Tan-Chyuan Chin

Emotion regulation strategy mediates both positive and negative relationships between music uses and well-being

The mediating effects of emotion regulation (reappraisal and suppression) were examined in the relationship between music engagement and well-being. Emotion regulation strategies (Emotion Regulation Questionnaire; Gross & John, 2003) and styles of music engagement (Music Use questionnaire; Chin & Rickard, 2012) were assessed in a large diverse sample of 637 participants. A battery of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being measures (International Positive and Negative Affect Schedule Short Form; Thompson, 2007; Satisfaction With Life Scale; Diener, Emmons, Larsen, & Griffin, 1985; Mental Health Continuum-Short Form; Keyes et al., 2008) was also administered. Results demonstrated that the path of mediation was dependent on the type of emotion regulation strategy utilized, as well as the way in which one engages with music. Findings provide initial evidence that engaging with music for the purposes of cognitive and emotion regulation may enhance well-being primarily through the habitual use of cognitive reappraisal. In contrast, various other aspects of music engagement (music listening, engaged production, and social connection) if coupled with a tendency to regulate emotions and thoughts by expressive suppression may yield undesirable well-being outcomes. This study highlights the important role emotion regulation plays in the complex relationship between music engagement and well-being.

Positive Education in Australia: Practice, Measurement, and Future Directions

Positive education (PosEd) combines the concepts and scholarship of positive psychology (PP) with best practice guidelines from education to promote student flourishing within educational settings. In this chapter, we first review the conceptual approaches to well-being upon which much of PosEd in Australia is based. Second, based on our experiences with research, teaching, and consulting, we identify issues that might impact the successful implementation of PosEd, including the frameworks used, the extent to which implicit or explicit strategies are employed, the importance of sustained and rigorous evaluation, and the impact of student, teacher, and other stakeholder buy-in. Third, we illustrate our own research that addresses some of these challenges, including the development of measurement tools to profile well-being and the undertaking of longitudinal studies evaluating PosEd programs. We then consider areas of future inquiry and practice that are particularly relevant to the Australian context, including (1) the need for research and applications to expand to diverse populations, such as Indigenous Australians, migrants, refugees, at-risk students, and disadvantaged groups, (2) systems approaches to implementation and research, and (3) strategies to produce and evaluate lasting change. We conclude that there is much potential for PosEd in Australia, but care needs to be taken so that it becomes a core part of education as a whole, and not simply a short-lived fad.

Keeping Up with the Times: A Considered Approach to Measuring Youth Well-Being

In the last decade, we have seen a broadening scope of health to include not only the treatment and prevention of illnesses, but also the promotion of well-being. Well-being has been generally defined as ‘living the good life’. In schools, an increased sense of well-being in students has been linked to better learning outcomes, subsequent employment and economic participation, overall health, and decrease in risky behaviours. To gain a better understanding about youth well-being, and how to improve the state of well-being in schools, it is essential to have a valid and reliable measurement tool to monitor the level of well-being on a large scale. In most developed countries, children and adolescents are mostly enrolled in schools. Hence, schools may be suitably positioned as a gateway to examine the well-being of children and young people. Contemporary challenges facing schools in tracking and monitoring students’ well-being need to be carefully considered in the design of a well-being measurement tool. This essay will briefly discuss factors to integrate in the conceptualization of a youth well-being measurement tool that will be useful and sustainable for schools.