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Identifying different conceptions of success and how these relate to wellbeing is an important area of research. These insights would be especially beneficial for young people who can be guided through school education to reflect on core values, life goals, and indices of success to promote aspirations that will be conducive to wellbeing. Through a systematic review of the empirical and grey literature, we identify and review 17 studies investigating secondary-school students’ (12–18 years) success conceptions and their association with various components of wellbeing. Results indicate that this area of research has received scant attention in the literature. Nevertheless, there is preliminary evidence to suggest that adolescents value intrinsic success such as self-actualisation, personal satisfaction, and connection and that particular patterns of success beliefs associated with personal development and goal striving relate positively to wellbeing. This is consistent with fulfilling the basic psychological needs of autonomy, relatedness, and competency that are associated with internalised motivation and enhanced wellbeing. These insights can guide the content of education programmes focused on identifying life values and aspirations whilst concurrently fostering wellbeing. In addition, gender and developmental stage should be taken into consideration when developing success and wellbeing educational initiatives.
Anneliese Gill; Kylie Trask-Kerr; Dianne Vella-Brodrick. Systematic Review of Adolescent Conceptions of Success: Implications for Wellbeing and Positive Education. Educational Psychology Review 2021, 1 -30.
AMA StyleAnneliese Gill, Kylie Trask-Kerr, Dianne Vella-Brodrick. Systematic Review of Adolescent Conceptions of Success: Implications for Wellbeing and Positive Education. Educational Psychology Review. 2021; ():1-30.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAnneliese Gill; Kylie Trask-Kerr; Dianne Vella-Brodrick. 2021. "Systematic Review of Adolescent Conceptions of Success: Implications for Wellbeing and Positive Education." Educational Psychology Review , no. : 1-30.
Wellbeing literacy (WL) may be the missing ingredient required to optimally enhance or enable positive psychology intervention (PPI) effectiveness. This study involved Victorian government funded primary schools, including two rural, two regional, and two city schools; participants included 20 classroom teachers and 131 grade five and six primary school students. A brief online PPI was implemented by teachers for 10–15 min, three times per week, for six weeks. This paper examines quantitative data collected pre and post the six week intervention, and qualitative data gathered in week one of the intervention regarding intervention effectiveness. The aim is to examine if a brief online PPI effectively builds intentional emotional vocabulary use, and to discuss how on-line PPIs can be used in public health to improve young people’s WL. Considering evaluations of process effectiveness and outcome measures related to student emotional vocabulary use, results tentatively suggest that online PPIs can positively impact emotional vocabulary capability and intentionality. Multimodal communication was exercised during the PPI, suggesting that the brief online PPI format may provide a valuable tool to promote student WL.
Jacqueline Francis; Tan-Chyuan Chin; Dianne Vella-Brodrick. Examining Emotional Literacy Development Using a Brief On-Line Positive Psychology Intervention with Primary School Children. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2020, 17, 7612 .
AMA StyleJacqueline Francis, Tan-Chyuan Chin, Dianne Vella-Brodrick. Examining Emotional Literacy Development Using a Brief On-Line Positive Psychology Intervention with Primary School Children. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020; 17 (20):7612.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJacqueline Francis; Tan-Chyuan Chin; Dianne Vella-Brodrick. 2020. "Examining Emotional Literacy Development Using a Brief On-Line Positive Psychology Intervention with Primary School Children." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17, no. 20: 7612.
Cognitive Load Theory is an evolutionary based theory of learning centered upon the cognitive architecture of the brain, which outlines a series of empirically based instructional effects that ensure efficient and effective learning. While the research upon which Cognitive Load Theory is based has generally aimed at controlling the impacts of the surrounding environment, the impact of individual psycho-social factors such as a student's level of well-being have not, as yet, been fully explored. This review was conducted using the Scopus database focusing on the Cognitive Load Theory Instructional Effects literature. The review proposes that well-being may act as a cognitive load reducing agent for students and offers evidence from the broader literature on mechanisms through which well-being reduces the cognitive load placed upon a student's working memory. The proposed mechanisms of reducing extraneous load and increasing germane load are proposed through; the presence of positive emotions, the absence of painful emotions, high levels of academic buoyancy, and cognitive regulation.
Benjamin. S. Hawthorne; Dianne Vella-Brodrick; John Hattie. Well-Being as a Cognitive Load Reducing Agent: A Review of the Literature. Frontiers in Education 2019, 4, 1 .
AMA StyleBenjamin. S. Hawthorne, Dianne Vella-Brodrick, John Hattie. Well-Being as a Cognitive Load Reducing Agent: A Review of the Literature. Frontiers in Education. 2019; 4 ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBenjamin. S. Hawthorne; Dianne Vella-Brodrick; John Hattie. 2019. "Well-Being as a Cognitive Load Reducing Agent: A Review of the Literature." Frontiers in Education 4, no. : 1.
Positive psychology and positive education aim to broaden the definition of prosperity and success to include well-being. This qualitative study sought to explore whether students in a school with a school-wide approach to positive education expressed different ideas about prosperity and success than students who have not received explicit positive education training. Using thematic analysis techniques and with reference to Seligman’s PERMA and Cummins’ Personal Well-being Index (PWI) frameworks, the writing tasks of 205 Year 10 students were analysed. Results showed that positive education students attributed success and prosperity to relationships more frequently than students who had not participated in the positive education programme, and discussed money as indicative of success less frequently. Social equity, health and collective well-being did not feature prominently in positive education students’ responses, suggesting potential for further development of positive education programmes to promote these elements of prosperity and engender a more social definition of success.
Kylie Trask-Kerr; Tan-Chyuan Chin; Dianne Vella-Brodrick. Positive education and the new prosperity: Exploring young people’s conceptions of prosperity and success. Australian Journal of Education 2019, 63, 190 -208.
AMA StyleKylie Trask-Kerr, Tan-Chyuan Chin, Dianne Vella-Brodrick. Positive education and the new prosperity: Exploring young people’s conceptions of prosperity and success. Australian Journal of Education. 2019; 63 (2):190-208.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKylie Trask-Kerr; Tan-Chyuan Chin; Dianne Vella-Brodrick. 2019. "Positive education and the new prosperity: Exploring young people’s conceptions of prosperity and success." Australian Journal of Education 63, no. 2: 190-208.
There is increasing interest in students well-being at school. One useful approach to improving school well-being is adopting strengths-based programmes. Many studies use teachers to deliver strengths programmes. However, little is known about how teachers influence the success of these interventions. This possible mediating effect of teachers forms the focus of the present analysis. Ten teachers and their classrooms participated in the study, seven in the intervention group and three in the control group, as part of a larger study. The intervention was delivered by a trained facilitator over 6 weeks and the teachers acted as support during these sessions encouragement to continue between sessions. The strengths intervention was associated with several improved student outcomes. Models showed that the student outcomes that were mediated by changes in teacher strengths spotting were: positive affect, classroom engagement, and need satisfaction (autonomy, competence and relatedness). Student negative affect and strengths use were not mediated by teacher strengths spotting. This finding suggests that programme effectiveness is influenced by contextual variables such as teacher behaviour and attitudes to strengths. Future school programmes might consider the influence of the people who deliver strength intervention programmes—whoever they might be.
Denise Quinlan; Dianne A. Vella-Brodrick; Andrew Gray; Nicola Swain. Teachers Matter: Student Outcomes Following a Strengths Intervention are Mediated by Teacher Strengths Spotting. Journal of Happiness Studies 2018, 20, 2507 -2523.
AMA StyleDenise Quinlan, Dianne A. Vella-Brodrick, Andrew Gray, Nicola Swain. Teachers Matter: Student Outcomes Following a Strengths Intervention are Mediated by Teacher Strengths Spotting. Journal of Happiness Studies. 2018; 20 (8):2507-2523.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDenise Quinlan; Dianne A. Vella-Brodrick; Andrew Gray; Nicola Swain. 2018. "Teachers Matter: Student Outcomes Following a Strengths Intervention are Mediated by Teacher Strengths Spotting." Journal of Happiness Studies 20, no. 8: 2507-2523.
Introversion–extraversion is a particularly salient personality trait, whereby “extraverts” are known to be more outgoing, bold, assertive, active, and cheerful than “introverts”. These extraverted attributes are socially desirable in individualistic Western cultures, and some evidence suggests that extraverts experience better person-environment fit and greater well-being than introverts in these cultures. However, what remains unclear is how living in a context that values and emphasises extraversion may impact upon the well-being of introverts, and how introverts might improve their well-being. This study aimed to explore this question via a moderated mediation model. Adult participants in Australia (N = 349) completed scales of trait introversion–extraversion, dispositional authenticity, and well-being. The extent to which participants wanted to be more extraverted than they were currently—labelled an extraversion-deficit belief—was also measured. Participants overwhelmingly indicated that they lived in a society where extraversion was more socially desirable than introversion, and most participants held extraversion-deficit beliefs. Moderated mediation analysis showed that higher trait introversion–extraversion predicted well-being directly as well as indirectly via dispositional authenticity, but this indirect pathway depended on extraversion-deficit beliefs. Extraversion-deficit beliefs were more important for the authenticity and well-being of introverts than for extraverts. Overall, we interpret our findings to mean that introverts in the West might be more authentic, and hence boost their overall well-being, if they can change their beliefs to become more accepting of their introversion.
Rodney B. Lawn; Gavin R. Slemp; Dianne A. Vella-Brodrick. Quiet Flourishing: The Authenticity and Well-Being of Trait Introverts Living in the West Depends on Extraversion-Deficit Beliefs. Journal of Happiness Studies 2018, 20, 2055 -2075.
AMA StyleRodney B. Lawn, Gavin R. Slemp, Dianne A. Vella-Brodrick. Quiet Flourishing: The Authenticity and Well-Being of Trait Introverts Living in the West Depends on Extraversion-Deficit Beliefs. Journal of Happiness Studies. 2018; 20 (7):2055-2075.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRodney B. Lawn; Gavin R. Slemp; Dianne A. Vella-Brodrick. 2018. "Quiet Flourishing: The Authenticity and Well-Being of Trait Introverts Living in the West Depends on Extraversion-Deficit Beliefs." Journal of Happiness Studies 20, no. 7: 2055-2075.
Purpose: The vision or mission statement of a school outlines the school’s purpose and defines the context, goals, and aspirations that govern the institution. Using vision and mission statements, the present descriptive research study investigated trends in Australian secondary schools’ priorities. Research Methods: A stratified sample of secondary school vision and mission statements across 308 schools from government, independent, and Catholic sectors in Victoria, Australia, was analyzed using qualitative and quantitative approaches. Findings: Academic achievement was the most common theme, with school belonging and mental health promotion themes cited by over half of the schools. School belonging was emphasized more often by Catholic schools compared with independent and government schools, and by rural schools compared with urban schools. Implications: Australian schools are seemingly adopting a dual purpose: to be academic institutions and well-being enhancing institutions. Understanding the priorities of schools using vision and mission statements may guide researchers, administrators, and teachers about how to better meet the academic and psychological needs of the students. The priorities of schools also have implications for how research in this area is communicated to schools, and this study provides a method for capturing these priorities.
Kelly-Ann Allen; Margaret Kern; Dianne Vella-Brodrick; Lea Waters. Understanding the Priorities of Australian Secondary Schools Through an Analysis of Their Mission and Vision Statements. Educational Administration Quarterly 2018, 54, 249 -274.
AMA StyleKelly-Ann Allen, Margaret Kern, Dianne Vella-Brodrick, Lea Waters. Understanding the Priorities of Australian Secondary Schools Through an Analysis of Their Mission and Vision Statements. Educational Administration Quarterly. 2018; 54 (2):249-274.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKelly-Ann Allen; Margaret Kern; Dianne Vella-Brodrick; Lea Waters. 2018. "Understanding the Priorities of Australian Secondary Schools Through an Analysis of Their Mission and Vision Statements." Educational Administration Quarterly 54, no. 2: 249-274.
