The Effectiveness of the Best-Possible-Self Intervention in College Students from China and the Netherlands
A Cross-Cultural Study
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21704320 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Liyang Wu (0000-0003-3095-4692, Maastricht University, corresponding author), Marjolein M Hanssen (0000-0001-7355-9735, Maastricht University), Madelon L Peters (0000-0003-2969-6286, Maastricht University) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 26 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Publication date | 2025-02-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Happiness Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1389-4978 • E-ISSN: 1573-7780 |
| Publisher | Springer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s10902-024-00855-3 |
| OpenAlex | W4407583632 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 39 |
The effectiveness of the best-possible-self (BPS) intervention has been well established in Western people but is still under exploration in Eastern samples. A direct comparison of its effectiveness between Western and Eastern people is currently lacking, yet it is essential to comprehend the cultural sensitivity of the BPS. In this study, we compared immediate and short-term effects of the BPS between an Eastern (Chinese) and a Western (Dutch) sample using a three-time online intervention delivered within 1 week. We also investigated its effectiveness in both samples separately as well as the underlying mechanism. Participants (61 Chinese, 48 Dutch) were randomly assigned to the BPS or a control condition. We found that Dutch participants reported more benefits than the Chinese in terms of positive affect (immediate effect) and trait optimism as well as satisfaction with life (short-term effect). Chinese participants reported changes mostly in negative outcomes and only after multiple sessions. Moreover, the within-sample analysis showed that effect sizes were generally larger in the Dutch sample. The results replicate previous findings and add evidence supporting the effectiveness of the BPS in Dutch and Chinese people. This study indicates that BPS may be more effective in the Dutch sample for positive outcomes but can also be effective in the Chinese sample for certain negative outcomes with multiple sessions. Future studies may investigate underlying cultural sensitivity and adapt the BPS to a culture-compatible version based on specific cultural backgrounds
China · Cross-cultural · Medical education · Pedagogy · Political science · Positive psychology · Public health · Quality of Life Research · Sociology · Anthropology · Medicine · Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions · Nursing · Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction · Psychology · Resilience and Mental Health · Social Psychology
The Psychometric Evaluation of the Satisfaction with Life Scale Using a Nationally Representative Sample of China
The Health Benefits of Writing about Life Goals
Eastern Conceptualizations of Happiness
Culture and systems of thought
The Satisfaction With Life Scale
On Happiness and Human Potentials
Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect
Thinking Clearly Versus Frequently About the Future Self
The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS)
Writing about life goals
Distinguishing optimism from neuroticism (and trait anxiety, self-mastery, and self-esteem)
Culture, dialectics, and reasoning about contradiction
Disentangling the Effects of Gratitude and Optimism
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |