Optimal Human Functioning Research Articles

Heart Rate Variability: A Psychophysiological Factor Related to Both Regular Physical Activity and Eudaimonic Well‐Being Among Young Adults

ABSTRACTIntroductionEudaimonic well‐being (EWB), which refers to optimal human functioning, is associated with psychophysiological outcomes, such as reduced inflammation and a lower risk of depression. Although physical activity (PA) and mindfulness have been shown to be predictive factors for EWB, potential mediators of the relationships of PA or mindfulness with EWB have yet to be identified. PA, mindfulness‐related psychophysiological factors (including serotonin [5‐HT], oxytocin [OXT]), and dopamine [DA] levels), and heart rate variability (HRV) have been shown to be associated with mental disorders or emotion regulation capacity.PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore the potential psychophysiological factors associated with PA, mindfulness and EWB.MethodsA total of 49 young adults (25 males, 24 females) were included with an average age of 25 years (± 5). Plasma 5‐HT, OXT, and DA levels were obtained via blood samples from the brachial vein and were analyzed with enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), and HRV was obtained via 5‐min electrocardiograms (ECGs), with participants in the supine position. Spearman's correlation analyses were performed, followed by partial correlation analyses controlling for age, sex, and social status (i.e., student or working professional).ResultsHRV was found to be positively correlated with both moderate‐intensity PA (r = 0.47, p = 0.04) and EWB (purpose in life; r = 0.50, p = 0.03), even after controlling for relevant variables. On the other hand, neither 5‐HT, OXT, nor DA was correlated with PA, mindfulness, and EWB.ConclusionThese results suggest that HRV may mediate the relationship between PA and EWB. Additional intervention studies are needed to elucidate the causal relationships among PA, HRV, and EWB.

Examining the network structure among moral functioning components with network analysis

I explored the association between components constituting the basis for moral and optimal human functioning, i.e., moral reasoning, moral identity, empathy, and purpose, via network analysis. I employed factor scores instead of composite scores that most previous studies used for better accuracy in score estimation in this study. Then, I estimated the network structure among collected variables and centrality indicators. For additional information, the structure and indicators were compared between two groups, participants who engaged in civic activities highly versus lowly. The results demonstrated significant intra- and inter-scale associations in the network. The network structure was invariant across the two groups. Despite the network invariance, I found that the global connectivity between and centrality indicators of examined factors were higher among the high civic engagement group in general. I discussed the implications of the findings in research on moral functioning based on moral psychology and virtue ethics.

Eliciting student perspectives to inform the design of positive psychology courses: a qualitative study

ABSTRACT Undergraduate positive psychology courses are typically semester-long educational courses or units of study dedicated to providing students with an understanding of the science of wellbeing and the factors contributing to optimal human functioning. A number of universities around the world offer positive psychology courses, yet little is known about students’ perspectives of these courses. Evaluating students’ perspectives may enable educators to modify courses to better address students’ needs, which in turn, may increase engagement with, and learning in these courses. This study provides an in-depth account of students’ perspectives on a positive psychology course offered at an Australian university. After completing the course, nine students participated in focus groups to discuss their experiences. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, three superordinate categories (and 14 subcategories) were identified, namely, interest in wellbeing, beneficial to wellbeing, and balancing competing needs. Participants expressed interest in learning about wellbeing, experienced the course as beneficial for wellbeing, and recognised several challenges in delivering course content. The richness of these results supports the utility of assessing and evaluating students’ perspectives using a qualitative approach, and the emerging themes provide insights into the aspects of positive psychology courses more broadly that may enhance students’ learning and wellbeing.

Lifestyle medicine pillars as predictors of psychological flourishing.

Positive Psychology Interventions (PPI) are widely applied to improving wellbeing and helping individuals flourish. At the same time, Lifestyle Medicine (LM) offers an opportunity to boost PPI and psychological research, by expanding its capacity beyond psychology, to include the body and social environment. However, little is known about the relationship between LM and positive psychology flourishing models. Flourishing is as a stage of optimal human functioning that goes beyond moderate wellbeing. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to, (1) identify which of the six LM pillars (sleep, physical exercise, eating well, alcohol intake, social engagement, stress management) best-predicted flourishing; (2) examine the relationship between the number of LM pillars used by individuals and flourishing; and (3) determine the odds of using LM pillars by flourishers. A total of 1,112 participants, mostly female professionals (73%), aged 40–59 (77%), based in Ireland, completed an online survey. Regression analysis showed that all six LM pillars predicted flourishing as measured by the PERMA Profiler (including the Physical Health component) and the Mental Health Continuum (MHC). Moreover, the chi-square and odds ratio analysis showed that those who flourished were three times more likely to use 3–6 LM pillars than those who were moderately well; and nine times more likely than languishers. The results are discussed in the context of their contribution to enhancing the population’s health and wellbeing.

