Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The Mediating Role of Coping Strategies on the Relationships Between Goal Motives and Affective and Cognitive Components of Subjective Well-Being

  • Research Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Happiness Studies Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Subjective well-being (SWB) comprises both a cognitive component or life satisfaction, and an affective component or predominance of positive over negative affect. Engaging in meaningful goals and using effective coping are two factors with great impact on the development of SWB. Self-Determination Theory (SDT) postulates that goal can be pursued through autonomous and controlled motives (AM and CM respectively). AM are based on personal interest, enjoyment, or perceived importance while CM are driven by internal or external pressures and contingencies related to social approval. Moreover, from SDT has been proposed that only the attainment of autonomously motivated goals raises well-being. The main objective of the current study was to analyse whether coping strategies mediated the relationship between goal motives and SWB. Two hundred and five people (120 male and 85 female) answered questionnaires to assess different variables of interest in group sessions. Path analysis showed that CM had direct and indirect effects on negative affect, and that the latter are through the use of avoidance coping strategies. CM had direct effect on life satisfaction, and AM had direct effect on positive and negative affect. We discussed that both well-being and mental health promotion programs should encourage people to pursue goals by autonomous motives, and help them to replace avoidant strategies by those aimed at problem solving. Likewise, we point out the convenience of assessing goal progress, analysing specific coping strategies developed for each goal, and studying separately the affective and cognitive components of SWB.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Amiot, C., Gaudreau, P., & Blanchard, C. (2004). Self-determination, coping, and goal attainment in sport. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 26, 396–411.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arbuckle, J. (2011). AMOS: A structural equations modeling program (Version 20.0) [computer program]. Chicago: SPSS.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ávila, M., & Sanjuán, P. (in press). The joint contribution of motivation and coping to prisoners’ well-being. Spanish Journal of Psychology.

  • Biswas-Diener, R., Vittersø, J., & Diener, E. (2010). The Danish effect: Beginning to explain high well-being in Denmark. Social Indicator Research, 97, 229–246.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Byrne, B. (2006). Structural equation modeling with Mplus. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carver, C. (1997). You want to measure coping but your protocol’s too long: Consider the brief COPE. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 4, 92–100.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deaton, A. (2008). Income, health, and well-being around the world: Evidence from the Gallup World Poll. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 22, 53–72.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E. (2006). Guidelines for national indicators of subjective well-being and ill-being. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 1, 151–157.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., Diener, M., & Diener, C. (1995). Factors predicting the subjective well-being of nations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69, 851–864.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., & Gonzalez, E. (2011). The validity of life satisfaction measures. Social Indicator Network News, 108, 1–5.

    Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., Lucas, R., & Oishi, S. (2002). Subjective well-being: The science of happiness and life satisfaction. In C. Snyder & S. Lopez (Eds.), Handbook of positive psychology (pp. 63–73). New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., Suh, E., Lucas, R., & Smith, H. (1999). Subjective well-being: Three decades of progress. Psychological Bulletin, 125, 276–302.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • European Commission. (2010). Europe 2020: A European strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. Brussels: European Commission.

    Google Scholar 

  • Folkman, S., & Moskowitz, J. (2000). Positive affect and the other side of coping. American Psychologist, 55, 647–654.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gaudreau, P., Carraro, N., & Miranda, D. (2012). From goal motivation to goal progress: The mediating role of coping in the self-concordance model. Anxiety Stress and Coping, 25, 507–528.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • George, D., & Mallery, P. (2003). SPSS for Windows step by step: A simple guide and reference. 11.0 update. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hortop, E., Wrosch, C., & Gagne, M. (2013). The why and how of goal pursuits: Effects of global autonomous motivation and perceived control on emotional well-being. Motivation & Emotion, 37, 675–687.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kenny, D., Kaniskan, B., & McCoach, D. (2015). The performance of RMSEA in models with small degrees of freedom. Sociological Methods & Research, 44, 486–507. https://doi.org/10.1177/0049124114543236.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kline, R. B. (2011). Principles and practice of structural equation modelling (3rd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krägeloh, C. (2011). A systematic review of studies using the brief-COPE: Religious coping in factor analyses. Religions, 2, 216–246. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel2030216.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lazarus, R. (1991). Emotion and adaptation. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lazarus, R. (2006). Emotions and interpersonal relationships: Toward a person-centered conceptualization of emotions and coping. Journal of Personality, 74, 9–46.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lazarus, R., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping. New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Litman, J., & Lunsford, G. (2009). Frequency of use and impact of coping strategies assessed by the COPE inventory and their relationships to post-event health and well-being. Journal of Health Psychology, 14, 982–991.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • López-Gómez, I., Hervás, G., & Vázquez, C. (2015). Adaptation of the positive and negative affect schedule (PANAS) in a Spanish general sample. Psicología Conductual, 22, 529–548.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lucas, R., & Diener, E. (2008). Personality and subjective well-being. In O. John, R. Robins, & L. Pervin (Eds.), Handbook of personality: Theory and research (pp. 795–814). New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lyubomirsky, S., King, L., & Diener, E. (2005). The benefits of frequent positive affect: Does happiness lead to success? Psychological Bulletin, 131, 803–855.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miao, F., Koo, M., & Oishi, S. (2013). Subjective well-being. In S. David, I. Boniwell, & A. Ayers (Eds.), Oxford handbook of happiness (pp. 174–184). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miquelon, P., & Vallerand, R. (2006). Goal motives, well-being, and physical health: Happiness and self-realization as psychological resources under challenge. Motivation and Emotion, 30, 259–272.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mohanraj, R., Jeyaseelan, V., Kumar, S., Mani, T., Rao, D., Murray, K., et al. (2015). Cultural adaptation of the brief COPE for persons living with HIV/AIDS in Southern India. AIDS and Behavior, 19, 341–351. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-014-0872-2.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morán, C., Landero, R., & González, M. (2010). COPE-28: A psychometric analysis of brief-COPE Spanish version. Universitas Psychologica, 9, 543–552.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moskowitz, J., Hult, J., Bussolari, C., & Acree, M. (2009). What works in coping with HIV? A meta-analysis with implications for coping with serious illness. Psychological Bulletin, 135, 121–141.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ntoumanis, N., Edmunds, J., & Duda, J. L. (2009). Understanding the coping process from a self-determination theory perspective. British Journal of Health Psychology, 14, 249–260.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ntoumanis, N., Healy, L., Sedikides, C., Duda, J., Stewart, B., Smith, A., et al. (2014). When the going gets tough: The “why” of goal striving matters. Journal of Personality, 82, 225–236.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nunnaly, J. (1978). Psychometric theory. New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pavot, W., & Diener, E. (1993). Review of the satisfaction with life scale. Psychological Assessment, 5, 164–172.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ryan, R., & Deci, E. (2008). Self-determination theory and the role of basic psychological needs in personality and the organization of behavior. In O. John, R. Robins, & L. Pervin (Eds.), Handbook of personality: Theory and research (pp. 654–678). New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sandin, B., Chorot, P., Lostao, L., Joiner, T. E., Santed, M., & Valiente, R. (1999). Positive and Negative Affect Scales (PANAS): Factorial validity and cross-cultural convergence. Psicothema, 11, 37–51.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanjuán, P., & Ávila, M. (2016). Coping and motivation as predictors of subjective and psychological well-being. Revista de Psicopatología y Psicología Clínica, 21, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.5944/rppc.vol.21.num.1.2016.15401.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schimmack, U., Schupp, J., & Wagner, G. (2008). The influence of environment and personality on the affective and cognitive component of subjective well-being. Social Indicators Research, 89, 41–60.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sheldon, K., & Elliot, A. (1998). Not all personal goals are “personal”: Comparing autonomous and controlling goals on effort and attainment. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 24, 546–557.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sheldon, K., & Elliot, A. (1999). Goal striving, need satisfaction and longitudinal well-being: The self-concordance model. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 76, 546–557.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sheldon, K., Ryan, R., Deci, E., & Kasser, T. (2004). The independent effects of goal contents and motives on well-being: It’s both what you pursue and why you pursue it. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 30, 475–486.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skinner, E., Edge, K., Altman, J., & Sherwood, H. (2003). Searching for the structure of coping: A review and critique of category systems for classifying ways of coping. Psychological Bulletin, 129, 216–269.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, A. L., Ntoumanis, N., & Duda, J. L. (2007). Goal striving, goal attainment, and well-being: Adapting and testing the self-concordance model in sport. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 29, 763–782.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, A., Ntoumanis, N., Duda, J., & Vansteenkiste, M. (2011). Goal striving, coping, and well-being: A prospective investigation of the self-concordance model in sport. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 33, 124–145.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Solberg, P., & Halvari, H. (2009). Perceived autonomy support, personal goal content, and emotional well-being among elite athletes: Mediating effects of reasons for goals. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 108, 721–743.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stanton, A., Revenson, T., & Tennen, H. (2007). Health psychology: Psychological adjustment to chronic disease. Annual Review of Psychology, 58, 565–592.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steel, P., Schmidt, J., & Shultz, J. (2008). Refining the relationship between personality and subjective well-being. Psychological Bulletin, 134, 138–161.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, E. (2007). Development and validation of an internationally reliable short-form of the positive and negative affect schedule (PANAS). Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 38, 227–242.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vázquez, C., Duque, A., & Hervás, G. (2013). The satisfaction with life scale (SWLS): Adaptation and normative data in a Spanish representative national sample. Spanish Journal of Psychology, 16, e82.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Watson, D., Clark, L., & Tellegen, A. (1988). Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect. The PANAS scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54, 1063–1070.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization. (1948). Constitution of the World Health Organization. http://www.searo.who.int/LinkFiles/ABOUT_SEARO_const.pdf. Accessed 2 Jan 2013.

  • World Health Organization. (2013). The European health report 2012: Charting the way to well-being. Copenague: WHO.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Psychology, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), C/Juan del Rosal, 10 – Ciudad Universitaria, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    Pilar Sanjuán & María Ávila

Authors
  1. Pilar Sanjuán
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. María Ávila
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pilar Sanjuán.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Sanjuán, P., Ávila, M. The Mediating Role of Coping Strategies on the Relationships Between Goal Motives and Affective and Cognitive Components of Subjective Well-Being. J Happiness Stud 20, 1057–1070 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-018-9987-x

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-018-9987-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation