Eurasian Journal of Educational Research 82 (2019) 81-100

Eurasian Journal of Educational Research

www.ejer.com.tr

Gratitude, Hope, Optimism and Life Satisfaction as Predictors of Psychological

Well-Being*

Ferhat KARDAS1 , Zekeriya CAM2, Mustafa ESKISU3, Sedat GELIBOLU 4

ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT

Article History: Purpose: The mainstream psychology has mostly

Received: 24 Sept. 2018 focused on the negative factors that threaten human
Received in revised form: 20 Jun. 2019 mental health. With the emergence of positive
Accepted: 7 Jul. 2019 psychology approach, the human strengths have
DOI: 10.14689/ejer.2019.82.5
started to be studied and the number of studies on the
issue of happiness and well-being has increased. The
Keywords
aim of this research is to reveal the level of prediction
well-being, gratitude, hope, optimism, life
satisfaction for psychological well-being by the variables of
gratitude, hope, optimism and life satisfaction.
Method: Research sample consisted of 510 students
from various faculties and departments of four
different universities. The study group consisted of
359 female (70.4%) and 151 male (29.6%) university
students. The age range of participants varied
between 17 and 30.
Findings: All the variables discussed in the study were positively related to each other, and the
variables of gratitude, optimism, hope, and life satisfaction all together accounted for about 51%
of the variance of psychological well-being. Gratitude was determined as the most predictive
variable for well-being and it was followed by the variables; hope, optimism, and life
satisfaction, respectively. Accordingly; gratitude predicted 35.4% of the variance in well-being
alone; gratitude and hope predicted 45.4% together; gratitude, hope, and optimism predicted
48.8% together; while gratitude, hope, optimism, and life satisfaction predicted 50.7% percent
altogether.
Implications for Research and Practice: These findings are thought to be important in terms of
revealing variables that predict well-being with a high level of variance. It is thought that these
findings can be used in the field of mental health especially by the researchers and practitioners
using intervention studies. Especially, since the gratitude level accounts for 35.4% of the
variance in well-being alone, gratitude interventions can effectively be used to improve well-
being level.

© 2019 Ani Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved

*This study was partly presented at the 14rd International Psychological Counseling and Guidance Congress
in Antalya, 15-17 December, 2017
1Corresponding Author, Van Yuzuncu Yıl University, Faculty of Education, E-mail: [email protected],

Orcid: 0000-0003-3386-3956
2Mus Alparslan University, Faculty of Education,E-mail: [email protected], Orcid: 0000-0002-2965-

2390
3Erzincan Binali YildirimUniversity, Faculty of Education, E-mail: [email protected], Orcid: 0000-0002-

7992-653X
4Mus Alparslan University, Faculty of Education, E-mail: [email protected], Orcid: 0000-0002-9451-7435
 82 Ferhat KARDAS-Zekeriya CAM-Mustafa ESKISU-Sedat GELIBOLU
Eurasian Journal of Educational Research 82 (2019) 81-100

Introduction
What makes a good and virtuous life and how to live it is one of the oldest
debates in human history. This debate has continued for centuries within the
framework of different worldviews, especially in the field of religion and
philosophy. Psychology, a younger field of science than philosophy, has also
benefited considerably from discussions and accumulations in philosophy while
dealing with the subjects of happiness and good life. The history of psychology is
based on observing some human behaviors experimentally in the laboratory
environment. In the period from the beginning of the 19th century to the Second
World War, it seems that an approach which focused on the negative aspects of life,
concentrated on diagnosis and treatment, and dealt with the problematic parts of
individuals rather than the strengths had been prevailing in the field of psychology.
Especially after the Second World War, the influence of war, the spread of the
understanding of humanism, and the need to embrace the positive aspects of life
have forced a change in the dominant paradigm in psychology. The influence of the
work of pioneers such as Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow, in this framework, has
begun to increase the emphasis on the strengths of people. The positive psychology
approach has brought significant criticism to this pathology-oriented view and has
suggested that psychology should embrace the positive aspects of life and aim to
increase well-being by focusing on the strengths of individuals. In this context;
Martin Seligman's speech (1999) as president of the American Psychological
Association (APA) is considered as a milestone of positive psychology. In this
speech, Seligman argued that psychology studies have spent half a century by
examining negative mental effects of isolation, trauma, abuse, physical illness, war;
but this negative focus has left psychology blind to the many instances of growth and
mastery. For this reason, he proposed a new positive paradigm of psychology which
focuses on positive sides of human and human strengths. This speech has prepared a
basis for the formation of a positive psychology approach.
The positive psychology approach is mainly concerned with understanding
issues such as happiness and well-being, positive features and activities that require
intense attention, and meaningful positive relationships (Carr, 2013). In this
framework, it focuses on the well-being of individuals with a paradigm of embracing
positive sides of life. One of the issues that being widely discussed in this approach is
the concept of well-being. While well-being is handled in the context of various
conceptualizations and theoretical foundations, nowadays it is widely discussed in
the distinction of subjective and psychological well-being. The basis of this
distinction is also based on the discussion of Eudaimonia-Hedonia in the field of
philosophy. In the positive psychology approach, the Eudaimonic tradition is studied
in the works of Alan Waterman and Carol Ryff, and the hedonic approach is
discussed in the works of Kahneman, Diener and Schwarz (Carr, 2013). Current
debate continues in the field of positive psychology in terms of different contexts
(Sheldon, Corcoran&Prentice, 2019).
Subjective well-being means individuals’ avoidance from pain, having more
positive experiences and more positive emotions. According to this, subjective well-
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Eurasian Journal of Educational Research 82 (2019) 81-100

being refers to life satisfaction as a cognitive evaluation of life, less experience of

negative feelings and more frequent experience of positive feelings (Diener, 2000). In
this respect, subjective well-being is an approach parallel to the views of the hedonic
approach which focuses on avoiding pain and reaching the pleasure. On the other
hand, the concept of psychological well-being is more about being able to realize the
potentials of the individual as a concept related to the "Eudaimonia", and it also refers
to a meaningful and fulfilling life. According to this approach, fulfilling one’s
potential is at the heart of well-being (Carr, 2013; Hefferon&Boniwell, 2011).
One of the main issues that positive psychology concentrates on is positive
feelings. Seligman (2004) classifies positive emotions as emotions related to the past,
future, and present. According to this; optimism, hope, and confidence express
positive feelings about the future; while satisfaction, gladness, and tranquility
express about past; and physical pleasures like momentary pleasures, and persistent
pleasures like joy, comfort, merriness and enthusiasm express feelings about present.
In this context; gratitude, hope, and optimism are among the positive feelings that
are widely discussed in the literature.
In recent years, the concept of gratitude is considered as one of the treatment
factors in the field of mental health in both Turkey and abroad (Kardaş&Yalçın,
2018). Gratitude is conceptualized in various forms such as emotion, attitude, moral
virtue, habit, personality trait and a coping reaction in the positive psychology
literature (Emmons, 2009), and various definitions have been made about gratitude
in this framework. According to this, gratitude is defined in various forms like; being
grateful to the person who gives help and does a favor (Roberts, 2004), thanking for a
goodness and being in a sense of gratitude (Watkins et al., 2003), a sense of gladness
towards a benefit seen (Emmons, 2004), and as part of the general tendency to
recognize and appreciate positive things in life (Wood, Froh&Geraghty, 2010). In
various studies conducted in Turkey, Western Countries and Eastern Societies it has
been demonstrated that gratitude has significant effects on; improving the mental
health of individuals, increasing their well-being, strengthening social support
perceptions and self-esteem, changing resilience levels positively, increasing
optimism, and being a protective factor against stress and depression (Emmons &
McCullough, 2003; Fredrickson, 2004; Kardaş, 2017; Lin, 2015; Lyubomirsky, 2008).
Another variable that is considered as one of the factors that affect well-being is
optimism. Optimism basically means being in positive expectations about the future
and it is considered in relation with emotion, perseverance, problem-solving;
academic, sportive, military, vocational and political achievement, being healthy, and
conceptualized differently in various studies(Peterson, 2000). Theoretical approaches
like personality traits, attributional styles, expectancy effect (Scheier& Carver, 1987;
Seligman, 2006) are determinative in the conceptualization of well-being. Research
findings reveal that optimism is significantly related to subjective resilience (Terzi,
2008), life satisfaction (Sapmaz&Doğan, 2012), depressive symptoms (Chang &Sanna,
2001), and resistance to negative experiences (Segerstrom, 2007).
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Eurasian Journal of Educational Research 82 (2019) 81-100

Hope, as a concept related to optimism, is conceptualized in the context of ability

to plan paths to achieve the goal that the individual desires in spite of obstacles and a
motivation source to utilize these paths (Snyder, 2000). In this framework, hope is
defined as the determination to achieve goals and belief that there can be many other
ways (Hefferon&Boniwell, 2011). According to this, hope is most powerful when it
depends on the valuable targets that have moderate reaching possibility and derive
from challenging but not impassable obstacles. In other words, the individual does
not need to hope when he is sure he will achieve his goals, and he gets desperate
when he thinks he will never succeed (Carr, 2013). The approach that deals with
optimism in the context of attributional styles and the theory of hope in which
Snyder conceptualized hope as the energy of fighting for the important goals suggest
that individuals can significantly change their levels of optimism and positive
expectations. Accordingly, individuals can remain optimistic and sustain their hopes
through goal setting and having positive opinions about reaching those goals,
maintaining motivation to make plans to reach these goals, and feeling of agency in
these processes. This will make it easier for someone to reach their goals. Research
conducted suggests that hope is also a factor closely related to the level of well-being
of the individuals (Dursun, 2012).
In the literature, life satisfaction is expressed as a cognitive evaluation process in
which the individual's life is assessed according to certain criteria (Shin &Johnson,
1978; Diener, Emmons, Larsen &Griffin, 1985). In this framework, life satisfaction is
considered as one of the components of subjective well-being. According to this, life
satisfaction is one of the important concepts expressing the well-being of individuals
together with positive-negative affectivity as a cognitive evaluation of life.
The aim of this research is to reveal the degree of prediction for psychological
well-being by different variables like gratitude, hope, optimism and life satisfaction
in the university students, according to the order of relative importance, with a
regression model.
The variables discussed in the study were determined as a result of a
comprehensive literature review. When the studies are examined, it is seen that the
studies that predict subjective well-being are more common (Ilhan&Ozbay, 2016).In
some studies, optimism’s predicting the level of well-being is examined
(Eryilmaz&Atak, 2011), and in some other studies relationship between
psychological well-being and some demographic variables such as university
department and gender is studied (Gundogdu&Yavuzer, 2012). In this respect, no
study has been found that takes the variables discussed as a whole like in the present
study. On the other hand, it has been found that studies related to optimism, hope
and life satisfaction can be found frequently but studies related to gratitude and well-
being are limited. As mentioned earlier, gratitude includes some aspects of optimism,
hope and life satisfaction, and the feeling of gratitude is a concept closely related to
these characteristics of the individual. In this direction, in a study which intends to
predict well-being, including the variable gratitude allows us to make some
comparisons between variables. On the other hand, although the findings regarding
the relationship between mentioned variables and well-being have been reported,
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Eurasian Journal of Educational Research 82 (2019) 81-100

