Affective Well-Being Viewed Through a Lens of Race and Ethnicity

Abstract

Since the turn of the twenty-first century, there has been a renewed interest in exploring human strengths and optimal functioning in the field of psychology. Special volumes on positive psychology and its applications in work and school settings have been published (e.g., Linley et al. 2010). Research has produced abundant findings on correlates of well-being outcomes for different cultural groups (see Diener and Suh 2000 for a review). Given the limited space, this chapter will focus primarily on racial and ethnic differences in the affective component of well-being, including subjective happiness and positive and negative emotions. Although the term "life satisfaction" is sometimes used interchangeably with happiness (e.g.. Ram 2010), the variable of life satisfaction is not emphasized as much in this chapter because it is often conceptualized as a cognitive construct and is covered in greater depth in Chap. 6 of this volume. After a brief discussion on the definition of, cultural influences on, and assessment tools of well-being, research that compares happiness, positive and negative emotions of individuals with different racial and ethnic backgrounds will be reviewed. When relevant, findings of cross-cultural research will be drawn upon to shed light on racial and ethnic differences. Finally, methodological issues and recommendations for future research will be highlighted, and findings of an exemplar designed to follow some of the recommendations will be presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved). (chapter)