No full-text available
To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the authors.
Strengths in older adults: differential effect of savoring, gratitude and optimism on well-being
Abstract
Objetive: The present study aimed to compare the efficacy of three separate strengths training-based interventions – Gratitude, Savoring, and Optimism – in older adults.
Method: The sample comprised 124 older adults, namely, 74 women and 50 men, non-institutionalized individuals who regularly attend day centers in the provinces of Jaén and Córdoba, southern Spain. Their ages ranged between 60 and 89 years. The measures used were Anxiety, Depression, Life Satisfaction, Positive and Negative Affect, Subjective Happiness, and Resilience.
Results: Training in Gratitude and Savoring increased scores in Life Satisfaction, Positive Affect, Subjective Happiness and Resilience, and reduced Negative Affect, whereas training in Optimism failed to produce a significant change in these variables. The Savoring and Optimism interventions decreased scores in Depression but, contrary to hypothesis, this was not the case for Gratitude.
Conclusion: These results represent an important step in understanding what type of strengths work best when it comes to enhancing well-being in older adults and consequently helping them tackle the challenges of everyday life and recover as quickly as possible from the adverse situations and events that may arise.
... Con respecto a las características de los participantes, dos estudios fueron conducidos en población clínica con depresión moderada como condición de tratamiento (Preschl et al., 2012;Taghvaienia & Alamdari, 2019), mientras que el resto, en población no clínica. Quince estudios fueron realizados con participantes adultos mayores sin problemas serios físicos o mentales (Cantarella et al., 2017;Cuadra-Peralta et al., 2012;Friedman et al., 2017Friedman et al., , 2019Greenawalt et al., 2019;Ishihara et al., 2018;Killen & Macaskill, 2015;Meléndez Moral et al., 2015;Ortega Martínez & Fernández, 2017;Proyer et al., 2014;Ramírez et al., 2013;Salces-Cubero et al., 2019;Sánchez, 2013;Turner et al., 2017;Weiss et al., 2020), cuatro con residentes en casas de retiro (Ho et al., 2014;Jiménez et al., 2016;Meléndez-Moral et al., 2013;Ortega et al., 2015), dos con depresión clínica diagnosticada (Preschl et al., 2012;Taghvaienia & Alamdari, 2019), dos con jubilados o en retiro laboral (Durgante & Dell'Aglio, 2019;Durgante et al., 2020), uno en cuidadores primarios adultos mayores (Bartholomaeus et al., 2019) y uno con participantes con bajo estatus socioeconómico (Weiss et al., 2020). Con respecto a los métodos de reclutamiento, cinco utilizaron publicidad a través de anuncios en periódicos locales, volantes o anuncios en redes sociales y páginas de internet (Cantarella et al., 2017;Friedman et al., 2019;Preschl et al., 2012;Proyer et al., 2014;Turner et al., 2017), 11 acudieron a grupos preformados en casas de retiro o centros comunitarios (Bartholomaeus et al., 2019;Cuadra-Peralta et al., 2012;Ho et al., 2014;Jiménez et al., 2016;Meléndez-Moral et al., 2013;Ortega et al., 2015;Ortega Martínez & Fernández, 2017;Ramírez et al., 2013;Salces-Cubero et al., 2019;Sánchez, 2013), seis utilizaron una combinación de los métodos anteriores (Durgante & Dell'Aglio, 2019;Durgante et al., 2020;Friedman et al., 2017;Greenawalt et al., 2019;Ishihara et al., 2018;Killen & Macaskill, 2015) y en tres fueron referidos por un profesional de la salud o una agencia social pública (Meléndez Moral et al., 2015;Taghvaienia & Alamdari, 2019;Weiss et al., 2020). ...
... Quince estudios fueron realizados con participantes adultos mayores sin problemas serios físicos o mentales (Cantarella et al., 2017;Cuadra-Peralta et al., 2012;Friedman et al., 2017Friedman et al., , 2019Greenawalt et al., 2019;Ishihara et al., 2018;Killen & Macaskill, 2015;Meléndez Moral et al., 2015;Ortega Martínez & Fernández, 2017;Proyer et al., 2014;Ramírez et al., 2013;Salces-Cubero et al., 2019;Sánchez, 2013;Turner et al., 2017;Weiss et al., 2020), cuatro con residentes en casas de retiro (Ho et al., 2014;Jiménez et al., 2016;Meléndez-Moral et al., 2013;Ortega et al., 2015), dos con depresión clínica diagnosticada (Preschl et al., 2012;Taghvaienia & Alamdari, 2019), dos con jubilados o en retiro laboral (Durgante & Dell'Aglio, 2019;Durgante et al., 2020), uno en cuidadores primarios adultos mayores (Bartholomaeus et al., 2019) y uno con participantes con bajo estatus socioeconómico (Weiss et al., 2020). Con respecto a los métodos de reclutamiento, cinco utilizaron publicidad a través de anuncios en periódicos locales, volantes o anuncios en redes sociales y páginas de internet (Cantarella et al., 2017;Friedman et al., 2019;Preschl et al., 2012;Proyer et al., 2014;Turner et al., 2017), 11 acudieron a grupos preformados en casas de retiro o centros comunitarios (Bartholomaeus et al., 2019;Cuadra-Peralta et al., 2012;Ho et al., 2014;Jiménez et al., 2016;Meléndez-Moral et al., 2013;Ortega et al., 2015;Ortega Martínez & Fernández, 2017;Ramírez et al., 2013;Salces-Cubero et al., 2019;Sánchez, 2013), seis utilizaron una combinación de los métodos anteriores (Durgante & Dell'Aglio, 2019;Durgante et al., 2020;Friedman et al., 2017;Greenawalt et al., 2019;Ishihara et al., 2018;Killen & Macaskill, 2015) y en tres fueron referidos por un profesional de la salud o una agencia social pública (Meléndez Moral et al., 2015;Taghvaienia & Alamdari, 2019;Weiss et al., 2020). Las participantes mujeres incluidas en estos estudios fueron 1433, lo que representa el 81.09 % del total, mientras que los hombres fueron 334, que representan el 18.90 % del total. ...
... Diecinueve estudios reportaron únicamente datos en el postest. Seis estudios (Durgante et al., 2020;Friedman et al., 2019;Preschl et al., 2012;Proyer et al., 2014;Salces-Cubero et al., 2019;Weiss et al., 2020) reportaron un primer seguimiento cuya duración media ocurrió en un periodo de cuatro meses posteriores al postest. Únicamente un estudio condujo seguimientos posteriores a uno previo, a los tres y seis meses después del postest (Proyer et al., 2014) este estudio se llevó a cabo en línea. ...
Se condujo una revisión sistemática sobre la efectividad de las intervenciones basadas en psicología positiva (IPP) en la promoción de bienestar y calidad de vida y alivio de ansiedad y depresión en adultos mayores. En bases de datos científicas y metabuscadores se seleccionaron estudios que cumplieron los criterios de elegibilidad propuestos; en la selección final se obtuvieron 25 estudios, depurados de 543 registros. Los resultados evidenciaron que, a pesar de un incremento en el uso de las IPP, el número de estudios conducidos en población adulta mayor aún es limitado y gran parte de estos se llevan a cabo en población no clínica sin comorbilidades. Los efectos más frecuentemente reportados incluyen el incremento del bienestar psicológico y subjetivo y el alivio de sintomatología depresiva. Existe una amplia heterogeneidad en los tipos de IPP que se emplean tanto en programas de intervenciones sencillas como multielemento y las principales incluyen gratitud, perdón, optimismo, identificación y uso de fortalezas de carácter y formulación de objetivos. Se proveen sugerencias para investigación futura.
... Interventional studies (Table 1) identified a range of interventions and designs, with variable timing of the interventions, some being once per week for 2 to 4 weeks (Ahmed and Masoom, 2021;Berger et al., 2019), others on a weekly basis of up to 10 weeks (for example, Taylor et al., 2017), and others less intensive but delivered over a year (for example, Stegen and Wankier 2018). Interventions were broadly-collated across different approaches as: diarising/journalling elements (Berger et al., 2019;Chan, 2010;Cheng et al., 2015;Ducasse et al., 2019;Jackowska et al., 2016;Kerr et al., 2015;Killen and Macaskill, 2015;Kini et al., 2016;Krejtz et al., 2016;Mȃirean et al., 2019;Martin et al., 2019;O'Connell et al., 2017;Wolfe and Patterson, 2017); facilitated face-to-face or workshop style interventions delivered as individual or group sessions (Gabana et al., 2019;Martin et al., 2019;Ramírez et al., 2014;Salces-Cubero et al., 2019;Taylor et al., 2017;Yang et al., 2018); gratitude exercises, such as blessings counting, gratitude letters, gratitude lists, and gratitude sharing or expression (Berger et al., 2019;Chan, 2010;Deng et al., 2019;Jackowska et al., 2016;Killen and Macaskill, 2015;Kini et al., 2016;Krejtz et al., 2016;Mȃirean et al., 2019;Otto et al., 2016;Rash et al., 2011;Stegen and Wankier, 2018;Taylor et al., 2017;Wolfe and Patterson, 2017;Yang et al., 2018); a gratitude meditation or contemplation programme (Ahmed and Masoom, 2021); and finally, a number of combined or complex interventions (Berger et al., 2019;Martin et al., 2019;Osborn et al., 2020;Ramírez et al., 2014;Stegen and Wankier, 2018). ...
... Unsurprisingly, our analysis of the 24 interventional studies supported findings from recent systematic reviews that gratitude interventions can have positive impacts on many wellbeing factors (Table 1). One group of researchers (Salces-Cubero et al., 2019) identified increased self-reported resilience scores post-intervention. Other findings included improved scores on quality of life or life satisfaction (Ahmed and Masoom, 2021;Chan, 2010;Kerr et al., 2015;Ramírez et al., 2014;Rash et al., 2011;Salces-Cubero et al., 2019;Taylor et al., 2017;Yang et al., 2018). ...
... One group of researchers (Salces-Cubero et al., 2019) identified increased self-reported resilience scores post-intervention. Other findings included improved scores on quality of life or life satisfaction (Ahmed and Masoom, 2021;Chan, 2010;Kerr et al., 2015;Ramírez et al., 2014;Rash et al., 2011;Salces-Cubero et al., 2019;Taylor et al., 2017;Yang et al., 2018). Similarly, the findings in the 11 observational studies (Table 2) further supports the idea that gratitude has a significant role in reducing anxiety, burnout, and negative emotions, while also positively impacting personal factors such as life satisfaction and social support. ...
... Eighteen articles were identified that evaluated the effects of gratitude interventions on life satisfaction (Table 2 outlines sample characteristics, design, and main findings for each study). [44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62] The samples consisted of high school students, college students, and adults, with representation from the United States, 45,46,48,50,52,57,59,60 Canada, 61 Brazil, 47 Hong Kong, 49 Israel, 53,58 Spain, 54 China, 55 Japan, 56 India, 44,51 and Malaysia. 62 Each of the studies included pre-post comparisons, and twelve also measured life satisfaction at a subsequent follow-up, ranging from 14 days 47 to 3 months 45,47 later. ...
... Eighteen articles were identified that evaluated the effects of gratitude interventions on life satisfaction (Table 2 outlines sample characteristics, design, and main findings for each study). [44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62] The samples consisted of high school students, college students, and adults, with representation from the United States, 45,46,48,50,52,57,59,60 Canada, 61 Brazil, 47 Hong Kong, 49 Israel, 53,58 Spain, 54 China, 55 Japan, 56 India, 44,51 and Malaysia. 62 Each of the studies included pre-post comparisons, and twelve also measured life satisfaction at a subsequent follow-up, ranging from 14 days 47 to 3 months 45,47 later. ...
... Of the 16 studies that compared to neutral control conditions, seven reported significant group-by-time interaction effects of the gratitude intervention. 45,48,50,53,54,57,61 In at least one of these studies, 45 the effect was driven by a decrease in the control condition, rather than an increase after the intervention. While the authors interpreted this result as supporting the efficacy of gratitude interventions and attributed the decrease in life satisfaction to more general trends in motivation across the school semester, there are other plausible explanations for this result. ...
Background
Many studies suggest a link between gratitude and life satisfaction, including experimental tests of gratitude interventions. This paper presents a systematic review of recent literature on the influence of gratitude on life satisfaction. The aim of this research is to better understand the nature of the relationship between gratitude and life satisfaction and to evaluate the state of literature.
Methodology
A systematic search was conducted using four databases (APA PsycInfo, Scopus, Web of Science, and EBSCO), targeting articles published since 2010. Correlational studies were included if they used the GQ6 measure of gratitude and the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS). Intervention studies were included if they reported effects of a gratitude manipulation on SWLS scores. Forty-four articles (N = 16,529) focusing on gratitude and life satisfaction were ultimately selected. Among the selected studies, 18 employed experimental designs and 26 were cross-sectional studies. Five studies also presented cross-lagged analyses from two or more timepoints.
Results
The review indicated a substantial positive correlation between gratitude and life satisfaction. Various potential mediators were also identified, including meaning in life, social support, and self-esteem. Some experimental research suggested that gratitude interventions may increase life satisfaction compared to neutral control conditions, although evidence was mixed. There was stronger evidence for these effects in people from Western countries. However, there is no strong evidence that gratitude interventions outperform positively valenced control conditions. Thus, it is possible that the effects of intervention could be caused by demand- or placebo effects.
Conclusion and Recommendation
While it is clear that there is a link between gratitude and life satisfaction, the extent to which gratitude causes life satisfaction and the mechanism underlying that link require further exploration. We suggest that experimental work test effects of changes in gratitude that cannot be explained by placebo- or demand effects. We also encourage more interactive interventions as well as research that investigates third variables that could underlie both gratitude and life satisfaction.
... The association between savoring and psychological distress has also been well established in the literature [30][31][32], with a majority of the findings showing the prediction of savoring on lower distress, including depressive symptoms [3,33,34]. For instance, in a sample of older adults, a savoring intervention was found to reduce depression and negative affect and increase life satisfaction, subjective happiness, resilience, and positive affect [35]. Similarly, another study involving older adults showed that people who completed a savoring intervention with high fidelity had a greater reduction in depressive symptoms and greater improvements in happiness and resilience [36]. ...
... In contrast to previous studies [2][3][4]37], neither mindfulness nor savoring predicted depressive symptoms in the cross-lagged model. The null findings were surprising, as they contradicted intervention studies showing the benefits of mindfulness [54][55][56] and savoring [35,36] in reducing depressive symptoms. Given that depressive symptoms are stable over a three-month period [57], the null findings might have been due to the stability of depression over a short period of time. ...
... Ample theories and evidence to date have suggested that interventions involving mindfulness and savoring are beneficial to psychological functioning [1,[23][24][25]33,35,54,55,58]. Through cross-lagged analysis, the present study showed that a lower level of depression can also foster greater mindfulness and savoring the moment, particularly among emerging adults in the Chinese context. ...
The links between mindfulness, savoring positive experiences, and depressive symptoms have been well established in the literature. Nevertheless, little has been done to disentangle the prospective relations among these constructs. Clarifying the longitudinal relations is crucial, as it enables researchers and practitioners to discern potential trajectories of mental health interventions. In this study, 180 emerging adults between 18 and 27 years old were recruited twice at 3 months apart to complete self-reported measures including mindfulness, savoring positive experiences, and depressive symptoms. Cross-lagged path analysis indicated that savoring the moment was predictive of mindfulness three months later, whereas depressive symptoms were predictive of both mindfulness and savoring the moment three months later, above and beyond the effects of age, gender, and family income. Additionally, mindfulness, savoring positive experiences, and depressive symptoms were significantly correlated at baseline. The present study evidenced short-term inverse effects of depressive symptoms on mindfulness and savoring the moment, as well as a positive effect of savoring the moment on mindfulness. Hence, interventions geared towards reducing symptoms of depression are likely to carry concurrent and prospective benefits for psychological functioning, namely the ability to be present in the moment and to savor.
... The association between savoring and psychological distress has also been well-established in the literature [29][30][31], with a majority of the findings showing the prediction of savoring on lower distress, including depressive symptoms [3,[32][33]. For instance, in a sample of older adults, a savoring intervention was found to reduce depression and negative affect, and increase life satisfaction, subjective happiness, resilience, and positive affect [34]. Similarly, another study involving older adults showed that people who completed a savoring intervention with high fidelity had a greater reduction of depressive symptoms and greater improvements in happiness and resilience [35]. ...
... In contrast to previous studies [2][3][4]36], neither mindfulness nor savoring predicted depressive symptoms in the cross-lagged model. The null findings were surprising, as they contradicted intervention studies showing the benefits of mindfulness [51][52][53] and savoring [34][35] in reducing depressive symptoms. Given that depressive symptoms are stable over a three-month period [54], the null findings might have been due to the stability of depression over a short period of time. ...
... Ample evidence to date has suggested that interventions involving mindfulness and savoring are beneficial to psychological functioning [1,[22][23][24]32,34,[51][52]. Through cross-lagged analysis, the present findings showed that a lower level of depression can also foster greater mindfulness and savoring the moment among emerging adults. ...
The links between mindfulness, savoring positive experiences, and depressive symptoms have been well-established in the literature. Nevertheless, little has been done to disentangle the prospective relations among these constructs. Clarifying the longitudinal relations is crucial, as it enables researchers and practitioners to discern potential trajectories of mental health interventions. In this study, 180 emerging adults between 18 and 27 years old were recruited twice at 3 months apart to complete self-reported measures including mindfulness, savoring positive experiences, and depressive symptoms. Cross-lagged path analysis indicated that savoring the moment was predictive of mindfulness three months later, whereas depressive symptoms were predictive of both mindfulness and savoring the moment three months later, above and beyond the effects of age, gender, and family income. Additionally, mindfulness, savoring positive experiences, and depressive symptoms were significantly correlated at baseline. The present study evidenced short-term inversed effects of depressive symptoms on mindfulness and savoring the moment, as well as a positive effect of savoring the moment on mindfulness. Hence, interventions gearing towards symptom reduction of depression are likely to carry concurrent and prospective benefits of psychological functioning, namely the ability to be present in the moment and to savor. Taken together, reducing depressive symptoms may be crucial in fostering psychological well-being.
... Another theory of gerontology, 'successful aging,' also emphasizes the key roles of engaging older adults in meaningful social relations and activities (Plastow et al., 2015;Salces-Cubero et al., 2019). Successful aging researchers have claimed that to facilitate successful aging. ...
... Subjective well-being (SWB), a concept that refers to a global evaluation of life satisfaction and affective reactions to one's life (Busseri & Sadava, 2011), has been identified as a core element of healthy aging. Previous studies have indicated that positive activities produce positive affective experiences that can enhance older adults' SWB (Bolier et al., 2013;Lyubomirsky et al., 2005;Salces-Cubero et al., 2019;Sheldon & Lyubomirsky, 2006;Walsh, 2011). Studies conducted in Western contexts have found that older adults' engagement in higher levels of social activity (e.g., frequent contact with close friends or family) can improve their quality of life and SWB (Luna et al., 2020;Netuveli et al., 2006;Wiggins et al., 2004). ...
... Some such activities even have negative effects (e.g., people who are introverted may prefer and benefit more from inactivity) (Chen & Chen, 2009). It is possible that people in different conditions have different perceptions and interpretations of the same situation and thus express different levels of satisfaction and well-being with regard to those situations (Salces-Cubero et al., 2019). ...
Based on active aging theory, this study examined the positive associations among three forms of activity involvement, i.e. full-time or part-time job involvement, family chores involvement, and social activities involvement, as well as older adults’ subjective well-being (SWB). Furthermore, the moderating effects of different economic statuses, levels of family care satisfaction, and interpersonal relations self-concepts among older adults on the relationships between these three activities and older adults’ SWB were examined. A total of 332 Chinese older adults participated in the study by completing measures of their SWB, full-time or part-time job involvement, family chores involvement, social activities involvement, economic status, family care satisfaction, interpersonal relations self-concept, and demographic information. The data were investigated by conducting a mixed-model effects regression analysis. The results showed that older adults who participate in full- or part-time jobs and social activities exhibit higher levels of SWB than their counterparts. Three factors, i.e. ‘economic status,’ ‘family care satisfaction,’ and ‘interpersonal relations self-concept,’ moderate the associations between older adults’ involvement in these three activities and their SWB. The findings of this study highlight the importance of employment and social activities for enhancing older adults’ SWB as well as the moderating effects of economic status, family care satisfaction, and interpersonal relations self-concept in this context; these findings thus have strategic implications for improving SWB in older adults.
... A meta-analytical review conducted by Smith et al. [34] found a substantial positive impact of savoring interventions on the intensity and duration of positive emotions and on well-being. Savoring outperforms other interventions such as optimism in terms of increasing positive affect, happiness, and life satisfaction while decreasing negative affect [35]. ...
... The brevity of this intervention (6 activities in 3 weeks) allowed us to achieve a very good adherence rate but did not sustain a change in the global cognitive assessment of one's life. More time is needed to achieve a sustained change-which was reported in other studies that had longer-lasting interventions (e.g., 12 weeks) [35,57]. In addition, other studies that integrated different positive psychology strategies (e.g., mindfulness, gratitude, optimism, strengths, etc.) or more savoring strategies found increases in life satisfaction as well as other positive psychological outcomes [47,72,73]. ...
Background
Savoring, that is the ability to create and increase positive emotions, represents a promising approach to enhance subjective well-being (SWB) in emerging adults. This controlled study aims to investigate the preliminary effects of a self-help e-savoring intervention on increasing savoring beliefs and strategies and SWB in times of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods
Forty-nine emerging adult participants were recruited using the snowball sampling method. The experimental group (n = 23) completed six online exercises (two exercises per week for three weeks) while the control group (n = 26) did not receive the intervention. Both groups filled out online questionnaires before and after the intervention. User experience and perceived usefulness of the intervention were assessed for the experimental group.
Results
A repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed a significant increase for the experimental group in savoring beliefs (especially toward the present and the future) and in positive emotions compared to the control group. The perspicuity, attractiveness, and efficiency of the online platform were very positively evaluated, and most participants rated the intervention as useful.
Conclusions
The results of this preliminary study together with the high level of adherence and the appreciation for the intervention indicate the potential of promoting online savoring and positive emotions in emerging adults. Future research could evaluate its long-term effects and verify its results with other age groups.
... In two longitudinal studies, Wood et al. (2008) found that trait gratitude protected people from stress and depression, independent of the big five personalities. Gratitude intervention/practices were found to moderately reduce levels of depression immediately (Cheng et al., 2015;O'Connell et al., 2017;Salces-Cubero et al., 2019), 1-month (Salces-Cubero et al., 2019, and 3-month after the intervention (Cheng et al., 2015;O'Connell et al., 2017). On the other hand, gratitude interventions have been shown to increase happiness in healthy adult women (O'Leary & Dockray, 2015), elderlies (Salces-Cubero et al., 2019), or respondents with back pains (Baxter et al., 2012). ...
... Gratitude intervention/practices were found to moderately reduce levels of depression immediately (Cheng et al., 2015;O'Connell et al., 2017;Salces-Cubero et al., 2019), 1-month (Salces-Cubero et al., 2019, and 3-month after the intervention (Cheng et al., 2015;O'Connell et al., 2017). On the other hand, gratitude interventions have been shown to increase happiness in healthy adult women (O'Leary & Dockray, 2015), elderlies (Salces-Cubero et al., 2019), or respondents with back pains (Baxter et al., 2012). ...
According to Martin’s taxonomy (2003), affiliative and aggressive humor are the two humor styles with an interpersonal focus. Many studies have demonstrated the mental health benefits of affiliative humor, whereas less consensus has been reached on aggressive humor. Focusing on the question “when and why aggressive humor would be related to mental health”, the current study proposed that the association of aggressive humor and mental health could be mediated by gratitude and moderated by affiliative humor. The proposals were tested in a large multi-university student sample (N = 4775, Mage = 20.37) in China, showing that trait gratitude mediated the negative relationship between aggressive humor and subjective happiness and the positive relationship between aggressive humor and depression. More importantly, this effect was less substantial for those who endorse a greater (vs. lesser) affiliative humor style. Implications of gratitude as a potential mechanism in explaining the mental health correlates of aggressive humor and the interplay of interpersonal humor styles are discussed.
... In a meta-analytical review conducted by Smith et al. [34] the substantial impact of savoring interventions on increasing positive emotions and well-being is revealed. According to the literature, savoring outperforms other intervention techniques such as optimism in terms of increasing positive affect, happiness, and life satisfaction while decreasing negative affect [35]. ...
... We have chosen to divide the activities over 3 weeks to not overload the participants, neither in the number of exercises to be carried out nor in the length of the intervention that could have led to a greater dropout rate, as happened in the research conducted by Park [49]. Research shows that longer-lasting interventions, such as 12 weeks, have led to increased life satisfaction [35]. ...
Background: Savoring, that is the ability to create and increase positive emotions, represents a promising approach to enhance subjective well-being (SWB) in emerging adults in times of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to investigate the preliminary effects of a self-help e-savoring intervention on increasing savoring beliefs and strategies and SWB in emerging adult participants. It also examines the user experience and the perceived usefulness of the intervention.
Methods: Forty-nine participants were involved, and the experimental group (N = 23) completed six online exercises (two exercises per week for three weeks) while the control group (N = 26) did not follow the intervention. Both groups filled out online questionnaires before and after the intervention.
Results: A repeated measures ANOVA revealed a significant increase for the experimental group in savoring beliefs (especially toward the present and the future) and in positive emotions compared to the control group. The perspicuity, attractiveness, and efficiency of the online platform were very positively evaluated, and most participants rated the intervention as useful.
Conclusions: The results of this preliminary study are promising and indicate its potential for promoting savoring and positive emotions in emerging adults. Future research could evaluate its long-term effects and verify its results with other age groups.
... In a sample of predominantly young women, gratitude was negatively associated with loneliness (Caputo, 2015). In addition, older adults who received a gratitude intervention showed a decrease in negative affect and an increase in positive affect, life satisfaction, happiness, and resilience (Salces-Cubero et al., 2019). Given these findings on the association between gratitude and emotional well-being, it seems reasonable to speculate that gratitude may play a role in social relationships and emotional wellbeing as is consistent with SST. ...
... Our findings speak to the importance of age and gender differences in the examination of state gratitude and loneliness in the everyday social context. For instance, gratitude interventions have been used to improve emotional well-being in older adults (Bartlett & Arpin, 2019;Salces-Cubero et al., 2019). However, gender differences in the effect of gratitude interventions have been less examined. ...
This study examined the association between gratitude and loneliness across the adult lifespan using a seven-day daily diary study design. The sample consisted of young, middle-aged, and older adults (N = 128; age M = 56.7 years; SD = 18.7 years; range = 24.2–90.2 years; 46% women). A significant Age × Gender × Gratitude interaction effect on loneliness indicated that gratitude and loneliness were negatively associated in general. Results of simple slopes analyses showed that gender differences in loneliness were significant in young adults who were more grateful and in older adults who were less grateful. Women were less lonely than men, on average, and the gender difference was significant for those younger and more grateful, or older and less grateful. Thus, the beneficial effect of gratitude on loneliness differed across age and gender. These findings suggest that the potential benefits of gratitude on social relationships and emotional well-being, such as loneliness, should be examined differentially for men and women and in the context of changing social relationships in the aging process.
... In this sense, gratitude is consistently associated with well-being, including sexual well-being, providing an antidote to stress and helping to develop enduring personal resources, such as resilience (Killen & Macaskill, 2015). However, although altruism and gratitude may be more frequent among older adults, there are several possible mechanisms to add to the difficulty explaining their effect on sexual expression (Killen & Macaskill, 2015;Salces-Cubero, Ramírez-Fernández, & Ortega-Martínez, 2018). ...
... Recent studies indicate that altruistic people are more likely to have a more active and diverse sex life, thereby promoting different forms of sexual expression (Arnocky et al., 2016), perhaps because they are perceived by potential partners as considerate and concerned about the welfare of others, increasing the likelihood of attraction (Arnocky et al., 2016;Killen & Macaskill, 2015). Gratitude also seems to be associated with sexual expression: individuals who manifest high levels of gratitude tend to consistently show high levels of life satisfaction, well-being, and sexual well-being (Salces-Cubero et al., 2018;Stephenson & Meston, 2013). Additionally, in older adults, altruism and gratitude are important variables in the management of age and health-related negative factors (e.g., ageism, chronic diseases; Arnocky et al., 2016;Levy, Slade, Chang, Kannoth, & Wang, 2018;Sirois & Wood, 2017) and are associated with affection-sharing behaviors, through care and kindness, which are frequent when older adults express themselves sexually (Hillman, 2012;Arnocky et al., 2016). ...
... In this sense, gratitude is consistently associated with well-being, including sexual well-being, providing an antidote to stress and helping to develop enduring personal resources, such as resilience (Killen & Macaskill, 2015). However, although altruism and gratitude may be more frequent among older adults, there are several possible mechanisms to add to the difficulty explaining their effect on sexual expression (Killen & Macaskill, 2015;Salces-Cubero, Ramírez-Fernández, & Ortega-Martínez, 2018). ...
... Recent studies indicate that altruistic people are more likely to have a more active and diverse sex life, thereby promoting different forms of sexual expression (Arnocky et al., 2016), perhaps because they are perceived by potential partners as considerate and concerned about the welfare of others, increasing the likelihood of attraction (Arnocky et al., 2016;Killen & Macaskill, 2015). Gratitude also seems to be associated with sexual expression: individuals who manifest high levels of gratitude tend to consistently show high levels of life satisfaction, well-being, and sexual well-being (Salces-Cubero et al., 2018;Stephenson & Meston, 2013). Additionally, in older adults, altruism and gratitude are important variables in the management of age and health-related negative factors (e.g., ageism, chronic diseases; Arnocky et al., 2016;Levy, Slade, Chang, Kannoth, & Wang, 2018;Sirois & Wood, 2017) and are associated with affection-sharing behaviors, through care and kindness, which are frequent when older adults express themselves sexually (Hillman, 2012;Arnocky et al., 2016). ...
Objective: This study aims to analyze how older adults express themselves sexually. For this purpose, a qualitative research was carried out, which analyzes their perspectives at a cross-cultural level.
Methods: Four hundred ninety-five older participants, aged 65 to 98 years, were interviewed. Participants were of three different nationalities and lived in the community. All the interviews went through the process of verbatim transcription and subsequent content analysis.
Results: A content analysis produced nine themes: tenderness and care (k = .91, p < .01); altruism and gratitude (k = .81, p < .01); attractiveness (k = 94, p < .01); positive communication (k = .89, p < .01); sexual activity (k = .88, p < .01); good health and physical condition (k = .96, p < .01); supportive relationship (k = .84, p < .01); eroticism (k = .94, p < .01); and feeling active and alive (k = .92, p < .01).
Conclusions: This study stressed different ways on expressing sexuality in old age and underlined the importance of tenderness and care and eroticism for older adults who are sexually active.
... A growing body of research links savoring-that is, the ability to attend to positive experiences and up-regulate positive feelings-to older adults' well-being and positive adjustment to aging (e.g., Bryant, 2003;Geiger et al., 2017;Ramsey & Gentzler, 2014;Smith & Bryant, 2016, Smith & Hollinger-Smith, 2015. Research suggests that savoring-based activities can enhance older adults' well-being (e.g., Salces-Cubero et al., 2019;Smith & Hanni, 2019). In a recent study, older adults who savored life lessons reported more positive views of aging and greater life satisfaction relative to comparison groups (Smith & Bryant, 2019). ...
... Although early work on testing mediation (Baron & Kenny, 1986) required the independent variable to have a significant relationship with the dependent variable in order to proceed with tests of mediation, the current best practices no longer require the independent variable to demonstrate a significant relationship with the dependent variable in order to test for mediation (Darlington & Hayes, 2017;Frazier et al., 2004;Rucker et al., 2011). It is now well-recognized that mediation can readily occur when there is no significant overall association between the independent variable and the dependent variable (Kenny et al., 1998;O'Rourke & MacKinnon, 2015;Shrout & Bolger, 2002). ...
We extended the previous experimental work with older adults by testing mediating variables through which savoring valuable “life lessons” improves attitudes toward aging and boosts well-being. A sample of 202 adults aged 65 or older were randomly assigned to either an experimental condition (in which they reflected on important lessons life had taught them) or a control condition (in which they reflected on their typical morning routine). Contemplating life lessons increased feelings of gratitude, which in turn boosted positive attitudes toward aging, life satisfaction, state hope, and state self-esteem. Additional analyses supported a three-path mediational model, in which reflecting on life lessons increased levels of savoring, which led to greater gratitude, which in turn predicted stronger positive attitudes toward aging, life satisfaction, and hope. We discuss implications of these findings for future research on savoring interventions for older adults and suggest future directions designed to advance understanding of these experimental effects.
... Research conducted by positive psychologists has demonstrated a positive correlation between a heightened level of savoring and increased levels of optimism (Biskas et al., 2018), happiness (Salces-Cubero et al., 2019), and life satisfaction (Smith & Bryant, 2019). In addition, empirical studies have indicated that a decreased level of savoring is related to sadness (McMakin et al., 2011), hopelessness (Chen & Zhou, 2017), and anxiety (Pereira et al., 2021). ...
The rise of positive psychology (PP) in applied linguistics has led to a focus on the role of positive emotional functioning in second language (L2) learning and teaching. This field has identified key constructs from PP to understand how to replace negative emotions with positive ones in L2 learning. Despite these advancements, there is a need for a specific framework and scale to foster and measure positive emotions in this context. The concept of savoring, which involves recognizing and embracing positive emotions, addresses this need. The paper investigates the factorial structure and psychometric properties of the Language-Specific Savoring Beliefs Inventory (L2SBI) through exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM). The results revealed that the bifactor ESEM solution is the most suitable model for assessing L2SBI. In other words, the L2SBI can be better represented by a comprehensive general component of L2 savoring beliefs, distinct from the three specific factors of anticipating progress in learning English, savoring the moment while learning English, and reminiscing about experiences in learning English. The study confirms the consistency of the L2SBI across genders and language levels, offering insights into varying belief patterns among learners and explaining differences in positive learning outcomes.
... (Haslam et al., 2009 (Quoidbach, Berry, Hansenne & Mikolajczak, 2010;Lin et al., 2011;Beaumount, 2011;Hurley & Kwon, 2012;Jose, Lim, & Bryant, 2012;Hurley & Kwon, 2013;St Leon, Kozlowski, & Provost, 2015;Smith & Bryant, 2015;Costa-Ramalho, 2015;Smith, & Bryant, 2016;Smith & Hanni, 2016;Kiken, Lundberg, & Fredrickson, 2017;Straszewki &Siegel, 2018;Salces-Cubero, 2018 ...
... In contrast, we did not find that gratitude was uniquely predictive of less depressive symptoms in older adults. Thus, although some studies have pointed to the value of gratitude training in older adults to help reduce or mitigate their risk of depression (e.g., Ramírez et al., 2014), our findings indicate that training to foster greater optimism, positive mood, and flourishing might be more beneficial for older adults (see also, Ho et al., 2014;Salces-Cubero et al., 2019). ...
This study tested positive psychological processes (viz., optimism, gratitude, flourishing, & positive mood) and self-rated emotional intelligence (EI) as predictors of psychological health, namely, depressive symptoms, in older adults. Results from conducting a hierarchical regression analysis indicated that positive psychological processes accounted for a large amount of unique variance in depressive symptoms, independent of age and sex. Importantly, however, EI was found to add further incremental validity to the prediction of depressive symptoms, beyond positive psychological processes. Thus, EI cannot be reduced down to components of optimism, flourishing, gratitude, and positive mood. Alternatively, EI remains an important predictor of depressive symptoms in older adults. Some implications of the present findings for promoting psychological health in older adults are discussed.
... The results of their study showed that the gratitude-enhancing intervention resulted in an increased sense of well-being and happiness and a decrease in perceived stress. Similarly, it has been established that gratitude training was better at enhancing older people's well-being than optimism training [23]. Their findings indicated that the gratitude training intervention increased not only life satisfaction but also happiness and resilience. ...
This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the relationship between gratitude and life satisfaction, and the mediation role of social support and enjoyment of life among older individuals. The measures employed include the Gratitude, Resentment, and Appreciation test; the Enjoyment of Life scale; the Satisfaction with Life scale; and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. These were administered to a sample of 260 older individuals aged between 60 and 80. The main findings revealed a positive association between gratitude and life satisfaction, and social support was a partial mediator in this relationship. Although enjoyment of life was not a direct mediator in the relationship between gratitude and life satisfaction, the final model indicated a significant serial pathway from gratitude to social support and then through enjoyment of life to life satisfaction. In conclusion, enhancing gratitude, promoting the enjoyment of life, and social support to older individuals might increase their life satisfaction, which in turn might contribute to their successful aging.
... Specifically, therapeutic approaches designed to promote gratitude may be advantageous to improve well-being in older adults with cLBP. Indeed, evidence suggests that gratitude interventions improve subjective well-being, overall health, depression, and perceived stress levels (71)(72)(73)(74)(75). Although not extensively studied, gratitude interventions also show promise in improving physical health outcomes, including sleep quality and levels of inflammation (76). ...
Introduction
Gratitude has been identified as a key factor in a number of positive health-related outcomes; however, the mechanisms whereby gratitude is associated with well-being among older adults with chronic pain are poorly understood. Using the Positive Psychological Well-Being Model as a theoretical framework, the objective of the present study was to examine the serial mediating effects of social support, stress, sleep, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) on the relationship between gratitude and depressive symptoms.
Methods
A total sample of 60 community-dwelling older adults with chronic low back pain (cLBP) provided blood samples for high-sensitivity TNF-α and completed the Gratitude Questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale, and the PROMIS Emotional Support, Sleep Disturbance, and Depression forms. Descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, and serial mediation analyses were performed.
Results
Gratitude was negatively associated with perceived stress, sleep disturbance, and depression, and was positively associated with social support. No significant association was observed between gratitude and TNF-α. After controlling for age and marital status, analyses revealed that perceived stress and sleep disturbance sequentially mediated the association between gratitude and depressive symptoms.
Conclusion
Perceived stress and sleep disturbance may be potential mechanistic pathways by which gratitude impacts negative well-being. Targeting gratitude as a protective resource may be a potential therapeutic tool to improve psychological and behavioral outcomes in older adults with cLBP.
... Researchers have also tested the effects of multi-component gratitude interventions. Salces-Cubero et al. randomly assigned adults ages 60-89 to one of three interventions (gratitude, optimism, savoring) or a no-intervention control condition [44]. All interventions consisted of four sessions offered at a local senior center. ...
This chapter examines positive psychology theories and research findings on how gratitude contributes to happiness and well-being. Two theories are discussed that provide insight into why gratitude enhances well-being (i.e., Broaden-and-Build Theory; Find, Remind, and Bind Theory). Empirical findings are reviewed showing that gratitude relates to lower levels of psychological distress, higher levels of psychological well-being, and better physical health. Benefits of writing-based gratitude interventions such as maintaining gratitude journals and writing gratitude letters are described. Studies showing promising benefits of gratitude across several situations are also addressed (i.e., the workplace, romantic relationships, and aging). Finally, suggestions for enhancing gratitude in one’s life are provided along with recommendations for future research.
... Gratitude is connected to better physical and mental functioning of a person (Wood, Froh, and Geraghty 2010;Wood et al. 2008a). It is correlated to higher optimism, happiness, life satisfaction and subjective wellbeing, and inversely proportional to anxiety and depression (Petrocchi and Couyoumdjian 2016;Salces-Cubero, Ramírez-Fernández, and Ortega-Martínez 2019;Watkins et al. 2003). The experience of gratitude may protect against psychopathology, reducing its symptoms (e.g. ...
We conducted three studies to validate the Polish version of the GrAw-7. Our objectives are as follows: first, to explore the dimensional structure of the scale and to determine the internal consistency (study 1: N = 635); second, to verify the stability of the GraW-7 (study 2: N = 27); and third, to determine the validity of the GrAw-7 (study 3: N = 385). To explore the dimensional structure of the scale, we tested a one-factor model proposed by Büssing (2018). To determine the validity of the GrAw-7, we analysed correlations among Awe/Gratitude and gratitude as an affective trait, resilience, health behaviours, transcendence and openness to spirituality. Based upon the presented data, it can be concluded that the Polish version of GrAw-7 has good psychometric qualities that are similar to those of the original version. The CFA results confirmed that the univariate solution is well adjusted to the data. The internal compatibility assessment is good. The absolute stability (test-retest) was estimated to be high. Based upon the results obtained, the questionnaire was demonstrated to be convergently valid as the overall GrAw-7 scores correlated positively with dispositional gratitude, resilience, transcendence proper, spiritual openness, and health-related behaviours.
... Furthermore, higher levels of dispositional gratitude may also help buffer risk for psychopathology through reducing negative affect. Indeed, several randomized controlled trials examining the effectiveness of gratitude interventions have found significant decreases in negative affect relative to control groups (O'Connell et al., 2017;Salces-Cubero et al., 2019;Wolfe & Patterson, 2017). ...
Background
Dispositional gratitude has been implicated as a psychological characteristic that may modulate risk for mental health outcomes. Using a population-based sample of U.S. military veterans, this study evaluated the association between dispositional gratitude and the development of psychopathology and suicidal behaviors over a 7-year period.
Methods
A nationally representative sample of U.S. veterans was surveyed at four timepoints across seven years. Analyses were restricted to veterans without incident outcomes at baseline. Multivariable analyses were conducted to examine the relation between baseline levels of dispositional gratitude and risk of developing (a) major depressive disorder (MDD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); (b) suicidal ideation; and (c) suicide attempts.
Results
A total 9.6% of veterans developed MDD, GAD, and/or PTSD, 9.5% developed suicidal ideation, and 2.8% reported having attempted suicide over the 7-year follow-up period. Among veterans with high levels of dispositional gratitude, incidence was lower for MDD/GAD/PTSD (8.0%), suicidal ideation (6.8%), and suicide attempts (1.5%). Conversely, veterans with low dispositional gratitude were at substantially higher risk of developing MDD/GAD/PTSD (27.7%), suicidal ideation (33.6%), and suicide attempts (20.3%).
Conclusions
High dispositional gratitude may help protect against the development of psychopathology and suicidal behaviors in U.S. military veterans, whereas low gratitude may increase risk of developing these outcomes. Collectively, these results support the potential utility of enhancing gratitude as part of primary prevention efforts for veterans, service members, and other populations at heightened risk for adverse mental health outcomes.
... Ramírez et al. (2014) obtained similar results when using their MAPEG program, which also includes training in gratitude. In this same line, Salces-Cubero et al. (2019) found that gratitude training in persons between the ages of 60 and 89 effected an increase in satisfaction with life, happiness, positive affect, and resilience as well as a decrease in negative affect. Another interesting line of work for increasing well-being consists of acting on negative memories that generate intense emotions, like resentment and rage, through forgiveness (Robertson and Swickert, 2018). ...
Research has shown that happiness and well-being play a fundamental role in the health of older adults. For this reason, programs based on Positive Psychology seek to improve quality of life, preventing and reducing the appearance of emotional disorders. The objective of this study was to verify whether an intervention based on Autobiographical Memory, Forgiveness, Gratitude, and Sense of humor would increase quality of life in institutionalized older adults. We used a quasi-experimental design with pre- and post-intervention measures and follow-on measures at 3, 6, and 12 months. A total of 111 institutionalized older adults participated in the study and were randomly assigned to one of three groups: experimental (n = 36), placebo (n = 39), and control (n = 36). Measurements were taken of depression, subjective happiness, satisfaction with life, psychological well-being, and specific memories. Program duration was 11 weeks, followed by refresher sessions of the activities that had been conducted. The results showed that the intervention was effective, producing lasting increase in the participating adults’ well-being, maintained for the following 12 months, in contrast to the other two groups. In conclusion, the proposed intervention proved to be a novel tool that was effective, easily applied, and able to improve quality of life and emotional disorders in older adults.
... Also, the association of resilience and optimism has been firmly demonstrated by several pieces of evidence too. As an illustration, a study conducted in Spain found a significant positive relationship between optimism and resilience (Salces-Cubero et al., 2019). Sleep quality, resilience, and optimism have close neural areas in the brain, operated similarly in some cases. ...
Poor sleep quality is prevalent among people all across the world. Different methods have been developed to help clinicians improve sleep quality. Good sleep quality is associated with positive factors, such as resilience and optimism. In this regard, this study aimed to determine the transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) effect on sleep quality, resilience, and optimism. This semi-experimental study was conducted using a pre- and post-test design with a control group in November and December 2019. The study sample consisted of 20 students with poor sleep quality from Semnan University (Semnan City, Iran), ranging from an associate degree to a doctorate. They were randomly divided into experimental and control groups (2 groups of 10 subjects). This study used tDCS for interventions, as well as the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Life Orientation Test (LOT), and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) to assess research variables in a pre and post-test design. The experimental group received 10 sessions of therapeutic intervention, while the control group only received a sham wave. After analyzing data by multivariate and univariate analyses of covariance, the results demonstrated that tDCS interventions significantly affected resilience and sleep quality. However, there was no significant effect of tDCS on optimism. Our findings suggested that tDCS may be an effective way to improve sleep quality and resilience, and it could be used as a therapeutic method.
... 27 Similarly, gratitude has been associated with a lower degree of negative emotions 28 and increased subjective well-being. 29 Interventions targeting positive, psychological processes (ie, positive activity interventions [PAIs]) such as social support, gratitude, optimism, and hope have also demonstrated adaptive benefits in clinical pain severity, psychosocial functioning, physical disability, and well-being. [30][31][32] Combined, these findings support the protective role of resilience on pain and align with the Broaden-and-Build Theory of positive emotions, which posits that the accumulation of positive affective states increases personal resources through the broadening of one's views, thoughts, and actions to promote adaptive coping. ...
Introduction
Racial minorities are disproportionally affected by pain. Compared to non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs), non-Hispanic Blacks (NHBs) report higher pain intensity, greater pain-related disability, and higher levels of mood disturbance. While risk factors contribute to these disparities, little is known regarding how sources of resilience influence these differences, despite the growing body of research supporting the protective role of resilience in pain and disability among older adults with chronic pain. The current study examined the association between psychological resilience and pain, and the moderating role of race across these relationships in older adults with chronic low back pain (cLBP).
Methods
This is a secondary analysis of the Adaptability and Resilience in Aging Adults (ARIAA). Participants completed measures of resilience (ie, gratitude, trait resilience, emotional support), as well as a performance-based measure assessing lower-extremity function and movement-evoked pain.
Results
There were 45 participants that identified as non-Hispanic White (NHW) and 15 participants that identified as non-Hispanic Black (NHB). Race was a significant correlate of pain outcomes with NHBs reporting greater movement-evoked pain (r = 0.27) than NHWs. After controlling for relevant sociodemographic characteristics, measures of movement-evoked pain were similar across both racial groups, F (1, 48) = 0.31, p = 0.57. Moderation analyses revealed that higher levels of gratitude (b = −1.23, p = 0.02) and trait resilience (b = −10.99, p = 0.02) were protective against movement-evoked pain in NHWs. In contrast, higher levels of gratitude were associated with lower functional performance in NHBs (b = −0.13, p =0.02).
Discussion
These findings highlight racial differences in the relationship between resilience and pain-related outcomes among older adults with cLBP. Future studies should examine the potential benefits of targeted interventions that improve resilience and ameliorate pain disparities among racial minorities.
... (Haslam et al., 2009 (Quoidbach, Berry, Hansenne & Mikolajczak, 2010;Lin et al., 2011;Beaumount, 2011;Hurley & Kwon, 2012;Jose, Lim, & Bryant, 2012;Hurley & Kwon, 2013;St Leon, Kozlowski, & Provost, 2015;Smith & Bryant, 2015;Costa-Ramalho, 2015;Smith, & Bryant, 2016;Smith & Hanni, 2016;Kiken, Lundberg, & Fredrickson, 2017;Straszewki &Siegel, 2018;Salces-Cubero, 2018 ...
... Regarding experimental research, two interventions in college students (K. Kim, 2019) and older adults (Salces-Cubero, Ramírez-Fernández, & Ortega-Martínez, 2019) found that an optimism intervention, consisting of various activities such as writing and positive imagery, significantly reduced depression scores from pre-to post-intervention compared to the control group. Among college students (Kim, 2019), those in the optimism intervention also experienced a significant increase in cognitive and emotional well-being. ...
While the increasing prevalence of depression and poor mental health is concerning, more and more academics are studying happiness and developing evidence-based interventions to promote it. Strong evidence supports the benefits of both optimism and physical activity for physical health and well-being concepts such as mental health or mental illness. However, no research has examined the interplay between the two for increasing happiness. The purpose of this opinion piece is to review the science on the relationships between optimism, physical activity, and happiness, and propose a model on how optimism and physical activity interact to promote happiness. Together both optimism and physical activity are key influencers of happiness with notable mediators being physical health and social functioning. This paper provides a critical examination of the contributing factors to happiness, which is relevant on both a practical and scientific front. This paper can inform future efforts in science and practice in this field to better support optimism and physical activity and to best promote thriving.
... While no significant pairwise correlations with HB, LS, and happiness were found, optimism predicted LS in our model [44,45,52]. Consistent with this unexpected finding for optimistic expectancies, a previous study showed that an intervention focused on increasing optimism did not reveal any effect on SWB among Spanish older adults [84]. Consequently, future research on the role of optimism for SWB in late adulthood is warranted. ...
We explored possible paths from physical and mental health-related quality of life, self-efficacy, optimism, and social support to happiness in older adults, considering hedonic balance and life satisfaction as mediators. A total of 154 Spanish male and female (50%) older adults (65–96 years old, M = 77.44, SD = 8.03; 64% noninstitutionalized elderly) voluntarily participated in this correlational, cross-sectional study. The participants completed self-reports on their perceived health status, self-efficacy, social support, optimism, and global subjective well-being (SWB) as well as its dimensions. Path analysis was used to examine direct and indirect relationships. The final model had an excellent fit with the data (χ2(10) = 11.837, p = .296, χ2/df = 1.184; SRMR = 0.050, CFI = 0.994, RMSEA = 0.035), revealing the unique causal effects of all the included predictors on happiness. With the exception of self-efficacy, the psychosocial resources predicted older adults’ current happiness, and this relationship was fully mediated by hedonic balance and life satisfaction, which were found to be putative intermediary factors for SWB. Self-efficacy in turn predicted the remaining psychosocial resources. Our findings extend the existing evidence on the influences of health-related quality of life, self-efficacy, optimism, and social support on SWB. Furthermore, they support the proposal of hedonic balance and life satisfaction as dimensions of SWB, thus supporting the tripartite hierarchical model of happiness. These results may inform future interventions seeking to improve happiness in late adulthood.
... In line with our hypothesis and the previous results (Jang et al., 2007;Javanmard, 2013;Park, 2007;Reis et al., 2017;Salces-Cubero et al., 2019;Silberman, 2005;Zábó et al., 2019), the inclusion of transcendence relates positively to global wellbeing, savoring, and resilience. Thus, inclusion of transcendence induces bigger fulfilment in the bio-, psycho-, socio-, and spiritual aspects of one's life. ...
This study aimed to investigate the influence of religious attitudes, namely Inclusion of Trancendence and Symbolic Interpretation on life goals and different aspects of mental health.
Participants (N = 604) filled in an online questionnaire including the Post-Critical Belief Scale (Martos et al., 2009), the short version of Aspiration Index (Martos et al., 2006), and the Mental Health Test (MHT; see Oláh et al., 2018).
We investigated the relationship between religious attitudes, life goals, and the subscales of mental health using path analyses. The Symbolic Interpretation of religious content predicts support for intrinsically motivated life goals, while the Inclusion of Transcendence predicts the refusal of extrinsic aspirations. Positive effects were revealed between the Inclusion of Transcendence and global well-being, strategies aim at creating and enchancing happiness, and resilience. Symbolic Interpretation was positively related to creative, executing individual and social efficiency, while negatively influenced resilience.
The Inclusion of Transcendence and Symbolic Interpretation separately predict different aspects of life goals and mental health, and jointly support a higher quality of life.
El envejecimiento de la población es uno de los principales retos de la sociedad actual. En particular, las personas mayores que viven en zonas rurales pueden encontrarse con barreras adicionales para acceder a recursos y servicios de salud mental, lo cual aumenta el riesgo de aislamiento social, depresión y otros problemas de salud emocional. El objetivo del estudio es evaluar una intervención, desde la perspectiva de la psicología positiva, para la mejora del bienestar y la salud emocional en personas mayores. Se llevó a cabo una investigación cuasi experimental con medidas preintervención y posintervención. La muestra está formada por 24 personas de 65 a 85 años. El programa consta de un total de seis sesiones de 90 minutos de duración y se realizó de manera presencial. Los resultados señalan que el grupo experimental incrementó significativamente sus puntuaciones con respecto al inicio, y en relación al grupo de control. Se podría sugerir que el programa de intervención basado en psicología positiva promueve un incremento del bienestar emocional, lo cual favorece un envejecimiento saludable.
School principals are integral to the success of school operations, particularly in the face of diverse challenges. Resilience emerges as a critical attribute for these educational leaders. This research investigated the sequential mediation effects of imagination and perceived hope on the relationship between savoring and resilience. A survey was conducted with 1306 principals (390 females and 916 males; 302 from senior high schools, 351 from junior high schools, and 653 from elementary schools), representing 34% of the total population. Utilizing Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling, the analysis revealed that: (1) savoring positively correlates with resilience, (2) imagination significantly mediates the relationship between savoring and resilience, (3) perceived hope significantly mediates the relationship between savoring and resilience, and (4) imagination and perceived hope sequentially mediate the relationship between savoring and resilience. The research concludes by discussing the theoretical and educational implications of these findings and proposes directions for future research.
Objectives:
This study aimed to understand which character strengths are most important for people living with dementia and therefore which strengths-based psychological interventions could be most meaningful and acceptable.
Methods:
A participatory design, utilising Delphi methodology, was incorporated into an iterative three stage framework: (1) literature reviewed for Positive Psychology (PP) interventions and patient public involvement to define the character strengths; (2) modified Delphi (N = 10) identified which character strengths are most important for living with dementia; (3) focus groups (N = 14) explored which PP interventions are most acceptable and meaningful. Qualitative data from the focus groups was analysed using thematic analysis.
Results:
Love, kindness and humour were deemed the most important character strengths for living with dementia. Qualitative data from the focus groups was captured in three superordinate themes: (1) lack of opportunity not capacity; (2) key considerations of PP interventions for people living with dementia; and (3) potential benefits of PP interventions.
Conclusions:
Love, kindness and humour come naturally to people with dementia, but people may lack social opportunities to use these strengths. Therefore, a PP intervention promoting positive emotion, social relationships and connection to one's values appears most meaningful and acceptable as this may provide a social context to use and maintain these strengths.
Positive psychological factors play a pivotal role in improving cardiovascular outcomes. Gratitude interventions are among the most effective positive psychological interventions, with potential clinical applications in cardiology practice. To better understand the potential clinical effects of gratitude interventions in cardiovascular disease, four databases (Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and PsycArticles) were searched from 2005 to 2023 for relevant studies. Randomized controlled trials of gratitude interventions as the intervention and that reported physiological or psychosocial outcomes were eligible for inclusion. In total, 19 studies were identified, reporting results from 2951 participants from 19 to 71 years old from both healthy populations and those with clinical diagnoses. The studies showed that gratitude not only promotes mental health and adherence to healthy behaviors but also improves cardiovascular outcomes. Gratitude may have a positive impact on biomarkers of cardiovascular disease risk, especially asymptomatic heart failure, cardiovascular function, and autonomic nervous system activity.
High well-being is a protective factor against mental illness and psychopathology. To improve welfare, positive psychological interventions can be carried out, one of which is by enjoying the intervention. Purpose of this review is to evaluate the savoring intervention experiments and determine the effectiveness of the savoring interventions which can be used as evidence based in the practice of increasing well-being. This research was conducted by identifying appropriate and relevant literature. Identified randomized controlled trial from inception starts from May 2022 through proquest, google scholar, semantic scholar, and scopus. This meta-analysis research shows the results of effectiveness of savoring intervention on well-being which are in the medium category. The savoring intervention must also be strengthened with other additional interventions so that the result of effectiveness in influencing a person's well-being becomes greater and more significant. Differences in participant characteristics and the amount of literature included in this study are the weaknesses of this study.
Objetivo:
recoger y sintetizar la evidencia existente en la última década con respecto a las intervenciones en Psicología Positiva en estas personas.
Método:
se ha realizado una revisión sistemática (RS) que recoge las publicaciones, realizadas entre enero de 2012 y julio de 2022, procedentes de las bases de datos SCOPUS, WOS/Medline y PROQUEST/PsycInfo. Se seleccionaron 944 estudios empíricos, de los cuales 18 cumplieron los criterios de inclusión.
Resultados:
se presenta evidencia sobre la eficacia de las intervenciones en Psicología Positiva para reducir la sintomatología depresiva e incrementar el bienestar subjetivo y psicológico en personas de estas edades, con efectos superiores a los de otros grupos de control. Esto sucede con programas de intervención en bienestar, al entrenar varias fortalezas- gratitud o perdón junto con otras- o entrenando en mindfulness.
Conclusión:
estos resultados subrayan la importancia de considerar las intervenciones en Psicología Positiva como terapias complementarias para mejorar la salud mental y la calidad de vida en personas mayores de 60 años.
Promoting positive emotions in older adults appears to be a path to support healthy aging and prevent mental disorders such as depression. To reach this goal, relational savoring (RS) appears to be a promising approach. RS is a specific type of savoring that emphasizes relational contents and consists in stimulating people to focus on positive relational experiences. This study aims to investigate the feasibility of a self-help relational savoring e-intervention on savoring beliefs and strategies and on positive and negative emotions in older adults. This study also evaluates the user experience and the perceived usefulness of the e-intervention. Eleven participants were involved and completed the e-intervention, consisting of two online RS exercises per week for three weeks, for a total of six exercises. To investigate participants’ changes in psychological dimensions (e.g., savoring beliefs and strategies and positive and negative emotions), online questionnaires were proposed before and after the intervention; to evaluate participants’ experiences, a qualitative questionnaire was proposed at the end of each exercise. Paired t-tests revealed significant improvements in savoring strategies and positive emotions. The online platform was positively evaluated, and most of the participants considered the training useful. The results of this feasibility study are promising and suggest that the intervention has the potential to promote savoring and positive emotions in older adults. Future research could involve a larger sample and include randomized controlled trials to evaluate its efficacy.KeywordsOlder AdultsRelational SavoringInternet InterventionPositive Emotions
This cross-sectional study was aimed to investigate the relationship between gratitude and life satisfaction, and the mediation role of social support and enjoyment of life among older individuals. The Gratitude Resentment and Appreciation Test, the Enjoyment of Life Scale, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support Scale were administered to a sample of 260 older individuals aged between 60 and 80. The main findings revealed a positive association between gratitude and life satisfaction, and social support was a partial mediator in this relationship. Although enjoyment of life was not a direct mediator in the relationship between gratitude and life satisfaction, the final model indicated a significant serial pathway from gratitude to social support and then through enjoyment of life-to-life satisfaction. In conclusion, enhancing gratitude, promoting enjoyment of life, and social support in older individuals might increase their life satisfaction, which in turn might contribute to their successful aging
Purpose
Technology has become all-pervasive and one of the essential requirements of life. The blessings of science and technology are countless, and today, it is almost impossible to imagine life without applications of technology. And at the same time, positive psychologists have advocated practicing gratitude for the betterment of personal and professional growth and development. But ironically, the area of gratitude toward technology remains unexplored. The purpose of this study is to investigate the difference in gratitude for the technological and non-technological aspects of life.
Design/methodology/approach
The first study compared gratitude for three parameters – sense of abundance, social appreciation and appreciation for others. The second study was based on the “counting blessing” exercise, in which respondents were asked to write five things for which they feel grateful in life. The Friedman test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used to compare the ranked data. In the third study, respondents were distributed into two groups. Both groups were given a puzzle to solve; first, group members were informed that they would interact with other human beings, and the second group was informed that they would interact with bots.
Findings
All three studies concluded that respondents are relatively less grateful for the contributions of technologies.
Originality/value
This is probably the first study that investigated gratefulness for technology.
(1) Background: An increasing number of people are living with late-life depression, yet non-pharmacological treatments to help manage symptoms are limited. Two interventions, positive psychology and music therapeutic songwriting, have independently led to decreased depressive symptoms and an improved wellbeing in older people over 65 years old. (2) Methods: This article describes the development of a therapeutic songwriting program for people living with late-life depression. Knowledge from positive psychology and therapeutic songwriting was combined to maximize the potential benefits. (3) Results: The intervention program has ten weekly 45 min sessions that incorporate elements from positive psychology into therapeutic songwriting. Using a three-song approach encompassing ongoing musical practices, different positive psychology interventions were incorporated to support the experiences associated with a flourishing life. The intervention protocol for older people presented here is distinct from previous deficit-orientated approaches in that it shifts the focus to positive experiences, resources, and the individual’s ability to decrease their own depressive symptoms and improve their wellbeing. (4) Discussion: This protocol presenting a therapeutic songwriting program meets the need to develop new non-pharmacological treatment options. However, further studies are needed to examine the feasibility and impact of the intervention program on late-life depression and wellbeing in older people.
A central outcome indicator of person-oriented services in primary health care is self-rated health (SRH). Therefore, promoting SRH among nursing home residents is valuable. We examined whether demographic variables, gratitude, and leisure social support (LSS) related to SRH, and whether gratitude moderated the relationship between LSS and SRH. To collect demographic information and measure gratitude, LSS, and SRH, we conducted face-to-face interviews with 237 participants from four nursing homes in Taiwan. We used hierarchical regression analysis to examine data. Results demonstrated that duration of residence, gratitude, and LSS predicted SRH, and that gratitude interacted with LSS. We discuss implications of these results in terms of facilitating gratitude to promote SRH among nursing home residents and guiding them to seek sources of LSS. In particular, we further discuss how gratitude strengthens the relationship between LSS and SRH. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 48(2), 23-30.].
The fishing households' motivation is saving their money is self-encouragement to set aside funds from fishing activities to meet their family needs and useful savings funds in the future. This research aims at analyzing the fishing households' motivation in facing the uncertainty of their income that relies on their earning from the sea. This study was conducted by employing a survey in relation to discovering a description of the motivation in saving by fishing households. This study was purposively done in Pasongsongan Sub-District, Sumenep Regency, East Java. The sampling technique used was proportionate stratified random sampling. This study employed a qualitative phenomenological method, and the collected data were analyzed descriptively. The results showed that one of the fishing households' motivations for saving was the large income at the time of fish harvest, future expectations for their children's education cost, the family dependents and their own satisfaction in working as fishermen. For fishing households, saving at any amount is an economic necessity to carry on their life properly by reducing consumptive expenditures whose benefits can be reaped in the future. Fishermen save by keeping their money at home or in bank savings accounts. They also save by converting their money to gold as a form of investment that they keep at home. The highest number of the saving was fishing households with < 10 GT fishing vessels at 36.62%, while those with 10-30 GT fishing vessels at 16.90% and those with outboard motors at 9.86%. Fishing households' motivation in saving is a form of fishermen's awareness of unexpected needs in the future. In fact, in the process of saving, there are fishermen who have not considered to record their financial expenditures since they are planning to save their money in the following year. The allocation of savings made by fishing households is for their children's school fees, their own boat repairing or purchase cost.
Keywords: Motivation in Saving. Fishermen, Pasongsongan, Sumenep In
As research on savoring has increased dramatically since publication of the book Savoring: A New Model of Positive Experience (Bryant and Veroff, 2007), savoring has gradually become a core concept in positive psychology. I begin by reviewing the evolution of this concept, the development of instruments for assessing savoring ability and savoring strategies, and the wide range of applications of savoring in the psychosocial and health sciences. I then consider important directions for future theory and research. To advance our understanding of how naturalistic savoring unfolds over time, future work should integrate the perceptual judgments involved in not only the later stages of attending to and regulating positive experience (where past research has concentrated), but also the initial stages of searching for and noticing positive stimuli. Whereas most research has investigated reactive savoring, which occurs spontaneously in response to positive events or feelings, future work is also needed on proactive savoring, which begins with the deliberate act of seeking out or creating positive stimuli. To advance the measurement of savoring-related constructs, I recommend future work move beyond retrospective self-report methods toward the assessment of savoring as it occurs in real-time. The development of new methods of measuring meta-awareness and the regulation of attentional focus are crucial to advancing our understanding of savoring processes. I review recent research on the neurobiological correlates of savoring and suggest future directions in which to expand such work. I highlight the need for research aimed at unraveling the developmental processes through which savoring skills and deficits evolve and the role that savoring impairments play in the etiology and maintenance of psychopathology. Research is also needed to learn more about what enhances savoring, and to disentangle how people regulate the intensity versus duration of positive emotions. Finally, I encourage future researchers to integrate the study of anticipation, savoring the moment, and reminiscence within individuals across time.
Objectives: To establish whether positive affect (PA) is uniquely associated with loneliness and other social functioning variables beyond negative affect (NA) among older adults.
Methods: Four hundred and twenty-eight participants (aged 60+ years old, 82% White, and 48% female) were recruited using random digit-dialing and completed scales for loneliness (UCLA Loneliness Scale), companionship (PROMIS scale), satisfaction with discretionary social activities (PROMIS scale), PA (Center for Epidemiologic Studies [CES] Happiness Scale), and NA (CES-Depression scale and Brief Symptom Inventory-Anxiety Subscale).
Results: Multiple linear regression models found PA to be a significant predictor of lower loneliness where the effect of PA on loneliness is dependent on the level of NA; a large effect size at the mean NA, which becomes attenuated when NA increases. Although the direction of effect of PA on loneliness will change for NA > 5.10, which is 5 standard deviations away from 0, based on the model estimates, the percent of subjects with this large NA levels is practically 0. Thus, higher PA is associated with lower loneliness, albeit with effect attenuated for larger NA. Similarly, multiple linear regression models found that companionship was associated with PA and NA where the effect of PA is dependent on the level of NA; a medium effect size at the mean NA, which becomes attenuated when NA increases. As in the case of loneliness, the direction of effect of PA on companionship will change for NA > 3.52, which is 3.5 standard deviation away from 0, based on the model estimates, but the percent of subjects with this large NA levels is practically 0. Thus, higher PA always increases companionship, albeit with effect attenuated for larger NA. Satisfaction with social activities was associated with PA only (medium effect size).
Conclusions: Results suggest PA appears to be uniquely associated with social functioning among older adults. These findings support the potential for treatments that target PA to decrease loneliness among older adults, or vice versa.
Background
This mixed methods study identified positive psychological factors and life themes expressed in autobiographical narratives of predominantly Black women living with HIV (WLWH) and investigated these in relation to depressive symptoms, antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence (≥ 95% of time), and undetectable HIV viral load (VL) (< 80 copies/ml).Method
Ninety-eight WLWH from the Women’s Interagency HIV Study Chicago site (M age = 45.3; 91% Black) narrated three autobiographical life turning points, reliably coded for positive factors and life themes. ART adherence, VL and depressive symptoms, assessed with Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale total score (TOT) including its four factors (negative affect (NA), positive affect (PA), somatic symptoms (SS), and interpersonal problems (IP)), were collected over two time points: concurrently with narratives and 6 months later. Composite scores across the two time points were used in all analyses.ResultsTen positive psychological factors (gratitude, insight, compassion, meaning-making, acceptance, mindfulness, generativity, optimism, self-reliance, and benevolent God beliefs) and three positive life themes (health improvements, positive relationships, and accomplishments) were identified in narratives. Higher accomplishments, overall positive factors, insight, mindfulness, self-reliance, optimism, meaning-making, and acceptance related to lower depressive symptoms (TOT, NA, SS, or IP). Positive factors and life themes did not significantly relate to PA. Higher compassion related to higher ART adherence. Higher accomplishments related to undetectable VL independent of ART adherence.Conclusion
Findings that positive psychological factors and life accomplishments may relate to better health, especially to lower depression, potentially contribute to developing positive psychology interventions for Black WLWH.
This chapter addresses relevant calls for more PYD based research among emerging adults in Southern Europe and related psychological adjustment mechanisms during this life stage. In so doing, the chapter applies the 5Cs model of PYD (connection, competence, confidence, character and caring) to examine meaningful relations with subjective happiness and the mediating role of gratitude and optimism among emerging adults in Spain. The chapter presents an empirical example of a cross-sectional study with 768 emerging adults from Andalusia, Southern Spain who completed measures on the 5Cs, subjective happiness, gratitude and optimism. The main findings indicate that gratitude and optimism were partial mediators of the relation between the 5Cs of PYD and subjective happiness. When young people experience high levels of the 5Cs, they show more happiness through a positive effect on gratitude and optimism. The chapter suggests that subjective happiness of emerging adults in Spain may be a function of the joint influence of both the 5Cs of PYD and character strengths, such as gratitude and optimism.
The effectiveness of positive psychology interventions in the treatment of stress-related difficulties have not been well established. To estimate the effectiveness of positive psychology interventions on the reduction of stress-related symptoms, a systematic review using PubMed, Scopus, Wiley, Psychinfo, Cochrane and Sage databases with no limitation of date of publication was conducted. We identified additional studies by searching positive psychology reviews and academic books. Only studies trying positive interventions that included measures of anxiety, stress, or PTSD symptoms were reviewed. We extracted data using predefined data fields and study quality was assessed with the NIH study quality assessment tools. Twenty-nine records were included in this study: twenty-three controlled trials and six pre-post studies. Every study showed significant improvement in at least one dimension. Several studies reported improvements in well-being as well. This review shows promising results of positive psychology interventions as a treatment for stress-related difficulties. However, important methodological biases and strong heterogeneity among the studies highlight the need for replication and better validation of positive psychology interventions.
