http://www.psywb.com The latest research articles published by Psychology of Well-Being: Theory, Research and Practice 2013-03-27T00:00:00Z Background: Positive associations have been found between quality of life, emotion regulation strategies, and heart rate variability (HRV) in people without intellectual disabilities. However, emotion regulation and HRV have rarely been investigated in people with intellectual disabilities. Assessment of subjectively reported quality of life and emotion regulation strategies in this population is even more difficult when participants are also visually impaired. Methods: Subjective and objective quality of life, emotion regulation strategies, and HRV at rest were measured in a sample of people with intellectual disabilities and concomitant impaired vision (N = 35). Heart rate was recorded during a 10 min resting period. For the assessment of quality of life and emotion regulation, custom made tactile versions of questionnaire-based instruments were used that enabled participants to grasp response categories. Results: The combined use of reappraisal and suppression as emotion regulation strategies was associated with higher HRV and quality of life. HRV was associated with objective quality of life only. Emotion regulation strategies partially mediated the relationship between HRV and quality of life. Conclusions: Results replicate findings about associations between quality of life, emotion regulation, and HRV and extend them to individuals with intellectual disabilities. Furthermore, this study demonstrated that quality of life and emotion regulation could be assessed in such populations even with concomitant impaired vision with modified tactile versions of established questionnaires. HRV may be used as a physiological index to evaluate physical and affective conditions in this population. http://www.psywb.com/content/3/1/1 Adrian Meule Katharina Fath Ruben Real Stefan Sütterlin Claus Vögele Andrea Kübler Psychology of Well-Being: Theory, Research and Practice 2013, null:1 2013-03-27T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/2211-1522-3-1 /content/figures/2211-1522-3-1-toc.gif Psychology of Well-Being: Theory, Research and Practice 2211-1522 ${item.volume} 1 2013-03-27T00:00:00Z XML The exemplar methodology is a useful, but to date underutilized, approach to studying developmental phenomena. It features a unique sample selection approach whereby individuals, entities, or programs that exemplify the construct of interest in a highly developed manner form the study sample. Studying a sample of highly developed individuals yields an important view of the leading edge of development that cannot be gleaned using other methodologies. A picture of the full range of development requires not only an understanding of typical and deficient growth, as provided by existing methodologies, but also of complete or nearly complete development, as provided by the exemplar methodology. Accordingly, the exemplar methodology represents a critical tool for developmental psychologists. In spite of this, because it has rarely been written about, the exemplar methodology has only been used to study a relatively narrow range of developmental constructs. Therefore, the present article defines the exemplar methodology, addresses key conceptual issues, and briefly outlines steps to utilizing the approach. http://www.psywb.com/content/2/1/5 Kendall Bronk Psychology of Well-Being: Theory, Research and Practice 2012, null:5 2012-10-16T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/2211-1522-2-5 /content/figures/2211-1522-2-5-toc.gif Psychology of Well-Being: Theory, Research and Practice 2211-1522 ${item.volume} 5 2012-10-16T00:00:00Z XML Background: As the proportion of elderly people within a population increases there is an accompanying increase in the role of informal caregivers. Many studies on caregivers report negative health outcomes but very few have addressed positive aspects of caregiving. This study examines characteristics of Thai caregivers, the distribution of psychological distress and mental health among caregivers, and the association between caregiver status and psychological distress. Methods: This report is based on an ongoing national cohort study of 60,569 Thai adults. Caregiving was common in the cohort, and in 2009 6.6% were full-time and 27.5% were part-time caregivers. Outcomes of the study were reported using an international standard Kessler 6 for psychological distress and a national Thai Mental Health Indicator. Determinants included age, sex, marital status, household income, work status and urban–rural residence. Frequency of social contacts was also included as an explanatory variable. Results: Among cohort members, 27.5% were part-time