Research interest in children’s happiness has increasingly grown in recent years. Studies of children’s happiness have shown that happiness promotes greater social and emotional well-being during childhood. The present study explores the different perspectives of children and their parents on happy moments spent together, examining potential discrepancies in points of view. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 154 children (6–13 years old: Mage=8.72, SD = 2.00; 57% girls), their mothers (Mage=42.30, SD = 4.50), and their fathers (Mage=45.47, SD = 5.42). Children were asked to indicate their level of happiness using a single item and to recount their happy moments spent with their fathers and mothers. Parents were asked to evaluate their children’s happiness and to identify what they thought was the happiest moment their children had experienced with them. The data was analyzed using Thematic Analysis. Six main themes related to children’s happy moments emerged from the transcripts: (1) Activities outside the home; (2) Shared activities between parents and children; (3) Happy moments of play between parents and children; (4) Parent-child moments of affection; (5) Relevance of material gifts; (6) Non-specified happy moments. Emotional interactions characterized the happiest moments reported with mothers, while those with fathers were more frequently playful and fun situations. Results showed that parents and children disagree on children’s happiness levels and tend to identify different episodes as the happiest moments spent together. The study examined parent-child interactions in the context of family happiness, considering the protective role of a child’s happiness against negative psychological symptoms. It aimed to identify components of happier moments as potential indicators of family well-being, given the family’s role in psychological development.
{"title":"Happy Moments between Children and Their Parents: A Multi-method and Multi-informant Perspective","authors":"Flavia Izzo, Edoardo Saija, Susanna Pallini, Salvatore Ioverno, Roberto Baiocco, Jessica Pistella","doi":"10.1007/s10902-024-00735-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-024-00735-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Research interest in children’s happiness has increasingly grown in recent years. Studies of children’s happiness have shown that happiness promotes greater social and emotional well-being during childhood. The present study explores the different perspectives of children and their parents on happy moments spent together, examining potential discrepancies in points of view. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 154 children (6–13 years old: <i>M</i><sub>age</sub>=8.72, <i>SD</i> = 2.00; 57% girls), their mothers (<i>M</i><sub>age</sub>=42.30, SD = 4.50), and their fathers (<i>M</i><sub>age</sub>=45.47, SD = 5.42). Children were asked to indicate their level of happiness using a single item and to recount their happy moments spent with their fathers and mothers. Parents were asked to evaluate their children’s happiness and to identify what they thought was the happiest moment their children had experienced with them. The data was analyzed using <i>Thematic Analysis</i>. Six main themes related to children’s happy moments emerged from the transcripts: (1) <i>Activities outside the home</i>; (2) <i>Shared activities between parents and children</i>; (3) <i>Happy moments of play between parents and children</i>; (4) <i>Parent-child moments of affection</i>; (5) <i>Relevance of material gifts</i>; (6) <i>Non-specified happy moments</i>. Emotional interactions characterized the happiest moments reported with mothers, while those with fathers were more frequently playful and fun situations. Results showed that parents and children disagree on children’s happiness levels and tend to identify different episodes as the happiest moments spent together. The study examined parent-child interactions in the context of family happiness, considering the protective role of a child’s happiness against negative psychological symptoms. It aimed to identify components of happier moments as potential indicators of family well-being, given the family’s role in psychological development.</p>","PeriodicalId":15837,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Happiness Studies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2024-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139976674","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-02-24DOI: 10.1007/s10902-024-00741-y
Abstract
Meaning in life has been established as a key factor of human well-being and flourishing. Beneficence and the three psychological needs of self-determination theory—autonomy, competence, and relatedness—have all been individually studied as antecedents of meaningfulness. Yet, no previous research has examined them neither longitudinally nor simultaneously as predictors of meaning over time. In a three-wave longitudinal study in Chile (n: T1 = 1477, T2 = 820, T3 = 487) we examined the reciprocal relations between autonomy, competence, relatedness, beneficence, and meaning, using cross-lagged panel analysis. Taken individually, each of the four factors predicted meaning, and when entered simultaneously into the same model, competence, relatedness, and beneficence predicted meaning over time. Furthermore, we found that meaning predicted all four factors over time. Our results thus advance research on meaning in life by examining key predictors of it and showing that meaning itself predicts the same factors dynamically over time.
{"title":"Reciprocal Relations Between Meaning in Life, Beneficence, and Psychological Needs for Autonomy, Competence, and Relatedness: Evidence from a Three-Wave Longitudinal Study","authors":"","doi":"10.1007/s10902-024-00741-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-024-00741-y","url":null,"abstract":"<h3>Abstract</h3> <p>Meaning in life has been established as a key factor of human well-being and flourishing. Beneficence and the three psychological needs of self-determination theory—autonomy, competence, and relatedness—have all been individually studied as antecedents of meaningfulness. Yet, no previous research has examined them neither longitudinally nor simultaneously as predictors of meaning over time. In a three-wave longitudinal study in Chile (n: T1 = 1477, T2 = 820, T3 = 487) we examined the reciprocal relations between autonomy, competence, relatedness, beneficence, and meaning, using cross-lagged panel analysis. Taken individually, each of the four factors predicted meaning, and when entered simultaneously into the same model, competence, relatedness, and beneficence predicted meaning over time. Furthermore, we found that meaning predicted all four factors over time. Our results thus advance research on meaning in life by examining key predictors of it and showing that meaning itself predicts the same factors dynamically over time.</p>","PeriodicalId":15837,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Happiness Studies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2024-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139945381","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-02-18DOI: 10.1007/s10902-024-00740-z
Abstract
How does being comparatively socio-economically disadvantaged within their neighbourhood affect the lived experiences of young teenagers? We explore this question on a sample of 13 to 15-year-old teenagers living in social housing in England. We explore three major domains of young teenagers’ well-being: (a) their sense of generally leading a bad life, (b) conflictual family interactions, and (c) unhappy social interactions with their peers. We find that living in a social housing estate within a less deprived neighbourhood does not negatively affect teenagers’ general sense of leading a bad life and does not increase conflictual family interactions. But it does make them less likely to report unhappy social interactions with their peers, indicating a positive effect of social mixing at the neighbourhood level.
{"title":"Better to Grow Up Poor in a Richer Place? Social Housing, Neighbourhood Comparisons, and English Teenagers’ Well-Being","authors":"","doi":"10.1007/s10902-024-00740-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-024-00740-z","url":null,"abstract":"<h3>Abstract</h3> <p>How does being comparatively socio-economically disadvantaged within their neighbourhood affect the lived experiences of young teenagers? We explore this question on a sample of 13 to 15-year-old teenagers living in social housing in England. We explore three major domains of young teenagers’ well-being: (a) their sense of generally leading a bad life, (b) conflictual family interactions, and (c) unhappy social interactions with their peers. We find that living in a social housing estate within a less deprived neighbourhood does not negatively affect teenagers’ general sense of leading a bad life and does not increase conflictual family interactions. But it does make them <em>less</em> likely to report unhappy social interactions with their peers, indicating a positive effect of social mixing at the neighbourhood level.</p>","PeriodicalId":15837,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Happiness Studies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2024-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139898805","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-02-16DOI: 10.1007/s10902-024-00738-7
Mbiankeu Nguea Stéphane, Isssidor Noumba
{"title":"Does Being Globalized Matter for Happiness in African Countries?","authors":"Mbiankeu Nguea Stéphane, Isssidor Noumba","doi":"10.1007/s10902-024-00738-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-024-00738-7","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":15837,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Happiness Studies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2024-02-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139961529","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-02-14DOI: 10.1007/s10902-024-00723-0
Abstract
Several philosophical theories of wellbeing claim Aristotelian ancestry and employ an Aristotelian construct of flourishing. Yet it is not clear how we should interpret Aristotle’s notion of flourishing or eudaimonia (εὐδαιμονία). In this article, we offer an analysis of Aristotle’s notion of eudaimonia and consider to what extent it can be categorized within the framework of contemporary philosophical theories of wellbeing. We stress the active character of Aristotelian flourishing and its focus on the development of living things over time, which contrasts with the static and passive character of contemporary philosophical accounts of wellbeing. We suggest that Aristotle is closest to a perfectionist theory of wellbeing, though even this requires some qualification. While rational activity in accord with virtue is central to Aristotle’s account of living well, Aristotle also states that a range of practical human activities and propitious life circumstances are necessary (and, on some interpretations, constitutive) features of the flourishing life. As such, Aristotelian flourishing includes elements of moral and cognitive perfectionism as well as an objective list of external goods and presupposes one’s embeddedness within communities. We close with a consideration of the implications of our argument for the philosophical and social scientific study of flourishing. Contemporary well-being philosophers should be mindful of ways in which Aristotelian eudaimonia extends beyond the dominant philosophical categories of wellbeing that have a static focus and concern themselves with subjective experience or the possession of objective goods. Social scientists should be transparent about the limits of invoking an Aristotelian pedigree to motivate their own theories of wellbeing and should understand the implications of more limited conceptions.
