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Some Benefits of Being an Activist: Measuring Activism and Its Role in Psychological Well‐Being
Abstract
Do activists lead happier and more fulfilled lives than the average person? Two online surveys using a sample of college students (N = 341) and a national sample of activists matched with a control group (N = 718) demonstrated that several indicators of activism were positively associated with measures of hedonic, eudaimonic, and social well-being. Furthermore, in both studies, activists were more likely to be “flourishing” (Keyes, 2002) than were nonactivists. A third study of college students (N = 296) explored the possible causal role of activism by measuring well-being after subjects either engaged in a brief activist behavior, a brief nonactivist behavior, or no behavior. Although well-being did not differ substantially between these three groups, the subjects who did the brief activist behavior reported significantly higher levels of subjective vitality than did the subjects who engaged in the nonactivist behavior. Potential mediators of the relationship between activism and well-being and the usefulness of these findings are discussed.
... Several other authors have also studied how political violence and armed conflict affect mental health (Giacaman et al. 2007;Dimitry 2012;Moussa et al. 2015). Another path of literature shows how participation in political protests and other forms of political participation can increase social well-being (Klar and Kasser 2009;Welzel 2013) through the feeling of empowerment. ...
... On the contrary, there are also authors who show how protests and other forms of political participation can have a positive effect on subjective well-being (Frijters, Haisken-DeNew, and Shields 2004;Klar and Kasser 2009;Welzel 2013;Cheung 2022) which can help to explain the positive effect of peaceful protests on life satisfaction. One possible explanation is that the participation in protests can facilitate the feeling of empowerment and political emancipation which can increase life satisfaction (Welzel 2013;Cheung 2022). ...
... Previously discussed studies have shown how violent events such as war, conflict, 2020). There are also some studies focused on the topic of protests which have shown how protests and other forms of political participation can affect subjective well-being(Klar and Kasser 2009;Welzel 2013;Lau et al. 2017;Liu, Modrek, and Sieverding 2019;Cheung 2022). ...
This study examines the causal effect of the violent “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests in Iran during the last quarter of 2022 on individual life satisfaction. To evaluate the impact, we use two original representative surveys in Iran conducted in 2022. Our results, based on an ordered logit regression analysis for a sample of more than 2,000 individuals, show that the violent protest environment had a significant and negative effect on life satisfaction in Iran. To determine the exposure of the respondents to protests, we calculated the number of protests within a 25km radius of the respondents’ locations. The protest environment reduced the probability of life satisfaction by 3.7 percentage points. Moreover, we find significant heterogeneity among the respondents with respect to their life satisfaction before and after protests. The largest negative impact of the protests on life satisfaction is observed among women, members of working class, and those with primary and tertiary education. These results are robust to other determinants of individual life satisfaction, such as marital status, employment, perception of corruption, feeling of security, religiosity, and other sociodemographic factors.
... It typically does not result in physical harm or legal concerns. It has been associated with higher psychological well-being and flourishing among college students and predominantly white community-level activists (Klar & Kasser, 2009). ...
... Given the highrisk nature of this type of activism, these acts tend to correspond to increased experiences of physical, emotional, or legal harm for those involved. Specifically related to emotional harm, Klar and Kasser (2009) conducted a seminal study investigating the relationship between engagement in activism and psychological well-being. Their study revealed that individuals who reported engaging in activism had higher self-esteem, positive affect, and life satisfaction levels than those who did not engage in activism. ...
... However, Klar and Kasser (2009) noted that not all forms of activism have the same benefits. They distinguished between "high-risk" activism, which involves activities that may be dangerous or illegal, and "conventional" activism, which involves more legal and mainstream forms of political participation. ...
This study aimed to investigate the relationship between psychological well-being and PTSD symptoms in relation to activism orientations among African Americans. Additionally, the study explored the moderating roles of activist self-identity and length of activism involvement in these relationships. A national sample of 298 African American adults was examined, and the following findings were observed: African Americans with a greater inclination toward conventional activism reported higher levels of psychological well-being. Those who self-identified as activists displayed a nearly fourfold decrease in PTSD symptoms. Moreover, older African Americans showed decreased PTSD symptoms and increased psychological well-being compared to younger adults, while African American females reported higher levels of psychological well-being compared to males. Neither high-risk activist orientation nor activist self-identification significantly contributed to the prediction of PTSD symptoms or psychological well-being. Additionally, African American females and older adults with longer durations of involvement in activist organizations reported higher levels of psychological well-being. These findings emphasize the importance of considering age, sex, and duration of activist involvement as contributing factors in understanding variations in mental health. The clinical and community implications of these findings are further discussed.
... Overall, studies reported 97 positive, 19 negative, and 59 null relationships between civic engagement and mental health variables, defined broadly; many studies reported a combination of positive, negative or null findings dependent upon the type of civic activity examined or other mediators and moderators involved. Regarding methodologies employed, 26 articles reported on cross-sectional data, 17 on longitudinal data, and three reported a combination of cross-sectional and longitudinal findings (Chan, Ou, and Reynolds 2014;Klar and Kasser 2009) One study used a daily diary approach, examining both daily and average well-being scores (Wray-Lake et al. 2019a), and one used a weekly assessment approach across over 300 weeks (Doerksen et al. 2014). Two articles presented findings from semi-structured interviews (Johnstone, Swingler, and Reid 2018;Bloemraad and Terriquez 2016) and one reported findings from focus groups (Ortega-Williams et al. 2020). ...
... Two studies utilized a mixed methods approach analyzing cross-sectional data and interviews (Ziersch and Baum 2004;Elias, Sudhir, and Mehrotra 2016). Of the longitudinal studies, three employed experimental designs: one two-arm randomized controlled trial (Payne, Hawley, and Morey 2020) and two laboratory-based experimental manipulations (Klar and Kasser 2009;Ballard et al. 2021). Findings from these methodologically robust experimental studies demonstrated four positive, one slightly negative, and six null relationships between civic engagement and well-being. ...
... contacting an elected official) and 'high risk' activism (e.g. getting arrested for a cause) that may differentially impact mental health outcomes; in two separate studies evaluating college students and community individuals, conventional activism was related to well-being while high risk activism was not (Klar and Kasser 2009). Thus, it is plausible that certain forms of activism (e.g. ...
Researchers have examined civic engagement as a health promotion tool among older adults and adolescents, yet less is known about its mental health implications for young adults. This systematic review identified 53 articles on civic engagement and well-being in young adults. Five key themes emerged: (1) varying associations between type of civic engagement and well-being, (2) duration and frequency of civic behaviors, (3) directionality in the civic-to-well-being pathway, (4) mediation and moderation factors affecting the civic-to-well-being pathway, and (5) civic engagement as a tool for coping with adversity or systemic oppression. Civic engagement demonstrates a heterogeneous relationship to well-being; future research should focus on the explanatory pathways for positive, negative, and null correlations particularly among historically marginalized young adults.
... Activism can be defined as a form of work (e.g., Banks, 2020) and activist groups are comparable to teams in the work context but without receiving payment or having a formal contract. Activist groups, defined as groups of individuals engaging in continuous or recurring behavior of advocating for a political cause (Klar & Kasser, 2009), are one example of self-managed work groups. In addition to the original definition of Klar and Kasser (2009), the continuity or repetition of activist behavior is important for the labeling of behavior as activism in this study, as we expect long lasting behavior to result in more ambivalent consequences than occasional activism (Chen & Gorski, 2015). ...
... Activist groups, defined as groups of individuals engaging in continuous or recurring behavior of advocating for a political cause (Klar & Kasser, 2009), are one example of self-managed work groups. In addition to the original definition of Klar and Kasser (2009), the continuity or repetition of activist behavior is important for the labeling of behavior as activism in this study, as we expect long lasting behavior to result in more ambivalent consequences than occasional activism (Chen & Gorski, 2015). This further underlines its applicability to paid work as paid work is also a regular activity. ...
Research suggests that debate, that is, open discussion behavior in work groups, can affect group-level outcomes. Yet, little is known about how debate may affect group member well-being. Drawing from the literature on debate and open conflict norms, we hypothesize that debate and well-being are positively associated because differing views can be shared and discussed openly. Additionally, based on theories on status conflicts and diversity, we expect that this relationship is moderated by the divergence of status perceptions within the group. Specifically, we propose that the positive relationship between group-level debate and well-being is stronger when group members’ perceptions of the hierarchical social status distribution in their group diverge strongly (rather than little) because in this situation debate can help resolve differing status construals. Data for this study came from 163 members of 29 self-organized activist groups that pursued social and/or ecological goals. Group members reported the level of debate within their group, perceived status distribution, and their individual well-being. Results of multilevel modeling showed that debate and well-being were positively related and that divergence of status perceptions moderated this relationship. With our study, we expand research on debate by investigating its relationship with well-being. Our study adds to the literature on status dynamics by showing that not only the distribution of social status, but also the divergent perception of its distribution is an important feature of status dynamics. Finally, we advance the literature by applying constructs from work and organizational psychology to activist well-being.
... Like civic forms of engagement, activism has also demonstrated varied relationships to well-being. For example, one study examining activism behavior in college and community samples reported a positive association between activism and well-being, but only when individuals engaged in "conventional" forms like contacting congresspersons as opposed to "high risk" forms like getting arrested during a protest (Klar & Kasser, 2009). Other studies have reported null relationships between activism and depressive symptomology (Ballard et al., 2019;Ding et al., 2015), while one national US study of adolescents and adults found that activism predicted more high-risk behaviors like smoking and drinking (Ballard et al., 2019). ...
... These results corroborate literature documenting positive relationships between civic activity and well-being among college attendees (Albright et al., 2020;Balashov et al., 2018;Doerksen et al., 2014;Fenn et al., 2021), while contributing newfound information about electoral engagement and well-being specifically for NCYAs. As predicted, activism (e.g., protesting) was negatively associated with well-being, which is consistent with a growing body of literature documenting some of the drawbacks of activism (Ballard et al., 2020;Klar & Kasser, 2009;Oosterhoff et al., 2020). ...
Young adults may benefit from civic engagement as a health promotion tool, as civic engagement is generally associated with positive well-being. However, more information is needed to examine civic engagement among lesser-educated young adults who are least likely to civically engage, and more likely to demonstrate mental health needs. We surveyed noncollege young adults (N = 621) to measure their civic engagement, meaning, civic efficacy, well-being, and sociodemographic factors. Using an a priori model, direct, indirect, and full effects path analyses were conducted across men and women, and then the entire sample. The full effects model best fit the data with mediation by civic efficacy and meaning (χ2 (2) = 0.59, p = 0.74; comparative fit index = 1.0; root mean square error of approximation = 0.00, 90% confidence interval [0.00-0.06]; R2 = 0.42). Types of engagement (civic, electoral, activism, and online) demonstrated differing relationships with well-being. Stakeholders should resource young adults with civic skills and coping strategies to address the many challenges that civic experiences often elicit.