This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
This chapter describes evidence-based happiness techniques that are highly relevant for workers in the tourism and hospitality industries. Although happiness creates success for many stakeholders, there is limited evidence on how to increase the happiness of workers in these industries as the focus has predominantly been on the happiness of the customers. The authors fill this gap in the literature by presenting three proven interventions that are particularly relevant to these sectors: job crafting, acts of kindness, and gratitude exercises. The chapter explains what these concepts are and how they work. It also provides specific examples of how they can be implemented into tourism and hospitality organisations.
The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions articulates the merit of positive emotions in promoting well-being. Using an online two-group posttest-only randomized experimental design, this study examined the effects of communication savoring on subjective well-being (i.e., positive and negative affect, happiness, and life satisfaction) among young adults (M age = 20.97, SD = 1.91). After writing about a communication moment they savored and savoring the positive emotions derived from reminiscence, participants in the experimental group (n = 90) reported higher levels of positive affect and lower levels of negative affect compared to participants in the comparison group (n = 87) who wrote about a communication moment they recently experienced. Moreover, results showed that the one-time communication savoring intervention was indirectly related to higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction through both positive and negative affect. Results bolster recent theorizing about communication savoring as a distinctive positive communication construct.
A témában megjelenő friss kutatási eredmények összefoglalásával arra kerestük a választ, hogy a pozitív élmények feldolgozása (savoring) milyen jelentőséggel bír a daganatos megbetegedések komplex terápiájában. Az eredmények azt mutatják, hogy a savoring nem csak a boldog élet egyik nélkülözhetetlen összetevője. Azokban a stresszel teli időszakokban is fontos erőforrásként szolgálhat - mind a páciens, mind pedig az őt ápoló hozzátartozók életében is -, mint amilyet az életet veszélyeztető, daganatos betegségek is jelentenek. A pozitív tapasztalások „ízlelgetése" képes csökkenteni a megbetegedéssel kapcsolatos szorongásos és depresszív tüneteket, az érzelmi distresszt, valamint növelni a pozitív érzelmi állapotot, és az élettel és párkapcsolattal való elégedettséget is. Az említésre kerülő eredmények, valamint savoring intervenciós lehetőségek akár a hazai onkopszichológiai ellátás területén is új színfoltot jelenthetnek.
By reviewing the results of recent researches we aimed to highlight the importance of savoring in the complex therapy of cancer. These results show that savoring is not only an essential component of a happy life, but it can also be an important resource in stressful periods and serious illness as the life-threatening cancer, both for the patient and for his relatives and caregivers. Savoring can reduce, among others, illness-related anxiety, depression, emotional distress and increase positive emotional and life satisfaction as well as relationship satisfaction. The mentioned results, as well as the potential of savoring interventions, may represent a new approach in the field of Hungarian oncopsychological care as well.
This study examines the life satisfaction and self-development initiatives among non-permanent teachers (honorary) in primary schools. A survey was conducted on 163 honorary teachers in Jakarta and surrounding areas, using the Life Satisfaction and Personal Growth Initiative Scale. The data collected was processed using Rasch Model, and the main findings indicated the presence of life satisfaction and self-development initiatives amongst honorary teachers in primary schools. Furthermore, the Differential Item Functioning (DIF) analysis showed the occurrence of significantly different response pattern from 3 out of the 8 demographic aspects tested, including gender, monthly income received, and honorary teachers' location. Specifically, male teachers reportedly had better abilities in taking steps to improve interpersonal lives, while honorary teachers earning IDR > 3 million/month (1) have more difficulties in taking roles according to subjective wishes, and; (2) tend to continue living as they are. These scenarios are comparably different amongst individuals earning IDR < 3 million/month. We also find that there are differences in the response of honorary teachers in primary schools in the areas of Jakarta, Depok, Tangerang, Bogor and Bekasi. In addition, the implications of the research findings are also an important part discussed in this article.
Se indagó la validez y confiabilidad de una versión argentina de la Escala de Resiliencia (ER) de Wagnild y Young (1993) realizándose la traducción y adaptación al español hablado en Argentina. La ER consta de 25 ítems: 17 evalúan “Competencia Personal” y 8, “Aceptación de Sí Mismo y de la Vida”. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 222 argentinos (152 mujeres y 70 hombres). El rango de edad fue de 18 a 70 años (M=30,93; DE=12,12). En el análisis factorial fueron extraídos tres factores (capacidad de autoeficacia, capacidad de propósito y sentido de vida, y evitación cognitiva) que explican el 32,63% de la varianza; identificándose 4 ítems complejos. La consistencia interna según el Alfa de Cronbach de la ER total fue de 0,72. No hubo diferencia significativa entre el puntaje medio de varones y mujeres. Se concluye que la ER es un instrumento confiable para su aplicación en la población argentina.Palabras clave: Resiliencia, Escala de Resiliencia, Confiabilidad, Validez.
In four studies, the authors examined the correlates of the disposition toward gratitude. Study 1 revealed that self-ratings and observer ratings of the grateful disposition are associated with positive affect and well-being prosocial behaviors and traits, and religiousness/spirituality. Study 2 replicated these findings in a large nonstudent sample. Study 3 yielded similar results to Studies 1 and 2 and provided evidence that gratitude is negatively associated with envy and materialistic attitudes. Study 4 yielded evidence that these associations persist after controlling for Extraversion/positive affectivity, Neuroticism/negative affectivity, and Agreeableness. The development of the Gratitude Questionnaire, a unidimensional measure with good psychometric properties, is also described.
El objetivo de este trabajo fue determinar qué tipo de actividades positivas se ajustan más a una población de personas mayores considerando los modos específicos de perseguir la felicidad en esta etapa de la vida. Para ello, se realizaron dos intervenciones una basada en gratitud y otra en optimismo para intentar determinar si tienen un efecto diferencial tanto en medidas de bienestar como en medidas del estado emocional de los participantes. Los resultados obtenidos en este trabajo indicaron que una intervención en gratitud produce mejoras en los niveles de ansiedad y depresión, así como un aumento en la dimensión de autoaceptación del bienestar psicológico. Estos efectos no se han obtenido cuando la intervención estuvo basada en un entrenamiento en optimismo. En calidad de vida no se encontraron diferencias entre los dos tipos de intervención, aunque si aparece un aumento en los valores de esta variable tras finalizar las mismas. El principal valor de este trabajo radica en que se trata de un estudio pionero en un ámbito que comienza a vislumbrarse como muy relevante ya que se centra en el conocimiento de qué tipo de actividades positivas se ajustan mejor a cada tipo de población y cuáles son más adecuadas para alcanzar el bienestar y la felicidad.
Resumen: En la vejez avanzada, los estados emocionales se convierten en el motivo más importante para mantener la satisfacción con la vida. En este estudio se ha examinado el papel de las emociones positivas y negativas sobre el juicio de satisfacción vital en la vejez avanzada, así como las diferencias de edad y género en una muestra de 400 personas muy mayores de Salamanca, con edades comprendidas entre los 75 y 104 años. Los resultados muestran una mayor frecuencia de emociones positivas, siendo las más frecuentes estar atento, sentirse activo y fuerte y, las menos frecuentes, estar entusiasmado e inspirado. Entre los sentimientos negativos más frecuentes destacan sentirse inquieto, expectante y nervioso, y como menos frecuentes sentirse culpable, hostil y avergonzado. Además, aparecen diferencias de edad (quienes tienen entre 75 y 84 años se sienten más activos, entusiasmados e inspirados) y de género (las mujeres muy mayores se sienten más inquietas, nerviosas, orgullosas, temerosas, asustadas y perturbadas). Por otra parte, el análisis de regresión múltiple pone de manifiesto que permanecer animado, alegre, vigilante y alerta frente a los sucesos resulta funcional en el mantenimiento de la satisfacción vital de las personas de 75 y más años. Estos resultados confirman que las emociones positivas son un recurso potencial para la resiliencia psicológica en la vejez avanzada. Emotional well-being in advanced old age: comparative study by age and gender Abstract: In very old age, emotional states become the most important reason to maintain life satisfaction. In this study we examined the role of positive and negative emotions on the judgment of life satisfaction in advanced old age and the age and gender differences in a sample of 400 elderly people of Salamanca, aged between 75 and 104. The results show a higher frequency of positive emotions than negative, with the most frequent of the former being attentive, active and strong, and the less frequent ones being excited and inspired. Among the more frequent negative emotions are feeling jittery, nervous and alert, and the less frequent ones are feeling guilty, hostile and ashamed. In addition, there are differences in terms of both age (people aged between 75 and 84 are more active, enthusiastic and inspired) and gender (very old women are more jittery, nervous, proud, afraid, scared and upset). Moreover, multiple regression analysis showed that remaining lively, happy, interested and alert to events is essential for maintaining the life satisfaction of people aged over 75. These results confirm that positive emotions are a potential resource for psychological resilience in advanced old age.
Antecedentes. Diversas investigaciones han mostrado que la felicidad y el bienestar juegan un papel fundamental en la salud de los ancianos. Por ello, los programas basados en la Psicología Positiva incluyen alguna de estas variables para mejorar su calidad de vida,previniendo y disminuyendo la aparición de trastornos emocionales. Objetivos. Comprobar si una intervención basada en Memoria Autobiográfica, Perdón, Gratitud y Sentido del Humor incrementará la calidad de vida en ancianos institucionalizados. Método. Se utilizó un diseño cuasi-experimental con medidas pre y post intervención. Participantes. Veintiséis personas mayores de 65 años institucionalizadas. Instrumentos. Se han tomados medidas de depresión, ansiedad, felicidad, satisfacción con la vida,memoria autobiográfica y deterioro cognitivo mediante la administración de cuestionarios. Procedimiento. Obtenido el consentimiento informado, se administraron los cuestionarios en una entrevista individual y se explicó el objetivo de la intervención. El programa duró once semanas y finalizado el mismo se volvió a evaluar a los participantes. Resultados. La intervención ha sido efectiva produciendo un aumento en el bienestar de los ancianos. Conclusiones. La intervención propuesta, se revela como una herramienta novedosa,eficaz, de fácil aplicación y poco costosa que permitirá al clínico mejorar la calidad de vida y los trastornos emocionales del anciano.
Decades of research have shown that positive life events contribute to the remission and recovery of depression; however, it is unclear how positive life events are generated. In this study, we sought to understand if personality strengths could predict positive life events that aid in the alleviation of depression. We tested a longitudinal mediation model where gratitude and meaning in life lead to increased positive life events and, in turn, decreased depression. The sample consisted of 797 adult participants from 43 different countries who completed online surveys at five timepoints. Higher levels of gratitude and meaning in life each predicted decreases in depression over 3 and 6 months time. Increases in positive life events mediated the effects of these personality strengths on depression over 3 months; however, not over 6 months. Goal pursuit and positive emotions are theorized to be the driving forces behind gratitude and meaning in life’s effects on positive life events. We used the hedonic treadmill to interpret the short-term impact of positive life events on depression. Our findings suggest the potential for gratitude and meaning in life interventions to facilitate depression remission.
El objetivo de este trabajo fue probar la eficacia de un programa piloto basado en la psicología positiva y destinado a incrementar el bienestar emocional de las personas mayores. El diseño de investigación fue experimental, con grupos de intervención y control. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 67 adultos de 60 a 89años de edad. El programa consistió en nueve sesiones de 1.5horas de duración y frecuencia semanal. Los temas incluyeron fortalezas de carácter, emociones positivas y regulación emocional. Se evaluó el afecto, el nivel de felicidad, el nivel de preocupación, el optimismo y la presión arterial. Los resultados indicaron que los participantes del programa incrementaron significativamente su nivel de felicidad y disminuyeron el nivel de preocupación y la presión arterial sistólica. El incremento del nivel de felicidad en personas mayores favorece la construcción de recursos personales y la implicación con objetivos y proyectos que les acercan al envejecimiento activo y saludable. Los resultados, limitaciones y mejoras de este trabajo son discutidos en el contexto de la psicología positiva y la psicología de la vejez.
This systematic review aims to evaluate the impact of positive psychological interventions (PPIs) on well-being in healthy older adults. Systematic review of PPIs obtained from three electronic databases (PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science) was undertaken. Inclusion criteria were: that they were positive psychology intervention, included measurement of well-being, participants were aged over 60 years, and the studies were in English. The cochrane collaboration Guidelines dimensions of quality control, randomization, comparability, follow-up rate, dropout, blinding assessors are used to rate the quality of studies by two reviewers independently. The reach, efficacy, adoption, implementation, and maintenance (RE-AIM) for evaluation of PPIs effectiveness was also applied. The final review included eight articles, each describing a positive psychological intervention study. The reminiscence interventions were the most prevalent type of PPIs to promote and maintain well-being in later life. Only two studies were rated as high quality, four were of moderate-quality and two were of low-quality. Overall results indicated that efficacy criteria (89 %), reach criteria (85 %), adoption criteria (73 %), implementation criteria (67 %), and maintenance criteria (4 %) across a variety of RE-AIM dimensions. Directions for future positive psychological research related to RE-AIM, and implications for decision-making, are described.
Gratitude significantly predicts less depression and anxiety symptoms in general population. Three types of self-relating processes as possible mediators of this relationship were evaluated. Trait gratitude, depression, anxiety, and three forms of self-relating (criticizing, attacking, and reassuring the self) were assessed in 410 Italian participants. Gratitude predicted less depression and anxiety symptoms, and the three forms of self-relating partially mediated the impact of gratitude on both depression and anxiety. Self-reassuring had a stronger mediation power than self-attacking in the prediction of anxiety symptoms. Gratitude is a protective factor against psychopathology not only due to its association with improved relationships with others, but also because it is connected to a less critical, less punishing, and more compassionate relationship with the self.
Although research suggests that positive psychology intervention can enhance subjective well-being and reduce depression, its effectiveness on older adults remains largely unknown. Therefore the present study aimed to develop and evaluate a custom-tailored positive psychology intervention program for older adults. The program offered nine-week group sessions to 74 older people recruited from district community centers and nursing homes in Hong Kong. The intervention program covers eight themes, including optimism, gratitude, savoring, happiness, curiosity, courage, altruism, and meaning of life. The participants consisted mostly of females aged between 63 and 105 years. One-group pre-test/post-test design was adopted to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention on depression, life satisfaction, gratitude, and happiness. Results revealed that the intervention reduced the number of depressive symptoms and increased the levels of life satisfaction, gratitude, and happiness. Effectiveness of the intervention is discussed in relation to self-awareness, education, self-reinforcement, and sensitivity to age and culture.
