Search Results (1,505)

Background: Meaning in Life (MiL) represents a key variable in mental health models of personal recovery. There is a need for straightforward and concise instruments to assess this construct quantitatively in individuals diagnosed with severe mental illness (SMI). Objective: The aim of the present study was to test the psychometric properties of the Purpose in Life Test-Short Form (PIL-SF), a brief self-report measuring the presence of MiL, in a sample of individuals with SMI. Methods: The participants were 41 adults (21 women, 51.8% and 20 men, 48.2%) aged 18 to 65 years (M = 50.05; SD = 10.73) with a diagnosis of SMI (schizophrenia, 61%; bipolar disorder, 26.8%; borderline personality disorder, 7.3%; and major depression, 4.9%) and clinically stable. The PIL-SF, Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), Oxford Happiness Questionnaire—6 Item (OHQ-6), Engagement in Meaningful Activities Survey (EMAS), and Seeking of Noetic Goals—8 Item (SONG-8) were used. Descriptive analysis, estimation of the internal consistency, and Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the PIL-SF were conducted. Furthermore, correlations between the PIL-SF, SWLS, OHQ-6, EMAS, and SONG-8 were calculated. Results: The PIL-SF showed acceptable internal consistency (ω = 0.81) and an excellent fit as a unidimensional scale (CFI = 1.000, TLI = 1.070, RMSEA = 0.000, SRMR = 0.021), confirming its factorial structure. Regarding construct validity, correlations between the PIL-SF and the SWLS (ρ = 0.54, p < 0.001), the OHQ-6 (ρ = 0.52, p < 0.001), and EMAS (ρ = 0.44, p < 0.005) were positive and significant, whereas the correlations between the PIL-SF and the SONG-8NfM (ρ = −0.35, p < 0.025) were negative and significant. Conclusions: The Spanish version of the PIL-SF appears to be a reliable and valid instrument to measure the presence of MiL in adults with SMI. Full article

The acceleration of urbanization has resulted in a heightened awareness of the impacts of urban environments on residents’ emotional states. This present study focuses on the Lixia District of Jinan City. By using urban street view big data and deep learning methods, we undertook a detailed analysis of the impacts of urban color features on residents’ emotional perceptions. In particular, a substantial corpus of street scene image data was extracted and processed. This was performed using a deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) and semantic segmentation technology (PSPNet), which enabled the simulation and prediction of the subjective perception of the urban environment by humans. Furthermore, the color complexity and coordination in the street scene were quantified and combined with residents’ emotional feedback to carry out a multi-dimensional analysis. The findings revealed that color complexity and coordination were significant elements influencing residents’ emotional perceptions. A high color complexity is visually appealing, but can lead to fatigue, discomfort, and boredom; a moderate complexity stimulates vitality and pleasure; high levels of regional harmony and aesthetics can increase perceptions of beauty and security; and low levels of coordination can increase feelings of depression. The environmental characteristics of different areas and differences in the daily activities of residents resulted in regional differences regarding the impacts of color features on emotional perception. This study corroborates the assertion that environmental color coordination has the capacity to enhance residents’ emotions, thereby providing an important reference point for urban planning. Planning should be based on the functional characteristics of the region, and color complexity and coordination should be reasonably regulated to optimize the emotional experiences of residents. Differentiated color management enhances urban aesthetics, livability, and residents’ happiness and promotes sustainable development. In the future, the influences of color and environmental factors on emotions can be explored in depth, with a view to assist in the formulation of fine urban design. Full article

Background: Carers of people with Alzheimer’s disease often have a high degree of commitment and dedication which may also compromise physical and emotional, leisure, and occupational self-care. This study aimed to explore health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and psychoemotional variables in caregivers with and without caregiver overload and its relationship. Methods: A single-measure cross-sectional correlational study was carried out involving 59 informal caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease with a mean age of 59.30 (±10.58). The participants completed the adult HRQoL questionnaires (EQ-5D-3L), Zarit Burden Inventory test, General Happiness Questionnaire, Satisfaction with Life Scale, Rosenberg self-esteem scale, Occupational Balance Questionnaire (OBQ-E), International Fitness Scale (IFIS), Family Apgar scale, and Duke-UNC-11 Functional Social Support Questionnaire. Results: A significantly higher level of HRQoL (p = 0.029) in subjective happiness (p = 0.018), perceived social support (p = 0.046), avoidance (p = 0.034), occupational balance (p = 0.002), life satisfaction (p = 0.037), and self-perceived physical fitness (p = 0.021) was found in caregivers without perceived overload. Also, HRQoL was directly associated with self-perceived physical fitness (β = 0.534; p < 0.001) and occupational balance (β = 0.375; p < 0.001) and self-esteem (β = 0.249; p < 0.016). Conclusions: Caregivers who do not perceive overload have better levels of HRQoL and psychoemotional variables, establishing a relationship between HRQoL with self-perceived physical fitness, occupational balance, and self-esteem. Full article