... We define non-profit brand activism from the donor's perspective, namely the extent to which donors perceive (1) a brand's identity to encompass activism and (2) a brand's commitment to activism (Corning and Myers 2002;Klar and Kasser 2009). Brand bravery is a differentiated and strategic aspect of brand identity that reflects a sense of being 'altruistic, bold, courageous, determined, enduring, fearless or gritty' (Jain et al. 2021(Jain et al. , p. 1222. ...
... Perceived non-profit brand activism was measured using an eight-item scale from the political psychology literature, which provides a good grounding for orientation towards engagement in social and political action (Corning and Myers 2002;Klar and Kasser 2009). Using this scale, brand activism was operationalised as a second-order construct with identity and commitment dimensions. ...
Empirical evidence concerning the effects of brand activism on brand equity is growing but remains mixed at best. Although non-profit brands increasingly implement activism initiatives, there are not yet any studies that look outside the commercial sector. Non-profit brands are well placed to step up and engage in political dialogue—social change is at their core. Yet, the risks of neglecting a warm charitable image are considerable in terms of alienating current supporters and losing donations. Our research contributes to this debate by employing signalling theory to examine the effects of non-profit brand activism on brand equity in the ‘third sector’. The mediating roles of brand bravery and brand hypocrisy in this central relationship are also explored. Survey data were obtained from 518 British respondents and analysed using structural equation modelling. Our results show evidence of partial serial mediation, where the direct negative effect of non-profit brand activism on brand equity is eliminated in the presence of brand bravery and brand hypocrisy. Interestingly, in studying the mediated-moderation links, we also find the strengthening effects of a donor’s moral foundations at play. Our study suggests that there are equity gains for non-profit brands that shed traditional ‘warmth’ positioning and embrace activism and bravery.
... El presente trabajo se aproxima al activismo de las migrantes trabajadoras del hogar en el sur de España. El activismo es un comportamiento liberador a través del cual se defienden causas políticas (Klar & Kasser, 2009) y se buscan cambios que erradiquen la opresión y construyan una sociedad más justa (Watts et al., 2003). Las personas emprenden este tipo de comportamiento cuando toman conciencia de la opresión y desarrollan sentido de agencia (Watts et al., 2011). ...
... Las participantes debían cumplir con los siguientes criterios de inclusión: (1) ser migrantes trabajadoras del hogar; (2) vivir en Andalucía; (3) ser o haber sido integrantes de la aths; y´, (4) autoidentificarse como activistas. Para evaluar el cumplimiento de estos criterios, las candidatas completaron un cuestionario sociodemográfico y una medida de identidad activista (Klar & Kasser, 2009). A las mujeres que cumplieron los criterios se les envió un resumen del proyecto y un consentimiento informado. ...
El trabajo del hogar es un nicho ocupacional opresivo para las mujeres migrantes. Las estrategias que emplean para resistir esta situación han sido poco estudiadas. Este trabajo se interesa por su activismo. Mediante un estudio cualitativo en el sur de España se explora el sentido de dicha acción sociopolítica para las mujeres migrantes. En la primavera de 2020 se entrevistó a once activistas de la Asociación de Trabajadoras y Trabajadores del Hogar de Sevilla. El material se sometió a análisis de contenido. Los significados asociados a su activismo fueron agrupados en cuatro categorías: (1) el horizonte de lucha, (2) las formas de lucha, (3) los niveles de implicación y (4) los retos. Los resultados se limitan a un caso históricamente reciente, y a una muestra pequeña elegida propositivamente; sin embargo, aportan a la comprensión de la agencia de las migrantes, y abre campos de reflexión para las organizaciones de trabajadoras del hogar.
... As the heuristic and thematic analyses highlighted, a criticism of sociopolitical activism in transpersonal and spiritual communities is that focusing on ecological problems and resistance strategies, rather than creating alternatives is emotionally "negative." However, research has shown a link between activism and positive affect, hopefulness, self-actualization, and psychological wellbeing (Klar & Kasser, 2009). Further, as Macy (1995, 2018 has emphasized, emotions of anger naturally energize responsive action. ...
... As noted, research has supported that activists experience higher levels of wellbeing and self-actualization (Klar & Kasser, 2009), but the direction of causation has not been made cleardoes wellbeing lead to engaging in activism or does engaging in activism foster wellbeing? Findings from this study suggested a mutually stimulating relationship, for example, applying strategies for meeting the challenges of enduring ecological engagment also supported psychospiritual growth. ...
Embodied spiritual inquiry (ESI) is a radical approach to integral and transpersonal education and research offered as a graduate course at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS). Inspired by elements of participatory research and cooperative inquiry, ESI applies interactive embodied meditations to access multiple ways of knowing (e.g., somatic, vital, emotional, mental, contemplative) and mindfully inquire into collaboratively decided questions. This article presents the learning outcomes of an inquiry into the nature of human boundaries within and between co-inquirers, providing an example of how ESI is implemented in the classroom and can be used to study transpersonal subject matter. In particular, the study found that boundaries were experienced in terms of their dynamic effects rather than as static qualities, with a relationship between dissociation and overly firm boundaries, as well as a relationship between integration/merging and more varied combinations of firm and permeable boundaries. Other notable inquiry outcomes include the identification of (a) experiential qualities of the states of dissociation, merging, and integration; (b) a recursive relationship between fear and trust in the modulation of optimal interpersonal boundaries; and (c) the phenomenon of shared emergent experience between practitioners, which suggests the existence of an intersubjective transpersonal field.
... Prior research has demonstrated the rewarding, sensible, and meaningful aspects of participating in advocacy more generally, such as lower depression symptoms, better sleep quality, and more social connection (Dwyer et al., 2019;Klar & Kasser, 2009). However, most studies focus on the outcomes of participating in collective activism or participating in a cause that benefits their in-group (Dwyer et al., 2019;Klar & Kasser, 2009). ...
... Prior research has demonstrated the rewarding, sensible, and meaningful aspects of participating in advocacy more generally, such as lower depression symptoms, better sleep quality, and more social connection (Dwyer et al., 2019;Klar & Kasser, 2009). However, most studies focus on the outcomes of participating in collective activism or participating in a cause that benefits their in-group (Dwyer et al., 2019;Klar & Kasser, 2009). Some research has shown that participating in actions that support the well-being of others facilitates personal well-being by connecting people to a greater purpose (Knowles et al., 2014;Radke et al., 2020). ...
Extant literature suggests that racism is associated with difficult emotional reactions and feelings of social disconnect among White individuals. These feelings of social disconnect may be particularly salient in today's digital era in which racism against racial minority individuals is conveniently and frequently witnessed via online platforms. Thus, we examined whether witnessing racism online may be associated with feelings of loneliness among White emerging adults. We also tested whether anti‐racism advocacy buffered loneliness given its potential for relationship building and community organizing to promote racial justice and equity. Using data from 227 White emerging adults (Mage = 20.86, SD = 4.82), we conducted a latent moderated structural equation modeling to test individual and institutional anti‐racism advocacy as moderators in the link between witnessing racism online (racial victimization of racial minority individuals in online interactions and online content on cultural devaluation/systemic racism against racial minority individuals) and loneliness. Greater exposure to online content on systemic racism and cultural devaluation of racial minority groups significantly predicted greater loneliness. Engagement in individual anti‐racism advocacy (mean to high levels) buffered this link. White allies must engage in anti‐racism practice to address racism in our society, and our findings advance our understanding of the associated psychosocial costs. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
... Environmental sustainability activism can be instrumental to leading a life consistent with one's ideals, an important component of personal well-being. Using a group of college students and a national sample of activists, Klar and Kasser (2009) demonstrate that activism is related to experiences of intrinsic motivation and satisfaction. This is in line with the basic tenets of self-determination theory (Ryan and Deci 2000), which holds that being proactive and engaged leads to psychological and physical wellbeing. ...
... Our findings are also in accord with studies conducted in psychology that show that, in general, activists exhibit greater hedonic, eudemonic, and social well-being (e.g., Klar and Kasser 2009). Interestingly, the critical insight we glean from our empirical results is that that there is an indirect link of environmental sustainability beliefs through environmental sustainability activism. ...
Environmental sustainability research suffers from a paucity of comprehensive, cross-cultural investigations and lacks insight into the interplay of human values and environmental beliefs and behaviors. In addition, despite the importance of understanding why consumers engage in active attempts to protect the environment, studies looking at the role of environmental sustainability activism remain scarce, poorly integrated, and ill-defined. Against this backdrop, this research captures the links of specific human values with environmental sustainability beliefs and their subsequent relationships with individuals’ environmental sustainability activism and quality of life. Using data from the United States and China, the authors show that religiosity and interdependence are consistently related to environmental sustainability beliefs while, contrary to previous studies, materialism has no significant relationship. In addition, generativity is positively linked with environmental sustainability beliefs only in the U.S. sample, while family values are significant only in the China sample. The results show that environmental sustainability beliefs influence environmental sustainability activities, which in turn are linked with individual perceptions of superior quality of life. The study discusses several implications for practice and identifies fruitful future research directions.
... threat to mental well-being. Previous research on activism found that participation in non-violent collective actions results in empowerment and positive emotions about oneself (e.g., Becker et al., 2011;Klar and Kasser, 2009) and provides individuals with a sense of belonging and identity (Haslam et al., 2009). It has also been shown that ingroup-oriented actions help in dealing with very stressful events and situations via connection to the group and its agentic power (see, e.g., Jetten et al., 2012). ...
... Perpindahan orientasi ini juga terjadi karena individu mendapatkan suatu keberhargaan diri dan kebahagiaan dari pengalaman-pengalaman positif ketika melakukan aktivisme (Jasko dkk., 2019;Smith & Mills, 2008). Aktivisme juga terbukti berdampak positif dalam diri individu seperti mengalami kepuasan hidup, perasaan berdaya secara sosial dan well-being yang meningkat (Klar & Kasser, 2009) . Penelitian Dugas dkk (2016) menyatakan bahwa significance quest mengarah pada perilaku ekstrim seperti kekerasan dan terorisme karena individu yang kehilangan kebermaknaan diri bersedia untuk mengorbankan dirinya untuk merasa berarit. ...
Aksi kolektif seperti demonstrasi dan protes adalah bagian dari proses demokrasi untuk menyampaikan aspirasi untuk mengubah keadaan yang lebih berkeadilan. Terdapat berbagai kerangka teoretis yang menjelaskan demonstrasi dan protes yang merupakan bagian dari aksi kolektif. Namun demikian, masih jarang yang membahas bagaimana aktivis yang terlibat dalam aksi tersebut memiliki motivasi berupa kebermaknaan dan keberhargaan. Teori quest for significance dapat menjelaskan proses kebermaknaan yang dialami aktivis melalui proses identifikasinya dengan kelompok. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk membuktikan proses kebermaknaan membuat seseorang memiliki keinginan untuk melibatkan dirinya dalam suatu aksi kolektif peduli lingkungan (normatif maupun non normatif), via identifikasi kelompok. Penelitian dilakukan secara survey pada WNI berusia 18 tahun keatas, didapatkan sebanyak 308 partisipan, 71.75% perempuan dan 28.25% laki-lak). Peneliti melakukan analisis pengaruh kebermaknaan pada identifikasi kelompok menunjukkan hasil yang signifikan yaitu b= 0.278, p<0.05. Namun pengaruh langsung kebermaknaan pada aksi kolektif tidak signifikan (b= 0.074, p= 0.315; b2=0.093, p= 0.121.),. Lalu analisis mediasi membuktikan bahwa kebermaknaan via identifikasi kelompok pada aksi kolektif baik aksi damai maupun aksi radikal menunjukkan hasil yang signifikan (m1 = 0.112, p < 0,05 ; m2 = 0,073, p < 0,05) sehingga hasil analisis menunjukkan model full mediation. Penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa terdapat proses kebermaknaan dalam identifikasi kelompok dan juga perluasan teori quest for significance yang bisa digunakan dalam konteks aksi damai.
... Following sexual harassment, women who ruminated about that personal experience from a group perspective (e.g., thought about the similar experiences of other women) were more likely than women who ruminated from a self perspective to identity with feminism, believe in systemic causes of sexual harassment, and engage in actions supporting women's causes. Positive associations between group-focused rumination and these group supportive actions is particularly notable in that collective action benefits its participants not only through the promotion of collective benefits (e.g., reducing sexual harassment), but also through benefits to individual well-being (Foster 2014(Foster , 2015(Foster , 2019Klar & Kasser, 2009;Vestergren et al., 2017). ...
The emergence of social media consciousness-raising campaigns, such as #MeToo and #TimesUp that encourage individuals to share their experiences of harassment and hold perpetrators accountable, might, in part, serve to promote a group-focused way of thinking about unwelcomed events that may be adaptive. In the current research, we propose a distinction between two forms of rumination, personal rumination on how that experience personally affected oneself, and group-focused rumination on how the experience is shared by many other members of one’s group, and how it impacts them. We apply this distinction to the sexual harassment of women and test the hypothesis that these two forms of post-event rumination predict markedly different psychological consequences. Consistent with a proposed dual rumination model of sexual harassment, we found that personal rumination uniquely mediated an association between sexual harassment and depression through increased brooding about oneself, in an undergraduate (N = 306) and community (N = 203) sample of women. In contrast, group rumination uniquely mediated an association between sexual harassment and gender critical consciousness (systemic injustice awareness and collective action engagement). This pattern suggests that ruminations prompted by a sexual harassment experience are not invariably maladaptive. Repetitive thoughts targeting group-focused construals of a personal, social injustice experience may be both politically adaptive and psychologically beneficial.
... Studies should also examine how intersections of racism, sexism, nativism, and other systems of oppression affect vulnerability to discrimination and engagement in collective action. Additionally, as activism is associated with positive psychological changes and other indicators of posttraumatic growth in oppressed groups (Cronin et al., 2012;Klar & Kasser, 2009;Strauss Swanson & Szymanski, 2021), studies are needed to confirm the longitudinal effects of collective action on Asian Americans' well-being. ...
Objectives:
In response to increased anti-Asian discrimination and violence during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study examined pathways from discrimination experiences to own-group collective action in a diverse sample of 689 Asian Americans.
Method:
Informed by theories of ethnoracial identity, critical consciousness, and collective action and utilizing structural equation modeling, we examined the associations among discrimination, psychological distress, critical awareness and motivation (CAM) to resist racism, and two types of own-group collective action: political activism and benevolent support. Multigroup invariance tests also examined whether these associations differed by ethnic subgroup, immigrant generation, and age.
Results:
Results supported our integrated model in which distress mediated the relationship between discrimination and CAM, and CAM mediated the relationship between discrimination and collective action. The structural pathways from discrimination to own-group collective action generally did not differ by ethnic subgroup and immigrant generation, although path coefficients for the effect of discrimination on distress did vary by age (p < .01). Further, discrimination did not appear to have the same catalyzing effect on CAM for South and Southeast Asians compared to East Asians.
Conclusions:
While anti-Asian discrimination was associated with both distress and engagement in collective action during the COVID-19 pandemic, group differences in mediational processes highlight the importance of disaggregating analyses to explore both similarities and differences in Asian Americans' responses to discrimination. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
... That participation in collective action could be related to positive emotions is consistent with studies about the outcomes of participation (Boehnke & Wong, 2011;Drury & Reicher, 2000;Vestergren et al., 2018). But with few exceptions (e.g., Klar & Kasser, 2009), most of past research addresses participation in normative actions, so the novelty, in this case, is that the positive emotional climate has occurred in a context where violent non-normative actions were being carried out in response to repression. The experience of strong camaraderie invoked by outsiders' attack has been explored in studies of combat soldiers' identity fusion (Whitehouse et al., 2014) and is consistent with a social identity approach that sees illegitimate, unstable intergroup relations as an antecedent of identification (e.g., Wright et al., 1990). ...
This work addresses collective action in the context of a social movement facing police repression in a democratic country. The movement studied was carried out in a region of southern Chile, had a very high citizen participation and deployed normative and non-normative actions. We aim to understand why people decided to participate and how they came to consider violent action as a legitimate option. We use a mixed methods approach. In a quantitative study we compare participation in normative and non-normative actions, and find they factor together as part of the same action repertoire, making it possible to speak of a continuum of participation instead of different types. We also replicate key findings of the SIMCA model, with protest participation motivated directly by anger and efficacy, but also by positive emotions. In a qualitative study we found similar results and draw out new data highlighting the relevance of the experience of repression in invoking a need for radical action and creating social cohesion among protestors.
... The third and final goal of this study was to investigate whether BLM activism could provide psychological benefits in the form of life satisfaction over time. Studies suggest that activism can be considered a collective, meaningful activity associated with well-being, and it may offer stress-buffering effects regardless of gender (Klar & Kasser, 2009). Therefore, we set out to test this proposition using the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS). ...
A longitudinal study involving 455 Black young adults living in Canada investigated whether gender and autonomous motivation influenced the relationship between perceived racism threat and Black Lives Matter (BLM) activism, and whether BLM activism influenced life satisfaction over time. A moderated mediation analysis using PROCESS Macro Model 58 tested the indirect effect of autonomous motivation on the relationship between perceived racism threat and BLM activism varying by gender. Multiple linear regression assessed how well BLM activism predicted life satisfaction. Black women perceived greater racism threat than Black men related to increases in BLM activism via the influence of autonomous motivation. BLM activism had a positive influence on life satisfaction over time, regardless of gender. This research suggests Black young women are playing pivotal roles in the BLM movement and helps us understand how motivation may be influencing involvement and well-being in social justice issues.
... Badania z zakresu psychologii społecznej wskazują natomiast, że aktywizm, czyli postawa reprezentowana przez jednostki dążące do wywołania okreś lonych zmian społecznych, politycznych, ekonomicznych i ekologicznych, może sprzyjać osiąganiu dobrostanu również na poziomie indywidualnym. Aktywiści w porównaniu z nieaktywistami mają wyższą samoocenę, satysfakcję z życia, odczuwają więcej pozytywnych emocji, mają silniejsze poczucie rozwoju osobistego i sensu życia ( Klar, Kasser 2009;Wilson 2000). To, czy ktoś wykazuje postawę aktywistyczną, w dużej mierze uwarunkowane jest rodzajem motywacji, jaka dominuje przy podejmowaniu decyzji o podjęciu lub zaniechaniu pewnych działań. ...
... Recommendation six: connect youth in care to civic-oriented organizations Civic involvement can promote community building and recovery (Jordan et al., 2022b) as well as meaning in life (Klar and Kasser, 2009). Hence, clinicians or community health workers can consider linking youth with civics-oriented organizations, such as Apathy is Boring (https://www.apathyisboring.com/). ...
Purpose – Varying stakeholders have highlighted how recovery-oriented mental health services such as youth mental health services have traditionally focused on supporting individual resources to promote recovery (e.g., agency) to the exclusion of addressing structural issues that influence recovery (e.g.
poverty). One response to this criticism has been work helping people with mental health problems recover a sense of citizenship and sense of belonging in their communities. Work on citizenship has yet to influence youth mental healthcare in Canada’s provinces and territories. This paper aims to highlight
ways that youth mental healthcare can better help youth recover a sense of citizenship.
Design/methodology/approach – The arguments described in this paper were established through discussion and consensus among authors based on clinical experience in youth mental health and an understanding of Canada’s healthcare policy landscape, including current best practices as well as guidelines for recovery-oriented care by the Mental Health Commission of Canada.
Findings – Here, this study proposes several recommendations that can help young with mental health problems recover their sense of citizenship at the social, systems and service levels. These include addressing the social determinants of health; developing a citizenship-based system of care; addressing
identity-related disparities; employing youth community health workers within services; adapting and delivering citizenship-based interventions; and connecting youth in care to civic-oriented organizations.
Originality/value – This paper provides the first discussion of how the concept of citizenship can be applied to youth mental health in Canada in multiple ways. The authors hope that this work provides momentum for adopting policies and practices that can help youth in Canada recover a sense of citizenship following a mental health crisis.
... In two large and long-term longitudinal samples, Wuttke (2020) found that children growing up in a more need-supportive family context reported greater interest in politics when they were adults, with parental involvement playing a particularly strong role. Possibly testifying to the reciprocal associations between need satisfaction and activism, Klar and Kasser (2009) ...