The increasingly ageing population includes a proportion of well older adults that may benefit from low-level psychological support to help maintain their wellbeing. A factor consistently regarded as integral to wellbeing is gratitude. The effect of a ‘Three good things in life’ gratitude intervention on hedonic and eudemonic wellbeing and perceived stress levels in non-clinically depressed older adults was examined. This intervention has not been evaluated with older adults previously. The duration of the intervention was 2 weeks and baseline, end of intervention and 30-day follow up measures were compared. The effects of online and paper delivery of the intervention were compared and differences in acceptability of the two routes examined. The daily positive events identified by participants were also analysed. Participants were 88 healthy community living adults aged 60 years or over. The intervention produced significant differences in eudemonic wellbeing as measured by flourishing from baseline to day 15 that was maintained at day 45. Significant increases in flourishing were evident from baseline to day 45. There were decreases in perceived stress from day 1 to day 15 but these were not maintained once the intervention ended. There were no significant differences between online and paper delivery of the intervention. This age group managed and many preferred online delivery, Gratitude diaries seem to be a cost-effective method of producing beneficial improvements in wellbeing for older adults.
The authors examined the development of self-esteem across the life span. Data came from a German longitudinal study with 3 assessments across 4 years of a sample of 2,509 individuals ages 14 to 89 years. The self-esteem measure used showed strong measurement invariance across assessments and birth cohorts. Latent growth curve analyses indicated that self-esteem follows a quadratic trajectory across the life span, increasing during adolescence, young adulthood, and middle adulthood, reaching a peak at age 60 years, and then declining in old age. No cohort effects on average levels of self-esteem or on the shape of the trajectory were found. Moreover, the trajectory did not differ across gender, level of education, or for individuals who had lived continuously in West versus East Germany (i.e., the 2 parts of Germany that had been separate states from 1949 to 1990). However, the results suggested that employment status, household income, and satisfaction in the domains of work, relationships, and health contribute to a more positive life span trajectory of self-esteem. The findings have significant implications, because they call attention to developmental stages in which individuals may be vulnerable because of low self-esteem (such as adolescence and old age) and to factors that predict successful versus problematic developmental trajectories.
Objectives: Various positive psychology interventions have been experimentally tested, but only few studies addressed the effects of such activities in participants aged 50 and above.
Method: We tested the impact of four self-administered positive psychology interventions in an online setting (i.e., gratitude visit, three good things, three funny things, and using signature strengths in a new way) on happiness and depressive symptoms in comparison with a placebo control exercise (i.e., early memories). A total of 163 females aged 50–79 tried the assigned interventions or the placebo control exercise for one week and completed measures on happiness and depressive symptoms at five times (pre- and post-test, 1, 3, and 6 months).
Results: Three out of the four interventions (i.e., gratitude visit, three good things, and using signature strengths in a new way) increased happiness, whereas two interventions (three funny things and using signature strengths in a new way) led to a reduction of depressive symptoms on at one post-measure.
Conclusion: Positive psychology interventions yield similar results for people aged 50 and above as for younger people. The dissemination of such interventions via the Internet offers a valuable opportunity for older age groups as well.
The relationship between parenthood and well-being has become a hot topic among scholars, media, and general public alike. The research, however, has been mixed-some studies indicate that parents are happier than nonparents, whereas others suggest the reverse. We suggest that the question of whether parents are more or less happy than their childless peers is not the most meaningful one. To reconcile the conflicting literature and expand understanding of the emotional experience of parenthood, we present a model of parents' well-being that describes why and how parents experience more or less happiness than nonparents (i.e., mediators of the link between parenthood and well-being). We then apply this model to explain when parents are more likely to experience more or less happiness (i.e., moderators of parents' well-being, such as parent age or child temperament). Supporting our model, we review 3 primary methodological approaches: studies comparing parents and nonparents, studies examining changes in well-being across the transition to parenthood, and studies comparing parents' experiences while with their children to their other daily activities. Our review suggests that the relationship between parenthood and well-being is highly complex. We propose that parents are unhappy to the extent that they encounter relatively greater negative emotions, magnified financial problems, more sleep disturbance, and troubled marriages. By contrast, when parents experience greater meaning in life, satisfaction of their basic needs, greater positive emotions, and enhanced social roles, they are met with happiness and joy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).
The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) is a measure widely used to assess life satisfaction. This paper aims to test its psychometric properties, factor structure, and distribution scores across age, gender, education, and employment status. For this purpose, a representative sample of the Spanish population (N = 2,964) was used. Although analyses showed no significant differences across age or gender, participants with higher education level and those who held an occupation were more satisfied with their lives. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed a unifactorial structure with significant correlations between the SWLS, and subjective happiness and social support. The internal consistency of the scale was .88. Thus, our results indicate that the Spanish version of the SWLS is a valid and reliable measure of life satisfaction within the Spanish context.
Theory and research suggest that people can increase their happiness through simple intentional positive activities, such as expressing gratitude or practicing kindness. Investigators have recently begun to study the optimal conditions under which positive activities increase happiness and the mechanisms by which these effects work. According to our positive-activity model, features of positive activities (e.g., their dosage and variety), features of persons (e.g., their motivation and effort), and person-activity fit moderate the effect of positive activities on well-being. Furthermore, the model posits four mediating variables: positive emotions, positive thoughts, positive behaviors, and need satisfaction. Empirical evidence supporting the model and future directions are discussed.
A 4-week-long experiment examined the effects of a positive activity intervention in which students wrote about their “best possible selves” (BPS) once a week. We manipulated two factors that might affect the success of the happiness-increasing activity—whether the positive activity was administered online versus in-person and whether the participant read a persuasive peer testimonial before completing the activity. Our results indicated that the BPS activity significantly boosted positive affect and flow and marginally increased feelings of relatedness. No differences were found between participants who completed the positive activity online versus in-person. However, students who read a testimonial extolling the virtues of the BPS activity showed larger gains in well-being than those who read neutral information or completed a control task. The results lend legitimacy to online self-administered happiness-increasing activities and highlight the importance of participants’ beliefs in the efficacy of such activities for optimum results.
In recent studies of the structure of affect, positive and negative affect have consistently emerged as two dominant and relatively independent dimensions. A number of mood scales have been created to measure these factors; however, many existing measures are inadequate, showing low reliability or poor convergent or discriminant validity. To fill the need for reliable and valid Positive Affect and Negative Affect scales that are also brief and easy to administer, we developed two 10-item mood scales that comprise the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). The scales are shown to be highly internally consistent, largely uncorrelated, and stable at appropriate levels over a 2-month time period. Normative data and factorial and external evidence of convergent and discriminant validity for the scales are also presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
Background
The use of positive psychological interventions may be considered as a complementary strategy in mental health promotion and treatment. The present article constitutes a meta-analytical study of the effectiveness of positive psychology interventions for the general public and for individuals with specific psychosocial problems.
Methods
We conducted a systematic literature search using PubMed, PsychInfo, the Cochrane register, and manual searches. Forty articles, describing 39 studies, totaling 6,139 participants, met the criteria for inclusion. The outcome measures used were subjective well-being, psychological well-being and depression. Positive psychology interventions included self-help interventions, group training and individual therapy.
Results
The standardized mean difference was 0.34 for subjective well-being, 0.20 for psychological well-being and 0.23 for depression indicating small effects for positive psychology interventions. At follow-up from three to six months, effect sizes are small, but still significant for subjective well-being and psychological well-being, indicating that effects are fairly sustainable. Heterogeneity was rather high, due to the wide diversity of the studies included. Several variables moderated the impact on depression: Interventions were more effective if they were of longer duration, if recruitment was conducted via referral or hospital, if interventions were delivered to people with certain psychosocial problems and on an individual basis, and if the study design was of low quality. Moreover, indications for publication bias were found, and the quality of the studies varied considerably.
Conclusions
The results of this meta-analysis show that positive psychology interventions can be effective in the enhancement of subjective well-being and psychological well-being, as well as in helping to reduce depressive symptoms. Additional high-quality peer-reviewed studies in diverse (clinical) populations are needed to strengthen the evidence-base for positive psychology interventions.
The demand for happiness advice is vast and many different thinkers have offered their views. This special issue presents a cross section of happiness counseling through the ages and considers the advice by classic Chinese philosophers, Epicurus, Schopenhauer, as well as contemporary New Age thinkers and self-help authors. The papers follow three leading questions: 1) What is recommended for leading a happy life? 2) How does this advice fit in the worldview of the author and into a social, cultural and historical context? 3) Are the recommendations in line with what is known about the conditions of happiness? There are common themes in advice for a happy life but also much contradiction, and some honoured philosophers offer advice that can harm happiness if it is taken to heart by present day readers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
This article examines the utility of the concept of resilience to the field of critical gerontology. Resilience is an increasingly popular concept within the social sciences. We explore some key ideas about individual and social resilience from varied fields, and propose new ways to conceptualise these in relation to resilience in later life. This article examines the history of the concept of resilience; explores some of the diverse ways that gerontologists are attempting to apply it to later life; and discusses the strengths and weaknesses of using resilience as a conceptual framework within critical ageing research. We also suggest ways of conceptualising resilience and ageing, highlighting the different scales of resilience that impact on the ability of older people to negotiate adversity, and some key areas of resilience relevant to later life. The example of mobility resilience is used to illustrate how different scales of resilience operate within an area of resilience central to the ageing experience. Finally, some key principles for the use of resilience within critical gerontology are outlined, providing guidance on how to maximise the potential of the concept whilst avoiding some of the limitations associated with its historical usage.
Background: Research has shown that beliefs about one's capacity to savour positive outcomes, a form of perceived control over positive emotions, are largely independent of beliefs about coping, a form of perceived control over negative emotions. Aim: To describe a new measure of savouring beliefs, the Savoring Beliefs Inventory (SBI). Method: Six studies validating the SBI that is designed to assess individuals' perceptions of their ability to derive pleasure through anticipating upcoming positive events, savouring positive moments, and reminiscing about past positive experiences. Results: SBI scores were found to be: (a) positively correlated with affect intensity, extraversion, optimism, internal locus of control, reported self-control behaviours, life satisfaction, value fulfilment, self-esteem, and intensity and frequency of happiness; (b) negatively correlated with neuroticism, guilt, physical and social anhedonia, hopelessness, depression, and the frequency of unhappy and neutral affect; and (c) uncorrelated with socially desirable responding. SBI was validated prospec-tively by first measuring college students' savouring beliefs and then later assessing their behaviours and affects in looking forward to, enjoying the actual experience of, and looking back on their Christmas vacation. Within each of the three time frames, the relevant SBI subscale generally predicted behaviours and affects more strongly than did the subscales associated with the other two temporal orientations. Finally, SBI was cross-validated in a sample of older adults. Conclusion: These results provide strong evidence that the SBI is a valid and reliable measure of individuals' beliefs about their capacity to savour positive experiences through anticipation, present enjoyment, and reminiscence.
Using a ''subjectivist'' approach to the assessment of happiness, a new 4-item measure of global subjective happiness was developed and validated in 14 studies with a total of 2 732 participants. Data was collected in the United States from students on two college campuses and one high school campus, from community adults in two California cities, and from older adults. Students and community adults in Moscow, Russia also participated in this research. Results indicated that the Subjective Happiness Scale has high internal consistency, which was found to be stable across samples. Test-retest and self-peer correlations suggested good to excellent reliability, and construct validation studies of convergent and discriminant validity confirmed the use of this scale to measure the construct of subjective happiness. The rationale for developing a new measure of happiness, as well as advantages of this scale, are discussed.
Depression is one of the leading causes of disease worldwide. Historically conceived as either a disease of the mind or of the brain and treatment options followed this etiology. Dualistc assumptions have been replaced by assessments based on descriptions of symptoms, their presence and magnitude over time. Epidemiological studies demonstrate that depressive disorders are highly prevelant: displaying high rates of lifetime prevelance, early age onset, high chronocity and role impairment. These studies have deepened our understanding of the course of depression, remission, recovery, relapse and recurrence. An illustration of recovery rates has begun to demonstrate the complexity of the nature and course of depression. The majority recover, however recovery may not be permanent and future episodes carry the threat of chronicity. A key variable influencing rates of rcovery, relapse and recurrence is the presence of comorbid illnesses, whether medical or psychiatric. The review considers the literature on Major Depression beginning with a brief historical overview, its current classification, and a synthesis of the current knowledge in the field.
Research suggests that positive psychological well-being is associated with cardiovascular health. However, much of this research uses elderly samples and has not determined the pathways by which psychological well-being influences cardiovascular disease or whether effects are similar for men and women. This study investigates the association between two aspects of well-being (emotional vitality and optimism) and coronary heart disease (CHD) in a sample of middle-aged men and women, and considers potential mediating factors.
Between 1991 and 1994, well-being and coronary risk factors were assessed among 7,942 individuals without a prior cardiovascular event from the Whitehall II cohort. Incident CHD (fatal CHD, first nonfatal myocardial infarction, or first definite angina) was tracked during 5 person-years of follow-up.
Positive psychological well-being was associated with reduced risk of CHD with an apparent threshold effect. Relative to people with the lowest levels of well-being, those with the highest levels had minimally adjusted hazard ratios of 0.74, 95% confidence interval [0.55, 0.98] for emotional vitality and 0.73, 95% confidence interval [0.54, 0.99] for optimism. Moreover, the association was strong for both genders and was only weakly attenuated when accounting for ill-being. Neither health-related behaviors nor biological factors explained these associations.
Positive psychological well-being was associated with a modest, but consistent reduced risk of incident CHD. The relationship was comparable for men and women, and was maintained after controlling for cardiovascular risk factors and ill-being. Additional research is needed to identify underlying mechanisms and investigate whether interventions to increase well-being may enhance cardiovascular health.
