Browse > Article
http://dx.doi.org/10.5723/KJCS.2014.35.3.137

The Moderating Effect of Optimistic Thinking on the Relationship between Sixth-Grade Elementary School Children's Daily Hassles and Subjective Well-Being  

Noh, Jee-Un (Department of Child Development, Ewha Womans University)
Shin, Nana (Department of Child Development, Ewha Womans University)
Publication Information
Korean Journal of Child Studies / v.35, no.3, 2014 , pp. 137-156 More about this Journal
Abstract
The current study examined the relations between sixth-grade elementary school children's perceptions of daily hassles, optimistic thinking, and subjective well-being. This study also investigated the moderating effect of optimistic thinking on the relationship between daily hassles and subjective well-being. A total of 474 sixth-grade elementary school children participated in this study. First, children's daily hassles were negatively related to optimistic thinking and subjective well-being. As children perceived higher levels of daily hassles, they showed lower levels of optimistic thinking and subjective well-being. Children's optimistic thinking was positively related to subjective well-being. Second, children's optimistic thinking moderated the relations between daily hassles and subjective well-being. Specifically, for children with higher levels of optimistic thinking, their subjective well-being decreased with increasing levels of daily hassles related to parents and teachers. However, for children with lower levels of optimistic thinking, there was no relation between daily hassles and subjective well-being. These findings suggest that optimistic thinking could be an important means by which we could improve children's subjective well-being, especially when they experience higher levels of daily hassles.
Keywords
daily hassles; optimistic thinking; subjective well-being; sixth-grade elementary school children;
Citations & Related Records
Times Cited By KSCI : 3  (Citation Analysis)
연도 인용수 순위
1 Towbes, L. C., Cohen, L. H., & Glyshaw, K. (1989). Instrumentality as a life-stress moderator for early versus middle adolescents. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57(1), 109-119.   DOI
2 Veenhoven, R. (1991). Is happiness relative? Social Indicators Research. 24, 1-34.   DOI   ScienceOn
3 Watson, D., & Clark, L. A. (1984). Negative affectivity: The disposition to experience aversive emotional states. Psychological Bulletin, 96, 465-490.   DOI   ScienceOn
4 Yang, M. J., Lee, E. K., & Lee, H. W. (2006). A study on psychosocial characteristic, environmental variables and mental health variables of adolescent. Korea Youth Counseling institute, 14(1), 63-76.
5 Yang, M. S., & Han, Y. S. (2007). The influence of child's perception of family strengthens and parental childbearing attitude on behavior problems in adolescent transition. Korea Journal of Counseling, 8(1), 351-363.   DOI
6 Yoo, S. K., & Bang, H. J. (2011). The relationship between optimism and subjective well-being in students in the upper grades of elementary school: The moderating effect of parent-related stress and peer support. The Korean Journal of Human Development, 18(2), 169-185.
7 Ryu, S. Y. (1994). The development of upper-graded elementary students' daily stress scale. Unpublished master's thesis, Chungnam University, Daejun, Korea.
8 Park, S. Y., & Moon, H. J. (2005). Ecological variables on children's stress. Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association, 43(9), 71-84.   과학기술학회마을
9 Park, Y. A. (2011). The influences of stress and academic self-efficacy on the subjective well-being of elementary school children. Korean Journal of Child Studies, 32(3), 107-120.   과학기술학회마을   DOI   ScienceOn
10 Chun, H. J. (2008). Effect of optimistic training contributed to enhancing school children's stress coping skills. Unpublished master's thesis, Daegu University, Daegu, Korea.
11 Cohen, S., & Wills, T. A. (1985). Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis. Psychological Bulletin, 98(2), 310-357.   DOI   ScienceOn
12 Ahn, H. J. (2009). The relationship among stress, dispositional optimism and suicidal ideation, and to investigate the moderation effect of dispositional optimism in these relationship. Unpublished master's thesis, Ewha Womans university, Seoul, Korea.
13 Scheier, M. F., & Carver, C. S. (1993). On the power of positive thinking: The benefits of being optimistic. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 2(1), 26-30.   DOI
14 Rowlison, R. T., & Felner, R. D. (1988). Major life events, hassles, and adaption in adolescence: Confounding in the conceptualization and measurement of life stress and adjustment revisited. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 55(3), 432-444.   DOI
15 Scheier, M. F., & Carver, C. S. (1987). Dispositional optimism and physical well-being: The influence of generalized outcome expectancies on health. Journal of Personality, 55, 169-210.   DOI
16 Scheier, M. F., & Carver, C. S. (1992). Effects of optimism on psychological and physical well-being: Theoretical overview and empirical update. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 16, 201-228.   DOI   ScienceOn
17 Scheier, M. F., Carver, C. S., & Bridges, M. W. (1994). Distinguishing optimism from neuroticism (and trait anxiety, self-mastery, and self-esteem): A re-evaluation of the Life Orientation Test. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 1063-1078.   DOI   ScienceOn
18 Seligman, M. E. P. (1991). Learned Optimism. New York: Knopf.
19 Seligman, M. E. P., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2000). Positive psychology: An introduction. American Psychologist, 55(1), 5-14.   DOI   ScienceOn
20 Oh, Y. S. (2013). The effects of optimistic improvement program on children's perception and stress coping. Unpublished master's thesis, Seoul National University of Education, Seoul, Korea.
21 Omizo, S. A., Omizo., & Suzuki, L. A. (1988). Children and stress: An exploratory study of stressors and symptoms. School Counselor, 35(1), 267-274.
22 Murberg, T. A. (2012). The influence of optimistic expectations and negative life events on somatic symptoms among adolescents: A one-year prospective study. Psychology, 3(2), 123-127.   DOI
23 National youth policy institute (2011). National youth policy institute report. Seoul: National youth policy institute.
24 Oh, M. H. (1995). Relationship between 1st elementary student's stress and problematic behavior. Unpublished master's thesis, Sookmyung Women's University, Seoul, Korea.
25 Park, B. G., & Hong, S. P. (2004). Development and validation of a subjective well-being scale. Korean Journal of Education Psychology, 18(3), 159-175.
26 Park, B. G., & Song, J. H. (2007). Multidimensional 2${\times}$3 factor structure of subjective well-being. Korean Journal of Education Psychology, 21(3), 591-611.
27 Park, E. M., Park, J. S., & Jun, T. Y. (2009). Relationship between stresses and school adjustments for undergraduates from North Korea: The moderating effects of optimism, social supports, and stress coping strategies. The Korean Psychological Association, 2009, 428-429.
28 Park, I. H. (2009). Effects of optimism enhancement program on optimism and mental health of elementary school students. Unpublished master's thesis, Keimyung University, Daegu, Korea.
29 Lee, E. Y. (2004). Interpersonal stress, anxiety, and somatic complaints in children. Unpublished master's thesis, Sookmyung Women's University, Seoul, Korea.
30 Lai, J. C. L. (2009). Dispositional optimism buffers the impact of daily hassles on mental health in Chinese adolescents. Personality and Individual Differences, 47, 247-249.   DOI
31 Lai, J. C. L., & Wong, W. S. (1998). Optimism and coping with unemployment among Hong Kong Chinese women. Journal of Research in Personality, 32, 454-479.   DOI
32 Larson, R., & Asmussen, L. (1991). Anger, worry, and hurt in early adolescence: An enlarging world of negative emotions. In M. E. Colten & S. Gore (Eds.), Adolescent Stress: Causes and Consequences (pp. 21-42), New York: Aldine.
33 Lee, J. M., & Yang, M. S. (2007). The effects of perceived parental conflict, maternal behavior, arid social support on children's subjective well-being: A structural equation modeling analysis. The Korean Journal of Developmental Psychology, 20(4), 33-58.
34 Lee, J. W. (2012). The relationship among daily stress, optimism and psychological well-being of college students. Unpublished master's thesis, Kyungpook, Daegu, Korea.
35 Lee, S. H. (2007). The effects of optimistic improvement program on the subjective well-being and school resilience for elementary students. Unpublished master's thesis, Seoul Education University, Seoul, Korea.
36 Lee, S. H., Doh, H. S., Choi, M. K., & Ku, S. G. (2010). Exploring pathways from mothers' beliefs to children's subjective well-being: The mediating effects of children's private afterschool education and stress levels. Korean Journal of Child Studies, 31(3), 255-272.
37 Kim, G. H., Kwan, S. J., & Shim, M. Y. (2005). The moderating effect of ego-resiliency: Test stress and the physical symptom of elementary school students. Korean Journal of Health Psychology, 10(1), 113-126.