Self-Determination Theory (SDT) is a broad theory of psychological growth and wellness that has revolutionized how we think about human motivation and the driving forces behind personality development. SDT focuses on people’s basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness and how social environments that support these needs foster more volition, vitality, and full functioning. SDT has supplied the basis for new and more effective practices in parenting, education, business, sport, healthcare, and other areas of life, fostering higher-quality motivation, engagement, and satisfaction. Drawing on over four decades of evidence-based research and application, The Oxford Handbook of Self-Determination Theory delivers a truly integrative volume by the top researchers and experts within the field of SDT. Edited by SDT co-founder Richard M. Ryan, this Handbook not only provides the theory’s historical and scientific underpinnings but also draws together the latest research and insights, covering topics from the social and biological underpinnings of motivation and wellness to practical applications in all aspects of life. This volume will be an invaluable resource for both researchers and practitioners, as well as any student of human nature, with practical research and guidance.
... May enhance purpose in life because others need one's help ("mattering") + sharing a goal with others May enhance purpose in life because one perceives a need for social or policy change and sees ways to achieve it + sharing a goal with others (however, failed attempts may backfire) Engagement (flow) May fulfil the criteria for flow (right challenge + right skill), because volunteers are usually matched to tasks or can choose the tasks that provide optimal challenge Although task matching and choosing tasks may apply here as well, attempts to change policy may overwhelm one's ability Eudaimonic well-being. Several studies used aggregate measures of psychological or eudaimonic well-being, which encompassed mastery or sense of control, sense of purpose in life, self-actualization, and related constructs, and found positive longitudinal effects of volunteering thereupon [16,31] as well as positive associations with conventional political activism [32]. However, specific findings on mastery and purpose in life are mixed and mostly limited to nonpolitical volunteering in older adults [6,7,9,[33][34][35]. ...
Voluntary participation is thought to promote the well-being of engaged individuals, especially in old age, but prior evidence on this link is mixed. In the present studies, we used the cross-sectional data from Round 6 (2012) of the European Social Survey (ESS) to investigate the variation in the associations between voluntary participation and eudaimonic (e.g., sense of direction) and social (e.g., perceived social support) well-being across types of participation (nonpolitical volunteering vs. political participation), age groups, and European countries. Study 1 addressed individual-level associations and age differences therein (preregistered at https://osf.io/2p9sz and https://osf.io/6twqe). Two-level multiple regression with an extensive set of control variables showed that at the within-country level, the associations between voluntary participation and well-being indicators were small on average. Nonpolitical volunteering had significantly more positive effects than did political participation, whereas few significant age differences emerged. Study 2 focused on the country-level variables that might explain the substantial cross-national variation in the main effects of voluntary participation (preregistered at https://osf.io/mq3dx). Only GDP per capita was a significant moderator at the country level: The associations of nonpolitical volunteering with eudaimonic well-being were more positive in the European countries with lower GDP. Other country-level variables (Gini coefficient, social welfare spending, and democracy indices) yielded no consistent moderation effects. Study 3 considered potential country-level explanations for the substantial cross-national variation in whether younger or older adults appeared to benefit more (preregistered at https://osf.io/7ks45). None of the country-level variables considered (effective retirement age in men, life expectancy at 65, average age of members of the national parliament and cabinet, and youth unemployment rate) could account for this variation. We conclude that, given the large cross-national variation in the effects of voluntary participation on well-being and in age differences therein, more attention to national specifics is warranted.
... Extensive research suggests that many positive psychological outcomes are associated with volunteering. Cross-sectional research indicates that engagement in volunteering is correlated with increased happiness (Morrow-Howell et al., 2003;Thoits & Hewitt, 2001), increased self-esteem (Thoits & Hewitt, 2001), increased subjective wellbeing (Klar & Kasser, 2009), and reduced experiences of depressive symptoms (Kim & Pai, 2010;Thoits & Hewitt, 2001). A recent Australian survey conducted by Volunteering Australia (2015) of over 3000 volunteers identified that 87% of respondents reported they had improved personal traits (e.g., confidence, patience), 87% of respondents reported they formed new interpersonal relationships, and 77% reported they developed professional skills as a result of volunteering. ...
Objective
Inspired by the important role volunteers play in Australian society, the current study examined the relationship between different motivations for volunteering and different outcomes experienced by animal welfare volunteers.
Method
An anonymous, self-report questionnaire was completed online by 278 volunteers (84.53% female; Mage = 45.19 years, SD = 18.13) of a large state-wide animal welfare organisation. A latent profile analysis was conducted with data collected using the Volunteer Functions Inventory (VFI), and interpreted alongside a thematic analysis of qualitative responses.
Results
Three groups of participants were identified, characterised by different prominent motivations to volunteer: personal values (values-driven group); personal values and personal growth (personal-gain group); and personal values, personal growth, and career-related factors (experience-oriented group). Values-driven volunteers experienced both pleasure and stress from the enactment of values-driven behaviour, and experienced increased opportunity for socialisation. Personal-gain volunteers experienced increased opportunity for socialisation and increased sense of purpose. Experience-oriented volunteers derived pleasure from enacting personal values, and increased opportunity to gain experience in animal-care.
Conclusions
Motivations for volunteering are complex and multifaceted. The current findings highlight how motivationally congruent volunteering behaviours can be associated with a range of positive outcomes for volunteers.
... Advocacy and activism can be an important part of healing, as it "promotes solidarity as an antidote against helplessness" (Comas-Diaz, 2007, p. 112). Research suggests that activism is correlated with increased well-being (Klar & Kasser, 2009), and many studies have documented the benefits of activism and solidarity among AA children, including increased feelings of empowerment and decreased internalized racism (e.g., Ngo, 2017;Nguyen & Quinn, 2018). From an intersectional perspective, COVID-19 has also revealed pervasive ageism and ableism with the lives of older adults and people with disabilities presented as more "disposable" than others (Kukla, 2020) and the widespread inequities across social class in access to technology, health care, and the ability to practice social distance. ...
... Research on the linkages between community participation and wellbeing among the general population has been carried out worldwide, finding a positive relationship between these two variables (e.g., Klar & Kasser, 2009;Lawton et al., 2021;Mellor et al., 2009). In the case of the immigrant population, research on community participation has been related to integration rather than subjective wellbeing. ...
Community participation can be a potential strategy to increase the degree of the subjective wellbeing of immigrants within receiving societies. This study aims to analyze the relationship between immigrants' community participation and their subjective wellbeing, testing the two dimensions of sense of mattering (feeling valued and adding value) and psychological sense of community as potential mediators of this relationship. A total of 308 first-generation immigrants living in Northern Italy filled out a questionnaire (45.1% were members of a migrant community-based organization). We found that immigrants who are members of a migrant organization show a higher level of subjective wellbeing, sense of mattering, and psychological sense of community than those who are not members. We also found that the sense of adding value and the psychological sense of community serve as mediators of the relationship between community participation and subjective wellbeing. The findings suggest that active participation is positively related to immigrants' feeling useful and capable of contributing to society and their feeling of belonging, which, in turn, are positively related to their subjective wellbeing. Practical implications are presented, focusing on the need for generative social policies to move beyond the welfarist perspective in which immigrants only "receive" to embrace an active perspective in which immigrants can also "give."
... Engagement in activism has been found to have both positive and negative impacts on individuals' wellbeing. On the positive aspects, research has found that engagement in activism increases activists' wellbeing and mental health through sense of purpose, supportive networks/community/friendships, healthy habits, and resilience (Cox, 2014;Klar & Kasser, 2009;Sohr, 2001). More specifically to research about activism within the Black community, Mattis and colleagues (2004) found that group-level activism serves as a source coping with racism as it provides an opportunity to find support and validation about one's experiences with racism, provides an opportunity to find resources, and it counters internalized oppression. ...
Research has documented the negative mental health outcomes that anti-Black racism and cissexism, respectively, have had on Black and trans and gender-diverse (TGD) people during the COVID-19 pan- demic. This research, however, has yet to explore the intersectional experiences of Black TGD young adults. Additionally, research has found that activists are often exposed to violence and discrimination. In this study, we aimed to understand how the intersection of anti-Black racism and cissexism has impacted young Black TGD activists’ well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. A community sample of 15 Black TGD young adults participated in semistructured interviews. Thematic analysis revealed five themes and 14 subthemes, including (a) witnessing and experiencing violence (everyday violence, political violence, police violence, and medical violence, (b) motivating and sparking activism, (c) emotional impact (fear and anxiety, symp- toms of depression, anger and frustration, and overwhelmed and shocked), (d) coping with violence and COVID-19 pandemic (activism, community connections and support, setting boundaries, self-reflection, positivity and hope, and activities and hobbies), and (e) safety precautions. We provide implications for prac- titioners working with young Black TGD activists such as engaging in civil disobedience within the bounds of their ethical duties.
... Z tego powodu są też postrzegane jako podmioty działające na podstawie "moralnego punktu widzenia" -nie w interesie swoich członków, ale z myślą o większych zbiorowościach (Salter 2003). W tak zarysowanych ramach ruchu społecznego znajduje się też miejsce dla pojęcia aktywizmu -zachowania politycznego motywowanego pragnieniem doskonalenia stosunków społecznych (Klar, Kasser 2009), zorientowanego na zbiorowe cele i odznaczającego się wysokim poziomem zaangażowania w ich osiągnięcie (Oliver, Marwell 1992), a wyrażającego się w różnorodnych (pod względem poziomu ryzyka, stopnia aktywności i konwencjonalności) formach działania (Corning, Myers 2002). ...
Artykuł przedstawia wyniki badania dotyczącego jednej z dwóch istniejących obecnie w Polsce organizacji rodzicielskich działających na rzecz osób o nienormatywnych tożsamościach seksualnych/płciowych: My Rodzice – stowarzyszenie matek, ojców i sojuszników osób LGBTQIA. Jej działalność ukazana jest na tle zjawisk identyfikowanych współcześnie jako aktywizm rodzicielski. Badanie przeprowadzono w metodologii jakościowej, a metodą badawczą było studium przypadku o profilu etnograficznym, w ramach którego prowadzono m.in. obserwację uczestniczącą, wywiady indywidualne, analizę treści medialnych, analizę wybranych dokumentów, autoetnografię. W tekście omówiono wybrany aspekt tożsamości zbiorowej członkiń i członków organizacji, jakim jest rodzicielstwo normalizacyjne, przy czym normalizacja jest ujmowana przez pryzmat kategorii piętna społecznego Ervinga Goffmana. Rodzice-aktywiści podejmują różnego rodzaju praktyki neutralizujące („zacierające”, „rozpuszczające”, „osłabiające”) piętno dotyczące nienormatywnych tożsamości seksualnych i płciowych ich dzieci, korzystając z istniejących wzorów rodzicielstwa i rodziny.
