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Some Key Differences between a Happy Life and a Meaningful Life
The Journal of Positive Psychology
Abstract
Being happy and finding life meaningful overlap, but there are important differences. A large survey revealed multiple differing predictors of happiness (controlling for meaning) and meaningfulness (controlling for happiness). Satisfying one’s needs and wants increased happiness but was largely irrelevant to meaningfulness. Happiness was largely present-oriented, whereas meaningfulness involves integrating past, present, and future. For example, thinking about future and past was associated with high meaningfulness but low happiness. Happiness was linked to being a taker rather than a giver, whereas meaningfulness went with being a giver rather than a taker. Higher levels of worry, stress, and anxiety were linked to higher meaningfulness but lower happiness. Concerns with personal identity and expressing the self-contributed to meaning but not happiness. We offer brief composite sketches of the unhappy but meaningful life and of the happy but meaningless life.
... Eudaimonia is associated with meaning and purpose. Meaning is associated with the past and future; on the other hand, happiness is about focusing on the present (Baumeister et al., 2013). Vittersø (2004) separated happiness and life satisfaction from eudaimonia when describing eudaimonia as the person's potential and selfactualization. ...
... Vittersø (2004) separated happiness and life satisfaction from eudaimonia when describing eudaimonia as the person's potential and selfactualization. Baumeister et al. (2013) argues that the happiness defined as affect balance depends to some extent on the fulfillment of basic needs. From this point of view, it can be seen that it is associated with Maslow's (1943;1987) hierarchy of needs and ultimately self-actualization. ...
... Happiness or subjective well-being suggests experiencing positive emotion more and adverse emotion less (Lyubomirsky & Kurtz, 2013). From the perspective of life satisfaction, which entails a more holistic consideration of life rather than instant emotions and holistic evaluation of life, "optimal psychological functioning" (Ryan & Deci, 2001) has been defined as the abundance of desired things, scarcity of unwanted things (Baumeister et al., 2013), and a balance between positive and adverse feelings (Ryff, 1989a). Seligman (2004) stated that there was a difference between bodily pleasures and gratifications, but contemporaries overlooked, whereas Aristotle distinguished between bodily pleasures and happiness (eudaimonia). ...
The new approach in positive psychology is growing rich with the acceptance of life in all aspects and with views on the optimal use of human potential; it is being shaped by a new perspective that can be accepted as a full explanation of not only positive emotion but also of sources and motives of positive emotion, and respect for human. One of the predictors of positive emotion is personality traits. Within this scope, this research aimed at exploring the relationship between personality and eudaimonic well-being. A total of 316 undergraduates participated in the study. The data were collected online through the Questionnaire for Eudaimonic Well-Being and The Big Five Inventory. The findings showed that stability involving agreeableness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism significantly affected undergraduates’ eudaimonic well-being. However, plasticity involving extraversion and openness had no significant effect.
... Important to the current investigation is the finding that completing a cumbersome task-for example, a chore such as vacuum cleaning-is positively associated with meaning in life (Baumeister et al. 2013;. The perceived effort expended on such a task likely drives consumption decisions and can sometimes increase product valuations (Garcia-Rada et al. 2022;Inzlicht, Shenhav, and Olivola 2018;Norton, Mochon, P e e r R e v i e w V e r s i o n and Ariely 2012). ...
... Importantly, research has shown that everyday tasks can have value and add meaning to people's lives. Baumeister et al. (2013) (Vohs, Aaker, and Catapano 2019). ...
... Psychological research has distinguished various forms of meaning, including meaning in life , need for meaning (Abeyta and Routledge 2018), and meaning from specific personal events . We add to this stream of research by introducing a novel construct- (Baumeister et al. 2013;Vohs et al. 2019). ...
Technologies are becoming increasingly autonomous, able to complete tasks on behalf of consumers without human intervention. For example, robot vacuums clean the floor while cooking machines implement recipes on their own. These autonomous products free consumers from daily chores that they used to perform manually. The current research suggests that some consumers derive meaning from completing such manual tasks, and that this meaning of manual labor acts as a barrier to the adoption of autonomous products. A series of field and experimental studies show that consumers high (vs. low) in meaning of manual labor tend to evaluate autonomous products less favorably and adopt them less frequently. However, making alternative sources of meaning in life salient can serve as a remedy to increase autonomous product adoption among these consumers. One such strategy is to emphasize that the time gained through autonomous products can be used for meaningful activities, thus offsetting the detrimental effects of meaning of manual labor on autonomous product adoption. The findings indicate effective interventions for firms offering autonomous products while stressing the need to provide meaningful experiences to consumers.
... The current study is focuses on the concept of SWB, "a broad category of phenomena that includes people's emotional responses, domain satisfactions, and global judgments of life satisfaction" (Diener et al., 1999, p. 277). There are three major components to SWB: global life evaluations (the cognitive component), negative/positive affect (the affective component), and meaning (e.g., Baumeister et al., 2013;Deci & Ryan, 2008;Schimmack, 2008). The latter encompasses both cognitive and emotional aspects of an individual's sense of coherence, significance, and purpose in life (e.g., Baumeister et al., 2013, Martela & Steger, 2016. ...
... There are three major components to SWB: global life evaluations (the cognitive component), negative/positive affect (the affective component), and meaning (e.g., Baumeister et al., 2013;Deci & Ryan, 2008;Schimmack, 2008). The latter encompasses both cognitive and emotional aspects of an individual's sense of coherence, significance, and purpose in life (e.g., Baumeister et al., 2013, Martela & Steger, 2016. ...
This study employed unique longitudinal data from 1189 individuals who reported their subjective well-being before and during the Iron Swords War between Israel and Hamas on various measures of Israelis’ subjective well-being, including fear and anxiety. The participants reported their pre-war investments in hedonic capital, including efforts in six life domains – health, friends, community, active leisure, the value of work per se, and work-life balance – as well as religiosity.
... The current study is focuses on the concept of SWB, "a broad category of phenomena that includes people's emotional responses, domain satisfactions, and global judgments of life satisfaction" (Diener et al., 1999, p. 277). There are three major components to SWB: global life evaluations (the cognitive component), negative/positive affect (the affective component), and meaning (e.g., Baumeister et al., 2013;Deci & Ryan, 2008;Schimmack, 2008). The latter encompasses both cognitive and emotional aspects of an individual's sense of coherence, significance, and purpose in life (e.g., Baumeister et al., 2013, Martela & Steger, 2016. ...
... There are three major components to SWB: global life evaluations (the cognitive component), negative/positive affect (the affective component), and meaning (e.g., Baumeister et al., 2013;Deci & Ryan, 2008;Schimmack, 2008). The latter encompasses both cognitive and emotional aspects of an individual's sense of coherence, significance, and purpose in life (e.g., Baumeister et al., 2013, Martela & Steger, 2016. ...
War and terror attacks harm people’s emotional well-being. The paper analyzes the consequences of the Iron Swords War between Israel and Hamas on various measures of Israelis’ subjective well-being, including fear and anxiety. What can mitigate the adverse effects of such unpredicted exogenous shocks? Literature shows that resource-rich people, those with hedonic capital, are less likely to be affected by stressful circumstances. However, there is a gap regarding the causal effect of pre-shock investments in such capital on emotional coping at shock time. This study employed unique longitudinal data from 1189 individuals who reported their subjective well-being before and during the war. The participants reported their pre-war investments in hedonic capital, including efforts in six life domains – health, friends, community, active leisure, the value of work per se, and work-life balance – as well as religiosity. The result shows that in addition to the deterioration in negative and positive emotions, which is an unsurprising result, global life evaluation and meaning in life declined. More importantly, the regression analysis demonstrates that all of the pre-war efforts investigated, except those allocated to improving work-life balance and active leisure, were associated with at least one component of subjective well-being at war time. Pre-war religiosity was found to be a protective element for all war-time subjective well-being components including fear and anxiety. The results are robust for socio-demographic and war objective control factors.
... Diener et al., 2018;Ryff, 2012). Where happiness means that one's needs and desires are satisfied, including being mostly free from unpleasant events (Deci and Ryan, 2008;Keyes and Annas, 2009), meaning in life is usually understood as a more complex concept (eudaimonia), as it requires interpretative construction of circumstances across time according to abstract values and other culturally mediated ideas (Baumeister et al., 2013). A happy life is primarily about a positive experience in the here and now, where the experience of meaning in life implies the integration of past, present and future, or a sense of coherence and stability (Morgan and Farsides, 2009;Baumeister et al., 2013). ...
... Where happiness means that one's needs and desires are satisfied, including being mostly free from unpleasant events (Deci and Ryan, 2008;Keyes and Annas, 2009), meaning in life is usually understood as a more complex concept (eudaimonia), as it requires interpretative construction of circumstances across time according to abstract values and other culturally mediated ideas (Baumeister et al., 2013). A happy life is primarily about a positive experience in the here and now, where the experience of meaning in life implies the integration of past, present and future, or a sense of coherence and stability (Morgan and Farsides, 2009;Baumeister et al., 2013). The socially isolated older adults in this study look back on their lives, searching for some coherence that can explain why certain things happened to them. ...
Positively experienced relationships with family, partners and friends are the most important source of meaning in life for older persons. At the same time, Western countries are confronted with a growing number of socially isolated older adults who lack those relationships. This study aims to explore whether and how older adults who live in social isolation experience meaning in life. Data were collected via in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 24 socially isolated older adults, ranging in age from 62 to 94, all living in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. The criterion-based sampling of participants took place in close consultation with social workers of a mentoring project for socially isolated older adults. Follow-up interviews with 22 participants improved the credibility of findings and contributed to the breadth and depth of the researched casuistry. Data were analysed using an analytical framework based on seven needs of meaning identified by Baumeister (purpose, values, efficacy, self-worth) and Derkx (coherence, excitement, connectedness). The study demonstrates that isolated older adults may find anchors for meaning in life, although not all needs for meaning are satisfied, and there can also be tension between different needs. The needs-based model provides concrete distinctions for enabling care-givers to recognise elements of meaning.
