Unit 4 Source of Personal Well-Being

By: Cicilia Evi GradDiplSc., M. Psi

The Sources

• Understanding the sources is an important step in constructing action plans and exploring strategies for its attainment

• Biopsychosocial sources:– Biological and Constitutional Factors – Early Parenting Experiences – Emotional Intelligence– Loving Relationship

Biological and Constitutional Factors

• Thomas & Chess (1977) biologically individual differences among babies: activity, emotion, ability to self-regulate can also be modulated by environment

• 3 types: easy, difficult, slow to warm up • Twin studies highly similar in various

measurement of personality, incld subjective well-being (Diener & Lucas, 1999)

Biological and Constitutional … (2)

• McCrae & Costa (1990) 5 personality traits• Neuroticism negative emotions• Extraversion preference for relating to

others• Openness to experience• Agreeableness • Conscientiousness

Early Parenting Experiences

• Mary Ainsworth’s Strange Situation (1978)• John Bowlby’s Attachment Theory (1982) – Secure solid relationship, free to explore– Anxious-ambivalent no consistent care – Avoidant rejecting and unresponsive

• Hazan & Shaver (1987, 2004) links between early attachment styles with primary caregivers and later romantic relationships

Emotional Intelligence

• Peter Sallovey then popularized by Daniel Goleman

• Defined as “abilities such as being able to motivate oneself and persist in the face of frustrations; to control impulse and delay gratifications; to regulate one’s moods and keep distress from swamping the ability to think; to empathize and to hope” (Goleman, 1994, p. 34)

Emotional Intelligence (2)

• Four key elements:– self awareness: knowledge of one’s emotions,

strengths, limitations and value system – Self-management: ability to control disruptive

emotions and impulse – Social awareness: ability to empathize with others – Relationship management: ability to cultivate and

maintain a web of relationships, resolve interpersonal conflict, work positively and collaboratively with other people

Loving Relationships

• Married individuals live longer, survive health problems and less prone to serious mental health problems

• Need to affiliate is a basic human need from the moment of birth and throughout our lives

• We are largely shaped by our relationships with close others

Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love

Intimacy

Passion Commitment

Loving Relationships (2)

• Relationship maintenance mechanism by which partners conserve, protect and enhance the health of their important relationships, once those relationships have achieved some degree of closeness – is essential to the longevity of a relationship (Reis & Rusbult, 2004)

Loving Relationships (3)

• Self-disclosure and partner responsiveness elements in development of intimacy

• Reveal personal information, thoughts and feelings to their loved ones

• Happy couples have a wealth of positive thoughts and feelings toward one another (Gottman, 1999) reflected in their daily interactions and serves to protect them in times of conflict

Organizational Sources of Personal Well-Being

Why is it important?

• Because the emotional climate in the organizations and the opportunities provided for growth and engagement will affect overall levels of satisfaction and personal well-being

Compare These Situations!

Emotional Climate and Group Cohesion

• Sense of belonging and commitment to the group, enjoy spending time with other group members, and less likely to suffer from stress related to social and interpersonal factors enthusiastic about the group and its work, have + expectations

• Cohesion creates a healthier work environment individual can thrive

Emotional Climate and Group Cohesion (2)

• Group dynamics stages:– Storming conflict is unpleasant, but needed as

required ingredients for group cohesion – Forming disagreement can be expressed and

conflict can be resolved– Norming sufficiently mature to reach optimal

level of productivity • Feelings are contagious a toxic environment

at work spillover effect into family life

Compare These Situations!

Opportunities for Growth, Engagement, and Self-Determination

• Features of work that correlate with personal well-being (Warr, 1999):– Opportunities for personal control : make decision,

autonomy, and freedom of choice– Not being trusted and work at micromanaged

system getting low when boss isn’t around• Engaged workers report happy feeling while

on the job, because it is important for them and report much higher of overall life satisfaction

The Intersection of Work and Family

• Disengaged workers much more likely to have a spillover of stress and unhappiness from their work life to home life

• Role enhancement perspective multiple roles are advantageous

• Role strain perspective difficulty to meet the requirements of every role

• Poverty is a problem not the working parents

Community Sources of Personal Well-Being

Why Is It Important?

• Social factors can create stress strong enough to undermine the foundation of resilience laid early in life through attachment and bonding

• On the other hand, enabling environments and social propitious can help to undo negative sequels of a tough childhood (Ungar, 2005)

Social Gradient

• Not just about absolute poverty but also relative deprivation when you have physiological and security needs met, but you feel inferior or less, compare to others

• Impact of social status on well-being is big • What if you’re on the lower step of social

ladder?

Stress

• Extended exposure to conflict and stress can create permanent physiological and psychological damage

• More vulnerable to wide range of health problems infections, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, depression and aggression (Wilkinson & Marmot, 2003)

Early Life

• Basic emotional and organic needs in early life has a paramount importance

• Reduction of risk factors + enhancement of protective factors = family and social priority

• Resilience starts in the womb (Ungar, 2005)

Social Exclusion

• Due to disability, race, gender, class or immigrant status excluded from the mainstream of the society

• Prolonged exposure to exclusion diminishes self-worth and health

• Physical environment can also feel excluding and isolating

Work

• Coronary heart disease has a lot to do with working conditions and especially with level of control

• Control at work is determined by a number of factors: position, climate, seniority, age, race and gender

Job Security

• Alleviates worries and provide a meaningful identity for many, occupational stress and all

• Unemployment is a major source of anxiety, depression and low self-image, not to mention economic instability and downright poverty (Frey & Stutzer, 2002; Fryer, 1998)

Social Support

• Has been found to have direct effects on well-being and indirect effects as a buffer against stress

• Inviting VS isolating environments defined by many factors: numbers of friends, shops, transportations system, street life

Addictions

• People turn to tobacco and alcohol to numb the pain of isolation and deprivation deepens their problems

• Reflect social gradient lower class shows much higher number of addictions

Food

• Malnutrition VS obesity epidemic • Environmental influences such as subsidies for

corn, culture, prices and community characteristics – interact with personal preferences

Transportation

• Mode of transportation contributes to either pollution or clean air

• Car-driven society single-occupancy vehicles