Psychological strengths and subjective well-being in South African white students

This study investigated the role of individual resources, notably self-efficacy, gratitude, and hope, in subjective well-being of white dormitory students at a historically white institution of higher learning. Using a convenience sample of white students (N?=?227), we tested the role of generalised self-efficacy, gratitude, and hope as indicators of a latent factor, labelled personal resources, in a structural equation model with subjective well-being as the latent output variable, measured by self-esteem and satisfaction with life. Path analyses indicated a reasonable fit between the data and our hypothesised theoretical model which proposed positive relations between levels of generalised self-efficacy, gratitude, dispositional hope, self-esteem and satisfaction with life. White students were psychologically doing well, considering above-midpoint levels obtained for levels of generalised self-efficacy, gratitude, dispositional hope, and satisfaction with life However, scores obtained for self-esteem and adult dispositional hope were below the mid-point and neutral respectively, indicating that White students do not agree that they experience high levels of these two psychological strengths. White female students experienced higher levels of hope, gratitude, and life satisfaction, while no significant gender differences were found for generalised self-efficacy and self-esteem. The results of this study highlight the potential for using psychological strengths to promote well-being in racially diverse students.     

When Fluency Signals Truth: Prior Successful Reliance on Fluency Moderates the Impact of Fluency on Truth Judgments

Repeated statements are more frequently judged to be true. One position relates this so‐called “truth effect” to metacognitive experiences of fluency, suggesting that repeated statements are more frequently judged to be true because they are processed more fluently. Although most prior research focused on why repetition influences truth judgments, considerably less is known about when fluency is used as information. The present research addresses this question and investigates whether reliance on fluency is moderated by learning experiences. Specifically, we focus on changes in the reliance on fluency over the course of time. A series of experiments reveals that fluency is more likely to be used in truth judgments when previous reliance on fluency has resulted in valid judgments, compared with when previous reliance on fluency was misleading. These findings suggest that reliance on fluency in judgments is a finely tuned process that takes prior experiences with fluency‐based judgments into account. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Divine Relations as a Basis of Subjective Social Status During Later-Life: Direct and Moderating Effects

Early social theorists, including W.E.B Du Bois, recognized the importance of religion and its links to inequality, particularly in how religious vocabularies are attuned to frictions with inimical concrete social and political realities. We apply these ideas to research on the intersection of religious beliefs and economic deprivation, examining how beliefs in divine relations not only structure subjective social status (SSS), but also the association between financial stress and SSS. Analyses of data from the Caregiving, Aging, and Financial Experiences Study—a national study of Canadian older adults (N = 4010)—show that financial strain is associated with lower SSS, but better divine relations (higher support from a divine power and lower troubled relationships with a higher power) benefit SSS. Divine support also attenuates the association between financial strain and SSS. This research suggests a Du Bosian “double consciousness,” in which relations with a divine power serve as a basis for individual conceptualizations of social status that run counter to predominant narratives based on economic standing. We suggest directions for future research to explore the nuances of SSS within the religious context informed by a Du Boisian mode of inquiry.     

Perceptions of Age and Creativity in the Workforce

As the workforce ages it becomes important to examine if there is misperception of creativity and age in work contexts. A laboratory experiment examined perceptions of the creativity of a team with both young and old workers and of a team composed entirely of young workers. Scripted videos portrayed such teams engaged in designing an outdoor advertising campaign. Altogether, 220 participants were randomly assigned to watch one of the video clips and complete a structured questionnaire. No significant differences were observed in the perceptions of the two teams' performance or of the quality of the resulting advertising proposal. In general, there was also no significant difference in the individual characteristics attributed to the four characters on the teams. However, participants aged 35 or above evaluated both teams and all four characters more favorably than participants aged 20–34.     

