood were measured using a positive affect and negative affect scale previously used in a study of daily meaning and daily mood [32]. Eight items measured positive affect (relaxed, proud, excited, appreciative, enthusiastic, happy, satisfied, and curious), and 5 items measured negative affect (sluggish, afraid, sad, anxious, and angry). ...
Article
Background Meaning in life is positively associated with health, well-being, and longevity, which may be partially explained by engagement in healthier behaviors, including physical activity (PA). However, promoting awareness of meaning is a behavior change strategy that has not been tested in previous PA interventions. Objective This study aims to develop, refine, and pilot-test the Meaningful Activity Program (MAP; MAP to Health), a web-based mobile health PA intervention, theoretically grounded in meaning and self-determination theory, for insufficiently active middle-aged adults. Methods Following an iterative user-testing and refinement phase, we used a single-arm double baseline proof-of-concept pilot trial design. Participants included 35 insufficiently active adults in midlife (aged 40-64 years) interested in increasing their PA. After a 4-week baseline period, participants engaged in MAP to Health for 8 weeks. MAP to Health used a web-based assessment and just-in-time SMS text messaging to individualize the intervention; promote meaning salience; support the basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness; and increase PA. Participants completed measures of the hypothesized mechanisms of behavior change, including meaning salience, needs satisfaction, and autonomous motivation at pretest (−4 weeks), baseline (0 weeks), midpoint (4 weeks), and posttest (8 weeks) time points, and wore accelerometers for the study duration. At the end of the intervention, participants completed a qualitative interview. Mixed models compared changes in behavioral mechanisms during the intervention to changes before the intervention. Framework matrix analyses were used to analyze qualitative data. Results Participants were aged 50.8 (SD 8.2) years on average; predominantly female (27/35, 77%); and 20% (7/35) Asian, 9% (3/35) Black or African American, 66% (23/35) White, and 6% (2/35) other race. Most (32/35, 91%) used MAP to Health for ≥5 of 8 weeks. Participants rated the intervention as easy to use (mean 4.3, SD 0.8 [out of 5.0]) and useful (mean 4.3, SD 0.6). None of the hypothesized mechanisms changed significantly during the preintervention phase (Cohen d values <0.15). However, autonomy (P<.001; Cohen d=0.76), competence (P<.001; Cohen d=0.65), relatedness (P=.004; Cohen d=0.46), autonomous motivation (P<.001; Cohen d=0.37), and meaning salience (P<.001; Cohen d=0.40) increased significantly during the intervention. Comparison of slopes before the intervention versus during the intervention revealed that increases during the intervention were significantly greater for autonomy (P=.002), competence (P<.001), and meaning salience (P=.001); however, slopes were not significantly different for relatedness (P=.10) and autonomous motivation (P=.17). Qualitative themes offered suggestions for improvement. Conclusions MAP to Health was acceptable to participants, feasible to deliver, and associated with increases in the target mechanisms of behavior change. This is the first intervention to use meaning as a behavior change strategy in a PA intervention. Future research will test the efficacy of the intervention in increasing PA compared to a control condition.
... Research has shown that a sense of purpose and meaning in life is associated with better physical and mental health outcomes (Steger et al., 2008). This sense of purpose can be derived from engaging in meaningful activities, maintaining social connections, and having a sense of belonging to a community or family (Rada, 2021). ...
... By promoting a sense of purpose and meaning in life, individuals may be better equipped to navigate life's challenges and achieve greater levels of fulfilment and satisfaction (Ryff & Singer, 2008). Research has shown that a meaningful life is more satisfying than a life focused on pleasure (Steger, Kashdan, & Oishi, 2008). Therefore, to achieve true well-being, it's essential to focus on the meaning of life and strive for self-actualization (Frankl, 1963), purpose, and engagement (Seligman, In addition to meaning in life, social support is crucial for the well-being of elderly individuals. ...
Article
Objectives. This study is relevant to understanding the quality of life (QOL) among elderly individuals in Romania. With an increasing aging population, it is crucial to examine the factors contributing to older adults’ well-being and life satisfaction. By investigating the connections between the meaning of life, QOL, and life satisfaction, this study sheds light on the subjective experiences and perceptions of elderly individuals residing in private homes and institutions. Material and Methods. The sample included 200 individuals aged sixty or older from Bucharest, evenly distributed between the two groups. Regression analysis, using perceived social support as a mediator and life satisfaction as the dependent variable, utilized the “presence of meaning” subscale from Steger’s Meaning in Life Questionnaire. IBM S.P.S.S. software facilitated data analysis, employing Kruskal-Wallis and Pearson correlation tests alongside descriptive statistics. Education, health, children count, and residence’s impact on meaning in life were explored. Results. A significant positive influence of “presence of meaning” and “perceived social support” on life satisfaction was found, explaining 44.8% of its variance. Sobel’s mediator test confirmed the significant role of perceived social support in mediating the link between the presence of meaning and life satisfaction. Meaning varied significantly across education levels, with higher education correlating with greater meaning. Institutionalized and childless individuals reported lower meaning compared to those at home and with children. Furthermore, positive correlations emerged between meaning and self-rated health and the EQ Index reflecting health preferences. Stronger personal meaning related to better self-rated health and higher EQ Index scores. Conclusions. This study underscores personal meaning’s predictive value, the mediating role of perceived social support in life satisfaction, and the influence of education, living situation, children count, and perceived quality of life on meaning perception among older adults. These findings enhance comprehension of factors impacting satisfaction and meaning perception in this demographic group. Keywords: meaning in life, quality of life, life satisfaction, perceived social support, elderly.
... This approach sees that there are certain qualities that are necessary for a well-functioning life (e.g., autonomy, purpose in life; Ryff, 1989). People who endorse this version of happiness strive to develop the best in self, contemplate about the greater good, and derive meaning from integrating one's past, present, and future experiences (Baumeister et al., 2013;McMahan et al., 2013;Pearce et al., 2021;Steger et al., 2008). Although scholarly debate centering on the two happiness perspectives continue, many empirical questions remain. ...
... By contrast, relatively benign and stable environments offer a sense of stability and structure that allows people to look to the future and plan long-term goals (e.g., Mittal & Griskevicius, 2014). Such affordance, in turn, could foster long-term future planning and pursuit of self-actualization that often requires enduring perseverance (Baumeister et al., 2020;Maslow, 1971;Ryff & Singer, 2008;Steger et al., 2008). Such tendency is associated more with eudaimonic beliefs that emphasize long-term personal investment and growth (e.g., Krems et al., 2017). ...
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Many have pondered whether happiness is chiefly made of positive feelings and joy (hedonism) or by acquiring meaning via self-actualization (eudaimonism). Drawing on life history theory, we examined if individuals’ early-life experience (i.e., childhood socioeconomic status; SES) colors their notions of well-being. A consistent pattern was found in two studies (Study 1, N = 183; Study 2, N = 168) using MTurk samples; wealthier childhood upbringing predicted stronger endorsement of eudaimonic happiness. This pattern, supporting claims of life history theory, emerged only when perceptions of (economic) instability was salient (chronic, Study 1; experimentally primed, Study 2). Also, only childhood SES, but not current SES, mattered. This research finds novel evidence that childhood experience and current threat perception may interact to shape people’s ideals of happiness.
... We will refer to these different aspects and features as facets of happiness. Previous studies showed that actual levels of well-being were differentially associated with different facets of happiness that people endorse (i.e., view as relevant definitions of happiness) and pursue (i.e., intentions and activities related to specific happiness facets) (Huta & Ryan, 2010;McMahan & Estes, 2011a, 2011bSteger et al., 2008). For example, one study found that eudaimonic behaviors were more strongly related to well-being than hedonic behaviors (Steger et al., 2008). ...
... Previous studies showed that actual levels of well-being were differentially associated with different facets of happiness that people endorse (i.e., view as relevant definitions of happiness) and pursue (i.e., intentions and activities related to specific happiness facets) (Huta & Ryan, 2010;McMahan & Estes, 2011a, 2011bSteger et al., 2008). For example, one study found that eudaimonic behaviors were more strongly related to well-being than hedonic behaviors (Steger et al., 2008). In these studies, however, more than one path to happiness was positively associated with well-being, and differences in associations were often not large enough to justify this emphasis of the superiority of pursuing certain happiness facets (Huta & Ryan, 2010;McMahan & Estes, 2011b;Ortner et al., 2018). ...
Article
Can people choose to be happy? To date we have no definite answer to this very old question. In this paper, we introduced and tested a new theoretical model of the pursuit of happiness in which we integrated individual happiness definitions, happiness-related intentions, and happiness-enhancing activities. Further, we tested different characteristics of happiness-enhancing activities that have previously been discussed in the literature as potentially relevant for the successful pursuit of happiness: the breadth (i.e., how many different facets of happiness are positively affected by one single activity), variety (i.e., how many different happiness-enhancing activities people conduct in daily life), and frequency (i.e., overall number) of happiness-enhancing activities. The results of an experience sampling study ( N = 473; 2815 daily-level data points) support our preregistered hypotheses: Individual definitions of happiness were predictive of intentions and well-being related behaviors in everyday life. Further, the engagement in broader and a higher number of happiness-enhancing activities was associated with higher levels of daily well-being. The variety of happiness-enhancing activities, however, did not predict daily well-being. Overall, we demonstrated that defining and pursuing happiness in a multifaceted manner is related to higher levels of well-being.