Given the increasing importance of adjusting to university life and achieving happiness, identifying the effective role of emotional intelligence and psychological needs’ satisfaction in enhancing students’ well-being is crucial. This study investigated the relation between emotional intelligence, psychological need satisfaction, and university students’ happiness. Data were collected from 205 university students (mean age: 23.35; predominantly female) at the University of Crete. Participants completed the Emotional Intelligence Scale, the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire, and the Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction Scale. The analysis began with a correlation matrix to explore preliminary relations among the key variables. A multiple-linear regression analysis was then conducted to predict happiness levels based on observed correlations. Following this, a multiple-mediation analysis examined how emotional intelligence affects happiness through psychological needs satisfaction. The results indicated a positive association between emotional intelligence and happiness, with psychological needs’ satisfaction also positively correlating with happiness. Specifically, the use and regulation of emotion, competence, and autonomy significantly predicted happiness. Path analysis revealed that emotional intelligence indirectly influences happiness, particularly through competence. The results indicate that high emotional intelligence, through the satisfaction of basic psychological needs, is significantly associated with university students’ happiness. The study suggests that institutions should guide students in emotional intelligence and competence to increase happiness during their studies. Full article

Objectives: As the Republic of Korea transitions towards a super-aged society, the health and mental well-being of older adults are emerging as critical issues. While many researchers are focusing on successful aging among older adults who participate in exercise, there is a research gap in the Korean literature regarding the preconditions that foster this outcome. Therefore, this study analyzed the relationship between satisfaction and exercise, physical self-efficacy (PSE), exercise adherence, and successful aging among Korean older adults who exercise regularly. Methods: The participants were 369 (234 male and 135 female) older adults aged 65 or older living in the Republic of Korea, with an average age of 69.91 years. Data were collected from March 2024 to June 2024 and analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and structural equation modeling. Results: There was no problem with the model fit. Satisfaction with exercise positively affected PSE (β = 0.317, p < 0.001), exercise adherence (β = 0.487, p < 0.001), and successful aging (β = 0.669, p < 0.001). PSE positively affected exercise adherence (β = 0.356, p < 0.001), and exercise adherence positively affected successful aging (β = 0.190, p < 0.05). Furthermore, PSE (β = 0.019, p < 0.01) and exercise adherence (β = 0.081, p < 0.05) mediated the relationship between satisfaction with exercise and successful aging. Conclusions: Satisfaction with exercise is important for promoting successful aging among Korean older adults who exercise. Satisfaction with exercise can increase their efficacy for performing physical activities and encourage them to continue exercising. This can ultimately lead to a happy life in old age. Full article

The sustainable development of rural tourism requires not only active participation from the government and enterprises but is also closely tied to the attitudes of local residents. This study, grounded in the theories of relative deprivation and social comparison, focuses on the residents living near the Jinshi Gorge Scenic Area in Shangluo City. We constructed a structural equation model to explore how residents’ perceptions of the social environment in rural tourism influence their sense of relative deprivation, enhance their happiness, and ultimately promote the sustainable development of rural tourism. The study’s findings reveal the following: (1) that demographic characteristics, including age, education level, and annual income, significantly influence residents’ perceptions of their social environment, particularly their sense of group identity, social support, and feelings of inequality. (2) Levels of relative deprivation vary significantly across different demographic groups. (3) There is a strong positive correlation between individual cognitive relative deprivation and individual emotional relative deprivation. Similarly, group cognitive relative deprivation positively predicts group emotional relative deprivation. (4) Experiences of discrimination, feelings of inequality, and strength of group identity emerge as significant predictors of both individual and group-level cognitive and emotional relative deprivation. (5) Social support has a significant negative effect on individual cognition, individual emotions, group cognition, and group emotional relative deprivation. Full article

Although a smile can serve as an expression of genuine happiness, it can also be generated to conceal negative emotions. The traces of negative emotion present in these types of smiles can produce micro-expressions, subtle movements of the facial muscles manifested in the upper or lower half of the face. Studies examining the judgment of smiles masking negative emotions have mostly employed dichotomous rating measures, while also assuming that dichotomous categorization of a smile as happy or not is synonymous with judgments of the smile’s authenticity. The aim of the two studies was to explore the judgment of enjoyment and masking smiles using unipolar and bipolar continuous rating measures and examine differences in the judgment when instruction varied between judgments of happiness and authenticity. In Experiment 1, participants rated smiles on 7-point scales on perceived happiness and authenticity. In Experiment 2, participants rated the smiles on bipolar 7-point scales between happiness and a negative emotion label. In both studies, similar patterns were observed: faces with traces of fear were rated significantly less happy/authentic and those with traces of anger in the brows were rated significantly happier/more authentic. Regarding varied instruction type, no effect was found for the two instruction types, indicating that participants perceive and judge enjoyment and masking smiles similarly according to these two instructions. Additionally, the use of bipolar scales with dimensions between a negative emotion label and happiness were not consistently effective in influencing the judgement of the masking smile. Full article