School vision and mission statements are an explicit indication of a school's priorities. Research has found academic motivation, mental health promotion, and school belonging to be the most frequently cited themes in these statements. The present study sought to examine whether these themes relate to student academic achievement, as indicated by National Assessment Program — Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) scores. A stratified sample of 287 secondary schools in Victoria, Australia was analysed using two language analytic approaches: qualitative emergent coding and supervised lexical analysis. The highest academic scores occurred when mental health promotion was included, though results depended to some extent on the analytic approach and the level of aggregation. Results do suggest that explicitly prioritising both academic performance and mental health is beneficial. Further, the study provides an approach for using language analysis to investigate multilevel constructs in schools.
Kelly-Ann Allen; Margaret Kern; Dianne Vella-Brodrick; Lea Waters. School Values: A Comparison of Academic Motivation, Mental Health Promotion, and School Belonging With Student Achievement. The Educational and Developmental Psychologist 2017, 34, 31 -47.
AMA StyleKelly-Ann Allen, Margaret Kern, Dianne Vella-Brodrick, Lea Waters. School Values: A Comparison of Academic Motivation, Mental Health Promotion, and School Belonging With Student Achievement. The Educational and Developmental Psychologist. 2017; 34 (1):31-47.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKelly-Ann Allen; Margaret Kern; Dianne Vella-Brodrick; Lea Waters. 2017. "School Values: A Comparison of Academic Motivation, Mental Health Promotion, and School Belonging With Student Achievement." The Educational and Developmental Psychologist 34, no. 1: 31-47.
Time is an inseparable aspect of life and is therefore a precious commodity. On a rudimentary level life is measured according to number of years alive, or more simply, age. How we spend our time reflects how we live our life, yet many of us allow segments of time to pass without any deliberate thought on how to invest in it for good returns. One reason for this oversight may be that we lack accurate insight on how behaviors relate to outcomes, particularly when it comes to emotional experiences. For example, research on affective forecasting suggests individuals inaccurately predict what will make them happy particularly in the longer term (Wilson TD and Gilbert DT, Adv Exp Soc Psychol 35:345–411, 2003; Curr Dir Psychol Sci 14:131–134, 2005). We are susceptible to recall biases such as emphasizing peaks and ends of episodes, which produce inaccurate memories of past events. These biases are further compounded by research findings that individuals generally misremember their previous (erroneous) forecasts (Meyvis et al, J Exp Psychol General 139:579–589, 2010) and are therefore likely to repeat the same affective forecasting errors when similar situations arise. Evidently, new strategies for improving our understanding of action-consequence relationships based on prior reality are needed to assist us with effective time use in the future.
Dianne Vella-Brodrick. It’s About Time for Positive Psychology to Get More Involved in Time Use Research. Future Directions in Well-Being 2017, 213 -217.
AMA StyleDianne Vella-Brodrick. It’s About Time for Positive Psychology to Get More Involved in Time Use Research. Future Directions in Well-Being. 2017; ():213-217.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDianne Vella-Brodrick. 2017. "It’s About Time for Positive Psychology to Get More Involved in Time Use Research." Future Directions in Well-Being , no. : 213-217.
Emotion regulation (ER) becomes increasingly important across adolescent development, and promotes psychological flexibility, resilience and well-being in youth. Positive education programs (PEPs) combine academic training with positive psychology interventions (PPIs) to increase well-being and reduce mental ill-health. Despite considerable overlap between PPIs and ER models, the role and relevance of ER to PEPs remains unclear. This review aimed to evaluate the relationship of ER to PEPs targeting adolescents. First, to evaluate the relationship of ER to domains of well-being targeted by school-based PPIs. Second, to examine whether school-based PPIs can improve adolescents’ ER capacity. Third, to evaluate the role of ER in well-being outcomes of PEPs. Results support the relevance of ER to domains of well-being outlined by the revised PERMA model, including positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and health. ER can influence the degree to which students benefit from PEP participation. It remains to be determined whether ER capacity is improved as a result of exposure to positive education programs. Findings are limited by the small and heterogeneous group of interventions examined, and the use of inconsistent ER measures. Further research of the role of ER in positive education may contribute to greater understanding of the mechanisms underlying their effectiveness and further promote the psychological well-being of adolescents.
Lucy Morrish; Nikki Rickard; TanChyuan Chin; Dianne Vella-Brodrick. Emotion Regulation in Adolescent Well-Being and Positive Education. Journal of Happiness Studies 2017, 19, 1543 -1564.
AMA StyleLucy Morrish, Nikki Rickard, TanChyuan Chin, Dianne Vella-Brodrick. Emotion Regulation in Adolescent Well-Being and Positive Education. Journal of Happiness Studies. 2017; 19 (5):1543-1564.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLucy Morrish; Nikki Rickard; TanChyuan Chin; Dianne Vella-Brodrick. 2017. "Emotion Regulation in Adolescent Well-Being and Positive Education." Journal of Happiness Studies 19, no. 5: 1543-1564.
Positive education (PosEd) combines the concepts and scholarship of positive psychology (PP) with best practice guidelines from education to promote student flourishing within educational settings. In this chapter, we first review the conceptual approaches to well-being upon which much of PosEd in Australia is based. Second, based on our experiences with research, teaching, and consulting, we identify issues that might impact the successful implementation of PosEd, including the frameworks used, the extent to which implicit or explicit strategies are employed, the importance of sustained and rigorous evaluation, and the impact of student, teacher, and other stakeholder buy-in. Third, we illustrate our own research that addresses some of these challenges, including the development of measurement tools to profile well-being and the undertaking of longitudinal studies evaluating PosEd programs. We then consider areas of future inquiry and practice that are particularly relevant to the Australian context, including (1) the need for research and applications to expand to diverse populations, such as Indigenous Australians, migrants, refugees, at-risk students, and disadvantaged groups, (2) systems approaches to implementation and research, and (3) strategies to produce and evaluate lasting change. We conclude that there is much potential for PosEd in Australia, but care needs to be taken so that it becomes a core part of education as a whole, and not simply a short-lived fad.
Gavin R. Slemp; Tan-Chyuan Chin; Margaret Kern; Christine Siokou; Daniel Loton; Lindsay G. Oades; Dianne Vella-Brodrick; Lea Waters. Positive Education in Australia: Practice, Measurement, and Future Directions. Social and Emotional Learning in Australia and the Asia-Pacific 2017, 101 -122.
AMA StyleGavin R. Slemp, Tan-Chyuan Chin, Margaret Kern, Christine Siokou, Daniel Loton, Lindsay G. Oades, Dianne Vella-Brodrick, Lea Waters. Positive Education in Australia: Practice, Measurement, and Future Directions. Social and Emotional Learning in Australia and the Asia-Pacific. 2017; ():101-122.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGavin R. Slemp; Tan-Chyuan Chin; Margaret Kern; Christine Siokou; Daniel Loton; Lindsay G. Oades; Dianne Vella-Brodrick; Lea Waters. 2017. "Positive Education in Australia: Practice, Measurement, and Future Directions." Social and Emotional Learning in Australia and the Asia-Pacific , no. : 101-122.
The literature on school belonging is not well advanced in Australia and is complicated by a disparity in terminology (e.g., school belonging has been referred to as school connectedness, school bonding, affiliation with school, school community). Nevertheless, there is a common understanding that school belonging is vital and necessary for the social and emotional well-being of adolescence. This chapter will present a general overview of school belonging and associated empirical studies, present findings of a meta-analysis that has investigated the relationship between social and emotional competencies and school belonging, and discuss practical implications for how to increase social and emotional competencies that may in turn enhance school belonging. The field of research concerned with school belonging and social and emotional competencies holds promise for future directions with respect to the applied impact in schools.
Kelly Allen; Dianne Vella-Brodrick; Lea Waters. School Belonging and the Role of Social and Emotional Competencies in Fostering an Adolescent’s Sense of Connectedness to Their School. Social and Emotional Learning in Australia and the Asia-Pacific 2017, 83 -99.
AMA StyleKelly Allen, Dianne Vella-Brodrick, Lea Waters. School Belonging and the Role of Social and Emotional Competencies in Fostering an Adolescent’s Sense of Connectedness to Their School. Social and Emotional Learning in Australia and the Asia-Pacific. 2017; ():83-99.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKelly Allen; Dianne Vella-Brodrick; Lea Waters. 2017. "School Belonging and the Role of Social and Emotional Competencies in Fostering an Adolescent’s Sense of Connectedness to Their School." Social and Emotional Learning in Australia and the Asia-Pacific , no. : 83-99.
