Meaningful Social Interactions Research Articles

Haptics in social interaction with agents and avatars in virtual reality: a systematic review

AbstractIncorporating the sense of touch through haptics in virtual spaces enables people to communicate emotions and engage in more naturalistic and meaningful social interactions. Advances in haptics and virtual reality technologies and applications have been essential to support researchers in the exploration of mediated social touch in virtual environments. The aim of this work is to review the last decade of research on haptics and virtual reality technologies investigating social touch behavior between human avatars as well as between humans and non-human virtual agents. Our systematic review organizes the variety of the conducted research in three dimensions: the context against which mediated social touch is studied, the types of haptics and virtual reality technology used, and empirical studies including data collected and outcome measures. We discuss the results of the analysis of the three dimensions and present implications for future research. We pinpoint the importance of considering in-the-wild studies and emerging issues on social virtual reality; understanding human touch perception for people with different physical and cognitive abilities, and; creating development tools to broaden the exploration of advanced technological setups.

Winter Bathing in Denmark: A Qualitative Case Study on Winter Bathing's Impact on Mental Health.

Mental health disease constitutes 25% of the total burden of disease in Denmark. In the last few years, an increasing tendency for seeking the ocean has arisen, and winter bathing is one of the outdoor activities with a large rise in popularity. The purpose of this study was to explore if and how regular winter bathing in blue spaces can affect people's mental health. This study employed a qualitative design using fieldwork with semi-structured interviews with four members from three different winter bathing clubs. The empirical data were thematically analyzed followed by theoretical analysis. The results revealed five themes: Social Connectedness; Blue Nature as a Free Space; The Motivation Behind Winter Bathing; It is More Than an Ice-Cold Shock; and Finding Mental Peace in Winter Bathing. The results suggest that winter bathing in blue spaces contributed to improved mental health for the informants. In conclusion, regular winter bathing enhanced the participants' mental health. A relatively short time in the ice-cold water provided mental peace which transferred to the rest of daily life in general, which emphasizes the mental health-promoting potential of winter bathing. Positive emotions were cultivated through exposure to blue spaces, including inner calm and a sense of safety. Winter bathing also served as a space for social connectedness and community building, facilitated by the club environment in which meaningful social interactions occurred.

"It Is What It Is" - The Lived Experience of Women With Breast Cancer Undergoing Axillary Lymph Node Dissection.

The lived experience of women undergoing axillary procedures as part of their breast cancer (BC) treatment remains unexplored. This lack of in-depth understanding could hamper implementation of person-centred care, which is concerning because BC is the most common form of cancer in women. The aim of this study was therefore to explore the lived experiences of women undergoing axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) due to BC. Twelve women with a mean age of 59 years were interviewed about their lived experiences of axillary procedures as part of their BC treatment. The interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed using a phenomenological hermeneutical method. This narrative method enabled the researchers to reinterpret the worlds of the women with BC, as reflected in the data. The naïve understanding, ie, the meaning of the text as a whole, revealed that the participants were in a process of accepting and adapting to their life after ALND involving adjuvant chemotherapy and/or hormonal therapy. Thus, six main themes emerged in the thematic structural analysis illustrating the meaning of acceptance and adaptation when suffering from BC and undergoing a treatment trajectory, ie, establishing coherence, adjusting to treatment, safeguarding social belonging, re-defining oneself, feeling vulnerable, and accepting one's circumstances. If healthcare professionals provided structure and consistency, the women's treatment and lived experiences made sense; the women experienced more certainty, freedom, and meaningful social interactions. Uncertainty occurred when the women became lost in their own sense-making process, leading to low self-efficacy. There is a need for a paradigm shift in surgical care from viewing women with BC as anatomical constructions in need of repair to deeply understanding that they are persons with an illness who require ongoing self-management support.

Exploring intercultural perspectives of migration futures in a super-diverse city through intercultural participatory futures workshops: The case of Istanbul

Most migration futures studies focus on reacting to migration issues such as flows and crises rather than exploring alternative images of futures centered on individual’s migration experiences. Addressing the limitations of existing practices criticized for their short-term, problem-oriented, and predominantly western, male-dominated, and colonized perspectives, this article presents intercultural participatory futures workshops as a novel technique for exploring more inclusive and intercultural migration futures. This approach enabled participants to collaboratively envision, build, and discuss alternative futures of migration for Istanbul in 2050 in eight workshop sessions with 35 intercultural participants. Additionally, it fostered a space to share experiences, and thoughts on futures, while meaningfully interacting with one another. Therefore, the contribution of this article to the migration futures field is two-fold: first, it showcases the potential of intercultural participatory futures workshops for exploring and constructing inclusive and participatory visions of migration futures, while contrasting collective visions and individual concerns; and second, it explains the relevance of this approach as a unique opportunity to foster intercultural meaningful social interactions, a key kind of interaction for social inclusion between individuals with migration backgrounds and host society.

Knowledge and Misconceptions About the Causes of Disabilities and Functioning in Children and Preadolescents: Mixed-Models Analyses.

Accurate knowledge of disabilities is connected to social acceptance and a high chance of initiating and facilitating meaningful social interactions with students with disabilities. The present study investigated the effect of type of disability and school grade level on knowledge of the causes of four disabilities (i.e., hearing, visual, motor and intellectual), misconceptions about the causes of these disabilities and knowledge of the functioning of peers with disabilities. A sample of 868 Italian students (Mage = 9.92, SD = 2.33; school grade levels 1-8; 436 boys and 432 girls) was interviewed about their knowledge of causes of four disabilities, potential misconceptions and the knowledge of functioning of peers with disabilities. Mixed-effects models were applied with the GAMLj module of the JAMOVI statistical platform. The effects of type of disability and school grade level and their interaction were estimated as fixed effects, and gender was introduced as a control variable. Mixed-model analyses found a main effect of type of disability for knowledge and misconceptions about the causes of disabilities and knowledge of the functioning of peers with disabilities. A main effect for school grade level was also found, showing a progressive growth trend in knowledge of the causes of disabilities and of the functioning of peers with disabilities and a decrease in misconceptions with the increase in school grade levels. Lastly, a significant interaction effect of Type of Disability × School Grade Level was found for knowledge and misconceptions about the causes of disabilities, suggesting that the effect of school grade level varied across the type of disability. Overall, the study found that children and preadolescents have a rudimentary and limited understanding of disabilities, suggesting the necessity for a specific formal education about disabilities during the school years for children and preadolescents.

Healthcare professionals' experience with nutritional care beyond formal quality systems - A qualitative study.

Numerous formal strategies, screening tools, and interventions have been used to prevent malnutrition in long-term care patients. Despite these efforts, the proportion of screened patients is low, and a large proportion are malnourished. Previous research has revealed that healthcare professionals use a broad approach in their nutritional care but has also emphasised the need for further investigation into these approaches. To explore how healthcare professionals working in long-term care experience and apply nutritional care. A descriptive, exploratory, qualitative design containing 240 h of participant observation, 12 focus groups and 2 individual interviews. Twelve nursing homes and home care units in three Norwegian municipalities. Participant observation of interactions between healthcare professionals and patients. Forty-three registered nurses participated in focus group or individual interviews. The data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. The analysis identified three themes: The first theme, limited significance of nutritional screening, showed that healthcare professionals experienced the limited value of nutritional screening, as it often did not capture patients' nutritional challenges. They also perceived nutritional screening as unsuitable for patients at the end of their lives, those with overweight-related complications, or undergoing rehabilitation. In addition, nutritional screening was perceived as something healthcare professionals did for their managers or administrators, not because it was crucial to providing good nutritional care. The second theme, provision of individualised food, captures the healthcare professionals' efforts in adapting and preparing food according to the patient's preferences. Facilitation to enable patients to make individual food choices and the use of food cards or lists were two approaches to individualising nutrition care. The third theme, making meals more than about food, elucidated how healthcare professionals used meals to help patients cope with their situations and experience social belonging. Conversations about or around meals were used to provide patients with a sense of belonging to their past or present situation. The meals were also used as a diversion strategy for patients with unrest, as arenas for daily activity training, and for meaningful social interactions between patients around the tables. Nutritional screening and prevention of malnutrition are only one part of healthcare professionals' nutritional care. Individualised food and meals that create coping, a sense of belonging, and social experiences are equally important parts of their care. Emphasising healthcare professional's person-centred approach to nutritional care would be beneficial, as it could strengthen and further develop long-term nutritional care services.

Are social interactions perceived as more meaningful in older adulthood?

