When individuals communicate enthusiasm for good events in their partners' lives, they contribute to a high-quality relationship; a phenomenon termed interpersonal capitalization. However, little is known when individuals are more ready to react enthusiastically to the partner's success. To address this gap, we examined whether positive and negative emotions boost or inhibit enthusiastic responses

Numerous studies examined the association between character strengths—positive traits that comprise a good personality—and satisfaction with different aspects of life. However, few studies explored the connection between character strengths and marital satisfaction. The present study, conducted on a sample of 177 married couples, aims to examine this connection. Given the findings of previous studies

Much research testing positive psychological interventions (PPIs) has focused primarily on emotional states, while research testing the effects of positive attention bias modification (PABM) has tended to focus primarily on attentional deployment. Evidence is sparse and inconsistent on attentional deployment (i.e., a process of emotion regulation) in PPIs, changes in emotional states (i.e., an outcome

The present study aimed to investigate the mediating effect of social support in the relationship between decision authority and positive mental health as well as the moderating effects of socio-demographic characteristics closely related to this relationship among working populations. Data analyzed was from the Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health 2012. A total of 15,867 individuals with

Do people prefer a job that promotes feelings of enjoyment, or of competence? The present research examined the role of individuals’ happiness in choosing the type of work to engage in when selecting between two characteristics of the work—enjoyment and perceived competence. Studies 1, 2, and 3 revealed that happier people are more likely to value (Study 1) and to choose (Studies 2 and 3) work they

Financial well-being is a positive financial condition that has an objective (e.g., income) and a subjective (e.g., financial satisfaction) side. Much research has examined financial well-being using cross-sectional and classic longitudinal designs. More recently, researchers have begun to examine financial well-being using intensive longitudinal designs, collecting data in a repeated (at least five

This article explicates the factors promoting successful aging and greater psychological wellbeing in the last course of human life. We explored self-compassion, successful aging and wellbeing outcomes in 264 individuals aged 60–96 years (M = 70) residing in Turkey. The major finding of the study is that self-compassion, resilience, perceived psychological and physiological health and age predicted

In original publication, the second affiliation of Prof. Neerpal Rathi was missed out. The correct affiliation is updated in this correction.

To which extent do happiness correlates contribute to the stability of life satisfaction? Which method is appropriate to provide a conclusive answer to this question? Based on life satisfaction data of the German SOEP, we show that by Negative Binomial quasi-maximum likelihood estimation statements can be made as to how far correlates of happiness contribute to the stabilisation of life satisfaction

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of deliberate acts of kindness (DAKs) plus access to a stress management booklet (intervention), compared to the booklet alone (control) on the stress-related outcomes of resilience, social interaction anxiety, affect, and mood of undergraduate and graduate students. Participants’ study-related experiences were also explored, as were the types of DAKs

Increasing the saliency of existing sources of meaning and purpose in life could be a practical focus area for innovative wellbeing interventions. This randomised controlled study aimed to assess the impact of a brief seven-day technology-based intervention on meaning in life, life satisfaction, and affect compared to a waitlist control group. A mobile phone application was used to deliver daily activities

The article “Aversion to Happiness Across Cultures: A Review of Where and Why People are Averse to Happiness”, written by Mohsen Joshanloo and Dan Weijers, was originally published Online First without Open Access. After publication in volume 15, issue 3, page 717–735 the author decided to opt for Open Choice and to make the article an Open Access publication.

While gratitude in adulthood has been widely studied, less is known about gratitude among adolescents, particularly when it comes to its determinants. Previous work suggests that feeling thankful implies some kind of comparative judgment. Given that downward social comparison and downward counterfactual thinking share many similarities, we assumed that both types of comparative thinking would be related

A major underlying assumption of positive psychology is that we can influence our well-being through our own behavior. It remains an open question as to whether the general public shares this perception, and how this is related to their actual level of well-being. Do they feel a sense of control over their well-being or do they see it more as subject to external influences? There is currently no defined

On the assumption that existential questions may arise in the face of the transition to motherhood in the shadow of a global crisis, we sought to compare the levels of presence of meaning and search for meaning in life between two samples of new mothers: one recruited before the outbreak of COVID-19, and the other during the pandemic. In addition, we examined the associations between mother's marital

In the original publication, the authors’ affiliation has been published incorrectly. The correct affiliation of authors is given in this correction.

The present meta-analysis consolidated research examining how posttraumatic growth relates to global anxiety and depression. Articles were identified by searching PTSDpubs, PsycINFO, PubMed, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses databases, as well as searching the reference sections of relevant review articles. Meta-analytic review of 129 included studies indicated that neither overall posttraumatic

Some individuals experience the feeling that they have become a person they had not anticipated. The life path they had expected to take is not consonant with the one they are taking in reality. This perception of “off-course” in identity and self-direction is referred to as derailment. Although previous studies have postulated and demonstrated that derailment causes a low level of well-being, no studies

A growing body of research suggests that the functionality of coping strategies may in part depend on the context in which they are executed. Thus far, functionality has mostly been defined through the associations of coping strategies with psychopathology, particularly depression. Whether associations of coping strategies with proxies for happiness such as subjective well-being (SWB) are simply inverse

Flow is a motivational state occurring when one’s skill level is balanced with the challenge of a task, leading to optimal performance and profound enjoyment. Its connection with optimal performance has drawn interest in fields focused on performance—such as sports, education, and work—and its connection with enjoyment has drawn interest in fields focused on subjective well-being, such as leisure and

The current set of studies was aimed at examining the theoretical basis, development process, and psychometric properties of a new scale for measuring positive solitude (PS). The theoretical idea behind the development of this construct was to develop a stand-alone scale for measuring the positive aspects of an individual's ability to volitionally choose to spend time by him/herself. Using five different

Empirical evidence indicates that an individual’s happiness is relative with respect to income, whereby it increases with one’s own income and declines as the income of a reference group increases. Several recent studies further suggest that the effect of relative income is mediated by the extent to which people compare themselves with others. In line with the empirical research examining the effects

People are often passionate toward multiple activities in their lives. However, more has been learned about passion toward any single activity than about passion toward multiple activities. Relying on the dualistic model of passion (Vallerand in The psychology of passion: a dualistic model, Oxford University Press, New York, 2015), this research addressed the antecedents and consequences of polyamorous

The purpose of the study was to explore the nature of the relationship between Divergent Thinking and Well-being. Two theoretical models about the relationship between Divergent thinking, Psychological well-being and Life Satisfaction were tested. A total of 152 subjects between 65 and 84 years old participated in the study. Final model emphasises the idea that PWB is affected by DT and that PWB is

We studied direct and indirect associations of attachment, trait hope, and motivations in narrative identity (agency and communion) with measures of well-being during emerging adulthood. Our aim was to determine whether hope and expressed motivations serve as mechanisms between attachment and well-being. We focused on emerging adults, for whom attachment, character, and narrative identity are well-developed

A central Buddhist claim is that having desires causes suffering. While this tenet draws from the belief that an acute desire state is more momentarily aversive than a no-desire state, the efficacy of this belief has yet to be comprehensively examined. To empirically investigate this claim, we furnished data from two experience sampling studies across USA/Canadian (N = 101; 3224 observations) and Japanese

Literature has consistently highlighted the role of time perspective (TP) in predicting different psychological outcomes. Despite the importance that TP seems to have, few studies have investigated its role in personal relationships or attempted to explain the underlying mechanisms within this complex model. The purpose of this study was therefore to expand research not only on the associations between

While research in the United States reveals favorable associations between religiosity and well-being during childhood, adolescence, or adulthood, whether childhood religiosity improves flourishing among U.S. adults remains unclear. Following a life-course approach, we examine whether childhood religiosity, measured in terms of the importance of religion growing up, associates with improved midlife

This paper aims to analyse the job satisfaction of recent graduates that finished their studies at the Facultad de Ciencias Económicas of the Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Using a database specially designed for this project, we first look at the relationship between overall job satisfaction and its subdomains. Second, we inquiry on the relationships of overall job satisfaction and some of its subdomain

Orientations to well-being, including personal values, motives and goals regarding one’s well-being are often related to the experience of well-being. At the same time, studies show positive effects of mindfulness on well-being. It is conceivable, that the strength of the connection between well-being orientations and experiences depend on the degree of dispositional mindfulness. To explore relationships

Cognitive functioning has consistently found to predict subjective well-being (SWB), but it remains unclear why this relationship exists. Several potential explanations for this relationship have been offered in the literature, one of which is that a third variable accounts for this relationship. The current study examines this hypothesis by testing need for cognition (NfC), self-rated health, physical