{"title":"Aristotelian Flourishing and Contemporary Philosophical Theories of Wellbeing","authors":"","doi":"10.1007/s10902-024-00723-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-024-00723-0","url":null,"abstract":"<h3>Abstract</h3> <p>Several philosophical theories of wellbeing claim Aristotelian ancestry and employ an Aristotelian construct of flourishing. Yet it is not clear how we should interpret Aristotle’s notion of flourishing or eudaimonia (εὐδαιμονία). In this article, we offer an analysis of Aristotle’s notion of eudaimonia and consider to what extent it can be categorized within the framework of contemporary philosophical theories of wellbeing. We stress the active character of Aristotelian flourishing and its focus on the development of living things over time, which contrasts with the static and passive character of contemporary philosophical accounts of wellbeing. We suggest that Aristotle is closest to a perfectionist theory of wellbeing, though even this requires some qualification. While rational activity in accord with virtue is central to Aristotle’s account of living well, Aristotle also states that a range of practical human activities and propitious life circumstances are necessary (and, on some interpretations, constitutive) features of the flourishing life. As such, Aristotelian flourishing includes elements of moral and cognitive perfectionism as well as an objective list of external goods and presupposes one’s embeddedness within communities. We close with a consideration of the implications of our argument for the philosophical and social scientific study of flourishing. Contemporary well-being philosophers should be mindful of ways in which Aristotelian eudaimonia extends beyond the dominant philosophical categories of wellbeing that have a static focus and concern themselves with subjective experience or the possession of objective goods. Social scientists should be transparent about the limits of invoking an Aristotelian pedigree to motivate their own theories of wellbeing and should understand the implications of more limited conceptions.</p>","PeriodicalId":15837,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Happiness Studies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2024-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139739653","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-02-13DOI: 10.1007/s10902-024-00714-1
Abstract
Appropriate regulation of emotions is vital to daily functioning. Previous studies have shown that regulating negative emotions can improve health and wellbeing. However, the relationship between positive and negative emotion regulation and their interactions with positive and negative affect, life satisfaction, and health is not well understood. In addition, no studies have investigated the role of attention control and trait mindfulness in positive and negative emotion regulation. This study examined the associations between positive and negative emotion regulation abilities and health, affect, life satisfaction, attention control, and trait mindfulness. A total of 490 participants (284 females and 206 males, mean age = 25.8 ± 2.9 years, range = 20–29 years) completed questionnaires and attention measuring tasks. Multiple regression analyses revealed that negative emotion regulation ability was associated with affect, life satisfaction, and health, whereas positive emotion regulation ability was related to negative affect and mental and physical health. Additionally, negative rather than positive emotion regulation ability was more strongly associated with trait mindfulness and attention control. Positive emotion regulation may benefit those who have difficulty in regulating negative emotions. By focusing on both negative and positive emotion regulation, this study elucidates the relationship between emotion regulation ability, positive and negative affect, life satisfaction, health, mindfulness, and attention control.