PTEN is required for human Treg suppression of costimulation in vitro.

Regulatory T-cell (Treg) therapy is under clinical investigation for the treatment of transplant rejection, autoimmune disease, and graft-versus-host disease. With the advent of genome editing, attention has turned to reinforcing Treg function for therapeutic benefit. A hallmark of Tregs is dampened activation of PI3K-AKT signaling, of which PTEN is a major negative regulator. Loss-of-function studies of PTEN, however, have not conclusively shown a requirement for PTEN in upholding Treg function and stability. Using CRISPR-based genome editing in human Tregs, we show that PTEN ablation does not cause a global defect in Treg function and stability; rather, it selectively blocks their ability to suppress antigen-presenting cells. PTEN-KO Tregs exhibit elevated glycolytic activity, upregulate FOXP3, maintain a Treg phenotype, and have no discernible defects in lineage stability. Functionally, PTEN is dispensable for human Treg-mediated inhibition of T-cell activity in vitro and in vivo but is required for suppression of costimulatory molecule expression by antigen-presenting cells. These data are the first to define a role for a signaling pathway in controlling a subset of human Treg activity. Moreover, they point to the functional necessity of PTEN-regulated PI3K-AKT activity for optimal human Treg function.

The Future of Positive Psychology and Disability.

For much of the history of the application of psychology to disability, the research and clinical focus of the field was deficits-oriented: documenting what people with disability could not do, proposing theories of why they could not do these things, creating measures to assess this incapacity and incompetence, and building interventions and treatments predicated on disease and pathology. It has been only in the last few decades that conceptualizations of disability allowed for consideration of strengths and positive attributes along with the presence of disability and only in the past two decades that a positive psychology of disability has emerged. This article will briefly summarize the factors that led to the emergence of a focus on the positive psychology of disability and a strength-based approach in the field, examine the state of knowledge and practice as it pertains to the positive psychology of disability, and will examine challenges that serve as barriers to progress in this area and opportunities for advancement. Among these is examining how “optimal human functioning” can be understood in ways that includes, and not excludes, people with disability. The importance of shifting the disability research and practice focus to emphasize flourishing, well-being, and self-determination of and for people with disability will be discussed, as well as the necessity for the field of positive psychology to more aggressively reach out to include people with disability among those populations whom the field values and includes.

Development of a positive group intervention for coexisting problems: A mixed methods study

Substance misuse commonly coexists with psychological disorder (dual diagnosis) making the problems more complex and the symptoms augmented with far-reaching negative consequences. Despite the wide range of support that treats both problems, clients often relapse. This study was the first empirical attempt to investigate how positive psychology can facilitate recovery by not focusing merely on the disorders but exploring and enhancing the positive aspects of clients’ lives moving them toward optimal human functioning. A mixed methods approach was applied to test a 12-week positive group intervention in two groups of service users (n=10) with coexisting disorders at an outpatient addiction service to explore the feasibility and acceptability of a positive approach in their recovery. Participants seemed to have benefitted from the programme, all positive concepts were found relevant, and the intervention was found feasible and acceptable by service users. It was concluded that a strengths-based positive approach has the potential to serve as a useful adjunct to the treatment of coexisting problems. Implications for treatment are discussed in terms of how positive psychology may be helpful in long-term recovery by providing alternative strategies to cope with mental illness and a substitute for the love, nurturing, and belonging that substances appear to offer to individuals.

Місце поняття «особистісне благополуччя» в системі категорій позитивної психології