Sustainable consumption is a fundamental driver for implementing sustainable development strategies and is crucial in advancing Chinese-style modernization. Utilizing data from the Chinese General Social Survey 2021 (CGSS2021), this study examines the relationship between sustainable consumption and residents’ happiness, classifying its effects into growth and sustainability. The study results show that (1) sustainable consumption positively influences residents’ happiness. (2) Regionally, in the central and western regions, sustainable consumption significantly enhances residents’ happiness, with the sustainable effect surpassing the growth effect. In contrast, in the eastern region, sustainable consumption alone does not substantially improve residents’ happiness; instead, the growth effect predominates. (3) From an urban–rural perspective, sustainable consumption notably impacts happiness in rural areas. In contrast, urban areas primarily benefit from the growth effect of sustainable consumption, with the sustainable effect being less significant. (4) From an age-related perspective, different factors predominantly influence the happiness of various age groups. For young people, health plays a crucial role in their overall happiness. In contrast, middle-aged groups place more importance on their marital status, while older people are primarily concerned with housing conditions. (5) Income analysis shows that income increases substantially impact the happiness of high-income groups compared to low-income groups. Based on these insights, we recommend enhancing education and guidance on sustainable consumption, implementing regionally differentiated policies, increasing support for green consumption in rural areas, developing age-specific policies, and addressing income disparities. These measures can enhance the residents’ happiness more effectively and contribute to sustainable societal development. Full article

This study examines the impact of cultural involvement on brand enriching benefits and consumers’ willingness to pay a premium (WPP). Additionally, it explores the underlying mechanisms behind this impact. A partial least squares structural equation model was used to analyze the data collected from a pretest (N = 70) and an online survey (N = 1053) conducted in China. The moderating effect of brand type was examined using a multi-group analysis. The results indicate that cultural involvement has a significant and positive impact on brand enriching benefits, consequently enhancing consumers’ WPP. Additionally, brand happiness mediates the relationship between brand enriching benefits and WPP. Through a multi-group analysis, the impact of brand culture on brand equity is found to be more pronounced in functional brands compared with symbolic brands. Additionally, high perceived quality facilitates the transformation of brand enriching benefits into WPP. Managers value the ability of a brand culture to create brand equity and implement differentiation strategies based on different brand types. It is critical for managers to use a culture and its rich benefits wisely and to consider consumer happiness in the brand experience. Although brand culture and its impact on brands are crucial, previous studies have only focused on qualitative analyses, while empirical research on the direct link between brand culture and equity has been lacking. This study empirically tests a conceptual model that elucidates the relationship between brand cultural involvement, brand enriching benefits, brand happiness, WPP, brand type, and perceived quality. It extends previous research and offers suggestions for academics and brand managers interested in effectively leveraging brand culture for brand building. Full article

This study aims to explore the self-reported affective experiences of U.S. school personnel during 2021. This year found school personnel balancing remote learning, health emergencies, a global pandemic, and intense political upheaval. We contextualize school personnel experiences within the current sociopolitical context. In this sample, school personnel (n = 8052) represent all U.S. states and territories alongside representation of diverse racial and ethnic identities (n = 1901). Participants were surveyed before completing a free virtual course on emotion management. The survey included open-ended questions and scale items. Participants reported primary feelings, sources of stress and joy, and perceptions of personal and social and emotional support for themselves and students. Findings are presented in five cohorts of school personnel across the year. The primary feelings were being anxious, stressed, and overwhelmed, the stressors were lack of support, time, and resources, as well as COVID-19, and workload, and the sources of joy were students, coworkers, and teaching. Anxiety and gratitude decreased throughout the year while happiness increased. Responses differed across time and between racial groups, with Black and African American participants reporting the highest percentages of being stressed by COVID-19 and community fluctuated over time as a source of joy. Implications for the education system and opportunities for emotion management are discussed. Full article

This study examines the balance between technical and social focus in artificial intelligence, blockchain, cybersecurity, and privacy publications in Web of Science across countries, exploring the social factors that influence these research priorities. We use regression analysis to identify predictors of research focus and cluster analysis to reveal patterns across countries, combining these methods to provide a broader view of global research priorities. Our findings reveal that liberal democracy index, life expectancy, and happiness are significant predictors of research focus, while traditional indicators like education and income show weaker relationships. This unexpected result challenges conventional assumptions about the drivers of research priorities in digital technologies. The study identifies distinct clusters of countries with similar patterns of research focus across the four technologies, revealing previously unrecognized global typologies. Notably, more democratic societies tend to emphasize social implications of technologies, while some rapidly developing countries focus more on technical aspects. These findings suggest that political and social factors may play a larger role in shaping research agendas than previously thought, necessitating a re-evaluation of how we understand and predict research focus in rapidly evolving technological fields. The study provides valuable information for policymakers and researchers, informing strategies for technological development and international collaboration in an increasingly digital world. Full article

