Adversity roadmap : improving psychological well-being and resilience through a values-affirmation approach
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- In this dissertation, I created a psychological roadmap for navigating adversity by grounding people in their core values. Research trends and global events have underscored the enduring significance of well-being and mental health. Central to this study is the self-affirmation theory, which proposes that humans possess an intrinsic need to perceive themselves as morally and adaptively capable, even when confronted with challenges. My objective was to tailor values-affirmation-based interventions to specific contexts and target groups, with the aim of enhancing well-being and motivation-related outcomes in the general population (Study 1), elite athletes (Study 2), and college students (Study 3). Study 1 involved a three-stage longitudinal randomized experiment conducted during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study evaluated the effectiveness of two versions of the values-affirmation intervention in mitigating pandemic-related psychological burdens, particularly the feelings of social disconnection and loneliness. Notably, the interventions proved most beneficial for men, who exhibited the sharpest decline in social belonging and mental health. In Study 2, I delved into the world of high-performance athletics. I identified two root causes of compromised psychological well-being among professional Dancesport athletes -- (1) high psychological stress, and (2) outcome-contingent self-worth. To address these challenges, I developed a novel "Resilience Training + Affirmation" (RTA) intervention. Results demonstrated promising advantages of RTA for athletes' mental health and self-efficacy. Furthermore, once the competitive stress had subsided, RTA bolstered athletes' sense of social belonging and reinforced their dance identities. The findings also indicated the RTA's potential to enhance resilience among Dancesport athletes, even in the face of unsatisfactory competition results, thereby mitigating the risks associated with outcome-dependent self-worth. Study 3 extended the insights from Study 1 to an educational context. By integrating established values-affirmation techniques with actionable plans, I aimed to assist students in establishing tangible links between their values and everyday experiences. I explore unexpected correlations between well-being outcomes and pertinent covariates, such as minority race, gender, social class, and first-generation status. My aspiration is that the discoveries outlined in this dissertation, along with future research endeavors, will pave the way for the development of finely tuned strategies capable of enhancing various facets of the human experience across diverse domains.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Form | electronic resource; remote; computer; online resource |
| Extent | 1 online resource. |
| Place | California |
| Place | [Stanford, California] |
| Publisher | [Stanford University] |
| Copyright date | 2023; ©2023 |
| Publication date | 2023; 2023 |
| Issuance | monographic |
| Language | English |
Creators/Contributors
| Author | Tay, Isabelle Qi Yin |
|---|---|
| Degree committee member | Cohen, Geoffrey |
| Degree committee member | Dweck, Carol |
| Degree committee member | Fisher, Philip |
| Degree committee member | Zaki, Jamil |
| Thesis advisor | Cohen, Geoffrey |
| Thesis advisor | Dweck, Carol |
| Thesis advisor | Fisher, Philip |
| Thesis advisor | Zaki, Jamil |
| Associated with | Stanford University, Graduate School of Education |
Subjects
| Genre | Theses |
|---|---|
| Genre | Text |
Bibliographic information
| Statement of responsibility | Isabelle Qi Yin Tay. |
|---|---|
| Note | Submitted to the Graduate School of Education. |
| Thesis | Thesis Ph.D. Stanford University 2023. |
| Location | https://purl.stanford.edu/mw939sw7128 |
Access conditions
- Copyright
- © 2023 by Isabelle Qi Yin Tay
- License
- This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 3.0 Unported license (CC BY-NC).
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