The purpose of the article is to analyze modern concepts that are used to describe the optimal functioning of an individual. The most common concepts in positive psychology are: happiness, psychological well-being, flourishing. The plurality of terminology is associated with the existence of different approaches to determining the existential goal of human life: pleasure or benefit. Attempts to operationalize the components of well-being cause some difficulty. They are difficult to separate from predictors and psychological consequences of well-being. Attempts to overcome the methodological limitations of each of the approaches are concentrated in two directions. The structural-tiered approach focuses on identifying structural components, types of well-being, and finding ways to relate them to each other. The integral approach tries to find a new generalizing definition for all concepts of optimal human functioning. Personal well-being is a concept that unites all the signs of optimal conditions and human functioning. First, subjectivity is the individual experience of their own functioning in everyday life as a result of self-determination in the present and expectations for the future, which depend on the implicit concept of well-being. Second, the affective component is emotional and evaluative attitude to individual events and life in general. Third, a prerequisite is the positivity of such an assessment – the presence of certain positive experiences as a result of perception of an objective life situation, the balance of positive and negative emotions. Fourth, the presence of external and internal criteria: on the one hand, compliance with the system of values inherent in this culture, on the other, the assessment of daily efforts and living conditions. Fifth, self-determination is the ability of a person to determine the nature of the optimal interaction between him and the environment, to some extent to control it and be responsible for the consequences. Personal well-being is interpreted as an existential multi-concept that reflects the balance between the subject’s search for satisfaction in various spheres of life according to the implicit concept of well-being and the disclosure of personal potential and harmony between inner and outer world, based on significant emotional characteristics and positive personality traits. Key words: happiness, psychological well-being, flourishing, subjective well-being, personal well-being.

Human Sustainability in Organizations: Physiological, Psychological, & Social Maintenance Approaches

Social scientists have long been preoccupied with defining and understanding optimal human functioning. Over the past century, pragmatists (James, 1890), needs scholars (Alderfer, 1969; Maslow, 1943), salutogenic theorists (Hobfoll, 1989), and those contemplating the broader meaning of life (Frankl, 1984), have all taken a stab at outlining what it means to live life well. These approaches, however, have faced various critiques, such as not being applicable to the whole spectrum of human experiences (May, 1969), being too tautological (Priem & Butler, 2001; Russell, 2004; Thompson & Cooper, 2001) or reductionist (Geller, 1982), or lacking empirical support (Wahba & Bridwell, 1976). Moreover, to date, no grand theory of human sustainability encompassing ideas from these various streams of thought has emerged. This symposium reaches across disciplines to “broaden our sight,” by applying dynamic energy budget theory (DEBT), a widely validated theory of biology, to understand human sustainability within organizations.

Thriving Under Uncertainty: The Effect of Achievement Goal Orientation on Job Insecurity and Flourishing

Flourishing, a construct encompassing optimal human functioning, is an indicator of well-being. The purpose of this study was to examine the direct and indirect effects of employees’ achievement goal orientation (mastery-approach, mastery-avoidance, performance-approach and performance-avoidance goal orientation) on flourishing, through the appraisal of quantitative (concerns about continued existence of the job) and qualitative (concerns about continued existence of important job features) job insecurity. Data were collected from 275 employees in an organization on the brink of a substantive downsizing. The results of structural equation modelling showed that mastery approach and—avoidance goal orientation positively predicted flourishing. Furthermore, flourishing was negatively predicted by qualitative job insecurity but not by quantitative job insecurity. Qualitative job insecurity mediated the effects of mastery- and performance-approach goal orientation on flourishing but the effects were not significant. Hence, in an environment with a substantial threat of job loss, a mastery goal orientation contributed directly to flourishing. Our results plead for more attention for the effects of achievement goal orientation and qualitative job insecurity on flourishing under uncertainty.

Optimal Human Functioning Requires Exercise Across the Lifespan: Mobility in a 1g Environment Is Intrinsic to the Integrity of Multiple Biological Systems.

It is widely acknowledged that achieving and maintaining a healthier lifestyle can be enhanced through regular participation in sport and physical activity. Coevally, a growing number of health professionals regard exercise as a legitimate intervention strategy for those who have lost their health. Exercise has been shown to be effective for overweight or obese individuals, who are at risk to lose their health due to development of type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, as well as, infiltration of muscles, bone and other organs with fat, so it can be considered medicine. However, exercise and associated mobility likely also have a strong prevention component that can effectively contribute to the maintenance of the integrity of multiple biological systems for those who do not have overt risk factors or ongoing disease. While prevention is preferred over intervention in the context of disease, it is clear that exercise and associated mobility, generally, can be an effective influence, although overtraining and excessive loading can be deleterious to health. The basis for the generally positive influence of exercise likely lies in the fact that many of our physiological systems are designed to function in the mechanically dynamic and active 1g environment of Earth (e.g., muscles, cartilage, ligaments, tendons, bones, and cardiovascular system, and neuro-cognitive function), and nearly all these systems subscribe to the “use it or lose it” paradigm. This conclusion is supported by the changes observed over the more than 50 years of space flight and exposure to microgravity conditions. Therefore, the premise advanced is: “exercise is preventative for loss of health due to age-related decline in the integrity of several physiological systems via constant reinforcement of those systems, and thus, optimal levels of exercise and physical activity are endemic to, essential for, and intrinsic to optimal health and wellbeing.”

