TY - JOUR A1 - Ring, Raphaela M. A1 - Eisenmann, Clemens A1 - Kandil, Farid A1 - Steckhan, Nico A1 - Demmrich, Sarah A1 - Klatte, Caroline A1 - Kessler, Christian S. A1 - Jeitler, Michael A1 - Boschmann, Michael A1 - Michalsen, Andreas A1 - Blakeslee, Sarah B. A1 - Stöckigt, Barbara A1 - Stritter, Wiebke A1 - Koppold-Liebscher, Daniela A. T1 - Mental and behavioural responses to Bahá’í fasting: Looking behind the scenes of a religiously motivated intermittent fast using a mixed methods approach JF - Nutrients N2 - Background/Objective: Historically, fasting has been practiced not only for medical but also for religious reasons. Baha'is follow an annual religious intermittent dry fast of 19 days. We inquired into motivation behind and subjective health impacts of Baha'i fasting. Methods: A convergent parallel mixed methods design was embedded in a clinical single arm observational study. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted before (n = 7), during (n = 8), and after fasting (n = 8). Three months after the fasting period, two focus group interviews were conducted (n = 5/n = 3). A total of 146 Baha'i volunteers answered an online survey at five time points before, during, and after fasting. Results: Fasting was found to play a central role for the religiosity of interviewees, implying changes in daily structures, spending time alone, engaging in religious practices, and experiencing social belonging. Results show an increase in mindfulness and well-being, which were accompanied by behavioural changes and experiences of self-efficacy and inner freedom. Survey scores point to an increase in mindfulness and well-being during fasting, while stress, anxiety, and fatigue decreased. Mindfulness remained elevated even three months after the fast. Conclusion: Baha'i fasting seems to enhance participants' mindfulness and well-being, lowering stress levels and reducing fatigue. Some of these effects lasted more than three months after fasting. KW - intermittent food restriction KW - mindfulness KW - self-efficacy KW - well-being KW - mixed methods KW - health behaviour KW - coping ability KW - religiously motivated KW - dry fasting Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14051038 SN - 2072-6643 VL - 14 IS - 5 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Milosevic, Tijana A1 - Bhroin, Niamh Ni A1 - Olafsson, Kjartan A1 - Staksrud, Elisabeth A1 - Wachs, Sebastian T1 - Time spent online and children's self-reported life satisfaction in Norway BT - the socio-ecological perspective JF - New media & society N2 - Despite public discourses highlighting the negative consequences of time spent online (TSO) for children's well-being, Norwegian children (aged 9-16 years) use the Internet more than other European children and score higher on self-reported life satisfaction (SRLS). To explore the possibility that TSO might contribute to high life satisfaction or other underlying explanatory factors, we investigate the relationship between TSO and SRLS in Norway while also accounting for how individual, family, school, and broader social circumstances influence this relationship. Countering prevailing discourses, we find a positive relationship between TSO and SRLS, which remains positive and significant even after a wider range of variables are accounted for. By explaining the circumstances under which TSO has a positive effect on SRLS, this article provides evidence of the complex role that digital technology plays in the lives of children. It also provides a critique of the often simplistic arguments found in public discourses around children's digital media use. KW - children and media KW - family KW - Internet use KW - Norway KW - self-reported life KW - satisfaction KW - well-being Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448221082651 SN - 1461-4448 SN - 1461-7315 PB - Sage Publ. CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Meier, Adrian A1 - Krause, Hannes-Vincent T1 - Does passive social media use harm well-being? BT - an adversarial review JF - Journal of media psychology N2 - Research into the effects of social media on well-being often distinguishes “active” and “passive” use, with passive use supposedly more harmful to well-being (i.e., the passive use hypothesis). Recently, several studies and reviews have begun to question this hypothesis and its conceptual basis, the active/passive dichotomy. As this dichotomy has become a staple of social media research but evidence challenging its validity is mounting, a comprehensive debate on its pros, cons, and potential future is needed. This adversarial review brings together two voices – one more supportive, and the other more critical – toward the active/passive model. In constructive dialogue, we summarize and contrast our two opposing positions: The first position argues that the active/passive dichotomy is a useful framework because it adequately describes how and why passive use is (more) harmful for well-being. The second position challenges the validity of the dichotomy and the