This paper argues that psychological and social functioning is fundamentally complex, and that this complexity is critical to understanding how lasting positive changes can be achieved. Principles from complex systems theory are integrated into an empirical positive psychological framework to propose a domain-based systems model of positive change called the Synergistic Change Model. This model proposes that enduring positive change depends on the formation of mutually supportive interactions across multiple domains of psychological and social functioning. The paper uses the model to explore three types of response to intervention – relapse, spill-over, and synergy – which have been supported in the existing positive psychology literature. Three practical intervention strategies arising from the model are outlined to inform the design of future positive interventions. The model challenges reductionistic approaches to positive change and offers several approaches to embrace the complexities of lasting positive change in future theory and research.
Reuben D. Rusk; Dianne A. Vella-Brodrick; Lea Waters. A complex dynamic systems approach to lasting positive change: The Synergistic Change Model. The Journal of Positive Psychology 2017, 13, 406 -418.
AMA StyleReuben D. Rusk, Dianne A. Vella-Brodrick, Lea Waters. A complex dynamic systems approach to lasting positive change: The Synergistic Change Model. The Journal of Positive Psychology. 2017; 13 (4):406-418.
Chicago/Turabian StyleReuben D. Rusk; Dianne A. Vella-Brodrick; Lea Waters. 2017. "A complex dynamic systems approach to lasting positive change: The Synergistic Change Model." The Journal of Positive Psychology 13, no. 4: 406-418.
The aim in this chapter is to outline the broad characteristics of a good life and to underscore the importance of a multi-faceted well-being framework which accurately represents how the good life is typically played out in the real world. An overview of some core positive psychology interventions designed to achieve hedonic and eudaimonic well-being will be presented and critiqued. It will be argued that divisions between eudaimonia and hedonia can be arbitrary and overly simplistic and that intervention characteristics alone are not sufficient to predict whether or not a positive intervention will be effective in the long term. The system within which the intervention is embedded is equally important. Program content, dissemination and assessment all interact to determine intervention effectiveness and should therefore be carefully considered. ‘Fit’ factors such as individual readiness, motivation and baseline levels of well-being are also important determinants of intervention effectiveness. In particular the individual experience and interpretation of a positive intervention can also influence intervention outcomes. The aim is to encourage individuals to optimise interventions by deriving all they can from the experience in terms of basic happiness, personal meaning and service to others. It is this well balanced and individually tailored mix of hedonic and eudaimonic elements, as experienced and understood by the individual, that makes for the ‘good life’.
Dianne A. Vella-Brodrick. Positive Interventions That Erode the Hedonic and Eudaimonic Divide to Promote Lasting Happiness. Handbook of Community Well-Being Research 2016, 395 -406.
AMA StyleDianne A. Vella-Brodrick. Positive Interventions That Erode the Hedonic and Eudaimonic Divide to Promote Lasting Happiness. Handbook of Community Well-Being Research. 2016; ():395-406.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDianne A. Vella-Brodrick. 2016. "Positive Interventions That Erode the Hedonic and Eudaimonic Divide to Promote Lasting Happiness." Handbook of Community Well-Being Research , no. : 395-406.
Belonging is an essential aspect of psychological functioning. Schools offer unique opportunities to improve belonging for school-aged children. Research on school belonging, however, has been fragmented and diluted by inconsistency in the use of terminology. To resolve some of these inconsistencies, the current study uses meta-analysis of individual and social level factors that influence school belonging. These findings aim to provide guidance on the factors schools should emphasise to best support students. First, a systematic review identified 10 themes that influence school belonging at the student level during adolescence in educational settings (academic motivation, emotional stability, personal characteristics, parent support, peer support, teacher support, gender, race and ethnicity, extracurricular activities and environmental/school safety). Second, the average association between each of these themes and school belonging was meta-analytically examined across 51 studies (N = 67,378). Teacher support and positive personal characteristics were the strongest predictors of school belonging. Results varied by geographic location, with effects generally stronger in rural than in urban locations. The findings may be useful in improving perceptions of school belonging for secondary students through the design of policy, pedagogy and teacher training, by encouraging school leaders and educators to build qualities within the students and change school systems and processes.
