Acta Psychologica (Mar 2025)
Well-being factors. An item-level analysis of the positive cognitive triad role, in the relationship between resilience and well-being
Abstract
This study examines the impact of resilience and the positive cognitive triad (consisting of three components: view of the self, view of the world, and view of the future) on well-being, a subject that is presently understudied. The present study investigated well-being models that take into consideration the role of the positive cognitive triad, in the relationship between resilience and several concepts of well-being: subjective (general) happiness, subjective (hedonic) well-being, and psychological (eudaimonic) well-being (N = 742). Eudaimonic and hedonic well-being contribute to overall happiness through different mechanisms, while subjective happiness is people's assessment of their happiness. These distinctions bring forth a complete approach to well-being that integrates affects, life satisfaction, self-esteem, and long-term psychological health. Data was analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) in R. Results showed that resilience and the positive cognitive triad are predictors of well-being and there was a positive association between resilience and well-being, mediated by the positive cognitive triad factors. The fit indices in SEM indicated that the best fitting model is resilience ⇒ positive cognitive triad ⇒ subjective well-being. People who experience subjective (hedonic) well-being have an optimistic perspective on the world, while this perspective does not impact psychological (eudaimonic) well-being. Individuals experiencing psychological well-being have high self-esteem because well-being implies autonomy, self-acceptance, personal growth, and environmental mastery. Improved self-view also translates into increased subjective well-being. An optimistic view of the future fosters hope, and motivation, and it is associated with higher levels of well-being.