Social relationships accompany us throughout adulthood and are among the most important sources of meaning in a person's life. However, little is known about age differences in meaningfulness of social interactions across adulthood. According to socioemotional selectivity theory, as people age, they develop relatively stronger preferences for social relationships that are emotionally meaningful. Consequently, older adults may perceive social interactions in everyday life as more meaningful than younger adults. To test this hypothesis, the present study examined age-related differences in the perceived meaningfulness of daily social interactions using experience sampling data. Three-hundred six participants (56.9% women, 18-88 years) completed a total of 6,407 entries over 3 days. Results of the multilevel analyses showed that age was positively associated with perceived meaningfulness of daily social interactions, controlling for relationship closeness and situation valence. In addition, the perceived meaningfulness of daily social interactions was positively related to subjective well-being both between and within all participants, indicating that meaningful social interactions are beneficial for well-being regardless of age. Thus, perceiving social interactions as meaningful could be one way that older people maintain a high level of well-being in their daily lives. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The Moderating Role of Emotional Intelligence in the Relationship between Foreign Language Enjoyment and English Achievement among Chinese Ethnic Minority College Students: A Theoretical Perspective

This paper proposes emotional intelligence as a moderator in the relationship between English-as-a-foreign language enjoyment and English achievement within the Chinese multilingual context. While foreign language enjoyment serves as the independent variable facilitating English learning, English achievement plays a dependent role in this relationship. Meanwhile, emotional intelligence acts as a moderator that can enhance, diminish, or modify the relationship between English foreign language enjoyment and English achievement. High emotional intelligence enhances learners’ ability to harness positive emotions for sustained motivation and engagement, equips them with effective coping mechanisms, and promotes meaningful social interactions. As a result, learners with high emotional intelligence are more likely to experience greater success and proficiency in English achievement through their enhanced capacity to leverage the benefits of foreign language enjoyment. This paper employs a quantitative approach and utilises questionnaires on emotional intelligence, foreign language enjoyment, and English achievement data to examine the relationship and interplay among 382 ethnic minority college students in China. The study highlights the importance of fostering emotional intelligence and positive affective experiences in the EFL classroom, suggesting that an engaging and enjoyable learning environment contributes to enhanced English achievement.

A Social Stimulation Paradigm to Ameliorate Memory Deficit in Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) poses a global health threat, progressively robbing patients of their memory and cognitive abilities. While it is recognized that meaningful social contact can alleviate the symptoms of dementia in AD patients, the precise mechanisms by which social stimulation mitigates AD symptoms remain poorly understood. We found that social interaction with novel mice, also known as novel social, simulated meaningful socializing. Therefore, we developed the multiple novel social (MNS) stimulation paradigm to train AD model mice and found that MNS effectively alleviated cognitive deficits in AD mice. This discovery not only opens up a new avenue for investigating the relationship between social stimulation and Alzheimer's disease but also lays the groundwork for delving into the underlying mechanisms, thereby providing crucial theoretical support for developing novel strategies to treat Alzheimer's disease. Key features • Designing a new social stimulation method to simulate meaningful social interactions in daily life. • The MNS stimulation protocol spans 14 days, with one novel mouse introduced to the subject mice each day. • The subjects were 2.5-month-old FAD4T mice, simulating patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). • Results of behavioral tests confirm the efficacy of MNS in reducing cognitive deficits in the AD model. This protocol is used in: J Neurosci (2024), DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1689-23.2024.

From walking to staying: The impact of spatial qualities on socio-spatial segregation in innovation districts

Innovation districts can spur urban economic growth but present challenges like socio-spatial segregation. To mitigate segregation, we emphasize the importance of “staying activities” such as sitting, playing, and relaxing, over transient activities like walking or cycling in the design of public spaces. Focused on One-north, an innovation district in Singapore, we examine how different spatial qualities influence the “staying activities” of diverse socioeconomic groups. Using a GeoAI workflow that integrates various data-sources with machine learning and AI, we assess thirteen spatial quality indicators and their impact on staying activities. Our deep neural network (DNN) model, which achieves an 83.74% accuracy rate, confirms the effectiveness of these indicators in capturing the co-location of staying activities between diverse income groups in One-north. Our findings reveal that typical markers of well-designed public spaces, such as visual diversity and greenery, do not consistently enhance staying activities. Their effectiveness varies across One-north and is shaped by the unique functional contexts and land-use types of each sector in the district. Our research thus highlights the necessity for context-specific designs that encourage meaningful social interactions and reduce socioeconomic segregation. Our proposed GeoAI workflow can assist in the proactive evaluation of design strategies, supporting decision-making prior to major construction projects.

Listenership always matters: active listening ability in L2 business English paired speaking tasks

Abstract Active listening, foundational for meaningful social interaction, plays a pivotal role in enhancing interactional competence (IC) during dialogues. Despite its importance, current second language (L2) assessments, such as the TOEFL iBT and the Business English Certificate (BEC) Preliminary, notably does not include active listening in their evaluation metrics. The research presented here contributes significantly to this discourse by foregrounding the imperative of listener responses (LRs) in L2 communication and the diverse interactional functions they serve across different cultures. Notably, variations emerge, with Chinese speakers exhibiting more restrained verbal feedback compared to the more vocally expressive English counterparts. This study stands apart by underscoring the necessity of updating current L2 assessment rubrics, which currently prioritize grammatical proficiency, pronunciation, and vocabulary. By weaving in active listening, assessments can become more holistic, capturing more comprehensively a learner’s L2 interactional ability. Through rigorous quantitative and qualitative methodologies, this investigation probes the influence of active listening on BEC speaking test outcomes. Its findings are poised to revolutionize assessment strategies, urging a more encompassing approach that factors in both verbal and non-verbal cues, thereby reflecting genuine linguistic and interactional competence.

Meaningful Peer Social Interactions and Momentary Well-Being in Context

Using three large-scale longitudinal datasets collected from a cohort of university students over the span of 3 years (total N = 2,896 participants; ecological momentary assessments = 129,414), we found that engagement in meaningful social interactions with peers was associated with lower momentary loneliness and greater affective well-being. We also examined the role of four contextual factors (interaction partners, communication channels, places, and co-occurring activities) in explaining the relationships between meaningful social interactions and momentary well-being. Across samples, we found (a) participants reported experiencing greater loneliness and lower affective well-being after engaging in meaningful social interaction via computer-mediated channels (and via direct messaging in particular), compared to face-to-face, and (b) participants reported experiencing lower affective well-being after engaging in meaningful social interactions while dining and studying or working, compared to while resting. Taken together, our findings provide insight into the relationships between meaningful social interactions, momentary well-being, and contextual factors.

The social grounds of personal self: Interactions that build a sense of ‘we’ help clarify who ‘I’ am

AbstractMany lay people believe that the best way to develop a clear sense of ‘who you are’ is to shut yourself off from others and engage in introspection. Increasingly, however, empirical evidence points to the social aspects of identities and identity development. Building on this, we argue that a strong sense of personal identity is more likely to be derived from meaningful social interaction. More specifically, we argue that when communication allows people to develop a sense of shared identity, it can also promote a sense of personal self. Consistent with this hypothesis, evidence from three experiments indicates that social interaction indirectly enhances people's self‐concept clarity and personal identity strength, through an increased experience of shared identity and social validation. This suggests that a sense of ‘me’ is not formed independently of others but also through the experience of ‘we’ in interaction.

Digital Competence to Bridge Transactional Distance in Distance Education

Utilising primary data and a stratified random sampling method, this study explores the proficiency of Open and Distance Learning (ODL) students in navigating digital resources and their intrinsic motivation for academic growth. Data collected from 390 IGNOU students, via stratified random sampling, includes undergraduates enrolled from 2016 to 2021 and postgraduates from 2018 to 2021. The study emphasies the crucial importance of fostering an interactive and engaging learning environment for the development of affective skills, countering transactional distance. It underscores the pivotal role of ICT in bridging gaps and promoting meaningful social interactions in distance education programs, thus enhancing holistic growth and employability.

"We were the best people to do the job": Caregivers' reported outcomes of a virtual caregiver-delivered program for autistic preschoolers.