which variable contributes to the prediction of well-being comparatively has not

been examined adequately. The current study aimed to make this comparison.
Considering the situations above, it is thought to be important to discuss gratitude as
a predictive variable, to examine predictive levels of variables discussed
comparatively on the prediction of well-being, and to reveal the relations between
these variables.
Taking all these issues into consideration, it is considered that this study is
important in terms of contributing to positive psychology research in the literature,
providing evidence-based data for teachers and practitioners working in the field,
and determining variables predicting psychological well-being. On the other hand,
research findings are expected to contribute to the issue of positive youth
development which has become an important subject of research in the field of
mental health and foster the development of limited studies conducted in Turkey.
The following questions will be sought within the framework of the research
purpose.
1. Are there any significant relationships among variables of gratitude, hope,
optimism, life satisfaction, and well-being?
2. Are gratitude, hope, optimism, and life satisfaction variables significant
predictors of well-being, and what is their relative order of importance in
terms of predicting participants’ well-being level?

Method
Research Design
This research was carried out with the quantitative research model. These
studies, which describe the relationships between variables, are considered as
correlational survey models in the literature (Karasar, 2011).
Research Sample
The study group, determined by convenience sampling method, consisted of 510
students from various faculties and departments of four different public universities
in different regions of Turkey. In terms of gender, 70.4% (359) of the participants
were female and 29.6% (n = 151) were male. The age range of the participants varied
between 17 and 30, with a mean age of 21.5 (SD= 2.05).
Research Instruments and Procedures
Research data were collected from four different public universities located in
different regions of Turkey. In this context, first, the data collection tools to be used
in the research were determined and necessary permissions were obtained from the
researchers. Afterward, necessary permissions for the application of the
measurement tools were obtained from the related faculties. The aim and process of
the research were explained to the participants, and it was stated that the
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Eurasian Journal of Educational Research 82 (2019) 81-100

participation inthe research was on a voluntary basis. It took about 15 minutes for
each participant to complete the data collection tools.
The Flourishing Scale (Telef, 2013), Satisfaction with Life Scale (Durak, Senol-
Durak&Gencoz, 2010), Gratitude Scale (Kardaş&Yalçın, 2019), Life Orientation Test
(Aydın &Tezer, 1991), and Hope Scale (Akman&Korkut, 1993) were used for data
collection in the study.
The Flourishing Scale: It is a measurement tool developed by Diener et al. (2010) to
measure individuals’ level of well-being. The scale consists of eight items answered
on a 1–7 scale that ranges from Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree, and scores from
the scale range from 8-56 (e.g. “I lead a purposeful and meaningful life”). The high score
indicates a higher level of well-being. It is adapted to Turkish by Telef (2013) and the
Cronbach alpha coefficient of the scale is .80, and test-retest reliability score is .86.
The Cronbach alpha internal consistency coefficient of the psychological well-being
scale in this study was found to be .84. We performed the confirmatory factor
analysis to determine the technical adequacies of The Flourishing Scale. Results from
confirmatory factor analysis indicated that it had good model-data fit statistics
(χ2=70.532, df=19, χ2/df=3.71, p=.000, RMSEA=.073 [90% confidence interval (CI) =
.055-.091], SRMR= .039, GFI=.97, CFI=.96, NFI=.94, IFI=.96) and factor loadings
(range from .57 to .65).
Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS): It is a measurement tool developed by Diener et
al. (1985) to determine the life satisfaction of individuals. The scale consists of five
items answered on seven points Likert type survey (e.g. “In most ways, my life is close
to my ideal”). High scores indicate that the perception of life satisfaction is high.
Various adaptation studies have been conducted in Turkish. Durak, Senol-Durak and
Gencoz (2010) conducted the adaptation study of the form used in this research.
Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that SWLS had good model-data fit statistics
(χ2=13.274, df=4, χ2/df=3.31, p=.000, RMSEA=.067 [90% confidence interval (CI) =
.030-.109], SRMR= .019, GFI=.99, CFI=.99, NFI=.99, IFI=.99) and factor loadings
(range from .65 to .75).The Cronbach alpha internal consistency coefficient for the
satisfaction with life scale in this study was found to be .83.
Gratitude Scale: It is developed by Kardas and Yalçın (2019) to measure gratitude
levels of individuals. The scale consists of 25 items answered on five points Likert
type survey, and higher scores indicate individuals’ higher level of feeling gratitude.
Scale consists of six sub-dimensions that are positive social comparison (e.g. “When I
look at the world, I see much to be grateful for.”), focusing on positive (e.g. “I believe life is
full of beauty.”), appreciating contributions of family and others(e.g. “I'm grateful to
my parents for what they did for me.”), feelings of abundance (e.g. “I think I'm a lucky
person in life.”), gratitude for simple things (e.g. “Even a small incident can increase my
gratitude.”) and expressing gratitude (e.g. “I have no trouble thanking for a favor.”). The
internal consistency coefficients are .88 for overall scale, .82 for positive social
comparison, .73 for focusing on positive, .72 for appreciating contributions of family
and others, .70 for feelings of abundance, .76 for gratitude for simple things and .72
for expressing gratitude. In the present study, the Cronbach alpha internal
consistency coefficient was found to be .90. Results of the second-order confirmatory
 Ferhat KARDAS-Zekeriya CAM-Mustafa ESKISU-Sedat GELIBOLU 87
Eurasian Journal of Educational Research 82 (2019) 81-100