The interplay between psychological need satisfaction and psychological need frustration within a work context: A variable and person-oriented approach

A plethora of empirical data support a positive (or “brighter”) pathway to optimal human functioning as specified within Basic Psychological Needs Theory (Ryan and Deci in Psychol Inq 11(4):319–33, 2000). Yet, far less is known about the negative (or “darker”) pathway, a process evoking of human dysfunction and ill-being (cf. Vansteenkiste and Ryan in J Psychother Integr 23(3):263, 2013). Further, debate surrounds the independence and interplay between psychological need satisfaction and psychological need frustration and how these dynamic constructs are experienced within individuals. In this work, variable and person-oriented analyses were employed to: (i) investigate the relationships between the basic psychological needs and symptoms of stress, depression and anxiety as well as with life satisfaction; and (ii) identify different psychological need profiles and their relationship with psychological function. Participants (N = 2236; M Age = 42.16 years; SD = 7.8) were UK-based operational firefighters who completed an online survey. Results of regression analyses showed a moderating effect of psychological need satisfaction on the relationship between need frustration and negative psychological symptoms. Latent profile analyses revealed five distinct basic psychological need profiles that carry implications for human psychological functioning. Some support for an asymmetrical relationship between need satisfaction and need frustration emerged (Vansteenkiste and Ryan in J Psychother Integr 23(3):263, 2013), yet, examples of above average need satisfaction and frustration scores were also observed. Worker profiles where psychological need frustration prevailed over need satisfaction had the poorest psychological health.

MINDFULNESS SEBAGAI STRATEGI REGULASI EMOSI

Research on emotional regulation has been dominated by a hedonist perspective, which argued that the existence of positive affects and the absence of negative affects is an indicator of optimal human functioning. Meeting hedonic needs, however, is not the only goal of emotional regulation. Emotional regulation can also facilitate the integrity of the personality-oriented function as a whole. Mindfulness as an emotional regulation strategy is escorted by attention to all that is taking place in the present moment with an attitude of acceptance, thereby facilitating person-oriented function by bringing emotional experiences towards neutrality. The effectiveness of brief induction of mindfulness in comparison with other strategies in Gross and Thompson’s (2007) Process Model of Emotion Regulation (i.e., reappraisal, distraction, suppression) and control condition was tested in this randomized-mixed design experiment (N = 260) through self-reported ratings of affective valence for 60 positive, neutral, and negative photographs. The effectiveness of mindfulness was equivalent to positive reappraisal for positive stimulus, but lower than positive reappraisal for negative stimulus. Suppression consistently demonstrated equality of effectiveness with mindfulness, while distraction was as equally ineffective as control condition. These complex dynamics of emotional responding between mindfulness and other emotional regulation strategies requires further exploration.

Workplace design and well-being: aesthetic perceptions of hotel employees

ABSTRACTThe study recognizes the lack of a clear theoretical and empirical link between employees’ sense of well-being and hotel design aesthetics, although beautiful environments are associated with optimal human functioning. Drawing on conceptual insights from organizational aesthetics and theory of subjective well-being, this quantitative study explored relationships between workplace design aesthetics, hotel employee subjective well-being and the role of contrast of back- vs. front-of-the-house. Based on cross-sectional data collected from 525 operations-level hotel employees in USA, the study found that backstage employees experience less aesthetic pleasure and report lower levels of well-being than frontstage employees. Design characteristics Unity and Variety positively affect the sense of well-being, while Typicality exhibits a U-type relationship with well-being. The effect of Variety is weaker for back-of-the-house employees. This study is the first attempt to empirically and explicitly connect organizational aesthetics to well-being and identifies a novel way to enhance the well-being of the hospitality workforce.

What is Virtue? Advancing the Conceptualization of Virtue to Inform Positive Organizational Inquiry

In order to advance theory, key concepts need to be clearly defined (e.g. Kozlowski & Klein, 2000; Suddaby, 2010). Scholars in the field of positive organizational inquiry are engaging in meaningful work on the processes, practices, and attributes which enable optimal human and organizational functioning. Much of this work incorporates the concept of virtue as an integral part of positive organizing. However, we argue that the efficacy of this scholarship is undermined by poorly defined and misconstrued conceptualizations of virtue, which vary widely in their scope and perspective (Gotsis & Grimani, 2015). This article draws on the philosophy of Aristotelian virtue ethics and the deep ontological framework of critical realism to articulate a clear definition of virtue, and a five factor framework for determining what is virtuous in which contexts. These contributions provide the foundation for a stronger virtue-based perspective in positive organizational inquiry.

