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Savouring and Mindfulness as Predictors of Subjective Well-Being

Savouring and Mindfulness as Predictors of Subjective Well-Being. Cherie Levy Dianne A Vella-Brodrick School of Psychology, Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, Monash University. SWB and the experience of individual (present) moments. SWB

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Savouring and Mindfulness as Predictors of Subjective Well-Being

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  1. Savouring and Mindfulness as Predictors of Subjective Well-Being Cherie Levy Dianne A Vella-Brodrick School of Psychology, Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, Monash University

  2. SWB and the experience of individual (present) moments • SWB • Involves a cognitive (SWLS) component and an affective (PANAS) component (Diener, 1984) • “Architecture of Sustainable Change”: 40% of the variance of happiness is attributable to intentional activity (Lyubomirsky, Sheldon & Schkade, 2005) Savouring (Bryant, 2003) Mindfulness (Buddhism) The capacity to enjoy moments in life Enhance the quality of consciousness through directed attention and awareness on the present moment

  3. Savouring • Savouring vs. Coping • Not inherent in the experience, it may need to be harvested • Reminiscent, In the Moment and Anticipatory Savouring • Savouring could be related to SWB through Fredrickson’s Broaden-and-Build Theory (Isen 1987; Fredrickson, 1998) • Savouring and SWB (Bryant, 2003) • Positively correlated with present happiness, intensity & frequency of happiness and affect intensity • Negatively correlated with frequency of unhappy and neutral affect and social anhedonia NB: highest correlations for these findings always reflected the In the Moment savouring subscale

  4. Mindfulness • 2,500 year old Buddhist teaching of freeing oneself from distracting thoughts by focussing on the present moment • Two key elements: Awareness and an attitude of acceptance (Bishop et al, 2004) • Mindfulness as a therapeutic tool (Bar; 2003; Kabat-Zinn, 1990; 2003) • Mindfulness and SWB (Brown & Ryan, 2003) • Positively correlated with positive affect and life satisfaction • Inversely correlated with negative affect

  5. Savouring and mindfulness in predicting SWB CONCEPTUAL SIMILARITY  INTERACTIVE RELATIONSHIP? BOTH CONCENTRATE ON THE PRESENT MOMENT  BASE LEVEL OF MINDFULNESS ALLOWS FOR GREATER SAVOURING  GREATER SWB Savouring • Focus on positive feelings (PA) Mindfulness • Focus on acceptance of all feelings (good and bad) • Focus on decreased emotional reactivity (Decrease NA)

  6. Aims • Extend on previous research • Explore predictive relationships of savouring and mindfulness on SWB • Broader population sample (adults + students) and meditators and non-meditators • Explore whether levels of mindfulness enhance the ability to savour • Explore how each construct predicts each dimension of SWB. Hypotheses • Savouring and mindfulness will be significant predictors of SWB • In the Moment savouring will be the best predictor of SWB in comparison to anticipatory and reminiscent savouring

  7. Method • 147 participants completed either web-based or hardcopy questionnaire kits • Recruited from public offices, health centres, 1st year participant pool at Monash and Buddhist centres and online groups

  8. Measures Sociodemographic (e.g. age, gender, marital status, income) and controlvariables (e.g. meditation frequency, duration and experience)

  9. Hierarchical Multiple Regressions

  10. Summary of Change statistics for all SWB Dimensions Note. Predictors (Model 1): Marital Status (SWL, PA), Meditation Frequency (SWL, NA), Meditation Experience (SWL), Age (PA, NA), Income (PA, NA) Predictors (Model 2): Acceptance, Awareness Predictors (Model 3): Anticipating, In the Moment, Reminiscing a Satisfaction with Life (Model 3): F(8,66) = 4.08, p < .001 b Positive Affect (Model 3): F(8, 85) = 6.27, p < .001 c Negative Affect (Model 2): F (5, 88) = 6.47, p < .001

  11. Hypotheses Supported? • Mindfulness significantly predicted all dimensions of SWB, but particularly NA • Savouring significantly predicted SWL and PA, but not NA • ITM savouring was the best predictor of SWB compared to anticipatory and reminiscent savouring • It was the single best predictor of both SWL (37%) and PA (31%)

  12. Implications and Future Research • Mindfulness was not a precondition for savouring • Mindfulness is more instructive in NA than SWB generally • Explore the predictive ability of mindfulness for psychological well-being (PWB) • Evidence for the usefulness of Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (Eifert & Forsyth, 2005) in anxiety and pain disorders • Savouring is more useful as an intervention to enhance happiness • Use ESM for variables that are susceptible to change based on mood and recent experiences

  13. In summary • Adopt a more present-moment focus • Savouring and mindfulness function independently and influence different dimensions of SWB • Happiness is best sought through savouring techniques • Mindfulness aids to decrease emotional reactivity • Need to explore the efficacy of mindfulness in predicting PWB

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