Appreciative Joy: A Critical Review of Empirical Research

Xiaodan Gu, Xianglong Zeng () and Tian P. S. Oei
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Xiaodan Gu: Beijing Normal University
Xianglong Zeng: Beijing Normal University
Tian P. S. Oei: the University of Queensland

Journal of Happiness Studies, 2023, vol. 24, issue 3, No 19, 1303-1318

Abstract: Abstract Appreciative joy refers to feeling happy for others with appreciative and unenvious attitudes and is emphasized in Buddhist and Chinese culture. Empirical studies on appreciative joy have recently appeared in multiple disciplines in psychology, and it is time to summarize their findings and potential limitations. In terms of interpersonal attitudes, studies have supported that appreciative joy and appreciative joy meditation (AJM) activate altruism, promote cooperation, counter envy and influence interpersonal perceptions. As for subjective well-being, studies have consistently supported appreciative joy and AJM contribute to positive emotions, but the arousal dimension of positive emotions is still under debate. The effects of appreciative joy and AJM on other aspects of subjective well-being, as well as the underlying mechanisms, require more investigation. The prevalence of this trait across cultures and its association with emotional attachment also point to its role in ethics, virtue, and the evolution of human beings. Future studies need to develop a specific paradigm to better induce and validate appreciative joy in addition to AJM to research appreciative joy in system-informed and cross-cultural ways, and to develop theories to explain the mechanisms underlying the effects of appreciative joy.

Keywords: Appreciative joy; Interpersonal attitude; Subjective well-being; Eastern culture; Meditation; Compassion; Positive psychology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1007/s10902-023-00620-y

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