Does Positivity Predict Well-being?

Pages: 79-86
Megha Deuskar and Shobhana Abhyankar (Department of Psychology, Fergusson College (Atunomous), Pune, Maharashtra)

The present study is an attempt to investigate whether having Positive Traits predicts psychological well-being. While traits such as hope and resilience have been shown to predict well-being, an overall positive disposition has not been well researched for its relationship with well-being. For the present study, a tool which the researchers have developed, the PsyPositive was used. This tool is an index of positivity, comprising five positive human traits – Hope, Happiness, Resilience, Forgiveness and Gratitude. This 37-item tool was correlated with Ryff’s scale of Psychological Well-being (Ryff, 1995). A total of 300 participants (132 males & 168 females) with a mean age of 32.5 years completed both the questionnaires. All the dimensions of the PsyPositive were found to be significantly and positively correlated with all the dimensions of Psychological Well-being. Regression analysis revealed that all the five dimensions of the PsyPositive, individually as well as cumulatively are significant predictors of psychological well-being. The paper discusses the possible pathways through which positivity leads to well-being, as well as the practical implications of study in terms of designing interventions that aim to foster positivity.