Caregiver-delivered programs are a recommended best practice to support young autistic children. While research has extensively explored children's outcomes quantitatively, minimal qualitative research has been conducted to understand caregivers' perspectives of program outcomes for themselves and their children. Hearing directly from caregivers is an important step in ensuring these programs are meeting the needs of those who use them. This study explored caregivers' perceived outcomes following one virtual caregiver-delivered program, The Hanen Centre's More Than Words® (MTW) program. This study was a secondary analysis of data from individual interviews conducted with 21 caregivers who had recently participated in a virtual MTW program. A hybrid codebook thematic analysis approach was taken to analyze the interview data. Program outcomes were coded and analyzed within the International Classification Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) framework. Additionally, caregivers completed an online survey and rated Likert Scale items about perceived program outcomes, which were analyzed descriptively. Five themes were identified: (1) caregivers learned new strategies to facilitate their child's development, (2) caregivers developed a new mindset, (3) children gained functional communication skills, (4) caregiver-child relationships improved, and (5) caregivers gained a social and professional support network. These themes fell within four of five ICF framework components (activities, participation, personal factors, and environmental factors). No themes were identified under Body Structures and Functions. Survey results indicated most caregivers reported learning new communication strategies (n = 20, 95%), and identifying new teaching opportunities with their child (n = 21, 100%). Some reported outcomes, related to Activities and Participation, were consistent with previous reports in the literature on the MTW program. In line with previous research, caregivers learned strategies to support their child's communication development. Contrary to previous quantitative studies, caregivers in this study rarely commented on gains in vocabulary and instead focused on gains in skills that positively impacted their child's ability to engage in meaningful social interaction. Novel outcomes were identified within the Participation, Personal Factors, and Environmental Factors components of the ICF framework. Caregivers in this study identified important outcomes for themselves and their child that have not been the focus of prior research, suggesting it is important to integrate their perspectives in the development and evaluation of caregiver-delivered programs. Clinicians should include goals that address outcomes identified as important by caregivers, including those that address children's Participation, and those that target caregivers' Personal and Environmental Factors. Developers of caregiver-delivered programs could integrate identified goals to ensure they are meeting families' needs.

Eradicating the Loneliness Epidemic: One Phone Call at a Time.

Loneliness and social isolation are serious problems that can impose negative consequences on individual well-being. Research suggests that loneliness can lead to an increased risk of depression, anxiety, and other health issues. Meritus Health, recognizing that loneliness is an issue within its community, has set a goal to comprehensively eradicate loneliness. As part of this effort, Meritus implemented the Care Caller program in November of 2021 through which a volunteer is paired up with a patient from our institution who has indicated that they are lonely. Each duo then finds a weekly cadence to share in 15- to 30-minute phone calls to facilitate meaningful social interaction. As of July 2023, the program has 500 participants enrolled with 47 volunteers and 2 full-time employees, and over 350 people are called weekly. In the last fiscal year, over 75,000 minutes have been spent on the phone between care callers and participants with promising results. Of the 172 participants who have been in the program for 4+ months, 166 have indicated that they felt less lonely, yielding a success rate of 97%. Meritus Health continues to further this program by increasing the number of care callers and utilization of Plan-Do-Study-Act rapid improvement.

Socially connected while apart: the use of technology to increase social connection between nursing home residents and their relatives.

This study examines whether the use of a communication technology can enhance social connectedness among nursing home residents in Norway. The concept of social connectedness suggest that positive and significant interpersonal relationships can help reduce the risk of loneliness and social isolation among older adults and can be beneficial for both their health and overall well-being. In recent years, technology has been increasingly utilized as a method to overcome physical distances and to keep families connected. Although the use of digital solutions among older people has increased in recent years, few studies have addressed the use and impact of such technologies within a nursing home context. A total of 225 residents participated in the study, making it one of the few quantitative studies that examine the use of communication technologies in nursing homes at such a large scale. The study combines two sources of data: (1) survey data collected over a 14-month period, in three different waves, at all public nursing homes in Oslo municipality and (2) a highly detailed weekly datastream from each Komp-device, which provides an objective measure of the frequency of contact between the residents and their families. The two sources of data were combined and analyzed using multiple regression analysis. The regression analysis revealed a positive and significant relationship between Komp use and increased social satisfaction among the residents. The results indicate that Komp is a feasible communication tool to help nursing home residents maintain relations with their families. The positive response to Komp among the residents suggests that when designed with the user's needs in mind, technology can indeed facilitate meaningful social interactions, even for those with limited technological experience. Such interventions can thus be crucial in bridging the gap between older residents and the outside world, effectively addressing their unique challenges of social isolation and disconnection from the broader community.

Digital Storytelling Intervention for Enhancing the Social Participation of People With Mild Cognitive Impairment: Co-Design and Usability Study.

