A Prototype Analysis of Self-Gratitude: Towards a Broadening of the Concept of Gratitude
AbstractIn the past two decades, gratitude has been shown to be closely related to mental health and well-being. However, there is no consensus about its definition, and self-gratitude was hastily dismissed. This research aimed to analyze how self-gratitude is considered by laypersons. We conducted three online studies to test the hypothesis according to which self-gratitude is prototypically organized. In Study 1, participants (N = 152) listed the features of self-gratitude: 55 categories emerged from the data processing. In Study 2, participants (N = 146) significantly distinguished the features according to the...
Source: Journal of Happiness Studies - June 1, 2022 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
The Intrinsic Value of Childcare: Positive Returns of Childcare Time on Parents ’ Well-Being and Life Satisfaction in Italy
This article fills this gap by asking whether parents enjoy childcare, and whether an association exists between time spent doing childcare and life satisfaction. Moreover, it tests whether the association varies among parents with different working statuses, specifically by comparing full-time employed fathers with full-time employed, part-time employed, and non-employed mothers. Multivariate analyses based on nationally representative time use data for Italy (2013 –2014) show that parents find childcare—especially interactive childcare activities—much more pleasant than other daily activities such as employment or ...
Source: Journal of Happiness Studies - June 1, 2022 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
Cross-Cultural Measurement of Positive and Negative Emotions in Adolescence: Evidence from Three Countries
AbstractCross-cultural assessment of affective well-being among adolescents has received scarce attention in positive psychological research. The present study investigated cross-cultural measurement invariance of the Scale of Positive and Negative Experience (SPANE) among adolescents from three countries (India, Poland, and Serbia). The sample included a total of 1080 adolescents (53.6% female;Mage = 16.75, range = 15–19 years). Surveys were administered online in each country. Measurement invariance testing provided evidence for partial scalar invariance of the SPANE across cultures, with item “afraid” sho...
Source: Journal of Happiness Studies - May 21, 2022 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
Personality and Character: A Comparative Qualitative Analysis of Trait Descriptions in NEO-PI-3 and Character Strengths and Virtues
AbstractThe theoretical relationship between personality and character, as two approaches to conceptualizing individual differences, remains poorly defined. Attempts to clarify the relationship by analyzing leading personality and character frameworks —NEO-PI-3 and Peterson and Seligman’sCharacter Strengths and Virtues (CSV) —have yielded divergent, unclear results. In this paper, we use a qualitative thematic analysis method to systematically compare NEO-PI-3 and CSV trait descriptions. Our analysis found 35 overlapping facet-strength trait pairs, including 22 morally-toned facet-strength relationships. For the CSV,...
Source: Journal of Happiness Studies - May 20, 2022 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
A Re-evaluation of Candidate Gene Studies for Well-Being in Light of Genome-Wide Evidence
AbstractEver since twin-family studies found that a substantial amount ( ± 40%) of the variation in well-being can be explained by genetic variation, several candidate genes have been proposed explaining this variation. However, these candidate gene and candidate gene-by-environment interaction studies have been surrounded by controversy regarding the validity and rep lication of their results. In the present study, we review the existing candidate gene literature for well-being. First, we perform a systematic literature search that results in the inclusion of 41 studies. After describing the results of the included stu...
Source: Journal of Happiness Studies - May 17, 2022 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
Correction to: Moral Self-Appraisals Explain Emotional Rewards of Prosocial Behavior
(Source: Journal of Happiness Studies)
Source: Journal of Happiness Studies - May 13, 2022 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
Tailoring Gratitude Interventions. How and for Whom Do They Work? The Potential Mediating Role of Reward Processing and the Moderating Role of Childhood Adversity and Trait Gratitude
AbstractOutcomes of gratitude interventions are encouraging, but inconsistent across studies. In addition, both mechanisms of change and effect modifiers for these interventions are largely unknown. Recent data point toward potential candidates and suggest reward processing may be a promising mechanism underlying these interventions, while childhood adversity (CA) and trait gratitude may impact on them. However, existing research aimed at investigating these hypotheses is scarce. Building on these, we examined the effectiveness of a gratitude intervention for decreasing depressive symptoms and negative affect and increasin...
Source: Journal of Happiness Studies - May 12, 2022 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
Elementary School Students ’ Subjective Well-Being Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Study
AbstractFirst empirical results indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic has a negative impact on adolescents ’ and adults’ subjective well-being. In the present study we focus on the subjective well-being of elementary school children before and after the first pandemic-related school lockdown and examine if possible declines in subjective well-being are especially pronounced for some groups, consideri ng socio-economic status, migration background, and gender as moderators. We testedN = 425 elementary school students (mean age:M = 8.19;SD = 1.04) longitudinally with four measurement points (three before the sc...