Beyond formal education, continuing adult learning and education (ALE) is considered as successful means for supporting immigrants’ integration into the receiving society. Although recently, subjective parameters of immigrants’ integration (e.g., life satisfaction) have received increasing academic attention, research on the impact of education on subjective integration indicators is still rare. To

The flow experience is a state in which people are completely concentrated and immersed in an activity. This positive psychology concept is relevant to both performance and subjective well-being in a range of activities, but it is difficult to measure: the usual methods of questionnaires and physiological measurements are inappropriate for many applied settings and may interfere with the flow state

Academic and social success are key points of emphasis for adolescents. Yet, it remains unclear whether competence in these areas during adolescence leads to happiness in adulthood. We also know surprisingly little about the mechanisms by which these factors might influence future quality of life. The present study examined the relative impacts of social and academic success (measured in adolescence)

This paper answers three research questions: What is the impact of fixed-term employment on the well-being of partners? How do these spillover effects differ by gender, and do gender differences depend on socialization in East or West Germany? Do individual well-being, perceived job insecurity, and financial worries mediate the spillover effects? We use longitudinal data from the Socio-Economic Panel

Passion has been proposed as one of the potential constructs that could contribute to a more fulfilling life as well as to subjective well-being. The importance of the social environment has been underscored in relation to passion; however, less emphasis has been put on the role of perceived parenting practices. The present two-sample investigation posited that the perceived parenting practices of

The current study examines how strategic versus true self-presentation strategies affect Facebook (FB) users’ subjective well-being (SWB) depending on their tie strength with existing FB friends. Results of a two-experiment study of FB users aged 18 to 67 demonstrate that users report greater happiness (Experiment 1) and higher degrees of subjective vitality (Experiment 2) when adopting a strategic

Grit, which refers to perseverance and passion to pursue long-term goals, has been highlighted as a predictor of better life outcomes, including subjective well-being. For grit to be useful for well-being research, we need to know more about its properties across cultures and determine whether it has a relationship to well-being outcomes beyond other existing psychological measures. Using survey data

Given the need to understand both the negative and positive psychological consequences of the current global COVID-19 pandemic (Brewin et al. in Perspectives in Public Health https://doi.org/10.1177/1757913920957365 2020), the aim of this study was to test a cognitive model of post-traumatic symptoms (PTS) and post-traumatic growth (PTG) during confinement caused by the SARS-COV-2 epidemic. In line

The current study examined a model whereby the link between generativity and life satisfaction is mediated via meaning in work. Further we wished to assess if this mediation model would be moderated both by employees' chronological and subjective age. Namely although for persons who are older this model should hold irrespective of one' subjective age, for young adults, only those who have an older

The consequences of pregnancy outcomes other than live birth on subjective well-being have rarely been analysed in research to date. This study examines pre-event determinants as well as the temporary and long-term effects of induced abortion and miscarriage (spontaneous abortion) on satisfaction with various domains of life. The data were derived from the German Panel Analysis of Intimate Relationships

The article concentrates on regulatory focus (promotion and prevention) as a factor involved in the relationships between materialism and well-being alongside two personality traits—emotionality and grandiose narcissism. In an empirical study two types of materialists—one with high emotionality and low narcissism, the other with high narcissism and low emotionality—were compared in relation to their

Meaning in life has grown into a topic of great interest in psychological research. Conceptually, scholars differentiate between sources and components of meaning. However, the current scholarly views on meaning are highly cognitive and it is unclear to what extent they correspond with the understanding of lay people with cognitive difficulties, like those with Alzheimer’s disease. Using directed content

This article presents the results of an examination of self-determination theory; in this examination, the theory is extended through deeper insight into the compensatory association between autonomy and relatedness satisfaction. This study is designed to investigate whether the mutual influence of autonomy satisfaction and relatedness satisfaction on positive affect (PA), negative affect (NA), and

Four studies investigated the differential effects of giving time vs. giving money on well-being and related mechanisms. Studies 1 and 2 used a recall paradigm, Study3 was a laboratory experiment, and Study 4 combined daily surveys with a recall procedure. Across the studies, we failed to find any substantial difference in happiness or meaningfulness associated with the two types of prosocial behaviors