passive use hypothesis specifically. Arguments are presented alongside (a) the empirical basis, (b) conceptualization, and (c) operationalization of active and passive use, with particular focus on the passive use hypothesis. Rather than offering a conciliatory summary of the status quo, the goal of this review is to carve out key points of friction in the literature on the effects of social media through fruitful debate. We summarize our main agreements and unresolved disagreements on the merits and shortcomings of the active/passive dichotomy. In doing so, this review paves the way for researchers to decide whether and how they want to continue applying this lens in their future work. KW - social media KW - active/passive dichotomy KW - well-being KW - adversarial review Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1027/1864-1105/a000358 SN - 1864-1105 SN - 2151-2388 VL - 35 IS - 3 SP - 169 EP - 180 PB - Hogrefe CY - Göttingen ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Balderjahn, Ingo A1 - Seegebarth, Barbara A1 - Lee, Michael S. W. T1 - Less is more! BT - The rationale behind the decision-making style of voluntary simplifiers JF - Journal of cleaner production N2 - Enhancing consumer satisfaction and well-being is an important objective of companies, retailers and public policy makers. In the current debate on climate change, a consistent theme is that consumers in developed countries must learn to consume less. The present study (based on representative data sets from the US, N = 1,017, and Germany, N = 1030) addresses these issues by using a scenario-based experiment to analyze how satisfied voluntary simplifiers (people who voluntarily abstain from consumption) are with their purchase decisions in the case of a muesli brand. The research question is whether people who follow a sustainable, simple lifestyle are more satisfied with their daily consumption choices than people who have a more consumerist lifestyle. If so, it would be easier for many people to change their lifestyles and consume less. In addition, this scenario experiment manipulates consumer empowerment and decision complexity since both factors are supposed to influence purchase satisfaction. The results are consistent across both countries and indicate that voluntary simplifiers experience a higher level of purchasing satisfaction than non-simplifiers, whereby empowerment and decision complexity play different roles. KW - voluntarily simplicity KW - well-being KW - consumer empowerment KW - decision complexity KW - sustainable consumption Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.124802 SN - 0959-6526 SN - 1879-1786 VL - 284 PB - Elsevier Science CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schulz, Anika D. A1 - Schöllgen, Ina A1 - Wendsche, Johannes A1 - Fay, Doris A1 - Wegge, Jürgen T1 - The dynamics of social stressors and detachment BT - long term mechanisms impacting well-being JF - International journal of stress management N2 - This study examines the long-term dynamics of social stressors at work, psychological detachment, and their impact on employee well-being. Previous research has shown that social stressors are detrimental for employee well-being and the ability to mentally detach from work. However, longitudinal studies in this field are scarce, and typically, they only explore whether the level of stressors, or of detachment, at a given point in time has an effect on outcomes. That stressors and detachment may change over time, and that this change may have an independent effect in the process, has rarely been taken into consideration. Thus, it is unclear to what extent long-term dynamic effects also play a role in these relations. To address this question, we investigated whether change in detachment explains the long-term indirect relationship of change in perceived social stressors with change in emotional exhaustion and mental well-being. Data were taken from a longitudinal study of N = 246 registered nurses with up to 3 measurements over 1 year. Analyses were conducted with latent difference scores using a proportional change model. Results revealed that a decline in psychological detachment mediated the long-term effects of increases in social stressors at the workplace on subsequent change in emotional exhaustion and mental well-being. Thus, our study provides initial evidence for the underlying long-term dynamic nature of relationships among social stressors, detachment, and employee well-being, highlighting the incremental explanatory power of change in social stressors and in detachment, above and beyond their respective levels, in predicting change in well-being. KW - psychological detachment KW - job stress KW - emotional exhaustion KW - well-being KW - longitudinal study Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1037/str0000216 SN - 1072-5245 SN - 1573-3424 VL - 28 IS - 3 SP - 207 EP - 219 PB - American Psychological Association CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Gamez-Guadix, Manuel A1 - Wachs, Sebastian A1 - Wright, Michelle F. T1 - "Haters back off!" psychometric properties of the coping with cyberhate questionnaire and relationship with well-being in Spanish adolescents JF - Psicothema N2 - Background: Cyberhate is a growing form of online aggression against a person or a group based on race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, gender, religion, or disability. The present study aims to examine psychometric properties of the Coping with Cyberhate Questionnaire, the prevalence of coping strategies in Spanish adolescents, differences in coping strategies based in sex, age, and victim status, and the association between coping with cyberhate and adolescents' mental well-being. Method: The sample consisted of 1,005 adolescents between 12 and 18 years old (Mage = 14.28 years, SD = 1.63; 51.9% girls) who completed self-report measures on coping strategies, victimization status, and mental well-being. Results: The results of confirmatory factor analyses showed a structure for the Coping with Cyberhate Questionnaire composed of six factors, namely Distal advice, Assertiveness, Helplessness/Selfblame, Close support, Technical coping, and Retaliation. It demonstrated acceptable internal consistency. The three most frequently endorsed coping strategies were Technical coping, Close support, and Assertiveness. In addition, lower Helplessness/Self-blame, and higher Close-support, Assertiveness, and Distal advice were significantly related to adolescents' better mental well-being. Conclusion: Prevention programs that educate adolescents about how to deal with cyberhate are needed. KW - cybervictimization KW - hate speech KW - well-being Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.7334/psicothema2020.219 SN - 0214-9915 SN - 1886-144X VL - 32 IS - 4 SP - 567 EP - 574 PB - Colegio oficial de psicologos de asturias CY - Oviedo ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hoferichter, Frances A1 - Kulakow, Stefan A1 - Hufenbach, Miriam Catrin T1 - Support from parents, peers, and teachers is differently associated with middle school students’ well-being JF - Frontiers in psychology N2 - Parents, peers, and teachers provide a powerful context for school students' well-being. However, a detailed and systematic analysis of how parental, peer, and teacher support relate to students' well-being, measured by the dimensions self-worth, psychological and physical well-being, is still missing. To address this research gap, the following study investigates 733 adolescent German students from grades 7 and 8 (M-age = 13.97, SD = 0.41, 52% girls) with respect to their perceived supportive relationships at home and within the school context. The study considers gender, socioeconomic status, and school form as potential confounders. The results of the structural equation model, analyzed with the statistical software R, indicate that perceived teacher support was positively related to students' self-worth and physical well-being, while peer support was related to psychological well-being. Students who perceived their parents as supportive reported higher well-being with respect to all three dimensions investigated. KW - social support KW - teachers KW - peers KW - parents KW - middle school students KW - well-being Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.758226 SN - 1664-1078 VL - 12 PB - Frontiers Media CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Krause, Hannes-Vincent A1 - Große Deters, Fenne A1 - Baumann, Annika A1 - Krasnova, Hanna T1 - Active social media use and its impact on well-being BT - an experimental study on the effects of posting pictures on Instagram JF - Journal of computer-mediated communication : a journal of the International Communication Association N2 - Active use of social networking sites (SNSs) has long been assumed to benefit users' well-being. However, this established hypothesis is increasingly being challenged, with scholars criticizing its lack of empirical support and the imprecise conceptualization of active use. Nevertheless, with considerable heterogeneity among existing studies on the hypothesis and causal evidence still limited, a final verdict on its robustness is still pending. To contribute to this ongoing debate, we conducted a week-long randomized control trial with N = 381 adult Instagram users recruited via Prolific. Specifically, we tested how active SNS use, operationalized as picture postings on Instagram, affects different dimensions of well-being. The results depicted a positive effect on users' positive affect but null findings for other well-being outcomes. The findings broadly align with the recent criticism against the active use hypothesis and support the call for a more nuanced view on the impact of SNSs.
