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Qualitative analysis of the Best Possible Self intervention: Underlying mechanisms that influence its efficacy

BACKGROUND: The Best Possible Self is a Positive Psychology Intervention which asks participants to write down about themselves in their best possible future. Previous studies have shown its efficacy to enhance wellbeing, but the mechanisms that underlie its efficacy are still unknown. OBJECTIVE: Th...

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Autores principales: Carrillo, Alba, Martínez-Sanchis, Marian, Etchemendy, Ernestina, Baños, Rosa M.
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Public Library of Science 2019
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6524817/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31100085
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0216896
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author Carrillo, Alba
Martínez-Sanchis, Marian
Etchemendy, Ernestina
Baños, Rosa M.
author_facet Carrillo, Alba
Martínez-Sanchis, Marian
Etchemendy, Ernestina
Baños, Rosa M.
author_sort Carrillo, Alba
collection PubMed
description BACKGROUND: The Best Possible Self is a Positive Psychology Intervention which asks participants to write down about themselves in their best possible future. Previous studies have shown its efficacy to enhance wellbeing, but the mechanisms that underlie its efficacy are still unknown. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze the content of the essays of the BPS intervention and to examine how this content was related to the efficacy of the intervention to increase positive affect. METHOD: Participants (N = 78) were randomized to either the Best Possible Self condition, or one of two variants of the intervention: one’s best self in the present, and one’s best self in the past. Qualitative analyses of the texts were carried out to explore the main themes and features of the essays. Then, a mixed-methods approach with quantitative and qualitative data was followed, in order to analyze the relationship between the content of the texts and the change in positive affect produced by the interventions. RESULTS: Significant differences between conditions were found in the content of the compositions. Regression analyses showed that different variables predicted the change in positive affect depending on the condition. Mediation analyses also found differences among conditions. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that these interventions respond to different underlying mechanisms which influence their efficacy. This study contributed to a better understanding of how Positive Psychology Interventions work, and how to increment their efficacy.
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spelling pubmed-65248172019-05-31 Qualitative analysis of the Best Possible Self intervention: Underlying mechanisms that influence its efficacy Carrillo, Alba Martínez-Sanchis, Marian Etchemendy, Ernestina Baños, Rosa M. PLoS One Research Article BACKGROUND: The Best Possible Self is a Positive Psychology Intervention which asks participants to write down about themselves in their best possible future. Previous studies have shown its efficacy to enhance wellbeing, but the mechanisms that underlie its efficacy are still unknown. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze the content of the essays of the BPS intervention and to examine how this content was related to the efficacy of the intervention to increase positive affect. METHOD: Participants (N = 78) were randomized to either the Best Possible Self condition, or one of two variants of the intervention: one’s best self in the present, and one’s best self in the past. Qualitative analyses of the texts were carried out to explore the main themes and features of the essays. Then, a mixed-methods approach with quantitative and qualitative data was followed, in order to analyze the relationship between the content of the texts and the change in positive affect produced by the interventions. RESULTS: Significant differences between conditions were found in the content of the compositions. Regression analyses showed that different variables predicted the change in positive affect depending on the condition. Mediation analyses also found differences among conditions. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that these interventions respond to different underlying mechanisms which influence their efficacy. This study contributed to a better understanding of how Positive Psychology Interventions work, and how to increment their efficacy. Public Library of Science 2019-05-17 /pmc/articles/PMC6524817/ /pubmed/31100085 http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0216896 Text en © 2019 Carrillo et al http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
spellingShingle Research Article
Carrillo, Alba
Martínez-Sanchis, Marian
Etchemendy, Ernestina
Baños, Rosa M.
Qualitative analysis of the Best Possible Self intervention: Underlying mechanisms that influence its efficacy
title Qualitative analysis of the Best Possible Self intervention: Underlying mechanisms that influence its efficacy
title_full Qualitative analysis of the Best Possible Self intervention: Underlying mechanisms that influence its efficacy
title_fullStr Qualitative analysis of the Best Possible Self intervention: Underlying mechanisms that influence its efficacy
title_full_unstemmed Qualitative analysis of the Best Possible Self intervention: Underlying mechanisms that influence its efficacy
title_short Qualitative analysis of the Best Possible Self intervention: Underlying mechanisms that influence its efficacy
title_sort qualitative analysis of the best possible self intervention: underlying mechanisms that influence its efficacy
topic Research Article
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6524817/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31100085
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0216896
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