factor analysis showed that Gratitude Scale had acceptable model-data fit statistics
(χ2=948.04, df=269, χ2/df=3.52, p=.000, RMSEA=.070 [90% confidence interval (CI)
=.066-.075], SRMR= .076, GFI=.84, CFI=.95, NFI=.93, IFI=.95) and factor loadings
(range from .43 to .78).
Life Orientation Test: It was used to measure individuals’ optimism levels in the
study. Developed by Scheier and Carver (1985) to measure the life orientations of
individuals, this scale is a five point-Likert-type measuring instrument consisting of
12 items(e.g., “I'm always optimistic about my future”). Scores on the scale range from 0
to 32 and high scores indicate that individuals have a positive view of life. Aydin and
Tezer (1991) conducted the adaptation study of the scale to Turkish. Cronbach alpha
coefficient was found to be .72 in the adaptation study. In this study, the Cronbach
alpha internal consistency coefficient was found to be .71. We performed a
confirmatory factor analysis for The Life Orientation Test. Results from confirmatory
factor analysis indicated that it had good model-data fit statistics (χ2=78.088, df=17,
χ2/df=4.59, p=.000, RMSEA=.084 [90% confidence interval (CI) = .066-.103], SRMR=
.066, GFI=.97, CFI=.92, NFI=.90, IFI=.92) and factor loadings (range from .15 to .69).
Hope Scale: It was developed by Snyder et al. (1991) to assess hope levels of
individuals and adapted to Turkish by Akman and Korkut (1993). Hope Scale
consists of 8 items and two sub-dimensions as pathway (e.g., “I can think of many ways
to get out of a jam.”) and agency (e.g., “I energetically pursue my goals.”). Cronbach
alpha coefficient is found to be .75 in the original form. In Turkish form, this
coefficient is .65, and test-retest reliability score is .66. In this study, the form adapted
by Akman and Korkut (1993) was used. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed
primarily on the scores obtained from the scale and inequivalence with the original
form, and it was found to be having two dimensions (Atik&Atik, 2017). We also
conducted the second-order confirmatory factor analysis to determine the construct
validity of The Hope Scale. Results from confirmatory factor analysis revealed that
Hope Scale ha good model-data fit statistics (χ2=49.450, df=17, χ2/df=2.91, p=.000,
RMSEA=.061 [90% confidence interval (CI) = .042-.081], SRMR= .036, GFI=.98,
CFI=.98, NFI=.96, IFI=.98) and factor loadings (range from .47 to .75).In light of these
results, the theoretical structure in the original form of the scale was confirmed. In
this study, the Cronbach alpha internal consistency coefficient of the Hope Scale was
found to be .84.
Data Analysis
Multiple linear regression analysis was used to analyze the data in this study.
Before data analysis, alongside the assumptions of normality, linearity and
homogeneity, multivariate normal distribution, linear relationship between predictor
variable and dependent variable, absence of multiple-connection problem
(multicollinearity) between independent variables, variance of error terms to be
constant and mean of error terms equal to zero which are all assumptions of multiple
linear regression were examined (Küçüksille, 2010). After the assumptions were met,
basic analyzes were carried out. SPSS 21.0 software was used for statistical analysis.
Stepwise regression analysis in which order of entry of variables depends on
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statistical criteria was performed. Because the study aimed to determine the most
significant predictive variables of well-being in order of relative importance,
stepwise regression analysis, which is a model-building rather than model-testing,
might be more beneficial to define variables in order to build structural models in
future researches (Tabachnick&Fidell, 2013).