38 Keyes, C. L. M., Shmotkin, D., & Ryff, C. D. (2002). Optimizing well-being: The empirical encounter of two traditions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82, 1007-1022.   DOI   ScienceOn
39 Kessler, R. C., Price, R. H., & Wortman, C. B. (1985). Social factors in psychopathology: Stress, social support, and coping processes. In M. R. Rosenzweig & L. W. Porter (Eds.), Annual review of psychology (pp. 531-572). Palo Alto, CA: Annual Reviews, Inc.
40 Keyes, C. L. M. (1998). Social well-being. Social Psychology Quarterly, 61, 121-140.   DOI   ScienceOn
41 Kim, J. Y. (2008). Relations among ego-resilience, subjective well-being, stress level and coping methods perceived by elementary students. Unpublished master's thesis, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.
42 Kim, J. Y., & Lee, J. Y. (2008). The development and validation of the dispositional optimism scale for children. Asian Journal of Education, 9(3), 83-116.   DOI
43 Kim, S. B. (2007). The effects of optimistic improvement program on the ego-resilience and school life satisfaction of elementary school children. Unpublished master's thesis, Seoul National University of Education, Seoul, Korea.
44 Kim, S. B., & Lee, S. (2009). The effects of perceived daily stress on the adjustment of elementary school children: The moderating effects of social support. Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association, 27(2), 55-67.   과학기술학회마을
45 Kwak, E. Y. (2012). The direct and indirect effects of school age children's playfulness and stress coping behaviors on subjective well-being. Unpublished master's thesis, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea.
46 Hwang, H. W. (2011). A research on protective factors influencing on adolescents' quality of life. Korean Journal of Youth Studies, 18(3), 1-26.
47 Jang, J. H., & Go, J. H. (2010). Adolescents' stress and mental health: Hope as a moderator. Korea Youth Counseling institute, 18(2), 101-116.
48 Hong, G. S., Gang-Han, H. H., & Jin, J. C. (1994). A comparative study of school stress focusing on elementary and junior high school students in Korea and Japan. The Journal of Elementary Education, 8, 95-108.
49 Huebner, E. S. (1991). Correlates of life satisfaction in children. School Psychology Quarterly, 6, 103-111.   DOI
50 Jang, Y. J. (2007). Contemporary mental health. Seoul: Hakjisa.
51 Jo, H. I. (2011). The effect of elementary students' parent academic involvement on self-regulated learning: Achievement goals as a mediator. Korean Journal of Youth Studies, 18(4), 241-259.
52 Jo, M. G., & Yang, D. K. (2002). The differences of degree of optimism, happiness and stress according to the experience of repeating a college entrance examination and the satisfaction of college entrance. Korean Journal of Youth Studies, 9(1), 23-43.
53 Johnson, J. G., & Bornstein, R. F. (1991). Does daily stress independently predict psychopathology? Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 10(1), 58-74.   DOI
54 Joo, J. Y. (2012). The effects of mothers' optimism, parenting attitude and their child's optimism on child's subjective well-being: The examination of path model. Unpublished master's thesis, Ewha womans university, Seoul, Korea.
55 Frisch, M. B. (2000). Improving mental and physical health care through quality of life therapy and assessment. In E. Diener & D. R. Rahtz (Eds.), Advances in quality of life theory and research (pp. 207-241). Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Press.
56 Ka, Y., Cho, M., & Lim, S. (2008). The relationship between parent's rearing attitudes, self-esteem and subjective well-being. Youth Facilities and Environment, 6(4), 31-42.
57 Han, M. H. (1996). The relation of stress and perceived social support to problem behavior. Korean Journal of Child Studies, 17(1), 173-188.
58 Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal and coping. New York: Springer.
59 Froh, J. J., Sefick, W. J., & Emmons, R. A. (2008). Counting blessings in early adolescents: An experimental study of gratitude and subjective well-being. Journal of School Psychology, 46, 213-233.   DOI
60 Han, M. H., & Yoo, A. J. (1995). Development of daily hassles scale for children in Korea. Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association, 33(4), 49-64.   과학기술학회마을
61 Harker, L. A., & Keltner, D. (2001). Expressions of positive emotion in women's college yearbook pictures and their relationship to personality and life outcomes across adulthood. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 80(1), 112-124.   DOI
62 Herman-Stahl, M., & Petersen, A. C. (1999). Depressive symptoms during adolescence: Direct and stress-buffering effects of coping, control beliefs, and family relationships. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 20(1), 45-62.   DOI
63 Holahan, C. J., & Moos, R. H. (1991). Life stressors, personal and social resources, and depression: A 4-year structural model. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 10(1), 31-38.
64 Compas, B. E., Malcarne, V., & Fondacaro, K. (1988). Coping with stressful events in older children and young adolescents. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Research, 56(3), 405-411.   DOI   ScienceOn
65 Tram, J. M., & Cole, D. A. (2000). Self-perceived competence and the relation between life events and depressive symptoms in adolescence: Mediator or moderator? Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 109(4), 753-760.   DOI   ScienceOn
66 Shin, S. H. (2003). The effects of optimistic training on self-concept of the 6th graders in elementary school. Unpublished master's thesis, Silla University, Pusan, Korea.
67 Szalai, A. (1980). The meaning of comparative research on the quality of life. In A. Szalai & F. M. Andrews (Eds.), The quality of life: Comparative studies (pp. 7-21). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publication.
68 Holder, M. C., & Coleman, B. (2008). The contribution of temperament, popularity, and physical appearance to children's happiness. Journal of Happiness Studies, 9, 279-302.   DOI   ScienceOn
69 Crnic, K. A., & Greenberg, M. T. (1990). Minor parenting stresses with young children. Child Development, 61(5), 1628-1637.   DOI   ScienceOn
70 Creed, P. A., Patton, W., & Bartrum. D. (2002). Multidimensional properties of the LOT-R: Effects of optimism and pessimism on career and well-being related variables in adolescents. Journal of Career Assessment, 10(1), 42-61.   DOI
71 Csikszentmihalyi, M., & Hunter, J. (2003). Happiness in everyday life: The uses of experience sampling. Journal of Happiness Studies, 4, 185-199.   DOI   ScienceOn
72 Csikszentmihalyi, M., Rathunde, K., & Whalen, S. (1993). Talented teenagers: The roots of success and failure. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
73 DeLongis, A., Coyne, J. C., Dakof, G., Folkman, S., & Lazarus, R. S. (1982). Relationship of daily hassles, uplifts, and major life events to health status. Health Psychology, 1, 119-136.   DOI
74 Diener, E., Suh, E. M., Lucas, R. E., & Smith, H. L. (1999). Subjective well-being: Three decades of progress. Psychological Bulletin, 125(2), 276-302.   DOI   ScienceOn
75 Dubow, E. F., & Tisak, J. (1989). The relation between stressful life events and adjustment in elementary school children: The role of social support and social problem-solving skills. Child Development, 60, 1412-1423.   DOI   ScienceOn
76 Baron, R. M., & Kenny, D. A. (1986). The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51(6), 1173-1182.   DOI
77 Emmons, R. A., & Diener, E. (1985). Personality correlates of subjective well-being. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 11(1), 89-97.   DOI
78 Campbell, A. (1956). The quality of American life. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.
79 Aiken, L. S., & West, S. G. (1991). Multiple regression: Testing and interpreting interactions. Newbury Park, CA: Stage Publications.
80 Ben-Zur, H. (2003). Happy adolescents: The link between subjective well-being, internal resources, and parental factors. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 32(2), 67-79.   DOI   ScienceOn
81 Carver, C. S., & Gaines, J. G. (1987). Optimism, pessimism, and postpartum depression. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 11, 449-462.   DOI
82 Chang, E. C. (1998). Does dispositional optimism moderate the relation between perceived stress and psychological well-being? A preliminary investigation. Personality and Individual Differences, 25, 1109-1120.
83 Chang, E. C. (2002). Optimism-pessimism and stress appraisal: Testing a cognitive interactive model of psychological adjustment in adults. Cognitive and Research, 26(5), 675-690.   DOI
84 Chang, E. C., & Sanna, L. J. (2003). Optimism, accumulated life stress, and psychological and physical adjustment: Is it always adaptive to expect the best? Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 22(1), 97-115.   DOI
85 Lee, Y. J. (1995). The relationship between stress, social support, self-esteem, depression and anxiety. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Seoul Women's University, Seoul, Korea.
86 Park, N. S., & Peterson, C. (2006). Character strengths and happiness among young children: Content analysis of parental descriptions. Journal of Happiness Studies, 7, 323-341.   DOI   ScienceOn
87 Compas, B. E., & Wagner, B. M. (1991). Psychosocial stress during adolescence: Intrapersonal and interpersonal processes. In M. E. Colten & S. Gore (Eds.), Adolescent Stress: Causes and Consequences (pp. 67-85). New York: Aldine.
88 Yoon, C. S. (2002). The effect of optimism training on depression for 4th grade in elementary school. Unpublished master's thesis, Silla University of education, Pusan, Korea.