The benefits of passion and absorption in activities: Engaged living in adolescents and its role in psychological well-being

Journal of Positive Psychology

Volumn 5, Issue 4, 2010, Pages 311-332

  Froh, Jeffrey J ^a   Kashdan, Todd B ^b   Yurkewicz, Charles ^c   Fan, Jinyan ^a   Allen, Jennifer ^a   Glowacki, Jessica ^a  

^a HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY   (United States)

^b GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY   (United States)

^c ST JOHN'S UNIVERSITY   (United States)

Author keywords

Adolescents; Engagement; Passion; Psychological well being; Scale

Indexed keywords

EID: 77955234682     PISSN: 17439760     EISSN: 17439779     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/17439760.2010.498624     Document Type: Article

References (116)

1. Algoe, S.B., Haidt, J., & Gable, S.L. (2008). Beyond reciprocity: Gratitude and relationships in everyday life. Emotion, 8, 425-429.
2. Ang, R.P., Neubronner, M., Oh, S., & Leong, V. (2006). Dimensionality of Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale among normal-technical stream students in Singapore. Current Psychology, 25, 120-131.
3. Arnett, J.J. (2000). Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties. American Psychologist, 55, 469-480.
4. Beck, A. (1999). Prisoners of hate: The cognitive basis of anger, hostility, and violence. New York: HarperCollins.
5. Berk, L.E. (2007). Child development (7th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
6. Bhy, M.J. (2006). Validity and reliability study of Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale in Seremban schoolchildren. Malaysian Journal of Psychiatry, 15, 35-40.
7. Bolger, N., & Schilling, E.A. (2006). Personality and the problems of everyday life: The role of neuroticism in exposure and reactivity to daily stressors. Journal of Personality, 59, 355-386.
8. Bollen, K.A. (1989). Structural equations with latent variables. New York: Wiley.
9. Bono, G., & Froh, J.J. (2009). Gratitude in school: Benefits to students and schools. In R. Gilman, E.S. Huebner, & M. Furlong (Eds.), Handbook of positive psychology in schools (pp. 77-88). New York: Routledge.
10. Brage, D., Meredith, W., & Woodward, J. (1993). Correlates of loneliness among Midwestern adolescents. Adolescence, 28,685-693.
11. Browne, M.W., & Cudeck, R.T. (1993). Alternative ways of assessing model fit. In K.A. Bollen & J.S. Long (Eds.), Testing structural equation models (pp. 136-162). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
12. Cicchetti, D., & Toth, S. (1996). Adolescence: Opportunities and challenges. Rochester, NY: University of Rochester Press.
13. Crowne, D.P., & Marlowe, D. (1960). A new scale of social desirability independent of psychopathology. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 24, 349-354.
14. Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. New York: HarperCollins.
15. Csikszentmihalyi, M., Rathunde, K.R., Whalen, S., & Wong, M. (1993). Talented teenagers: The roots of success and failure. New York: Cambridge University Press.
16. Damon, W. (2008). The path to purpose: How young people find their calling in life. New York: Free Press. Demir, M., & Weitekamp, L.A. (2006). I am so happy 'cause today I found my friend: Friendship and personality as predictors of happiness. Journal of Happiness Studies, 8, 181-211.
17. Deci, E.L., & Ryan, R.M. (2000). The 'what' and 'why' of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11, 227-268.
18. Diener, E., Emmons, R., Larsen, R., & Griffin, S. (1985). The satisfaction with Life Scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49, 71-75.
19. Diener, E., Sandvik, E., Pavot, W., & Gallagher, D. (1991). Response artifacts in the measurement of subjective wellbeing. Social Indicators Research, 24, 35-56.
20. Diener, E., & Seligman, M.E.P. (2002). Very happy people. Psychological Science, 13, 81-84.
21. Dumont, M., & Provost, M.A. (1999). Resilience in adolescents: Protective role of social support, coping strategies, self-esteem, and social activities on experience of stress and depression. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 28,343-363.