Results
In a preliminary analysis, descriptive statistics of psychological well-being, life
satisfaction, gratitude, optimism, and hope variables were calculated, and then
difference according to gender, the relationships between these variables, and
generated regression model were examined, and the findings were presented under
four headings.
Descriptive statistics of the variables examined in the study
Descriptive statistics were calculated for the mean averages related to the
variables covered in the present study. In this way, how the data set had a
distribution was examined. Descriptive statistics calculated for variables are
presented in Table 1.

Table 1
Descriptive Statistics
Variables N Minimum Maximum Mean SD Skewness Kurtosis
Life satisfaction 510 5,00 35,00 20,16 6,77 -,102 -,641
Hope 510 11,00 32,00 25,34 4,10 -,601 ,401
Gratitude 510 42,00 125,00 96,63 13,51 -,658 ,795
Optimism 510 11,00 38,00 25,85 5,02 -,270 ,031
Psychological
510 15,00 56,00 42,14 7,51 -,772 ,493
Well-being

When the values in Table 1 are examined, it is seen that the skewness and
kurtosis values of the variables are within ± 1 values. It is stated in the literature that
when the values of kurtosis and skewness are between ± 1 values, the dataset has a
normal distribution (Büyüköztürk, 2013). Based on these values, it can be said that
the mean scores of the variables handled within the scope of the research have a
normal distribution.
Findings about relationships between variables
The relationship between the variables in the study was examined by Pearson's
Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient and the results are given in Table 2.
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Table 2
Relationships Between Variables
Variables 1 2 3 4 5
1.Psychological well-being - .596** .501** .516** .527**
2. Gratitude - .468** .486** .394**
3. Life satisfaction - .464** .402**
4. Optimism - .391**
5. Hope -
** = p<.01
As shown in Table 2, significant positive relationships were found at moderate
and high levels between psychological well-being and all variables. According to
this, the relationship coefficients between well-being and other variables found to be;
.596 (p<.01) for gratitude, .501 (p<.01) for life satisfaction, .516 (p<.01) for optimism,
and .527 (p<.01) for hope.
After determining the relationships between the variables by correlation analysis,
stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed to determine the predictability
between the variables. However, there are some assumptions that this analysis
requires. These are the absence of multicollinearity and autocorrelation between
variables. Whether these requirements are met or not is examined with Durbin-
Watson, Condition Index, Variance Inflation Factor/VIF, and Tolerance Value.
Calculated Durbin-Watson value of this study is 1.925 while Condition Index is
24.099, VIF value is 1.494, and Tolerance Value is .677. Based on these values, it can
be said that there is not a multicollinearity or autocorrelation problem among these
variables. In order to determine the predictability between the variables in terms of
the obtained values, stepwise multiple regression analysis was applied. The
regression model for the prediction of the psychological well-being of the predictive
variables in the study is given in Table 3.
Table 3
Stepwise Multiple Regression Analysis Result
Model R R2 SE ΔR2 F p
1. ,596a 0,355 6,04 0,355 279,474 ,000
2. ,675b 0,456 5,55 0,101 94,077 ,000
3. ,700c 0,491 5,38 0,035 34,481 ,000
4. ,712d 0,507 5,30 0,016 16,896 .000
a. Dependent Variable: Psychological well-being
b. Predictors: (Constant), Gratitude
c. Predictors: (Constant), Gratitude, Hope
d. Predictors: (Constant), Gratitude, Hope, Optimism
e. Predictors: (Constant), Gratitude, Hope, Optimism and Life Satisfaction
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It was determined that all added predictor variables to the generated model
significantly predicted well-being, and according to the stepwise multiple regression
analysis results, all generated models were significant. According to this, the
variables that were most predictive of psychological well-being were gratitude, hope,
optimism and life satisfaction, respectively. According to the results of the stepwise
regression analysis, in the first model, gratitude alone predicted 35% of the well-
being (R2 = .355, p<.05). Adding the hope variable to the model, these two variables
together accounted for 45 percent of the variance in well-being (R2= .456, p<.05);
when optimism was added, these three variables together accounted for49 percent of
the variance in well-being (R2= .491, p<.05); and at last when life satisfaction variable
was added, four variables together accounted for 50.7 percent of the variance in well-
being(R2= .507, p<.05). This indicates that all variables are significant predictors but
gratitude accounts for a large part of the variance alone for well-being.