... Activity Commitment. We measured volunteer commitment to the food bank using three items (e.g., 'I am truly committed to volunteering'), taken from a scale by Klar and Kasser (2009;α = 0.91). This scale was not administered regarding the leisure activity. ...
We assessed the motivations, commitment, and subjective well‐being (SWB) of 441 food bank volunteers, using motivation scales derived from self‐determination theory and functional motives theory. Replicating the findings of Sheldon, Wineland, Venhoeven, and Osin's (2016) study of environmental activists, all motivation scales could be located on the autonomous or controlled motivation factors specified by self‐determination theory (SDT). In addition, SDT's intrinsic motivation construct was the best predictor of volunteer commitment and SWB. As a novel angle, we compared food bank volunteerism to a second free time activity, that was focused on the self rather than helping others. Participants reported less self‐determined motivation and lower SWB in the food bank activity, suggesting that volunteerism may impose costs, compared to self‐focused activities. We interpret the latter results via the Eudaimonic Activity Model (Martela & Sheldon, 2019), concluding that activities that sound eudaimonic, based on their virtuous aims, are not necessarily so, based on their underlying motivations.
... Generally, empirical research has indicated that activism is associated with positive psychological outcomes, including greater positive affect and personal growth (Klar & Kasser, 2009). Feminist collective action in particular has been linked to life satisfaction and well-being (Conlin et al., 2020), adaptive coping (Foster, 2000), and higher selfesteem (Leavy & Adams, 1986). ...
In the current study, we investigated potential direct and indirect effects of exposure to sexual violence on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity and depression, and anti-sexual activism and feminist identification as moderators of these effects, among a sample of 440 United States women who had experienced sexual assault in adulthood. We found that sexual violence exposure was both directly and indirectly related to PTSD symptom severity via less trauma coping self-efficacy, greater behavioral and characterological self-blame, and more shame. Sexual violence exposure was also indirectly related to depression via the same explanatory variables, except for behavioral self-blame. Contrary to our hypotheses, results indicated that involvement in anti-sexual activism and feminist identification did not buffer the direct and indirect links between exposure to sexual violence and PTSD symptom severity and depression. However, we found that involvement in anti-sexual assault activism was associated with greater coping self-efficacy and higher depression, and feminist identification was associated with less self-blame and shame. Results from this study may inform clinical interventions for survivors of sexual violence and improve overall care for this population.
... First, CPC membership often leads to a higher sense of political efficacy [3], which makes urban residents more likely to participate in politics and realize their political rights. People contribute their resources and potential to the political process and obtain psychological satisfaction through participation activities [74]. To be specific, on the one hand, CPC members in the urban area contribute in the process of political participation by promoting decision implementation to convince others to their own ability; On the other hand, when individuals choose to engage in certain behaviors by expressing their political values, such behaviors can give them a sense of autonomy that contributes to their overall subjective happiness [75]. ...
Studies have shown that political participation does not only affect the flow of public resources but also creates positive feedback on participants’ subjective perceptions. However, research on the relationship between political participation and the life satisfaction of Chinese urban residents is relatively scarce. Thus, this study investigates whether political participation helps improve the life satisfaction of Chinese urban residents. Based on 2577 samples of the 2015 Chinese Social Survey this study used the Ordinary least squares model, instrumental variable model, and propensity score matching model to explore the relationship between political participation and the life satisfaction of Chinese urban residents. The empirical results show that political participation can significantly improve the life satisfaction of urban residents. Compared with urban residents without political participation, the life satisfaction of the political participants was 0.145 units higher at a 0.05 level of significance. In addition, this improved effect varied in degree among different groups of urban residents and was more significant for females, members of the Communist Party of China, highly educated, and employed urban residents. In China, there is a significant relationship between political participation and the life satisfaction of urban residents, with the life satisfaction of urban residents improving significantly through political participation. There are differences in the level of this improved effect among different urban residents, and it is more significant for females, highly educated, members of the Communist Party, and employed urban residents. To improve the life satisfaction of Chinese urban residents, it is necessary to further broaden their political participation channels.
... In a democratic society, the vote gives a chance to people to select a suitable candidate for the country's development. The act of voting gives benefits to the voter because people who cast votes have better health and happiness as compared to people who do not cast vote (Klar & Kasser, 2009) and they can choose their preferred candidate (Azeez et al., 2014). Similarly, people who have a sense of civic responsibility are more likely to cast votes (Jones & Hudson, 2000). ...
Globally, the engagement of citizens in civic responsibility and politics is considered critical for the nurturance of democratic culture. In this context, this study was conducted to understand the citizens’ attitude toward civic responsibility and the decision to vote along with factors considered influential in determining this attitude. It was a mixed-method study. For a quantitative study, a survey was conducted by collecting data from 300 respondents: 150 from the rural background and 150 from the urban background. Quantitative results revealed that educated respondents belonging to the urban area and falling in the category of high monthly income are more likely to cast vote because according to them their vote can bring change, the vote is their responsibility and vote brings a real representative, whereas uneducated people belonging to the rural falling in the category of the low monthly income group are found more motivated for voting without casting vote. Additionally, the political identity of the candidate tends to influence the voting behavior of adults and it was also seen that age is an important demographic factor in determining the voting trend. Civic responsibility was found positively correlated with a) Reasoning which implies that voting is a responsibility and duty, b) Personal identity of the candidate, and c) Integrity which is the political experience of the candidate. Qualitative analysis of respondents living in urban and rural areas found that vote is a responsibility, people cast votes for the development of the country, and women's empowerment or equal right. However, respondents of both groups, rural and urban found to have a negative perception of politics and barriers to women’s voting. These findings can be used as an important source of information for policymakers to design special policies and initiatives to promote civic responsibility and the right of casting votes for the citizens.
... Combined the scale includes 8 items that asks students to self-report their level of agreement on a seven-point scale to statements including: Being an activist is central to who I am; I am truly commitment to engage in activism; I identify myself as an activist. The scale has excellent reliability (α=.99; Klar and Kasser, 2009) STEM Career Affinity: In order to assess students' affinity toward STEM careers, we asked "In general, would you like to have a job related to:" and then invite separate responses to the following: science, math, engineering, how to design technology, how to program computers, medical care for people, medical care for animals. Response options include YES!, yes, no, NO!. ...
... -Activism Identity and Commitment Survey: Students completed an attitudinal survey before the start of the program and at the end of the program. The survey included the Activist Identity and Commitment Scale (AICS) (Klar and Kasser, 2009), which assesses the extent to which an individual identifies and is motivated to being an activist. This scale consists of two sub-scales: Activist Identity and Activist Commitment. ...
... Specifically, life satisfaction has declined and risen respectively with conflict and protest participation (Klar and Kasser 2009;Moller 2005). Life dissatisfaction may alternatively induce and thus predict protest participation (Klandermans and van Stekelenburg 2013). However, life satisfaction has shown either null or negative effects on protest participation (Flavin and Keane 2011;Welzel 2013). ...
While both life satisfaction and participation in protest occupying public or private places are crucial, their relationships are uncharted and uncertain. Nevertheless, conflict theory suggests that conflict over sociopolitical class interests triggered by protest participation is dissatisfying (Freelon et al. 2018; E. Liu 2010). In examining this possibility, this study conducted a random-sample telephone survey of 1,075 Chinese adult residents. The survey measured every adult’s participation in occupying protests in various places in the past month and satisfaction with life in the recent week. The study estimated effects with and without control for the endogeneity between occupying protest participation and life satisfaction. Results revealed that the participation attenuated life satisfaction but not vice versa. Moreover, the attenuation was greater when the adult was married or had more adults in the household, higher income, or education. These results imply sustaining life satisfaction with the prevention of occupying protest participation and particularly its conflict within and without the household.
... Finally, the third hypothesis is not fulfilled, given the mediating effect of satisfaction with life relates poorly with radicalization in both genders. Despite the lack of studies that relate these two variables, some empirical works have proved that activism leads to personal benefits, since it provides psychological and social well-being (Klar and Kasser 2009). ...
The present study analyzes the effect of perceived discrimination on satisfaction with life and radicalization in adolescents. We hypothesize that perceived discrimination relates positively to the radicalization of adolescents, while satisfaction with life plays a mediating role in the negative effects of discrimination. We also suggest that gender has a modulating effect, since there are vast differences in the effects of perceived discrimination in girls and boys. Eighty-seven girls and 126 boys from a Spanish secondary school participated in the study, aged 15 to 25. Results show that perceived discrimination relates positively to radicalization in boys but not in girls. Conversely, discrimination relates negatively with satisfaction with life in girls, but not in boys. The mediating effect of this variable barely relates to radicalization in either gender; however, gender does show a modulating effect, which can be seen in the differences found between boys and girls: perceived discrimination relates positively with radicalization in boys but not in girls; conversely, it relates negatively with satisfaction with life in the case of girls but not in boys. These findings highlight the importance of achieving an appropriate integration of adolescents in society.
The 21st century has seen a rise in activism whose wave extends from physical locations to the virtual community aided by the increased popularity and usage of the internet and social media. Nigeria has had her fair share of such, the most recent being the October 2020 EndSARS protest. Using Smelser’s value-added theory, this study proposes that the public perception of police legitimacy will have no significant relationship with activism for police reform after the October 20, 2020, shooting of protesters by soldiers of the Nigerian Armed Forces. Data were collected from students and working professionals who had knowledge of the protest and analysed using structural equation modelling with the IBM AMOS software. Results suggest that trust in police and the obligation to obey police officers – both dimensions of police legitimacy – had no relationship with protest intentions be they lawful or unlawful. The study reaffirms the relevance of Smelser’s theory years after and offered discussion and implications of the findings in consonance with the theory.
This study examined adults’ motivation, mobilization through social media, and intention of engagement (online and offline) in anti-Asian violence activism in the United States. Using self-determination theory, two studies were conducted to test the model and the moderation effect of political ideology and interest on engagement. Study 1 (N = 250) found that regardless of political ideology, the motivation of non-Asian ethnic groups predicted mobilization and online/offline engagement in anti-Asian violence activism. Study 2 (N = 297) found the same result that the motivation-mobilization-engagement model was significant without the influence of political interest. The results imply that anti-Asian violence appears to be a bipartisan issue for the public’s motivation, mobilization, and engagement. The results present that anti-Asian violence is not only Asians’ issue but also everyone’s concern. A more open and affirmative approach to the prevention of anti-Asian violence for the public is suggested.
For LGBTQ+ community members, one way to cope with the discrimination they experience is through a stronger ingroup identity. However, not all types of ingroup identity may be equally beneficial to LGBTQ+ individuals. A longitudinal (N = 1,044) and a cross-sectional (N = 8,464) study among LGBTQ+ people in Poland demonstrated that collective narcissism was a positive predictor of group-based anger (Study 2) and had a positive reciprocal relationship with group relative deprivation (GRD; Study 1), however, it was negatively related to life satisfaction and exhibited a stronger positive link with nonnormative than normative collective action. Secure LGBTQ+ identification was not longitudinally predicted by GRD (Study 1) and showed a weaker positive association with group- based anger (Study 2). It had a reciprocal positive relationship with life satisfaction and was a stronger predictor of normative than nonnormative collective action. These results show that whereas secure ingroup identity is a clearly positive coping mechanism, the effects of collective narcissism are mixed.
Introduction
Green building (GB) technologies have been introduced to reduce the negative effect of the building and construction industry on the economy, the ecosystem, and society. A more thorough and accurate knowledge of the factors for implementation is required to stimulate the wider adoption of GB technologies. The theoretical framework for this study is developed using psychological capital (PC), self-determination theory (SDT), and green theory. The study addresses gaps in the research in this field. The effect of PC on psychological health (PH), green innovation ambidexterity (GIA), and subjective health (SH), and the impact of GIA on green performance (GP) are determined. The effect of PH and SH on organizational performance (OP) is also determined.
Methods
The information for this study is collected from a variety of sources in the Chinese GB industry. The subjects for this study are Chinese employees of GB-based companies. Using a convenience sampling method, a total of 504 employees were selected. The employees' answers to a restricted, self-administered survey are used to generate the data.
Results
Data from this study shows that PC has a significant effect on GIA, SH, and PH and that GIA has a substantial impact on GP. Both SH and PH significantly affect OP.
Discussion
This study encourages managers in the green building industry to support fresh concepts in order to gain a competitive edge by implementing and promoting innovative cultures, especially in terms of service delivery and customer understanding, because innovation plays a critical role in these industries.
Every day the wellbeing of disadvantaged individuals and communities is being transformed through the activities of self-transcendent social activ-ists. The positive contagion generated by their actions is felt globally through influence, replication, leadership training and education. These people are visionary, brave, and describe their lives as joyful, deeply ful-filled, and impactful. Seeking no personal recognition or accolade, born from a deep feeling of connectedness and a vision of how life could be better, participants describe the factors that influenced their decision to dedicate their lives to serving the greater good. Using Constructivist Grounded Theory, in-depth semi structured interviews were carried out with eight participants who self-identified as self-transcendent social ac-tivists, who have initiated non-mandated and not-for-profit community action. Data was analyzed to explore participant’s personal experiences of self-transcendence and how being self-transcendent has manifested their life choices. The findings present a definition of ‘self-transcendent social activism’ and a theoretical model that explains the development of par-ticipants’ activism: trigger, activate, maintain and sustain, resulting in impact experienced at three levels - individual, community and global. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
It has been argued that stories inform our perceptions of reality and social change is driven by stories (Sarbin, 1986; Bochner, 2012; Frank, 2011/2013). Sexual violence is a complex cultural challenge for societies (Rape Crisis, 2020). Individual survivor identity is formed in that complexity and personal posttraumatic growth (PTG) can be forged in such challenges (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 2004). Activism is one way the survivor can help forge social change both for themselves and the ‘community of interest’ they belong to (Raskovic, 2020; Herman, 1992). This article uses autoethnography to explore one male survivor’s story of childhood sexual violence and his 22-year journey of activism. It adopts a novel approach weaving metaphors taken from episodes of the long-running British television series Doctor Who. It attempts to link social action to PTG in its reflections on meaning and redemption beyond shame via activism and lived experience witnessing (Bruner, 2002). The power of lived experience can powerfully bring the ‘unspeakable’ to society’s conscious awareness (Herman, 1992; Balfour, 2013). By sharing the raw reality of victim blaming when challenging the status quo. The reality of political and professional agents’ resistance to change is evidenced. It uses psychological and other theories, aiming to weave them through the story and illuminate one activist’s journey. Its limitation is its just one story, However, within that lies an authentic strength. It does not claim to be objective. Instead, it knits both the subjective and objective together to allow you to experience something as old as humans, a real story told in a new form (Gottschall, 2012).
A robust literature indicates that when people feel that they are expressing and aware of their true selves, they show enhanced psychological health and well-being. This feeling, commonly referred to as authenticity, is therefore a consequential experience. In this paper, we review a program of research focused on the relevance of authenticity for civic engagement. We describe how a virtuous orientation to civic engagement might make civic actions feel more authentic and how the experience of authenticity might help sustain civic behavior. We then discuss the role that education might play in fostering a deeper connection between civic engagement and the subjective experience of authenticity.
Political activism can be defined as the behavior of advocating for a political cause via multiple means, from institutionalized acts such as petitions, to unconventional acts such as civil disobedience (Corning and Myers, 2002). Youth and young adults play a pivotal role as politically active agents in the current sociopolitical climate. This entry will discuss political activism, theories associated with political activism, positive and negative impacts of political activism, how youth and young adults can get involved within their communities, and two contemporary movements that are pertinent to political activism through a racial justice lens.
People with illnesses and disabilities routinely face obstacles to political participation, including participation in social movements. Conventional social movement studies primarily theorize impediments to social movement participation in terms of personal constraints, as implied by the term “biographical (un)availability.” However, studies in disability, health, and illness resist locating disability-related constraints solely within the individual, pushing fields to ask how environments can be disabling in and of themselves. Thus, by extending social movement theory through this Disabled/Crip/Mad lens, this article attempts to balance the notion of personal biographical availability or constraints with the notion of what the author calls “movement accessibility.” Drawing on data from almost ∼130 respondents, this article develops a framework for understanding how movement accessibility might be deepened within social movement contexts.
The world is more politically polarized than at any time since the two World Wars. People are adversely affected by political polarization. Predictably, they are raising political issues in psychotherapy. Health service psychologists (HSPs) receive conflicting directions about their political behavior, sometimes instructed to keep their political views out of therapy, other times instructed to engage in political advocacy. This article addresses both personal and professional intersections HSPs have with the political world and politics, broadly defined, including history, competency benchmarks, current challenges, cultural considerations, ethics, implications and applications for HSPs, future directions, clinical applications and recommendations, and other considerations.
In this paper I argue that the way to reduce the power of overdemanding beauty ideals is not to advocate that individuals have a ‘duty to resist’, a duty to stop engaging in appearance enhancing practices and body work. I begin by arguing against the claim that women who ‘do’ beauty are suffering from false consciousness. I then give four further additional arguments against advocating a ‘duty to resist’ as an effective means to challenge dominant beauty norms. First, that as a tactic it is ineffective. Second, it is an individual approach which divides and silences. Third, it induces shame and blame, and undermines effective collective action. Fourth, it fails to recognize the privilege of the group norms which make resistance possible.
Özet
Günümüzde tüketiciler güçlü bir amaca sahip olan markalara ilgi göstermeye başlamıştır. Değişimin ve dönüşümün ana gücü olan yeni nesil tüketiciler, sadece temel ihtiyaçlarının tatmin edilmesini değil, “anlamlı bir yaşam” için farklı değerler sunulmasını talep etmektedir. Yeni nesil tüketicilerin ürün ve hizmet kategorilerinden beklediği faydaların ilki, ürünün ana fonksiyonunu yerine getiren fonksiyonel fayda; ikincisi markanın tüketiciye duygusal, sosyal ve finansal olarak sağladığı faydaları kapsayan kişisel fayda ve sonuncusu ise doğa, çevre, etik ve ekonomik değerlerden oluşan toplumsal faydalardır. Bu bağlamda, tüketici ile sadakate dayalı bir iletişim kurmak isteyen, toplumsal fayda gözeten, pozitif etki yaratmaya odaklanan aktivist markalar artış göstermekte ve çalışanlar, müşteriler ve yatırımcılar tarafından daha fazla tercih edilir hale gelmektedir. Kotler ve Sarkar (2018)’a göre marka aktivizmi 6 ana kategoriden oluşmaktadır. Bunlar politik aktivizm, yasal aktivizm, işyeri aktivizmi, sosyal aktivizm, ekonomik aktivizm ve çevresel aktivizmdir. Bu çalışmada 22 adet spor moda markası incelenmiştir. Örneklemde yer alan markaların marka amaçları ile uygulamalarının birbirleriyle uyumlu olup olmadıkları karşılaştırılmıştır. Ayrıca bu markaların Instagram’da aktivizm konusunda yaptıkları paylaşımlar incelenmiştir. Sonuç olarak 22 markanın 17’sinin belirtilen amaçların ve uygulamalarının uyumlu olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Markaların uygulamalarında çevre, işyeri ve sosyal aktivizmi kullandıkları belirlenmiştir. Instagram paylaşımlarında markaların sosyal aktivizmi en fazla kullandıkları belirlenirken, yasal, ekonomik ve işyeri aktivizmini kullanmadıkları görülmüştür.
Abstract
Nowadays, consumers have begun to show interest in brands that have a strong purpose. The new generation consumers, who are the main force of change and transformation, demand not only the satisfaction of their basic needs, but also different values for a "meaningful life". There are three types of benefits that new generation consumers expect from product and service categories. First one is the functional benefit that fulfills the main function of the product; the second one is the personal benefit, which includes the emotional, social and financial benefits that the brand provides to the consumer and the last one is the social benefits consisting of nature, environment, ethical and economic values. In this sense, activist brands that want to establish a loyalty-based communication within the consumer, focus on social benefits (community-minded) and creating a positive impact are increasing. Thereby, these brands are becoming more preferred by employees, customers and investors. According to Kotler and Sarkar (2018), brand activism consists of 6 main categories. These are political activism, legal activism, workplace activism, social activism, economic activism and environmental activism. In this study, 22 sports fashion brands were examined and it was compared whether the brand objectives and practices of the brands in the sample were compatible with each other. In addition, the shared posts of these brands about activism on Instagram were examined. As a result, it has been determined that 17 of the 22 brands are compatible with the stated purposes and applications. The brands use mostly the environment, workplace and social activism in their practices. Meanwhile, on their Instagram posts, the brands use social activism mostly and in the contrary, they don’t use legal, economic and workplace activism.