An 8-month-long experimental study examined the immediate and longer term effects of regularly practicing two assigned positive activities (expressing optimism and gratitude) on well-being. More important, this intervention allowed us to explore the impact of two metafactors that are likely to influence the success of any positive activity: whether one self-selects into the study knowing that it is about increasing happiness and whether one invests effort into the activity over time. Our results indicate that initial self-selection makes a difference, but only in the two positive activity conditions, not the control, and that continued effort also makes a difference, but, again, only in the treatment conditions. We conclude that happiness interventions are more than just placebos, but that they are most successful when participants know about, endorse, and commit to the intervention.
Mental health professionals have significantly underestimated the importance of lifestyle factors (a) as contributors to and treatments for multiple psychopathologies, (b) for fostering individual and social well-being, and (c) for preserving and optimizing cognitive function. Consequently, therapeutic lifestyle changes (TLCs) are underutilized despite considerable evidence of their effectiveness in both clinical and normal populations. TLCs are sometimes as effective as either psychotherapy or pharmacotherapy and can offer significant therapeutic advantages. Important TLCs include exercise, nutrition and diet, time in nature, relationships, recreation, relaxation and stress management, religious or spiritual involvement, and service to others. This article reviews research on their effects and effectiveness; the principles, advantages, and challenges involved in implementing them; and the forces (economic, institutional, and professional) hindering their use. Where possible, therapeutic recommendations are distilled into easily communicable principles, because such ease of communication strongly influences whether therapists recommend and patients adopt interventions. Finally, the article explores the many implications of contemporary lifestyles and TLCs for individuals, society, and health professionals. In the 21st century, therapeutic lifestyles may need to be a central focus of mental, medical, and public health.
Greater optimism is related to better mental and physical health. A number of studies have investigated interventions intended to increase optimism. The aim of this meta-analysis was to consolidate effect sizes found in randomized controlled intervention studies of optimism training and to identify factors that may influence the effect of interventions. Twenty-nine studies, with a total of 3319 participants, met criteria for inclusion in the analysis. A significant meta-analytic effect size, g = .41, indicated that, across studies, interventions increased optimism. Moderator analyses showed that studies had significantly higher effect sizes if they used the Best Possible Self intervention, provided the intervention in person, used an active control, used separate positive and negative expectancy measures rather than a version of the LOT-R, had a final assessment within one day of the end of the intervention, and used completer analyses rather than intention-to-treat analyses. The results indicate ...
The aim of this research was to explore the connection between subjective age and positive orientation in old age. A group of 194 seniors were examined using the Positivity Scale, the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. The results revealed that a majority of the sample reported younger subjective age.Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that subjective age was a significantly stronger predictor of positive orientation, satisfaction with life, and self-esteem than chronological age, and it also had a unique explanatory power above and beyond self-reported health functioning. It was found that chronological age as a single predictor did not have any meaning in defining the variance of psychological variables among older adults.
Objective:
This study examined whether the emotional benefits of dispositional optimism for managing stressful encounters decrease across older adulthood. Such an effect might emerge because age-related declines in opportunities for overcoming stressors could reduce the effectiveness of optimism.
Method:
This hypothesis was tested in a six-year longitudinal study of 171 community-dwelling older adults (age range = 64 to 90 years).
Results:
Hierarchical linear models showed that dispositional optimism protected relatively young participants from exhibiting elevations in depressive symptoms over time, but that these benefits became increasingly reduced among their older counterparts. Moreover, the findings showed that an age-related association between optimism and depressive symptoms was observed particularly during periods of enhanced, as compared to reduced, stress.
Conclusions:
These results suggest that dispositional optimism protects emotional well-being during the early phases of older adulthood, but that its effects are reduced in advanced old age. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
This study examined both the mediation effects of self-esteem and psychological well-being for the relationship between gratitude and depression in late adolescence. Two hundred and thirty-five Taiwanese university students completed the measures of gratitude, self-esteem, psychological well-being, and depression. Path analyses indicated that self-esteem and psychological well-being acted as full mediators of the association between gratitude and depression. The identified model also revealed a significant path from gratitude through self-esteem and psychological well-being to depression. A multi-group analysis found that the paths did not differ by genders. Implications for future research and limitations of the present findings are discussed.
Objectives:
Guided by Fredrickson's broaden and build theory of positive emotions and Zautra's dynamic model of affect, the current study examines the relation between savoring positive experiences (i.e., the ability to notice and regulate positive feelings) and psychological well-being for older adults with higher and lower levels of resilience.
Method:
A sample of 164 (74% female) older adults living in a large metropolitan area participated in this study. Participants were recruited from a continuing care retirement community and community centers in the surrounding area. Participants completed a survey measuring savoring, resilience, happiness, depression, and satisfaction with life.
Results:
In older adults, greater ability to savor positive experiences and higher resilience both predicted greater happiness, lower depression, and greater satisfaction with life (i.e., greater psychological well-being). Savoring is associated with positive outcomes for people with higher and lower levels of resilience. However, the relationship between savoring and psychological well-being is stronger for people with lower resilience.
Conclusion:
These findings have implications for the development of positive psychological interventions to enhance resilience and well-being in older adults. From a practical standpoint, adaptable interventions to enhance savoring and boost positive emotions in older adults may improve well-being and resilience to life's stressors.
The mental health of the elderly is an important issue in the area of health psychology. This study investigated the effect of intergeneration social support on the subjective well-being of 429 elderly participants. Results suggested that intergeneration social support, self-esteem, and loneliness were significantly correlated to subjective well-being. Structural equation modeling indicated that self-esteem and loneliness partially mediated the effect of intergeneration social support on subjective well-being. These findings provided insights into the effect of intergeneration social support on the subjective well-being of the elderly.
Savoring interventions aim to improve people's ability to appreciate positive experiences and to regulate the positive feelings that are evoked by these experiences. This chapter reviews 16empirically-based interventions designed to enhance savoring, and is organized in terms of whether the interventions focus on savoring positive experiences from the past (reminiscence), present (savoring the moment), or future (anticipation). A meta-analysis assessing the effectiveness of these interventions in promoting positive emotions and life satisfaction revealed small, but significant, increases in the measured outcomes. We offer suggestions for developing new savoring interventions and methodological recommendations for improving design and implementation in intervention studies.
Grounded in Fredrickson’s (Rev Gen Psychol 2(3):300-319, 1998) broaden and build model of positive emotions, the current study examines the efficacy of 2-week self-administered gratitude and kindness interventions within a clinical sample on a waiting-list for outpatient psychological treatment. Results demonstrate that we can reliably cultivate the emotional experiences of gratitude but not kindness in this brief period. Further, both the gratitude and kindness interventions built a sense of connectedness, enhanced satisfaction with daily life, optimism, and reduced anxiety compared to a placebo condition. These brief interventions did not impact on more overarching constructs, including general psychological functioning and meaning in life. These findings demonstrate that gratitude and kindness have a place in clinical practice; not just as end states, but as emotional experiences that can stimulate constructive change. Further, these strategies can serve as useful pre-treatment interventions that may reduce the negative impact of long waiting times before psychological treatment.
Optimism is a cognitive construct (expectancies regarding future outcomes) that also relates to motivation: optimistic people exert effort, whereas pessimistic people disengage from effort. Study of optimism began largely in health contexts, finding positive associations between optimism and markers of better psychological and physical health. Physical health effects likely occur through differences in both health-promoting behaviors and physiological concomitants of coping. Recently, the scientific study of optimism has extended to the realm of social relations: new evidence indicates that optimists have better social connections, partly because they work harder at them. In this review, we examine the myriad ways this trait can benefit an individual, and our current understanding of the biological basis of optimism.
Objective:
The main goal of this study has been to increase the quality of life in people of over 60 years through a positive psychology intervention.
Method:
We employed a program which consists of training based on autobiographical memory, forgiveness and gratitude. The sample consisted of 46 participants aged 60-93 years. State and trait anxiety, depression, general memory, specific memories, life satisfaction and subjective happiness were measured.
Results:
The results revealed that participants who followed the program (experimental group) showed a significant decrease in state anxiety and depression as well as an increase in specific memories, life satisfaction and subjective happiness, compared with the placebo group.
Conclusion:
Our program offers promising results and provides new evidence for the effectiveness of positive interventions in the field of psychogerontology, helping increase subjective well-being and quality of life in older adults by focusing interventions on the enhancement of personal and social resources for being happy.
Savoring the moment is a means of generating, prolonging, or intensifying positive emotions while a positive event is occurring. While the occurrence of positive events is integral to savoring the moment, there is a paucity of research examining the interaction of the two. This study examines the longitudinal interaction of savoring the moment and the number of everyday positive events (uplifts) that occur over 2 weeks on measures of positive affect and satisfaction with life. Significant interactions between savoring and uplifts were found, indicating that those participants with low levels of savoring and low numbers of uplifts were at risk, as they experienced low levels of both positive affect and satisfaction with life. The other three groups (high savoring/high uplifts, low savoring/high uplifts, high savoring/low uplifts) had similarly positive outcomes. The findings imply the utility of increasing savoring when individuals experience few positive events.
The structure of character strengths among adolescents and their relation with wellbeing have received little systematic attention. This study examined the dimensions underlying the Values in Action (VIA) Character Strengths defined by Peterson and Seligman (2004) and assessed their associations with measures of subjective wellbeing. High school students (N = 501, aged 15–18) completed a series of questionnaires online, including a widely used strength measure the VIA-Child (also referred to in the literature as the VIA-Youth, Park & Peterson, 2005). Five strength factors – Temperance, Vitality, Curiosity, Interpersonal Strengths, and Transcendence – were obtained, and Temperance, Vitality, and Transcendence were independently associated with wellbeing and happiness. Implications for the study of character in adolescence, including gender differences and measurement issues, are discussed.
This study assessed the extent to which being predisposed towards engaging in acts of gratitude and forgiveness is associated with enhanced quality of life (QoL), and whether these associations are mediated by positive and negative affective states. The study sample comprised 327 people with one of three chronic illnesses (arthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetes). Participants completed self-report measures of two positive predispositions (the tendencies towards gratitude and forgiveness), two affective states (positive and negative) and three indices of QoL (physical, psychological and satisfaction with life). As hypothesised, gratitude, and to a lesser extent forgiveness, predicted enhanced QoL, with most effects mediated via increased positive affect. Findings support the view that predispositions towards interpersonal gratitude, and possibly interpersonal forgiveness, may bolster the QoL of people living with chronic physical illness. Consistent with contemporary theories of positive emotion, gratitude appears to have its effects via enhancing positive affect. The study adds to the emerging evidence that a predisposition towards gratitude benefits QoL and extends past findings by identifying a mechanism that is important in people with chronic illnesses.
The pursuit of happiness is an important goal for many people. However, surprisingly little scientific research has focused on the question of how happiness can be increased and then sustained, probably because of pessimism engendered by the concepts of genetic determinism and hedonic adaptation. Nevertheless, emerging sources of optimism exist regarding the possibility of permanent increases in happiness. Drawing on the past well-being literature, the authors propose that a person's chronic happiness level is governed by 3 major factors: a genetically determined set point for happiness, happiness-relevant circumstantial factors, and happiness-relevant activities and practices. The authors then consider adaptation and dynamic processes to show why the activity category offers the best opportunities for sustainably increasing happiness. Finally, existing research is discussed in support of the model, including 2 preliminary happiness-increasing interventions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
A 4-week experimental study (N = 67) examined the motivational predictors and positive emotion outcomes of regularly practicing two mental exercises: counting one's blessings (“gratitude”) and visualizing best possible selves (“BPS”). In a control exercise, participants attended to the details of their day. Undergraduates performed one of the three exercises during Session I and were asked to continue performing it at home until Session II (in 2 weeks) and again until Session III (in a further 2 weeks). Following previous theory and research, the practices of gratitude and BPS were expected to boost immediate positive affect, relative to the control condition. In addition, we hypothesized that continuing effortful performance of these exercises would be necessary to maintain the boosts (Lyubomirsky, S., Sheldon, K. M., & Schkade, D. (2005a22.
Lyubomirsky , S ,
Sheldon , KM and
Schkade , D . 2005a. Pursuing happiness: The architecture of sustainable change. Review of General Psychology, 9: 111–131. [CrossRef], [Web of Science ®]View all references). Pursuing happiness: The architecture of sustainable change. Review of General Psychology, 9, 111–131). Finally, initial self-concordant motivation to perform the exercise was expected to predict actual performance and to moderate the effects of performance on increased mood. Results generally supported these hypotheses, and suggested that the BPS exercise may be most beneficial for raising and maintaining positive mood. Implications of the results for understanding the critical factors involved in increasing and sustaining positive affect are discussed.
This study investigated whether a brief gratitude induction could reduce death anxiety. 83 Chinese older adults (mean age=62.7,
SD=7.13) were randomly assigned into one of three conditions: gratitude, hassle, and neutral, in which they wrote different
types of life events before responding to measures of death anxiety and affect. Participants in the gratitude induction reported
lower death anxiety than the hassle and the neutral condition, whereas no difference was observed for the latter two conditions.
There was no experimental effect on positive affect, and a significant effect on negative affect but which did not favor the
gratitude condition. By reexamining life events with a thankful attitude, people may become less fearful of death due to a
sense that life has been well-lived. Because gratitude can be induced using a very brief procedure, there are broad applications
in clinical and health-care settings for the relief of death anxiety.
KeywordsGratitude–Death anxiety–Positive affect–Negative affect–Chinese older adults
Many studies have shown that few events in life have a lasting impact on subjective well-being because of people’s tendency to adapt quickly; worse, those events that do have a lasting impact tend to be negative. We suggest that while major events may not provide lasting increases in well-being, certain seemingly minor events – such as attending religious services or exercising – may do so by providing small but frequent boosts: if people engage in such behaviors with sufficient frequency, they may cumulatively experience enough boosts to attain higher well-being. In Study 1, we surveyed places of worship for 12 religions and found that people did receive positive boosts for attending service, and that these boosts appeared to be cumulative: the more they reported attending, the happier they were. In Study 2, we generalized these effects to other regular activities, demonstrating that people received boosts for exercise and yoga, and that these boosts too had a cumulative positive impact on well-being. We suggest that shifting focus from the impact of major life changes on well-being to the impact of seemingly minor repeated behaviors is crucial for understanding how best to improve well-being.