... The intensity of one's feelings and grasp of life's purpose, according to Steger et al. (2009), determine one's sense of meaning. Individuals' subjective well-being and mental health are directly affected by life meaning (Baumeister et al., 2013). Meaning of life is a critical and fundamental component in a person's development. ...
... Second, this study verifies the facilitating function of meaning in life and reveals the black box of minimalismwork effort. Previous scholars have argued that individuals can find meaning in life through minimalism (Millburn & Nicodemus, 2015;SHANG et al., 2016;Dopierała, 2017;Hausen, 2019;Chen et al. 2020;Martin-Woodhead, 2022) and have proposed the meaning of life in influencing individual development (Baumeister et al., 2013;Newman et al., 2020;Popa-Velea et al., 2021;Steger, 2017). While a few studies have argued that meaning of life enhances an individual's work effort (Allan, 2019;Petrea, 2020;Waters et al., 2022;Becker, 2023), there has been no in-depth research on the meaning in life as a driver between minimalism and work effort. ...
According to classical management theory, material need motivation is a critical driver of work effort. In social practice, the state and society encourage minimalist lifestyles and reduction of material desires. Therefore, does reducing individual material demands result in less work effort? Based on the Hierarchy of Needs theory, this paper examines why and when minimalists work hard and explores the influencing mechanisms and boundary conditions between minimalism and work effort through a questionnaire. The results demonstrate that minimalism positively influences work effort, meaning in life plays a partial mediating function in minimalism and work effort, and the influence of minimalism on work effort is moderated positively by subjective social status. This research reveals minimalism’s mediating mechanism and boundary conditions on work effort, which enriches the related studies of the Hierarchy of Needs Theory, Meaning of Life Theory, and Minimalism. This study has a guiding value for companies on how to improve employees’ work effort and enhance corporate sfficiency.
... By contrast, despite being well regarded, meaning-as an experience or motivation-is not very well understood (Kashdan et al., 2008). The present investigation is grounded in work emerging from the positive psychology tradition on meaning, focused on self-growth, purpose, connection, significance, and deep psychosocial engagement (Baumeister et al., 2013;Deci & Ryan, 2008;King & Hicks, 2021;Rudd et al., 2019). Just as people are motivated to pursue pleasure and avoid pain (purely hedonic concerns), consumer researchers have highlighted how consumption decisions can be guided by symbolic, psychosocial, and other more meaning-oriented goals (Mead & Williams, 2022). ...
... Specifically, we propose that compared to pleasurable consumption, meaningful consumption is characterized by higher perceived MTIs. Deriving meaning from an experience involves cognitive reflection (Baumeister et al., 2013), which takes time. We propose that customers operate under the assumption that this process of reflection is most successful when there is enough information to reflect on (Oliver & Raney, 2011). ...
Consumer well-being involves not only the pursuit of pleasure, but also the pursuit of meaning. However, little is known about how people perceive the costs and benefits of meaning- versus pleasure-oriented experiences. We find that compared to pleasure-oriented experiences, people expect meaning-oriented experiences to be more satisfying after meeting a minimum time investment (i.e., the perceived minimum amount of time needed to derive benefits from consumption; study 1). As a consequence, people choose to prolong their exposure to meaningful (vs. pleasurable) experiences following interruptions (study 2). We discuss the implications of minimum time investments for firms’ relationships with consumers and marketing communication design (web appendix).
... This paper addresses this topic by exploring how technological versus natural experiences in consumption influence consumer wellbeing, which is defined as consisting of both happiness and life satisfaction. A broad perspective that combines hedonic and eudaimonic views of happiness is adopted, which results in happiness being viewed as both a "pleasurable life" and a "meaningful life" (Baumeister et al., 2013;Peterson et al., 2005). This work, therefore, expands the growing literature on new technologies and their impact on consumers. ...
... This unexpected finding could be due to the phenomenon of new technologies helping consumers in the specific, unique context of the COVID-19 pandemic; these technologies allowed the consumers to maintain parts of themselves (e.g., "workrelated self," "parent-self," etc.; Belk, 2013) amid a global pandemic by enabling them to engage in activities from which they derived meaning. Happiness as meaning is also linked to higher levels of worry, stress, and anxiety (Baumeister et al., 2013). ...
New technologies are becoming increasingly common in consumers' daily lives, and they are significantly changing consumer experiences. Given the novelty and pervasiveness of these technologies, understanding their effects on consumer well-being is important. This research explores how technological versus natural experiences in consumption contribute to consumer well-being, which is defined as happiness (with its components of pleasure and meaning) and life satisfaction. The results demonstrate that the type of experience (i.e., natural or technological) affects meaning and pleasure and, consequently, life satisfaction. These effects depend on two individual characteristics: consumer mindfulness and fatigue. When consumer mindfulness is high, the type of experience does not affect pleasure and meaning as consumers consistently derive high levels of both components of happiness. However, when their mindfulness is low, pleasure depends on the type of experience. Similar patterns are observed for meaning, although this is affected by the level of fatigue felt by consumers. Therefore, meaning is affected by the two individual characteristics of mindfulness and fatigue. By demonstrating the importance of consumer mindfulness in protecting individuals from fatigue and the potential negative effects associated with technological and natural consumption experiences, this study identifies practical insights that can be used to shape technological and natural experiences that support consumer well-being.
... SWB "is a broad category of phenomena that includes people's emotional responses, domain satisfactions, and global judgments of life satisfaction" (Diener et al., 1999, p.277). SWB is comprised of three major components: global life evaluations (the "cognitive component"), experiences of pleasure/positive affect (the "affective component"), and a sense of meaning (e.g., Baumeister et al., 2013;Deci & Ryan, 2008;Schimmack, 2008), which has both cognitive and emotional components relating to the individual's feelings of coherence, significance, and purpose in life (Baumeister et al., 2013;Martela & Steger, 2016). 1 The current paper offers an inquiry into a specific means people can use to improve their SWB, namely, personal effort. What does the literature tell us about the linkage between effort and SWB? ...
... SWB "is a broad category of phenomena that includes people's emotional responses, domain satisfactions, and global judgments of life satisfaction" (Diener et al., 1999, p.277). SWB is comprised of three major components: global life evaluations (the "cognitive component"), experiences of pleasure/positive affect (the "affective component"), and a sense of meaning (e.g., Baumeister et al., 2013;Deci & Ryan, 2008;Schimmack, 2008), which has both cognitive and emotional components relating to the individual's feelings of coherence, significance, and purpose in life (Baumeister et al., 2013;Martela & Steger, 2016). 1 The current paper offers an inquiry into a specific means people can use to improve their SWB, namely, personal effort. What does the literature tell us about the linkage between effort and SWB? ...
The link between effort and individual well-being has been the subject of contentious debate. Economic and some psychological models analyze effort as a cost or a disutility, while other philosophical and psychological theories argue that personal effort is a pivotal element for a flourishing life. These theories also distinguish between higher and lower pleasures. To assess the contested contribution of effort to personal well-being, we analyze survey data gathered from 1954 working adults aged 25 to 65 in Israel. We analyze their subjective assessments of the effort they exert in different life domains and support the validity of our analysis by comparing them to choice scenarios in each domain. The results contribute three key findings: 1. Effort in five life domains—work, leisure activities, friendship, community and health—as well as effort of managing work life balance, was found to be positively associated with at least one component of subjective well-being, while effort to make work more intrinsically rewarding was found to be associated with all three components—affect, cognition and meaning—of an individual’s subjective well-being. 2. These efforts are not strongly correlated among themselves, implying that people can choose how to allocate their efforts among the various life domains. 3. People’s assessments of their future subjective well-being are positively correlated with their expectations regarding future effort. These results suggest that effort and well-being are correlated through hedonic capital accumulation.
... Furthermore, researchers have contended that workplace environment such as workload capacity, overtime schedule, travel, air quality, and lighting condition can all influence employees' happiness (Baumeister, Vohs, Aaker, & Garbinsky, 2013). On another note, Hafeez et al. (2019) remarked that a healthy and comfortable working environment would increase employees' productivity, and this kind of environment has a positive relationship with workplace happiness because it allows employees to achieve their organisational goals. ...
... A conducive working environment makes employees happy. These findings are in line with the statements of previous researchers who contend that workplace environment determines employees' happiness (Baumeister, Vohs, Aaker, & Garbinsky, 2013). ...
Employee happiness at the workplace has become an increasingly popular topic among researchers and scholars in the past two decades due to the rising support over its role as one of the determinants of organisational outcomes. Despite the availability of vast literature on employee happiness, limited studies have been done on its relationship with social media usage. The past two decades have witnessed unprecedented social media infiltration into every aspect of socio-cultural, economic, and human existence. However, little is known regarding whether employees’ social media usage influences their happiness at work. This study delineated the potential effects of social media exposure on individual wellbeing and investigated whether it has a favourable effect on their happiness at work. Specifically, the study delved into the social media usage among employees of manufacturing companies and its impact on their wellbeing, working environment, and happiness. A survey was conducted on 475 employees of manufacturing companies in Malaysia. The results revealed that social media usage had significant relationships with job position and income. In addition, individual wellbeing and working environment were found to have significant relationships with happiness at work. The study’s findings enrich the literature on happiness and social media usage in organisations. The implications of these findings are discussed within the framework of social media usage and workplace happiness.
... SWB is comprised of three major components: global life evaluations (the "cognitive component"), experiences of pleasure/positive affect (the "affective component"), and a sense of meaning (e.g., Baumeister et al., 2013;Deci & Ryan, 2008;Schimmack, 2008), which has both cognitive and emotional components relating to the individual's feelings of coherence, significance, and purpose in life (Baumeister et al., 2013, Martela & Steger, 2016) 1 . ...
