Coping Behaviors as Predictors of Hedonic Well-Being in Asian Indians: Does Being Optimistic Still Make a Difference?

Edward C. Chang (), Shangwen Yi, Jiting Liu, Shanmukh V. Kamble, Yujia Zhang, Bowen Shi, Yangming Ye, Yuan Fang, Kailin Cheng, Jianjie Xu, Jingyi Shen, Mingqi Li and Olivia D. Chang
Additional contact information
Edward C. Chang: University of Michigan
Shangwen Yi: Beijing Normal University
Jiting Liu: Beijing Normal University
Shanmukh V. Kamble: Karnataka University
Yujia Zhang: Beijing Normal University
Bowen Shi: Beijing Normal University
Yangming Ye: Beijing Normal University
Yuan Fang: Beijing Normal University
Kailin Cheng: Beijing Normal University
Jianjie Xu: Beijing Normal University
Jingyi Shen: Beijing Normal University
Mingqi Li: DePaul University
Olivia D. Chang: University of Michigan

Journal of Happiness Studies, 2020, vol. 21, issue 1, No 14, 289-304

Abstract: Abstract The present study examined optimism, as measured by the Life Orientation Test-Revised, and coping behaviors, as measured by the COPE scale, as predictors of hedonic well-being (viz., life satisfaction, positive affect, and subjective happiness) in a sample of 462 Asian Indians (237 women and 225 men). We hypothesized that optimism would remain an important predictor of well-being even after accounting for coping behaviors. Results of conducting hierarchical regression analyses indicated that coping behaviors, as a set, accounted for a significant amount of unique variance in each of the three measures of hedonic well-being (f2 range = .16 to .39), after controlling for key demographic and socioeconomic factors (e.g., age, sex, parent education level, and family income). Noteworthy, the use of humor was found to be the only consistent coping predictor across the three indices of hedonic well-being. Importantly, when optimism was included in the prediction model, it was consistently found to account for additional variance in hedonic well-being (f2 range = .11 to .15), beyond coping behaviors. These findings are the first to affirm the centrality of optimism in predicting hedonic well-being in Asian Indians. Accordingly, efforts to foster hedonic well-being in Asian Indians might benefit from not only changing coping behaviors, but also from building greater optimism.

Keywords: Optimism; Coping; Hedonic well-being; Asian Indians; Adults (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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DOI: 10.1007/s10902-019-00087-w

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