22. Eldeleklioglu, J. (2006). The relationship between the perceived social support and the level of depression and anxiety in university students. Educational Sciences: Theory and Practice, 6, 742-752.
23. Emmons, R.A. (1999). The psychology of ultimate concerns: Motivation and spirituality in personality. New York: The Guilford Press.
24. Eyo, I.E. (1984). Relationships between need to appear socially desirable, achievement motivation, and attribution of academic outcomes in secondary school students. Psychological Reports, 55, 247-252.
25. Faulstich, M.E., Carey, M.P., Ruggiero, L., Enyart, P., & Gresham, F. (1986). Assessment of depression in childhood and adolescence: An evaluation of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC). American Journal of Psychiatry, 143, 1024-1027.
26. Finn, J., & Rock, D. (1997). Academic success among students at risk for school failure. Journal of Applied Psychology, 82, 221-234.
27. Flouri, E. (2004). Exploring the relationship between mothers' and fathers' parenting practices and children's materialist values. Journal of Economic Psychology, 25, 743-752.
28. Froh, J.J., Emmons, R.A., Card, N.A., Bono, G., & Wilson, J. (in press). Gratitude and the reduced costs of materialism in adolescents. Journal of Happiness Studies.
29. Froh, J.J., Miller, D.N., & Snyder, S. (2007). Gratitude in children and adolescents: Development, assessment, and school-based intervention. School Psychology Forum, 2, 1-13.
30. Froh, J.J., Sefick, W.J., & Emmons, R.A. (2008). Counting blessings in early adolescents: An experimental study of gratitude and subjective well-being. Journal of School Psychology, 46, 213-233.
31. Froh, J.J., Ubertini, M., Wajsblat, L., & Yurkewicz, C. (2008). Engaged living as an ingredient for adolescent mental health: Promoting social integration and engagement in psychotherapy. Poster session presented at the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Annual Convention, Orlando, FL, November 2008.
32. Froh, J.J., Wajsblat, L., & Ubertini, M. (2008, November). Gratitude's role in promoting flourishing and inhibiting languishing: Using positive psychology to complement clinical practice. Poster session presented at the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Annual Convention, Orlando, FL, November 2008.
33. Froh, J.J., Yurkewicz, C., & Kashdan, T.B. (2009). Gratitude and subjective well-being in early adolescence: Examining gender differences. Journal of Adolescence, 32, 633-650.
34. Furlong, M.J., Bates, M.P., & Smith, D.C. (2001). Predicting school weapon possession: A secondary analysis of the youth risk behavior surveillance survey. Psychology in the Schools, 38, 127-140.
35. Gable, S.L., & Haidt, J. (2005). What (and why) is positive psychology? Review of General Psychology, 9, 103-110.
36. Ghaith, G.M. (2002). The relationship between cooperative learning, perception of social support, and academic achievement. System, 30, 263-273.
37. Gilman, R., & Huebner, E.S. (2003). A review of life satisfaction research with children and adolescents. School Psychology Quarterly, 18, 192-205.
38. Gilman, R., Huebner, E.S., & Furlong, M. (Eds.). (2009). Handbook of positive psychology in schools. New York: Routledge.
39. Glick, P. (2002). Sacrificial lambs dressed in wolves clothing: Envious prejudice, ideology, and the scapegoating of Jews. In L.S. Newman & R. Erber (Eds.), What social psychology can tell us about the Holocaust (pp. 113-142). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
40. Harter, S. (1999). The construction of self: A developmental perspective. New York: Guilford.
41. Heine, C. (1996). Flow and achievement in mathematics. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL.
42. Hirsch, B.J., & DuBois, D.L. (1991). Self-esteem in early adolescence the identification and prediction of contrasting longitudinal trajectories. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 20, 53-72.
43. Huebner, E.S. (1994). Preliminary development and validation of a multidimensional life satisfaction scale for children. Psychological Assessment, 6, 149-158.
44. Huebner, E.S. (2004). Research on assessment of life satisfaction of children and adolescents. Social Indicators Research, 66, 3-33.
45. Huebner, E.S., Drane, W., & Valois, R.F. (2000). Levels and demographic correlates of adolescent life satisfaction reports. School Psychology International, 21, 281-292.
