Fear-setting: A Brief Writing Intervention Increases Motivation to Reach Personal Goals and Positive Affect

IF 3.1 2区心理学 Q1 PSYCHOLOGY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Journal of Happiness Studies Pub Date : 2024-06-21 DOI:10.1007/s10902-024-00767-2

Aljoscha Dreisoerner, Johannes Bodo Heekerens, Verena Karle, Janine Mendes Pawelkiewicz

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Abstract

Striving towards personally meaningful goals is positively related to well-being. We investigate a brief writing intervention, instructing individuals to define and reappraise their fears related to personally meaningful goals and/or desired personal changes. 154 participants were randomized into a fear-setting writing intervention plus psychoeducation (n = 92), or a waitlist control group (n = 62). Participants filled out questionnaires at baseline, posttest, and 1-week follow-up. Latent change scores models revealed significantly larger increases in motivation to act (subscale perceived success probability, d = 0.27) and positive affect (d = 0.40) in the intervention compared to the control group from baseline to posttest. Results indicate that the effects persisted at the 1-week follow-up. In addition, we found a significant decrease in fear of failure (subscale fear of shame and embarrassment) from baseline to follow-up in the intervention condition (but not from baseline to the posttest). We found no significant effects of fear-setting for motivation to act (subscale fear of no success), fear of failure (subscale fear of devaluing one?s self-estimate), self-efficacy, negative affect, and optimism. This study provides initial evidence that fear-setting can assist people in changing motivation-related cognitive-affective states related to goal attainment and well-being.

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设置恐惧：简短的写作干预能增强实现个人目标的动力和积极情感

努力实现有意义的个人目标与幸福感呈正相关。我们研究了一种简短的写作干预，指导个人定义并重新评估与有意义的个人目标和/或期望的个人改变相关的恐惧。154名参与者被随机分为恐惧设定写作干预加心理教育组（n = 92）或候补对照组（n = 62）。参与者在基线、测试后和一周随访时填写了问卷。潜在变化得分模型显示，从基线到测试后，干预组与对照组相比，行动动机（分量表感知成功概率，d = 0.27）和积极情绪（d = 0.40）的增加幅度明显更大。结果表明，这些效果在一周的随访中持续存在。此外，我们还发现，从基线到随访，干预组对失败的恐惧（子量表对羞耻和尴尬的恐惧）明显减少（但从基线到测试后的恐惧没有减少）。我们发现，恐惧设置对行动动机（对不成功的恐惧分量表）、对失败的恐惧（对贬低自我评价的恐惧分量表）、自我效能感、消极情绪和乐观情绪均无明显影响。这项研究提供了初步证据，证明恐惧设置可以帮助人们改变与实现目标和幸福感相关的动机认知-情感状态。

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来源期刊

Journal of Happiness Studies Multiple-

CiteScore

8.60

自引率

6.50%

发文量

110

期刊介绍： The international peer-reviewed Journal of Happiness Studies is devoted to theoretical and applied advancements in all areas of well-being research. It covers topics referring to both the hedonic and eudaimonic perspectives characterizing well-being studies. The former includes the investigation of cognitive dimensions such as satisfaction with life, and positive affect and emotions. The latter includes the study of constructs and processes related to optimal psychological functioning, such as meaning and purpose in life, character strengths, personal growth, resilience, optimism, hope, and self-determination. In addition to contributions on appraisal of life-as-a-whole, the journal accepts papers investigating these topics in relation to specific domains, such as family, education, physical and mental health, and work. The journal welcomes high-quality theoretical and empirical submissions in the fields of economics, psychology and sociology, as well as contributions from researchers in the domains of education, medicine, philosophy and other related fields. The Journal of Happiness Studies provides a forum for three main areas in happiness research: 1) theoretical conceptualizations of well-being, happiness and the good life; 2) empirical investigation of well-being and happiness in different populations, contexts and cultures; 3) methodological advancements and development of new assessment instruments. The journal addresses the conceptualization, operationalization and measurement of happiness and well-being dimensions, as well as the individual, socio-economic and cultural factors that may interact with them as determinants or outcomes. Central Questions include, but are not limited to: Conceptualization: What meanings are denoted by terms like happiness and well-being? How do these fit in with broader conceptions of the good life? Operationalization and Measurement: Which methods can be used to assess how people feel about life? How to operationalize a new construct or an understudied dimension in the well-being domain? What are the best measures for investigating specific well-being related constructs and dimensions? Prevalence and causality Do individuals belonging to different populations and cultures vary in their well-being ratings? How does individual well-being relate to social and economic phenomena (characteristics, circumstances, behavior, events, and policies)? What are the personal, social and economic determinants and causes of individual well-being dimensions? Evaluation: What are the consequences of well-being for individual development and socio-economic progress? Are individual happiness and well-being worthwhile goals for governments and policy makers? Does well-being represent a useful parameter to orient planning in physical and mental healthcare, and in public health? Interdisciplinary studies: How has the study of happiness developed within and across disciplines? Can we link philosophical thought and empirical research? What are the biological correlates of well-being dimensions?