1st Edition

Subjective Well-Being and Life Satisfaction

Edited By James Maddux Copyright 2018
    492 Pages
    by Routledge

    492 Pages
    by Routledge

    The quality of people’s relationships with and interactions with other people are major influences on their feelings of well-being and their evaluations of life satisfaction. The goal of this volume is to offer scholarly summaries of theory and research on topics at the frontier of the study of these social psychological influences—both interpersonal and intrapersonal—on subjective well-being and life satisfaction. The chapters cover a variety of types of relationships (e.g., romantic relationships, friendships, online relationships) as well as a variety of types of interactions with others (e.g., forgiveness, gratitude, helping behavior, self-presentation). Also included are chapters on broader social issues such as materialism, sexual identity and orientation, aging, spirituality, and meaning in life. Subjective Well-Being and Life Satisfaction provides a rich and focused resource for graduate students, upper-level undergraduate students, and researchers in positive psychology and social psychology, as well as social neuroscientists, mental health researchers, clinical and counselling psychologists, and anyone interested in the science of well-being.

    Part I: Foundational Issues

    1. Subjective Well-Being and Life Satisfaction: An Introduction to Conceptions, Theories, and Measures James E. Maddux
    2. Social Neuroscience of Subjective Well-Being and Life Satisfaction Alex W. daSilva and Todd F. Heatherton
    3. Cultural Differences in Subjective Well-Being: How and Why William Tov and Ze Ling Serene Nai
    4. Part II: Interpersonal Influences

    5. Intimate Relations, Subjective Well-Being, and Health Behavior: Insights from a Dyadic Perspective Chloe O. Huelsnitz, Alexander J. Rothman, and Jeffry A. Simpson
    6. The Role of Friendships in Well-Being Beverley Fehr and Cheryl Harasymchuk
    7. Leave Well Enough Alone? The Costs and Benefits of Solitude Robert J. Coplan, John M. Zelenski, and Julie C. Bowker
    8. Forgiveness Everett L. Worthington, Jr., Brandon J. Griffin, and Caitlin Provencher
    9. Humility Everett L. Worthington, Jr., Don E. Davis, Joshua N. Hook, and Caitlin Provencher
    10. Helping and Well-Being: A Motivational Perspective David A. Lishner and Eric L. Stocks
    11. Gratitude Philip C. Watkins and Daniel Schriebe
    12. Social Comparison Processes Pieternel Dijkstra and Abraham P. Buunk
    13. Social Media Use and Well-Being Jung-Hyun Kim
    14. The Social Psychology of Employee Well-Being: A Needs-Based Perspective Nathan A. Bowling
    15. Part III: Intrapersonal and Self-Related Influences

    16. Meaning in Life in Context Samantha J. Heintzelman
    17. The Impact of a Materialistic Value Orientation on Well-Being Helga Dittmar and Megan Hurst
    18. Religiosity, Spirituality, and Well-Being Joshua A. Wilt, Nick Stauner, and Julie J. Exline
    19. Self-Presentation and Subjective Well-Being James M. Tyler, Katherine E. Adams, and Peter Kearns
    20. Self-Awareness, Hypo-Egoicism, and Psychological Well-Being Mark R. Leary
    21. Sexual Orientation and Well-Being Adam W. Fingerhut
    22. Motives, Goals, and Well-Being Throughout the Lifespan Jutta Heckhausen and Joseph S. Kay
    23. Part IV: Strategies for Enhancing Subjective Well-Being and Life Satisfaction

    24. Positive Activity Interventions to Enhance Well-Being: Looking Through a Social Psychological Lens Julia Revord, Lisa C. Walsh, and Sonja Lyubomirsky

    Biography

    James E. Maddux is University Professor Emeritus in the Department of Psychology and Senior Scholar at the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science.

    "Kudos to James Maddux for assembling this state-of-the-art recap of the intrapersonal and interpersonal sources of human flourishing. From neuroscience to culture to relationships to meaning and spirituality, this readable book is a definitive summary of research on the roots of well-being." - David G. Myers, Hope College, USA

    "This excellent volume gives a much-needed overview of the rapidly growing field of subjective well-being. Its scholarly summaries bring readers up-to-date on many of the most important topics regarding happiness and life satisfaction, from perennial topics such as gratitude, humility, and forgiveness to emerging topics such as media and sexual orientation." Edward F. Diener, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA

    "For scholars and practitioners interested in well-being and its promotion, this is the definitive volume. Comprehensive in coverage, with chapters by the leading experts, it will be the milestone in the field for years to come."Stephen Joseph, University of Nottingham, UK