Kelly Allen; Margaret Kern; Dianne Vella-Brodrick; John Hattie; Lea Waters. What Schools Need to Know About Fostering School Belonging: a Meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review 2016, 30, 1 -34.
AMA StyleKelly Allen, Margaret Kern, Dianne Vella-Brodrick, John Hattie, Lea Waters. What Schools Need to Know About Fostering School Belonging: a Meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review. 2016; 30 (1):1-34.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKelly Allen; Margaret Kern; Dianne Vella-Brodrick; John Hattie; Lea Waters. 2016. "What Schools Need to Know About Fostering School Belonging: a Meta-analysis." Educational Psychology Review 30, no. 1: 1-34.
Rafael A. Calvo; Dianne Vella-Brodrick; Pieter Desmet; Richard M. Ryan. Editorial for “Positive Computing: A New Partnership Between Psychology, Social Sciences and Technologists”. Psychology of Well-Being 2016, 6, 78 .
AMA StyleRafael A. Calvo, Dianne Vella-Brodrick, Pieter Desmet, Richard M. Ryan. Editorial for “Positive Computing: A New Partnership Between Psychology, Social Sciences and Technologists”. Psychology of Well-Being. 2016; 6 (1):78.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRafael A. Calvo; Dianne Vella-Brodrick; Pieter Desmet; Richard M. Ryan. 2016. "Editorial for “Positive Computing: A New Partnership Between Psychology, Social Sciences and Technologists”." Psychology of Well-Being 6, no. 1: 78.
Kelly-Ann Allen; Dianne Vella-Brodrick; Lea Waters. Fostering School Belonging in Secondary Schools Using a Socio-Ecological Framework. The Educational and Developmental Psychologist 2016, 33, 97 -121.
AMA StyleKelly-Ann Allen, Dianne Vella-Brodrick, Lea Waters. Fostering School Belonging in Secondary Schools Using a Socio-Ecological Framework. The Educational and Developmental Psychologist. 2016; 33 (1):97-121.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKelly-Ann Allen; Dianne Vella-Brodrick; Lea Waters. 2016. "Fostering School Belonging in Secondary Schools Using a Socio-Ecological Framework." The Educational and Developmental Psychologist 33, no. 1: 97-121.
Meaning in life is a key indicator of subjective well-being and quality of life. Further developments in understanding and enhancing the construct will depend inter alia on the sound measurement thereof. This study is at the forefront of applying modern psychometric techniques to the Meaning in Life Questionnaire, a scale widely used to assess meaning in life. The Rasch rating scale model was applied to the Presence and Search subscales of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire using a sample of 601 adults from South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. The Presence subscale was insensitive at high levels of presence of meaning while the majority of the respondents fell in that range. Removal of item 9 (“My life has no clear purpose”) and collapsing the response categories indicative of low and medium levels of the latent construct significantly improved the subscale’s targeting and fit to the Rasch model, resulting in a subscale that exhibited differential item functioning on items 1 (“I understand my life’s meaning”), 4 (“My life has a clear sense of purpose”), and 5 (“I have a good sense of what makes my life meaningful”) for country, but none for gender, age group, or education level. The Search subscale yielded disordered category threshold calibrations, but after collapsing some of the response categories representing low and medium levels of the target construct, a subscale that demonstrated good fit to the Rasch model, good targeting, and no differential item functioning resulted. In terms of this particular scale, adaptation of the rating scale and removal of item 9 is recommended. Country-level parameter estimates may be needed for items that exhibited differential item functioning. The study also has significant implications for the theory, measurement, and practice of meaning in and quality of life in general. Reasons for and the far-reaching implications of the insensitivity of the Presence subscale for high levels of presence of meaning on, for example, the correlation between meaning in life and indicators of health are contemplated. Further investigation of the construct’s nature and measurement, especially at high levels, is indicated.
Lusilda Schutte; Marié P. Wissing; Suria M. Ellis; Paul E. Jose; Dianne A. Vella-Brodrick. Rasch analysis of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire among adults from South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes 2016, 14, 12 -12.