{"title":"Role of Positive and Negative Emotion Regulation in Well-being and Health: The Interplay between Positive and Negative Emotion Regulation Abilities is Linked to Mental and Physical Health","authors":"","doi":"10.1007/s10902-024-00714-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-024-00714-1","url":null,"abstract":"<h3>Abstract</h3> <p>Appropriate regulation of emotions is vital to daily functioning. Previous studies have shown that regulating negative emotions can improve health and wellbeing. However, the relationship between positive and negative emotion regulation and their interactions with positive and negative affect, life satisfaction, and health is not well understood. In addition, no studies have investigated the role of attention control and trait mindfulness in positive and negative emotion regulation. This study examined the associations between positive and negative emotion regulation abilities and health, affect, life satisfaction, attention control, and trait mindfulness. A total of 490 participants (284 females and 206 males, mean age = 25.8 ± 2.9 years, range = 20–29 years) completed questionnaires and attention measuring tasks. Multiple regression analyses revealed that negative emotion regulation ability was associated with affect, life satisfaction, and health, whereas positive emotion regulation ability was related to negative affect and mental and physical health. Additionally, negative rather than positive emotion regulation ability was more strongly associated with trait mindfulness and attention control. Positive emotion regulation may benefit those who have difficulty in regulating negative emotions. By focusing on both negative and positive emotion regulation, this study elucidates the relationship between emotion regulation ability, positive and negative affect, life satisfaction, health, mindfulness, and attention control.</p>","PeriodicalId":15837,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Happiness Studies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2024-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139733621","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-02-13DOI: 10.1007/s10902-024-00736-9
Katherine N. Cotter, Rebekah M. Rodriguez-Boerwinkle, Sarah Silver, Maya Hardy, Henry Putney, James O. Pawelski
Our emotions can be influenced by many factors, including our engagement with visual art. Further, as our emotional experiences may help us develop psychological resources, they have important implications for our overall well-being and ill-being. Research into the emotions experienced when viewing art, however, has focused on individual emotions separately rather than on global patterns of experienced emotions. The present research used latent class analysis to identify patterns of emotional experiences during art museum visits and sought to investigate whether people experiencing each emotional pattern differed in their well-being and ill-being across five domains—psychological distress, empathy, meaning, positive self-regard, and social connection. A sample of 613 visitors to three art museums completed a survey of their visit experiences, including their emotional experiences and their experiences across the five domains of well-being and ill-being. The analyses resulted in three latent classes—one characterized by above average positive emotions, one characterized by above average negative emotions, and the third characterized by very high levels of negative emotions. Overall, the positive emotion class showed greater well-being and lower ill-being than the two negative emotion classes, with the two negative emotion classes differing only in psychological distress.
{"title":"Emotional Experiences, Well-Being, and Ill-Being During Art Museum Visits: A Latent Class Analysis","authors":"Katherine N. Cotter, Rebekah M. Rodriguez-Boerwinkle, Sarah Silver, Maya Hardy, Henry Putney, James O. Pawelski","doi":"10.1007/s10902-024-00736-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-024-00736-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Our emotions can be influenced by many factors, including our engagement with visual art. Further, as our emotional experiences may help us develop psychological resources, they have important implications for our overall well-being and ill-being. Research into the emotions experienced when viewing art, however, has focused on individual emotions separately rather than on global patterns of experienced emotions. The present research used latent class analysis to identify patterns of emotional experiences during art museum visits and sought to investigate whether people experiencing each emotional pattern differed in their well-being and ill-being across five domains—psychological distress, empathy, meaning, positive self-regard, and social connection. A sample of 613 visitors to three art museums completed a survey of their visit experiences, including their emotional experiences and their experiences across the five domains of well-being and ill-being. The analyses resulted in three latent classes—one characterized by above average positive emotions, one characterized by above average negative emotions, and the third characterized by very high levels of negative emotions. Overall, the positive emotion class showed greater well-being and lower ill-being than the two negative emotion classes, with the two negative emotion classes differing only in psychological distress.</p>","PeriodicalId":15837,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Happiness Studies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2024-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139733628","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-02-11DOI: 10.1007/s10902-024-00734-x
Abstract
This study considered the college adults’ ways reports of trait hope and expressions of fact-based elaboration in reflections about family- and friend-based perseverance—as individual differences relevant to life challenges and ongoing pursuit toward goals—were associated with multiple reports of psychosocial adjustment. These reports were collected against the backdrop of college closures and disruptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic—a time of major stress and uncertainty in daily life for college adults. Two-hundred thirty-three adults (M age = 19.35 years; 36.9% female) were recruited from a large, central US university to complete computerized tasks and measures in the spring of 2020, after in-person activities at the university had been closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Expressions of elaboration were not directly associated with reports of well-being, mental health problems, or hope. Reports of hope were associated with greater well-being and fewer mental health problems. Interaction effects were supported for depressive and anxious symptoms. Students who were less hopeful and expressed more factual elaboration in life stories endorsed more mental health problems than peers. These findings point to additional nuances when considering the importance of narrative identity for psychosocial functioning and reinforce the importance of considering personality across multiple domains or levels (i.e., character, narrative identity).