Responds to comments by A. C. Bohart and T Greening, S. B. Shapiro, G. Bacigalupe, R. Walsh, W. C. Compton, C. L. McLafferty and J. D. Kirylo, N. Abi-Hashem, A. C. Catania, G. K. Lampropoulos, and T. M. Kelley (see records
2002-15384-010,
2002-15384-011,
2002-15384-012,
2002-15384-013,
2002-15384-014,
2002-15384-015,
2002-15384-016,
2002-15384-017,
2002-15384-018, and
2002-15384-019, respectively) on the January 2000, Vol 55(1) special issue of the
American Psychologist dedicated to positive psychology. M. E. P. Seligman and M. Csikszentmihalyi expand on some of the critical themes discussed in the commentaries. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Generativity (Erikson, 1950) and authoritarianism have recently received increased attention in the personality and social psychology literature. The authors articulate connections and distinctions to test hypotheses concerning personality, politics, and parenting on a sample of adults and their adolescent children. The Big 5 Openness to Experience factor was positively related to generativity and negatively related to authoritarianism. In addition, high scorers on generativity were interested in political issues, whereas those scoring high on authoritarianism were not. High scorers on authoritarianism also used a punitive parenting style that had adverse consequences for parent–child relationships, whereas generative parents used an authoritative style that produced positive outcomes. Although generative and authoritarian individuals may share a focus on passing down traditions, the content of those traditions seems to span a wider range for people who are high in generativity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
distinguishing among intentional acts: the "why" of behavior [intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, internalization and integration, the consequences of different regulatory styles, the social context and motivational orientations] / the "what" of goals: considering content [goal content and mental health, why do some people focus on extrinsic goals, goals and needs: are some goals better than others] (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
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.
The focus of this study was employees' destructive behavioral intentions (i.e., exit, neglect, and aggressive voice) as a result of perceived injustice. In order to get an indication of the generalizability of the results, two studies employing different methodologies were conducted among different samples: a survey study (Study 1) among 244 female maternity nurses from The Netherlands, and a vignette study (Study 2) among 71 male and 43 female employees from an international company in South Africa. Furthermore, the second study tested whether the effects of injustice on destructive behavioral intentions were mediated by state negative affect. Two models appear to fit the data well. The first model suggests that interactional injustice gives rise to negative behavioral reactions through an increase in state negative affect. The second model shows that procedural justice can buffer the negative effects of low distributive justice. Specifically, employees report more negative affect and, subsequently, a stronger tendency to leave the organization only when both distributive and procedural justice are low. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
This research examined the relations that generative concern and generative action have to personality traits, satisfaction/happiness with life, and ego development. Generative concern is a general personality tendency or interest in caring for younger and anticipated individuals, while generative action addresses actual physical behaviors that promote the well-being of future generations. Two samples (79 and 152 adults) were employed. Generative concern scores were significantly related to scores for extraversion, openness, emotional stability (non-neuroticism), and agreeableness as well as to two agentic traits (achievement, dominance) and two communal traits (affiliation, nurturance). Generative action was significantly related to extraversion and openness. Generative concern but not generative action was found, as predicted, to be positively related to one's life satisfaction/happiness. Further, one's level of ego development determined, in part, the relation that generative concern had to satisfaction/happiness with life. Given that a subject scored high in ego development, his or her level of satisfaction/happiness varied as a function of generative concern such that those who scored low on generative concern were significantly less satisfied/happy than those that scored high on generative concern. The results are discussed within the context of the recently proposed theory of generativity.
Defining hope as a cognitive set comprising agency (belief in one's capacity to initiate and sustain actions) and pathways (belief in one's capacity to generate routes) to reach goals, the Hope Scale was developed and validated previously as a dispositional self-report measure of hope (Snyder et al., 1991). The present 4 studies were designed to develop and validate a measure of state hope. The 6-item State Hope Scale is internally consistent and reflects the theorized agency and pathways components. The relationships of the State Hope Scale to other measures demonstrate concurrent and discriminant validity; moreover, the scale is responsive to events in the lives of people as evidenced by data gathered through both correlational and causal designs. The State Hope Scale offers a brief, internally consistent, and valid self-report measure of ongoing goal-directed thinking that may be useful to researchers and applied professionals.
Well-being is a complex construct that concerns optimal experience and functioning. Current research on well-being has been derived from two general perspectives: the hedonic approach, which focuses on happiness and defines well-being in terms of pleasure attainment and pain avoidance; and the eudaimonic approach, which focuses on meaning and self-realization and defines well-being in terms of the degree to which a person is fully functioning. These two views have given rise to different research foci and a body of knowledge that is in some areas divergent and in others complementary. New methodological developments concerning multilevel modeling and construct comparisons are also allowing researchers to formulate new questions for the field. This review considers research from both perspectives concerning the nature of well-being, its antecedents, and its stability across time and culture.
A science of positive subjective experience, positive individual traits, and positive institutions promises to improve quality of life and prevent the pathologies that arise when life is barren and meaningless. The exclusive focus on pathology that has dominated so much of our discipline results in a model of the human being lacking the positive features that make life worth living. Hope, wisdom, creativity, future mindedness, courage, spirituality, responsibility, and perseverance are ignored or explained as transformations of more authentic negative impulses. The 15 articles in this millennial issue of the American Psychologist discuss such issues as what enables happiness, the effects of autonomy and self-regulation, how optimism and hope affect health, what constitutes wisdom, and how talent and creativity come to fruition. The authors outline a framework for a science of positive psychology, point to gaps in our knowledge, and predict that the next century will see a science and profession that will come to understand and build the factors that allow individuals, communities, and societies to flourish.
This paper introduces and applies an operationalization of mental health as a syndrome of symptoms of positive feelings and positive functioning in life. Dimensions and scales of subjective well-being are reviewed and conceived of as mental health symptoms. A diagnosis of the presence of mental health, described as flourishing, and the absence of mental health, characterized as languishing, is applied to data from the 1995 Midlife in the United States study of adults between the ages of 25 and 74 (n = 3,032). Findings revealed that 17.2 percent fit the criteria for flourishing, 56.6 percent were moderately mentally healthy, 12.1 percent of adults fit the criteria for languishing, and 14.1 percent fit the criteria for DSM-III-R major depressive episode (12-month), of which 9.4 percent were not languishing and 4.7 percent were also languishing. The risk of a major depressive episode was two times more likely among languishing than moderately mentally healthy adults, and nearly six times greater among languishing than flourishing adults. Multivariate analyses revealed that languishing and depression were associated with significant psychosocial impairment in terms of perceived emotional health, limitations of activities of daily living, and workdays lost or cutback. Flourishing and moderate mental health were associated with superior profiles of psychosocial functioning. The descriptive epidemiology revealed that males, older adults, more educated individuals, and married adults were more likely to be mentally healthy. Implications for the conception of mental health and the treatment and prevention of mental illness are discussed.
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.
Defining hope as a cognitive set comprising agency (belief in one's capacity to initiate and sustain actions) and pathways( belief in one's capacity to generate routes) to reach goals, the Hope Scale was developed and validated previously as a dispositional self-report measure of hope (Snyder et al., 1991). The present 4 studies were designed to develop and validate a measure of state hope. The 6-item State Hope Scale is internally consistent and reflects the theorized agency and pathways components. The relationships of the State Hope Scale to other measures demonstrate concurrent and discriminant validity; moreover, the scale is responsive to events in the lives of people as evidenced by data gathered through both correlational and causal designs. The State Hope Scale offers a brief, internally consistent, and valid self-report measure of ongoing goal-directed thinking that may be useful to researchers and applied professionals.
The literature on subjective well-being (SWB), including happiness, life satisfaction, and positive affect, is reviewed in three areas: measurement, causal factors, and theory. Psychometric data on single-item and multi-item subjective well-being scales are presented, and the measures are compared. Measuring various components of subjective well-being is discussed. In terms of causal influences, research findings on the demographic correlates of SWB are evaluated, as well as the findings on other influences such as health, social contact, activity, and personality. A number of theoretical approaches to happiness are presented and discussed: telic theories, associationistic models, activity theories, judgment approaches, and top-down versus bottom-up conceptions.
Volunteering is any activity in which time is given freely to benefit another person, group or cause. Volunteering is part of a cluster of helping behaviors, entailing more commitment than spontaneous assistance but narrower in scope than the care provided to family and friends. Although developed somewhat independently, the study of volunteerism and of social activism have much in common. Since data gathering on volunteering from national samples began about a quarter of a century ago, the rate for the United States has been stable or, according to some studies, rising slightly. Theories that explain volunteering by pointing to individual attributes can be grouped into those that emphasize motives or self-understandings on the one hand and those that emphasize rational action and cost-bene tit analysis on the other. Other theories seek to complement this focus on individual level factors by pointing to the role of social resources, specifically social ties and organizational activity, as explanations for volunteering. Support is found for all theories, although many issues remained unresolved. Age, gender and race differences in volunteering can be accounted for, in large part, by pointing to differences in self-understandings, human capital, and social resources. Less attention has been paid to contextual effects on volunteering and, while evidence is mixed, the impact of organizational, community, and regional characteristics on individual decisions to volunteer remains a fruitful held for exploration. Studies of the experience of volunteering have only just begun to plot and explain spells of volunteering over the life course and to examine the causes of volunteer turnover. Examining the premise that volunteering is beneficial for the helper as well as the helped, a number of studies have looked at the impact of volunteering on subjective and objective well-being. Positive effects are found for life-satisfaction, self-esteem, self-rated health, and for educational and occupational achievement, functional ability, and mortality. Studies of youth also suggest that volunteering reduces the Likelihood of engaging in problem behaviors such as school truancy and drug abuse.
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.
The proposal of five dimensions of social well-being, social integration, social contribution, social coherence, social actualization, and social acceptance, is theoretically substantiated. The theoretical structure, constructure, construct validity, and the social structural sources of the dimensions of social well-being are investigated in two studies. Item and confirmatory factor analyses in both studies corroborate the theoretical model of social well-being. The new scales correlate convergently with measures of anomie, generativity, perceived social constraints, community involvement and neighborhood quality. The new scales correlate discriminantly with measures of dysphoria, global well-being, physical health and optimism. Multivariate analyses in both studies substantiate the claim that social well-being is an achievement, facilitated by educational attainment and age. The state and direction of the study of adult functioning are discussed.
