Self-concept Clarity and Subjective Well-Being: Disentangling Within- and Between-Person Associations

Previous research has suggested that, among adolescents, clarity about one's self-concept is closely related to subjective well-being. However, longitudinal studies are scarce, and whether a clear self-concept is the cause or effect of subjective well-being remains unclear. This study examined the dynamic longitudinal associations between self-concept clarity and subjective well-being at the between- and within-person levels over a one-year time span among adolescents (baseline Mage = 16.01 years; 57.0% girls) from China. The data were collected in three waves (each at a six-month interval), in which adolescents reported their self-concept clarity and well-being (i.e., positive and negative affect and personal satisfaction with life). Both Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Models (RI-CLPMs) and Cross-Lagged Panel Models (CLPMs) were applied to examine the stability, cross-sectional relationships, and cross-lagged effects between adolescents' self-concept clarity and subjective well-being over time. The CLPMs provided unique support for a reciprocal relations model of self-concept clarity and subjective well-being (including both cognitive and emotional well-being) across three time points, although the results of traditional CLPM might represent an unknown blend of between- and within-person effects. However, the RI-CLPM analyses provided tentative support only for cross-sectional correlations between self-concept clarity and well-being outcomes. Our findings advance the literature by elucidating longitudinal relationships between self-concept clarity and subjective well-being in collectivist cultural contexts using CLPM and RI-CLPM.

Can Good Memories of the Past Instill Happiness? Nostalgia Improves Subjective Well-Being by Increasing Gratitude

The positive effect of nostalgia provides an effective way to improve subjective well-being. However, there is little research on the relationship between nostalgia and subjective well-being, especially the mechanism of this link. This study tested the positive effects of nostalgia on emotional well-being (positive affect and negative affect) and cognitive well-being (satisfaction with life) via gratitude. Two experiments were conducted in samples of young adults who were randomized to experimental or control conditions. The analyses involved group comparisons as well as regression-based analyses of mediation. In Experiment 1 (N = 196), we induced nostalgia using a guided autobiographical recall procedure. The nostalgia group had higher positive affect and gratitude, and gratitude partially mediated the association between nostalgia and positive affect. In Experiment 2 (N = 102), we induced nostalgia by showing a nostalgic video from the period when the participants were children. The nostalgia group had higher positive affect and lower negative affect, and gratitude partially mediated these associations. The findings suggest that nostalgia could improve emotional well-being by increasing gratitude, but may not alter cognitive well-being.

Feeling too old? Consequences for subjective well-being. Longitudinal findings from the German Ageing Survey

OBJECTIVES

A lack of longitudinal studies exists where the difference between chronological age and perceived age (feeling older/feeling younger) and its association with subjective well-being (SWB) is examined. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether these differences are associated with SWB.

METHOD

Longitudinal data (year 2002-2017; n = 18,373 observations in the analytical sample) were taken from the nationally representative German Ageing Survey. To capture SWB comprehensively, positive and negative affect as well as life satisfaction was considered. The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule was used to assess positive and negative affect. Life satisfaction was quantified using the Satisfaction with Life Scale. The difference between chronological age and perceived age was used to quantify our main independent variable. More specifically, asymmetric effects were used, i.e. we tested whether changes in negative (chronological age was lower than perceived age, "feeling older") and positive age comparisons (otherwise, "feeling younger") are associated with changes in SWB differently.

RESULTS

Fixed effects regressions showed that feeling younger was associated with a slight increase in life satisfaction (β = .15, p < .001) and positive affect (β = .15, p < .001). Moreover, feeling younger was associated with a slight decrease in negative affect (β=-.07, p < .05). Feeling older was associated with a considerable decrease in life satisfaction (β=-.65, p < .01) and positive affect (β=-.45, p < .01), was well as a considerable increase in negative affect (β = .49, p < .01).

CONCLUSIONS

Findings highlight the importance of negative age comparisons (feeling older) for SWB. Strategies to shift age perceptions may be beneficial for SWB in older individuals.

How does the onset of incontinence affect satisfaction with life among older women and men? Findings from a nationally representative longitudinal study (German Ageing Survey)

Background

There is a large body of evidence showing that incontinence is associated with decreased health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Moreover, while a few cross-sectional studies have shown that incontinence is associated with decreased life satisfaction, there is a lack of studies regarding whether the onset of incontinence influences life satisfaction of affected individuals longitudinally. Thus, the objective of this study is: (i) to investigate the impact of incontinence on life satisfaction and (ii) whether this effect differed between women and men using a large population-based sample longitudinally.

Methods

Longitudinal data from 2008 to 2014 were retrieved from a nationally representative sample (9869 observations in regression analysis) of community-dwelling individuals aged 40 years and over (German Ageing Survey, DEAS). Physician-diagnosed incontinence was reported by respondents. Life satisfaction was quantified using the well-established Satisfaction with Life Scale. Linear fixed-effects regressions were used.

Results

After adjusting for potential confounders (e.g., self-rated health or depression), regressions revealed that the onset of incontinence was associated with a decline in life satisfaction in men (β = −.25, p < .01), but not in the total sample and in women. These differences were significant (p < .05). In a further sensitivity analysis, individuals with cancer were excluded. However, in terms of significance and effect size, the impact of incontinence on life satisfaction in men remained almost the same in both models.

Conclusions

The onset of incontinence markedly reduces life satisfaction among men aged 40 and over. Interventional strategies to postpone incontinence may assist in maintaining life satisfaction in men.