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Journal of Happiness Studies

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08-03-2021 | Research Paper

The Authentic Inner Compass as a Well-Being Resource: Predictive Effects on Vitality, and Relations with Self-Esteem, Depression and Behavioral Self-realization

Authors: Avi Assor, Moti Benita, Yu Shi, Rima Goren, Noam Yitshaki, Qian Wang

Published in: Journal of Happiness Studies | Issue 8/2021

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Abstract

This paper seeks to expand our knowledge on autonomy experiences predicting, or associated with, important well-being attributes, by drawing on the concept of an “Authentic Inner Compass” (AIC, Assor 2012, 2018; Vansteenkiste and Soenens 2015): Sense of knowing what is truly important to us in terms of values, aspirations, and goals.

Study 1 (304 Hong Kong students; mean age = 20.3 years), showed that sense of AIC predicted increased subjective vitality and self-esteem over time. Study 2 (257 Israeli students, mean age = 16.2 years) validated a measure of the experience of behavioral self-realization, hypothesized to mediate the links between AIC and positive well-being attributes. Study 3 (307 Israeli students, mean age = 16.3 years) showed that AIC had direct links with vitality and low depression, and was also indirectly linked to depression via behavioral self-realization. This study also examined the hypothesis that the associations between AIC, and the indicators of behavioral self-realization, vitality and low depression, hold also after controlling for another, widely researched autonomy experience: psychological freedom and volition (Chen et al.’s [2015] need for autonomy scale). Results supported this hypothesis.

The findings suggest that sense of AIC is associated with increased vitality and self-esteem over time. Results also suggest that sense of AIC and psychological freedom and volition are two distinct autonomy experiences that are uniquely associated with important well-being attributes. Future research may examine the benefits of supporting these two autonomy experiences in youth.

previous article Coping Strategies and Subjective Well-being: Context Matters

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Attrition analyses indicated no significant difference between the participants who completed Time 1 and Time 2 (n = 186) and those who dropped after Time 1 (n = 118) on Time 1 AIC, F(1, 303) = 2.080, p < .150, vitality, F(1, 303) = 0.033, p < .856, and self-esteem, F(1, 303) = 0.19, p < .889.

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Title: The Authentic Inner Compass as a Well-Being Resource: Predictive Effects on Vitality, and Relations with Self-Esteem, Depression and Behavioral Self-realization
Authors: Avi Assor
Moti Benita
Yu Shi
Rima Goren
Noam Yitshaki
Qian Wang
Publication date: 08-03-2021
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Published in: Journal of Happiness Studies / Issue 8/2021
Print ISSN: 1389-4978
Electronic ISSN: 1573-7780
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-021-00373-6

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