Discussion, Conclusion, and Recommendations

In this study, the relationships between psychological well-being, life satisfaction,
gratitude, optimism and hope variables in university students studying in different
cities and universities were examined, and the created regression model was tested.
The results showed that all the variables in the study had significant positive
correlations with each other. Various studies have shown a positive relationship
between these variables. In this context, in various studies, a positive relationship
was found between gratitude and life satisfaction (Robustelli&Whisman, 2018; Yang,
Zhang & Kou, 2016) and positive relationship among gratitude, hope, and happiness
(Witvliet, Richie, Root Luna, & Van Tongeren, 2019). In another study, Guse and
Shaw (2018) explored the relationship between hope, meaning in life, and well-
being among a group of emerging adults who were enrolled at university. The
results indicated that hope might lead to the setting of meaningful goals as well as
spiritually meaningful experiences; thus, increasing meaning in life and eventually,
well-being.
According to the results of the stepwise regression analysis of the variables that
predicted psychological well-being, it was determined that the variables that were
most predictive of psychological well-being were gratitude, hope, optimism, and life
satisfaction, respectively; and these findings were discussed in the context of the
literature.
The results showed that the most powerful predictor of psychological well-being
in the study was gratitude. According to this, gratitude alone predicted about 36
percent of the variance in well-being. Gratitude is considered as one of the treatment
factors in the field of mental health, and the number of efforts to improve the well-
being of individuals through gratitude interventions is increasing day by
day(Lyubomirsky 2008; Nelson &Lyubomirsky 2016; Young &Hutchinson, 2012).
Gratitude is accepted as having a strong relationship with various measures of well-
being, and experimental studies suggest that gratitude actually causes increases in
happiness. In this context, it is suggested by Watkins, McLaughlin and Parker (2019)
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Eurasian Journal of Educational Research 82 (2019) 81-100

that grateful responding can be enhanced by training in noticing the good in one's
life, and by encouraging interpretations and appraisals that have been found to
promote gratitude.
Gratitude is conceptualized and measured on the basis of such perspectives as
making positive social comparisons, satisfying from simple things, focusing on the
positive aspects of life, expressing gratitude, and recognizing the contributions of the
family and the community. This suggests that all of the features mentioned are good
predictors of well-being at the same time. Accordingly, it can be said that individuals
having these characteristics are more satisfied with their lives and they are happier
than the people whose gratitude levels are lower. On the other hand, the fact that
gratitude predicts well-being stronger than life satisfaction, hope and optimism
variables, can be considered as one of the important findings of this research. In line
with the findings of this research, it was revealed that gratitude is a significant
predictor of well-being just like in the studies investigating the relationship between
gratitude and well-being held in Turkey, gratitude intervention activities improve
well-being, and gratitude predicts well-being through various variables (Eryılmaz,
2014, Kardaş, 2017, Oğuz Duran & Tan, 2013). A number of studies abroad have also
shown that gratitude is a significant and powerful predictor of well-being (Chan,
2013; Emmons & McCullough, 2003; Lin, 2015), and in various studies a positive
relationship was found between gratitude and life satisfaction (Robustelli&Whisman,
2018; Yang, Zhang & Kou, 2016).
In the study, hope was found to be the second most predictive variable after
gratitude in predicting psychological well-being. Hope basically means that
individuals have motivation about the goals to be reached and that they can make
plans to achieve their goals. In this sense, it is expected that having a mission to be
accomplished, having the motivation to reach these goals, and making plans that can
help to reach these goals will make a meaningful contribution to the life of the
individual; and thus, increase well-being. In this research, when hope entered into
the regression model, it contributes 10% to the explained variance alone. This
indicates that hope is one of the important variables closely related to well-being.
Relationship between hope and well-being is one of the well-studied subjects in the
literature. In this context, in McCullough’s (2002) conceptualization of the
relationship between hope and gratitude, it is argued that people having more hope
and gratitude generally appreciate their past as positive and pursue more
meaningful goals for future. Besides, gratitude as appreciating others’ positive
contributions may facilitate the felling of hope. In another research on graduate
students conducted by Uzun Ozer and Tezer (2008), the results have shown that
there is a significant difference in the positive effect levels between individuals
whose level of hope is high and low. Similarly, in a study on undergraduate students
conducted by Dursun (2012); it has been stated that hope is a significant predictor of
individuals’ subjective well-being levels.
Another variable associated with well-being is optimism. Optimism alone was a
significant predictor in the model and when it was included in the model after
gratitude and hope variables, it contributed about 3% to the explained variance.
 92 Ferhat KARDAS-Zekeriya CAM-Mustafa ESKISU-Sedat GELIBOLU
Eurasian Journal of Educational Research 82 (2019) 81-100

