Haider, S. M., Saleh, M. A. Q., Bawazir, A. A., Warren, M. A., Meyer, S.*, & Inocencio, S. (2021). Short reports: Exploring the role of optimism on psychosomatic disorders and life stressors among Yemeni medical students. Middle East Journal of Positive Psychology, 7, 122-139.

A predictor of health and wellbeing, psychological assets like optimism take on particular importance in countries like Yemen. In this first positive psychology study conducted in the country, we examine the relationship between optimism, pessimism, psychosomatic disorders, and life stressors among 160 male and 97 female university medical students. They completed the Arab List of Optimism and Pessimism (ALOP), Psychosomatic Disorders Scale (PDS), and Life Stressors Scale (LSS). Results showed that the difference in means of optimism between males and females was not significant; yet, female participants reported higher pessimism. There was also no statistically significant difference between male and female reports of stressful life events; yet, males reported higher psychosomatic disorders. For both males and females, significant positive correlations were found between (1) pessimism and psychosomatic disorders, (2) pessimism and life stressors, and (3) psychosomatic disorders and life stressors. This study carries implications for emotional management skills training for university students, particularly in war-afflicted environments, as well as the bolstering role of optimism and adaptive role of pessimism.

*Sierra Meyer, BS psychology, business minor from Western assisted on this project 

Lambert, L., Warren, M. A., Sam, A.*, & Ghonaem, E. (2021). Perspectives: Positive psychology tackles “wicked problems.” Middle East Journal of Positive Psychology, 7, 19-29.

Psychology and positive psychology in particular, are being called upon to tackle some of the world’s biggest issues. These wicked problems, two of which are captured here including climate change and widespread mental health issues, are systemic, intertwined with other equally complex issues, and bring forth conflicting emotional, cognitive and behavioral responses that compound their very nature. Researchers in the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region are being asked to go beyond the usual prevalence and comparison studies; it is time to raise our standards and meet existing challenges. By applying science in real time and to real life issues, we can demonstrate the relevance of psychology, but also have a concrete, long-lasting impact on MENA societies that can begin to ensure greater stability, sustainability and the wellbeing of all.

* Anna Sam is an undergraduate student at Western.

Wamue-Ngare, G., Warren, M. A., & Torjesen, K. J. (2021). Combating gender-based violence and fostering women’s well-being: Religion as a tool for achieving sustainable development goals in Congo. In Popescu, C. R. (Ed.). Novel Practices and Current Successes in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. IGI Global Publishers.

Gender-based violence (GBV) and its threat to women’s well-being is an insidious and widespread challenge in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Cultural beliefs about gender roles and sexuality, and religious teachings on marriage, masculinity, and femininity make interventions on GBV in the DRC difficult. This chapter examines a faith-based intervention, ‘The Tamar Campaign,’ which sought to align the strengths underpinning religion and culture. Findings revealed that participants of the Tamar Campaign reported 1) low prevalence of GBV four years after the intervention as compared to results of previous studies in the region, 2) positive effect of the intervention on marital satisfaction, and 3) engaging in activism alongside their family and community to combat GBV. This study thus offers initial evidence for faith-based interventions in not only reducing gender-based violence but also holistically improving women’s overall well-being.

* Leslie Aguilar, BA International Business student, assisted in conducting some literature review to address specific questions during the peer review process.  

Lambert, L., Joshanloo, M., Marquez, J. M., Cody, B., Arora, T. Warren, M. A., Aguilar, L., Samways, M., & Teasel, S. (2022). Boosting student wellbeing despite a pandemic? Positive psychology interventions and the impact of sleep in the United Arab Emirates. International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology, https://doi.org/10.1007/s41042-022-00066-2

A positive psychology program was developed to generate positive emotions, life satisfaction, mental toughness and perceptions of school kindness in 538 expatriate students in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Starting in September 2019, it included gratitude and acts of kindness as examples. Life satisfaction and mental toughness at mid-year were sustained or grew by the end of the year. Positive affect, hedonic wellbeing and social wellbeing increased at post-intervention 1 but reverted to baseline at post-intervention 2. Psychological wellbeing, negative affect, perception of control, and school kindness only increased at post-intervention 2. During the lockdown, students moved less, but slept and scrolled more. Those who slept more experienced greater wellbeing. Boosting wellbeing works – even in a pandemic – but, sleep also matters.

