IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/jhappi/v22y2021i3d10.1007_s10902-020-00262-4.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Cross-Lagged Panel Study Examining the Reciprocal Relationships Between Positive Emotions, Meaning, Strengths use and Study Engagement in Primary School Students

Author

Listed:
  • Sylvia Y C L Kwok

    (City University of Hong Kong)

  • Siqi Fang

    (City University of Hong Kong)

Abstract

Study engagement has been considered a key predictor of school performance among students. Although the potential contribution of positive psychology to education has been recognised, the research findings and implications related to primary school students remain largely unexplored. Given that authentic happiness theory and the broaden-and-build theory have posited the important roles of positive emotions, meaning, engagement and strengths use in education, a more comprehensive study is needed to understand their interactions across time. The current longitudinal study examined the interrelationships between these positive attributes among Chinese students in Hong Kong, China. A total of 786 primary school students from Grades 4 to 6 completed the questionnaire survey at two time points one year apart. An autoregressive cross-lagged panel (ARCL) with structural equation modelling was applied for the data analysis. The results revealed that positive emotions predicted positive meaning, strengths use and study engagement across time. Positive emotions and meaning were reciprocally correlated with each other. Moreover, the use of strengths mediated the association between positive emotions and study engagement. The implications and future directions are also discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Sylvia Y C L Kwok & Siqi Fang, 2021. "A Cross-Lagged Panel Study Examining the Reciprocal Relationships Between Positive Emotions, Meaning, Strengths use and Study Engagement in Primary School Students," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 1033-1053, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:22:y:2021:i:3:d:10.1007_s10902-020-00262-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s10902-020-00262-4
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10902-020-00262-4
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10902-020-00262-4?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Denise Quinlan & Nicola Swain & Dianne Vella-Brodrick, 2012. "Character Strengths Interventions: Building on What We Know for Improved Outcomes," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 13(6), pages 1145-1163, December.
    2. Sylvia Y. C. L. Kwok & Minmin Gu, 2017. "The Role of Emotional Competence in the Association Between Optimism and Depression Among Chinese Adolescents," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 10(1), pages 171-185, March.
    3. Marco Weber & Lisa Wagner & Willibald Ruch, 2016. "Positive Feelings at School: On the Relationships Between Students’ Character Strengths, School-Related Affect, and School Functioning," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 17(1), pages 341-355, February.
    4. Carmel Proctor & John Maltby & P. Linley, 2011. "Strengths Use as a Predictor of Well-Being and Health-Related Quality of Life," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 153-169, March.
    5. Pitts, Steven C. & West, Stephen G. & Tein, Jenn-Yun, 1996. "Longitudinal measurement models in evaluation research: Examining stability and change," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 333-350, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Blake Allan, 2015. "Balance Among Character Strengths and Meaning in Life," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 16(5), pages 1247-1261, October.
    2. María J. Blanca & Marta Ferragut & Margarita Ortiz-Tallo & Rebecca Bendayan, 2018. "Life Satisfaction and Character Strengths in Spanish Early Adolescents," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 19(5), pages 1247-1260, June.
    3. Tohar Dolev-Amit & Avinadav Rubin & Sigal Zilcha-Mano, 2021. "Is Awareness of Strengths Intervention Sufficient to Cultivate Wellbeing and Other Positive Outcomes?," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(2), pages 645-666, February.
    4. Marine Miglianico & Philippe Dubreuil & Paule Miquelon & Arnold B. Bakker & Charles Martin-Krumm, 2020. "Strength Use in the Workplace: A Literature Review," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(2), pages 737-764, February.
    5. Hayley K. Jach & Jessie Sun & Daniel Loton & Tan-Chyuan Chin & Lea E. Waters, 2018. "Strengths and Subjective Wellbeing in Adolescence: Strength-Based Parenting and the Moderating Effect of Mindset," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 19(2), pages 567-586, February.
    6. Nicola S. Schutte & John M. Malouff, 2019. "The Impact of Signature Character Strengths Interventions: A Meta-analysis," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 1179-1196, April.
    7. Wenjie Duan & Bo Qi & Junrong Sheng & Yuhang Wang, 2020. "Latent Character Strength Profile and Grouping Effects," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 147(1), pages 345-359, January.
    8. Shira Bukchin & Dorit Kerret, 2018. "Food for Hope: The Role of Personal Resources in Farmers’ Adoption of Green Technology," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-11, May.
    9. Claudia Harzer & Willibald Ruch, 2016. "Your Strengths are Calling: Preliminary Results of a Web-Based Strengths Intervention to Increase Calling," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 17(6), pages 2237-2256, December.
    10. Li, Jing & Pearce, Philip L. & Oktadiana, Hera, 2020. "Can digital-free tourism build character strengths?," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    11. María Josefina Peláez & Cristián Coo & Marisa Salanova, 2020. "Facilitating Work Engagement and Performance Through Strengths-Based Micro-coaching: A Controlled Trial Study," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(4), pages 1265-1284, April.
    12. Shiri Lavy, 2020. "A Review of Character Strengths Interventions in Twenty-First-Century Schools: their Importance and How they can be Fostered," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 15(2), pages 573-596, April.
    13. Greg Levitt & Steven Grubaugh & Joseph Maderick & Donald Deever, 2023. "The Power of Passionate Teaching and Learning: A Study of Impacts on Social Science Teacher Retention and Student Outcomes," Technium Social Sciences Journal, Technium Science, vol. 41(1), pages 82-85, March.
    14. Liang Zhao & Yukun Zhao & Yiwen Wu & Xiaojun Ding & Feng Yu & Kaiping Peng, 2022. "Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic upon Chinese Positive Traits," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-19, October.
    15. Kathlyn M. Cherry & Brae Anne McArthur & Margaret N. Lumley, 2020. "A Multi-Informant Study of Strengths, Positive Self-Schemas and Subjective Well-Being from Childhood to Adolescence," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(6), pages 2169-2191, August.
    16. Imen Krifa & Llewellyn Ellardus van Zyl & Amel Braham & Selma Ben Nasr & Rebecca Shankland, 2022. "Mental Health during COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Optimism and Emotional Regulation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-17, January.
    17. Richard Douglass & Ryan Duffy, 2015. "Strengths Use and Life Satisfaction: A Moderated Mediation Approach," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 619-632, June.
    18. Wenjie Duan & Samuel M. Y. Ho, 2018. "Does Being Mindful of Your Character Strengths Enhance Psychological Wellbeing? A Longitudinal Mediation Analysis," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 19(4), pages 1045-1066, April.
    19. Lea E. Waters & Daniel Loton & Hayley K. Jach, 2019. "Does Strength-Based Parenting Predict Academic Achievement? The Mediating Effects of Perseverance and Engagement," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 1121-1140, April.
    20. Michael Furlong & Sukkyung You & Tyler Renshaw & Douglas Smith & Meagan O’Malley, 2014. "Preliminary Development and Validation of the Social and Emotional Health Survey for Secondary School Students," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 117(3), pages 1011-1032, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:22:y:2021:i:3:d:10.1007_s10902-020-00262-4. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.