Structural properties of personal meaning systems: A new approach to measuring meaning of life

This article introduces a new qualitative–quantitative approach to assess meaning of life. The participants described their sources of meaning and how they were interconnected. Four quantitative measures for (1) the accessibility of meaning-related knowledge, the degree of (2) differentiation and (3) elaboration of personal meaning systems, and (4) their coherence were calculated. The sample consisted of 59 theology and science students. The study tested (a) whether the structural properties of personal meaning systems predicted health and well-being, and (b) reflected different degrees of expertise in constructing meaning. Differentiation, elaboration, and coherence measures correlated with health and well-being and predicted life satisfaction. Theology students presented more differentiated, elaborated, and coherent personal meaning systems than science students. Both results indicate that assessing structural properties of personal meaning systems can be a promising new approach to measure meaning of life.     

Purpose,hope, and life satisfaction in three age groups

Using the Revised Youth Purpose Survey (Bundick et al., 2006 Bundick, M, Andrews, M, Jones, A, Mariano, JM, Bronk, KC and Damon, W. 2006. Revised youth purpose survey, Stanford, CA: Unpublished instrument, Stanford Center on Adolescence.  [Google Scholar]), the Trait Hope Scale (Snyder et al., 1991 Snyder, CR. 2003. March). Measuring hope in children. Paper presented at the Child Trends Indicators of Positive Development Conference. 2003, Washington, DC.  [Google Scholar]), and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (Diener, Emmons, Larsen, & Griffin, 1985 Diener, E, Emmons, RA, Larsen, RJ and Griffin, S. 1985. The Satisfaction With Life Scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49: 71–75. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]), the present study examined the relationship among purpose, hope, and life satisfaction among 153 adolescents, 237 emerging adults, and 416 adults (N = 806). Results of this cross-sectional study revealed that having identified a purpose in life was associated with greater life satisfaction at these three stages of life. However, searching for a purpose was only associated with increased life satisfaction during adolescence and emerging adulthood. Additionally, aspects of hope mediated the relationship between purpose and life satisfaction at all three stages of life. Implications of these results for effectively fostering purpose are discussed.     

大学生人际信任与主观幸福感的关系:亲社会行为与攻击行为的中介作用

为考察大学生的人际信任对主观幸福感的影响机制以及亲社会行为和攻击行为的中介作用,采用人际信任问卷、亲社会行为问卷、攻击行为问卷、幸福感指数问卷对2256名大学生进行调查。研究结果显示:(1)人际信任正向预测大学生的主观幸福感,人际信任水平越高,主观幸福感越好;(2)人际信任通过亲社会行为与攻击行为的中介作用,间接影响主观幸福感。     

The multiple determination of well-being: Independent effects of positive traits,needs, goals,selves, social supports,and cultural contexts

Although most researchers acknowledge that subjective well-being (SWB) is multiply determined, little research and theory simultaneously considers the effects of many types of determinants, located at many different levels of analysis. Guided by a six-level model of “optimal human being” (Sheldon, 2004, ‚Optimal Human Being: An Integrated Multi-level Perspective’ (Erlbaum, Mahwah, N.J.)), we tested the hypothesis that psychological need-satisfaction, a positive Big Five trait profile, good personal goal-progress, high self-esteem, positive social support, and a happiness-conducing cultural membership would each uniquely predict SWB. These hypotheses were confirmed, supporting the hierarchical perspective and irreducibility assumption that under-girded the research. Implications for SWB theory and interventions, and for the task of integrating the many different types of personality constructs that exist, are discussed.     

DO PEOPLE REALLY ADAPT TO MARRIAGE?

Although cross-sectional studies have shown a reliable association between marital status and subjective well-being, a recent longitudinal study [Lucas et al. 2003, Journal of Personality & Social Psychology 84(3), pp.␣527–539] found no support for the idea that happiness increases after marriage. Instead, participants who got married reported short-term increases followed by complete adaptation back to baseline levels of well-being. However, researchers have criticized this study on two grounds. First, these results contradict cohort-based analyses from a nationally representative sample. Second, these analyses do not control for pre-marriage cohabitation, which could potentially inflate baseline levels of well-being. The original data (plus four additional waves) are reanalyzed to address these concerns. Results confirm that individuals do not get a lasting boost in life satisfaction following marriage.The data used in this paper were made available by the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW). This research was supported by a grant from the Anthony Marchionne Foundation.     

主观概率判断中次可加性的三因素实验研究

采用三因素完全随机实验探究主观概率判断是否满足次可加性规律,结果表明:(1)分解方式、分解数量和分解事例的典型性等三个因素对主观概率判断均有显著的影响。(2)次可加性不是一种普遍现象,主观概率判断中也会出现可加性和超可加性:把事件隐分为非典型事例时会出现超可加性,把事件隐分为典型或者典型加非典型性的事例时会出现可加性,而把事件显分时会一致出现次可加性。     

青少年网络行为与社会性发展的关系研究

目的:探讨青少年网络行为与社会性发展的关系。方法:采用网络行为量表、主观幸福感量表和社交焦虑量表对692名青少年进行研究。结果:(1)青少年网络行为与主观幸福感和社交焦虑相关显著;(2)主观幸福感和社交焦虑在网络成瘾与非成瘾之间差异显著;(3)网络成瘾与非成瘾青少年主观幸福感和社交焦虑的影响因素不同;(4)影响网络成瘾与非成瘾青少年总体主观幸福感的变量不同。结论:网络行为对青少年的社会性发展有着一定程度的影响。     

中学生感恩与主观幸福感的关系:抗挫折能力与社会支持的中介作用

采用感恩问卷、正性情感负性情感量表、生活满意度问卷、抗挫折能力问卷和社会支持评定量表对865名中学生进行调查, 以考察中学生感恩和主观幸福感的关系, 以及社会支持与抗挫折能力在两者之间的中介作用。结果:(1)中学生正性情绪显著高于负性情绪;(2)中学生感恩与主观幸福感、社会支持、抗挫折能力相关显著;(3)结构方程分析结果显示, 中学生感恩直接负向预测负性情绪;社会支持和抗挫折能力在感恩与生活满意度、正性情绪间起到完全中介作用, 抗挫折能力在感恩和负性情绪间起部分中介作用。 结论:感恩能通过作用于社会支持和抗挫折能力来影响主观幸福感。     

Towards Gratitude to Nature: Global Environmental Ethics for China and the World

This paper asks what should be the basis of a global environmental ethics.As Gao Shan has argued,the environmental ethics of Western philosophers such as Holmes Rolston and Paul Taylor is based on extending the notion of intrinsic value to that of objects of nature,and as such it is not very compatible with Chinese ethics.This is related to Gao's rejection of most—if not all—Western "rationalist" environmental ethics,a stance that I grant her for pragmatic reasons (though I remain neutral about it theoretically).Gao argues that the Daoist notion of living in harmony with nature can instead become the basis of a Chinese environmental ethics.However,the involved Daoist conception of living in harmony with nature is,in my view,based on an aesthetic property.The paper argues that despite the appeal of the Daoist view for a Chinese environmental ethics,an aesthetic property cannot provide the basis for a global environmental ethics.The paper also considers another version of Daoist environmental ethics,which does not rely on an aesthetic notion,but I argue that it too fails as such a candidate.As an alternative,the paper considers and applies contemporary Western thinkers on gratitude (such as Robert Emmons and Elizabeth Loder),proposing that gratitude to nature (environmental gratitude)can indeed provide the needed basis.