The DOI matches its Crossref record; 30 of the 31 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; none of the 13 sources its claims cite is checked for support yet.
A longitudinal experimental study comparing the effectiveness of happiness-enhancing strategies in Anglo Americans and Asian Americans
Open accessAbstract
Growing evidence suggests that well-being interventions can be effective. However, it is unclear whether happiness-increasing practices are equally effective for individuals from different cultural backgrounds. To investigate this question, Anglo Americans and predominantly foreign-born Asian Americans were randomly assigned to express optimism, convey gratitude, or list their past experiences (control group). Multilevel analyses indicated that participants in the optimism and gratitude conditions reported enhanced life satisfaction relative to those in the control condition. However, Anglo Americans in the treatment conditions demonstrated larger increases in life satisfaction relative to Asian Americans, while both cultural groups in the control condition showed the least improvement. These results are consistent with the idea that the value individualist cultures place on self-improvement and personal agency bolsters the efforts of Anglo Americans to become more satisfied, whereas collectivist cultures' de-emphasis of self-focus and individual goals interferes with the efforts of Asian Americans to pursue enhanced well-being.
Overview
AI snapshot
Written from the paper’s full text.
TL;DR
A 6-week randomized intervention found that optimism and gratitude writing increased life satisfaction relative to a control activity, but Anglo Americans benefited more than predominantly foreign-born Asian Americans. The authors interpret this as cultural differences in the “will” and “way” to pursue happiness.
Key findings
- Participants in the optimism condition (γ12 = .05, SE = .02, t(199) = 1.98, p < .05) and gratitude condition (γ13 = .07, SE = .02, t(199) = 3.03, p < .01) showed greater increases in life satisfaction over time than control participants; treatment vs. control was also significant (γ11 = .06, SE = .02, t(199) = 2.87, p < .01).
- The condition effect was qualified by cultural background (γ16 = −.08, SE = .04, t(199) = −1.91, p = .057; model comparison χ²(4) = 11.40, p = .02): Anglo Americans in treatment conditions showed the largest gains, while Asian Americans in treatment conditions showed little change.
- Asian Americans showed a trend toward benefiting less from optimism than gratitude (γ17 = −.07, SE = .04, t(199) = −1.68, p = .09; gratitude contrast γ18 = −.02, SE = .04, t(199) = −.55, ns).
- Baseline life satisfaction did not differ by culture (t = .91, ns) or experimental condition (F = .90, ns).
Methods
- 220 community-dwelling adults (116 female, 104 male; ages 20–71, M = 35.62, SD = 11.36) were randomly assigned in a 2 (Asian American, Anglo American) × 3 (optimism, gratitude, control) design: optimism n = 74, gratitude n = 72, control n = 74.
- Participants completed six weekly 10-minute writing exercises over the Internet and completed the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and 1 month later.
- Multilevel modeling in SAS Proc Mixed tested within-person and between-person change, with age centered at the mean and included as a covariate.
Limitations
- The paper states that small subgroup sizes required combining primarily East Asian participants into a heterogeneous Asian American group, and that future research should study samples within Asian countries rather than using Asian Americans as a proxy.
- The paper states that the self-reported SWLS raises potential social desirability and response biases, and that future work should include other measures and other aspects of subjective well-being.
- Evident from the text: the Asian American sample was predominantly foreign-born (78%), and recruitment was largely online/community-based in Southern California, so findings may not generalize to other Asian or collectivist populations.
Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
13 Own result · 11 Not checked yet · 9 Own interpretation · 5 Own method
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“We found a similar pattern after collapsing together the two treatment conditions and comparing them with the control condition – namely, those in the control condition did not receive the boost that those in the treatment conditions did (γ11 = .06, SE = .02, t(199) = 2.87, p < .01; comparison with baseline model: χ2(2) = 10.4, p < .01).”
§ A Longitudinal Experimental Study Comparing the Effectiveness of Happiness-Enhancing Strategies in Anglo Americans and Asian Americans > Results
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Rests on an assumption: The control activity (listing past week's experiences) did not itself enhance well-being.
- Rests on an assumption: Participants complied with the writing manipulations.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Asian Americans in either of the two treatment conditions displayed little change in satisfaction across time, whereas Asian Americans in the control condition actually showed very small decrements in their satisfaction.”