*Leslie Aguilar is a Western student earning her BA in International Business.

Crookes, A. & Warren, M. A. (2022). Building a global psychological science through research in the Pacific Island Nation of Fiji: A review of the literature. Discover Psychology, 2, 15. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44202-022-00029-3.

There is increasing internationalization of psychological science through cross cultural research, international conferences, and funding initiatives. However, more awareness is needed to include the populations of smaller, developing nations and to develop an indigenous focus in psychological methods and themes. The Pacific Island Countries provide an important opportunity in both of these – as a region of diverse ethnic, geographic, and economic contexts and as independent Indigenous populations with strong traditional identities. Fiji, as one of the most developed of these nations is well placed to act as a hub for extending the cultural perspectives of psychological science. The present systematic review aimed to identify the psychological research undertaken in Fiji and explore how this has added to the knowledge base in psychological science. A total of 131 peer-reviewed publications were identified on electronic databases of which 80% reported primary research studies in some form. The literature suggests a growing interest in primary research undertaken in Fiji that has already added substantially to psychological understanding in many core areas. The discussion suggests continued opportunity to build global psychology through research in Pacific Island populations as well as opportunity to broaden the scope of psychological science itself through exploration of indigenous psychologies.

*Leslie Aguilar, BA international business student at Western, assisted by developing the article database for this project.

Lambert, L., Joshanloo, M., Warren, M. A., Christiani, K.*, Lomas, T., Cody, B., El Chalabi, A., Kruchlik, G., & Al Sabah, I. (accepted). Promoting kindness through the positive theatrical arts: Assessing Kuwait’s Boomerang Program. Psychological Studies.

Introduction: As positive psychology expands its range of strategies to raise levels of flourishing, many interventions have been identified with new ones emerging. The positive arts offer a new avenue; one such intervention is drama and theater that can benefit subjective and social wellbeing as these offer individuals the opportunity to empathize with others, as well as consider alternative ways to act and think. These can be valuable for bullying prevention. Kuwait’s “Boomerang” anti-bullying theater program designed to increase social kindness is one such example.

Methods: The tools of applied theater were taught to teachers and/or school counsellors of during a six day training workshop. They in turn, trained seven to ten students who were real life bullies, victims and bystanders in their respective schools to become actors in each school’s culminating theater play. Participating acting students and audience members were assessed to determine the effects of the program on perceptions of school kindness, depression, life satisfaction, subjective wellbeing, social cohesion and trust, perceptions of school climate. Data collection was conducted across 7 private middle and high schools, with the final pre-intervention sample consisted of a total of 216 participating students and 1207 observing students (N = 1423).

Results: The quasi-experimental study shows that the intervention was successful in increasing perceptions of social cohesion and trust, a positive school climate, and student life satisfaction; however, there were no significant effects on outcome variables.

Conclusion: This multi-school intervention improved overall school climates and shows promise in addressing bullying behaviors.

*Kayla Christiani is a MS Psych student at Western

Lambert, L., Draper, Z. A., Warren, M. A., Joshanloo, M., Chiao, E-L., Schwam, A.* & Arora, T., (2021). Conceptions of happiness matter: The relationships between fear of and fragility of happiness and psychological and physical wellbeing. Journal of Happiness Studies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-021-00413-1

Wellbeing has become an increasingly important priority worldwide. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), much research and financial investment are being committed to increasing wellbeing. However, how the pursuit of happiness, as a driver of wellbeing, is not commonly investigated. In particular, fear of happiness and beliefs in its fragility challenge dominant Western views that happiness is desirable and actively pursued by all. How these lay beliefs of happiness are associated with individuals’ levels of wellbeing and concomitant behaviors have not been well explored. Accordingly, we sought to identify wellbeing profiles by examining mental health functioning, positive emotion, flourishing, cultural beliefs in the fear of happiness and fragility of happiness, physical activity and levels of reported sleep as well as demographics such as age and gender. Using a sample of 834 Emirati university students in the UAE, fear and fragility of happiness were used to develop wellbeing profiles. We found three profiles: ‘unstable, moderate wellbeing,’ ‘fearful, moderate wellbeing,’ and ‘stable, high wellbeing.’ This is one of few studies to show that beliefs in the fear and fragility of happiness are related to lower subjective wellbeing and cluster with other behavioural factors, such that physical health indicators like physical activity and sleep were associated with greater subjective wellbeing and more stable wellbeing profiles. In sum, lay beliefs of happiness not only appear to influence wellbeing itself, but concomitant behaviors as well.

