How animals contribute to subjective well-being: A comprehensive model of protective and risk factors

In this paper, we elaborate and test a comprehensive theoretical model of SWB of animal caregivers. This model includes risk factors such as restrictions in daily life, negative emotions, and financial strain, and protective factors such as a sense of purpose in life, positive emotions, and physical activities. The model was tested in a sample of caregivers of dogs, cats, and horses (N = 631). Higher levels of satisfaction of the need for autonomy, experiencing more positive emotions, and greater fulfillment of social roles through the animal were positively associated with SWB, whereas experiencing more negative emotions, greater financial strain due to the animal, and degree of attachment to the animal were negatively associated with SWB. The proposed model is suitable to explain differences in subjective well-being among animal caregivers and may be valid across different types of animal caregivers.     

Longitudinal Experience-Wide Association Studies—A Framework for Studying Personality Change

The importance of personality for predicting life outcomes in the domains of love, work, and health is well established, as is evidence that personality traits, while relatively stable, can change. However, little is known about the sources and processes that drive changes in personality traits and how such changes might impact important life outcomes. In this paper, we make the case that the research paradigms and methodological approaches commonly used in personality psychology need to be revised to advance our understanding of the sources and processes of personality change. We propose Longitudinal Experience-Wide Association Studies as a framework for studying personality change that can address the limitations of current methods, and we discuss strategies for overcoming some of the challenges associated with Longitudinal Experience-Wide Association Studies. © 2020 European Association of Personality Psychology     

Leugnen bei inhaftierten Sexualstraftätern

Many sex offenders deny the charges which is often considered as a barrier to treatment and an indicator of an elevated risk for re-offending. Both expectations, however, are controversial in the literature. In the context of Andrews’ and Bonta’s risk-need-responsivity (RNR) model it seems appropriate to understand denial not as a risk factor but as a responsivity issue. A study of 1,381 sex offenders released from prison in Bavaria since 2004 showed that deniers seldom participated in treatment programs and were rarely granted a temporary licence or early release from prison, compared to those who admitted the offenses. The proportion of deniers was higher in immigrants, married and older persons. For 833 offenders released up to the end of 2008 reconviction records were available, with a time at risk of between 5 and 9 years. No correlations were found between denial and violent, sexual, serious or general recidivism. The implications of these findings relate to the correctional treatment of sex offenders and the need for programs that are adapted to the needs of deniers.     

When Happiness is Both Joy and Purpose: The Complexity of the Pursuit of Happiness and Well-Being is Related to Actual Well-Being

Journal of Happiness Studies - People differ in how they define and pursue happiness and well-being (HWB). Previous studies suggested that the best way to achieve a high level of well-being might...     

Catch me if I fall! Enacted uncertainty avoidance and the social safety net as country-level moderators in the job insecurity-job attitudes link

Job insecurity is related to many detrimental outcomes, with reduced job satisfaction and affective organizational commitment being the 2 most prominent reactions. Yet, effect sizes vary greatly, suggesting the presence of moderator variables. On the basis of Lazarus's cognitive appraisal theory, we assumed that country-level enacted uncertainty avoidance and a country's social safety net would affect an individual's appraisal of job insecurity. More specifically, we hypothesized that these 2 country-level variables would buffer the negative relationships between job insecurity and the 2 aforementioned job attitudes. Combining 3 different data sources, we tested the hypotheses in a sample of 15,200 employees from 24 countries by applying multilevel modeling. The results confirmed the hypotheses that both enacted uncertainty avoidance and the social safety net act as cross-level buffer variables. Furthermore, our data revealed that the 2 cross-level interactions share variance in explaining the 2 job attitudes. Our study responds to calls to look at stress processes from a multilevel perspective and highlights the potential importance of governmental regulation when it comes to individual stress processes.     

Dysphorics cannot ignore unpleasant information

Using a negative affective priming (NAP) design that allows the disentanglement of NAP for unpleasant and pleasant information, we found significant NAP only for unpleasant information for low scorers on the BDI, whereas high scorers showed significant but reversed NAP for unpleasant information and a significant NAP effect for pleasant information. The result is compatible with the hypothesis that depression is associated with an inability to suppress task-irrelevant negative information.