Empirical validation of the psychological concept of a perceived feeling of 'energy': Advancement into the study of positive psychology

Title
Empirical validation of the psychological concept of a perceived feeling of 'energy': Advancement into the study of positive psychology
Publication Date
2021-11-18
Author(s)
Phan, Huy P
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3066-4647
Email: hphan2@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:hphan2
Ngu, Bing H
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9623-2938
Email: bngu@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:bngu
Chen, Si-Chi
Lin, Ruey-Yih
Wang, Hui-Wen
Shih, Jen-Hwa
Shi, Sheng-Ying
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Public Library of Science
Place of publication
United States of America
DOI
10.1371/journal.pone.0259762
UNE publication id
une:1959.11/53276
Abstract

The paradigm of positive psychology, significant in nature, helps to explain the proactivity and motivation of human agency, such as a secondary school student's state of autonomy, confidence, and personal resolve to strive for optimal learning and/or non-learning experiences. Our recent research development, in tandem with other scholars' inquiries, has focused on one aspect of positive psychology-namely, a person's achievement of 'optimal best', which reflects the maximization of his/her state of functioning (e.g., cognitive functioning). Capitalizing on our previous research, we develop a psychological concept that we term as a 'perceived feeling of energy'. A perceived feeling of energy (e.g., a perceived feeling of liveliness) is proposed to act as a 'motivational engine', or as a central driver, which then could predict and enhance a person's achievement of optimal best. Six hundred and twenty-seven university students (N = 438 women, 189 men) responded to a suite of self-report questionnaires. Structural equation modelling (SEM) techniques were used to test a conceptual model, where we focused on the antecedent (i.e., the direct impact of self-efficacy on a perceived feeling of energy) and consequence of a perceived feeling energy (i.e., the impact of a perceived feeling of energy on personal resolve, and the sustaining of optimal best). Analysis of results showed support for our original hypothesized model-for example: self-efficacy as an antecedent of energy and the central role of the energy as a predictor and potential mediator of future outcomes.

Link
Citation
PLoS One, 16(11), p. 1-29
ISSN
1932-6203
Pubmed ID
34793500
Start page
1
End page
29
Rights
Attribution 4.0 International

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