Browsing by Subject "Well-being"

Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
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    A comparison of Eudaimonia and Satori
    (1993) Ormsby, Shalom Marks; Kosman, Louis Aryeh; Gangadean, Ashok K., 1941-
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    Crossing the Divide Between Aristotle's Phronesis and Techne to Discover a More Inclusive Way of Living Well
    (2015) Chai, Rodney Ming-Fui; Yurdin, Joel
    In my paper, I argue that the Chinese Taoist philosopher, Zhuang Zi (369-286 BC) can help us see that Aristotle's distinction between two of his intellectual virtues - phronesis (practical wisdom) and techne (craftsmanship) - is not that clear after all. I will first introduce Aristotle's intellectual virtues in his Nicomachean Ethics. In particular, I will distinguish between techne and phronesis. Next, I will show how the two are related, especially how someone who has mastered a particular technical know-how can help him/her gain practical wisdom in living his/her life. Following which, I will bring in Zhuang Zi's parable of Butcher Ting cutting the ox to show how one can cultivate his/her character and state of psychology and therefore live an excellent life by being immersed and excelling in his/her techne. I will then address possible objections from Aristotle, primarily that it is possible for one to excel in his/her techne but nonetheless lack the wisdom to live well in the daily context. Following my counter-response with Zhuang Zi's distinction between 'small' and 'big' understanding, I will then argue that it is sufficient rather than necessary to possess techne in order to live well. Finally, I will conclude by saying that blurring the divide between techne and phronesis provides an alternative route for people to acquire the knowledge of living well despite a lack of education or literacy.
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    “Shame on You”: Collectivistic Cultural Values Influence the Relationship between Shame Experiences and Psychosocial Well-being
    (2024) Cheng, Katy Anne; Wang, Shu-wen
    Objective: Shame is an understudied emotion, especially amongst individuals in collectivistic cultures. Previous research has suggested that East Asians/ harmony collectivists in particular are more tolerant of shame than people in Western, individualistic societies. The current study aims to build upon theoretical research by comparing how three distinct cultural groups (harmony collectivistic, convivial collectivistic, and individualistic) differ on their frequency and likelihood of feeling shame, and how this emotion is related to psychosocial well-being. Method: We utilized a mixed-methods approach by collecting both quantitative and qualitative data through online surveys from participants in the United States (n = 144), Mexico (n = 162), and Japan (n = 140). Information was collected on shame proneness and frequency, personal shame experiences, and various psychosocial well-being outcomes (self-esteem, satisfaction with life, stress, anxiety, depression, and perceived social support). Results: Participants from the three countries did not differ on their likelihood of, and frequency of experiencing shame. Surprisingly, increased shame proneness and frequency predicted decreased psychosocial well-being across all three groups. However, harmony collectivistic cultural values buffered against the maladaptive associations between shame and decreased life satisfaction, along with shame and decreased self-esteem. Convivial collectivistic values protected against maladaptive relationships between shame and decreased self-esteem, decreased perceived social support, and increased depression symptoms. Conclusions: While shame was experienced as a maladaptive emotion for all participants, greater endorsement of collectivistic values led people to be less disadvantaged by shame compared to their individualistic counterparts, suggesting that shame serves a functional purpose within collectivism.
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    Subjective Social Status and Well-Being: The Role of Class-Based Identity Uncertainty in Early Adolescence
    (2024) Cubell, Allison; Lei, Ryan
    Adolescence is a critical time in which people simultaneously explore their identity and shift between new environments. The goal of this study is to understand how early adolescent’s well- being is affected by conceptualizations of their social class-based identity in a time of transition. The transition to middle school was identified as a time in which early adolescents navigate unfamiliar contexts in which new social hierarchies emerge. It was hypothesized that class-based identity uncertainty (CBIU) would mediate the relationship between subjective social status (SSS) and well-being in early adolescence. Through self-report measures, we identified that at age 12 adolescents who view themselves as high in subjective social status tend to have greater self-esteem and satisfaction with life. Additionally, CBIU partially explained this relationship between SSS and self-reported measures of well-being. Uncertainty about where you fit into the socioeconomic hierarchy plays a role in why those of lower socioeconomic status report lower levels of well-being. These findings point toward the importance of perceived social class in early adolescent’s well-being.
