IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/jhappi/v23y2022i5d10.1007_s10902-021-00493-z.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Torn Between Valences: Mixed Emotions Predict Poorer Psychological Well-Being and Job Burnout

Author

Listed:
  • Vincent Y. S. Oh

    (National University of Singapore)

Abstract

Conflicting perspectives on whether mixed emotions are adaptive states which promote integrative processes or uncomfortable states which are agonizing make divergent predictions on whether mixed emotions in daily life are conducive towards psychological well-being. We examined this across three studies. Study 1 (N = 335, 135 males; Mage = 41.31) examined associations between state mixed emotions and psychological well-being. Study 2 (N = 389; 160 males; Mage = 40.86) examined associations between workplace-specific mixed emotions and workplace ill-being assessed based on burnout. Both direct measures and indirect measures were examined in Study 1 and 2, allowing some comparison of methodological issues related to their predictive validity. Study 3 (N = 3444; 1587 males; Mage = 55.34) examined bidirectional relationships between an index of emotional ambivalence and psychological well-being about ten years later, controlling for baselines. Demographic covariates, positive emotions, and negative emotions were controlled for in all studies. Analyses were performed using latent variable structural equation modelling. After adjusting for all covariates, the direct measures of mixed emotions predicted poorer psychological well-being (Study 1) and greater burnout (Study 2). However, indirect measures were found to suffer from relatively greater multicollinearity and poorer predictive validity upon controlling for positive and negative emotions. In Study 3, emotional ambivalence predicted poorer long-term psychological well-being, while psychological well-being also predicted lower emotional ambivalence, supporting bidrectionality. The findings provide preliminary evidence that naturalistically experienced mixed emotions may be conflicting and unpleasant, with potentially negative implications for psychological well-being over and above positive and negative emotions.

Suggested Citation

  • Vincent Y. S. Oh, 2022. "Torn Between Valences: Mixed Emotions Predict Poorer Psychological Well-Being and Job Burnout," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(5), pages 2171-2200, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:23:y:2022:i:5:d:10.1007_s10902-021-00493-z
    DOI: 10.1007/s10902-021-00493-z
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10902-021-00493-z
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10902-021-00493-z?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Williams, Patti & Aaker, Jennifer L, 2002. "Can Mixed Emotions Peacefully Coexist?," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 28(4), pages 636-649, March.
    2. Martin Pinquart & Silvia Sörensen, 2001. "Gender Differences in Self-Concept and Psychological Well-Being in Old Age," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 56(4), pages 195-213.
    3. Egon Dejonckheere & Merijn Mestdagh & Marlies Houben & Isa Rutten & Laura Sels & Peter Kuppens & Francis Tuerlinckx, 2019. "Complex affect dynamics add limited information to the prediction of psychological well-being," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 3(5), pages 478-491, May.
    4. Jiewen Hong & Angela Y. Lee, 2010. "Feeling Mixed but Not Torn: The Moderating Role of Construal Level in Mixed Emotions Appeals," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 37(3), pages 456-472, October.
    5. Mike Martin & Martin Grünendahl & Peter Martin, 2001. "Age Differences in Stress, Social Resources, and Well-Being in Middle and Older Age," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 56(4), pages 214-222.
    6. Raul Berrios & Peter Totterdell & Stephen Kellett, 2018. "When Feeling Mixed Can Be Meaningful: The Relation Between Mixed Emotions and Eudaimonic Well-Being," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 19(3), pages 841-861, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Quach, Sara & Septianto, Felix & Thaichon, Park & Chiew, Tung Moi, 2021. "Mixed emotional appeal enhances positive word-of-mouth: The moderating role of narrative person," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    2. Schniter, Eric & Sheremeta, Roman M. & Shields, Timothy W., 2015. "Conflicted emotions following trust-based interaction," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 48-65.
    3. Donghwy An & Bo‐ram Jeong & Nara Youn, 2022. "Effects of art consumption on consumer well‐being," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(2), pages 685-702, June.
    4. Pochun, Tej & Brennan, Linda & Parker, Lukas, 2018. "Advertising effects? An elemental experiment," Australasian marketing journal, Elsevier, vol. 26(4), pages 338-349.
    5. Septianto, Felix, 2021. "Every ending is a new beginning: Poignancy increases consumer preferences for self-made products," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 38(3), pages 732-748.
    6. Lau-Gesk, Loraine & Mukherjee, Sayantani, 2017. "Coping with sequential conflicting emotional experiences," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 1-8.
    7. Xin, Benlu & Zhu, Chengfeng & Septianto, Felix, 2022. "The effects of mixed emotional appeals in leveraging paradox brands," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 266-275.
    8. Homer, Pamela Miles, 2021. "When sadness and hope work to motivate charitable giving," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 420-431.
    9. Rita Xiaochen Hu & Marina Larkina & Jacqui Smith & Rodlescia Sneed, 2023. "The Impact of Caregiving History on Later-Life Self-Perceptions of Aging," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 78(11), pages 1805-1812.
    10. Leonidas A. Zampetakis & Manolis Lerakis & Konstantinos Kafetsios & Vassilis S. Moustakis, 2016. "The moderating role of anticipated affective ambivalence in the formation of entrepreneurial intentions," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 12(3), pages 815-838, September.
    11. Diandian Xiang & Leinan Zhang & Qiuyan Tao & Yonggui Wang & Shuang Ma, 2019. "Informational or emotional appeals in crowdfunding message strategy: an empirical investigation of backers’ support decisions," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 47(6), pages 1046-1063, November.
    12. Tang, Pok Man & Yam, Kai Chi & Koopman, Joel, 2020. "Feeling proud but guilty? Unpacking the paradoxical nature of unethical pro-organizational behavior," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 160(C), pages 68-86.
    13. Clemens Tesch-Römer & Andreas Motel-Klingebiel & Martin Tomasik, 2008. "Gender Differences in Subjective Well-Being: Comparing Societies with Respect to Gender Equality," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 85(2), pages 329-349, January.
    14. Ruut Veenhoven, 2011. "World Database of Happiness Example of a focused ‘Findings Archive’," RatSWD Working Papers 169, German Data Forum (RatSWD).
    15. María del Mar García‐De los Salmones & Andrea Perez, 2018. "Effectiveness of CSR Advertising: The Role of Reputation, Consumer Attributions, and Emotions," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 25(2), pages 194-208, March.
    16. Xinjie Chen & Zhihui Cai & Jinbo He & Xitao Fan, 2020. "Gender Differences in Life Satisfaction Among Children and Adolescents: A Meta-analysis," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(6), pages 2279-2307, August.
    17. Klaus Schoefer & Adamantios Diamantopoulos, 2008. "Measuring experienced emotions during service recovery encounters: construction and assessment of the ESRE scale," Service Business, Springer;Pan-Pacific Business Association, vol. 2(1), pages 65-81, March.
    18. Felix Septianto & Widya Paramita, 2021. "Sad but smiling? How the combination of happy victim images and sad message appeals increase prosocial behavior," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 32(1), pages 91-110, March.
    19. Douglas Chiguvi & Elvis Madondo & Zenzo Dube, 2019. "The Importance of Customer Relationship Management in the Local Government Authorities in Zimbabwe," Applied Economics and Finance, Redfame publishing, vol. 6(6), pages 15-29, November.
    20. Reich, Taly & Fulmer, Alexander G. & Dhar, Ravi, 2022. "In the face of self-threat: Why ambivalence heightens people’s willingness to act," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:23:y:2022:i:5:d:10.1007_s10902-021-00493-z. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.