Current Research

The Positive Psychology Lab is currently working on the following studies:

Study #1: Values Differences between SES Disadvantaged and Privileged College Students

The authors will evaluate the self-identified values and virtues of successful college student from Socio-Economic Status (SES) disadvantaged and SES privileged backgrounds.  Participants shall complete online surveys in English measuring character strengths, life values including orientations to happiness (engagement, pleasure, and meaning), and life satisfaction.  The two groups will be compared to see if there was a significant difference in self-identified values.  Methods: A sample of college students (n=500) were gathered from volunteers who participated in this study.  The two groups will be compared for significant differences in values between them using a two way MANOVA.  A secondary investigation was conducted to determine within group similarity or difference.   Results: The authors predict they will observe a significant difference in the values of disadvantaged and privileged college students.  The authors predict they will observe similarity among participants within groups.  Conclusions: There will be a difference between the two groups but similarity within groups.

 

Study #2:  Title: Micro-Encouragements: A pilot-study.

Operational Definition: Micro-encouragement is a subtle respectful kindness of behavior or speech directed toward others by an individual; where the behavior is happening spontaneously without solicitation and the effect being the recipient of the micro-encouragement is elevated or otherwise benefits emotionally or cognitively by the micro-encouragement. Benefit is defined as an elevation of mood or a positive feeling of well-being that results from the micro-encouragement as reported by the recipient. The micro-encouragement act instills into the recipient support, confidence, or hope.

Abstract: Micro-aggressions (subtle insults directed against others, often minorities, in an automatic and sometimes unconscious way) as a phenomena have been studied greatly in psychology literature. However, their counterpart or opposite, micro-encouragements (subtle respectful kindnesses directed toward others), have been virtually unstudied as a coequal and possibly greater phenomena in human experience. This pilot-study is an effort to catalog, define, and develop a method to examine micro-encouragements.