Styles of Everyday Savoring Differentially Predict Well-being in Adolescents Over One Month

Abstract

Although considerable attention has been devoted to the topic of savoring positive experiences in adulthood (e.g., Bryant and Veroff in Savoring: A new model of positive experience, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., Mahwah, 2007. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760701794434 ), research on adolescent savoring is lacking. To address this gap in the literature, we conducted a short-term longitudinal study to investigate: (1) the structure of adolescents’ everyday ways of savoring and (2) the associations of these different styles of savoring with well-being. A sample of 265 adolescents (59% girls) aged 13–15 years from four schools in New Zealand completed self-report measures two times separated by one month. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed that these young people employed four ways of savoring: (1) self-focus; (2) dampening, (3) cognitive amplifying, and (4) expressive sharing. These four savoring styles differentially predicted well-being indices over 1 month: self-focus positively predicted eudaimonia, happiness, and life satisfaction, and expressive sharing positively predicted eudaimonia. We conclude that adolescent savoring is more varied and dynamic than previously observed.