Customers in resource-poor communities still grapple with many information and communication technology (ICT) failures as they strive to access goods and services in small and medium enterprises near them. From a customer perspective, these challenges often lead to stress-related issues such as frustrations and anxiety, which can even result in transaction abandonment. Extended ICT failures result in SMEs failing to achieve sustainable e-commerce. This study delves into the impact of ICT initiatives by SMEs in stress-inducing environments on customers’ quality of life. The study further examines whether customer stress and happiness play a role in this association. Quantitative data were acquired using the mall intercept method, while the developed hypotheses were examined using structural equation modeling (SEM) in SMART-PLS 4. The results shed light on how customers navigate daily ICT-related failures experienced by SMEs operating in poor resource communities as they strive for happiness and stress-free lives, ultimately leading to an improved quality of life. The study recommends that the government, through its agencies, the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies and the Department of Science and Technology, among others, not only create an environment supporting SME ICT initiatives but also find strategies for sustaining SME ICT adoption for improved human well-being and socio-economic development within resource-constrained communities. Full article

Retirement is associated with numerous representations, some of them being negative and the other positive. Yet, these representations affect the health of individuals in their transition to retirement. However, although the socio-political context in France favors the emergence of numerous representations of retired people, to our knowledge there is no scale validated in French that would allow us to evaluate them. Thus, the objective of this study was to adapt and validate a scale assessing representations of retired people, called the Retirement Semantic Differential (RSD), for a French population. The scale consists of a series of bipolar adjectives related to retirement, such as “active/passive” and “happy/sad”, with participants’ responses indicating the connotative meaning, positive or negative, about representations of retirement. A total of 279 participants aged 18 to 55 years, recruited online, completed the adapted version of the RSD. The results show that the scale has good psychometric properties. The analysis found a three-factor model, and some items were removed, resulting in a reduced version of the scale (11 items). The results will be discussed in terms of cultural and socio-political differences. This scale could contribute to a better understanding of the deleterious effects on health of the transition to retirement and serve to improve the effectiveness of interventions aimed at reducing the negative effects of these representations upon young retirees or those preparing for retirement. Full article

Teacher burnout is one of the main reasons leading to decreased teaching performance and occupational mental health issues among teachers, drawing widespread global attention. Previous research has found that both resiliency and psychological empowerment can alleviate teacher burnout, yet there is no study simultaneously examining the relationships between resiliency, PE, and teacher burnout. Furthermore, previous studies have found gender differences in teacher burnout but have not examined the moderating effects of resiliency and psychological empowerment by gender group. Additionally, traditional analytical methods may overlook the compositional connections between these variables. To bridge this gap, we employed psychological network analysis to evaluate the psychological network of teachers with burnout across different genders. Findings indicate: (1) Female teachers exhibit a stronger link between their sense of departmental control and burnout, while male teachers show a stronger connection between solving instructional challenges and burnout. (2) Patience in male teachers’ approach to teaching may enhance connections with their environment, and mastering job-relevant skills can boost male teachers’ job happiness. (3) Female teachers’ “I feel connected to others” demonstrates higher bridge centrality. In comparison, male teachers’ “My work is vital to me” shows higher bridge centrality, indicating deeper connections with other symptom clusters. This study reveals the complex interactions among the factors of teacher burnout and investigates how gender differences influence the associations between these factors and burnout, by not only filling gaps in previous research but also offering new perspectives and strategies for understanding and intervening in teacher burnout, especially in the context of gender differences. Full article

Background: Maintaining a physically active lifestyle is a determinant factor of a healthy life and personal happiness. Meanwhile, physical inactivity remains a significant issue, resulting in negative consequences for public health. Objectives: This paper investigates the relationships between physical activity, physical inactivity, a healthy life, life expectancy, and personal happiness in European Union (EU) countries. Methods: This empirical study uses an artificial neural network and cluster analysis to analyze and interpret data from 27 EU countries. Artificial neural network analysis enables the assessment of the relationships between physical activity and inactivity, a healthy life, and personal happiness, while cluster analysis identifies groups of EU countries based on physical activity, healthy life, and personal happiness indicators. Results: The results show significant positive links between physical activity and improvements in healthy living and personal happiness. Conclusions: This study highlights considerable variations among EU countries regarding the levels of physical activity, healthy living, and personal happiness, emphasizing the importance of promoting physical activity to enhance public health and overall well-being. The findings suggest the need to develop customized policies that address country-specific factors and promote an active lifestyle. Full article