{"title":"Storytelling Elaboration and Hope During COVID-19 Shutdowns: Ties with College Adults’ Psychosocial Adjustment","authors":"","doi":"10.1007/s10902-024-00734-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-024-00734-x","url":null,"abstract":"<h3>Abstract</h3> <p>This study considered the college adults’ ways reports of trait hope and expressions of fact-based elaboration in reflections about family- and friend-based perseverance—as individual differences relevant to life challenges and ongoing pursuit toward goals—were associated with multiple reports of psychosocial adjustment. These reports were collected against the backdrop of college closures and disruptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic—a time of major stress and uncertainty in daily life for college adults. Two-hundred thirty-three adults (<em>M</em> age = 19.35 years; 36.9% female) were recruited from a large, central US university to complete computerized tasks and measures in the spring of 2020, after in-person activities at the university had been closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Expressions of elaboration were not directly associated with reports of well-being, mental health problems, or hope. Reports of hope were associated with greater well-being and fewer mental health problems. Interaction effects were supported for depressive and anxious symptoms. Students who were less hopeful and expressed more factual elaboration in life stories endorsed more mental health problems than peers. These findings point to additional nuances when considering the importance of narrative identity for psychosocial functioning and reinforce the importance of considering personality across multiple domains or levels (i.e., character, narrative identity).</p>","PeriodicalId":15837,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Happiness Studies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2024-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139750370","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-02-07DOI: 10.1007/s10902-024-00728-9
David Bartram
The persistent contentiousness of research on the age–happiness relationship is puzzling; it should be possible to gain clarity and consensus about how to address the question effectively. In this paper I show that a key reason for the lack of clarity consists of overreliance on statistical significance as a means of evaluating empirical results. The statistical significance of a quadratic specification (age plus age-squared) is often taken as evidence in support of a ‘u-shaped’ relationship between age and happiness. But statistical significance on its own cannot tell us whether the age–happiness relationship is ‘u-shaped’ (nor indeed whether it takes any other shape). On the contrary, statistical significance can mislead us about it: a set of quadratic age coefficients can be ‘significant’ even when the relationship is obviously characterised by a different shape. When we have clarity on how to construct the analysis so that we can ‘see’ the underlying patterns in the data, it becomes obvious that the age–happiness relationship in European countries commonly shows other patterns; a u-shape is evident only in a minority of countries.
关于年龄与幸福感关系的研究一直争论不休,令人费解;如何有效地解决这个问题,应该是可以得到澄清并达成共识的。我在本文中指出,缺乏清晰度的一个关键原因在于过度依赖统计显著性作为评估实证结果的手段。二次方规格(年龄加年龄平方)的统计显著性往往被视为年龄与幸福之间存在 "U "型关系的证据。但是,统计意义本身并不能告诉我们年龄与幸福感之间的关系是否呈 "u "形(也不能告诉我们它是否呈其他形状)。相反,统计显著性可能会误导我们:一组二次方年龄系数可能是 "显著的",即使该关系明显具有不同的形状。当我们明确了如何构建分析,从而能够 "看到 "数据中的基本模式时,我们就会发现,欧洲国家的年龄-幸福关系通常会呈现出其他模式;只有少数国家会呈现出 u 型。
{"title":"To Evaluate the Age–Happiness Relationship, Look Beyond Statistical Significance","authors":"David Bartram","doi":"10.1007/s10902-024-00728-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-024-00728-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The persistent contentiousness of research on the age–happiness relationship is puzzling; it should be possible to gain clarity and consensus about how to address the question effectively. In this paper I show that a key reason for the lack of clarity consists of overreliance on statistical significance as a means of evaluating empirical results. The statistical significance of a quadratic specification (age plus age-squared) is often taken as evidence in support of a ‘u-shaped’ relationship between age and happiness. But statistical significance on its own cannot tell us whether the age–happiness relationship is ‘u-shaped’ (nor indeed whether it takes any other shape). On the contrary, statistical significance can mislead us about it: a set of quadratic age coefficients can be ‘significant’ even when the relationship is obviously characterised by a different shape. When we have clarity on how to construct the analysis so that we can ‘see’ the underlying patterns in the data, it becomes obvious that the age–happiness relationship in European countries commonly shows other patterns; a u-shape is evident only in a minority of countries.</p>","PeriodicalId":15837,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Happiness Studies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2024-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139750402","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-02-07DOI: 10.1007/s10902-024-00726-x