46. Huebner, E.S., Laughlin, J., Gilman, R., & Ash, C. (1998). Further validation of the Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scale. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 16, 118-134.
47. Joreskog, K.G., & Sorbom, D. (1996). LISREL8: User's reference guide. Chicago: Scientific Software.
48. Kashdan, T.B. (2009). Curious? Discover the missing ingredient to a fulfilling life. New York: William Morrow.
49. Kashdan, T.B., & Breen, W.E. (2007). Materialism and diminished well-being: Experiential avoidance as a mediating mechanism. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 26, 521-539.
50. Kasser, T. (2002). The high price of materialism. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
51. Kasser, T., & Ryan, R.M. (1993). A dark side of the American dream: Correlates of financial success as a central life aspiration. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 65, 410-422.
52. Kasser, T., Ryan, R.M., Couchman, C.E., & Sheldon, K.M. (2004). Materialistic values: Their causes and consequences. In T. Kasser & A.D. Kanner (Eds.), Psychology and consumer culture: The struggle for a good life in a materialistic world (pp. 11-28). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
53. Keyes, C.L.M. (1998). Social well-being. Social Psychology Quarterly, 61, 121-140.
54. Keyes, C.L.M. (2006). Mental health in adolescence: Is America's youth flourishing? American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 76, 395-402.
55. Langston, C.A. (1994). Capitalizing on and coping with daily-life events: Expressive responses to positive events. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 1112-1125.
56. Larson, R.W. (2000). Toward a psychology of positive youth development. American Psychologist, 55, 170-183.
57. Laurent, J., Catanzaro, S., Joiner, T., Rudolph, K., Potter, K., & Lambert, S. (1999). A measure of positive and negative affect for children: Scale development and preliminary validation. Psychological Assessment, 11, 326-338.
58. Lee, R.M., & Robbins, S.B. (1998). The relationship between social connectedness and anxiety, self-esteem, and social identity. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 45(3),338-345.
59. Lepper, M., Corpus, J., & Henderlong, J. (2005). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivational orientations in the classroom: Age differences and academic correlates. Journal of Educational Psychology, 97, 184-196.
60. Lopez, S.J., & Snyder, C.R. (Eds.). (2003). Positive psychological assessment: A handbook of models and measures. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
61. Lyubomirsky, S., & Lepper, H.S. (1999). A measure of subjective happiness: Preliminary reliability and construct validation. Social Indicators Research, 46, 137-155.
62. MacCallum, R.C., Roznowski, M., & Necowitz, L.B. (1992). Model modification in covariance structure analysis: The problem of capitalization on chance. Psychological Bulletin, 111, 490-504.
63. Mahoney, J.L., Larson, R.W., & Eccles, J.S. (Eds.). (2005). Organized activities as contexts of development: Extracurricular activities, after-school and community programs. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
64. Martin, K., Huebner, E.S., & Valois, R.F. (2008). Does life satisfaction predict victimization experiences in adolescence? Psychology in the Schools, 45, 705-714.
65. Masten, A.S. (2001). Ordinary magic: Resilience processes in development. American Psychologist, 56, 227-238.
66. Mayer, J.D. (2000). Spiritual intelligence or spiritual consciousness? The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 10, 47-56.
67. McAdams, D.P., & Pals, J.L. (2006). A new big five: Fundamental principles for an integrative science of personality. American Psychologist, 61, 204-217.
68. McCullough, M.E., Emmons, R.A., & Tsang, J. (2002). The grateful disposition: A conceptual empirical topography. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82, 112-127.
69. McKnight, C.G., Huebner, E.S., & Suldo, S. (2002). Relationships among stressful life events, temperament, problem behavior, and global life satisfaction in adolescence. Psychology in the Schools, 39, 677-687.
