Distinct associations between gratitude, self-esteem, and optimism with subjective and psychological well-being among Japanese individuals.

BACKGROUND: Mounting evidence suggests that the effectiveness of positive psychology interventions is influenced by a variety of factors, including cultural context. Identifying intervention targets that can effectively contribute to improving individual well-being under these boundary conditions is a crucial step when developing viable interventions. To this end, we examined how gratitude disposition, self-esteem, and optimism relate to the subjective well-being (SWB) and psychological well-being (PWB) of Japanese individuals. METHODS: Multivariate regression analysis was employed to quantify the unique relationships between the three potential intervention targets and both SWB and PWB, while accounting for the influence of other variables. Participants (N = 71) also engaged in a 4-week experience sampling study to explore how gratitude, self-esteem and optimism shape the link between momentary affective states in everyday life and evaluations of day satisfaction. RESULTS: Multivariate regression analysis revealed that self-esteem was predominantly more strongly associated with SWB compared to gratitude disposition, whereas gratitude disposition was more strongly associated with the PWB dimensions, particularly personal growth, positive relations with others and purpose in life. Experience sampling data indicated that while both gratitude disposition and self-esteem moderated the association between momentary positive affect and day satisfaction evaluations, they did so in opposite ways; greater gratitude disposition strengthened the association, while greater self-esteem weakened it. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the current results suggest that while gratitude, self-esteem, and optimism influence individual well-being as a whole, they likely play distinct roles in facilitating SWB and PWB in the studied cohort.

Impact of miscarriage and termination of pregnancy on subsequent pregnancies: A longitudinal study of maternal and paternal depression, anxiety and eudaimonia.

BACKGROUND: Although miscarriage and termination of pregnancy affect maternal mental illnesses on subsequent pregnancies, their effects on the positive mental health (e.g., eudaimonia) of both first-time and multi-time parents have received minimal attention, especially for fathers. This longitudinal study examines the effects of experiences of miscarriage and termination on parental well-being in subsequent pregnancies from prenatal to postpartum years, while simultaneously considering parity. METHODS: Pregnant women and their partners were recruited during early prenatal visits in Taiwan from 2011 to 2022 and were followed up from mid-pregnancy to 1 year postpartum. Six waves of self-reported assessments were employed. RESULTS: Of 1813 women, 11.3 % and 14.7 % had experiences of miscarriage and termination, respectively. Compared with the group without experiences of miscarriage or termination, experiences of miscarriage were associated with increased risks of paternal depression (adjusted odds ratio = 1.6, 95 % confidence interval [CI] = 1.13-2.27), higher levels of anxiety (adjusted ß = 1.83, 95 % CI = 0.21-3.46), and lower eudaimonia scores (adjusted ß = -1.09, 95 % CI = -1.99 to -0.19) from the prenatal to postpartum years, particularly among multiparous individuals. Additionally, experiences of termination were associated with increased risks of depression in their partner. LIMITATIONS: The experiences of miscarriage and TOP were self-reported and limited in acquiring more detailed information through questioning. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the decreased well-being of men whose partners have undergone termination of pregnancy or experienced miscarriage, and stress the importance of interventions aimed at preventing adverse consequences among these individuals.

Exploring Effects of a Nostalgic Storytelling Virtual Reality Experience Beyond Hedonism.

In this study, we tested the effect of a nostalgic storytelling virtual reality (VR) experience (vs. a text-reading neutral VR experience as the comparison condition) on state-level eudaimonic well-being and explored the underlying mediating mechanisms. In a within-subject experimental design, all 31 participants experienced both versions of the VR in pseudorandomized and counterbalanced order. Compared with the text-reading VR experience, the nostalgic storytelling VR resulted in significantly higher hedonic and eudaimonic entertainment media gratifications (aka. media enjoyment and media appreciation, respectively), social connectedness, and state-level well-being. Moreover, the relationship between VR and well-being was serially mediated by the level of state nostalgia and eudaimonic media gratifications. That is, the nostalgic storytelling VR was found to evoke state nostalgia, which led to a greater appreciation of the VR experience; this appreciation, in turn, contributed to increased state-level well-being. Implications of the study findings for future research and practice are discussed.