... This finding is consistent with the findings of King et al. (2006) to support the view that positive emotions are well associated with the search for meaning in life. Moreover, cross-sectional research conducted by Steger et al. 2008) showed that high frequency of positive affect enhances importance of meaning in lives. Thus, it seems important for heart patients to get positive emotions for the incidents that may give meaning to their lives (Sawangchai et al., 2022). ...
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The study investigated the relationship between a sense of coherence and psychological well-being among heart patients. It also assessed the mediating roles of affect and meaning in life in the relationship between a sense of coherence and psychological well-being. A sample of 205 heart patients contacted at Ch. Pervaiz Elahi Institute of Cardiology in Multan provided data on measures of Sense of Coherence Scale, the Psychological Well-Being Scale, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule Short Form, and Meaning in Life Questionnaire along with demographic information. For the data analysis, Hayes's PROCESS v4.2 Model-6 on SPSS-25 was 1 used. Correlation analysis showed the significant relations among sense of coherence, psychological well-being, affect, and meaning in life (p < 0.01). It was found that affect and meaning in life indirectly influenced the relationship of sense of coherence with psychological well-being (a1*b1 = 0.2366, p < 0.001); (a2*b2 = 0.0456, p < 0.05). Serial mediation analysis further demonstrated the sequential influence of affect and meaning in life on psychological well-being (indirect effect 3 = 0.1154, p < 0.001). Findings highlighted the importance of a sense of coherence in promoting psychological well-being among heart patients. The study provides valuable insights for interventions aimed at enhancing coping strategies and mental health in this clinical sample. Introduction During the past decade of the year 2000, much more efforts have been made in investigating the psychological component of cardiac patients, especially the existential variable; sense of coherence (SOC). Antonovsky's SOC as a general concept refers to a person creating an understandable and manageable life with a strong meaning. It has been under a lot of research focus in the recent past due to the ability of this construct to increase the health-related construct and wellbeing in individuals who are living with chronic diseases. Hence, there is empirical data available on the effect of SOC on the psychological well-being of heart patients, it is still not clear as why SOC has a varying impact on this aspect. Therefore, it appears that there are intermediate variables that may have key role in terms of how SOC affects the emotional and existential domains of the patient. In the present research, these questions were answered: How does SOC predict affect and meaning in life among heart patients? To what extent do affect and meaning in life mediate
... Using these measures much research has been conducted examining the association of authenticity with various different constructs related to fully functioning, such as well-being (e.g. Huta & Waterman, 2014;Joseph, 2015a;Robbins, 2015;Sheldon et al., 1997;Steger et al., 2008), life satisfaction and self-esteem (e.g. Boyraz et al., 2014;Wood et al., 2008), and self-determination (e.g. ...
... Patient mood was assessed at baseline, mid-treatment, and posttreatment with a positive and negative mood scale previously used to record daily mood (Hooker and Masters, 2018;Steger et al., 2008). Positive affect terms included relaxed, proud, excited, appreciative, enthusiastic, happy, satisfied, and curious. ...
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Introduction Effective adjunctive therapeutic treatments for patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) on medication for OUD (MOUD) in primary care settings are needed to address high rates of mental illness and stress. Behavioral activation (BA) is a brief, evidence-based therapy that has potential to improve quality of life in people with OUD. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of values-based BA (VBA) as an adjunct treatment for patients receiving MOUD in primary care. Methods Participants were recruited for a single-arm pilot trial of BA in a primary care setting. VBA was adapted for people with OUD and included 4–6 sessions delivered over 12 weeks with a behavioral health consultant, either in-person or virtually. Feasibility was assessed as recruitment percent and pace and retention percent. Acceptability was assessed with the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire-8 (CSQ-8). Participants completed self-report measures of well-being, depression, substance use, and psychological processes of change at baseline, mid-intervention (6-weeks), and post-intervention (12-weeks). Participants engaged in a brief interview about their experiences at the end of the intervention. Results Twenty-one participants enrolled in the intervention (66.7% female, M age = 44.0 years, 19% of those invited). Participants completed an average of 5.1 BA sessions (SD = 1.6) and most (90%) were retained through 12 weeks. Participants rated the intervention as highly acceptable on the CSQ-8 (M = 30.4/32.0, SD = 1.6). In qualitative interviews, participants reported that working with the therapist and setting values-based goals were helpful, while also recommending more tailoring to patients’ needs and offering the program early in MOUD treatment. Preliminary efficacy data suggest the program was associated with small to moderate improvements in life satisfaction (Cohen’s d = 0.25) and positive affect (d = 0.62), whereas there were no changes in depression (d = 0.09) or negative affect (d = −0.07) in a group with low depression at baseline. Discussion VBA adapted for patients on MOUD in primary care was feasible to deliver and acceptable to participants. Minor modifications to the target population and treatment manual could increase the program’s impact. Future studies will test the efficacy of the intervention in improving quality of life and OUD treatment outcomes. Clinical trial registration https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05262725, Unique ID: NCT05262725.
... Individuals who engage in active blood donation activities may enhance their meaning in life and wellbeing (Krause 2007), but also contribute to the donor retention process (Glynn et al. 2002). Individuals who perceive their lives as meaningful are more inclined to perform voluntary prosocial acts that reflect their values and contribute to their sense of purpose (Steger et al. 2008). For undergraduate medical students, donating blood is not just an act of altruism, but it aligns with their broader goals and values of helping others (Schnell and Hoof 2012) and with their desire to have a meaningful impact on other people's lives through health care (Cruess et al. 2010). ...
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Blood donation is a prosocial act driven by mechanisms related to altruism. While altruism plays a significant role, the processes behind blood donation behavior are complex, with altruism being just one factor. This research aimed to investigate the influence of altruism and meaning in life on the willingness to donate blood among Romanian undergraduate medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample consisted of 319 Romanian undergraduate medical students. Structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used for statistical analysis. Our findings reveal that altruism did not significantly impact the willingness to donate blood directly; however, this relationship was mediated by meaning in life. In practice, blood donation could be increased through a more substantial connection between altruism and a sense of meaning in life, especially during health crises. Utilizing social marketing campaign messages that actively encourage altruism and connect it to a sense of meaning in life may increase blood donor recruitment and retention among undergraduate medical students.
... Some theorists posit that individuals might not engage in meaning-making unless their value systems are challenged because their brains otherwise tend to "rest," assuming they have adequately made sense of the world (Proulx & Inzlicht, 2012). Thus, while meaningful experiences are believed to ultimately produce a multitude of benefits, the immediate process of meaning-making has been linked to distress and reduced life satisfaction (Park, 2010;Steger, Kashdan, & Oishi 2008). Addressing these discrepancies between what makes an experience meaningful, Murphy and Bastian (2020) proposed that the degree to which an event is positive or negative (emotional valence) is less important than its emotional intensity, with more intense experiences being more meaningful. ...
Article
Background: Meaningful experiences are integral to well-being, yet our understanding of how educational experiences can be designed to promote meaningfulness is limited. Purpose: Our study examined whether immersion semester high schools facilitated more meaningful experiences and investigated relationships between experience factors within immersion semester high schools and meaningfulness. Method: For 3 weeks at an immersion semester high school and home, youth reported on the most meaningful activities they engaged in during morning and afternoon/evening periods, their perceived meaningfulness of that activity, the level of emotion involved, the emotional valence, and their psychological engagement and behavioral participation. We collected 18,804 observations from 638 participants and analyzed the data with a series of mixed effects models. Findings: Activities were significantly more meaningful at immersion semester high schools compared to home. Additionally, activities were more meaningful when individuals had higher behavioral participation and psychological engagement, when the experience involved more emotion, and when the emotion involved was more positive. However, interaction models indicate that the effects of psychological engagement and behavioral participation varied depending on emotional valence. Implications: To expand the reach of meaningful educational experiences, we should explore whether structural elements of immersion semester high schools can be applied to other contexts.
... wellness, and low stress. In fact, evidence suggests that meaning in life is related to better wellness across all eight dimensions: healthy eating and activity [11,12], avoiding unhealthy foods [13,14], financial stress [15,16], occupational wellness [17,18], sleep [19,20], perceived wellness [11,21,22], social wellness [23,24], and stress [25,26]. These studies suggest that meaning may be an important marker of wellness across different dimensions; however, like wellness, meaning is not a unidimensional construct, and different aspects of meaning may relate to dimensions of wellness in different ways. ...
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Meaning salience, or awareness of meaning in the present moment, is an emerging concept with potential implications for health and wellness. The purpose of this study was to understand the relationships between meaning salience and eight dimensions of wellness, and to see whether meaning salience moderated the relationship between presence of meaning and wellness. Participants (N = 1711) were recruited to complete a cross-sectional survey through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Meaning salience was related to better wellness in seven of the eight wellness domains (healthy eating and activity, financial stress, occupational wellness, sleep, perceived wellness, social wellness, and stress, excluding avoiding unhealthy foods). Meaning salience significantly moderated the relationships between presence of meaning and four of eight wellness dimensions, such that at high levels of meaning salience, both high and low presence of meaning had stronger relationships with wellness. Those with high meaning salience and high presence of meaning scored best on four wellness dimensions; however, those with high meaning salience and low presence of meaning scored the worst on four wellness dimensions. Future research should explore what factors drive the relationship between meaning salience and wellness.
