THE STUDY OF

WELLBEING
Theories.
 THE STUDY OF
WELLBEING
Theories.

1. Jahoda mode
model
2. Deci & Ryan’s self-determination theory
3. Ryff’s psychological wellbeing
4. Keyes’ wellbeing and mental health model
5. Seligman’s 3 paths of happiness
6. Seligman’s PERMA model
1
Jahoda model
Proposal of positive mental health. More
theoretic than empiric.

It is focused on the individual mental health.

However, it includes the need of physical health
and social aspects.

The model establishes different criteria to

characterize a positive mental health. It tries to
answer which are the components of positive
mental health.

The model is conceived as a starting point.

1
Jahoda model
CRITERIA

1- Positive attitudes towards oneself

2- Growth, self-development and self-

actualization

3- Integration

4- Autonomy

5- Accurate perception of reality

6- Environmental mastery (control)

2 Self-determination theory
Deci & Ryan
Theory of (self)motivation. Empirically tested.

Related to the eudaimonic approach: self-realization

as a central element of WB.

People have 3 psychological innate needs. When

these needs are fulfilled, we feel motivated and
productive —> It supports our natural or intrinsic
tendencies to behave in effective and healthy ways.

To motivate people we should create an adequate

environment to satisfy those natural needs.

The basis of the theory: WB is the consequence of

an optimal psychological functioning, and not the
only cause
2 Self-determination theory
Deci & Ryan
The psychological optimal functioning is defined by:

1- An adequate satisfaction of the psychological

basic needs: link, competency and autonomy

2- A consistent system of goals:

- intrinsic rather than extrinsic

- coherent with the personal values and interests

- coherent between them

These are the innate nutrients essentials

for the psychological WB
2 Self-determination theory
Deci & Ryan
To sum up…

People with more perceived satisfaction in the

basic needs have better WB.

In predicting WB, it is more important a

balance in satisfaction between the basic
needs than a high level of satisfaction in some
of them.

People experiment more WB when their goals

are consonant with their personal values and
interests.
3 Psychological wellbeing
Carol Ryff
She reviewed previous models (like Jahoda’s or
Maslow’s) to build a model including the different
aspects of the human optimal functioning.

As Decy & Ryan’s theory, the positive emotions

are consequence of the human optimal
functioning, and not predictors.

There are 6 dimensions to delimit mental health

3 Psychological wellbeing
Carol Ryff
She reviewed previous models (like Jahoda’s or
Maslow’s) to build a model including the different
aspects of the human optimal functioning.

As Decy & Ryan’s theory, the positive emotions

are consequence of the human optimal
functioning, and not predictors.

There are 6 dimensions to delimit mental health

3 Psychological wellbeing
Carol Ryff
Represents the eudaimonic approach

Positive Environmental
Purpose in life Personal growth Autonomy Self-acceptance
relationships mastery

Constant growth
Warm, satisfactory Sense of competence
and confident Positive attitudes
relationships Seek for their goals Openness to new Self-determining and in managing the
towards oneself
experiences independent environment
Concern about the Experience of life
Acceptance of
Good others. These people control where past Desire to develop their Able to resist social Make effective use of
experiment sympathy aspects of our
adjustment and present have a potential pressure opportunities
personality
and love emotions to meaning
other
Improvement over Evaluates self by Create or choose
They feel good about
Importance of giving Beliefs of purpose time (self- personal standards contexts suitable to
their past
and receiving consciousness and personal needs
efficacy)
Few close and warm A sense of personal Conform to social
relationships stagnation Difficulty managing
pressures to think and Dissatisfaction with
everyday affairs
Difficulty to show act oneself
The life has no sense Feels bored and
warmth, openness
for them uninterested with life Unaware of
and concern about Rely on others’ Problems with some
Deficitary others opportunities
judgements to make traits, they would like
adjustment Few goals in life Feels unable to important decisions to be different
Isolated and develop new attitudes Feel unable to change
frustrated with their No beliefs of purpose and behaviors or improve
Concerned about the Disappointed with
relationships. No surrounding context
intention for important expectations and their past
Lack of improvement evaluations of others
arrangements
over time
3 Psychological wellbeing
Carol Ryff
Represents the eudaimonic approach

Alta acceptació Baixa acceptació

Actitud positiva cap a un mateix Insatisfacció amb un mateix

Acceptació aspectes de la personalitat Problemes amb certes característiques.

Voldrien ser diferents de com són

Se senten bé en relació al passat Decepció respecte del passat

Bones relacions Relacions deficitàries

Relacions càlides, satisfactòries i de Poques relacions properes.

confiança

Es preocupen pels altres. Experimenten Dificultat en calidesa, abertura i preocupació pels

sentiments d’empatia i amor als altres demés

Importància del donar i rebre Estan aïllats o frustrats en les seves relacions. No
diposat a tenir compromisos i vincles importants
3 Psychological wellbeing
Carol Ryff
Represents the eudaimonic approach

Alt propòsit Baix propòsit

Persegueixen les seves metes La vida no té sentit

Sensació de control i direcció. Present i Poques metes

passat tenen significat

Creences de sentit No creences de sentit

Alt creixement Baix creixement

Creixement continu Sensació d’atasc

Obertes a noves experiències i desitgen Avorriment, desmotivació, poc interés, incapacitat

desenvolupar el potencial per desenvolupar noves actituds

Millora amb el temps (autoconeixement i No millora amb el temps

efectivitat)
3 Psychological wellbeing
Carol Ryff
Represents the eudaimonic approach

