How Do Simple Positive Activities Increase Well-Being?
Top Cited Papers
- 1 February 2013
- journal article
- research article
- Published by SAGE Publications in Current Directions in Psychological Science
- Vol. 22 (1), 57-62
- https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721412469809
Abstract
Theory and research suggest that people can increase their happiness through simple intentional positive activities, such as expressing gratitude or practicing kindness. Investigators have recently begun to study the optimal conditions under which positive activities increase happiness and the mechanisms by which these effects work. According to our positive-activity model, features of positive activities (e.g., their dosage and variety), features of persons (e.g., their motivation and effort), and person-activity fit moderate the effect of positive activities on well-being. Furthermore, the model posits four mediating variables: positive emotions, positive thoughts, positive behaviors, and need satisfaction. Empirical evidence supporting the model and future directions are discussed.Keywords
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