Bienestar eudaimónico y meditación mindfulness en los contextos laborales: una revisión sistemática / Eudaimonic Well-Being and Mindfulness Meditation in the Work-place: A Systematic Review

El objetivo de este estudio es analizar los efectos de las intervenciones basadas en mindfulness (IBMs) sobre variables relacionadas con el bienestar eudaimónico en contextos laborales. Para ello, se realizó una revisión sistemática de ensayos controlados aleatorizados, efectuándose una búsqueda de publicaciones relevantes en las bases de datos PsycInfo, Pubmed y ProQuest (acotando desde enero de 2009 a diciembre de 2019). Los términos de búsqueda incluyeron variables relacionadas con la eudaimonia (p. ej. resilience, maturity, wisdom, etc.). 9006 estudios fueron revisados, de los que 16 fueron incluidos finalmente. Se identificaron 9 variables psicológicas relacionadas con el modelo de bienestar eudaimónico de Ryff (2018). Los estudios diferían en el tipo de IBM, duración de la intervención, tiempo de práctica y variables eudaimónicas evaluadas. En general, las IBMs son eficaces, con tamaños de efecto medios, para mejorar autoaceptación, relaciones positivas y crecimiento personal. No obstante, son necesarios nuevos estudios de mayor calidad.(AU)

This systematic review analyzes the effects of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) on variables related to eudaimonic well-being in or-ganizational contexts. A searchfor relevant publications was conducted in the PsycInfo, Pubmed, and ProQuest databases, ranging from January 2009 to December 2019. The search terms included variables related to Ryff's psychological well-being model (2018) (e.g., resilience, maturity, wis-dom, autonomy, etc.). 9006 studies were reviewed following the PRISMA guidelines, of which 16 were included. Nine psychological variables related to eudaimonia were identified. The studies differed in the type of MBI, du-ration of the intervention, time of practice and eudaimonic variables evalu-ated. MBIs are effective, with medium effect sizes, to improve self-acceptance, positive relationships, and personal growth. However, high-quality studies are needed.(AU)

Meaningful Work, Well-Being, and Health: Enacting a Eudaimonic Vision.

Work is one of the most enduring and consequential life domains regarding how meaning and purpose impact health and well-being. This review first examines scientific findings from the MIDUS (Midlife in the U.S.) national longitudinal study that have linked work to well-being and health. Most have focused on adverse work or work conditions as influences on poor health, with a few recent findings investigating links to purpose and other aspects of eudaimonic well-being. Organizational scholarship is then selectively reviewed to show how meaningful work is often linked to motivation, performance, and commitment. Paradoxically, meaning can also lead to the exploitation and erosion of health and well-being when managed without regard for decent working conditions. Recent workplace phenomena known as the Great Resignation and Quiet Quitting underscore the societal consequences of work without meaning or adequate working conditions. Both the scientific and organizational literature are enriched by a vision of meaningful work rooted in Aristotle's writings about virtue, ethics, and the realization of potential. Evidence-based practices tied to these eudaimonic ideals are examined at multiple levels, including the societal context (public policy), organizational conditions (culture, human resource practices, leadership), and individual strategies to find meaning, engagement, and fulfillment in work. A concluding section highlights strengths and omissions in the scientific and organizational literature and, going forward, calls for greater interplay among researchers, practitioners, and policymakers in enacting eudaimonic ideals.

Children's Lived Experiences of Wellbeing at School in England: a Phenomenological Inquiry.