Alt propòsit Baix propòsit

Persegueixen les seves metes La vida no té sentit

Sensació de control i direcció. Present i Poques metes

passat tenen significat

Creences de sentit No creences de sentit

Alt creixement Baix creixement

Creixement continu Sensació d’atasc

Obertes a noves experiències i desitgen Avorriment, desmotivació, poc interés, incapacitat

desenvolupar el potencial per desenvolupar noves actituds

Millora amb el temps (autoconeixement i No millora amb el temps

efectivitat)
3 Psychological wellbeing
Carol Ryff
Represents the eudaimonic approach

Alt domini Baix domini

Sensació de control sobre el món i capacitat No control sobre l’ambient

d’influir en l’ambient

Aprofiten les oportunitats No conscients de les oportunitats

Creen o escullen entorns que encaixen amb Dificultats per lidiar amb els problemes quotidians.
valors i necessitats Incapaces de millorar o canviar l’entorn

Alta autonomia Baixa autonomia

Resisteixen a la pressió social i regulen el Es conformen davant pressió social i actuen en

comportament autònomament base al que s’espera d’ells

Més independents Presa de decisió en base a les opinions dels demés

Autoavaluació en funció d’estàndars Preocupades i guiades per l’avaluació externa

personals
3 Psychological wellbeing
Carol Ryff

Dimensions of relatedness, competency and

autonomy coincide with Ryan & Deci’s theory.
In the model of Ryff we see 6 components
instead of 3 needs.

The PWB is an indicator of change, so it’s

used in psychotherapy as an indicator to
adjustment.
4 Social wellbeing
Corey L.M. Keyes
It starts from the Ryff’s model. Keyes added:
• Hedonic components
• Social components

This model distinguishes 3 areas:

1. Emotional WB (high PA, low NA, high LS)
2. Psychological WB (6 Ryff dimensions)
3. Social WB (social and community functioning):
it expresses to which extent the social and
cultural context is perceived as satisfactory
and rich.
4 Social wellbeing
Corey L.M. Keyes
Five dimensions of social WB:
To perceive the world as a logic, coherent and predictable
Social coherence
place

Feeling part of the society, supported by others and with

Social integration
elements to share

To perceive that oneself can contribute with something

Social contribution
valuable to the society

Having the sense that the society improves and develops,

Social actualization
allowing the personal growth and self-actualization

Having kind and positive attitudes toward people. Seeing

Social acceptance
the world is not hostil and cruel.

This model emphasizes the importance of the

social component to explain the concept of WB
beyond the individual sphere
5 Three paths of happiness
Martin Seligman
Called the “Authentic happiness model” (2003)
A descriptive model to structure and integrate the
previous investigations.

The results could be summed in 3 dimensions to

build WB:
1. The pleasant life: experiencing positive emotions
2. Engaged life: using personal strengths to
experience flow
3. Meaningful life: a sense of purpose in life and
goals that go beyond oneself
It does not intend to indicate which is the best way to
pursue happiness, but to describe it.
5 Three paths of happiness
Martin Seligman

Pleasant life
- Search of positive emotions
- Experience as much positive emotions as possible
- There are shortcuts: sex, drugs, shopping, TV…
- 3 types of emotions:
- About the past: pride and serenity
- About the future: hope, optimism and
confidence
- About the present: immediate pleasures
(hedonism)
5 Three paths of happiness
Martin Seligman
Engaged life

- Using our strengths to obtain rewards and results.

Identify talents and find opportunities to use them
- Related to personal values
- Participation, implication and engagement in every
action in life
- Flow: being absorbed with something, time flies
- Opposite to the pleasant life: no thinking nor
emotion
- No shortcuts —> we need to apply our strengths
to flow
5 Three paths of happiness
Martin Seligman

Meaningful life

- Using our strengths to serve something bigger

than ourselves (pleasure and flow are individual)
- A meaningful life leads to personal satisfaction
and the belief of “living a good life”
- We need a purpose in life
- Examples: family, politics parties, religion,
ecology
6 PERMA model
Martin Seligman

SIGNIFICAT
PLAER COMPROMÍS
Vida compromesa Vida FELICITAT
Vida plaent
significant

Topic: Happiness

Goal: to increase life satisfaction of people

deficiencies
It doesn’t take into account accomplishments
70% determined by how we feel in this moment,
and just 30% determined by the global evaluation
6 PERMA model
Martin Seligman

SIGNIFICAT
PLAER COMPROMÍS
Vida compromesa Vida FELICITAT
Vida plaent
significant

P E R M A
engagement meaning accomplishment
posi%ve emo%ons posi%ve rela%onships

Character strengths
6 PERMA model
Martin Seligman

P E R M A
engagement meaning accomplishment
posi%ve emo%ons posi%ve rela%onships

Character strengths

“Others”: social brain and survival. Life in society

is the most successful adaptive lifestyle.
Successful relationships are a skill

“Accomplished life”: search of accomplishment. To

achieve something because of its intrinsic value
6 PERMA model
Martin Seligman

P E R M A
engagement meaning accomplishment
posi%ve emo%ons posi%ve rela%onships

Character strengths

Topic: wellbeing
Goal: To grow as a person, increasing positive
emotions, engagement, meaning, relationships and
accomplishment
We measure WB through these 5 elements
Three paths of happiness
vs PERMA model
Martin Seligman

Authentic happiness PERMA

Main topic Happiness Wellbeing

Measure Life satisfaction Flourishing

To increase life
Goal 5 elements
satisfaction