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.
Previous research found that aspirations to financial success related inversely to self-actualization and that aspirations to community involvement related positively to self-actualization. We argue that diverse reasons can underlie both of these aspirations, leading to more complex predictions. In a sample of 246 participants, we assessed both self-determining and controlling reasons for each class of aspiration, along with endorsements of the aspirations themselves. Initial regression analyses replicated the earlier findings. Subsequent analyses found that endorsement of self-determining reasons for either class of aspiration related positively to self-actualization and that endorsement of controlling reasons for either class of aspiration related inversely to self-actualization. In the analysis involving community involvement, the aspiration itself no longer retained predictive power after the other variables were taken into account. In the analysis involving financial success, however, the aspiration retained an independent predictive role.
This study examined the correlates of well-being at midlife in 49 midlife adults. Self-report measures of generativity, agency and communion, along with relevant themes taken from narratives were considered as predictors of Ryff’s multidimensional model of well-being and of life satisfaction. Multiple regressions identified generative concern as a predictor of the six well-being dimensions and of life satisfaction. A separate series of multiple regressions identified narrative themes of contamination, redemption, and affect tone as predictors of four of the well-being dimensions and of life satisfaction. Hierarchical regression analyses controlling for self-report measures showed contamination to be a significant predictor of environmental mastery, personal growth, and life satisfaction. Affect tone was a predictor of self-acceptance and life satisfaction. This pattern of results was not influenced by the inclusion of demographic factors. Overall, the findings indicate the utility of combining narrative data with self-report data in investigating well-being at midlife.
This research reports the development of a 15-item index of self-actualization that will be useful in research contexts. The index is based primarily on modified items from the most widely accepted measure of self-actualization, the Personal Orientation Inventory. The index had a significant correlation with this inventory (r = .67, p < .001). It also correlated as expected with measures of self-esteem, rational behavior and beliefs, neuroticism, and extraversion. The index discriminated between groups of people nominated as self-actualizing and as non-self-actualizing. There were no problems with response sets, and the index was resistant to "faking good." Weaknesses of the scale are discussed as well as means to overcome these weaknesses.
In recent studies of the structure of affect, positive and negative affect have consistently emerged as two dominant and relatively independent dimensions. A number of mood scales have been created to measure these factors; however, many existing measures are inadequate, showing low reliability or poor convergent or discriminant validity. To fill the need for reliable and valid Positive Affect and Negative Affect scales that are also brief and easy to administer, we developed two 10-item mood scales that comprise the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). The scales are shown to be highly internally consistent, largely uncorrelated, and stable at appropriate levels over a 2-month time period. Normative data and factorial and external evidence of convergent and discriminant validity for the scales are also presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
Reviews the literature since 1967 on subjective well-being (SWB [including happiness, life satisfaction, and positive affect]) in 3 areas: measurement, causal factors, and theory. Most measures of SWB correlate moderately with each other and have adequate temporal reliability and internal consistency; the global concept of happiness is being replaced with more specific and well-defined concepts, and measuring instruments are being developed with theoretical advances; multi-item scales are promising but need adequate testing. SWB is probably determined by a large number of factors that can be conceptualized at several levels of analysis, and it may be unrealistic to hope that a few variables will be of overwhelming importance. Several psychological theories related to happiness have been proposed; they include telic, pleasure and pain, activity, top–down vs bottom–up, associanistic, and judgment theories. It is suggested that there is a great need to more closely connect theory and research. (7 p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
Current debates surrounding Aristotle's Politics involve attempts to explain the role of political participation in the pursuit of Aristotle's human telos, eudaimonia. Many argue that political participation is crucial to eudaimonia, equating the good man with the good citizen. Often this argument is based on Aristotle's labelling of humans as zoon politikon, or political animal, and the misleading translation of eudaimonia as happiness. We provide supported explanations of eudaimonia and zoon politikon which do not force us to equate the good man and the good citizen. We illustrate Aristotle's analogy between the eudaimon man and the eudaimon polis and emphasize the role political participation sometimes plays in the pursuit of eudaimonia. On the basis of this evidence, we argue that Aristotle did not equate the good man with the good citizen necessarily, nor did he find political participation essential to eudaimonia. We then demonstrate that even without political participation, the polis plays a unique role in the pursuit of eudaimonia.
Assessment of collectivism has, for the most part, targeted interpersonal (often dyadic) relationships, e.g., spouse or friend. The multifactor social identity-specific collectivism (SISCOL) scale is an alternative approach that targets groups or categories (e.g., ethnic, political). In this study, the relationship between SISCOL and reported group behavior (political action, group participation, leisure activity) was explored. First, SISCOL varied in a meaningful and predictable way as a function of group membership. Second, SISCOL subscales were divergently predictive: social identity, b=.31, and common fate, b=.18, predicted political action; social identity, b=.22, emotional attachment, b=.32, and group norms, b=.20, predicted group participation. The importance and utility of a group targeted approach is discussed.
Reigning measures of psychological well-being have little theoretical grounding, despite an extensive literature on the contours of positive functioning. Aspects of well-being derived from this literature (i.e., self-acceptance, positive relations with others, autonomy, environmental mastery, purpose in life, and personal growth) were operationalized. Three hundred and twenty-one men and women, divided among young, middle-aged, and older adults, rated themselves on these measures along with six instruments prominent in earlier studies (i.e., affect balance, life satisfaction, self-esteem, morale, locus of control, depression). Results revealed that positive relations with others, autonomy, purpose in life, and personal growth were not strongly tied to prior assessment indexes, thereby supporting the claim that key aspects of positive functioning have not been represented in the empirical arena. Furthermore, age profiles revealed a more differentiated pattern of well-being than is evident in prior research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
A number of related essays or lectures on a variety of topics by the late Alfred Adler are presented; some new case material is included. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
The issue of how an activist identity develops is one of the core issues in social psychology and social movement research. Because of problems in the measurement of individuals’ propensities to engage in social action, however, findings in this area are often equivocal, and cross–study comparisons and conclusions are difficult to draw. Hence, the aim of these studies was to develop a measure to assess individuals’ propensities to engage in social action. This measure, the Activism Orientation Scale (AOS), demonstrates strong psychometric properties and allows assessment of activist propensity across a wide continuum of social action behaviors, ideological positions, and movement issues. Additionally, the broad applicability of the AOS allows for its use by researchers, activists, and policymakers.
Vitality, or the energy available to the self, is a salient and functionally significant indicator of health and motivation. Previous models (e.g., Baumeister & Vohs, 2007) have suggested how such energy can be depleted but have focused less on how it can be maintained or enhanced. In this article, we describe a model of energy and vitality based on self-determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2000). We review substantial evidence that, whereas the self-controlling regulation of behavior depletes vitality and energy, the autonomous self-regulation of behavior does not. A growing number of experimental and field studies also suggest that vitality and energy are enhanced by activities that satisfy basic psychological needs for relatedness, competence, and autonomy. Lifestyles focused on extrinsic goals are less conducive to need satisfaction and thus engender less vitality. We conclude that social psychological factors associated with need satisfaction have important implications for health and vitality and for informing interventions.
In recent studies of the structure of affect, positive and negative affect have consistently emerged as two dominant and relatively independent dimensions. A number of mood scales have been created to measure these factors; however, many existing measures are inadequate, showing low reliability or poor convergent or discriminant validity. To fill the need for reliable and valid Positive Affect and Negative Affect scales that are also brief and easy to administer, we developed two 10-item mood scales that comprise the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). The scales are shown to be highly internally consistent, largely uncorrelated, and stable at appropriate levels over a 2-month time period. Normative data and factorial and external evidence of convergent and discriminant validity for the scales are also presented.
Aspiring for financial success is an important aspect of capitalist cultures. Three studies examine the hypothesis that values and expectancies for wealth and money are negatively associated with adjustment and well-being when they are more central to an individual than other self-relevant values and expectancies. Studies 1 and 2 use 2 methods to show that the relative centrality of money-related values and expectancies is negatively related to college students' well-being and mental health. Study 3, using a heterogeneous noncollege sample, extends these findings by showing that a high centrality of aspirations for financial success is associated with interview ratings of lower global adjustment and social productivity and more behavioral disorders. Discussion is focused on the deleterious consequences of materialistic world views and the need to examine differential effects of content regarding goals and values.
In this article, we examine subjective vitality, a positive feeling of aliveness and energy, in six studies. Subjective vitality is hypothesized to reflect organismic well-being and thus should covary with both psychological and somatic factors that impact the energy available to the self. Associations are shown between subjective vitality and several indexes of psychological well-being; somatic factors such as physical symptoms and perceived body functioning; and basic personality traits and affective dispositions. Subsequently, vitality is shown to be lower in people with chronic pain compared to matched controls, especially those who perceive their pain to be disabling or frightening. Subjective vitality is further associated with self-motivation and maintained weight loss among patients treated for obesity. Finally, subjective vitality is assessed in a diary study for its covariation with physical symptoms. Discussion focuses on the phenomenological salience of personal energy and its relations to physical and psychological well-being.
Extending B. L. Fredrickson's (1998) broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions and M. Losada's (1999) nonlinear dynamics model of team performance, the authors predict that a ratio of positive to negative affect at or above 2.9 will characterize individuals in flourishing mental health. Participants (N=188) completed an initial survey to identify flourishing mental health and then provided daily reports of experienced positive and negative emotions over 28 days. Results showed that the mean ratio of positive to negative affect was above 2.9 for individuals classified as flourishing and below that threshold for those not flourishing. Together with other evidence, these findings suggest that a set of general mathematical principles may describe the relations between positive affect and human flourishing.
Volunteering constitutes one of the most important pro-social activities. Following Aristotle, helping others is "the" way to higher individual wellbeing. This view contrasts with the selfish utility maximizer, who avoids helping others. The two rival views are studied empirically. We find robust evidence that volunteers are more satisfied with their life than non-volunteers. The issue of causality is studied from the basis of the collapse of East Germany and its infrastructure of volunteering. People who lost their opportunities for volunteering are compared with people who experienced no change in their volunteer status. Copyright (c) The London School of Economics and Political Science 2007.
Identity competition: Key to differential social movement participation?
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Adlerian social interest and positive psychology: A conceptual and empirical integration
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Does happiness soothe political protest? The complex relation between discontent and political unrest How harmful is happiness? Consequences of enjoying life or not
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Social movements as collective coping with spoiled personal identities: Intimations from a panel study of changes in the life course between adolescence and adulthood
- H B Kaplan
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