Source: Journal of Happiness Studies - May 11, 2022 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
Longitudinal Relationships Between Personality Traits and Social Well-Being: A Two-Decade Study
This study examined the temporal relationships between social well-being and the Big Five personality traits (i.e., neuroticism, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience), using a sample of 6452 American adults collected at 3 time points over 2 decades. The random-intercept cross-lagged panel model was used, which allows associations between variables to be examined at the between-person and within-person levels. At the between-person level, neuroticism was negatively associated and the other traits were positively associated with social well-being. At the within-person level, increases or...
Source: Journal of Happiness Studies - April 30, 2022 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
Life Satisfaction and Incumbent Voting: Examining the Mediating Effect of Trust in Government
AbstractAn emerging body of evidence suggests a causal relationship between wellbeing and incumbent voting. However, the evidence is primarily founded upon established democracies with regular turnovers of power. Moreover, the mechanism underlying this relationship is still relatively unknown. Using the intricacies of the Malaysian political context and Malaysian data from the seventh wave of the World Values Survey (WVS), this study examines the mediating role of trust in government to explain the relationship between life satisfaction and incumbent voting. Notably, the Malaysian WVS was concluded two weeks before Malaysi...
Source: Journal of Happiness Studies - April 28, 2022 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
Development and Validation of the State Moral Elevation Scale: Assessing State-Level Elevation Across Nonclinical and Clinical Samples
AbstractResearch on moral elevation has steadily increased and identified several psychosocial benefits that bear relevance to both the general population and people with psychological distress. However, elevation measurement is inconsistent, and few state-level measures have been created and critically evaluated to date. To address this gap, the State Moral Elevation Scale (SMES) was developed and tested using an online sample (N = 930) including subsamples of general participants (nonclinical) and those who screened positive for mental health symptoms (clinical). Factor analysis indicated a single factor structure wi...
Source: Journal of Happiness Studies - April 21, 2022 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
Subjective Vitality: A Benefit of Self-Directed, Leisure Time Physical Activity
AbstractSubjective vitality is a form of eudemonic well-being and signifies the availability of energy that an individual can use to adaptively engage with their environment. Subjective vitality is a positive predictor of physical health outcomes and overall well-being. Prior work with older adults has shown that individuals who follow prescribed or structured physical activity programs experience increases in subjective vitality. There is limited research testing whether self-directed, leisure time physical activity is associated with similar improvements in subjective vitality. Three studies tested whether self-directed,...
Source: Journal of Happiness Studies - April 19, 2022 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
Gratitude for Categories of Needs Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic
AbstractThis naturalistic observation study investigated the influence of broad societal events such as the COVID-19 pandemic on public expressions of gratitude. Spontaneously produced gratitude expressions posted by individuals (N = 159) in an online discussion forum were extracted at three time periods (during the pandemic, one year pre-pandemic, and 2 years pre-pandemic). The gratitude expressions were coded for the categories of deficiency and growth needs based on Maslow’s Theory of Motivation. The results demonstr ate a higher frequency of gratitude expressions for growth opportunities during the COVID-19 pande...
Source: Journal of Happiness Studies - April 16, 2022 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
Well-Being and Physical Health: A Mediation Analysis
AbstractThis paper ’s aim is to propose a mediation framework and test whether lifestyle choices and social capital are pathways through which baseline levels of well-being affect subsequent physical health among older adults. Using large-scale panel data for Australia, we find that past levels of well-being have st rong direct effects on present physical health. We also show that more frequent socialization and more frequent participation in physical activity are two pathways through which higher levels of well-being lead to better physical health. These mediating effects vary across gender. Our findings highl ight a pr...
Source: Journal of Happiness Studies - April 16, 2022 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
Children ’s Life Satisfaction: Developmental Trajectories and Environmental and Personality Predictors
AbstractLife satisfaction is a key indicator of children ’s healthy development. Although the developmental changes of life satisfaction during adolescence have been investigated, the developmental trajectories of life satisfaction and related predictors during childhood remain unclear. Thus, the current study aimed to identify the developmental traject ories of life satisfaction covering the period from middle to late childhood as well as to examine the predictive roles of environmental factors (i.e., family dysfunction and basic psychological needs satisfaction at school), personality factors (i.e., neuroticism and ext...
Source: Journal of Happiness Studies - April 15, 2022 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