... SWB is comprised of three major components: global life evaluations (the "cognitive component"), experiences of pleasure/positive affect (the "affective component"), and a sense of meaning (e.g., Baumeister et al., 2013;Deci & Ryan, 2008;Schimmack, 2008), which has both cognitive and emotional components relating to the individual's feelings of coherence, significance, and purpose in life (Baumeister et al., 2013, Martela & Steger, 2016) 1 . ...
The linkage between effort and individual well-being has been the subject of contentious debate. Economic and some psychological models analyze effort as a cost or a disutility, while other philosophical and psychological theories argue that personal effort is a pivotal element for a flourishing life. These theories also distinguish between higher and lower pleasures. To assess the debated contribution of effort to personal well-being, we analyze survey data gathered from 1,954 working adults, ages 25-65, in Israel. The results contribute four key findings: 1. Effort in five life domains – work, leisure activities, friendship, community and health – were found to be positively associated with all three components of an individual’s subjective well-being. 2. These efforts are not strongly correlated among themselves, implying that people can choose how to allocate their efforts among the various life domains. 3. The average respondent who reports that happiness is a result of effort also reports that they deliberately choose to engage in activities that require this investment. 4. People’s future happiness assessments are positively correlated with their expectations regarding future effort. These results suggest that effort affects peoples’ well-being through the notion of hedonic capital accumulation.
... Together, these factors can detrimentally impact upon mental wellbeing. Interestingly, this disconnect between perceived success and actual fulfillment was primarily observed in the context of professional success (Baumeister et al. 2016). Participants noted that individuals were more likely to misinterpret success when it was linked to money or professional status, only to realize that these factors did not always bring happiness. ...
This research investigates how university students define and perceive success, an area that is increasingly important to ensuring that a university’s brand remains aligned to the expectations of future students. Over the next decade, university students will comprise members of Generation Z (Gen Z), and by recognizing this group of students’ preferences and aspirations, universities can tailor their branding, educational portfolio, and overall campus experiences to ensure that together they resonate and satisfy evolving needs and demands. Using data based on a sample of Gen Z undergraduate students undertaking their degrees at three case study UK post-1992 universities, this research adopted an exploratory, interpretivist methodology. Data collected from semi-structured interviews were analyzed using recursive abstraction to identify underlying patterns and trends within the data. The research identified five key themes that Gen Z are using to define success, and these are the following: (1) being objective and task-driven; (2) embracing fluidity and subjectivity; (3) being ethically and morally responsible; (4) having resilience; and (5) accepting and learning from failure. Recommendations were made for actions that universities should start to take to enable them to work toward achieving this.
... The benefits of finding purpose in life and overall well-being were studied about mindfulness and compassionate love. Dobrow (2006), Wrzesniewski and Dutton (2001) and Baumeister et al. (2013) demonstrated the connection between calling with a sense of mission and compassionately serving others (Hunter et al., 2010). The self-transcendence level of calling emphasises shifting one's self-interest, which is being mindful and stretching our interest beyond our own, which is being compassionate towards others, ultimately leading to well-being (Wong, 2016). ...
... This second path of reappraisal implies that the knowledge rectifying the initial appraisal presupposes the first level of knowledge, part of it, and explicitly states its content; that is, it knows reality more accurately (Polo, 2015a(Polo, , 2015bReyna-Fortes, 2024). Therefore, knowledge of reality prevails over narratives generated to improve only intrapersonal or interpersonal adjustment and, ultimately, the subject's wellbeing (Baumeister et al., 2012). The subject's narrative takes precedence over knowledge of reality. ...
Introduction
Studies examining the role of Emotion Regulation (ER) do not consistently explain the underlying model or theory they are employing, resulting in a conflation of different strategies and goals within the ER scientific literature. This study aims to conduct a systematic review and conceptual analysis of the primary strategies and goals advocated in the ER models, theories, and frameworks. Furthermore, we explored the distinctions between the prevailing contemporary ER models and classical conceptions of emotional dynamics, such as those proposed by Aristotle, Descartes, and Darwin.
Methods
An electronic search was conducted in the Web of Science, Medline, and Scopus databases in November 2023. The key search terms used were grouped into two different topics: Emotion Regulation and Models/Theories/Frameworks. Articles were included if they reported one or more ER model in healthy individuals or emotionally disordered individuals and if they were published in a peer-reviewed journal in English in the last 5 years (from 2019 to 2023). A total of two reviewers independently assessed the titles, abstracts, and full texts. Models identified were summarized and classified based on the different ER strategies and goals.
Results
Of the 1,012 titles for initial consideration, 139 articles met the full eligibility criteria and were included for data extraction and synthesis. The review identified 10 ER models, and the most commonly used were the Process Model of Emotion Regulation and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation. There was a great deal of homogeneity among the proposed ER strategies and goals: the cognitive dimension is the core of ER strategy, and the ER goals are primarily hedonic or instrumental in nature.
Discussion
Both Descartes and Darwin views were present in the ER models; however, some of the most significant contributions in Aristotelian proposal seem to be forgotten, such as the integration of the physical, operational, and growth dimensions (eudaimonic goals).
Systematic review registration
This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines and was preregistered at Prospero platform (CRD42023491948).
... The rapid development of population aging brings social and life changes, which exacerbate the mental health needs of older adults in institutional care [1]. Finding meaning in life is one of the most important factors in promoting mental health [2]. Compared with older adults who are cared for in the community, residents of elderly anxiety and depression [8]. ...
Background
Meaning in life is a widely accepted aim in promoting psychosocial health in institutional care. However, how caregiver interaction and perceived control impact meaning in life among the elderly remains unclear. This study explores the effect of institutional caregiver interaction, family caregiver interaction, and perceived control on meaning in life among elderly residents in China, and the potential moderating effect of elderly-to-social worker ratio in these associations.
Methods
Multistage random sampling was used to recruit a sample of 452 elderly residents from 4 elderly care homes in urban China. A structural equation model was used to test the study hypothesis.
Results
Institutional caregiver interaction is positively related to meaning in life, and perceived control among elderly residents has a positive impact on meaning in life. Moreover, the elderly-to-social worker ratio moderated the relationship between institutional caregiver interaction and meaning in life, as well as between family caregiver interaction and meaning in life.
Conclusions
Increase elderly’s meaning in life is an important service target for the caring professions in institutional care. Social workers affect the effectiveness of interventions on elderly’s meaning in life in institutional care. A higher elderly-to-social worker ratio could improve the effectiveness of interventions on meaning in life for elderly residents.
... Contextualization, on the other hand, brings together and extends insights from several domains, including the interplay between time perception and meaningfulness, consumer wisdom, and experiences of awe. Temporal contextualization aligns with findings on how thinking about time integratively (balancing past events and future considerations with present circumstances) can enhance life meaningfulness (Baumeister et al. 2013). It also builds upon the consumer wisdom literature (Luchs and Mick 2018), connecting retrospection and prospection with a higher quality of life (Luchs, Mick, and Haws 2021;Mick, Bateman, and Lutz 2009), as illustrated by Liz's and Katie's reflections on their past and future in relation to their present. ...
While consumers frequently seek meaning through their marketplace interactions, a comprehensive understanding of meaningful consumption is conspicuously absent from marketing literature. Such insight would notably benefit macromarketing scholars who aim to evaluate the implications of consumer purchasing decisions on quality of life. Addressing this gap, our study employs 40 in-depth interviews to arrive at the phenomenological essence of meaningful consumption. We discover that meaningful consumption comprises three key themes—rejuvenation, expansion, and consolidation—accompanied by seven related sub-themes: repair and reconnection; intellectual, pragmatic, and relational expansion; and crystallization and contextualization. Our overarching framework enriches macromarketing theory by virtue of its ability to accommodate a large variety of meaningful consumption experiences while simultaneously enhancing existing discourse on the eudaimonic aspects of consumption.
... Consumers consider their lives as meaningful when they feel that they matter in the world. Such feelings originate from activities that have implications beyond the self, such as helping others and praying (Baumeister et al., 2013). To fill life with purpose, consumers need a sense of mission, a prospect of growth, and intentions to achieve their objectives. ...
This paper conceptualizes the phenomenon of historizing the present , defined as emphasizing the historical significance of present events and treating the present from the perspective of history. The authors identify four modes of historizing the present (emphasizing that: (1) the present will shape history; (2) the present is a unique moment in history; (3) the present will be remembered in history; (4) the present echoes history) and demonstrate how historizing can be employed by marketers of for‐profit and nonprofit organizations in a variety of contexts. The paper examines the psychological implications of appreciating the historical significance of the present and outlines a research agenda for studying the downstream behavioral consequences of historizing the present across diverse substantive consumer domains. It concludes with an examination of the broader societal implications of historizing the present as well as its implications for consumer well‐being.
... Complimentary Copy (Baumeister, 2013;Baumsteiger, 2018;Huta & Zuroff, 2007). A promising avenue for helping more people lead the types of lives they want is to encourage them to behave prosocially. ...
Depression is one of the characteristics of some mental disorders,
including major depressive disorder; but it may be a natural reaction to
life events, such as the death of a loved one, the effects of physical
illnesses, or the side effects of certain medications. Today, in psychology,
it has been proven that depression in different people may be associated
with different symptoms. Various factors, including age and gender, can
directly affect the symptoms of depression. Therefore, it is obvious that
depression does not appear with the same symptoms in all people.
However, a series of features are common symptoms of depression and
include depressed mood, lack of interest even in activities that were
enjoyable in the past, suicidal thoughts, sleep and appetite problems,
feeling tired, lack of energy, pessimism and hopelessness about the
future. In order to be diagnosed with one of the depression disorders,there must be several symptoms of depression in a certain period of time
and also these symptoms lead to the destruction of the person’s
performance in life. But some features of depression, such as apathy, may
exist in a person without leading to the loss of a person’s function.
