Year: 2012
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The present master’s thesis comprises an investigation of the biopsychosocial health model and the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions for use within a health promoting context in an adolescent sample. It also comprises an investigation of leisure time physical activity and self-esteem as potential promotive factors of satisfaction with life. The thesis further investigates the relationship between satisfaction with life, leisure time physical activity, and self-esteem in adolescents. Thorough description and conceptualization of all measurements are provided, in addition to a conceptualization of the adolescent maturation period. Empirical evidence suggests that there are several relationships among the three constructs and that they influence one another. Physical activity, life satisfaction, and self-esteem might influence one another both directly and indirectly through other outcomes. The theoretical relationships also propose that positive emotions or personal resourced, resilience, and flourishing promoted through positive emotions can influence both participating in leisure time physical activity and level of life satisfaction and self-esteem in adolescents because all aspects in life mutually influence one other.\n\nResults showed that a higher frequency of leisure time physical activity was positively associated with both increments in life satisfaction and self-esteem among the adolescents in the survey. Increased self-esteem was also positively associated with increments in life satisfaction levels. Adolescent boys reported higher mean levels of life satisfaction and self-esteem than their female counterparts, whereas younger adolescents reported higher life satisfaction levels than the older adolescents. An indirect effect test based on a bootstrap macro showed a significant indirect effect between leisure time physical activity and satisfaction with life, and showed also that this relationship was partly mediated by self-esteem. Girls and younger adolescents scored higher on the outcome variable life satisfaction than did their contrary peers when all initial constructs in the model were controlled for.
Source: BIBSYS Brage (BIBSYS (Norway))
Author: Kjersti Werge-Olsen
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W6363672