Positive Emotions, Hope, and Life Satisfaction in Chinese College Students: How Useful is the Broaden-and-Build Model in Studying Well-being in Victims of Intimate Partner Violence?

Positive Emotions, Hope, and Life Satisfaction in Chinese Older Adults: An Application of Broaden-and-Build Model

According to the broaden-and-build theory, positive emotions can broaden our awareness and build psychological resources, which leads to better psychological outcomes. Previous studies demonstrated that hope partially mediates the association between positive emotions and life satisfaction in college students. Yet, there has no similar model been tested among older adults. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the mediating role of hope agency and pathways in the association between positive emotions and life satisfaction. Three hundred and forty-one Chinese community-dwelling older adults (mean = 70.83, SD = 9.16) were asked to complete a survey questionnaire comprising measures assessing positive emotions, hope, life satisfaction, and other sociodemographic variables. Results showed that hope agency, but not hope pathways, partially mediated the relationship between positive emotions and life satisfaction. We discussed the importance of these initial findings concerning positive emotions and hope as predictors of life satisfaction in the older adult population.

Positive and negative effects of child's agency on trauma symptoms and psychological difficulties in war-like conditions. The mediating role of hope and life satisfaction

BACKGROUND

Children affected by war and political violence deploy agentic competencies to cope with trauma symptoms and psychological difficulties. However, it does not always act as a protective factor to help them adjust to potentially traumatic events.

AIMS

We expected to explore the association between agency, trauma symptoms and psychological difficulties and the mediating role of hope and life satisfaction in a group of child victims of military violence in Palestine.

METHODS

965 children aged 8 to 14 were assessed with self-reported measures, War Child Agency Assessment Scale, Children Revised Impact of events scale, Strengths and difficulties scale, Child Hope Scale and Brief Multidimensional Students Life Satisfaction Scale. Structural Equation Modelling was performed having Agency as a predictor, trauma symptoms, psychological difficulties as an outcome variable and life satisfaction and hope as a mediator.

RESULTS

We found a direct and positive effect of agency on trauma symptoms, psychological difficulties, and life satisfaction and hope on the two dependent variables. Life satisfaction and hope mediated the association between agency and the outcome variables.

CONCLUSION

Agency can help defend children from trauma and psychological maladaptation when it acts on life satisfaction and hope. At the same time, it might worsen psychological dysfunctions when working directly on trauma symptoms and difficulties. Clinical interventions must help children to foster agentic resources in activating hope and life satisfaction.

Find Joy in Sorrows: The Role of Hope in Buffering the Psychological Impact of COVID-19 on Chinese University Students in Hong Kong

The global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis has exerted significant psychological impacts on university students who have faced drastic changes in the learning mode and suspension of classes. Despite these challenges, many students maintained subjective well-being. In this study, we examined the role of "hope" as a potential protector to maintain their subjective well-being when facing adversity during this global crisis. Specifically, we explored the mediating role of two hope components (agency thinking and pathways thinking) on the association of positive emotions and life satisfaction among Chinese university students. We conducted an online survey at a local university and recruited a total of 315 undergraduates from the humanities, creative arts, and social sciences programs through convenience sampling. Participants confirmed their informed consent and completed a set of self-administered questionnaires measuring positive emotions, hope, life satisfaction, and demographic variables. The results of mediation testing indicated that, during a global crisis such as COVID-19, positive emotions indirectly influenced life satisfaction through agency thinking rather than pathways thinking. The findings highlight the importance of agency thinking among Chinese university students in adverse situations and provide valuable insights for psychological interventions during a crisis. The article concludes by discussing possible explanations and implications of the findings in a post-pandemic world.