Optimism basically means that individuals are in a positive expectation about the
future. It is expected that people with positive expectations will be more flexible than
those with negative thoughts, be more open to alternative thinking, and develop a
more positive attitude towards the difficulties. Therefore, it is expected that
optimism will be a significant predictor of well-being. In parallel with the findings in
this study, various previous studies have indicated that optimism has a significant
relation with well-being and it is a significant predictor of well-being. Accordingly,
in a study on university students, Sapmaz and Dogan (2012)found that optimism
revealed 59% of the variance in happiness and 60% of the variance in life satisfaction.
The fact that the predictive rate was much higher than this research finding might be
due to the difference in approach to measure happiness or the effect of possible
mediating variables. Thus, when optimism was added to this study along with other
variables, the effect on the prediction remained low. This indicates that there may be
mediating or moderating variables in the relationship between optimism and well-
being. In this framework, in a study on university students conducted by Kardas
(2017), it is found that optimism is one of the significant predictors of well-being, but
social support, self-esteem, and psychological need satisfaction variables play a
mediating role in the tested model. This suggests that optimism can have a greater
effect on well-being with some mediating variables.
Another variable that is significantly related to psychological well-being is life
satisfaction. According to the findings, life satisfaction accounts for a relatively small
portion of the variance in well-being in comparison with gratitude, hope, and
optimism. In this research, it was revealed that gratitude, optimism, and hope as
positive emotions had a significantly higher effect on the prediction of well-being.
This suggests that emotional components contribute more to well-being and
happiness than a general cognitive appraisal of life. This proves the general assertion
of the positive psychology approach that positive emotions can be used as an
important therapeutic power in well-being and happiness interventions.
An approach regarding the predictive level and order of the variables of
gratitude, optimism, and hope as positive emotions, and life satisfaction as a general
cognitive appraisal of life in the prediction of well-being was followed. The results
show that positive emotions, especially gratitude as a current concept of psychology
(Kardas&Yalcin, 2018), are powerful predictors of psychological well-being. This
situation confirms the positive psychology approach’s criticism to the pathology-
oriented approach of mainstream psychology. According to this, positive emotions
can be counted as effective sources in increasing the happiness and well-being of the
individuals.
In the light of the current findings, we suggest researchers design similar
investigations by varying positive emotions about the prediction of well-being, put
forward new model proposals by concentrating on the mediating relationships
between the variables discussed in this study, and repeat this study on different age
and occupational groups. The research also has several implications for practitioners
and educators. According to this; it is important to investigate positive psychology-
based topics in the field of education to conduct research and applications on
 Ferhat KARDAS-Zekeriya CAM-Mustafa ESKISU-Sedat GELIBOLU 93
Eurasian Journal of Educational Research 82 (2019) 81-100

character strengths in education, and study the variables that increase the well-being
of students. These efforts will directly contribute to the well-being of students and
indirectly increase their academic success. Besides, this study revealed that gratitude
explained about one-third of the variance in well-being level. Accordingly, effective
gratitude interventions in school settings can also be used in Turkey.

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Eurasian Journal of Educational Research 82 (2019) 81-100

Psikolojik İyi Oluşun Yordayıcıları Olarak Şükran, Umut, İyimserlik

ve Yaşam Doyumu

Atıf:
Kardas, F., Cam, Z., Eskisu, M., & Gelibolu, S. (2019). Gratitude, hope, optimism and
life satisfaction as predictors of psychological well-being. Eurasian Journal of
Educational Research, 82, 81-100, DOI: 10.14689/ejer.2019.82.5

Özet
Problem Durumu: 19. yüzyılın sonlarında başlayıp İkinci Dünya Savaşı’na kadar
devam eden süreçte, psikoloji alanında genel anlamda hayatın negatif yönlerine
odaklanan, sorunları teşhis ve tedaviye yoğunlaşan ve bireylerin güçlü yönleri yerine
sorunlu yönlerine odaklanan bir yaklaşımın egemen olduğu görülmektedir. Özellikle
İkinci Dünya Savaşı’ndan sonra savaşın etkisi, hümanizm anlayışının yaygınlaşması,
hayatın pozitif yönlerini kucaklamaya yönelik ihtiyaç psikolojide hakim
paradigmada farklılaşmalara neden olmuştur. Bu çerçevede Carl Rogers, Abraham
Maslow gibi öncülerin çalışmalarının etkisiyle insanların güçlü yönlerine olan vurgu
artmaya başlamıştır. Pozitif psikoloji yaklaşımı patoloji (hastalık) odaklı bu bakış
açısına önemli eleştiriler getirmiş ve psikolojinin hayatın pozitif yönlerini
kucaklaması gerektiğini ve bireylerin güçlü yönlerine odaklanarak onların iyi
oluşlarını arttırmayı hedeflemesi gerektiğini ileri sürmüştür. Bu çerçevede ortaya
çıkan ortaya çıkan çalışmalar 2000’li yılların başında Pozitif Psikoloji alanının
sistematik olarak ortaya çıkmasına zemin hazırlamıştır. Pozitif psikoloji yaklaşımının
yaygınlaşmasıyla birlikte mutluluk, iyi oluş, yaşam doyumu gibi konular sıkılıkla
araştırılmaya başlanmıştır. Bu bağlamda bireylerin yaşam doyumlarını ve iyi oluş
düzeylerini yordayan değişkenlerin ortaya konulması ve bu değişkenlere ilişkin
çeşitli kuramsal ve uygulamalı çalışmaların gerçekleştirilmesi önem kazanmıştır. Bu
bağlamda şükran, umut, iyimserlik ve yaşam doyumu değişkenlerinin birbirileriyle
olan ilişkilerinin ortaya konulması ve bu değişkenlerin iyi oluşu yordama
düzeylerinin ortaya konulmasının yararlı olacağı düşünülmektedir.
Araştırmanın Amacı: Yukarıda ifade edilenler bağlamında, bu araştırmanın amacı,
üniversite öğrencilerinde şükran, yaşam doyumu, iyimserlik ve umut düzeylerinin
psikolojik iyi oluş durumunu, göreli önem sırasına göre, hangi düzeyde yordadığını
bir regresyon modeli ile ortaya koymaktır. Bu amaç çerçevesinde sözü edilen
değişkenlerin arasındaki ilişkilerin ortaya konulması ve bu değişkenlerin iyi oluşu
yordama düzeylerinin önem sırasına göre belirlenmesi amaçlanmaktadır. Diğer
yandan araştırmada ele alınan değişkenlerin cinsiyete göre anlamlı farklılaşma
gösterip göstermediği incelenmektedir.

