Value fulfillment and well-being: Clarifying directions over time

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Hanel P. H. P., Tunç H., Bhasin D., Litzellachner L. F., Maio G. R.

JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, vol.92, no.4, pp.1037-1049, 2024 (SSCI, Scopus)

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 92 Issue: 4
  • Publication Date: 2024
  • Doi Number: 10.1111/jopy.12869
  • Journal Name: JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY
  • Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, ASSIA, IBZ Online, International Bibliography of Social Sciences, Periodicals Index Online, Applied Science & Technology Source, Child Development & Adolescent Studies, CINAHL, Communication Abstracts, EBSCO Education Source, Gender Studies Database, MLA - Modern Language Association Database, Psycinfo
  • Page Numbers: pp.1037-1049
  • Keywords: longitudinal research, mental health, value fulfillment, valued living, well-being
  • Open Archive Collection: AVESIS Open Access Collection
  • Hacettepe University Affiliated: No

Abstract

Objective We investigate for the first time in a 9-day dairy study whether fulfillingone's values predicts well-being or whether well-being predicts valuefulfilment over time. Background The empirical associations between the importance of human values to individuals and their well-being are typically weak and inconsistent. More recently, value fulfillment (i.e., acting in line with one's values) has shown to be more strongly correlated with well-being. Method The present research goes beyond past research by integrating work from clinical, personality, and social psychology to model associations between value fulfillment and positive and negative aspects of well-being over time. Results Across a nine-day diary study involving 1434 observations (N = 184), we found that people who were able to fulfill their self-direction values reported more positive well-being on the next day, and those who fulfilled their hedonism values reported less negative well-being on the next day. Conversely, people who reported more positive well-being were more able to fulfill their achievement, stimulation, and self-direction values on the next day, and those who reported more negative well-being were less able to fulfill their achievement values. Importantly, these effects were consistent across three countries/regions (EU/UK, India, Turkiye), the importance people attributed to values, period of the week, and their prestudy well-being. Conclusion These results help to understand the fundamental interconnections between values and well-being while also having relevance to clinical practice.