Savoring as a Moderator of the Daily Demands and Psychological Capital Relationship: A Daily Diary Study

ABSTRACT

The present study examined daily savoring as a moderator of the relationship between daily demands and daily psychological capital (PsyCap), a collective term referring to the positive psychological states of hope, optimism, resilience, and self-efficacy. A sample of university students (N = 109) responded to nightly online surveys over the course of eight days. Results showed that daily uplifts and savoring were positively related to overall daily PsyCap, as well as each individual dimension of the PsyCap. Daily demands were negatively related to PsyCap and each dimension of PsyCap. Additionally, daily savoring significantly interacted with daily demands to predict overall PsyCap, as well as the individual dimensions of optimism and resilience. Specifically, the negative relationship between daily demands and PsyCap was reduced when individuals engaged in greater savoring. The discussion focuses on the role of savoring in responding to demands and the mechanisms linking higher savoring to greater PsyCap on demanding days.