... The authors take the latter approach to be rooted in Aristotle, as is standard among philosophers, but instead of unpacking this in perfectionist terms (or, at a minimum, in terms of our distinctly human traits), the authors unpack eudaimonia in terms of "a life dedicated to meaning and purpose," an analysis that aligns with current trends in the science of well-being (ibid.; cf. Steger et al., 2008). 5 This decision, I believe, invites not only confusion but risk, for it needlessly introduces a number of unreliable links in the inferential chain, as I will argue below. ...
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Recent experimental findings suggest that a life full of interesting, challenging, and emotionally heightened experiences—what psychologists now refer to as psychologically rich experiences—is valued, not for the happiness it produces (if any) or the sense of meaning it might bestow on our lives, but for its own sake. A psychologically rich life is, as Besser, L., & Oishi, S. (2020). The psychologically rich life. Philosophical Psychology, 33, 1053–1071.) argue, “valuable and choice-worthy on its own,” independent of its relations to other conceptions of prudential value. The hypothesis then represents an implicit challenge to traditional conceptions of well-being, like hedonism, desire satisfaction theory, and even some forms of objective list theory, since such theories deny that psychological richness is “fundamentally” valuable. Since the authors ground their hypothesis on the empirical data, it should be the case that the data indicate that respondents deny that the value they assign to psychological richness rests on its relation to all plausible conceptions of well-being. The data, I argue, do not show this. Moreover, the term ‘experience’—as it figures in the experimental design—is ambiguous. Consequently, we cannot (yet) determine if the objects of respondents’ judgments refer to their psychological reactions to events or the events themselves.
... Finally, our survey design included surveys 4 months apart and this lag might have been too long to assess change in well-being longitudinally. Previous studies measuring positive psychological processes (e.g., savoring, need satisfaction, eudaimonic motives for activities) have found evidence of well-being boosts with lags of one day (Jose et al., 2012;Sheldon & Niemiec, 2006;Steger et al., 2008). While hedonic happiness is more malleable on a day-to-day level (as it is akin to positive emotional states), sustainable changes in eudaimonic well-being (such as life worthwhileness) are more challenging to induce and to detect. ...
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One effective route to increasing well-being is through the pursuit of activities which suit a person’s personality strengths (i.e., person-activity fit). People who strive for achievement tend to organize their behaviors in ways that promote goal attainment and well-being. We tested the hypothesized process that achievement striving would lead to increased well-being over time through feelings of competence and flow. A secondary aim was to describe the types of personally valued activities and whether activity type facilitates competence and flow. Undergraduate students (N = 346 at Time 1; N = 244 at Time 2) completed an online survey measuring personality, personally expressive activities, basic psychological need satisfaction, flow, and well-being at two timepoints ~ 4 months apart. Two coders thematically coded activities into seven types (e.g., reading and writing, hobbies). We used cross-sectional and longitudinal serial mediation models to test our hypothesis with eudaimonic (life worth) and hedonic (life satisfaction) well-being, controlling for sample characteristics (recruitment source and term). Achievement striving was positively correlated to competence and well-being, but the indirect effects did not show that well-being is boosted by feeling competent and in flow during in personally expressive activities, cross-sectionally or longitudinally. Perceived competence was comparable across activity types, although flow was highest in reading and writing activities. While achievement strivers tended to feel happy and competent at personally expressive activities, the mechanistic pathway to well-being is not yet clear. Future studies might recruit larger sample sizes and utilize smaller time lags (e.g., ecological momentary assessment).
... These relationships were stronger than those involving prosocial behaviors and states of happiness. In a separate study, daily states of meaning in life were positively related to eudaimonic daily activities, which included volunteering, giving money to a person in need, and writing out goals for the future (Steger, Kashdan, & Oishi, 2008). In lagged analyses, daily eudaimonic activities predicted greater states of meaning in life on the following day, but the reverse pathway was not significant. ...
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Much of the research on meaning in life has relied on global evaluations or trait reports in which people consider their life as a whole. While informative, these types of reports fail to capture how one's sense of meaning and purpose in life may change from one time to the next. In fact, Viktor Frankl argued that the meaning of one's life can change from day to day or even from hour to hour. In recent years, psychologists have considered this insight by measuring daily or momentary states of meaning in life through the use of daily diary and Ecological Momentary Assessment methods. These studies have been particularly informative because they have revealed how judgments about meaning in life vary as a function of daily situations. In this review, we describe ways in which the measurement of meaning and purpose in daily life has yielded novel insights about this important phenomenon. More specifically, we discuss how within-person processes represent distinct psychological processes from between-person relationships. We present evidence about how daily and momentary assessments of meaning in life rely on unique types of inputs. Finally, we discuss ongoing challenges in the measurement of meaning in daily life and point to fruitful avenues for future research.
... On a momentary level, both PA and NA have a similar relationship with satisfaction ratings as on a dispositional level (e.g., Steger et al., 2008). An increase in PA and a decrease in NA are accompanied by an increase in satisfaction ratings. ...
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The aim of this study was to test the time dependency between affect and satisfaction on a momentary level. Ninety‐eight students participated in the study, using the experience sampling method. Affect and satisfaction scales were administered five times a day for 7 days via handheld devices, sampling the whole awake period with ratings approximately 3–4 h apart. The aim of this study was to examine the cross‐correlation between affect and satisfaction at the intra‐individual level and to test their temporal consistency via lagged cross‐correlations. On average, satisfaction was robustly associated with positive affect (PA; mean correlation 0.50) and negative affect (NA; mean correlation −0.38). The correlation of satisfaction with affect factors showed a consistent temporal dependency. Lag (i.e., the shift of one time series with respect to another) significantly affected the magnitude of the correlation coefficients of satisfaction with PA and NA (explaining almost half of the correlation variance). A significant affect–satisfaction cross‐correlation can be found when no lag is present. The introduction of a lag reduces the affect–satisfaction cross‐correlation to virtually zero. Research suggests that affect and satisfaction overlap at the momentary level, and the results of this study imply that they are also time‐dependent. These findings corroborate the idea that momentary satisfaction judgments are partially based on available emotional information, both in terms of intensity and temporal consistency.
... Therefore, the conceptualisation of meaningful activity should be far from a purely hedonic approach, where the main characteristic focuses exclusively on obtaining pleasure through doing. It should rather consider a eudaimonic approach, whereby activities are performed for personal development, in order to reach the personal potential that each person has [76]. Moreover, meaningful activities should not be limited to active activities that require physical-motor components or high levels of cognitive functioning; they should also include passive or social activities, as this ensures the capacity of choice of individuals, who, in many cases, may exhibit some kind of difficulty in carrying out activities without adaptations [77]. ...
Article
The main objective of this protocol is to understand the effectiveness of the use of a mobile application (OcupApp) to generate a personal self-analysis about meaningful activities in a population of adults aged between 50 and 70 years with low or moderate depression/anxiety. A randomised study will be carried out comparing the effects of the use of the OcupApp application with a control intervention on health-related quality of life, mental health, frequency of participation on meaningful activities, and perceived occupational balance. This is the first study to use occupational self-analysis in m-health to improve occupational balance, mental health, frequency of participation in meaningful activities and health-related quality of life. The app was co-created with a population whose characteristics are similar to those of the target users, and it was tested in both the intervention itself and the presentation, thus it is expected to be effective. Trial Registration Number: Clinical Trial B1-2020_25.
... Another important factor is whether people engage in meaningful conversations when communicating with friends and family long distance. Engaging in meaningful conversation has been shown to increase well-being (Steger et al., 2008;Mehl et al., 2010). Nonetheless, different modes of communication may constrain to different degrees their capacity to engage in meaningful conversation. ...
Article
Purpose-This paper aims to examine the relationship between migrants' psychological well-being and the extent to which they keep in touch with people in their country of origin. Design/methodology/approach-An online survey completed by 1,328 Australian migrants from 4 cultural groups (Anglo, Southern Asian, Confucian Asian and other European) assessed 2 facets of well-being, namely, flourishing and psychological distress and the use of 3 modes of online communication, namely, social media, messaging services and phone/video services. Findings-Overall, keeping in touch with family and friends in their country of origin was associated with more flourishing and less distress amongst migrants. Nonetheless, the preferred modes of communication and how those usages relate with well-being varied considerably across cultural groups. In the Anglo group, communicating through messaging and phone/video services was associated with lower distress and communicating in all modes was associated with higher flourishing. Furthermore, the latter link was accounted for by having a meaningful conversation. Originality/value-These findings suggest that the psychological well-being of migrant populations may be supported by an understanding of the distinct roles played by specific communication modes that are used to stay in touch with family and friends back home.
... In controversy, the hedonic approach to well-being includes having pleasurable things or experiences to be happy. Research showed that eudemonic conduct was related to higher levels of well-being than hedonic conduct (Steger et al., 2008;Peterson et al., 2005). Like Maslow (1943) said, until the basic needs and safe environment needs are met, external resources such as money support SWB. ...
Article
Subjective well-being (SWB) is an important construct of positive psychology and it is known that these resources should be supported to prevent mental health disorders. However, there is no measurement tool to assess individual differences concerning SWB resources. The present study aims to develop a valid and reliable scale to measure SWB resources. For this aim, two studies were conducted. As a result, the five-factor (personal, religious, health, social, and external resources) construct explaining 45.3% of the variance was derived and validated with both exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The factors were related to mental health indicators and personality as expected. The internal consistency coefficient of the scale was .83), and the test re-test reliability was .88. As a result of the analysis, it is concluded that the Subjective Well-Being Resources Scale is valid and reliable and can be used to measure SWB resources.
