Responsiveness, Social Connection, Hope, and Life Satisfaction in Everyday Social Interaction: An Experience Sampling Study

AbstractWhat are the specific everyday communication experiences —from across people’s social networks—that contribute to well-being? In the present work, we focus on the effects of perceived partner responsiveness in social interactions on various well-being outcomes. We hypothesized that everyday moments of responsiveness indirectly support two key estima tes of well-being (hope and life satisfaction) through feelings of social connection. Data were obtained in an experience sampling study collected across ten days (N = 120). Results of dynamic structural equation modeling (DSEM) showed that responsive interaction predicted increases in hope (but not life satisfaction) through social connection. Results also identified reciprocal within-person links between responsive interaction and social connection throug hout the day. These findings underscore the importance of responsive everyday communication for fostering social connection across different types of relationships and for supporting people’s capacity for a hopeful life. We discuss the implications of these results for continued research of respon siveness, hope theory, and well-being from a social interaction lens. On a practical level, the mediation pathway involving hope suggests how small changes in our patterns of everyday social interaction can be consequential to the quality of our lives.

Source: Journal of Happiness Studies - January 22, 2024 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research