This phenomenological inquiry investigated children's wellbeing experiences at school, including their hedonic (feeling good) and eudaimonic (doing good) accounts, a distinction often overlooked. Further, while phenomenological inquiries of children's mental ill-health exist, wellbeing, a fundamental part of mental health, is neglected. This is at odds with positive psychology which favours strengths-based approaches to studying human development. Phenomenology provides rich detail, facilitating deeper understanding of why and how certain factors affect wellbeing, as described by children themselves. A sample of 15 children (aged 9-11), attending one English primary school broadly representative of the national socio-demographic, engaged in interviews. Children's experiences of 'feeling good' at school were characterised by: an interdependence on peers' emotional states (described as 'a domino effect'), a need to feel cared for by, and trust, adults, and desire for autonomy over their time. Children attributed mistrust in adults to adults disregarding seemingly incidental events which felt significant to children. Children experienced 'doing well' as equating to academic attainment, conveying a fixation with test scores, using language of 'correctness' and efficiency. Shame pervaded when 'correctness' was not achieved, with children describing being ridiculed for poor test scores. Recommendations for schools to support children's hedonia include prioritising wellbeing curricula and emotional literacy, greater staff reflexivity, and prioritisation of pupil voice. To foster children's eudaimonia, recommendations include the need for teachers to provide formative, personalised feedback for pupils focused on the learning process, and the need for Government to embrace a range of ways pupils can feel successful beyond academic attainment. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12187-023-10016-2.

The Neuroscience of Dance: A Conceptual Framework and Systematic Review.

Ancient and culturally universal, dance pervades many areas of life and has multiple benefits. In this article, we provide a conceptual framework and systematic review, as a guide for researching the neuroscience of dance. We identified relevant articles following PRISMA guidelines, and summarised and evaluated all original results. We identified avenues for future research in: the interactive and collective aspects of dance; groove; dance performance; dance observation; and dance therapy. Furthermore, the interactive and collective aspects of dance constitute a vital part of the field but have received almost no attention from a neuroscientific perspective so far. Dance and music engage overlapping brain networks, including common regions involved in perception, action, and emotion. In music and dance, rhythm, melody, and harmony are processed in an active, sustained pleasure cycle giving rise to action, emotion, and learning, led by activity in specific hedonic brain networks. The neuroscience of dance is an exciting field, which may yield information concerning links between psychological processes and behaviour, human flourishing, and the concept of eudaimonia.

What is Unique About Kindness? Exploring the Proximal Experience of Prosocial Acts Relative to Other Positive Behaviors.

Previous research has identified a robust connection between prosociality and happiness, suggesting that kindness has both hedonic and eudaimonic benefits-in the short term and in the long term. By contrast, our experiment aimed to examine people's momentary eudaimonic feelings while engaging in kind acts for others. To that end, we randomly assigned participants to one of four positively valenced conditions that varied in their inclusion of potential "active ingredients" of prosocial behavior. Namely, engaging in kind acts for others was compared to engaging in kind acts for oneself (social element removed), extraverted behavior (kindness element removed), and open-minded behavior (both social and kindness elements removed). Participants were assessed five times over 2 weeks, each time reporting on how they felt during their assigned activities. Multilevel models revealed that relative to all other conditions, participants assigned to do kind acts for others reported a greater sense of competence, self-confidence, and meaning while engaging in those acts across the intervention period. Engaging in acts of kindness for others also led to stronger feelings of connection relative to engaging in open-minded behavior or acts of kindness for oneself but did not differ from engaging in extraverted behavior. These results illuminate the experience of positive eudaimonic feelings while one commits kind acts for others and highlight the unique benefits of prosociality compared to other positive behaviors. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42761-022-00143-4.

A process-based approach to health-related quality of life as a "way of living".