70. Mesmer-Magnus, J., Viswesvaran, C., Deshpande, S., & Joseph, J. (2006). Social desirability: The role of overclaiming, self-esteem, and emotional intelligence. Psychology Science, 48, 336-356.
71. Myers, D.G. (1992). The pursuit of happiness: Discovering the pathway to fulfillment, well-being, and enduring personal joy. New York: HarperCollins.
72. Myers, D.G. (1999). Close relationships and quality of life. In D. Kahneman, E. Diener, & N. Schwarz (Eds.), Well being: The foundations of hedonic psychology (pp. 374-391). New York: Russell Sage Foundation.
73. Nakamura, J. (1988). Optimal experience and the use of talent. In M. Csikszentmihalyi & I. Selega (Eds.), Optimal experience: Psychological studies of flow in consciousness (pp. 319-326). New York: Cambridge University Press.
74. Nakamura, J., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2009). Flow theory and research. In C.R. Snyder & S.J. Lopez (Eds.), Handbook of positive psychology (2nd ed., pp. 195-206). New York: Oxford University Press.
75. Pavot, W., & Diener, E. (1993). Review of the satisfaction with Life Scale. Psychological Assessment, 5, 164-172.
76. Penner, L.A., & Finkelstein, M.A. (1998). Dispositional and structural determinants of volunteerism. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74, 525-537.
77. Philippe, F.L., Vallerand, R.J., & Lavigne, G.L. (2009). Passion does make a difference in people's lives: A look at well-being in passionate and non-passionate individuals. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-being, 1,3-22.
78. Piliavin, J.A., & Charng, H. (1990). Altruism: A review of recent theory and research. Annual Review of Sociology, 16,27-65.
79. Richins, M. (2004). The material values scale: Measurement properties and development of a short form. Journal of Consumer Research, 31, 209-219.
80. Richins, M.L., & Dawson, S. (1992). A consumer values orientation for materialism and its measurement: Scale development and validation. Journal of Consumer Research, 19, 303-316.
81. Roeser, R.W., Strobel, K.R., & Quihuis, G. (2002). Studying early adolescents' academic motivation, social-emotional functioning and engagement in learning: Variablesand person-centered approaches. Anxiety, Stress, and Coping: An International Journal, 15, 345-368.
82. Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and the adolescent self-image. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
83. Ryan, R.M., & Deci, E.L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55, 68-78.
84. Savin-Williams, R.C., & Berdt, T.J. (1990). Friendships and peer relations during adolescence. In S.S. Feldman & G.R. Elliot (Eds.), At the threshold: The developing adolescent. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
85. Seguin-Levesque, C., Laliberte, M.N., Pelletier, L.G., Blanchard, C., & Vallerand, R.J. (2003). Harmonious and obsessive passion for the Internet: Their associations with the couple's relationship. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 33, 197-221.
86. Seligman, M.E.P. (2002). Authentic happiness: Using the new positive psychology to realize your potential for lasting fulfillment. New York: Free Press.
87. Seligman, M.E.P., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2000). Positive psychology: An introduction. American Psychologist, 55, 5-14.
88. Seligson, J.L., Huebner, E.S., & Valois, R.F. (2003). Preliminary validation of the Brief Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scale (BMSLSS). Social Indicators Research, 61, 121-145.
89. Shapiro, S.L., & Carlson, L.E. (2009). The art and science of mindfulness: Integrating mindfulness into psychology and the helping professions. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association Publications.
90. Sheldon, K.M. (2002). The self-concordance model of healthy goal-striving: When personal goals correctly represent the person. In E.L. Deci & R.M. Ryan (Eds.), Handbook of self-determination research (pp. 65-86). Rochester, NY: University of Rochester Press.
91. Sheldon, K.M., & Kasser, T. (1995). Coherence and congruence: Two aspects of personality integration. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 68, 531-543.
