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Reduce negative life events to Increase satisfaction: A daily diary study on the relationship between negative life events and life satisfaction

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  • Bai, Youling
  • Ben, Can
  • Xu, Wenshuang
  • Wu, Yu
  • Liu, Yanling

Abstract

Life satisfaction refers to an individual’ s cognitive evaluation of the overall quality of their life considering the various aspects therein. Although the existing research has demonstrated the between-person relationship between negative life events and life satisfaction based on retrospective measures, less is known about this relationship at the within-person level. A daily diary method could examine this within-person relationship and decrease systematic recall biases. Therefore, this study investigated the link between daily negative life events and daily life satisfaction, as well as the mediating role of perceived stress and the moderating role of trait rumination in 146 young adults (Mage = 20.75, SD = 1.35) using a 14-day daily diary design. Multilevel regression analysis showed that daily negative life events had negative predictive effects on daily life satisfaction. In addition, the multilevel 1-1-1 mediation analysis indicated that daily perceived stress mediated the association between daily negative life events and daily life satisfaction. More importantly, the mediating effect of perceived stress was moderated by trait rumination, with the within-person mediating effect being stronger for individuals with higher than those with lower trait rumination tendencies. These findings contribute to the understanding of the underlying pathways in the relationship between daily negative life events and daily life satisfaction and provide a new perspective for improving individuals’ life satisfaction.

Suggested Citation

  • Bai, Youling & Ben, Can & Xu, Wenshuang & Wu, Yu & Liu, Yanling, 2024. "Reduce negative life events to Increase satisfaction: A daily diary study on the relationship between negative life events and life satisfaction," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 357(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:357:y:2024:i:c:s0277953624006440
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.117191
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    References listed on IDEAS

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