§ A Longitudinal Experimental Study Comparing the Effectiveness of Happiness-Enhancing Strategies in Anglo Americans and Asian Americans > Results
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Rests on an assumption: Asian Americans (predominantly foreign-born) are sufficiently representative of collectivist cultures for testing cultural moderation.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Asian Americans in either of the two treatment conditions displayed little change in satisfaction across time, whereas Asian Americans in the control condition actually showed very small decrements in their satisfaction.”
§ A Longitudinal Experimental Study Comparing the Effectiveness of Happiness-Enhancing Strategies in Anglo Americans and Asian Americans > Results
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Rests on an assumption: Asian Americans (predominantly foreign-born) are sufficiently representative of collectivist cultures for testing cultural moderation.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Age, centered at the mean, was a significant predictor of initial life satisfaction, such that older participants reported lower life satisfaction than younger ones.”
§ A Longitudinal Experimental Study Comparing the Effectiveness of Happiness-Enhancing Strategies in Anglo Americans and Asian Americans > Method > Analytic Approach
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“nor did the three experimental groups (F = .90, ns).”
§ A Longitudinal Experimental Study Comparing the Effectiveness of Happiness-Enhancing Strategies in Anglo Americans and Asian Americans > Results
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“participants who expressed optimism (γ12 = .05, SE = .02, t(199) = 1.98, p < .05) or gratitude (γ13 = .07, SE = .02, t(199) = 3.03, p < .01) showed increases in satisfaction across time relative to control participants.”
§ A Longitudinal Experimental Study Comparing the Effectiveness of Happiness-Enhancing Strategies in Anglo Americans and Asian Americans > Results
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Rests on an assumption: The control activity (listing past week's experiences) did not itself enhance well-being.
- Rests on an assumption: Participants complied with the writing manipulations.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Notably, the effect of condition was qualified by cultural background (γ16 = −.08, SE = .04, t(199) = .−1.91; p = .057; comparison with previous model: χ2(4) = 11.40, p = .02).”
§ A Longitudinal Experimental Study Comparing the Effectiveness of Happiness-Enhancing Strategies in Anglo Americans and Asian Americans > Results
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Rests on an assumption: Asian Americans (predominantly foreign-born) are sufficiently representative of collectivist cultures for testing cultural moderation.
- Rests on an assumption: The cultural groups did not differ on unmeasured variables that could affect response to the intervention.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“participants who expressed optimism (γ12 = .05, SE = .02, t(199) = 1.98, p < .05) or gratitude (γ13 = .07, SE = .02, t(199) = 3.03, p < .01) showed increases in satisfaction across time relative to control participants.”
§ A Longitudinal Experimental Study Comparing the Effectiveness of Happiness-Enhancing Strategies in Anglo Americans and Asian Americans > Results
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Rests on an assumption: The control activity (listing past week's experiences) did not itself enhance well-being.
- Rests on an assumption: Participants complied with the writing manipulations.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“However, Anglo Americans in the treatment conditions demonstrated larger increases in life satisfaction relative to Asian Americans, while both cultural groups in the control condition showed the least improvement.”
- Also stated in: § Results · boosted
“By comparison, the Anglo Americans in either of the two treatment conditions demonstrated the biggest gains in satisfaction of all the groups, and the Anglo Americans in the control condition showed a slight decrease or no change.”
- Also stated in: § Discussion · plain
“we found that Anglo Americans benefited more from our intervention than did predominantly foreign born Asian Americans, despite the fact that both groups began the intervention with equivalent levels of life satisfaction.”
§ A Longitudinal Experimental Study Comparing the Effectiveness of Happiness-Enhancing Strategies in Anglo Americans and Asian Americans > Abstract
boosteddirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Rests on an assumption: Asian Americans (predominantly foreign-born) are sufficiently representative of collectivist cultures for testing cultural moderation.
- Rests on an assumption: The cultural groups did not differ on unmeasured variables that could affect response to the intervention.
- Also stated in: § Results · boosted
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Asian Americans and Anglo Americans did not differ in life satisfaction prior to beginning the intervention (t = .91, ns)”
§ A Longitudinal Experimental Study Comparing the Effectiveness of Happiness-Enhancing Strategies in Anglo Americans and Asian Americans > Results
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- It may state two separate claims as one. 12
- Probably not a substantial claim. 7
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“That is, Asian Americans in the gratitude condition showed slight increases in life satisfaction across time, whereas Asian Americans in the optimism condition showed essentially no change (see Figure 1).”
§ A Longitudinal Experimental Study Comparing the Effectiveness of Happiness-Enhancing Strategies in Anglo Americans and Asian Americans > Results
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- Rests on an assumption: Asian Americans (predominantly foreign-born) are sufficiently representative of collectivist cultures for testing cultural moderation.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Initial evidence suggests that, at least in the short-term, well-being interventions can be successful.”