Therefore, depression in these people is only considered a characteristic
and not a disorder. In this chapter, we will examine the pathology of
depressive disorders and then provide an overview of evidence-based
psychotherapies for this common and debilitating disorder.
... See Glass et al. (2016). 5 Baumeister et al. (2013) found that negative experiences are positively correlated with meaningfulness but negatively correlated with happiness. 6 Lewis (1986Lewis ( , 1995. 7 Martela (2017). ...
What makes a life meaningful and how do we know when our lives have meaning? This paper draws on the experience of grief to provide answer to these questions. It is argued that grief is a unique kind of transformative experience that gives us access to facts about the depth of meaningfulness and value that even the most seemingly mundane aspects of our day-to-day lives have had which often goes largely unrecognized until the source of that meaning is lost.
... Psychologists make an important conceptual distinction between eudaimonic and hedonic well-being (see e.g. Ryan and Deci 2001;Baumeister et al. 2013, Diener et al. 2017Smith 2017, Bloom 2021. Eudaimonic wellbeing refers roughly to life-satisfaction-the capacity to fulfil and develop one's potential through the pursuit of goals that fit with one's personal values such as spending time with loved ones, working on one's garden, making music, or campaigning for a political cause. ...
Our paper takes as its starting point the recent proposal, at the core of this special issue, to use the active inference framework (AIF) to computationally model what it is for a person to live a meaningful life. In broad brushstrokes, the AIF takes experiences of human flourishing to be the result of predictions and uncertainty estimations along many dimensions at multiple levels of neurobiological organization. Our aim in this paper is to explain how AIF models predict that uncertainty can sometimes, under the right conditions, be conducive to the experiences of flourishing. Our focus is on playfulness, because playful individuals have learned a high-level prior that in certain safe contexts, uncertainty and error should be tolerated and explored. They have expanded the phenotypic bound on the amount of surprise they are prepared to tolerate in their lives. The positive embracing of uncertainty has a number of positive knock-on effects for the kind of lives playful individuals are able to lead. First, a playful individual attends to the world in a way that is open and expansive, a mode of attending that is effortless and therefore conducive to being in the present. This openness to the present moment allows for deep engagement and participation in experience that can furnish a renewed appreciation for life. Second, playful individuals will actively seek out spaces at the edge of their own abilities and will therefore be more likely to grow and develop in their skills and relationships in ways that contribute to their living a good life. Finally, playful agents seek out situations in which they can monitor, observe, and learn from their own affective responses to uncertainty. Thus, uncertainty becomes something familiar to them that they not only learn to tolerate but also enjoy positively exploring, in ways that provide them opportunities to grow. For these three reasons, we will argue that playfulness and openness to experiences of uncertainty and the unknown may be important ingredients in human flourishing.
... Personal values guide a sense of meaning. This sense of meaningfulness has been connected to higher life satisfaction, positive relationships, and vitality (Baumeister et al., 2013;Khaw & Kern, 2014;Seligman, 2012). ...
This paper examines Generation Z consumers' perceptions of a good life beyond consumerism and how their perceptions and practices have evolved during crises and the cultural context in which they live. We present a unique theoretical and empirical cross-cultural investigation which focuses on the ecological crisis and COVID-19 pandemic, and the changes they have caused to Gen Zs' daily lives in the United States (California) and Finland. Two large qualitative data sets were collected through focus group interviews and open-and closed-ended surveys before and during COVID-19 and analyzed via the PERMA framework. Findings revealed that Gen Zs' pathways that lead to a good life include: healthy behaviors and balance ; positive and meaningful relationships; happiness and positivity; meaningful things; productivity and goals; and daily routines. Findings also indicated that since COVID-19, Gen Zs are increasingly shifting toward virtuous behaviors and eudaimonic-oriented life, in which moderation, meaningfulness, and self-realization play key roles. Gen Zs are characterized as a global consumer cohort and a driver of change for a sustainable future, thus understanding how these future professionals, leaders, and mainstream consumers perceive a good life provides theoretical and practical insights into how to provide ecologically sustainable well-being for nature and future generations. K E Y W O R D S consumer well-being, eudaimonic well-being, flourishing, good life, hedonic well-being, sustainability
... Some parents may even see the role as a calling (Nelson et al., 2014). In turn, a sense of purpose and meaning is positively related to happiness (Baumeister et al., 2013;Hughes, 2006;Ryff & Keyes, 1995). ...
Little research on multiple identities has investigated how more general, higher-level identities are related to more specialized, lower-level identities. Using data on parents from the General Social Survey 2014 Identity Module, we examine links between gender identity (a higher-level identity) and the parent identity (a lower-level identity) on the identity aspects of verification, prominence, salience, and pride. Based on previous research, we argue that corresponding aspects of the two identities should be correlated because the two identities share meanings. We find moderately positive associations. Because identity verification is associated with positive feelings, we also examine how verification of the two identities is related to overall happiness. We also investigate how identity prominence, salience, and pride relate to happiness. Because gender identity and the parent identity have different meanings for men and women, we test for gender differences in how the two identities are associated with happiness. We find that gender identity verification is related to greater happiness for men, but not women, whereas parent identity verification is positively associated with happiness for both men and women. Parent identity prominence and salience are related to greater happiness for men, but not for women. Our findings extend research on how identities at different levels of the control system relate to each other. They also suggest that disadvantages built into women’s role limit the benefits of identity for well-being.KeywordsMultiple identitiesGender identityParent identityHappiness
... To test for this prediction, we conducted a oneway ANOVA in which condition served as a three-level predictor, and self-reported happiness from participating in the activities in question This may be because participating in a high-skill activity is seen as contributing in some meaningful way to the development of skills that come in handy in the future. Such a finding is consistent with the idea that while happiness is a more "present-focused" emotion, meaning is an emotion that connects the present to the future (and potentially, the past) as well (see Baumeister et al., 2013). ...
High‐skill activities—defined as those for which ability increases with practice over time—tend to contribute more to well‐being than do low‐skill ones. Nevertheless, consumers may spend the majority of their leisure time partaking in low‐skill activities (e.g., watching television, listening to music, web surfing)—despite correctly recognizing that higher‐skill activities, despite requiring more effort, are more happiness‐inducing. We explore this paradox in the present research. Results from five experiments (three online experiments and two lab experiments) confirm that consumers report being happier when spending time on high (vs. low) skill activities, and that the increased happiness from these high‐skill activities is mediated by increased “flow” from them. Expertise in an activity moderates this effect, such that those who are relative experts in a high‐skill activity experience increased happiness and meaning compared to those who are amateurs. We discuss how consumers can utilize this knowledge to improve their well‐being, and how marketers and employers can build on our findings to enhance customer and employee satisfaction.
... Heritage-a connection to a shared past-can strengthen identity, provide stability, create meaning across time, and increase positive affect (Baumeister 1991;Baumeister et al. 2013;Friedman 1992;Wildschut et al. 2006). Analysis of world heritage sites shows that a heritage designation increases investment at local and national levels, builds civic pride, increases social capital, develops sustainable tourism, provides promotional advantage (PwC 2007), generates substantial economic benefits (Kayahan and Vanblarcom 2012), and is a valuable marketing tool (Caust and Vecco 2017). ...
Owners value heritage goods, items that connect them to a shared past, whether through their alma mater or their family history. This research considers the impact of heritage on owners who wish to sell such goods. In five studies, we demonstrate that sellers have a lower willingness-to-accept (WTA) for heritage goods when selling to buyers with a shared heritage connection relative to buyers without this connection (i.e., a heritage discount). This heritage discount cannot be explained by in-group favoritism, sentimental value, or appropriateness of buyer usage and persists even when sellers perceive that the buyer has a higher willingness-to-pay (WTP). We provide process evidence that the effect of the buyer’s identity on the seller’s WTA is driven by concerns about heritage loss. Our findings contribute to literatures on sharing, sentimental goods, psychological ownership, and the endowment effect, and have marketing implications for consumer goods (e.g., collectibles) that derive product value by connecting consumers to meaningful history and traditions.
... "Mens sana in corpore sano"is a Latin phrase, usually translated as "a healthy mind in a healthy body". Since mental illness affects the mind, the body and the spirit of the individuals who suffer from its consequences .It is of paramount importance for psychiatrists to be holistic healers of their patients mind so that they regain not just their mental health but also their physical well being and their spiritual fulfillment to be able to experience a meaningful and a purpose driven life [8]. To achieve this time honored mission psychiatrists need to advocate on behalf of their patients to assure that all of them have adequate food,shelter and medical care.They also need to be an integral part of integrated and comprehensive interdisciplinary mental health treatment team that support ...
... However, when asked about the type of life desired in the United States over one third of people respond that they would prefer a meaningful or rich, interesting life over happiness (Oishi & Westgate, 2022); and in countries such as Germany, Norway, and Portugal, nearly half of people show a preference for a life that is more than happiness. Researchers find that when the objective is not about the present but designing a fulfilling future, changing emotions is less relevant than finding meaning and pursuing a purpose (Baumeister et al., 2013). Until recently, absent from most research on emotion regulation is an assessment of why people choose to regulateneglecting the critical fact that regulatory success depends on how well a person meets the personal goals in a situation. ...
Much of the scientific work on emotion regulation has examined strategies in isolation. Now that we have a better understanding of emotion regulatory strategy use and frequency, there is an opportunity to explore new psychological territory. As a starting point, we illustrate how a highly touted strategy, cognitive reappraisal, supercharges a critical component of well-being: purpose in life. We also examine how purpose in life offers a framework to better understand when and how cognitive reappraisal is adaptive. Examining emotion regulation in the context of a sense of purpose in life opens portals to new questions and testable hypotheses. We end with a reconsideration of emotion regulation flexibility over hyper specialization on singular strategies such as reappraisal. Our aim is to inspire research that examines how emotion regulation facilitates or hinders important elements of the good life, as well as how elements of well-being inform regulation choice and success.