INTRODUCTION: There is an historical initiative to establish common theoretical ground to support a framework for assessing health-related quality of life (HRQL). Our aim was to add to this effort with an analysis of theoretical/philosophical themes embedded in HRQL questionnaires and patient reports. METHODS AND RESULTS: We reviewed recent developments in HRQL assessment. This included analyzing a representative sample of psychometric measures of HRQL to schematically summarize core theoretical/philosophical themes that are embedded in questionnaire items. This analysis indicated a state-based framework for HRQL that was characterized by themes of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being, and desire-satisfaction. In contrast, a review of patient reports of HRQL indicated a process-based framework where goal-directed activities aimed to secure aspirational life goals while striving to accept the reality of declining health. Given this difference in HRQL themes we used a meta-philosophical approach, based on Hadot's idea of philosophy as a way of living, to identify a process-based theoretical framework for HRQL assessment that addressed patient-reported themes. The Stoic modification of eudaimonic well-being was examined where HRQL and well-being are viewed as a process (vs. state) aimed at transforming the experience of loss or grief in response to adversity through goal-directed activities/exercises (euroia biou, good flow in life). We then introduced a complementary research agenda for HRQL assessment that incorporates self-reported, goal-directed activities that are initiated or maintained to promote HRQL. CONCLUSION: A process-based approach to HRQL assessment may increase the spectrum of clinically relevant features that currently comprise operational measures of this patient-reported appraisal.

Clarifying Eudaimonia and Psychological Functioning to Complement Evaluative and Experiential Well-Being: Why Basic Psychological Needs Should Be Measured in National Accounts of Well-Being.

Measuring subjective well-being as a key indicator of national wellness has increasingly become part of the international agenda. Current recommendations for measuring well-being at a national level propose three separate dimensions: evaluative well-being, experiential well-being, and eudaimonia. Whereas the measurement of the first two dimensions is relatively standardized, the third category has remained undertheorized, lacking consensus on how to define and operationalize it. To remedy the situation, we propose that the third dimension should focus on psychological functioning and the identification of key psychological factors humans generally need to live well. A key part of psychological functioning is the satisfaction of basic psychological needs-specific types of satisfying experiences that are essential for psychological health and well-being. Psychological needs as a category provides a parsimonious set of elements with clear inclusion criteria that are strongly anchored in theory and our current understanding of human nature-and could thus form a core part of the third, "eudaimonic" dimension of well-being. The needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness have especially received broad empirical support. Accordingly, national accounts of well-being should include measures for key psychological needs to gain an enriched and practically useful understanding of the well-being of the citizens.

Awe experiences, the sublime, and spiritual well-being in Arctic wilderness.

Experiences of awe can carry the potential for life-transforming experiences and foster awareness of nature as a lifelong value. How these experiences emerge was investigated empirically in a pristine natural environment and analyzed informed by a bottom-up perspective with an interdisciplinary understanding of environmental aesthetics and positive psychology. A group of Arctic nature guide students (n = 34) was followed on an 8-day advanced glacier course with additional learning topics related to the Arctic landscape and history, wildlife, and how to protect a wilderness camp from polar bear attacks. After this experience, students were invited to participate in the research project and were asked to reflect on their experiences immediately after their return to civilization. Two narratives each from 27 participants were collected, which provided 54 quotations for interpretation. Reflexive thematic analysis (RTA) surfaced three main themes: context, human response to encounters with nature, and transformation. The study of awe brings the tension between spirituality and well-being closer. The findings add empirical knowledge to the understanding of the contexts for these highly affective and complex feelings. The findings also add refined knowledge about the relationship between awe and the sublime. In transformation for human well-being, the role of self-knowledge or self-transcendence surfaced by wilderness experiences should not be underestimated.

Social connection and gene regulation during the COVID-19 pandemic: Divergent patterns for online and in-person interaction.

BACKGROUND: Social connection has been linked to reduced disease risk and enhanced antiviral immunity, but it is unclear whether online social connections have similar effects to those previously documented for in-person/offline social relationships, or whether online connections can substitute for in-person social relations when the latter are restricted. We examined this question in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing specifically on an immune system gene regulation profile known as the conserved transcriptional response to adversity (CTRA), which is characterized by up-regulation of proinflammatory genes and down-regulation of genes linked to innate antiviral responses and antibody production. METHODS: We analyzed CTRA RNA profiles in blood samples from 142 healthy young adults (69% female, 87% white) during the "social distancing" period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mixed effect linear models quantified the relation of CTRA gene expression to measures of in-person social connection (number of friends, social eudaimonia, loneliness) and online psychosocial connection (online loneliness, perceived social value in online leisure and educational contexts, and internet use) while controlling for demographic and health factors. RESULTS: Multiple indicators of in-person and generalized social connection were associated with lower CTRA gene expression, whereas no measure of online social connection showed any significant association with CTRA gene expression. CONCLUSION: Experiences of in-person social connection are associated with reduced CTRA gene expression during a period of restricted social interaction. In contrast, online social relationships show no such association. Digitally mediated social relations do not appear to substantially offset the absence of in-person/offline social connection in the context of immune cell gene regulation.