This study unpacks the question of subjective wellbeing (SWB) inequality between partners in South Africa in the context of declining overall SWB inequality. The analysis, using the National Income Dynamics Study panel for the period 2012–2016, reveals through the decomposition of Theil inequality indices that the reduction in overall SWB inequality has been on the back of reducing inter-household

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and attendant lockdown measures present serious threats to emotional well-being worldwide. Here, we examined the extent to which being outdoors (vs. indoors), the experience of loneliness, and screen-time are associated with emotional well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic using an experiencing sampling method. In April 2020, Austrian adults (N = 286, age M = 31

The life satisfaction of the indigenous population in Arctic Alaska is quite high, perhaps higher than that of the U.S. population in general. Is wage employment brought by modern economic growth responsible for their high life satisfaction? Probably not. Interestingly, we find that household wage income and job opportunities per working-age Native are negatively associated with their life satisfaction

The quiet ego refers to a self-identity that is balanced and growth-oriented in its stance toward the self and others. As a relatively new construct, its validity has been examined in domains related to balance, compassion, and self-control, it has not been examined in other domains that appear to have conceptual overlap such as emotional intelligence (EI), a construct entailing both ability EI (construed

This study applied a cross-sectional design and used a sample of 204 Muslim parents who lost their children due to traffic accidents, to answer two questions: (1) do positive religious coping (PRC) and negative religious coping (NRC) predict posttraumatic growth (PTG) among Muslims?; (2) are the links between the two types of religious coping and PTG direct or indirect? Three potential mediators between

Numerous studies document that societal happiness is correlated with individualism, but the nature of this phenomenon remains understudied. In the current paper, we address this gap and test the reasoning that individualism correlates with societal happiness because the most common measure of societal happiness (i.e., country-level aggregates of personal life satisfaction) is individualism-themed.

A large variety of positive outcomes including social adjustment, psychological well-being and health, have been recently closely associated with positivity (POS). On the assumption that differences in the POS degree might be associated with different individual neuroendocrine assets that enables people to cope effectively with stress, the present study examined the association between POS, salivary

Although college presents a time for personal and vocational development, little research has examined individuals’ intentional use of college as a growth opportunity. Consequently, the current study assessed relationships among personal growth initiative (an individual’s active desire to grow in personally relevant domains), basic needs satisfaction at college, and positive outcomes in samples of

Previous research has demonstrated that coherent identity formation is promotive of purpose in life and positive well-being outcomes, such as lower depression and anxiety, and higher self-esteem. However, research is needed to understand how these associations operate concerning specific identities. The current study sought to examine whether sexual identity commitment, in-depth exploration, and reconsideration

In this study, we examine whether the positive effect of income gains on subjective well-being (SWB) can in part be explained by the improved future prospects that are generated by a more solid financial situation. Using three-wave panel data from the US, we inspect the relation between changes in income, hope and SWB using a fixed-effects model. Results show that hope indeed partially mediates the

Time and income are distinct and critical resources needed in the pursuit of happiness (life satisfaction). Income can be used to purchase market goods and services, and time can be used to spend time with friends and family, rest and sleep, and other activities. Yet little research has examined how different combinations of time and income affect life satisfaction, and if more of both is positively

The dualistic model of passion proposes that harmonious and obsessive passions play distinct roles in predicting individuals’ functioning. Few research projects explored the contribution of passion for one’s studies and none to our knowledge used a person-centered approach. This study aimed to identify passion profiles toward one’s studies and to compare students’ academic functioning (burnout, engagement

Engagement in leisure activities during non-work hours has been postulated to benefit worker well-being through need fulfillment and satisfaction during leisure experiences. This study explored whether an active leisure intervention among employees improves daily leisure domain-specific need fulfillment and enjoyment, which subsequently promotes workers’ global subjective well-being. This study used

Emotion regulation entails using specific strategies to manage emotions, impacting on well-being. Research has uncovered important factors that may affect one’s use of emotion regulation strategies. Because passionate individuals experience positive and negative emotions while engaging in the activity that they deeply care about (Vallerand in The psychology of passion: a dualistic model, Oxford University

How and why does the widespread use of social media affect happiness? The present study examined whether the three components of subjective well-being—positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction—were impacted by use of three of the most popular social network sites in the U.S. (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram), using the experience sampling method. Over 10 days, greater everyday use of