Relating Mindfulness, Heartfulness, and Psychological Well-Being: the Role of Self-Compassion and Gratitude

The aim of this paper is to shed light on the heartfulness-related aspects of mindfulness, explaining their relationship with optimal human functioning. In particular, we investigated the role of self-compassion and gratitude, two variables linked to mindfulness that we considered as indicators of heartfulness towards the self, and towards others, respectively. We tested the mediation of self-compassion and gratitude in the relationship between mindfulness and the six psychological well-being dimensions of autonomy, self-acceptance, environmental mastery, personal growth, positive relations with others, and purpose in life. Based on the literature, we hypothesized that self-compassion would mediate the association between mindfulness and self-acceptance, autonomy, environmental mastery, and positive relations, and that gratitude would mediate the association between mindfulness and all the above dimensions, except for autonomy. Across two studies, involving both meditators and non-meditators, and two different assessment tools for dispositional mindfulness, our hypotheses were supported, even after controlling for two concurrent variables (social support and resilience). These findings suggest that heartfulness is an important underlying mechanism of mindfulness: it seems to foster higher levels of psychological well-being, or optimal human functioning, through a warm and aware attitude towards the self and others.

Optimal human functioning around the world: A new index of eudaimonic well-being in 166 nations.

As more and more people realize that wealth fails to fully capture the essence of human well-being, interest in non-monetary measures of well-being has intensified. Eudaimonic well-being (EWB; i.e., optimal psychosocial functioning) is a largely overlooked aspect of national well-being that has never been examined at the global level. This study uses data from nearly 1,800,000 respondents recruited probabilistically from 166 countries between the years of 2005 and 2017 to construct an index of EWB. EWB demonstrates moderate positive associations with other quality-of-life indicators (i.e., national life satisfaction, national prosperity, overall quality of life, and gross domestic product), indicating that it captures information not reflected by them. The distribution of EWB at national, regional, and global levels, as well as its global trend, is explored. The study also examines the relationships between EWB and a number of theoretically related individual- and country-level variables. Presented are also the results of multilevel modelling including a wide range of predictors.

Further examining the relationship between mental toughness and dispositional flow in sport: A mediation analysis

The purpose of the study was to further examine the relationship between mental toughness (MT) and dispositional flow in sport. A sample of 256 athletes (M age = 23.65 years, SD = 5.43), competing at international (n = 59), national (n = 77), and club/university (n = 120) levels completed questionnaires assessing MT and dispositional flow. A significant and positive correlation was found between MT and dispositional flow (r = 0.50, p < 0.001). Mediation analysis revealed that MT had a significant direct effect on the flow dimensions of challenge-skills balance, clear goals, unambiguous feedback, sense of control and concentration on the task at hand, and significant indirect effects on concentration on the task at hand, sense of control, loss of self-consciousness, action-awareness merging and autotelic experience. Findings suggest that MT has direct and indirect effects on the characteristics of flow, offering new insights regarding optimal human functioning.

Zastosowanie podejścia skoncentrowanego na rozwiązaniach we wzmacnianiu stanu Ja-Dorosłego

In Transactional Analysis, optimal human functioning and development are ensured when the equilibrium of three properly developed ego-states, the Parent, the Adult and the Child, is main- tained. The equilibrium relies predominantly on the functioning of the Adult. The aim of this article is to explore potential points of convergence between Translational Analysis (TA) and Solution-Focused Approach (SFA). Both approaches focus on help and educational work with adults. Thus, a question arises if the resources available in both approaches can be jointly used when working with clients on their life objectives through strengthening their Adult ego-state. Mixed application of AT and SFA fosters the increase and development of the potential and agency, which leads to a sense of satisfaction, well-being and happiness. The proposal to use TA and SFA together in order to strengthen the Adult ego-state of the client is drawn from the author’s own experience as helper.

Parental burnout and temporal perspective of parents of children with developmental disorders

The aim of the studies presented in this article was to determine the extent of a burnout of parents with children with developmental disorders and the analysis of the relationship between burnout syndrome and temporal perspectives pattern. The theoretical basis of the project was a theory by Philip Zimbardo, which suggests that temporal perspectives (past, present, and future) influence cognite processes and well as emotional (positive or negative) attitudes towards events and life experiences. They also regulate an optimal human functioning. The studies revealed that both increase in parental burnout syndrome as well as temporal perspective profile and relationships between those are different, depending on the type of children’s disorders.