... Finding meaning in work has previously demonstrated a strong relationship with psychological wellbeing (for example see: Steger et al., 2008;Diener et al., 2010;Huppert and So, 2013). Longitudinal research reveals that when individuals find meaning in their work, they are more likely to experience high levels of motivation, job satisfaction, wellbeing and perform in their job at a higher level (Steger, 2017). ...
... Eudaimonic well-being, on the other hand, refers to finding meaning and purpose in one's life. This relates to living well (Baluku et al., 2022) and includes experiences and activities that promote self-actualization, personal meaning, reaching one's purpose and personal goals and a sense of psychological well-being (Ryff, 1989;Ryan and Deci, 2001;Steger et al., 2008;Huta and Ryan, 2010). These activities or experiences then result in a feeling of meaning, fulfillment and flourishing, which relates to Aristotle's ideas of striving for purpose and meaning (Ryff, 1989). ...
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Resilience pertains to an individual’s ability to withstand, adapt, and recuperate from adversity and stress. As the world grapples with unprecedented challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, understanding the relationship between resilience and psychological well-being becomes essential. Preliminary observations suggest that those with a higher resilience tend to have better psychological well-being, indicating a possible symbiotic relationship between the two. This study was structured using a cross-sectional survey design. A convenience sampling technique was employed, including 631 respondents in South Africa. Data collection took place between June 11 and July 9, 2022, facilitated through a Google Forms questionnaire. This questionnaire encompassed various instruments, namely a biographical questionnaire, the CD-RISC 10, the WHO Well-being Index, the FACIT-Sp-12, and the PMHS. The findings from the collected data highlighted a strong correlation between resilience and overall well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. This elevation in resilience can be instrumental in augmenting psychological well-being. As such, interventions or programs aimed at enhancing individual and community well-being might benefit from incorporating elements that bolster resilience, especially during periods of global adversity.
... The 3GT intervention is one of a family of PPIs that are aimed at cultivating positive feelings, positive behaviors, and positive cognitions. These interventions often include meditating (Fredrickson et al., 2008), helping others (Steger et al., 2008), or focusing on positive events (Seligman et al., 2005). A meta-analysis by Sin and Lyubomirsky (2009), involving 51 studies, reported that PPIs significantly enhanced well-being (r = .29) ...
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Based on principles from positive psychology and broaden‐and‐build theory, we examined whether conducting a Three Good Job Search Things intervention can increase metacognitive activities among job seekers. We further theorize that positive affect (i.e., activating and deactivating) serves as a mediating mechanism for the effect of the reflection intervention on metacognitive activities. We designed a randomized control group pretest–posttest experimental study with three groups (i.e., Three Good Job Search Things, active control, and passive control) and two measurement times ( N = 116). Results show that the Three Good Job Search Things intervention increased job seekers' metacognitive activities as compared with the passive control group, but not as compared to the active control group. However, the active control group results did not differ significantly from the passive control group. The effects of the intervention on job seekers' metacognitive activities were not mediated by enhanced positive affect. This study contributes to the job search literature by expanding our understanding of how metacognition during job search can be improved by reflecting upon one's job search process.
... A meaningful experience is one that is personally relevant, generally because the experience is in alignment with a person's goals, values, interests, and purpose (Schueller & Seligman, 2010;Steger, 2012). Youth workers want to facilitate meaningful experiences because of beneficial outcomes, such well-being (Steger et al., 2008), fostering learning and its retention, and encouraging identity formation (Flum & Kaplan, 2006). ...
Article
Background: Practitioners want to create meaningful experiences for youth because they provide positive benefits. Immersion semester high schools are likely to provide meaningful experiences. Purpose: This study sought to identify what types of activities are most meaningful to youth, whether activities are more meaningful in immersion semester high schools, and to determine which aspects of immersion semester high schools predict meaningfulness and whether this varies by emotional valence. Methods: Youth ( N = 261) provided 11,498 surveys (6,062 at program/5,435 at home) when they participated in an immersion semester high schools and when they were at home. They reported on the meaningfulness of experiences twice daily for 3 weeks in each context. Findings: The results showed that hanging out with peers was the most meaningful activity, that experiences in immersion semester high schools were more meaningful than at home, and that whereas higher levels of emotion predicted higher levels of meaningfulness regardless of how positive or negative the experience was, behavioral engagement was more predictive for positive experiences, whereas psychological engagement was more predictive for negative experiences. Implications: Immersion semester high schools can create more meaningful experiences than at home, especially those that are emotionally engaging.
... é motionnelles aux é vé nements et des jugements cognitifs de satisfaction et d'accomplissement (Diener, 2000 ;Kashdan et al., 2008 ;Steger et al., 2008). Cette vision se caracté rise par deux dimensions : la recherche du plaisir et l'é vitement de la souffrance (Kahneman et al., 1999). ...
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Pendant longtemps, les e ́ tudes se sont concentre ́ es sur la mauvaise sante ́ au travail pourtant, il est e ́ galement pertinent de s’inte ́ resser aux sources du bien-eˆtre au travail dans une conception positive de celui- ci. En interrogeant les relations entre le travailleur et son environne- ment (social et physique), l’e ́valuation positive du bien-eˆtre au travail prend en compte autant le bien-eˆtre he ́ donique qu’eude ́ monique dans le contexte professionnel. A` travers un questionnaire en ligne, 400 salarie ́s francophones (dont 366 conserve ́s) nous ont renseigne ́s sur leurs relations au travail et sur leurs ressentis (estime de soi et sentiment d’efficacite ́ personnelle). A` travers leurs re ́ponses, nous avons pu investiguer le roˆle de me ́diateur de l’estime de soi entre le sentiment d’efficacite ́ personnelle et le bien-eˆtre au travail. Les analyses de mode ́lisation par e ́quations structurelles montrent que l’estime de soi joue bien un roˆle de me ́diateur partiel dans la relation entre le sentiment d’efficacite ́ personnelle et le bien-eˆtre au travail. Ces re ́sultats renforcent l’ide ́e qu’un environnement professionnel soutenant et favorisant le sentiment d’efficacite ́ personnelle tout en pre ́servant l’estime de soi des travailleurs est un des leviers pour de ́velopper le bien-eˆtre des salarie ́s.
... According to Ryan et al. (2008) SWB can be a good indicator of well-being, but when adding the context of functions, values, and behaviors that cause well-being derived from the eudaimonia approach, then well-being can be seen more thoroughly. Steger et al. (2008) explained that the hedonic view can create instant but temporary well-being, while the eudaimonia perspective can create consistent and longerlasting well-being. In addition, from a positive psychology perspective, hedonia and eudaimonia can be used as points of view in understanding well-being (Effendy, 2016). ...
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Masalah psikologis sering diabaikan di masa pensiun dengan fokus pada aspek fisik dan keuangan yang lebih terlihat dan dipahami. Padahal, kebahagiaan adalah tujuan utama manusia dan mencerminkan kesehatan mental. Konsep flourishing sering digunakan untuk menggambarkan kesejahteraan mental yang tinggi. Meskipun ada perdebatan mengenai perspektif hedonia dan eudaimonia, penelitian ini mengkaji apakah subjective dan psychological well-being dapat memprediksi flourishing pada pensiunan. Studi melibatkan 72 anggota Ikatan Pensiunan Universitas Brawijaya yang telah pensiun selama 3-12 tahun. Data dikumpulkan menggunakan PERMA-Profiler, SWLS, SPANE, dan PWBS. Hasil analisis menunjukkan bahwa flourishing pada pensiunan dipengaruhi oleh subjective dan psychological well-being secara simultan (R=0,465; R2=0,216; p=0,000) dengan kontribusi sebesar 19,3%. Secara parsial, flourishing lebih dipengaruhi oleh PWB (β=0,283; p=0,000), tetapi tidak dengan SWB (β=0,013; p=0,953). Oleh karena itu, PWB adalah prediktor utama flourishing pada anggota Ikatan Pensiunan Universitas Brawijaya.
... These concepts require new approaches to data collection and research methodologies which can ascertain the validity and reliability of these constructs over time. As research has shown that impacts of eudaimonic digital wellbeing are usually more delayed compared to those of hedonic digital wellbeing (Oishi et al., 2001;Steger et al., 2008), experimental, quantitative, and longitudinal approaches appear to be particularly suitable (Vanden Abeele, 2020). Considering that digital wellbeing in hospitality is still at the inception stage with preliminary research, scholars need to approach and conceptualize this paradox of interest from a critical perspective. ...
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Mental health concerns due to excess use of technology, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, require increased research studies that explore the role of technology in users' wellbeing. This article aims to provide a conceptualization of digital wellbeing (DWB) in hospitality, or wellbeing in digital settings. An integrative literature review was used to identify three main enablers of DWB in hospitality: digital devices, digital interfaces, and digital applications. A conceptual model of DWB in the hospitality industry was created emphasizing the importance of designing digital experiences that foster positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and achievement of users to support their hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing. The paper provides insights for the hospitality sector to enhance DWB. Future research should focus on empirical analyses of users' perceptions to refine and validate the proposed model and examine ethical issues concerning digital wellbeing. 摘要
... Among these, 93% had good physical and mental health, were in stable economic situations and committed to their relationships, and could also be satisfied with their academic progress. More recently, the search for meaning has been associated with lower life satisfaction (Steger et al. 2011), less control over the environment, dissatisfaction with relationships, and lower psychological well-being (Steger et al. 2008). This was also negatively related to engagement and emotional exhaustion in students (Garrosa et al. 2017). ...