Eudaimonic well-being in individuals with mild to moderate intellectual disability.

BACKGROUND: Subjective well-being research in individuals with intellectual disability (ID) has a large hedonic focus and eudaimonic well-being is understudied in this population. Knowledge on eudaimonic well-being of individuals with ID is however necessary to improve their experienced well-being and support them in leading meaningful and flourishing lives. AIMS: The current study adopted a qualitative design to examine whether and how people with ID experience elements of eudaimonic well-being. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Eleven adults with mild to moderate ID participated in individual semi-structured interviews about their subjective well-being. Interviews with their relatives and their direct support providers were conducted to contextualize the data. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: By means of an interpretative phenomenological analysis, social relationships, accomplishment, purpose and balance, individuality, autonomy, and growth could be identified as relevant elements of eudaimonic well-being. Eudaimonic well-being of individuals with ID seemed to be mediated by acceptance of others. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The results provide insight in eudaimonic indicators of well-being, expanding the current view on well-being in individuals with ID. Efforts to use these elements in the care and support for individuals with ID are discussed.

Economics of the community mechanism.

This paper discusses the importance of the community mechanism that complements the market and power mechanisms in an economic system during an era of crisis, defined as a mechanism for resource allocation by which at least one person proposes voluntary cooperation, and the proposal is not rejected. While this community mechanism can function alongside homo economicus in win-win situations, it can be further activated with social preferences for altruism and reciprocity and with norms or worldviews that encourage cooperation. Other factors that relate to these include the character strengths that contribute to community and society known as virtues, with the concept of wellbeing related to virtues being known as eudaimonia. Some aspects of the acquisition of virtues can be viewed as changing preferences, and there is empirical evidence suggesting changes in trust relate to changes in preferences. Leadership is an example of the virtue of justice, and servant leadership seems important for the community mechanism, as does perspective taking. For evaluating policies, normative economics based only on consequentialism may not be sufficient, and virtue ethics seems essential when the community mechanism is important.

Pickleball, Personality, and Eudaimonic Well-Being in Middle-Aged and Older Adults.

This study explored how personality and serious leisure activities, such as playing pickleball, contribute to eudaimonic well-being in middle-aged and older adults. Data were collected at pickleball events at the 2017 Huntsman World Senior Games from a convenience sample of 250 players aged between 50 and 91 years (M = 65.11, SD = 7.49). Of the five personality dispositions examined, conscientiousness (ß = 0.32, p < .001), neuroticism (ß = -0.22, p < .01), and openness to experience (ß = 0.18, p < .01) were discovered to be significant predictors of eudaimonic well-being. Serious leisure also contributed to eudaimonic well-being (ß = 0.28, p < .01). The findings of this study enhance the understanding of the behaviors exhibited by older adults and elucidate the positive impact exerted on eudaimonic well-being by personality and serious leisure.

"I did it without hesitation. Am I the bad guy?" Online conversations in response to controversial in-game violence.

Video game content has evolved over the last six decades, from a basic focus on challenge and competition to include more serious and introspective narratives capable of encouraging critical contemplation within gamers. The "No Russian" mission from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 casts players as terrorists responsible for the murder of innocent bystanders, sparking debate around how players engage and react to wanton violence in modern video games. Through thematic analysis of 649 Reddit posts discussing the mission, 10 themes emerged representing complexity in player experiences. Those themes were grouped into categories representing (descending order), (1) rote gameplay experiences, (2) dark humor, (3) comparing the mission to other games and real-world events, and (4) self-reflective eudaimonic reactions to the mission. Although less common, the presence of eudaimonic media effects (in at least 15% of posts) holds promise for the use of video games as reflective spaces for violence prevention.

