IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/chinre/v10y2017i1d10.1007_s12187-016-9366-2.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Role of Emotional Competence in the Association Between Optimism and Depression Among Chinese Adolescents

Author

Listed:
  • Sylvia Y. C. L. Kwok

    (City University of Hong Kong)

  • Minmin Gu

    (City University of Hong Kong)

Abstract

Positive psychology is the scientific study of positive emotions, positive thoughts and positive behaviors that serve as protective factors to help people bounce back and recover from stress. Fredrickson’s broaden and build model postulates that positive emotions catalyze upward spirals toward future well-being by broadening people’s positive thoughts and behaviors. This study investigated direct and interactional effects of emotional competence and dispositional optimism on depressive symptoms among a sample of secondary school students in Hong Kong, China. A cross sectional survey design was adopted, and data was collected from 513 adolescents (197 males, 316 females, mean age=13.80) from four secondary schools. Results showed that dispositional optimism and emotional competence were significantly and negatively associated with depressive symptoms. In addition, emotional competence enhanced the protective effects of dispositional optimism on depressive symptoms. Therefore, despite their culture-specific meanings in the Chinese context, dispositional optimism and emotional competence were found to independently and jointly protect Chinese adolescents to offset depression, which lends empirical support to the cross-cultural validity of the two positive psychological constructs and the Broaden and Build model of positive emotions. This study sheds light on promoting a positive psychology model that includes both cognitive and emotional positive psychological factors for depression prevention or early intervention.

Suggested Citation

  • 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.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:chinre:v:10:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1007_s12187-016-9366-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s12187-016-9366-2
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12187-016-9366-2
    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/s12187-016-9366-2?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. Michele Tugade & Barbara Fredrickson, 2007. "Regulation of Positive Emotions: Emotion Regulation Strategies that Promote Resilience," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 8(3), pages 311-333, September.
    2. Estrada, Carlos A. & Isen, Alice M. & Young, Mark J., 1997. "Positive Affect Facilitates Integration of Information and Decreases Anchoring in Reasoning among Physicians," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 72(1), pages 117-135, October.
    3. Kahn, Barbara E & Isen, Alice M, 1993. "The Influence of Positive Affect on Variety Seeking among Safe, Enjoyable Products," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 20(2), pages 257-270, September.
    4. Sylvia Lai Kwok & Daniel Shek, 2010. "Personal and Family Correlates of Suicidal Ideation Among Chinese Adolescents in Hong Kong," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 95(3), pages 407-419, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Feng Kong & Wenjie Li & Qiuling Wang & Zonglei Zhen, 2023. "Incremental Well-being Beliefs and Well-being in Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Self-esteem and Optimism," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 16(2), pages 533-549, April.
    2. Chuhua Zheng & Yanhong Wu, 2020. "The More Modest You are, the Happier You are: The Mediating Roles of Emotional Intelligence and Self-esteem," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(5), pages 1603-1615, June.
    3. Tam, Hau-lin & Kwok, Sylvia Y.C.L. & Hui, Anna N.N. & Chan, Doris Ka-yin & Leung, Cynthia & Leung, Janet & Lo, Herman & Lai, Simon, 2021. "The significance of emotional intelligence to students’ learning motivation and academic achievement: A study in Hong Kong with a Confucian heritage," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    4. Sylvia Y. C. L. Kwok & Minmin Gu & Nelson W. Y. Tam, 2022. "A Multiple Component Positive Psychology Intervention to Reduce Anxiety and Increase Happiness in Adolescents: The Mediating Roles of Gratitude and Emotional Intelligence," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(5), pages 2039-2058, June.
    5. 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.
    6. 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.
    7. Nelson W. Y. Tam & Sylvia Y. C. L. Kwok & Minmin Gu, 2023. "Individual, Peer, and Family Correlates of Depressive Symptoms among College Students in Hong Kong," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-15, February.
    8. Chi Kin Kwan & Sylvia YCL Kwok, 2021. "The Impact of Childhood Emotional Abuse on Adolescents’ Subjective Happiness: the Mediating Role of Emotional Intelligence," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 16(6), pages 2387-2401, December.

