(86) Subjective Well-being as a Function of Regulatory Strengths and Gender

Objective:Regulatory strengths have been found to aid in the process of coping with life’s stressors. This study aims to assess the way in which endurance, impulse control, the ability to recover positive affect, and... [ view full abstract ]

Objective:

Regulatory strengths have been found to aid in the process of coping with life’s stressors. This study aims to assess the way in which endurance, impulse control, the ability to recover positive affect, and self-reliance may contribute to the subjective well-being of men and women differently.

Methods:

The sample included 357 individuals (65.8% female) ages 18 and up, with a mean age of 37.6 years (SD = 15.59) who participated in a survey assessing well-being and strengths, as well as exposures to stressors and trauma over the lifespan of the individual.

Results:

All regulatory strengths—endurance, impulse control, the ability to recover positive affect, and self-reliance—showed a direct linear relationship with subjective well-being, in that as the strength increased, so did subjective well-being. No significant effects of gender on subjective well-being were found, and there were no interaction effects between gender and any regulatory strength.

Discussion:

These results confirm that regulatory strengths are a positive contributor to subjective well-being. The relationship between regulatory strengths and subjective well-being was not found to significantly differ between men and women. In terms of clinical application, this suggests that promotion of regulatory strengths should be equally beneficial to both populations.