Community-based social participation has shown promise in delaying cognitive decline in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) who are at risk of developing dementia. Although group storytelling interventions have proven effective, the need for a skilled workforce to support people with MCI can limit broader community implementation. Technology-based interventions may offer a solution to this limitation by replicating the abilities of therapists. This study aims to co-design a digital storytelling intervention and evaluate its usability. This co-design process involved 3 stages, engaging people with MCI (n=12), their caregivers (n=4), and therapists (n=5) in Beijing, China. In the first stage, we used card sorting and voting methods to identify potential incentives for social participation and target the specific abilities that people with MCI wanted to enhance. In the second stage, we conducted brainstorming sessions with people with MCI and their caregivers to identify the potential features of a digital storytelling application named Huiyou ("meeting new friends" in Chinese). Finally, we assessed Huiyou's usability with people with MCI and therapists, leading to iterative improvements based on the usability findings. We uncovered a crucial link between boosting the self-confidence of people with MCI and their ability to address social participation challenges. Notably, we identified memory improvement and enhanced language expression as key factors for effective communication with grandchildren. Subsequently, participants suggested features and interfaces to address these challenges, leading to the development of Huiyou, a group-based digital storytelling application featuring functions such as generating story materials, conducting memory retrieval activities, and sharing stories. It received an "excellent" rating in the User Experience Questionnaire benchmark, displaying high levels of attractiveness, dependability, stimulation, and novelty. People with MCI achieved an average task completion rate of 87% (n=19; SD 0.13) of the 22 tasks. However, feedback from people with MCI and therapists highlighted usability issues in navigation, activity management, user interface, and feature optimization, indicating a need for improved accessibility and efficiency. The co-design approach contributed to developing the Huiyou prototype, supporting community-based social participation. User feedback highlighted the potential of Huiyou to enhance well-being and facilitate meaningful social interactions while maintaining crucial existing relationships.

Contribution of diversity of social participation on the mental health of humanitarian migrants during resettlement.

By the end of 2022, an estimated 108.4 million individuals worldwide experienced forced displacement. Identifying modifiable factors associated with the mental illness of refugees is crucial for promoting successful integration and developing effective health policies. This study aims to examine the associations between the changes in the diversity of social participation and psychological distress among refugees throughout the resettlement process, specifically focusing on gender differences. Utilizing data from three waves of a longitudinal, nationally representative cohort study conducted in Australia, this study involved 2399 refugees interviewed during Wave 1, 1894 individuals interviewed during Wave 3 and 1881 respondents during Wave 5. At each wave, we assessed psychological distress and 10 types of social participation across 3 distinct dimensions, including social activities, employment and education. The primary analysis employed mixed linear models and time-varying Cox models. Gender-stratified analyses and sensitivity analyses were performed. Refugees engaging in one type or two or more types of social participation, compared with those not engaging in any, consistently had lower psychological distress scores (β = -0.62 [95% confidence interval (CI), -1.07 to -0.17] for one type of social participation; β = -0.57 [95% CI, -1.04 to -0.10] for two or more types of social participation) and a reduced risk of experiencing psychological distress (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.81 [95% CI, 0.65-0.99] for one type of social participation; HR = 0.77 [95% CI, 0.61-0.97] for two or more types of social participation) during the resettlement period. When stratifying the results by gender, these associations in the adjusted models only remained significant in male refugees. Moreover, three specific types of social participation, namely sporting activities, leisure activities and current employment status, were most prominently associated with a reduced risk of psychological distress. The findings of this cohort study suggest that social participation was consistently associated with reduced risks of psychological distress among male refugees during resettlement. These findings highlight the significance of promoting meaningful social participation and interaction may be an effective strategy to improve the mental health of refugees and facilitate their successful integration into society, especially among male refugees.

AGE-RELATED DIFFERENCES IN DAILY EXPERIENCES OF HAPPINESS: THE ROLE OF THINKING ABOUT THE FUTURE

Abstract We examined the role of future time perspective (thinking about the future) in shaping age-related differences in time-varying experiences of happiness. Older adults’ experience of happiness is more strongly associated with low-arousal than with high-arousal positive affect. Low-arousal positive affective states may be conducive to engaging in meaningful social interactions with close others (e.g., listening, adjusting to others) and therefore serve key socio-emotional goals that are prioritized when future time is perceived as limited. We hypothesized that thinking less about the future would be related to stronger associations between happiness and low-arousal positive states in older than younger adults. We used daily life assessments from 258 participants (M = 48.4 years; 68% female; 77% Asian; 73% post-secondary education), which comprised older (M = 63.4 years) and younger (M = 20.1 years) adult samples collected at two locations (Vancouver, Canada; Hong Kong). Participants reported on their momentary affective states and thinking about the future (0-100 scales) up to 30 times over 10 days. Results replicate previous findings by showing that momentary happiness was more strongly associated with momentary calmness and more weakly associated with momentary excitement among older as compared to younger adults. Younger adults reported thinking more about the future than older adults. Thinking less about the future was related to stronger happiness-calmness and weaker happiness-excitement associations in daily life for older participants, only; for younger participants, it was associated with weaker happiness-calmness associations. Age and future thinking-related contours of happiness are discussed in the context of emotional aging theories.