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    The Influence of Conversations through Transformational Processing: Narrative Identity Formation and Well-being
    (2010) Marinucci, Danielle
    Past research has shown that there are qualitative differences between processing positive and negative life events. This study attempted to test the influence of a conversation on the way in which individuals make sense of their life events. We predicted that the conversation would impact how individuals' narrative identities are transformed by the events as well as the degree to which individuals' well-being increased or decreased over two weeks. Furthermore, we expected that the personality of the individual processing the event would impact well-being two weeks after the conversation. Although the predicted effects on well-being and narrative identity were not observed, some findings lend support to the study's main hypotheses. This study has just begun to examine how conversations affect narrative identity and long-term well-being. More research should continue to focus on this topic to determine the most effective ways of processing positive events and working through negative events.
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    The Pursuit of Certainty: Exploring Status-Based Identity Uncertainty’s Influence on the Relationship Between Social Mobility Belief and Adolescent Well-Being
    (2024) Friedmann, Maxwell; Lei, Ryan
    Social mobility belief predicts perceived well-being. However, why social mobility beliefs are associated with well-being is unclear. The present work investigates the role of identity in this relationship. Specifically, this study aims to examine the mediating role of status-based identity uncertainty (SBIU) on the relationship between social mobility belief and perceived well-being. A sample of 183 seventh-grade students responded to a questionnaire consisting of numerous validated self-report measures designed to explore the relationships between social mobility beliefs and well-being. Analyses revealed that SBIU significantly partially mediated the relationship between social mobility belief and perceived well-being. These findings reveal a glimpse of the complex interplay between identity, social mobility belief, and well-being. We conclude by discussing potential future directions and highlighting the importance of creating interventions to increase status-based identity certainty given the negative impacts of SBIU found in this study.
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    “This IS Who I Am:” The Influence of Social Context and Ego Development on the Racial Identity Choice of Multiracial Young Adults and the Implications for Well-being
    (2016) Suzuki, Rebecca; Lilgendahl, Jennifer
    This study was an exploratory analysis of how a specific personality factor (ego development) and contextual factor (racial compositions of social networks in childhood) contributes to the development of a racial identity in multiracial young adults, and furthermore, how this identity choice affects well-being. We applied Rockquemore & Brunsma’s (2002) Multidimensional Model of Biracial Identity to multiracial young adults (18-25) of many types of mixed backgrounds, and found that those who identified as Transcendent (e.g., someone who does not believe in racial in racial identities) were more likely to have grown up around people racially similar to them, while those who identified as Singular (e.g., someone who identifies as one race exclusively) were more likely to have lower ego development. Furthermore, we found that those who identified as Protean (e.g., someone who switches between different racial identifications) and as Singular were more likely to have lower well-being and those who identified as Validated Border (e.g., someone who had a uniquely multiracial identity that is validated by others) were more likely to have higher well-being, despite how they viewed their identity (measured using narrative qualities). Future research should continue to understand the multiracial experience as a whole by looking at other factors that contribute to racial identity development and how these identities relate to well-being.
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    Transformational Processing of Negative Events: Implications for Well-Being
    (2012) Galef, Nicolas; Lilgendahl, Jennifer
    The current study constituted an investigation into narrative processing of negative events, using an expressive writing paradigm (Pennebaker & Beall, 1986), in terms of its effects on an individual's well-being. This study was among the first to experimentally prime distinct narrative processing styles, including transformational processing (Pals, 2006a; 2006b; 2006c). It was hypothesized that transformational processing would lead to the greatest increases in well-being, and that greater presence of personal growth and emotional complexity in written samples would mediate that effect. Participants were instructed to write about a particularly traumatic event from their past in one of three narrative processing styles (vs. a neutral writing task for control subjects) during three writing sessions taking place over three consecutive days. Well-being measures were recorded before writing, and then both one day and one week following the end of the writing sessions. The collected narratives were coded for the presence of exploratory narrative processing, coherent positive resolution, and statements of personal growth. Analyses revealed no effect of transformational processing on well-being, but it did establish a strong causal relationship with growth. The implications for the relationship between transformational processing and narrative growth, which had previously only been shown through correlational data, are discussed, along with suggestions for future research to improve upon the current study.