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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Aktywność celowa a dobrostan psychiczny

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The central problem dealt with in this monograph is the question connected with the possibilities of raising people’s psychological well-being. In recent years there has been a lot of research conducted which proved that taking up an intentional activity brings positive effects for the psychological well-being. Simultaneously, a good number of researchers adhere to the thesis advancing a steady potential level of happiness and the lack of possibility of its lasting change. The model of dependence between an intentional activity and well-being is founded on the conception of happiness deriving from the frontiers of eudaimonic and hedonic schools, whereas the theory consolidating the base of the present studies is the proposition of the ‘onion’ theory of happiness offered by Janusz Czapiński (1992, 2017). The scholar maintains that well-being has three functionally separate layers. The deepest one is the biologically determined will to live; the middle one – general subjective well-being, and on the surface there is the layer that is the most liable to external factors, one that is responsible for current hedonic reactions and partial satisfactions. An intentional activity, which is a conscious act and which results from man’s decisions, is directed towards realization of a defined aim, engages the individual in the psychological and physical aspect, and can be of the cognitive, behavioral or volitional character. The impact of an intentional activity on well-being is based on a mechanism, at the foundation of which, there lies an increase in positive emotions and positive behaviors, as well as satisfaction of basic psychological needs (Sheldon, Lyubomirsky, 2007). The main aim of the study was to verify the influence of intentional activities on the level of well-being measured on the scale of emotions felt and on that of general subjective well-being. The author’s research intention was also to settle the question of effectiveness of activity motivated positively against that motivated negatively, as well as to determine the role of involvement in the activity, satisfaction with it and the output level of well-being. Method: There were two separately conducted experimental examinations which covered 738 subjects in total. Because of resignation or disqualifying some study participants in consequence of their not abiding by the rules of the project or a lack of supplied data, the results obtained from 459 persons were ultimately included in the analysis (in the first examination N = 190, in the other one – N = 269). The subjects recruited from students of extramural studies of the first and the second degree and students of post-diploma studies of a non-public college of higher education. The respondents constituted a group which was varied as regards their ages (from 19 to 67 years old), employment, marital status and study majors. In the course of the investigation, the participants took up an intentional activity, that is concrete actions aimed at realization of intended goals. They were connected chiefly with lifestyle, health, physical movement, eating habits, interpersonal relations and intellectual development. As far as the first experiment was concerned, the participants established their targets and plan of action in an independent way. The time planned for the realization of the goals was set at 12 weeks. In the second experiment, the study participants followed the experimenter’s instructions – they were left no room for selecting targets; neither could they choose the manner or set time for accomplishing them, whereas the deadline for achieving the aims was 6 weeks. In both experiments, the participants were additionally motivated to act. Members of one group realized goals formulated through the prism of obtained benefits (positive motivation), while those belonging to another group – through the prism of avoiding losses (negative motivation). The subjects of the control group were not stimulated to act at all. They did not undertake any actions either. In the second experiment, additionally, a group of subjects was isolated, who took up an activity, yet in their case either positive or negative motivation was not applied. Results: Both experiments successfully proved that an intentional activity influences emotional aspects of well-being in a beneficial way. In the examined subjects the positive emotions rose considerably, whereas the negative ones diminished. On the other hand, the activity has merely an insignificant impact on the subjective general well-being. It was also proved that actions directed towards avoiding losses intensify negative emotions and lower the level of satisfaction with the undertaken activity. It turned out that the subjects who were characterized by low indices of well-being at the beginning of their participation in the experiment benefitted the intentional activity the most. Satisfaction and involvement in such an activity are connected with a stronger sense of well-being and impact on the improvement of its indices, yet only within the area of positive emotions. In turn, the level of well-being influences the satisfaction drawn from the activity. Implications: The results of this study on the impact of intentional activities on well-being can prove useful on the ground of counselling, taking preventative measures and education; they can also be made use of in programs popularizing healthy lifesty