Abstract
Throughout the years some scholars have emphasised that developmental changes might influence the experience of meaning in life (MIL), especially in the case of older adults. However, so far, it is unclear whether researchers implement this developmental perspective when conceptualising MIL in late life. This scoping review aims to get insight in the developmental focus on conceptualising MIL in late life (adults aged 70 or older). A systematic literature search was performed using 7 databases (MEDLINE, Web of Science Core Collections, CINAHL, ProQuest Psychology, OSF Preprints, The Philosopher’s Index and AnthroSource) yielding 25 articles meeting the inclusion criteria. While most included articles solely described a general conceptualisation of MIL regardless of life stage, 3 studies mentioned a MIL conceptualisation adapted to older adults. These adapted conceptualisations shed light on components potentially distinctive for MIL in older adults, such as fulfilled purpose, ability to reconcile the past, continuation and felt coherence, beside the components currently included in general contemporary MIL conceptualisations, such as the components of the tripartite view on MIL. Largely, except of these 3 studies, most studies in this review did, thus, not include a developmental perspective. However, 10 studies referred to specific developmental aspects, such as time, past and expected changes in MIL in late life without implementing these developmental aspects to their conceptualisation of MIL. Consequently, the findings of this review suggest the importance of adapting a more explicit developmental perspective when conceptualising MIL in late life.
摘要 多年来,一些学者一直强调,发展变化可能会影响人生意义(MIL)的体验,尤其是对老年人而言。然而,迄今为止,还不清楚研究人员在构思晚年生活意义时是否贯彻了这一发展观点。本次范围界定综述旨在深入了解晚年生活意义(MIL)概念化的发展重点(70 岁或以上的成年人)。我们使用 7 个数据库(MEDLINE、Web of Science Core Collections、CINAHL、ProQuest Psychology、OSF Preprints、The Philosopher's Index 和 AnthroSource)进行了系统的文献检索,结果有 25 篇文章符合纳入标准。虽然大多数纳入的文章只描述了 MIL 的一般概念,而不考虑生命阶段,但有 3 项研究提到了适用于老年人的 MIL 概念。这些经过调整的概念阐明了老年人生活方式的潜在特征,如实现目标、与过去和解的能力、持续性和感觉连贯性,以及目前包含在当代生活方式概念中的一般特征,如生活方式三方观点的特征。因此,除这 3 项研究外,本综述中的大多数研究都没有纳入发展的视角。不过,有 10 项研究提到了具体的发展方面,如时间、过去和晚年生活中情感、态度和价值观的预期变化,但没有将这些发展方面纳入他们的情感、态度和价值观概念中。因此,本综述的结果表明,在对晚年生活质量进行概念化时,采用更明确的发展视角非常重要。
{"title":"Meaning in Late Life: A Scoping Review","authors":"","doi":"10.1007/s10902-024-00726-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-024-00726-x","url":null,"abstract":"<h3>Abstract</h3> <p>Throughout the years some scholars have emphasised that developmental changes might influence the experience of meaning in life (MIL), especially in the case of older adults. However, so far, it is unclear whether researchers implement this developmental perspective when conceptualising MIL in late life. This scoping review aims to get insight in the developmental focus on conceptualising MIL in late life (adults aged 70 or older). A systematic literature search was performed using 7 databases (MEDLINE, Web of Science Core Collections, CINAHL, ProQuest Psychology, OSF Preprints, The Philosopher’s Index and AnthroSource) yielding 25 articles meeting the inclusion criteria. While most included articles solely described a general conceptualisation of MIL regardless of life stage, 3 studies mentioned a MIL conceptualisation adapted to older adults. These adapted conceptualisations shed light on components potentially distinctive for MIL in older adults, such as fulfilled purpose, ability to reconcile the past, continuation and felt coherence, beside the components currently included in general contemporary MIL conceptualisations, such as the components of the tripartite view on MIL. Largely, except of these 3 studies, most studies in this review did, thus, not include a developmental perspective. However, 10 studies referred to specific developmental aspects, such as time, past and expected changes in MIL in late life without implementing these developmental aspects to their conceptualisation of MIL. Consequently, the findings of this review suggest the importance of adapting a more explicit developmental perspective when conceptualising MIL in late life.</p>","PeriodicalId":15837,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Happiness Studies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2024-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139750394","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}