Positive Psychology Interventions Reduce Anti-Rich Mentality: An Exploration of the Contribution of Appreciative Joy

Rong Wang, Ying Li, Yuan Zheng, Yang Zhang, Tian P. S. Oei and Xianglong Zeng ()
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Rong Wang: Shenzhen University
Ying Li: National University of Singapore
Yuan Zheng: National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education (Beijing Normal University), Beijing Normal University
Yang Zhang: National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education (Beijing Normal University), Beijing Normal University
Tian P. S. Oei: the University of Queensland
Xianglong Zeng: National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education (Beijing Normal University), Beijing Normal University

Journal of Happiness Studies, 2024, vol. 25, issue 4, No 4, 17 pages

Abstract: Abstract Studies in psychology and sociology have documented that anti-rich mentality is a threat to the stability of society and harms personal mental health, but few studies have investigated ways to intervene in anti-rich mentality. In the current work, we took an initial step to explore whether anti-rich mentality can be reduced by appreciative joy, a positive psychological concept that refers to feeling happy for others with an appreciative and unenvious attitude. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey in Study 1 (n = 632) first established a negative association between appreciative joy and anti-rich mentality. In Study 2, a randomized controlled trial further evaluated the effects of appreciative joy intervention (n = 499). The results showed that the intervention increased appreciative joy and decreased anti-rich mentality. Moreover, two concepts closely related to anti-rich mentality (i.e., perceived fairness in allocation and envy) were influenced by appreciative joy intervention. Our findings not only confirm the possibility of a positive psychology intervention to relieve anti-rich mentality but also highlight the effectiveness of appreciative joy in changing attitudes toward social groups. Implications for practices and prospects for future research are discussed.

Keywords: Appreciative joy; Meditation; anti-rich Mentality; envy; Positive psychology; Buddhism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1007/s10902-024-00745-8

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