... Finally, very high levels of experienced fit ('homeostasis') may be seen as a state of low arousal, at which point fully fulfilled hedonism needs result in idleness. For example, research indicates that happiness-seeking is considered as antithetical to active involvement (Baumeister et al., 2013), whilst feelings of hedonism have been linked to passivity in individuals (Veenhoven, 2003). As a result, employees experiencing high levels of fit may be less inclined to engage in more OCBs, especially when these extra-role behaviours threaten to change the much-desired status quo (Choi, 2007). ...
In this paper, we revisit this well‐established linear relationship of person‐organisation, demands‐abilities, and needs‐supply fit with job satisfaction, commitment, and OCBs, and propose that this relationship may be linear for affective work outcomes but curvilinear for behavioural ones. We test this idea in a two‐wave sample of 212 employees, with measures taken 4 weeks apart. The results support the idea that the relationship between fit and behavioural outcomes can, indeed, be curvilinear. Overall, this study contributes to a better understanding of the nature of the relationship between fit and work outcomes by challenging the long‐held ‘more fit is better’ logic that pervades much of the PE fit research to date.
... Commonly, understandings of well-being can be broadly placed into the categories of hedonic and eudamonic well-being (Anderson et al. 2013). Hedonic wellbeing refers to happiness and pleasure, which are associated with the concept of subjective wellbeing (Anderson et al. 2013;Baumeister et al. 2013). This category pertains to affective states of well-being, where happiness is a key outcome (Ryff 1989). ...
Consumers are increasingly expected to be active in managing their personal well-being. Agency, meaning individuals’ ability to reflect on their circumstances, effect change, and act independently, constitutes an important means for consumer well-being. To a growing extent, consumers are using smart technologies, such as wearable devices and applications, to better manage their well-being. However, how interactions with wearables improve and affect consumer agency for well-being is underexamined. The aim of this study is to explore how consumers use smart wearable technologies as resources for agency in managing their well-being. Drawing on psychological and sociological literature on agency as well as qualitative data from users of various wearable devices, the authors distinguish individual and contextual levels of agency, in which knowing and acting constitute two types of smart wearable technology use. From these dimensions, they conceptualize a framework with four types of technology use for well-being: (1) self-improvement, (2) justification, (3) adaptation, and (4) activism. The authors discuss the theoretical and managerial implications of this framework with the aim of improving consumer agency for well-being through smart technology.
... Individuals use language to define their identity, give it meaning, perceive the identity of others, and communicate with them (Burke & Stets, 2009). Language grows and develops within a culture (Baumeister, Vohs, Aaker, & Garbinsky, 2013), and communication is a platform for the flow of information, the acquisition of a common language, and the internalization of values, rules, and beliefs (Carr, Cole, Ring, & Blettner, 2011;Staniewski & Awruk, 2021). The family context is a platform for creating a common perception of meanings and transmitting them among all family members . ...
... These moments can be deeply felt, deeply processed, enlightening, and transforming (Wong, 2012a(Wong, , 2012b. Moreover, it centres on the meaning of life, a more popular concept in the psychological field, which is both a cognitive and emotional assessment of whether one's life has purpose and value (Baumeister et al., 2013). This evaluation can result either as meaning fulfilment-a subjective satisfactory appraisal of one's own life that weighs personal goals, the corresponding achievement of these goals, and one's attitude towards them-or its opposite, existential frustration (Frankl, 1963;Lukas, 1989). ...
The possible positive consequences of trauma and its relationship to existential aspects are receiving increasing attention. However, little is known about how young individuals perceive the changed status of these profound aspects of their lives. This study aimed to explore and identify the themes of the possible positive aspects of trauma-related suffering, the most meaningful moments, and the perception of meaning realization in young individuals. A total of 139 trauma-exposed Mexican university students responded to a survey consisting of open-ended questions survey. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. The main benefits of suffering were a better attitude towards life, more maturity and strength, new capabilities, and a reorganization of values, purposes, and beliefs. In reference to significant moments, the themes of the importance of bonds with significant people, spiritual moments, and personal achievements emerged. Both meaning realization and existential frustration were observed. Meaning was mainly oriented towards career goals, other people, personal growth, and financial goals. Findings suggested several patterns of existential concerns for Mexican university students. Both personal and interpersonal levels were cited as pivotal aspects for the transformation of young people after trauma. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.
... The two overarching types of wellbeing are only weakly-to-moderately related [9]. Eudaimonic wellbeing entails a broader appraisal of one's past, present and future, whereas hedonic wellbeing focuses on current need satisfaction [10]. Both are important, although eudaimonic wellbeing is arguably associated more strongly with overall functioning [11]. ...
We review recent evidence of nostalgia’s ability to enhance and buffer different types of wellbeing. Nostalgia has been associated with increased hedonic wellbeing (e.g., life satisfaction, happiness) in various contexts. Nostalgia is triggered by and can mitigate against threats to hedonic wellbeing. Nostalgia also increases eudaimonic wellbeing (e.g., perceptions of vitality, environmental mastery, positive relationships) and mitigates threats to eudaimonic wellbeing through varying mechanisms. Two applications of these wellbeing benefits are being explored in recent research: nostalgia can help understand how people buffer negative psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic; and is being harnessed for wellbeing interventions. More experimental and longitudinal research is needed to establish and maximize the potential of nostalgia for bolstering resilience.
... Our definition of EWB includes "sense of meaning," which refers to a subjective sense that life is meaningful, that is, perceiving that the world is comprehensible, that one has purposeful goals, and that one matters to others and/or the cosmos (George & Park, 2016). This eudaimonic component may prove to be essential to the overall experience of feeling good, or may interact with hedonic components (e.g., Baumeister et al., 2013). ...
Our target article (Park et al., this issue) described the process of developing a provisional conceptualization of emotional well-being (EWB). In that article, we considered strengths and gaps in current perspectives on a variety of related concepts and ways that the proposed conceptualization of EWB informs our evaluation of measures and methods of assessment and identification of its causes and consequences. We concluded with recommendations for moving the framework and the field forward. Eight rich, thoughtful, and highly engaged commentaries addressed the target article. Collectively, these commentaries illustrate both points of consensus and areas of substantial disagreement, providing a potential roadmap for continued work. In this response, we summarize key issues raised and highlight those points raised by multiple commentators or that we considered seminal to advancing future discussion and research.
This study established the intricate relationship between Human Resource Management (HRM) practices and the operational efficiency of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria, spanning the years 2015 to 2022. It evaluated Human Resource Management policies and practices adopted by the NDDC during the specified time frame, in the area of recruitment, training, and employee engagement strategies. Adopting Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs as its theoretical framework, the study aimed at assessing existing Human resource management at the NDDC, Port Harcourt Rivers State Nigeria from 2015 to 2022. The investigation employed a comprehensive approach, combining qualitative and quantitative methodologies to scrutinize the dynamic interplay of human capital strategies and their impact on organizational effectiveness. Also, Survey research design was adopted for this study. Simple percentage method was used as the study method of data analysis. The hypotheses was tested using chi-square method. As the Niger Delta region stands as a pivotal economic hub, the role of the NDDC becomes increasingly vital. Findings revealed a notable misalignment between the NDDC's Human Resource Management practices and its strategic objectives. It concluded that there is misalignment between Human Resources Management practices and strategic objectives in NDDC; it emphasized the importance of strategic coherence for organizational success. It recommended that there is a need to conduct a comprehensive review of the NDDC's strategic objectives and align Human Resources Management practices accordingly. This involves revisiting and, if necessary, restructuring Human Resources policies, processes, and programmes to ensure they directly contribute to the organization's overarching goals. By conducting a longitudinal analysis, the study contributes to knowledge as it offers insights into the evolving impact of Human Resources Management practices on the NDDC's efficiency.
Coping style is a cognitive and behavioral effort in which individuals face specific internal and external environmental requirements beyond their ability. Fire rescue personnel are often faced with sudden disasters and threats, so positive coping style is of great significance to the mental health of them. Although previous studies have found that perceived social support can promote positive coping style, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study was designed to investigate a hypothetical model that posits that perceived social support in fire rescue personnel positively predicts positive coping style and that positive emotion and meaning in life play a mediating role. A total of 354 fire rescue personnel with fire rescue detachment in a city were investigated via the Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS), Positive and Negative Emotion Scale (PANNS), Meaning of Life Questionnaire (MLQ) and Simple Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ). The correlation between these variables and the mediating effect of resilience was examined by path analysis. The average scores of perceived social support, positive emotion, sense of life meaning and positive coping style were 4.94 ± 0.83, 3.26 ± 0.75, 4.94 ± 0.83 and 2.67 ± 0.44, respectively. The results of the correlation analysis revealed that positive coping style was positively correlated with social support, positive emotion and sense of meaning in life (all p < 0.01). Positive emotion and meaning in life had a complete mediating effect on the relationship between perceived social support and positive coping style, and the total mediating effect accounted for 76.05% of the total effect. Positive emotion and meaning in life play dual mediating roles in the perceived social support and positive coping style of fire rescue personnel. This paper reveals the internal mechanism of the perceived social support and positive coping style of fire rescue personnel, aiming to provide a theoretical basis and practical guidance for improving the mental health and rescue ability of fire rescue personnel.
Happiness, or "Sukha," in Ayurveda, is a state of balance involving physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Ayurveda, an ancient system of medicine, emphasizes the importance of balancing the three doshas-Vata, Pitta, and Kapha-which govern bodily functions and processes. This article aims to explore how happiness is conceptualized in Ayurvedic philosophy and the measures suggested to achieve it. The primary sources utilized for this work include ancient Ayurvedic texts such as the Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita, and Astanga Hridaya Samhita, which provide a comprehensive understanding of happiness from an Ayurvedic perspective. The study highlights that achieving happiness requires maintaining good digestion and excretion, a clear mind, and a clean heart, all of which can be supported by a harmonious lifestyle. Key practices, including daily regimens (Dinacharya) like early rising, oral hygiene, medicated oil massage (Abhyanga), exercise or yoga (Vyayama), and meditation, are essential for sustaining well-being. Additionally, a Sattvic mindset (purity and knowledge) and a life aligned with Dharma (righteous living) contribute to meaningful happiness. The final outcome suggests that adherence to Ayurvedic principles can enhance happiness and promote long-term well-being in all aspects of life.
Social relationships accompany us throughout adulthood and are among the most important sources of meaning in a person’s life. However, little is known about age differences in meaningfulness of social interactions across adulthood. According to socioemotional selectivity theory, as people age, they develop relatively stronger preferences for social relationships that are emotionally meaningful. Consequently, older adults may perceive social interactions in everyday life as more meaningful than younger adults. To test this hypothesis, the present study examined age-related differences in the perceived meaningfulness of daily social interactions using experience sampling data. Three-hundred six participants (56.9% women, 18–88 years) completed a total of 6,407 entries over 3 days. Results of the multilevel analyses showed that age was positively associated with perceived meaningfulness of daily social interactions, controlling for relationship closeness and situation valence. In addition, the perceived meaningfulness of daily social interactions was positively related to subjective well-being both between and within all participants, indicating that meaningful social interactions are beneficial for well-being regardless of age. Thus, perceiving social interactions as meaningful could be one way that older people maintain a high level of well-being in their daily lives.
Anja Machielse explains the concept of meaning in life and the importance of social connectedness to the process of meaning-making in old age. Using “belongingness theory”, she clarifies the vital role interpersonal relationships play in personal life and how they contribute substantially to the capacity to make sense of one’s life. However, changes in older people’s lives may affect their experience of meaningfulness and their social needs. The confrontation with adverse life events in various areas has implications for all dimensions of meaning in life and leads to a greater need for emotional closeness. But whereas the need for profound, close relationships increases, the opportunities for maintaining relationships are fewer, and the risk of social, emotional, and existential loneliness increases. Since people who lack meaningful relationships also lose meaning, Machielse emphasizes the importance of social recognition and acceptance of older adults from the wider environment and society. Meaningful aging presupposes a social environment or humane society where older people feel included and accepted.
This book is a collection of all the papers published in the special issue "Philosophy and Meaning in Life Vol. 5: Selected Papers from the Tohoku Conference," Journal of Philosophy of Life Vol. 14 , No.1, 2024 , 1-53 . Perfectionism and Vulgarianism About a Meaningful Life David Matheson What’s the Point If We’re All Going to Die?: Pessimism, Moderation, and the Reality of the Past Matthew Pianalto Meaning in Life in the Context of Psychopathology and Personal Recovery Bernice Brijan
The effect of radiology service quality on patient satisfaction on urology ultrasonography (ultrasound) examination at Radiology Installation Sanjiwani Regional Hospital, Gianyar aims to determine the effect of Radiology Service Quality on Patient Satisfaction on Urological Ultrasound Examination at Radiology Installation Sanjiwani Regional Hospital, Gianyar. This type of research uses quantitative research methods with a survey approach conducted at Sanjiwani Hospital in Gianyar Radiology Installation in April 2019. The population of this study is all outpatients who receive Urological Ultrasonography examination services with the sample of this research are 30 outpatients who get the Urological Ultrasonography examination. The results of the study were then analyzed by using the first SPSS test, which is valid, reliable, normality, and spearman. From the results of this study indicate that patients who have received Radiology services on Urology Ultrasonography (USG) examination expressed very satisfied as much as 18%, expressed satisfaction as much as 72% and stated quite satisfied as much as 10%, it can be concluded that 90% of patients who received Ultrasonography services (USG) Urology at Radiology Installation at Sanjiwani Regional Hospital, Gianyar, said he was satisfied.
When the relevant literature is reviewed, it will be seen that there is a research gap regarding the effect of happiness on consumer behavior before shopping. This study was conducted to fill this research gap. The aim of this study is to explore how happiness affects customers’ repurchase intentions when they
shop online. In addition, the indirect effect of happiness on online repurchase intention is explored in this study, focusing on the mediating role of perceived online shopping enjoyment and perceived online shopping usefulness. The data were collected from 296 participants through an online survey. Regression
and process macro analysis was used to test the research hypotheses. According to the findings of the study, happiness has a positive and significant direct effect on perceived online shopping enjoyment, perceived online shopping usefulness, and online repurchase intention. Moreover, perceived online shopping enjoyment and perceived online shopping usefulness have a positive and significant direct effect on online repurchase intention. In addition, perceived online shopping enjoyment and perceived online shopping usefulness mediate the indirect effect of happiness on online repurchase intention. Suggestions are provided in the study. Practitioners should consider that pre-shopping happiness, perceived online shopping enjoyment, and perceived online shopping usefulness may drive consumers to shop online.
The Oxford Handbook of the Philosophy of Love offers a wide array of original essays on the nature and value of love. The editors, Christopher Grau and Aaron Smuts, have assembled an esteemed group of thinkers, including both established scholars and younger voices. The volume contains three dozen essays addressing both issues about love as well as key philosophers who have contributed to the philosophy of love, such as Plato, Kierkegaard, Schopenhauer, and Murdoch. The topics range from central issues about the nature and variety of love, the possibility of its rational justification, and whether it is an emotion, to the significance of love for law, economics, morality, and free will. The volume also contains an introduction to the subject as well as essays on love’s relation to jealousy, polyamory, religion, knowledge, and several other topics. This wide-ranging handbook will be a key resource for specialists working on the philosophy of love, and a helpful guide for those looking to learn more about the area.
Bu çalışmanın amacı, belirsizliğe tahammülsüzlüğün yaşam tatminine etkisinde algılanan örgütsel stresin aracılık rolünün ortaya çıkarılmasıdır. Günümüzdeki hızlı değişimler belirsizlikleri ve bunun sonucunda bireyler tarafından yaşanan stresi ortaya çıkarabilmektedir. Örgütlerde stresin ortaya çıkması hem çalışan bireyler hem de örgütün kolektif biçimde çalışması açısından olumsuz durumların yaşanabilmesine neden olmaktadır. Çalışma kapsamında 402 mavi ve beyaz yakalı çalışandan anket tekniği kullanılarak veriler toplanmıştır. Elde edilen veriler SPSS Paket Programın 21. versiyonuyla analiz edilmiştir. Bu çerçevede Baron ve Kenny'in dört aşamalı regresyon modeli uygulanmış ve Sobel Test hesaplanmıştır. Yapılan analizler sonucunda elde edilen bulgulara göre belirsizliğe tahammülsüzlük ile yaşam tatmini arasında algılanan örgütsel stresin aracı rol üstlendiği ortaya çıkarılmıştır. Bu sonuçlar belirsizliğe tahammülsüzlüğün algılanan örgütsel stresi artırdığını, algılanan örgütsel stresin de yaşam doyumunu azalttığını göstermektedir.
Non-suicidal self-injury is an important public health problem, which is closely related to suicidal behavior and has attracted wide attention from researchers. This study recruited 1207 adolescents to systematically explore the relationship between cumulative risks and non-suicidal self-injuries using scales and questionnaires. It also compared the influences of various risk factors on self-injurious behaviour and researched the protective effect of personality strengths (mindfulness, hope, openness, grit, and meaning in life) as resilience factors. The results showed that the significant predictive effects of cumulative risks on adolescents’ non-suicidal self-injury and adverse childhood experiences are greater predictors of adolescents’ non-suicidal self-injury than negative life events. Mindfulness and meaning in life are two protectors co-moderating the effects of cumulative risk on adolescents’ non-suicidal self-injury. This study has important implications for a better understanding of resilience. And more intervention and prevention strategies based on personality strengths for individuals experiencing adversity and stress could be effective in improving their psychosocial functioning.
In a world of educational crisis, students who lack engagement and feel bored at school might not pursue further education when given opportunities to leave school. In the twenty-first century, there is a need for lifelong learners and it is therefore essential to focus on optimising education. How do we support deep learning and application of knowledge? How do we support student motivation for learning? How do we engage students in learning activities? How do we make students thrive in schools and learning activities? This chapter offers possible answers to these questions. The chapter starts by introducing important elements of learning and a framework for optimising education and engaging the students. Next, the PERMA model for optimising wellbeing for students is presented, and finally the two frameworks are combined to create thriving learners by focusing on active, involving, and engaging learning in combination with a focus on wellbeing.
p>The results of the study of psychological resources of educators of organizations for orphans with different levels of emotional intelligence (EI) are presented. The study involved 186 employees from 39 regions of the Russia. 3 groups were identified: high (N=57), medium (N=83) and lowered (N=34) levels of EI. It is established that the degree of severity and content of psychological resources depend on the level of EI. A group with a high level can be considered as a model. Representatives of the average and lowered level of EI have adaptation mechanisms that compensate for the lack of EI. In a medium group excessively high requirements for their involvement in activities increase the risk of professional burnout, reduce satisfaction with instrumental resources, and increase vulnerability "to a conflict of roles". The specificity of psychological resources is noted, which is expressed in: 1) the predominance of interpersonal EI (hereinafter MEI) over intrapersonal EI (hereinafter WEI); 2) a certain specificity of the structure of psychological resources, which included 5 components: a) the EI resource as the key; b) the resources of stability and self-regulation in relation to subjective well-being; c) motivational resources associated with the potential of compassion; d) environmental resources and the self-efficacy of emotional self-regulation; e) instrumental resources negatively associated with the conflict of roles.</p
Recent scholarly and media accounts paint a portrait of unhappy parents who find remarkably little joy in taking care of their children, but the scientific basis for these claims remains inconclusive. In the three studies reported here, we used a strategy of converging evidence to test whether parents evaluate their lives more positively than do nonparents (Study 1), feel relatively better than do nonparents on a day-to-day basis (Study 2), and derive more positive feelings from caring for their children than from other daily activities (Study 3). The results indicate that, contrary to previous reports, parents (and especially fathers) report relatively higher levels of happiness, positive emotion, and meaning in life than do nonparents.
