IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/jhappi/v24y2023i3d10.1007_s10902-023-00620-y.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Appreciative Joy: A Critical Review of Empirical Research

Author

Listed:
  • Xiaodan Gu

    (Beijing Normal University)

  • Xianglong Zeng

    (Beijing Normal University)

  • Tian P. S. Oei

    (the University of Queensland)

Abstract

Appreciative joy refers to feeling happy for others with appreciative and unenvious attitudes and is emphasized in Buddhist and Chinese culture. Empirical studies on appreciative joy have recently appeared in multiple disciplines in psychology, and it is time to summarize their findings and potential limitations. In terms of interpersonal attitudes, studies have supported that appreciative joy and appreciative joy meditation (AJM) activate altruism, promote cooperation, counter envy and influence interpersonal perceptions. As for subjective well-being, studies have consistently supported appreciative joy and AJM contribute to positive emotions, but the arousal dimension of positive emotions is still under debate. The effects of appreciative joy and AJM on other aspects of subjective well-being, as well as the underlying mechanisms, require more investigation. The prevalence of this trait across cultures and its association with emotional attachment also point to its role in ethics, virtue, and the evolution of human beings. Future studies need to develop a specific paradigm to better induce and validate appreciative joy in addition to AJM to research appreciative joy in system-informed and cross-cultural ways, and to develop theories to explain the mechanisms underlying the effects of appreciative joy.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiaodan Gu & Xianglong Zeng & Tian P. S. Oei, 2023. "Appreciative Joy: A Critical Review of Empirical Research," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(3), pages 1303-1318, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:24:y:2023:i:3:d:10.1007_s10902-023-00620-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s10902-023-00620-y
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10902-023-00620-y
    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/s10902-023-00620-y?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. Sue Kraus & Sharon Sears, 2009. "Measuring the Immeasurables: Development and Initial Validation of the Self-Other Four Immeasurables (SOFI) Scale Based on Buddhist Teachings on Loving Kindness, Compassion, Joy, and Equanimity," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 92(1), pages 169-181, May.
    2. Anthony Salerno & Juliano Laran & Chris Janiszewski & Darren W Dahl & Linda L Price & Cait Lamberton, 2019. "The Bad Can Be Good: When Benign and Malicious Envy Motivate Goal Pursuit," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 46(2), pages 388-405.
    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. Yuan Zheng & Jingyi Zhou & Xianglong Zeng & Mingyan Jiang & Tian P. S. Oei, 2022. "A New Second-Generation Mindfulness-Based Intervention Focusing on Well-Being: A Randomized Control Trial of Mindfulness-Based Positive Psychology," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(6), pages 2703-2724, August.
    2. Ferreira, Kirla & Botelho, Delane, 2021. "(Un)deservingness distinctions impact envy subtypes: Implications for brand attitude and choice," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 89-102.
    3. van de Ven, Niels, 2022. "The envious consumer," Other publications TiSEM 12206afe-9244-410e-9f2f-3, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    4. Tomáš Žilinský & Júlia Halamová, 2023. "The Effects of Virtual Reality on Enhancement of Self-Compassion and Self-Protection, and Reduction of Self-Criticism: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-33, January.
    5. Park, Joowon & Banker, Sachin & Masters, Tamara & Yu-Buck, Grace, 2023. "Person vs. purchase comparison: how material and experiential purchases evoke consumption-related envy in others," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 165(C).
    6. Meng, Lu (Monroe) & Bie, Yongyue & Yang, Mengya & Wang, Yijie, 2024. "Watching it motivates me to become stronger: Virtual influencers' impact on consumer self-improvement product preferences," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).
    7. Yongchao Ma & Ying Teng & Zhongzhun Deng & Li Liu & Yi Zhang, 2023. "Does writing style affect gender differences in the research performance of articles?: An empirical study of BERT-based textual sentiment analysis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 128(4), pages 2105-2143, April.
    8. Suárez Vázquez, Ana & Dub, Li & del Río Lanza, Ana Belén, 2020. "Word of mouth: How upward social comparisons influence the sharing of consumption experiences," MPRA Paper 120089, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Stefano Pace, 2013. "Does Religion Affect the Materialism of Consumers? An Empirical Investigation of Buddhist Ethics and the Resistance of the Self," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 112(1), pages 25-46, January.
    10. Wang, Yaming & Wang, Xingyuan & Chen, Haipeng (Allan) & Ouyang, Qiang, 2024. "Effect of status threat on preference for cross-domain self-improvement products: The moderation of trade-off beliefs," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    11. Primidya K. M. Soesilo & Maureen L. Morrin & Nese Nur Yazgan Onuklu, 2021. "No longer green with envy: Objectifying and destroying negative consumer emotions," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(3), pages 1111-1138, September.
    12. Wu, Wenqing & Wang, Hongxin & Wang, Xinchun, 2022. "Entrepreneur narcissism and new venture performance: A learning perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 901-915.

    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:24:y:2023:i:3:d:10.1007_s10902-023-00620-y. 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.