*Allison Schwam is a MS psych student at Western

Lambert, L., Warren, M. A., Schwam, A.*, & Warren, M. T. (2021). Positive psychology interventions in the United Arab Emirates: Boosting wellbeing – and changing culture? Current Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-02080-0

The science of wellbeing has grown and universities in particular have adopted the challenge of prioritizing the wellbeing of students. Positive psychology interventions (PPIs), the empirical activities designed to increase the frequency of positive emotions and experiences, and which help to facilitate the use of actions and thoughts that lead to human flourishing, are being increasingly used. Known to boost wellbeing and a number of other variables, it nonetheless remains unknown whether their use can influence other variables in non-Western cultures. In this study, we determined the impact of PPIs on educational locus of control, somatization, adherence to individualism and collectivism, and stress in university students. The 6-week PPI program was conducted in the United Arab Emirates on Emirati university students who reported more positive emotion and overall balance of feelings that favored positivity over time relative to a control group, and reduction in fear of happiness. Yet, there was no effect on life satisfaction, perceived stress, locus of control, or somatic symptoms, and no effect on levels of collectivism or individualism. Our findings support the use of PPIs in higher education as they show no negative impact on culture; still, continued research on the effects of PPIs at a global level is warranted.

*Allison Schwam is a MS psychology student at Western.

Samways, M. Teasel, S. Waldrop, R. J.*, Chiao, E-L. & Warren, M. A. (2019). Short reports: Positive education in Dubai: A pilot study of teacher experiences. Middle East Journal of Positive Psychology, 5(1), 97-104.

Positive education programs have been at the center of many studies, yet few have assessed the occupational wellbeing of the teachers delivering them. Such programs may buffer against teachers’ occupational stress by increasing exposure to uplifting content. This pilot study qualitatively explores the experiences of seven teachers in the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates after their first semester teaching a positive education curriculum. Results showed that teachers were enthusiastic about experiences with their students when engaging in positive education activities, strengthening their relationships with them, and observing the positive relationships that students formed with each other. Yet, they experienced stress and concern when students unwittingly over-disclosed stories of adversity and felt they lacked the training to handle such disclosures. Although limited in sample size, this study offers early insight into the experiences of an overlooked but critical group – teachers – in positive education.

*Rachael Waldrop is a MS Psych student at Western. She presented this research at the 5th Western Positive Psychological Association Conference in Claremont, CA.

Christensen, S., Winkelman, K.*, & Aguilar, L.* (2020). Short Reports: The female load: The cost of productivity during COVID-19. Middle East Journal of Positive Psychology, 6, 107-119.

The aim of this study was to gain a better understanding of gender differences on the impact of Working From Home (WFH) arrangements on perceived levels of employee productivity and anxiety during the COVID-19 restrictions. Due to the nature of the recent global pandemic, the world of work has had to evolve to meet the needs of organizations and employees alike. For many, this has meant a shift from office to home-based working, resulting in the significant blurring of work and home lives. While WFH has brought opportunities and benefits for both genders, it has also brought challenges in terms of wellbeing, productivity and the potential for burnout. In this study of 121 participants, our data supported previous research that suggested WFH heightened productivity and work engagement but only in the male population. Conversely, working mothers and female primary breadwinners reported significantly higher levels of anxiety compared to men, while also exhibiting higher levels of productivity. The latter finding is of concern to organizations and women alike; what is the long-term cost of this anxiety, albeit productive, for women who face a double shift while working from home? What does it mean for workplace wellbeing as well?

*Under my mentorship, Katie Winkelman (Western graduate 2020) and Leslie Aguilar (current Western student) conducted data analysis and wrote up some of the research findings for this paper. In the process, we collaborated with Sarah Christensen, a consultant, occupational therapist and DEI expert, located in the United Arab Emirates.