主观幸福感的结构及其与人格特质的关系

以239名大学生为被试,考察了主观幸福感(SWB)的结构及其与人格特质的关系。分析表明,SWB由生活满意度、积极情感和消极情感三个相关的维度构成,而且它们可以共同负荷于一个高阶因子。外倾和神经质是SWB的重要预测指标,积极情感的主要预测指标是外倾,神经质则是消极情感最有力的预测指标,而外倾和神经质对消极情感和生活满意度有相同的预测力。情感平衡是外倾和神经质影响生活满意度的中介变量。     

初中生偶像崇拜及其与生活目标和主观幸福感的关系:性别的调节作用

本研究以3587名初中生为对象,采用问卷测量法,考察了初中生偶像崇拜在性别和年级上的差异,及其与生活目标和主观幸福感的关系,并探究了性别在其中的调节作用。研究发现：（1）女生的偶像崇拜水平显著高于男生的,且偶像崇拜高水平组中女生人数显著多于男生,偶像崇拜低水平组中则相反;初一与初二年级间偶像崇拜的水平及在不同水平上的人数分布均无显著差异。（2）外在生活目标能够正向预测初中生的偶像崇拜水平,其中性别起调节作用,外在生活目标对女生偶像崇拜水平的影响大于男生。（3）性别对偶像崇拜影响初中生主观幸福感上也具有调节作用,即偶像崇拜水平负向预测初中女生的主观幸福感,对男生的主观幸福感则影响不显著。     

大学新生主观社会地位与抑郁的变化轨迹:一项多元潜变量增长模型分析

采用整群取样的方法在全国按东部、中部和西部共抽取了7所高校的1983名新生,进行了历时四个月的四次追踪测试。使用潜变量增长模型建模,分别考察了新生主观社会地位和抑郁的变化轨迹,并就两者间的变化关系进行了分析。结果发现新生入学后四个月内：（1）主观社会地位呈阶段化线性增长,其起始水平和第一阶段的增长速度存在显著个体间差异;（2）抑郁呈二次方增长,其起始水平和增长速度存在显著个体间差异;（3）入学后主观社会地位的下滑速度能有效预测新生抑郁水平的上升速度。研究基于情绪压制理论,对主观社会地位与抑郁间的变化关系进行了分析。     

领导者的希望和自我效能感对其主观幸福感的影响

该研究采用问卷调查法,检验领导者的希望和自我效能感对其主观幸福感的影响作用。通过对来自重庆市各县、市、区政府机关、公检法和事业行政单位的237名领导者进行调查,将搜集的数据进行层次回归分析、中介效应检验和优势分析,结果显示：希望和自我效能感是领导者的主观幸福感的显著正向预测变量;自我效能感在领导者的希望与其主观幸福感之间有显著的完全中介作用;增强领导者的希望与自我效能感水平对提升领导者的主观幸福感有显著的促进作用。     

父母自尊与青少年主观幸福感间的关系:亲子信任与青少年自尊的链式中介作用

为了探讨父母自尊和青少年主观幸福感间的关系及其内在机制,本研究采用罗森伯格自尊量表、积极/消极情感量表、生活满意度量表和亲子信任关系量表,针对233对高中生及其父母进行调查。研究结果发现:(1)父母自尊与青少年主观幸福感显著正相关;(2)亲子信任在父母自尊与青少年主观幸福感之间起中介作用;(3)青少年自尊在父母自尊与青少年主观幸福感之间起中介作用;(4)亲子信任和青少年自尊在父母自尊与青少年主观幸福感之间起链式中介作用。该结果对于揭示影响青少年主观幸福感的因素,寻找到提升青少年主观幸福感的路径具有重要的理论和现实意义。     

入学过渡期高中新生大五人格与主观社会地位变化轨迹的关系：基于潜变量增长模型的分析

为了考察入学过渡期高中新生主观社会地位（subjective social status, SSS）的变化轨迹及人格在其中的作用,本研究对546名高一新生进行了历时4个月的4次追踪测试。基于潜变量增长模型的分析结果显示：（1）SSS呈阶段化线性增长,且个体间差异显著;（2）人格中的外倾性、宜人性、责任心和开放性均能显著预测SSS的初始水平;（3）外倾性、宜人性和神经质对SSS的第一阶段变化速度有显著预测作用。结果表明,SSS会在新生入学后1个月内初步形成,且人格与其变化轨迹有关。