Araştırmanın Yöntemi: Araştırma tarama modeli ile gerçekleştirilen nicel bir

çalışmadır. Araştırmanın çalışma grubu üniversite öğrencilerinden oluşmaktadır.
Çalışmaya Van Yüzüncü Yıl Üniversitesi, Muş Alparslan Üniversitesi, Erzincan
 Ferhat KARDAS-Zekeriya CAM-Mustafa ESKISU-Sedat GELIBOLU 99
Eurasian Journal of Educational Research 82 (2019) 81-100

Binali Yıldırım Üniversitesi ve Ankara Üniversitesinde, 2017-2018 eğitim öğretim

yılında çeşitli fakülte ve bölümlerde öğrenim görmekte olan 510 öğrenci katılmıştır.
Araştırmaya katılanların % 70,4’ünü (359) kadın, % 29,6’sını (n=151) erkekler
oluşturmaktadır. Katılımcıların yaş aralığı 17-30 aralığında değişmekte olup, yaş
ortalaması 21,5’tir (Sx=2,05). Araştırmada veri toplama amacıyla Psikolojik İyi Oluş
Ölçeği Yaşam Doyumu Ölçeği,, Şükran Ölçeği, Yaşam Yönelimi ve Umut Ölçeği
kullanılmıştır. Veri analizinde çoklu doğrusal regresyon analizinden yararlanılmıştır.
Veri analizi öncesinde normallik, doğrusallık ve homojenlik varsayımlarının yanı
sıra, çoklu doğrusal regresyon modelinin sayıltıları olan çok değişkenli normal
dağılım, doğrusallık, yordayıcı değişkenlerle bağımlı değişken arasında doğrusal bir
ilişki, bağımsız değişkenler arasında çoklu bağlantı (multicollinearity) probleminin
olmaması, hata terimlerinin varyansının sabit ve hata terimlerinin ortalamasının
sıfıra eşit olması varsayımları incelenmiştir. Varsayımların karşılandığı anlaşıldıktan
sonra temel analizler yapılmıştır. Analizlerde SPSS paket programı kullanılmıştır.
Veri analizi sürecinde betimsel istatistikler, iki aşamalı çoklu doğrusal regresyon
analizi, bağımsız örneklem t testi ve Pearson Momentler Çarpımı Korelasyon
Katsayısı yöntemlerinden yararlanılmıştır.

Araştırmanın Bulguları: Araştırmada sonucunda yaşam doyumu, şükran, iyimserlik

ve umut değişkenlerinden sadece yaşam doyumu düzeyinin cinsiyete göre anlamlı
şekilde farklılaştığı, diğer değişkenlerde bir farklılaşma olmadığı belirlenmiştir.
Diğer yandan araştırmadaki bütün değişkenlerin birbirileriyle anlamlı pozitif
ilişkilere sahip oldukları sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Psikolojik iyi oluşu yordayan
değişkenlere ilişkin aşamalı regresyon analizi sonuçları psikolojik iyi oluşu en fazla
yordayan değişkenlerin sırasıyla şükran, umut, iyimserlik ve yaşam doyumu olduğu
belirlenmiştir.Araştırmada psikolojik iyi oluşun en güçlü yordayıcısının şükran
duyma olduğu belirlenmiştir. Buna göre şükran duyma tek başına iyi oluştaki
değişimin yaklaşık yüzde 36’sını yordamaktadır.

Araştırmanın Sonuçları ve Önerileri:Bu araştırmada farklı şehirlerde ve farklı

üniversitelerde öğrenim görmekte olan üniversite öğrencilerinde psikolojik iyi oluş,
yaşam doyumu, şükran, iyimserlik ve umut değişkenleri arasındaki ilişkiler
incelenmiş ve oluşturulan regresyon modeli test edilmiştir. Araştırma sonucunda ele
alınan değişkenlerin birbirileriyle çeşitli düzeylerde anlamlı pozitif ilişkiler içinde
olduğu ortaya konulmuştur. Araştırma bulguları çerçevesinde araştırmacılara iyi
oluşu yordamaya ilişkin pozitif duyguların çeşitlenerek benzer araştırmaların
tasarlanması, bu araştırmada ele alınan değişkenler arasındaki aracılık ilişkilerine
yoğunlaşarak yeni model önerilerinin ortaya konulması, çalışmanın farklı yaş ve
meslek gruplarıyla tekrarlanması önerilmektedir. Uygulayıcıların bu araştırmanın
bulgularından hareketle şükranı arttırmaya ve şükran aracılığıyla bireylerin iyi
oluşlarına katkı sunmaya, iyimserlik ve umut çalışmaları aracılığıyla iyi oluşu
arttırmaya ve bireylerin yaşam doyumlarını yükseltmeye ilişkin çalışmalar
yapmalarının önemli olduğu düşünülmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler: İyi oluş, şükran, umut, iyimserlik, yaşam doyumu