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In this empirical study, the relationships between religiosity, spirituality, a sense of life, searching for meaning, and a crisis of meaning are explored in relation to engagement and satisfaction with learning among university students. The results of the study, conducted with Spanish university students, revealed a committed sample to learning, not very satisfied with it, whose life has meaning and/or is in the process of seeking it, with a much lower incidence of a crisis of meaning. The presence of meaning in life and the crisis of meaning were shown to be related to vigor, dedication, and absorption in learning, all of which are expressions of commitment to it. Engagement with learning was also found to be linearly and positively related to a sense of life. Extrinsic and intrinsic religious orientations exhibited a similar pattern of relationships, positively correlating with vigor, absorption, and learning engagement, and remaining independent of dedication to learning and satisfaction with it. The results suggest that education should focus on aspects and spiritual practices that have personal meaning for students. The text emphasizes the importance of fostering an active and attentive disposition in students to engage in activities that provide meaning. It also suggests that curriculum content should relate to students’ interests and concerns, irrespective of their religious or spiritual dimensions.
... In addition, some researchers have compared hedonic and eudaimonic well-being as mutually exclusive concepts. For example, Steger et al. employed a list of behaviors previously classified by the authors to investigate how different behaviors affect happiness, and asked participants to categorize each behavior as either eudaimonic or hedonic [14]. Although they compared hedonic and eudaimonic behavior at the parallel concept level, they ignored the possibility that the same behavior may be driven by different motivations. ...
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Happiness is the ultimate life goal for most people, and the pursuit of happiness serves as the fundamental motivation driving human behavior. Orientation to Happiness (OTH) represents the aspect that individuals seek when making decisions or engaging in activities, including values, priorities, motivations, ideals, and goals. Nevertheless, existing research has predominantly approached OTH from an individualistic perspective, emphasizing an individual's internal emotional state and personal goals, thereby neglecting the significant influence of a collectivist cultural background on the pursuit of happiness. To address this research gap, our study employs qualitative research methods, enabling us to delve deeply into the intricate interplay between cultural context, societal influences, and individual motivations that collectively shape OTH. Our research is dedicated to understanding the structure of OTH within the Chinese cultural context. Through semi-structured interviews with 26 Chinese adults and the utilization of an inductive style of thematic analysis, we have identified two core themes within the OTH of Chinese adults: Self-focused and Other-focused. Notably, the "Other-focused" theme emphasizes the pursuit of group harmony and the fulfillment of group responsibilities, highlighting the paramount role of "relationships" in the study of happiness within collectivist cultures. This insight forms a robust foundation for future research in this area.
Chapter
Psychosocial well-being of first-year students is an area of concern in higher learning institutes across the world. Although several studies have explored factors associated with students’ psychosocial well-being, limited studies or reviews have been conducted on positive psychology interventions among first-year students at university level in recent years. This chapter addresses that. It begins with a discussion on psychosocial well-being issues among first-year students at universities then provides an integrated literature review on positive psychology interventions, the efficacy of positive psychology interventions, and analysis of the challenges faced in the implementation of positive psychology interventions at universities. Lastly, the chapter summarizes by presenting alternative positive psychology interventions for university students.
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We identified and tested a novel aspect of human resilience: The daily pursuit of maintenance goals. Taking inspiration from archaeological records, which point at routinized cultural practices as a central resilience factor, we tested whether personal routine practices, governed by maintenance goals, serve a similar function to individuals as traditional practices do to societies. Namely, we hypothesized that maintenance striving increases individuals’ resilient responses to stressful events. Confirming this prediction, a longitudinal Study 1 showed that maintenance striving but not avoidance striving, predicted subsequent increases in well‐being following the third wave of the COVID‐19 pandemic in Germany. Study 2 confirmed our predictions on trait resilience and maintenance versus avoidance motivations in the household and relationship life domains in cross‐sectional data. These studies contribute to the understanding of resilience by demonstrating the benefits of maintenance goals for both situational and trait‐level resilience.
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In this paper, we examined that whether engaging in voluntary work leads to greater well-being, measured by self-reported mental health and happiness. The primary objective of the research study was to establish a relationship between variables including volunteerism, mental health and happiness. Additionally, we assessed direct implication of volunteerism on mental health among the volunteers and non-volunteers. In order to evaluate, 50 volunteers and 50 non-volunteers were selected through snowball sampling from different areas of Karachi (Men: 56 and Women: 44). Participants filled questionnaire containing Demographic sheet, a Mental Health Questionnaire (Bargar, 1996) and The Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (M. Argyle & P Hills, 2002). Pearson correlation test result indicated significant correlation between both variables. Moreover, an independent sample t-test revealed significant difference in the scores of mental health and happiness among volunteers and non-volunteers. Drawing on data, findings suggest that volunteerism lead to good mental health and happiness in volunteers.
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Objective Regions with multi‐ethnicity like Africa benefit from religiosity and freedom for improved mental and physical well‐being. Although religious freedom in its original sense advocates for peace, there are questions about whether it results in making healthy decisions that are beneficial to one's well‐being. This argument is made in light of the crimes carried out globally in the name of religious freedom, even though it is considered to be wrongly expressed if the expression does not improve well‐being. As a symbol of democracy, religious freedom is expected to boost sentiments of personal authenticity and belonging, and enhance support networks. This study explores the impact of freedom of religion on basic welfare in 49 African countries from 2000 to 2020. Methodology To control for potential endogeneity, the authors adopted the smoothed instrumental‐variables quantile regression strategy. The outcome variable of basic welfare is measured using an index that includes life expectancy, literacy rate, and calorie supply while religious freedom is proxied on a 4‐point scale that indicates the extent to which individuals could freely express their religious beliefs. Results The findings reveal a statistically significant positive impact of freedom of religion on basic welfare in Africa. It manifests itself in protecting the rights of individuals, especially the most vulnerable, and promotes social belonging and cohesion. In addition, the results reveal that freedom of religion enhances basic welfare in both former British and French African colonies when the differences in the legal systems are considered. Conclusions The study's findings support the religious freedom‐welfare enhancing relationship and are consistent after considering life expectancy and literacy rate as indicators of basic welfare. Policymakers are encouraged to promote democracy and healthy religious behaviors that enhance basic well‐being.
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The pursuit of well-being goes beyond seeking pleasure and satisfaction. Aristotle's concept of "eudemonia" highlights human flourishing and the development of one's full potential. In psychology, subjective well-being has expanded to include a more holistic understanding of well-being. The Paper builds on Aristotle's ideas and modern positive psychology to define and measure eudaimonic well-being (focusing on living a meaningful life). It explores links to social factors, work-life experiences, health, and future research directions including: socioeconomic inequality, the role of arts and humanities, and ethical entrepreneurship. This paper aims to closely interpret Aristotle's perspective and examine how it aligns or diverges from its use in contemporary psychology, thereby providing a clearer theoretical framework. Eudemonia is discussed as an ethical idea that represents the highest form of living, emerging naturally from human qualities. It's an active pursuit involving subjective experiences and the striving for goals that are inherently valuable for humans. While eudemonia represents a singular approach to life, it encompasses various elements like a sense of belonging, justice, and social harmony. The concept is distinct from mere pleasure-seeking (hedonic) and is about leading a complete life characterized by virtue of excellence. Aristotle viewed it as the ultimate purpose of human existence. Psychological research on eudaimonic well-being encompasses areas such as psychological well-being theory, self-determination theory, and meaning in life. Future research directions in eudaimonic well-being will also be discussed.
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Bu araştırma, turistlerin seyahat motivasyonları, öznel iyi oluşları ve tekrar ziyaret etme niyetleri arasındaki ilişkileri az bilinen turistik destinasyonlar bağlamında incelemeyi amaçlamıştır. Yapılan araştırmalar sonucunda, İğneada beldesinin araştırma için en uygun destinasyonlardan biri olduğu görülmüştür. İğneada, tam anlamıyla keşfedilmemiş turizm potansiyeli ve doğal zenginlikleri ile bu çalışmanın odak noktasını oluşturarak, literatürde daha az ele alınmış bir alanı temsil etmektedir. Bu bağlamda, İğneada gibi turizm potansiyeli olan fakat yeterince bilinmeyen destinasyonlara yönelik yapılan bu tür çalışmalar turizm stratejilerinin geliştirilmesi açısından oldukça önemlidir. Araştırmanın amacına ulaşmak için İğneada'ya seyahat eden turistler içerisinden yerli turistlere ulaşılarak çevrimiçi anket uygulanmıştır. Amaçlı örnekleme yöntemi benimsenen veri toplama sürecinde 386 kullanılabilir veri elde edilmiş ve elde edilen bu veriler SPSS programı aracılığıyla analiz edilmiştir. Araştırmanın bulgularına göre katılımcıların seyahat motivasyonları, öznel iyi oluşları ve tekrar ziyaret etme niyetleri arasında pozitif yönlü anlamlı ilişkiler tespit edilmiştir. Katılımcıların seyahat motivasyonlarının öznel iyi oluşlarını etkilediği, tekrar ziyaret etme niyetinin ise hem seyahat motivasyonu hem de öznel iyi oluştan etkilendiği ortaya çıkarılmıştır. Elde edilen bulgular, turizm sektöründe bu tür destinasyonların değerinin daha fazla anlaşılmasına ve tanıtılmasına katkı sağlamaktadır.
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Background and Objectives: Thailand along with many developed and developing nations faces a rapidly aging population. According to World Health Organization, over 11 million Thais, representing 17.57% of the population, are classified as elderly. This demographic shift necessitates a deeper understanding of factors influencing well-being in this growing segment. The Activity Theory provides a foundational framework for this research. The theory posits that continued engagement in activities, particularly during later life, contributes to positive psychological well-being and life satisfaction in elderly people. Culture influences decision making; therefore, cultural and religious belief in term of the collectivism helping others as doing good (Eudaimonia) and staying as a group may increase life satisfaction and psychological well-being than seeking pleasure activities (Hedonia) e.g., listening music, go shopping. There are two objectives on this research: Firstly, studying behavioral factors and psychological well-being influencing on life satisfaction of elderly people residing in Pak Phayun District, Phatthalung Province; and secondly, utilizing a behavioral and psychological well-being model to predict life satisfaction of elderly people residing in Pak Phayun District, Phatthalung Province. Methodology: Employing a quantitative approach, the study analyzed data from 299 Thai elderly. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize participant characteristics. Inferential statistics, including t-tests and ANOVA, were utilized to examine potential differences in means between groups based on activity engagement levels. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to explore the predictive power of activity engagement (Both Eudaimonia and Hedonia) on life satisfaction and various domains of psychological well-being. Main Results: The findings revealed a significant positively association between both Eudaimonia and Hedonia with life satisfaction and most psychological well-being domains. However, the link with autonomy and personal growth was lowly associated for participants primarily engaging in Hedonia. Interestingly, Eudaimonia emerged as a strong predictor of life satisfaction and psychological well-being, particularly for purpose in life and positive relationships.
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Program kegiatan refleksi kebermaknaan hidup ini bertujuan untuk mendorong mahasiswa dalam upaya memahami makna hidupnya, melalui refleksi diri. Target Program ini adalah remaja, terkhususnya mahasiswa, baik laki-laki maupun perempuan yang sedang menjalani program sarjana. Waktu mahasiswa adalah masa yang penting untuk mengenali kebermaknaan hidup agar dapat meneruskan perjuangan bangsa, negara dan juga agama. Program ini dilaksanakan melalui webinar daring Zoom Meeting pada 27 Mei 2023. Hasil pre-test dan post-test diolah melalui JASP uji sample t-test dan hasilnya menunjukkan bahwa adanya peningkatan pengetahuan peserta dalam memahami makna hidup dari sudut pandang psikologi dan Islam. Sedangkan hasil refleksi juga menunjukkan bahwa peserta telah menyadari makna hidup yang mereka miliki dan terus berupaya menemukan dan menggali makna hidup mereka yang akan datang.
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There is growing interest from academic scholars and international institutions in assessing the impact of business activity on human well-being. Business is essential for our lives but it is still unclear what companies’ activities should be to increase standards of living and to contribute better to higher human well-being. What is the role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on human well-being, and how can companies be motivated towards more responsible activities? Partly, it is a matter of subjective understanding and, partly, a matter of assessing the phenomena of human well-being and CSR tends to make these relations more complicated and more scientific discussions are needed, therefore, to address these issues. The present study represents a comprehensive analysis of the concept of human well-being from the perspectives of both hedonic and eudaimonic approaches and it also investigates the role of CSR in companies’ economic activities, as well as outlines the theoretical links between CSR and human well-being. A conceptual model of the links between company’s economic activity and human well-being, according to CSR, is provided. The model states that the contribution of a business to human well-being differs depending on whether company’s activity is concentrated on economic results, or rather on sustainable development. The responsible activity of a company that meets the environmental, social, and economic challenges when producing goods and providing services contributes positively to human well-being in the long term. CSR contributes to society by enabling companies to satisfy the expectations of society and it also strengthens the likelihood that a society can achieve higher living standards and sustainable development as well.
Chapter
Kama Sutra and Mental Well-being have been misinterpreted in recent times. Kama Sutra has been reduced to mere positions of sexual intercourse, by most translated versions of the text including the ones that have been referred to for the chapter, namely, “The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana” by Burton and Arbuthnot (1883) and “The Complete Kama Sutra” by Danielou (1994), while Mental Well-Being is subjected to the notion that Hedonic and Eudaimonic traditions are totally distinct, with nothing binding them together. As discussions on these ostensibly dissimilar approaches were taking place, Indian philosophers, through texts like Kama Sutra, had already developed guiding principles that united these two approaches to Mental Well-Being. Owing to the disproportionate emphasis on sexual positions, which only apply to a small proportion of the entire Kama Sutra, it is frequently viewed from a hedonistic lens. The Kama Sutra, in reality, discusses a great deal of nuances and subtleties in the form of metaphors about the art of living, which may be better understood by incorporating certain eudaimonic concepts. It throws light on the importance of virtue, wealth, and pleasure with regard to the society at that time and how an interplay of these can carve out a path towards transcendence, thereby, tying it to eudaimonic concepts of meaningfulness and elevation of experiences. The chapter aims to explain how Kama Sutra has skilfully combined the two approaches of well-being. The brilliance of the text was highlighted when several decades later research supported the idea that eudaimonia and hedonia function in a synergistic manner and that eudaimonia and hedonia should not be treated as mutually exclusive, something Kama Sutra has explained through its pursuit of pleasure. Kama Sutra has emphasised on the interaction between the forces of love and sex in the attainment of one’s full potential, transcendence and finding meaning. The intertwined nature of love and sex has been affirmed by modern neuroscience, showcasing the enduring relevance of Kama Sutra’s insights, despite predating such advancements. Indian Philosophers, at a time when brain mechanisms could not be understood with the aid of science, helped the masses understand how a man practising Dharma, Artha and Kama enjoys happiness, indicating that a lack of Kama will be a hindrance in the path of attaining both happiness and Moksha, a higher-order transcendental pleasure. The fact that individuals of that era were encouraged to engage with its intricately detailed content, which centres on the pursuit of maximising pleasure, underscores Kama Sutra’s overarching goal of enabling humans to harness their advanced cognitive faculties to regulate and channel primitive sexual instincts towards long-term advantages. By promoting this kind of comprehensive self-awareness, the text guides individuals to effectively convert fleeting, immediate gratification into a more profound and enduring state of well-being, thereby effectively harmonising the realms of hedonia and eudaimonia.
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The positive association between meaning in life (MIL) and mindfulness has been supported; however, previous research has been limited to the trait level. To explore the dynamics of mindfulness and MIL in the state level, the present study used the experience sampling method (ESM) and conducted a dynamic structural equation model (DSEM). In addition, we examined the moderation of baseline depression in this dynamic relationship and the protective role of the dynamics on depression. We recruited 184 college students ( M age = 21.58, 33.15% male), who reported three times a day for 14 consecutive days, and analyzed the 7726 collected responses. Firstly, a virtuous cycle between mindfulness and MIL was proven. Besides, the baseline depressive symptoms moderated the predictive of mindfulness on MIL, suggesting state mindfulness gave people with more depressive symptoms more meaningful in daily life. Lastly, the result also demonstrated the positive prediction of mindfulness on MIL and alleviated the worsening of depressive symptoms within 2 weeks. The findings extended the relationship between MIL and mindfulness from trait level to state level, enriching the self‐determination theory, and examined the unique effect of depressive symptoms in the dynamics.
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This contributed book contains the short papers presented at the 1st International Conference on Hybrid Societies 2023. Organized by the DFG-funded Collaborative Research Centre 'Hybrid Societies' at Chemnitz University of Technology.
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An integrative model of the conative process, which has important ramifications for psychological need satisfaction and hence for individuals’ well-being, is presented. The self-concordance of goals (i.e., their consistency with the person’s developing interests and core values) plays a dual role in the model. First, those pursuing self-concordant goals put more sustained effort into achieving those goals and thus are more likely to attain them. Second, those who attain self-concordant goals reap greater well-being benefits from their attainment. Attainment-to-well-being effects are mediated by need satisfaction, i.e., daily activity-based experiences of autonomy, competence, and relatedness that accumulate during the period of striving. The model is shown to provide a satisfactory fit to 3 longitudinal data sets and to be independent of the effects of self-efficacy, implementation intentions, avoidance framing, and life skills.
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W. Wilson's (1967) review of the area of subjective well-being (SWB) advanced several conclusions regarding those who report high levels of "happiness." A number of his conclusions have been overturned: youth and modest aspirations no longer are seen as prerequisites of SWB. E. Diener's (1984) review placed greater emphasis on theories that stressed psychological factors. In the current article, the authors review current evidence for Wilson's conclusions and discuss modern theories of SWB that stress dispositional influences, adaptation, goals, and coping strategies. The next steps in the evolution of the field are to comprehend the interaction of psychological factors with life circumstances in producing SWB, to understand the causal pathways leading to happiness, understand the processes underlying adaptation to events, and develop theories that explain why certain variables differentially influence the different components of SWB (life satisfaction, pleasant affect, and unpleasant affect). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
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Aristotle's concept of eudaimonia and hedonic enjoyment constitute 2 philosophical conceptions of happiness. Two studies involving combined samples of undergraduate and graduate students (Study 1, n = 209; Study 2, n = 249) were undertaken to identify the convergent and divergent aspects of these constructs. As expected, there was a strong positive correlation between personal expressiveness (eudaimonia) and hedonic enjoyment. Analyses revealed significant differences between the 2 conceptions of happiness experienced in conjunction with activities for the variables of (1) opportunities for satisfaction, (2) strength of cognitive-affective components, (3) level of challenges, (4) level of skills, and (5) importance. It thus appears that the 2 conceptions of happiness are related but distinguishable and that personal expressiveness, but not hedonic enjoyment, is a signifier of success in the process of self-realization. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
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Meaning in life has been identified as a potential mediator of the link between religiousness and psychological health. The authors tested this hypothesis in 2 studies, using multiple methods and measures of religiousness and well-being. In the studies, meaning in life mediated the relation between religiousness and life satisfaction (Study 1A), as well as self-esteem and optimism (Study 1B). In addition, using an experience sampling method, the authors found that meaning in life also mediated the relation between daily religious behaviors and well-being (Study 2). The authors discuss these findings and suggest that meaning in life may be an effective conduit through which counselors and clients can discuss "ultimate" matters, even when they do not share similar perspectives on religion. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
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propose a model of the intimacy process the process begins when one person expresses personally revealing feelings of information to another it continues when the listener responds supportively and empathically for an interaction to become intimate the discloser must feel understood, validated, and cared for psychodynamic building blocks / building blocks from communication and exchange research / lay and psychometric conceptions of intimacy (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
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This study examined the extent to which 3 dimensions of personal goals (commitment, attainability, and progress) were predictive of students' subjective well-being over 1 semester. At the beginning of a new term, 88 Ss provided a list of their personal goals. Goal attributes and subjective well-being were measured at 4 testing periods. Goal commitment was found to moderate the extent to which differences in goal attainability accounted for changes in subjective well-being. Progress in goal achievement mediated the effect of the goal commitment × goal attainability on subjective well-being interaction. Results are discussed in terms of a need for addition and refinement of assumptions linking personal goals to subjective well-being. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
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Examined relations between social activity and state and trait measures of Positive and Negative Affect. In Study 1, Ss completed scales relevant to 3-factor models of personality and a weekly mood and social activity questionnaire for 13 wks. In Study 2, Ss completed measures of the 5-factor model of personality and a daily mood and social activity survey for 6–7 wks. In within- and between-Ss analyses, socializing correlated significantly with state measures of Positive Affect and with trait measures of Extraversion/Positive Emotionality. These relations were relatively general across various types of positive affect and social events; however, specific types of social events also were differentially related to affect. In contrast, social activity had no consistent association with measures of Negative Affect or the other personality dimensions. The results support a temperamental view of Extraversion. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
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Counseling psychologists often work with clients to increase their well-being as well as to decrease their distress. One important aspect of well-being, highlighted particularly in humanistic theories of the counseling process, is perceived meaning in life. However, poor measurement has hampered research on meaning in life. In 3 studies, evidence is provided for the internal consistency, temporal stability, factor structure, and validity of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ), a new 10-item measure of the presence of, and the search for, meaning in life. A multitrait-multimethod matrix demonstrates the convergent and discriminant validity of the MLQ subscales across time and informants, in comparison with 2 other meaning scales. The MLQ offers several improvements over current meaning in life measures, including no item overlap with distress measures, a stable factor structure, better discriminant validity, a briefer format, and the ability to measure the search for meaning.
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Increasingly, social and personality psychologists are conducting studies in which data are collected simultaneously at multiple levels, with hypotheses concerning effects that involve multiple levels of analysis. In studies of naturally occurring social interaction, data describing people and their social interactions are collected simultaneously. This article discuses how to analyze such data using random coefficient modeling. Analyzing data describing day-to-day social interaction is used to illustrate the analysis of event-contingent data (when specific events trigger or organize data collection), and analyzing data describing reactions to daily events is used to illustrate the analysis of interval-contingent data (when data are collected at intervals). Different analytic strategies are presented, the shortcomings of ordinary least squares analyses are described, and the use of multilevel random coefficient modeling is discussed in detail. Different modeling techniques, the specifics of formulating and testing hypotheses, and the differences between fixed and random effects are also considered.
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Three studies examined folk concepts of the good life. Participantsrated the desirability and moral goodness of a life as a function of thehappiness, meaning, and effort experienced. Happiness and meaning weresolid predictors of the good life, replicating King and Napa (1998).Study 1 (N = 381) included wealth as an additional factor. Resultsshowed little desire for exorbitant (over moderate) wealth, but also adesire to avoid poverty. When effort was operationalized as number ofhours worked, respondents desired the easy life, particularly atmoderate levels of income. When effort was operationalized as effortfulengagement (Study 2), 186 undergraduates and 178 community adults ratedthe hardworking life as morally superior to the easy life. Communityadults preferred meaningful lives of ease, while college studentspreferred meaningful lives that involved effort. Study 3 (N = 359) foundthe meaningful, effortful life was rated as most morally good, and thehappy effortful life was rated as most desirable, happy, and meaningful.The role of hard work in nave notions of The Good Life is discussed.
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The effect of a grateful outlook on psychological and physical well-being was examined. In Studies 1 and 2, participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 experimental conditions (hassles, gratitude listing, and either neutral life events or social comparison); they then kept weekly (Study 1) or daily (Study 2) records of their moods, coping behaviors, health behaviors, physical symptoms, and overall life appraisals. In a 3rd study, persons with neuromuscular disease were randomly assigned to either the gratitude condition or to a control condition. The gratitude-outlook groups exhibited heightened well-being across several, though not all, of the outcome measures across the 3 studies, relative to the comparison groups. The effect on positive affect appeared to be the most robust finding. Results suggest that a conscious focus on blessings may have emotional and interpersonal benefits.
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Joint effects of daily events and dispositional sensitivities to cues of reward and punishment on daily positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) were examined in 3 diary studies. Study 1 showed that positive events were strongly related to PA but not NA, whereas negative events were strongly related to NA but not PA. Studies 2 and 3 examined how the dispositional sensitivities of independent appetitive and aversive motivational systems, the Behavioral Activation System (BAS) and the Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS), moderated these relationships. Participants in Study 2 with higher BAS sensitivity reported more PA on average; those with more sensitive BIS reported more NA. Also, BIS moderated reactions to negative events, such that higher BIS sensitivity magnified reactions to negative events. Study 3 replicated these findings and showed that BAS predisposed people to experience more positive events. Results demonstrate the value of distinguishing within-person and between-person effects to clarify the functionally independent processes by which dispositional sensitivities influence affect.
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This study examined the extent to which 3 dimensions of personal goals-commitment, attainability, and progress-were predictive of students' subjective well-being over 1 semester. At the beginning of a new term, 88 Ss provided a list of their personal goals. Goal attributes and subjective well-being were measured at 4 testing periods. Goal commitment was found to moderate the extent to which differences in goal attainability accounted for changes in subjective well-being. Progress in goal achievement mediated the effect of the Goal Commitment × Goal Attainability on Subjective Well-Being interaction. Results are discussed in terms of a need for addition and refinement of assumptions linking personal goals to subjective well-being.
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This article reviews existing empirical research on the peak-and-end rule. This rule states that people's global evaluations of past affective episodes can be well predicted by the affect experienced during just two moments: the moment of peak affect intensity and the ending. One consequence of the peak-and-end rule is that the duration of affective episodes is largely neglected. Evidence supporting the peak-and-end rule is robust, but qualified. New directions for future work in this emerging area of study are outlined. In particular, the personal meanings associated with specific moments and with specific emotions should be assessed. It is hypothesised that moments rich with self-relevant information will dominate people's global evaluations of past affective episodes. The article concludes with a discussion of ways to measure and optimise objective happiness.
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This article reports the development and validation of a scale to measure global life satisfaction, the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS). Among the various components of subjective well-being, the SWLS is narrowly focused to assess global life satisfaction and does not tap related constructs such as positive affect or loneliness. The SWLS is shown to have favorable psychometric properties, including high internal consistency and high temporal reliability. Scores on the SWLS correlate moderately to highly with other measures of subjective well-being, and correlate predictably with specific personality characteristics. It is noted that the SWLS is suited for use with different age groups, and other potential uses of the scale are discussed.
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This article reviews existing empirical research on the peak-and-end rule. This rule states that people's global evaluations of past affective episodes can be well predicted by the affect experienced during just two moments: the moment of peak affect intensity and the ending. One consequence of the peak-and-end rule is that the duration of affective episodes is largely neglected. Evidence supporting the peak-and-end rule is robust, but qualified. New directions for future work in this emerging area of study are outlined. In particular, the personal meanings associated with specific moments and with specific emotions should be assessed. It is hypothesised that moments rich with self-relevant information will dominate people's global evaluations of past affective episodes. The article concludes with a discussion of ways to measure and optimise objective happiness.
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The SWLS consists of 5-items that require a ratingon a 7-point Likert scale. Administration is rarely morethan a minute or 2 and can be completed by interview(including phone) or paper and pencil response. The in-strumentshouldnotbecompletedbyaproxyansweringfortheperson.Itemsofthe SWLSaresummedtocreatea total score that can range from 5 to 35.The SWLS is in the public domain. Permission isnot needed to use it. Further information regardingthe use and interpretation of the SWLS can be foundat the author’s Web site http://internal.psychology.illinois.edu/∼ediener/SWLS.html. The Web site alsoincludes links to translations of the scale into 27languages.
