The effects of affect balance on depression and short-term life satisfaction: Considering the activation dimension of affect

Authors

  • Katsuyuki Yamasaki Department of Human Development Naruto University of Education
  • Kanako Uchida

Keywords:

positive and negative affect, affect balance, activation dimension of affect, depression

Abstract

The present study aimed to examine the effects of affect balance on depression and short-term life satisfaction (LS). In doing so, we considered the activation dimension of affect utilizing a prospective research design to predict causality between measured variables. The final sample included data collected from 131 undergraduates (66 men and 65 women). Participants answered four questionnaires to assess activated and deactivated positive and negative affect (PA and NA), depression, and short-term LS on three occasions separated by approximately five weeks. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed that deactivated affect balance (PA minus NA) was positively associated with short-term LS for women, and that the interaction effects between deactivated PA and NA on depression and short-term LS, PA showed a significant positive association with short-term LS only when NA was low. Meanwhile, for the interaction effect in depression, PA revealed a significant positive association with depression when NA was high, while it showed a significant negative association with depression when NA was low. the findings are discussed in terms of the necessity for considering affect activation when examining the effect of affect on health/adjustment.

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Published

2015-10-24

How to Cite

The effects of affect balance on depression and short-term life satisfaction: Considering the activation dimension of affect. (2015). Asian Journal of Humanities and Social Studies, 3(5). https://ajouronline.com/index.php/AJHSS/article/view/3192

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