AMA StyleLusilda Schutte, Marié P. Wissing, Suria M. Ellis, Paul E. Jose, Dianne A. Vella-Brodrick. Rasch analysis of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire among adults from South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes. 2016; 14 (1):12-12.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLusilda Schutte; Marié P. Wissing; Suria M. Ellis; Paul E. Jose; Dianne A. Vella-Brodrick. 2016. "Rasch analysis of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire among adults from South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand." Health and Quality of Life Outcomes 14, no. 1: 12-12.
Physiological measures provide a useful complement to self-report indices of mental health and well-being. The cortisol awakening response (CAR) has been associated with mental distress, but less consistently so with positive functioning. In this study, the utility of two CAR indices as a measure of the full spectrum of mental health and well-being in a sample of healthy adolescents was explored. Forty-seven adolescents (14M, 33F; mean age 13.89, SD = .73) completed questionnaires on mental distress and positive functioning, and provided three saliva samples for cortisol analysis as well as demographic and life event information. Correlational analyses revealed that both absolute CAR (CARi) and area under the curve during awakening (CARAUC) indices correlated positively with measures of mental distress, and inversely with measures of positive functioning. When the significant life events score was controlled, moderate to strong effects were maintained with negative and positive affect, mental well-being, satisfaction with life and perceived social support from significant others. These findings provide the first data confirming that CAR is a reliable index of positive functioning in healthy adolescents.
Nikki S. Rickard; Tan-Chyuan Chin; Dianne A. Vella-Brodrick. Cortisol Awakening Response as an Index of Mental Health and Well-Being in Adolescents. Journal of Happiness Studies 2015, 17, 2555 -2568.
AMA StyleNikki S. Rickard, Tan-Chyuan Chin, Dianne A. Vella-Brodrick. Cortisol Awakening Response as an Index of Mental Health and Well-Being in Adolescents. Journal of Happiness Studies. 2015; 17 (6):2555-2568.
Chicago/Turabian StyleNikki S. Rickard; Tan-Chyuan Chin; Dianne A. Vella-Brodrick. 2015. "Cortisol Awakening Response as an Index of Mental Health and Well-Being in Adolescents." Journal of Happiness Studies 17, no. 6: 2555-2568.
Growing evidence indicates that gratefulness and gratitude are important for well-being and happiness. Yet, research to date has been hindered by a lack of conceptual clarity into the nature of these constructs. The present paper reviews existing literature and argues for a distinction between gratefulness and gratitude. While both gratefulness and gratitude are types of appreciative functioning and both involve benefit appraisals, only the latter concerns perceived agency. A set of triggers, moderating factors, and motivation and behavioural processes involved in gratefulness and gratitude are outlined, and differences are highlighted. From this vantage, it is argued that appreciative functioning can be adequately represented as a complex dynamic system, which involves a plurality of interacting processes. Some of these processes are common to gratefulness and gratitude and some are unique to each. The proposed conceptualisation of appreciative functioning spans aspects of attention, cognition, emotion, motivation and social behaviour, integrating the diverse approaches to gratefulness and gratitude taken in the literature. It is suggested that grateful dispositions can be understood as characteristic self-reinforcing patterns in which this complex system functions. The paper also highlights the need to measure gratitude and gratefulness more independently and to both qualitatively and quantitatively determine the unique contribution of the two constructs to well-being.
Reuben D. Rusk; Dianne A. Vella-Brodrick; Lea Waters. Gratitude or Gratefulness? A Conceptual Review and Proposal of the System of Appreciative Functioning. Journal of Happiness Studies 2015, 17, 2191 -2212.
AMA StyleReuben D. Rusk, Dianne A. Vella-Brodrick, Lea Waters. Gratitude or Gratefulness? A Conceptual Review and Proposal of the System of Appreciative Functioning. Journal of Happiness Studies. 2015; 17 (5):2191-2212.
Chicago/Turabian StyleReuben D. Rusk; Dianne A. Vella-Brodrick; Lea Waters. 2015. "Gratitude or Gratefulness? A Conceptual Review and Proposal of the System of Appreciative Functioning." Journal of Happiness Studies 17, no. 5: 2191-2212.