This paper is an invited response to Kashdan, Biswas-Diener, & King (2008) and to Waterman's (2008) commentary. Kashdan et al. assert that the distinction between hedonic and eudaimonic well-being is unwarranted philosophically and scientifically. We disagree, because a correct understanding of Aristotle refutes Kashdan et al.'s claims, and we refute three specific claims made about the definition, measurements, and overlap of kinds of subjective well-being. We re-analyze data from Keyes' (2005b) paper on mental health, and find that nearly half (48.5%) of the MIDUS national sample has high hedonic well-being. However, only 18% are flourishing, which requires a high level of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. The remaining 30.5% with high hedonic well-being but moderate eudaimonic well-being has nearly twice the rate of mental illness as flourishing individuals. Costs are incurred, we conclude, by science and citizens when we do not distinguish and achieve both kinds of well-being.
In this article, we use terror management theory to address the question of why people are motivated to achieve a variety of specific psychological endstates. We argue that the most basic of all human motives is an instinctive desire for continued life, and that all more specific motives are ultimately rooted in this basic evolutionary adaptation. We propose a tripartite motive system through which this prime directive for continued life is achieved, along with a hierarchical model of the relation between motives at different levels of abstraction. This analysis specifies the relation between the self-preservation instinct and various more specific and concrete psychological motives. The three major branches of this motivational hierarchy consist of (a) direct biological motives, which are oriented toward attaining the biological necessities of life (e.g., food, air, water); (b) symbolic-defensive motives, which are oriented toward control- ling the potential for existential terror brought on by awareness of the ultimate impossibility of continued satisfaction of the self-preservation instinct; and (c) self- expansive motives, which are oriented toward the growth and expansion of the individual's competencies and internal representations of reality. To illustrate the integrative utility of this analysis, we discuss the role of superordinate symbolic terror management needs in the pursuit of cognitive consistency, belief in a just world, self-awareness related behavior, self-esteem, social identity, impression management, and the control of others' worldviews.
Discusses issues in the cognitive representation and control of action from the perspective of action identification theory. This theory holds that any action can be identified in many ways, ranging from low-level identities that specify how the action is performed to high-level identities that signify why or with what effect the action is performed. The level of identification most likely to be adopted by an actor is dictated by processes reflecting a trade-off between concerns for comprehensive action understanding and effective action maintenance. This suggests that the actor is always sensitive to contextual cues to higher levels of identification but moves to lower levels of identification if the action proves difficult to maintain with higher level identities in mind. These processes are documented empirically, as is their coordinated interplay in promoting a level of prepotent identification that matches the upper limits of the actor's capacity to perform the action. Implications are developed for action stability, the psychology of performance impairment, personal vs situational causation, and the behavioral bases of self-understanding. (87 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Hedonia (seeking pleasure and comfort) and eudaimonia (seeking to use and develop the best in oneself) are often seen as opposing
pursuits, yet each may contribute to well-being in different ways. We conducted four studies (two correlational, one experience-sampling,
and one intervention study) to determine outcomes associated with activities motivated by hedonic and eudaimonic aims. Overall,
results indicated that: between persons (at the trait level) and within persons (at the momentary state level), hedonic pursuits
related more to positive affect and carefreeness, while eudaimonic pursuits related more to meaning; between persons, eudaimonia
related more to elevating experience (awe, inspiration, and sense of connection with a greater whole); within persons, hedonia
related more negatively to negative affect; between and within persons, both pursuits related equally to vitality; and both
pursuits showed some links with life satisfaction, though hedonia’s links were more frequent. People whose lives were high
in both eudaimonia and hedonia had: higher degrees of most well-being variables than people whose lives were low in both pursuits
(but did not differ in negative affect or carefreeness); higher positive affect and carefreeness than predominantly eudaimonic
individuals; and higher meaning, elevating experience, and vitality than predominantly hedonic individuals. In the intervention
study, hedonia produced more well-being benefits at short-term follow-up, while eudaimonia produced more at 3-month follow-up.
The findings show that hedonia and eudaimonia occupy both overlapping and distinct niches within a complete picture of well-being,
and their combination may be associated with the greatest well-being.
KeywordsPleasure-Hedonism-Eudaimonia-Virtue-Well-being-Elevation
This paper illustrates a new project developed by a cross-country team of researchers, with the aim of studying the hedonic
and eudaimonic components of happiness through a mixed method approach combining both qualitative and quantitative analyses.
Data were collected from 666 participants in Australia, Croatia, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and South Africa. A major
aim of the study was to examine definitions and experiences of happiness using open-ended questions. Among the components
of well-being traditionally associated with the eudaimonic approach, meaning in particular was explored in terms of constituents,
relevance, and subjective experience. The Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) was also administered to quantitatively assess
the hedonic dimension of happiness. Results showed that happiness was primarily defined as a condition of psychological balance
and harmony. Among the different life domains, family and social relations were prominently associated with happiness and
meaningfulness. The quantitative analyses highlighted the relationship between happiness, meaningfulness, and satisfaction
with life, as well as the different and complementary contributions of each component to well-being. At the theoretical and
methodological levels, findings suggest the importance of jointly investigating happiness and its relationship with other
dimensions of well-being, in order to detect differences and synergies among them.
KeywordsHappiness-Meaning-Satisfaction with life-Life domains-Mixed-method approach
The nature and structure of well-being is a topic that has garnered increasing interest with the emergence of positive psychology. Limited research to date suggests two separate but related factors of subjective well-being and psychological well-being. Subjective well-being comprises an affective component of the balance between positive and negative affect, together with a cognitive component of judgments about one’s life satisfaction. Psychological well-being is conceptualised as having six components, including positive relations with others, autonomy, environmental mastery, self-acceptance, purpose in life and personal growth. In the current study, we used exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis to examine the higher order factor structure of subjective and psychological well-being in a series of large UK samples. Analyses showed that subjective well-being and psychological well-being loaded separately onto two independent but related factors, consistent with previous research. Further, we demonstrated that these loadings did not vary according to gender, age or ethnicity, providing further support for the robustness of this higher order factor structure. The discussion locates these findings in context and explores future research directions on the associations between subjective and psychological well-being over time.
In two experiments, younger and older adults performed decision-making tasks in which reward values available were either independent of or dependent on the previous sequence of choices made. The choice-independent task involved learning and exploiting the options that gave the highest rewards on each trial. In this task, the stability of the expected reward for each option was not influenced by the previous choices participants made. The choice-dependent task involved learning how each choice influenced future rewards for two options and making the best decisions based on that knowledge. Younger adults performed better when rewards were independent of choice, whereas older adults performed better when rewards were dependent on choice. These findings suggest a fundamental difference in the way in which younger adults and older adults approach decision-making situations. We discuss the results in the context of prominent decision-making theories and offer possible explanations based on neurobiological and behavioral changes associated with aging.
Happiness is a key ingredient of well-being. It is thus reasonable to expect that valuing happiness will have beneficial outcomes. We argue that this may not always be the case. Instead, valuing happiness could be self-defeating, because the more people value happiness, the more likely they will feel disappointed. This should apply particularly in positive situations, in which people have every reason to be happy. Two studies support this hypothesis. In Study 1, female participants who valued happiness more (vs. less) reported lower happiness when under conditions of low, but not high, life stress. In Study 2, compared to a control group, female participants who were experimentally induced to value happiness reacted less positively to a happy, but not a sad, emotion induction. This effect was mediated by participants' disappointment at their own feelings. Paradoxically, therefore, valuing happiness may lead people to be less happy just when happiness is within reach.
The essence of who a person really is has been labeled the "true self," and an emerging area of research suggests that this self-concept plays an important role in the creation of a fulfilling existence. Three studies investigate the role of the subjective feeling that one possesses knowledge of one's true self in meaning in life judgments. Consistently, the perception of availability of true self-knowledge (operationalized as the metacognitive experience of ease in describing one's true self) predicted meaning in life judgments over and above other potentially related constructs such as mood and self-esteem. Conversely, the subjective availability of knowledge of how one actually behaves (i.e., one's actual self) was unrelated to meaning in life judgments. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.
The greater power of bad events over good ones is found in everyday events, major life events (e.g., trauma), close relationship outcomes, social network patterns, interpersonal interactions, and learning processes. Bad emotions, bad parents, and bad feedback have more impact than good ones, and bad information is processed more thoroughly than good. The self is more motivated to avoid bad self-definitions than to pursue good ones. Bad impressions and bad stereotypes are quicker to form and more resistant to disconfirmation than good ones. Various explanations such as diagnosticity and salience help explain some findings, but the greater power of bad events is still found when such variables are controlled. Hardly any exceptions (indicating greater power of good) can be found. Taken together, these findings suggest that bad is stronger than good, as a general principle across a broad range of psychological phenomena.
Competing predictions about the effect of social exclusion were tested by meta-analyzing findings from studies of interpersonal rejection, ostracism, and similar procedures. Rejection appears to cause a significant shift toward a more negative emotional state. Typically, however, the result was an emotionally neutral state marked by low levels of both positive and negative affect. Acceptance caused a slight increase in positive mood and a moderate increase in self-esteem. Self-esteem among rejected persons was no different from neutral controls. These findings are discussed in terms of belongingness motivation, sociometer theory, affective numbing, and self-esteem defenses.