Lay Summary Active use of social networking sites (SNSs) has long been assumed to benefit users' well-being. However, this established assumption is increasingly being challenged, with scholars criticizing its lack of empirical support and the imprecise conceptualization of active use. Nevertheless, with great diversity among conducted studies on the hypothesis and a lack of causal evidence, a final verdict on its viability is still pending. To contribute to this ongoing debate, we conducted a week-long experimental investigation with 381 adult Instagram users. Specifically, we tested how posting pictures on Instagram affects different aspects of well-being. The results of this study depicted a positive effect of posting Instagram pictures on users' experienced positive emotions but no effects on other aspects of well-being. The findings broadly align with the recent criticism against the active use hypothesis and support the call for a more nuanced view on the impact of SNSs on users. KW - social networking sites KW - social media KW - Instagram KW - well-being KW - experiment KW - randomized control trial Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1093/jcmc/zmac037 SN - 1083-6101 VL - 28 IS - 1 PB - Oxford Univ. Press CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hüttel, Alexandra A1 - Balderjahn, Ingo T1 - The coronavirus pandemic BT - a window of opportunity for sustainable consumption or a time of turning away? JF - The Journal of consumer affairs N2 - As a means to preserve present and future generations' living conditions, sustainable consumption presents a route to the enhanced well-being of individuals. However, the occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic raises the question of whether society is going to continue down a path of increased awareness of sustainable consumption or whether the pandemic will move people to focus more on themselves. Based on data gathered before and near the end of the first pandemic lockdown in Germany in spring 2020, this research demonstrates that ecological, social, and voluntary simplicity consciousness deteriorated in the minds of sustainability-conscious consumers, with notable impacts on their willingness to spend sustainably and their shopping affinity. Furthermore, we identify segments that show particular vulnerability to the lockdown by reacting with a decrease in their ecological consumption consciousness. This study concludes with a discussion of the pandemic's implications for the spread of sustainable consumption styles and human well-being. KW - coronavirus pandemic KW - intervention study KW - sustainable consumption KW - well-being Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/joca.12419 SN - 1745-6606 VL - 56 IS - 1 SP - 68 EP - 96 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ventura-Bort, Carlos A1 - Wendt, Julia A1 - Weymar, Mathias T1 - The Role of Interoceptive Sensibility and Emotional Conceptualization for the Experience of Emotions JF - Frontiers in psychology N2 - The theory of constructed emotions suggests that different psychological components, including core affect (mental and neural representations of bodily changes), and conceptualization (meaning-making based on prior experiences and semantic knowledge), are involved in the formation of emotions. However, little is known about their role in experiencing emotions. In the current study, we investigated how individual differences in interoceptive sensibility and emotional conceptualization (as potential correlates of these components) interact to moderate three important aspects of emotional experiences: emotional intensity (strength of emotion felt), arousal (degree of activation), and granularity (ability to differentiate emotions with precision). To this end, participants completed a series of questionnaires assessing interoceptive sensibility and emotional conceptualization and underwent two emotion experience tasks, which included standardized material (emotion differentiation task; ED task) and self-experienced episodes (day reconstruction method; DRM). Correlational analysis showed that individual differences in interoceptive sensibility and emotional conceptualization were related to each other. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed two independent factors that were referred to as sensibility and monitoring. The Sensibility factor, interpreted as beliefs about the accuracy of an individual in detecting internal physiological and emotional states, predicted higher granularity for negative words. The Monitoring factor, interpreted as the tendency to focus on the internal states of an individual, was negatively related to emotional granularity and intensity. Additionally, Sensibility scores were more strongly associated with greater well-being and adaptability measures than Monitoring scores. Our results indicate that independent processes underlying individual differences in interoceptive sensibility and emotional conceptualization contribute to emotion experiencing. KW - emotion KW - granularity KW - emotional intensity KW - well-being KW - adaptability KW - interoceptive sensibility KW - interoception Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.712418 SN - 1664-1078 VL - 12 SP - 1 EP - 15 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne, Schweiz ER -