Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2019
Abstract
The current study examined one's ability to decenter (i.e., to take a third-person perspective of one's experiences) and its relationship with psychological well-being (levels of positive affect, life satisfaction, negative affect, depression, anxiety, and stress). The two dimensions of decentering are intentional decentered perspective and non-reactivity to thought content. The study also determined which of these two components is a stronger predictor of positive psychological outcomes. One hundred forty-nine college students completed measures of decentering (overall decentering, intentional decentered perspective, and non-reactivity) and psychological well-being (positive affect, life satisfaction, negative affect, depression, anxiety, and stress). Results indicated that overall decentering was a statistically significant predictor of all the various forms of psychological well-being. Higher levels of overall decentering were associated with higher levels of life satisfaction and positive affect as well as lower levels of negative affect, depression, anxiety, and stress. In regard to the relative impact of the two components, non-reactivity to thought content was the stronger predictor of the psychological outcomes.
Recommended Citation
Milosch, Joe, "Decentering as a Facilitator of Psychological Well-Being" (2019). Undergraduate Honors Theses. 145.
https://thekeep.eiu.edu/honors_theses/145