    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. Timo Ehrig & Jaison Manjaly & Aditya Singh & Shyam Sunder, 2022. "Adaptive Rationality in Strategic Interaction: Do Emotions Regulate Thinking About Others?," Strategy Science, INFORMS, vol. 7(4), pages 330-349, December.
    2. Verbeke, W.J.M.I. & Belschak, F.D. & Bagozzi, R.P., 2004. "The Adaptive Consequences of Pride in Personal Selling," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2004-012-MKT, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
    3. Urmila Rani Srivastava & Vandana Maurya, 2017. "Organizational and Individual Level Antecedents of Psychological Capital and its Associated Outcomes: Development of a Conceptual Framework," Management and Labour Studies, XLRI Jamshedpur, School of Business Management & Human Resources, vol. 42(3), pages 205-236, August.
    4. James C. Hayton & Magdalena Cholakova, 2012. "The Role of Affect in the Creation and Intentional Pursuit of Entrepreneurial Ideas," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 36(1), pages 41-67, January.
    5. Lili Tian & Huan Chen & E. Huebner, 2014. "The Longitudinal Relationships Between Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction at School and School-Related Subjective Well-Being in Adolescents," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 119(1), pages 353-372, October.
    6. Miner, Andrew G. & Glomb, Theresa M., 2010. "State mood, task performance, and behavior at work: A within-persons approach," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 112(1), pages 43-57, May.
    7. Juliano Laran & Eva Buechel, 2017. "Mental Resources Increase Preference for Dissimilar Experiences," Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, University of Chicago Press, vol. 2(1), pages 123-135.
    8. Simona Šarotar Žižek & Matjaž Mulej & Sonja Treven, 2010. "Requisite Holism Of Individuals As A Precondition For The Humankind’S Way Out From The 2008- Crisis," Analele Stiintifice ale Universitatii "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" din Iasi - Stiinte Economice (1954-2015), Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, vol. 57, pages 399-419, november.
    9. Fanjuan Shi & Jean-Luc Marini, 2014. "Do we need to believe Data/Tangible or Emotional/Intuition?," Post-Print halshs-01065283, HAL.
    10. Benjamin E. Hermalin and Alice M. Isen., 1999. "The Effect of Affect on Economic and Strategic Decision Making," Economics Working Papers E99-270, University of California at Berkeley.
    11. Byung-Jik Kim & Tae-Hyun Kim & Se-Youn Jung, 2018. "How to Enhance Sustainability through Transformational Leadership: The Important Role of Employees’ Forgiveness," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-13, July.
    12. Javornik, Ana & Marder, Ben & Pizzetti, Marta & Warlop, Luk, 2021. "Augmented self - The effects of virtual face augmentation on consumers' self-concept," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 170-187.
    13. Baxendale, Shane & Macdonald, Emma K. & Wilson, Hugh N., 2015. "The Impact of Different Touchpoints on Brand Consideration," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 91(2), pages 235-253.
    14. Chenxi Li & Xueming Luo & Cheng Zhang, 2017. "Sunny, Rainy, and Cloudy with a Chance of Mobile Promotion Effectiveness," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 36(5), pages 762-779, September.
    15. Steven J. Stanton & Crystal Reeck & Scott A. Huettel & Kevin S. LaBar, 2014. "Effects of induced moods on economic choices," Judgment and Decision Making, Society for Judgment and Decision Making, vol. 9(2), pages 167-175, March.
    16. Muhammad Rafique & Mastura Jaafar & Saira Ahmed & Muhammad Amjad-ur-Rehman, 2024. "Does work–family conflict lead to abusive supervision in the construction projects? The role of project commitment and psychological resilience," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 10(1), pages 1-14, December.
    17. Johanna Lass-Hennemann & Sarah K. Schäfer & M. Roxanne Sopp & Tanja Michael, 2020. "The Relationship between Dog Ownership, Psychopathological Symptoms and Health-Benefitting Factors in Occupations at Risk for Traumatization," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-15, April.
    18. Bruno S. Frey & Alois Stutzer, 2002. "What Can Economists Learn from Happiness Research?," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 40(2), pages 402-435, June.
    19. repec:cup:judgdm:v:4:y:2009:i:1:p:41-50 is not listed on IDEAS
    20. Miha Dominko & Miroslav Verbič, 2022. "The effect of subjective well‐being on consumption behavior," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(2), pages 876-898, June.
    21. Mohan, Geetha & Sivakumaran, Bharadhwaj & Sharma, Piyush, 2012. "Store environment's impact on variety seeking behavior," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 419-428.

    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:chinre:v:10:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1007_s12187-016-9366-2. 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.