§ A Longitudinal Experimental Study Comparing the Effectiveness of Happiness-Enhancing Strategies in Anglo Americans and Asian Americans > Abstract
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Emmons & McCullough, 2003
- Not checked yetcites Froh, Sefick, & Emmons, 2008
- Not checked yetcites Lyubomirsky, Dickerhoof, Boehm, & Sheldon, 2009
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim.
In the paper
“In addition, people from individualist cultures tend to emphasize an autonomous and independent self over the needs of the larger group, and are inclined to be motivated by personal needs and goals (Triandis, 1995).”
§ A Longitudinal Experimental Study Comparing the Effectiveness of Happiness-Enhancing Strategies in Anglo Americans and Asian Americans > Abstract
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Triandis, 1995
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Moreover, cultural background moderates the influence of the determinants of well-being – for example, self-esteem is more important to the well-being of people in individualist versus collectivist cultures (Diener & Diener, 1995).”
§ A Longitudinal Experimental Study Comparing the Effectiveness of Happiness-Enhancing Strategies in Anglo Americans and Asian Americans > Abstract
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Diener & Diener, 1995
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Instead, such cultures emphasize collective harmony and tend to be motivated by the norms and duties of their family or group (Triandis, 1995).”
§ A Longitudinal Experimental Study Comparing the Effectiveness of Happiness-Enhancing Strategies in Anglo Americans and Asian Americans > Abstract
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Triandis, 1995
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“In sum, norms in collectivist cultures are less supportive of self-expression, self-improvement, and the pursuit of individual goals.”
§ A Longitudinal Experimental Study Comparing the Effectiveness of Happiness-Enhancing Strategies in Anglo Americans and Asian Americans > Abstract
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Alphas for the SWLS ranged from .91 to .94 in this study.”
§ A Longitudinal Experimental Study Comparing the Effectiveness of Happiness-Enhancing Strategies in Anglo Americans and Asian Americans > Method > Design and Procedure
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“The SWLS is a 5-item scale designed to assess the cognitive component of subjective well-being.”
§ A Longitudinal Experimental Study Comparing the Effectiveness of Happiness-Enhancing Strategies in Anglo Americans and Asian Americans > Method > Design and Procedure
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Diener, Emmons, Larsen, & Griffin, 1985
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“Those from individualist cultures base their life satisfaction more on intrapersonal than interpersonal factors, whereas those from collectivist cultures do the reverse (Suh, Diener, Oishi, & Triandis, 1998).”
§ A Longitudinal Experimental Study Comparing the Effectiveness of Happiness-Enhancing Strategies in Anglo Americans and Asian Americans > Abstract
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Suh, Diener, Oishi, & Triandis, 1998
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Taken together, our findings suggest that although most individuals pursuing happiness will benefit by regularly practicing gratitude and optimism, those benefits may be mitigated by cultural norms and values that fail to support their efforts.”
§ A Longitudinal Experimental Study Comparing the Effectiveness of Happiness-Enhancing Strategies in Anglo Americans and Asian Americans > Discussion > Concluding Remarks
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- Rests on an assumption: Asian Americans (predominantly foreign-born) are sufficiently representative of collectivist cultures for testing cultural moderation.
In the paper
“Moreover, it is worth mentioning that other characteristics of Asian Americans – such as their relatively higher levels of pessimism – may be advantageous in a collectivist society, providing another “way” (for example, via problem-solving coping strategies) by which Asian Americans can experience both success and well-being (Chang, 1996).”
§ A Longitudinal Experimental Study Comparing the Effectiveness of Happiness-Enhancing Strategies in Anglo Americans and Asian Americans > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Chang, 1996
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Rests on an assumption: Asian Americans (predominantly foreign-born) are sufficiently representative of collectivist cultures for testing cultural moderation.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Because expressing gratitude may more closely align with Asian-rooted values and priorities, the activity may have been viewed by Asian Americans as a more appropriate “way” to achieving happiness and, hence, they experienced a stronger “will” to do so.”
§ A Longitudinal Experimental Study Comparing the Effectiveness of Happiness-Enhancing Strategies in Anglo Americans and Asian Americans > Discussion
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- Rests on an assumption: Asian Americans (predominantly foreign-born) are sufficiently representative of collectivist cultures for testing cultural moderation.
In the paper
“These findings suggest that the pursuit of happiness can be fruitful if done under optimal conditions. That is, people need both a “will” (i.e., the desire and motivation to become happier) and a “way” (i.e., an efficacious happiness-boosting activity or positive practice; Lyubomirsky et al., 2009).”
§ A Longitudinal Experimental Study Comparing the Effectiveness of Happiness-Enhancing Strategies in Anglo Americans and Asian Americans > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Lyubomirsky et al., 2009
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- Rests on an assumption: The control activity (listing past week's experiences) did not itself enhance well-being.
- Rests on an assumption: Participants complied with the writing manipulations.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“This study’s implications caution against the assumption that all individuals have the same will to increase personal well-being and that all individuals benefit from the same way of pursuing it.”
§ A Longitudinal Experimental Study Comparing the Effectiveness of Happiness-Enhancing Strategies in Anglo Americans and Asian Americans > Discussion
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- Rests on an assumption: Asian Americans (predominantly foreign-born) are sufficiently representative of collectivist cultures for testing cultural moderation.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“These results are consistent with the idea that the value individualist cultures place on self-improvement and personal agency bolsters the efforts of Anglo Americans to become more satisfied, whereas collectivist cultures’ de-emphasis of self-focus and individual goals interferes with the efforts of Asian Americans to pursue enhanced well-being.”
§ A Longitudinal Experimental Study Comparing the Effectiveness of Happiness-Enhancing Strategies in Anglo Americans and Asian Americans > Abstract
hedgeddirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- Rests on an assumption: Asian Americans (predominantly foreign-born) are sufficiently representative of collectivist cultures for testing cultural moderation.
In the paper
“To be sure, we are not the first researchers to use a heterogeneous sample when examining cultural differences (e.g., English & Chen, 2007).”
§ A Longitudinal Experimental Study Comparing the Effectiveness of Happiness-Enhancing Strategies in Anglo Americans and Asian Americans > Discussion > Limitations
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites English & Chen, 2007
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- The authors state this as an assumption: The similarities among the Asian cultures relevant to this research likely outweigh the differences.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“This finding suggests that participating in empirically-established positive activities and originating from a culture that endorses the pursuit of individual well-being may be two keys for achieving enhanced happiness.”
§ A Longitudinal Experimental Study Comparing the Effectiveness of Happiness-Enhancing Strategies in Anglo Americans and Asian Americans > Discussion
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- Rests on an assumption: Asian Americans (predominantly foreign-born) are sufficiently representative of collectivist cultures for testing cultural moderation.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Another limitation concerned the self-reported dependent variable in this study – a methodology that raises potential social desirability and response biases.”
§ A Longitudinal Experimental Study Comparing the Effectiveness of Happiness-Enhancing Strategies in Anglo Americans and Asian Americans > Discussion > Limitations
hedged- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
The paper relies on this without support.
Participants' expectations across all conditions were equivalent at the start of the experiment.
“The study was described as potentially improving mental and physical health so that participants’ expectations across all conditions would be equivalent at the start of the experiment.”
The authors state this as an assumption.
The similarities among the Asian cultures relevant to this research likely outweigh the differences.
“Although some cultural differences undoubtedly exist among distinct Asian groups, we felt that East Asia’s broad emphasis on collective goals – as opposed to a focus on individual pursuits and personal well-being – would be captured by a mixed group of Asian-Americans. In other words, the similarities among these cultures (at least those relevant to this research) likely outweigh the differences.”
The paper relies on this without support.
The control activity (listing past week's experiences) did not itself enhance well-being.
“Those in the control condition were asked to outline what they had done in the past week. The control activity was described as an organizational task to enhance the plausibility of this condition as a positive exercise.”
The paper relies on this without support.
Asian Americans (predominantly foreign-born) are sufficiently representative of collectivist cultures for testing cultural moderation.
“it would be valuable for future researchers to investigate well-being interventions in samples within Asian countries rather than using Asian Americans as a proxy (as we have done here and others have done previously; e.g., Tsai & Levenson, 1997), because, relative to Asian Americans, Asians may manifest greater differences with Anglo Americans.”
The paper relies on this without support.
Participants complied with the writing manipulations.
“Following these measurements, participants completed the first of six writing manipulations, each lasting 10 min once a week for 6 weeks.”
The paper relies on this without support.
The cultural groups did not differ on unmeasured variables that could affect response to the intervention.
“Asian Americans and Anglo Americans did not differ in life satisfaction prior to beginning the intervention (t = .91, ns)”
Statistics recomputed
Every reported test result, recomputed from its test statistic and degrees of freedom. A result shows as not adding up only once an independent check has confirmed it.
- Consistentχ²(4) = 12.3reported p < .05 · recomputed p = .015
“χ2(4) = 12.3, p < .05”
- Consistentt(199) = 1.98reported p < .05 · recomputed p = .049
“t(199) = 1.98, p < .05”
- Consistentt(199) = 3.03reported p < .01 · recomputed p = .003
“t(199) = 3.03, p < .01”
- Consistentt(199) = 2.87reported p < .01 · recomputed p = .005
“t(199) = 2.87, p < .01”
- Consistentχ²(2) = 10.4reported p < .01 · recomputed p = .006
“χ2(2) = 10.4, p < .01”
- Consistentχ²(4) = 11.4reported p = .02 · recomputed p = .022
“χ2(4) = 11.40, p = .02”
- Consistentt(199) = -1.68reported p = .09 · recomputed p = .095
“t(199) = −1.68, p = .09”
- Consistentt(199) = -0.55reported n.s. · recomputed p = .583
“t(199) = −.55, ns”
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
Self-check results appear here once an independent check has confirmed them.
Citations
Cites
The satisfaction with life scale
Diener, E., Emmons, R. A., Larsen, R. J., & Griffin, S. (1985) · Journal of Personality Assessment · doi:10.1207/s15327752jpa4901_13 · Cited by 31,768
Applied Longitudinal Data Analysis: Modeling Change and Event Occurrence
Singer, J. D., & Willett, J. B. (2003) · doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195152968.001.0001 · Cited by 10,647
The benefits of frequent positive affect: Does happiness lead to success?
Lyubomirsky, S., King, L., & Diener, E. (2005) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/0033-2909.131.6.803 · Cited by 7,143
Self-citationSubjective well-being. The science of happiness and a proposal for a national index
Diener, E. (2000) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/0003-066x.55.1.34 · Cited by 7,121
Individualism and Collectivism
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“For example, activities like expressing gratitude (Emmons & McCullough, 2003; Lyubomirsky, Dickerhoof, Boehm, & Sheldon, in press; Lyubomirsky, Sheldon, & Schkade, 2005), imagining one’s ideal future life (King, 2001), performing acts of kindness (Sheldon, Boehm, & Lyubomirsky, in press; see also…”
BackgroundIndividualism and collectivism
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Variety is the Spice of Happiness: The Hedonic Adaptation Prevention Model
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Self-citationOn feeling understood and feeling well: The role of interdependence
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Research works printed but not linked: 1
- Lyubomirsky S., Emotion
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Positive psychology interventions: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies
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“Boehm 2011 [73] Optimism and gratitude exercise 6, 6w 35.”
InfluentialHow Do Simple Positive Activities Increase Well-Being?
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Self-citationStellar, J. E., Gordon, A. M., Piff, P. K., Cordaro, D., Anderson, C. L., Bai, Y., Maruskin, L. A., & Keltner, D. (2017) · Emotion Review · doi:10.1177/1754073916684557 · Cited by 696
Findings all psychologists should know from the new science on subjective well-being.
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Metadata
- Authors
- Boehm, J. K., Lyubomirsky, S., & Sheldon, K. M.
- Affiliations
- University of California, Riverside (US)
- University of Missouri (US)
- Corresponding author
- Boehm, Julia K.
- Venue
- Cognition and Emotion
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2011-02-28
- Volume
- 25
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 1263-1272
- ISSN
- 0269-9931 (ISSN-L)
- 1464-0600
- PMC
- PMC4394986
- OpenAlex
- W2141649307
- Semantic Scholar
- 1497880f4ec7f53729619f7dd03a7a408cb1398a
- Cited by
- 318
- References
- 31
- Citations by year
- 2026: 11 · 2025: 19 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 29 · 2019: 26 · 2018: 20 · 2017: 30 · 2016: 19 · 2015: 26 · 2014: 31 · 2013: 12 · 2012: 11
- FWCI
- 25.67
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Cognition & Emotion (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (5r01mh065937-05)
- National Institute of Mental Health (5 R01 MH065937-04, R01 MH065937)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Optimism, Hope, and Well-being
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
- Keywords
- well-being interventions, life satisfaction, optimism, gratitude, cultural differences, Anglo American, Asian Americans, individualism, collectivism, human development, individual agency, cross-cultural comparison
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Asian, Cross-Cultural Comparison, Female, Happiness, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Models, Psychological, Personal Satisfaction, Social Values, White People
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Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
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