Psikolojik İyi Oluşun Yordayıcıları Olarak Şükran, Umut, İyimserlik ve Yaşam Doyumu

Year 2019, Volume: 19 Issue: 82, 81 - 100, 31.07.2019

Ferhat Kardas , Zekeriya Cam , Mustafa Eskısu , Sedat Gelıbolu

Abstract

Problem Durumu: 19. yüzyılın sonlarında
başlayıp İkinci Dünya Savaşı’na kadar devam eden süreçte, psikoloji alanında
genel anlamda hayatın negatif yönlerine odaklanan, sorunları teşhis ve tedaviye
yoğunlaşan ve bireylerin güçlü yönleri yerine sorunlu yönlerine odaklanan bir
yaklaşımın egemen olduğu görülmektedir. Özellikle İkinci Dünya Savaşı’ndan
sonra savaşın etkisi, hümanizm anlayışının yaygınlaşması, hayatın pozitif
yönlerini kucaklamaya yönelik ihtiyaç psikolojide hakim paradigmada
farklılaşmalara neden olmuştur. Bu çerçevede Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow gibi
öncülerin çalışmalarının etkisiyle insanların güçlü yönlerine olan vurgu
artmaya başlamıştır. Pozitif psikoloji yaklaşımı patoloji (hastalık) odaklı bu
bakış açısına önemli eleştiriler getirmiş ve psikolojinin hayatın pozitif
yönlerini kucaklaması gerektiğini ve bireylerin güçlü yönlerine odaklanarak
onların iyi oluşlarını arttırmayı hedeflemesi gerektiğini ileri sürmüştür. Bu
çerçevede ortaya çıkan ortaya çıkan çalışmalar 2000’li yılların başında Pozitif
Psikoloji alanının sistematik olarak ortaya çıkmasına zemin hazırlamıştır.
Pozitif psikoloji yaklaşımının yaygınlaşmasıyla birlikte mutluluk, iyi oluş,
yaşam doyumu gibi konular sıkılıkla araştırılmaya başlanmıştır. Bu bağlamda
bireylerin yaşam doyumlarını ve iyi oluş düzeylerini yordayan değişkenlerin
ortaya konulması ve bu değişkenlere ilişkin çeşitli kuramsal ve uygulamalı
çalışmaların gerçekleştirilmesi önem kazanmıştır. Bu bağlamda şükran, umut,
iyimserlik ve yaşam doyumu değişkenlerinin birbirileriyle olan ilişkilerinin
ortaya konulması ve bu değişkenlerin iyi oluşu yordama düzeylerinin ortaya
konulmasının yararlı olacağı düşünülmektedir.

Keywords

İyi oluş, şükran, umut, iyimserlik, yaşam doyumu

Gratitude, Hope, Optimism and Life Satisfaction as Predictors of Psychological Well-Being

Abstract

Purpose: The
mainstream psychology has mostly focused on the negative factors that threaten
human mental health. With the emergence of positive psychology approach, the
human strengths have started to be studied and the number of studies on the
issue of happiness and well-being has increased. The aim of this research is to
reveal the level of prediction for psychological well-being by the variables of
gratitude, hope, optimism and life satisfaction.

Method: Research sample consisted of 510 students from various faculties
and departments of four different universities. The study group consisted of
359 female (70.4%) and 151 male (29.6%) university students. The age range of
participants varied between 17 and 30. 

Findings: All the variables discussed in the study were positively related to each
other, and the variables of gratitude, optimism, hope, and life satisfaction
all together accounted for about 51% of the variance of psychological
well-being. Gratitude was determined as the most predictive variable for
well-being and it was followed by the variables; hope, optimism, and life
satisfaction, respectively. Accordingly; gratitude predicted 35.4% of the variance
in well-being alone; gratitude and hope predicted 45.4% together; gratitude,
hope, and optimism predicted 48.8% together; while gratitude, hope, optimism,
and life satisfaction predicted 50.7% percent altogether.

Implications for Research
and Practice: These findings are thought to
be important in terms of revealing variables that predict well-being with a
high level of variance. It is thought that these findings can be used in the
field of mental health especially by the researchers and practitioners using
intervention studies. Especially, since the gratitude level accounts for 35.4%
of the variance in well-being alone, gratitude interventions can effectively be
used to improve well-being level.

Keywords

well-being, gratitude, hope, optimism, life satisfaction

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