caregivers and 6.6% were full-time caregivers. Compared to non-caregivers, full-time caregivers tended to be older, to be married, to be in the lowest household income group, to be unpaid family members, and to reside in rural areas. We noted the seeming contradiction that when compared to non-caregivers, the caregivers reported higher psychological distress but higher positive mental health (i.e., self-esteem and content with life), higher positive mental capacity (i.e., coping with crises), and higher positive mental quality (i.e., helping others).After adjusting for possible covariates, part-time and full-time caregivers were more likely to report high psychological distress (Adjusted Odds Ratios, AOR 1.33 and 1.78 among males and 1.32 and 1.45 among females). Less contact with colleagues was associated with high psychological distress both in males and females (AOR 1.36 and 1.33). Less contact with friends was also associated with high psychological distress, especially among females (AOR 1.27 and 1.42). Conclusions: This study highlights caregivers in Thailand, the strong possibility of mental health benefits, some risks of associated psychological distress, and the positive role of keeping social contacts. Early identification of vulnerable caregivers is required to target effective health promotion. http://www.psywb.com/content/2/1/4 Vasoontara Yiengprugsawan Sam-ang Seubsman Adrian Sleigh Psychology of Well-Being: Theory, Research and Practice 2012, null:4 2012-08-16T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/2211-1522-2-4 /content/figures/2211-1522-2-4-toc.gif Psychology of Well-Being: Theory, Research and Practice 2211-1522 ${item.volume} 4 2012-08-16T00:00:00Z XML Background: The objectives of the study were to explore a self-report measure for psychological well-being and to investigate the relationship between psychological well-being and psychological distress.MethodTelephone interviews of a representative sample of adults (N = 1933) collected information about sociodemographic variables, a standardised measure of psychological distress, and three brief existing scales to assess aspects of psychological well-being: Positive Relations with Others, Environmental Mastery, and Satisfaction with Life. The total of these three scales was also computed and explored as a measure of overall well-being. Results: Variables positively associated with psychological well-being were negatively associated with psychological distress and vice versa. For example low psychological well-being and high psychological distress were associated with being the only adult in the household, speaking a language other than English at home, being divorced or separated, having no educational qualifications beyond secondary school, being unable to work, having a low income, renting one’s accommodation, and receiving a pension. Conclusions: The measure of well-being shows psychometric promise for community surveys. Psychological well-being is not exactly the opposite end of the continuum to psychological distress, but more debate is needed about whether and when, research participants need to be asked questions about both. http://www.psywb.com/content/2/1/3 Helen Winefield Tiffany Gill Anne Taylor Rhiannon Pilkington Psychology of Well-Being: Theory, Research and Practice 2012, null:3 2012-06-25T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/2211-1522-2-3 /content/figures/2211-1522-2-3-toc.gif Psychology of Well-Being: Theory, Research and Practice 2211-1522 ${item.volume} 3 2012-06-25T00:00:00Z XML Background: This study describes the development and validation of an individual-level well-being assessment and scoring method (IWBS) adapted from the population-based Gallup-Healthways Well-being Index across six domains (physical health, emotional health, healthy behaviors, work environment, basic access and overall life-evaluation). Methods: Exploratory analyses were conducted on half the sample (n = 2036) using principal component analyses (PCA) with varimax rotation and confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on the second half of the sample (n = 2100) using structural equation modeling to validate the measurement model found by the PCA. Results: Optimal results in the exploratory sample were achieved for a seven-factor solution, accounting for 52.0% of the variance. All domains displayed adequate reliability, ranging from .42 to .79. Conclusions: The IWBS met each of the criteria that were established for measurement development. Findings indicated that there was initial support for using the IWBS to assess well-being at the individual level. The IWBS has acceptable psychometrics of reliability, internal and external validity. http://www.psywb.com/content/2/1/2 Kerry Evers James Prochaska Patricia Castle Janet Johnson Janice Prochaska Patricia Harrison Elizabeth Rula Carter Coberley James Pope Psychology of Well-Being: Theory, Research and Practice 2012, null:2 2012-05-30T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/2211-1522-2-2 /content/figures/2211-1522-2-2-toc.gif Psychology of Well-Being: Theory, Research and Practice 2211-1522 ${item.volume} 2 2012-05-30T00:00:00Z XML Using the Dualistic Model of Passion (DMP), the purpose of the present paper is to show the role of passion for activities in sustainable psychological well-being. Passion is defined as a strong inclination toward a self-defining activity that people like (or even love), find important, and in which they invest time and energy on a regular basis. The model proposes the existence of two types of passion: harmonious and obsessive. Harmonious passion originates from an autonomous internalization of the activity into one's identity while obsessive passion emanates from a controlled internalization and comes to control the person. Through the experience of positive emotions during activity engagement that takes place on a regular and repeated basis, it is posited that harmonious passion contributes to sustained psychological well-being while preventing the experience of negative affect, psychological conflict, and ill-being. Obsessive passion is not expected to produce such positive effects and may even facilitate negative affect, conflict with other life activities, and psychological ill-being. Research supporting the proposed effects and processes is presented and directions for future research are proposed. http://www.psywb.com/content/2/1/1 Robert Vallerand Psychology of Well-Being: Theory, Research and Practice 2012, null:1 2012-03-21T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/2211-1522-2-1 /content/figures/2211-1522-2-1-toc.gif Psychology of Well-Being: Theory, Research and Practice 2211-1522 ${item.volume} 1 2012-03-21T00:00:00Z XML Background: The last two decades have seen the development of theoretical models of hope, which have greatly influenced the field of positive psychology and the study of well-being. Recently, there has been increased interest in using these theories to create interventions and other strategies to enhance hopefulness among clinic-referred individuals and members of the community. We used meta-analysis to determine whether these hope enhancement strategies were associated with (a) increased hopefulness, (b) improved life satisfaction, and (c) decreased psychological distress among participants. Results: Analysis of 27 studies involving 2, 154 participants showed significant, but small, effect sizes for hopefulness and life satisfaction and no overall relationship between hope enhancement strategies and decreased psychological distress. Moderation tests indicated greater effect sizes for studies involving brief interventions, conducted in laboratory settings, and administered to students or individuals recruited from the community. Results also suggested publication bias. Conclusions: As the current study provides only modest evidence for the ability of hope enhancement strategies to increase hopefulness or life satisfaction and no consistent evidence that hope enhancement strategies can alleviate psychological distress., traditional psychotherapeutic interventions or other effective positive psychological constructs (e.g., gratitude, optimism, mindfulness) might best be targeted in applied settings. http://www.psywb.com/content/1/1/5 Robert Weis Elena Speridakos Psychology of Well-Being: Theory, Research and Practice 2011, null:5 2011-11-08T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/2211-1522-1-5 /content/figures/2211-1522-1-5-toc.gif Psychology of Well-Being: Theory, Research and Practice 2211-1522 ${item.volume} 5 2011-11-08T00:00:00Z XML Background: It was hypothetisized that playfulness in adults (i.e., the predisposition to play) is robustly associated with the "good character." Playfulness in adults can be tested via a global cognitive evaluation and an instrument for distinguishing five different facets of playful behaviors (spontaneous, expressive, creative, fun, and silly). Character strengths can be assessed within the framework of the Values-in-Action (VIA) classification of strengths. Results: Data were collected in an online study and the sample consisted of 268 adults. A regression analysis revealed that adult playfulness was best predicted by humor, the appreciation of beauty and excellence, low prudence, creativity, and teamwork. As expected, single strengths (e.g., creativity, zest, and hope) demonstrated strong relations with facets of playfulness with its fun-variants yielding the numerically highest relations. The fun-variant of playfulness was most strongly related with emotional strengths while intellectual strengths yielded robust relations with all facets of playfulness. Strengths of restraint were negatively related with spontaneous, expressive, and silly-variants of playfulness. Conclusions: The findings were in line with expectations and are discussed within a broader framework of research in playfulness in adults. The results indicate that playfulness in adults relates to positive psychological functioning and that more studies further illuminating the contribution of playfulness to well-being in adults are warranted. http://www.psywb.com/content/1/1/4 Rene Proyer Willibald Ruch Psychology of Well-Being: Theory, Research and Practice 2011, null:4 2011-10-24T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/2211-1522-1-4 /content/figures/2211-1522-1-4-toc.gif Psychology of Well-Being: Theory, Research and Practice 2211-1522 ${item.volume} 4 2011-10-24T00:00:00Z XML Background: How is happiness generated via brain function in lucky individuals who have the good fortune to be happy? Conceptually, well-being or happiness has long been viewed as requiring at least two crucial ingredients: positive affect or pleasure (hedonia) and a sense of meaningfulness or engagement in life (eudaimonia). Science has recently made progress in relating hedonic pleasure to brain function, and so here we survey new insights into how brains generate the hedonic ingredient of sustained or frequent pleasure. We also briefly discuss how brains might connect hedonia states of pleasure to eudaimonia assessments of meaningfulness, and so create balanced states of positive well-being. Results: Notable progress has been made in understanding brain bases of hedonic processing, producing insights into that brain systems that cause and/or code sensory pleasures. Progress has been facilitated by the recognition that hedonic brain mechanisms are largely shared between humans and other mammals, allowing application of conclusions from animal studies to a better understanding of human pleasures. In the past few years, evidence has also grown to indicate that for humans, brain mechanisms of higher abstract pleasures strongly overlap with more basic sensory pleasures. This overlap may provide a window into underlying brain circuitry that generates all pleasures, including even the hedonic quality of pervasive well-being that detaches from any particular sensation to apply to daily life in a more sustained or frequent fashion. Conclusions: Hedonic insights are applied to understanding human well-being here. Our strategy combines new findings on brain mediators that generate the pleasure of sensations with evidence that human brains use many of the same hedonic circuits from sensory pleasures to create the higher pleasures. This in turn may be linked to how hedonic systems interact with other brain systems relevant to self-understanding and the meaning components of eudaimonic happiness. Finally, we speculate a bit about how brains that generate hedonia states might link to eudaimonia assessments to create properly balanced states of positive well-being that approach true happiness. http://www.psywb.com/content/1/1/3 Kent Berridge Morten Kringelbach Psychology of Well-Being: Theory, Research and Practice 2011, null:3 2011-10-24T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/2211-1522-1-3 /content/figures/2211-1522-1-3-toc.gif Psychology of Well-Being: Theory, Research and Practice 2211-1522 ${item.volume} 3 2011-10-24T00:00:00Z XML Richard Layard (2005) holds modern society responsible for an 'epidemic of mental disorder', which he sees as a major source of contemporary unhappiness. Yet average happiness is high in modern society and most people with a mental disorder feel happy most of the time. This appears in an analysis of a representative sample (N = 7,076) of the general population in The Netherlands that was screened for mental disorders. Happiness was measured using a single question on how often respondents had felt happy during the last four weeks. Of the respondents with a mental disorder 68% reported they often felt happy during the last four weeks. People with a mental disorder may be victims of modern society, but they also benefit from modern society. Happiness is highest for people with substance abuse and anxiety disorders and uncommon for people with mood disorders. http://www.psywb.com/content/1/1/2 Ad Bergsma Ruut Veenhoven Psychology of Well-Being: Theory, Research and Practice 2011, null:2 2011-10-24T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/2211-1522-1-2 /content/figures/2211-1522-1-2-toc.gif Psychology of Well-Being: Theory, Research and Practice 2211-1522 ${item.volume} 2 2011-10-24T00:00:00Z XML