The distinction between hedonic enjoyment and eudaimonia was evaluated in three data sets involving use of the Personally
Expressive Activities Questionnaire—Standard Form (PEAQ-S) with college student samples (n > 200 in each sample). Indices of these two conceptions of happiness were strongly and reliably related across the three
samples. Differences between these two conceptions of happiness were evaluated in two ways. First, we examined and compared
correlations of hedonic enjoyment and eudaimonia with variables related to intrinsic motivation. Zero-order correlations involving
hedonic enjoyment were significantly stronger with respect to measures of self-determination and interest than were the corresponding
correlations involving feelings of personal expressiveness (eudaimonia). In contrast, correlations involving eudaimonia were
significantly stronger with measures of the balance of challenges and skills, self-realization values, effort, and importance
than were the corresponding correlations with hedonic enjoyment. Second, we empirically distinguished between activities for
which both hedonic enjoyment and eudaimonia are present (intrinsically motivated activities) and activities for which hedonic
enjoyment alone is present (hedonically enjoyed activities). Intrinsically motivated activities were judged to be significantly
higher with respect to measures of the balance of challenges and skills, self-realization values, effort, importance, interest,
and flow experiences. No differences between the two categories of activities were found for self-determination and the frequency
with which activities were performed. Given these distinguishable patterns in the two conceptions of happiness, a reconceptualization
for the understanding of intrinsic motivation is proposed.
In an effort to strengthen conceptual foundations of eudaimonic well-being, key messages from Aristotle’s Nichomacean Ethics are revisited. Also examined are ideas about positive human functioning from existential and utilitarian philosophy as well
as clinical, developmental, and humanistic psychology. How these perspectives were integrated to create a multidimensional
model of psychological well-being [Ryff, C.D.: 1989a, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 57(6), pp. 1069–1081] is
described, and empirical evidence supporting the factorial validity of the model is briefly noted. Life course and socioeconomic
correlates of well-being are examined to underscore the point that opportunities for eudaimonic well-being are not equally
distributed. Biological correlates (cardiovascular, neuroendocrine, immune) of psychological well-being are also briefly noted
as they suggest possible health benefits associated with living a life rich in purpose and meaning, continued growth, and
quality ties to others. We conclude with future challenges in carrying the eudaimonic vision forward.
Both laypersons and social scientists typically assume that psychological well-being or happiness is a response to objective circumstances or events. The present study contributes to recent literature showing that stable individual differences are more useful than life circumstances in predicting well-being. Responses to items from the General Well-being Schedule were examined for 4942 men and women surveyed in a follow-up of a national sample. Results showed substantial stability for well-being scales for total group and demographically defined subgroups, and stability coefficients were as high for those who had experienced changes in marital or employment status or state of residence as for those who had not. These findings point out the need for caution in interpreting well-being scores as indices of the quality of life, because well-being is strongly influenced by enduring characteristics of the individual.
Personal Projects Analysis (B. R. Little, 1983) was adapted to examine relations between participants' appraisals of their goal characteristics and orthogonal happiness and meaning factors that emerged from factor analyses of diverse well-being measures. In two studies with 146 and 179 university students, goal efficacy was associated with happiness and goal integrity was associated with meaning. A new technique for classifying participants according to emergent identity themes is introduced. In both studies, identity-compensatory predictors of happiness were apparent. Agentic participants were happiest if their goals were supported by others, communal participants were happiest if their goals were fun, and hedonistic participants were happiest if their goals were being accomplished. The distinction between happiness and meaning is emphasized, and the tension between efficacy and integrity is discussed. Developmental implications are discussed with reference to results from archival data from a sample of senior managers.
The Day Reconstruction Method (DRM) assesses how people spend their time and how they experience the various activities and settings of their lives, combining features of time-budget measurement and experience sampling. Participants systematically reconstruct their activities and experiences of the preceding day with procedures designed to reduce recall biases. The DRM's utility is shown by documenting close correspondences between the DRM reports of 909 employed women and established results from experience sampling. An analysis of the hedonic treadmill shows the DRM's potential for well-being research.
Download link at: http://sitemaker.umich.edu/norbert.schwarz/day_reconstruction_method__time_use____well-being
This study investigates, combining qualitative and quantitative research methods, the sources of meaning in life of young adult patients and nonpatients. In addition to the exploratory concerns, the current investigation tested the following three predictions: (a) Relationships are the most frequent sources of meaning in life; (b) patients are less committed to their personal meanings than nonpatients; and (c) participants’ degrees of meaning in life, as operationalized with their scores on the Life Regard Index (LRI), are related to the degree of their commitment to their personal meanings. Findings from both the phenomenal and statistical analyses strongly support the predictions and generally confirm the clinical relevance of the meaning in life construct. Notably, the interpersonal dimension appears a critically relevant domain in the established differential effects in both nonpatients-patients and females-males comparisons. Implications for clinical practice and suggestions for future research are offered.
What if being lonely were a bigger problem than we ever suspected? Based on John T. Cacioppo's pioneering research,
Loneliness explores the effects of this all-too-human experience, providing a fundamentally new view of the importance of social connection and how it can rescue us from painful isolation. His sophisticated studies relying on brain imaging, analysis of blood pressure, immune response, stress hormones, behavior, and even gene expression show that human beings are simply far more intertwined and interdependent—physiologically as well as psychologically—than our cultural assumptions have ever allowed us to acknowledge. Bringing urgency to the message, Cacioppo's findings also show that prolonged loneliness can be as harmful to your health as smoking or obesity. On the flip side, they demonstrate the therapeutic power of social connection and point the way toward making that healing balm available to everyone. Cacioppo has worked with science writer William Patrick to trace the evolution of these tandem forces, showing how, for our primitive ancestors, survival depended not on greater brawn but on greater commitments to and from one another. Serving as a prompt to repair frayed social bonds, the pain of loneliness engendered a fear response so powerfully disruptive that even now, millions of years later, a persistent sense of rejection or isolation can impair DNA transcription in our immune cells. This disruption also impairs thinking, will power, and perseverance, as well as our ability to read social signals and exercise social skills. It also limits our ability to internally regulate our emotions—all of which can combine to trap us in self-defeating behaviors that reinforce the very isolation and rejection that we dread.
Loneliness shows each of us how to overcome this feedback loop of defensive behaviors to achieve better health and greater happiness. For society, the potential payoff is the greater prosperity and social cohesion that follows from increased social trust. Ultimately,
Loneliness demonstrates the irrationality of our culture's intense focus on competition and individualism at the expense of family and community. It makes the case that the unit of one is actually an inadequate measure, even when it comes to the health and well-being of the individual. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
This meta-analysis finds that parents report lower marital satisfaction compared with nonparents (d=−.19, r=−.10). There is also a significant negative correlation between marital satisfaction and number of children (d=−.13, r=−.06). The difference in marital satisfaction is most pronounced among mothers of infants (38% of mothers of infants have high marital satisfaction, compared with 62% of childless women). For men, the effect remains similar across ages of children. The effect of parenthood on marital satisfaction is more negative among high socioeconomic groups, younger birth cohorts, and in more recent years. The data suggest that marital satisfaction decreases after the birth of a child due to role conflicts and restriction of freedom.
Five studies demonstrated the role of family relationships as an important source of perceived meaning in life. In Study 1 (n ¼ 50), 68% participants reported that their families were the single most significant contributor to personal meaning. Study 2 (n ¼ 231) participants ranked family above 12 likely sources of meaning. Studies 3 (n ¼ 87) and 4 (n ¼ 130) demonstrated that participants' reports of their closeness to family (Study 3) and support from family (Study 4) predicted perceived meaning in life, even when controlling for several competing variables. Study 5 (n ¼ 261) ruled out social desirability as an alternative explanation to the proposed relationship between family and meaning. We conclude that for young adults, family relationships are a primary source of meaning in life and they contribute to their sense of meaning.
Based on recent affect-cognition theories and research on social influence strategies, four experiments predicted and found that people in negative mood produced higher quality and more effective interpersonal persuasive messages than did people in positive mood. This effect was obtained for messages advocating both popular and unpopular positions (Experiments 1 and 2), and arguments produced in negative mood actually induced greater attitude change in naïve recipients (Experiment 3). Experiment 4 replicated these effects in an interactive situation, and mediational analyses showed that mood influenced processing style, resulting in the production of more concrete and thus more effective messages when in a negative mood. The role of negative affect in information processing and the production of interpersonal influence strategies in particular is discussed, and the implications of these findings for everyday interaction strategies, and for contemporary affect—cognition theorizing are considered.
This article elaborates a view of anxiety as deriving from a basic human need to belong to social groups. Anxiety is seen as a pervasive and possibly innately prepare form of distress that arises in response to actual or threatened exclusion from important social groups. The reasons groups exclude individuals (incompetence, deviance or immorality, and unattractiveness) therefore should all be linked to anxiety, and events that implicate the self as incompetent, guilty, or unattractive should create anxiety. This "exclusion theory" of anxiety can be considered a broader revision of separation anxiety theory and is distinguished from theories that base anxiety on fear of death, fear of castration, and perception of uncertainty. Current evidence from multiple sources is reviewed to show the explanatory power and utility of exclusion theory, and implications of this theory are developed in relation to culturally changing standards of sexual behaviour, the motivations underlying the Oedipus complex, and the formation and functions of the self.
The human self exists at the interface between the animal body and the social system. Solitary beings would hardly need or have selves, but social and cultural systems define identities, and the human animal acquires selfhood in order to function in these systems. Self begins with the physical body, with acting and choosing as a unity, and as a point of reference distinct from others, and it acquires meaningful content by participating in the social system. The self is not contained in the brain, but rather the human brain learns to operate a self.
Research on well-being can be thought of as falling into two traditions. In one—the hedonistic tradition—the focus is on happiness,
generally defined as the presence of positive affect and the absence of negative affect. In the other—the eudaimonic tradition—the
focus is on living life in a full and deeply satisfying way. Recognizing that much recent research on well-being has been
more closely aligned with the hedonistic tradition, this special issue presents discussions and research reviews from the
eudaimonic tradition, making clear how the concept of eudaimonia adds an important perspective to our understanding of well-being.
New research uncovers some anti-intuitive insights into how many people are happy--and why.
The how of happiness
- S Lyubomirsky
Lyubomirsky, S. (2008). The how of happiness. New York,
NY: Penguin.