Strengths Use and Life Satisfaction: A Moderated Mediation Approach

• Published in: Journal of happiness studies Vol. 16; no. 3; pp. 619 - 632
• Main Authors: Douglass, Richard P., Duffy, Ryan D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.06.2015; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Anniversaries; College students; Economics; Happiness; Mediation; Mediators; Personality and Social Psychology; Philosophy; Positive Psychology; Quality of Life Research; Research Paper; Self esteem; Social Sciences; Students; Variables; Strengths use; Self-esteem; Positive affect; Life satisfaction
• ISSN: 1389-4978; 1573-7780
• DOI: 10.1007/s10902-014-9525-4

This manuscript examined mediators and moderators that may explain the link between strengths use and life satisfaction with a sample of 224 undergraduate students. A mediation model was tested hypothesizing that self-esteem would partially mediate the strengths use-life satisfaction link. Additionally, a moderated mediation model was tested examining positive affect as a moderator within the hypothesized model. Results suggest that a partial reason strengths use related to life satisfaction was due to an increased level of self-esteem. However, this finding must be taken in light of our mediation analysis being conducted with cross-sectional data, a limitation discussed in further detail. Furthermore, positive affect moderated the self-esteem-life satisfaction link, such that the link was stronger for individuals with low and moderate levels of positive affect. This manuscript addresses a major gap in the positive psychology literature by attempting to examine why strengths use relates to increased life satisfaction. Implications for research are discussed.