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A flood of new studies explores people's subjective well-being (SWB) Frequent positive affect, infrequent negative affect, and a global sense of satisfaction with life define high SWB These studies reveal that happiness and life satisfaction are similarly available to the young and the old, women and men, blacks and whites, the rich and the working-class Better clues to well-being come from knowing about a person's traits, close relationships, work experiences, culture, and religiosity We present the elements of an appraisal-based theory of happiness that recognizes the importance of adaptation, cultural world-view, and personal goals
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A practical difficulty with the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (SDS) is its length. Preferring a shorter measure of social desirability, researchers have devised a number of short forms of the SDS. The present study used confirmatory factor analysis to establish the adequacy of these subscales in measuring social desirability. Results showed that (a) of the six short forms of SDS considered two models (XI and X2) provide the best measures of social desirability, (b) improved measures of all of the models can be constructed, and (c) improved measures of the dimensions, denial and attribution, thought to measure the latent construct of social approval can also be constructed.
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Empirical research and organismic theories suggest that lower well-being is associated with having extrinsic goals focused on rewards or praise relatively central to one's personality in comparison to intrinsic goals congruent with inherent growth tendencies. In a sample of adult subjects (Study 1), the relative importance and efficacy of extrinsic aspirations for financial success, an appealing appearance, and social recognition were associated with lower vitality and self-actualization and more physical symptoms. Conversely, the relative importance and efficacy of intrinsic aspirations for self-acceptance, affiliation, community feeling, and physical health were associated with higher well-being and less distress. Study 2 replicated these findings in a college sample and extended them to measures of narcissism and daily affect. Three reasons are discussed as to why extrinsic aspirations relate negatively to well-being, and future research directions are suggested.
Book
Pleasures of the mind are different from pleasures of the body. There are two types of pleasures of the body: tonic pleasures and relief pleasures. Pleasures of the body are given by the contact senses and by the distance senses (seeing and hearing). The distance senses provide a special category of pleasure. Pleasures of the mind are not emotions; they are collections of emotions distributed over time. Some distributions of emotions over time are particularly pleasurable, such as episodes in which the peak emotion is strong and the final emotion is positive. The idea that all pleasurable stimuli share some general characteristic should be supplanted by the idea that humans have evolved domain-specific responses of attraction to stimuli. The emotions that characterize pleasures of the mind arise when expectations are violated, causing autonomic nervous system arousal and thereby triggering a search for an interpretation. Thus pleasures of the mind occur when an individual has a definite set of expectations (usually tacit) and the wherewithal to interpret the violation (usually by placing it in a narrative framework). Pleasures of the mind differ in the objects of the emotions they comprise. There is probably a
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The affect system refers to the functional components involved in appetitive and aversive information processing. We review evidence suggesting that affect is not a unitary faculty but rather is composed of a number of distinct processes. Physical limitations constrain behavioral expressions and incline behavioral predispositions toward a bipolar (good-bad, approach-withdraw) organization, but this organization appears to be the consequence of multiple operations, including the activation of positivity (appetition) and the activation of negativity (aversion), at earlier affective-processing stages. The partial segregation of positive and negative affective processing afforded evolution the opportunity to sculpt distinctive activation functions for these affective components and allows their coactivation. Coactivation, in turn, cultivates the exploration of novel environments and the pursuit of seemingly hospitable events while fostering vigilance for and rapid retreats from hostile developments.
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Psychologists have tended to view religion from a distance as a global, undifferentiated, stable process that is largely good or largely bad. This article presents a more fine-grained analysis of religion and its implications for well-being, positive and negative. The empirical literature points to five conclusions. First, some forms of religion are more helpful than others. Well-being has been linked positively to a religion that is internalized, intrinsically motivated, and based on a secure relationship with God and negatively to a religion that is imposed, unexamined, and reflective of a tenuous relationship with God and the world. Second, there are advantages and disadvantages to even controversial forms of religion, such as fundamentalism. Third, religion is particularly helpful to socially marginalized groups and to those who embed religion more fully in their lives. Fourth, religious beliefs and practices appear to be especially valuable in stressful situations that push people to the limits of their resources. Finally, the efficacy of religion is tied to the degree to which it is well integrated in the individual's life. These conclusions belie stereotypes or simple summaries about religion. Instead, they suggest that religion is a richer, more complex process than psychologists have imagined, one that has the potential both to help and to harm. Questions about the general efficacy of religion should give way to the more difficult but more appropriate question, How helpful or harmful are particular forms of religious expression for particular people dealing with particular situations in particular social contexts according to particular criteria of helpfulness or harmfulness?
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In two daily diary studies we examined the moderating role of sensation seeking in the patterns of relations between physical pleasure and life satisfaction. In study 1 (a 52-day daily diary study), daily physical pleasure was a signi®cantly stronger predictor of daily social satisfaction among high sensation seekers than among low sensation seekers. We extended the ®nding of study 1 to more general daily satisfaction in study 2 (a 23-day diary study). The present ®ndings indicate that physical pleasure is associated with daily satisfaction to the degree that one seeks for such an experience. In addition, we tested whether the association between physical pleasure and daily satisfaction would be moderated also by other facets of extraversion and extraversion as a whole. With the exception of the positive emotion facet in study 1, no facet or extraversion as a whole moderated the relation between physical pleasure and daily satisfaction. The present studies show speci®city and replicability of the role that sensation seeking plays in understanding the link between daily physical pleasure and daily satisfaction.
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daily variations may be understood in terms of the degree to which three basic needs, autonomy, competence, and related-ness, are satisfied in daily activity. Hierarchical linear models were used to examine this hypothesis across 2 weeks of daily activ-ity and well-being reports controlling for trait-level individual differences. Results strongly supported the hypothesis. The authors also examined the social activities that contribute to sat-isfaction of relatedness needs. The best predictors were meaning-ful talk and feeling understood and appreciated by interaction partners. Finally, the authors found systematic day-of-the-week variations in emotional well-being and need satisfaction. These results are discussed in terms of the importance of daily activities and the need to consider both trait and day-level determinants of well-being.
Chapter
Close interpersonal relationships are the setting in which people most frequently experience intense emotions, both the positive emotions, such as joy and love, and the negative emotions, such as anger and fear. No other context in which people customarily live their lives appears to be as fertile a breeding ground for emotional experience as close relationships are. Most emotion theorists recognize that emotions are most frequently and intensely experienced in the context of close relationships (see Ekman & Davidson, 1994). Lazarus, for example, states that "most emotions involve two people who are experiencing either a transient or stable interpersonal relationship of significance" (1994, p. 209). It is not surprising, therefore, that many of the questions people ask about close relationships concern the emotions they experience in them. When young adults are asked to list the things they wish to understand about close relationships, for example, emotional phenomena invariably figure high on their lists (Berscheid, 1998). They often ask: "Can you both love and hate your partner?"; "Is it abnormal to feel jealous?"; "How can one prevent anger at outside sources from carrying over into anger at a relationship partner?"; "How can I get my partner to feel more passion?"; "Does separation increase passion and love?"; "Can the butterflies in the stomach and other feelings of love reoccur throughout the relationship, 10 or 20 years later?"
Article
In two daily diary studies we examined the moderating role of sensation seeking in the patterns of relations between physical pleasure and life satisfaction. In study 1 (a 52-day daily diary study), daily physical pleasure was a significantly stronger predictor of daily social satisfaction among high sensation seekers than among low sensation seekers. We extended the finding of study 1 to more general daily satisfaction in study 2 (a 23-day diary study). The present findings indicate that physical pleasure is associated with daily satisfaction to the degree that one seeks for such an experience. In addition, we tested whether the association between physical pleasure and daily satisfaction would be moderated also by other facets of extraversion and extraversion as a whole. With the exception of the positive emotion facet in study 1, no facet or extraversion as a whole moderated the relation between physical pleasure and daily satisfaction. The present studies show specificity and replicability of the role that sensation seeking plays in understanding the link between daily physical pleasure and daily satisfaction. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Article
We investigated individual differences in the processes of subjective well-being (SWB). There were considerable individual differences in the domain that was most strongly associated with global life satisfaction. Individuals also differed significantly in the types of activities that they found satisfying. Moreover, these individual differences in the patterns of SWB were systematically related to value orientations. A 23-day daily diary study revealed that intraindividual changes in satisfaction were strongly influenced by the degree of success in the domains that individuals value. The present findings highlight the meaningful individual differences in the qualitative aspects of subjective well-being.
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Self-determination theory (SDT) maintains that an understanding of human motivation requires a consideration of innate psychological needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness. We discuss the SDT concept of needs as it relates to previous need theories, emphasizing that needs specify the necessary conditions for psychological growth, integrity, and well-being. This concept of needs leads to the hypotheses that different regulatory processes underlying goal pursuits are differentially associated with effective functioning and well-being and also that different goal contents have different relations to the quality of behavior and mental health, specifically because different regulatory processes and different goal contents are associated with differing degrees of need satisfaction. Social contexts and individual differences that support satisfaction of the basic needs facilitate natural growth processes including intrinsically motivated behavior and integration of extrinsic motivations, whereas those that forestall autonomy, competence, or relatedness are associated with poorer motivation, performance, and well-being. We also discuss the relation of the psychological needs to cultural values, evolutionary processes, and other contemporary motivation theories.