Internet gaming, embodied distress, and psychosocial well-being: A syndemic-syndaimonic continuum.

We examine internet gaming-related suffering as a novel syndemic most prevalent among contemporary emerging adults. Synthetic analysis of our prior research on internet gaming and health affirms how social factors and mental and physical wellness mutually condition each other in this online play context. Employing biocultural anthropological mixed methods, we focus on statistical interactions between intensive gaming and social well-being in relation to genomic markers of immune function. We show that among gamers with low social well-being, intensive game play is associated with compromised immunity markers, but among those with robust social connection, that same play correlates with decreased activation of stress-related immunity activation. The apparently beneficial interaction of higher social well-being and intensive game play resonates with an emerging body of research showing how positive practices-in this case, engaged and pleasurable videogame play-can increase resilience to the negative linked psychological and genomic responses to precarity. Based on these findings, we argue, in relation to gaming behaviors, a syndemics analysis could usefully be expanded by attending to both sides of the synergistic interaction between two social conditions: not just exacerbation of dysfunction in relation to their combined effect, but also non-additive enhancement of health that may stem from such combinations. We draw on literature emphasizing the relevance to health of "eudaimonic" well-being-psychosocial processes that transcend immediate self-gratification and involve the pursuit of meaningful and pro-social goals. On that basis, we propose the term "syndaimonics" to capture synergies between social context and mental flourishing, which, in this context and presumably others, can illuminate sources of health resilience and overall improved psychosocial wellbeing.

Executive Functioning and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Executive functioning and happiness are each associated with successful learning and other desirable individual and societal outcomes; however, it is unclear whether a relation exists between them. Executive regulation of happiness pursuits in daily life, operationalized as hedonic (e.g., pursuing pleasure) and eudaimonic (e.g., pursuing personal growth) motives for action, may be a way the constructs relate to each other. In this initial investigation, we aimed to explore whether objectively measured executive functioning skills relate to happiness motives. A sample of 119 college students completed six objective neuropsychological measures of executive functioning and self-reported levels of hedonic and eudaimonic motives for action in daily life. Correlation and regression analyses examined the relations among temporal discounting and two latent executive functioning factors (inhibitory control and working memory) with hedonic and eudaimonic motives, as well as their interaction. Results suggested a possible association between higher levels of eudaimonic motives and preference for higher delayed rewards, as well as poorer working memory. Further analyses suggested that endorsing high levels of eudaimonic and hedonic motives simultaneously (i.e., the "full life") was associated with poorer inhibitory control and working memory performance, whereas endorsing low levels of both simultaneously (i.e., the "empty life") was associated with a preference for more immediate monetary rewards. Findings are discussed in the context of goal conflict and risk assessment among individuals who endorse the "full life". Overall, these findings suggest that complex relations may exist between executive functioning and trait-level happiness pursuits, and have implications for possible interventions aimed at enhancing happiness-related motives and cognitive processes to facilitate learning. Given the exploratory nature of the present study, further investigations are necessary.

Heart's Ease: Eudaimonia, Musicking in the Pandemic, and Its Implications for Music Education.

This article will review the themes found in the literature on eudaimonia: ethical behaviour, a sense of meaning and purpose, autonomy - being able to make wise decisions and manage behaviour, contemplation, relationship with spirits of the ancestors and celestial beings and relationships of mutuality, respect. It will use these to critique various events online during the pandemic, such as the Embodiment conference, the SHIFT conference and the ZOOM peace choir. These developments related to music and wellbeing will be used to interrogate the purposes of music education and what might be learned from these new developments in relation to technology in relation to themes, such as values, orality and literacy, process and product.