92. Silverberg, S.B., & Steinberg, L. (1990). Psychological wellbeing of parents with early adolescent children. Developmental Psychology, 26, 658-666.
93. Simmel, G. (1950). The sociology of Georg Simmel. Glencoe, IL: Free Press.
94. Smith, R.H., & Kim, S.H. (2007). Comprehending envy. Psychological Bulletin, 133, 46-64.
95. Smith, R.H., Parrott, W.G., Diener, E.F., Hoyle, R.H., & Kim, S.H. (1999). Dispositional envy. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 25, 1007-1020.
96. Snyder, C.R. (2002). Hope theory: Rainbows in the mind. Psychological Inquiry, 13, 249-275.
97. Snyder, C.R., Hoza, B., Pelham, W.E., & Rapoff, M. (1997). The development and validation of the Children's Hope Scale. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 22, 399-421.
98. Steger, M.F., Frazier, P., Oishi, S., & Kaler, M. (2006). The meaning in life questionnaire: Assessing the presence of and search for meaning in life. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 53, 80-93.
99. Stepick, A., Stepick, C.A., & Labissiere, Y. (2008). South Florida's immigrant youth and civic engagement: Major engagement: Minor differences. Applied Developmental Science, 12, 57-65.
100. Suldo, S.M., & Huebner, E.S. (2004). Does life satisfaction moderate the effects of stressful life events on psychopathological behavior during adolescence. School Psychology Quarterly, 19, 93-105.
101. Suldo, S.M., & Shaffer, E.J. (2008). Looking beyond psychopathology: The dual-factor model of mental health in youth. School Psychology Review, 37, 52-68.
102. Tanaka, J.S. (1993). Multifaceted conceptions of fit instructural equation models. In K.A. Bollen & J.S. Long (Eds.), Testing structural equation models (pp. 10-39). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
103. Thomas, M., & Watkins, P. (2003, April). Measuring the grateful trait: Development of the revised GRAT. Poster session presented at the Annual Convention of the Western Psychological Association, Vancouver, BC.
104. Vallerand, R.J. (2008). On the psychology of passion: In search of what makes people's lives most worth living. Canadian Psychology, 49, 1-13.
105. Vallerand, R.J., Blanchard, C.M., Mageau, G.A., Koestner, R., Ratelle, C., Leonard, M., & Gagne, M. (2003). Les passions de l'ame: On obsessive and harmonious passion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85, 756-767.
106. Valois, R.F., Paxton, R., Zullig, K., & Huebner, E.S. (2006). Life satisfaction and violent behaviors among middle school students. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 15, 695-707.
107. Valois, R.F., Zullig, K., & Huebner, E.S. (2001). Relationship between life satisfaction and violent behaviors among adolescents. American Journal of Health Behavior, 25, 353-366.
108. Veenhoven, R. (1988). The utility of happiness. Social Indicators Research, 20, 333-354.
109. Verkuyten, M., & Thijs, J. (2002). School satisfaction of elementary school children: The role of performance, peer relations, ethnicity, and gender. Social Indicators Research, 59,203-228.
110. Vuchinich, S., Bank, L., & Patterson, G.R. (1992). Parenting, peers, and the stability of antisocial behavior in preadolescent boys. Developmental Psychology, 28, 510-521.
111. Warden, D., Cheyne, B., Christie, D., Fitzpatrick, H., & Reid, K. (2003). Assessing children's perceptions of prosocial and antisocial peer behaviour. Educational Psychology, 23, 547-567.
112. Weissman, M.M., Orvaschel, H., & Padian, N. (1980). Children's symptoms and social functioning self-report scales: Comparison of mothers' and children's reports. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 168, 736-740.
113. Wentzel, K.R. (1998). Social relationships and motivation in middle school: The role of parents, teachers, and peers. Journal of Educational Psychology, 90, 202-209.
114. Yeh, H., & Lempers, J.D. (2004). Perceived sibling relationships and adolescent development. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 33, 133-147.
115. Zullig, K.J., Valois, R.T., & Huebner, E.S. (2001). Relationship between perceived life satisfaction and adolescents' substance abuse. Journal of Adolescent Health, 29, 279-288.
116. Zwick, W.R., & Velicer, W.F. (1986). Factors influencing five rules for determining the number of components to retain. Psychological Bulletin, 99, 432-442.