Feeney and Collins 15 Table I.Descriptive Summary of Thriving Components. motive to realize one's full potential (e.g.,Maslow,1998 Thriving components Examples and physical resil a ,subjective ell-being of thriving ing pu and meaning inife Gestsdottir,Anderson,von Eye,&Lemer,2003;King etal 2005;Lemer,Dowling,&Anderson,2003;K.A.Moore& rsonal growth,movement toward point of departure -for considering how relationship suppor rders 4.Social well-being outcomes mn d as an outco others/humanity .w ople can be more or less thriving across a variety of domains of -being Moreove thriving must be consid ongevity lower of heatth and weul-beine ed to an individual without cancer,but a cancer patient with a caring eing and thei support network likely to expe etter ou nes(e.g ceived quality of one's life).(eudaimonic well-being (hav deepe ing purpose and meaning in life,having and pursuing Thus thris must be defined in relative rather than abse pas nasf-disco lute term The goal of our theoretical perspective is to ery life y,de mp suppo ement toward one's full potential),(c) ell-bo es and well-being (positive sel gard,self cceptance,resilienc environments in which they are situated. a positive of m and ningful human being expectations,a prosocial orientation toward others,faith in 器 the r dise status above &S nge o lif This definition in es Ryff and Singer's (1998 2008)specification of"eriterial goods" that embody lives e of adversity.Individuals thrive in this context wher cification sof psychologica I flo e succe red f with adversities,not only 2008)It is also consistent with a large lite ture on subie rience as a stronger or more knowledgeable pe rson Be tive well-being,which def nes well-being in ms of plea thriving connotes growth and development,thriving in the adve sity involves more than simpl retu s toward yalued goa et al 1998)Thrivine ather the et al.1999):and the fulfilment of basic needs for compe storms of life in ways that enable them to grow from the tence,autonomy, ery,mncrea nistic ries nd 30 Feeney and Collins 115 well-being and their respective indicators (see Table 1): (a) hedonic well-being (happiness and life satisfaction—the per￾ceived quality of one’s life), (b) eudaimonic well-being (hav￾ing purpose and meaning in life, having and pursuing passions and meaningful goals, personal growth, self-discov￾ery, autonomy/self-determination, mastery/efficacy, devel￾opment of skills/talents, accumulation of life wisdom, movement toward one’s full potential), (c) psychological well-being (positive self-regard, self-acceptance, resilience/ hardiness, a positive belief system, the absence of mental health symptoms or disorders), (d) social well-being (deep and meaningful human connections, positive interpersonal expectations, a prosocial orientation toward others, faith in others/humanity), and (e) physical well-being (physical fit￾ness, the absence of illness or disease, health status above expected baselines, longevity). This definition incorporates Ryff and Singer’s (1998, 2008) specification of “criterial goods” that embody lives well lived, and other specifications of psychological flour￾ishing (e.g., Henderson & Knight, 2012; Keyes, 2003, 2007; Seligman et al., 2005) and positive health (e.g., Seligman, 2008). It is also consistent with a large literature on subjec￾tive well-being, which defines well-being in terms of pleas￾ant affect, life satisfaction, and satisfaction within specific life domains (e.g., work, family); having social and personal resources for making progress toward valued goals (Diener et al., 1999); and the fulfillment of basic needs for compe￾tence, autonomy, and relatedness that promote intrinsic moti￾vation and growth (Ryan & Deci, 2000). It also draws from humanistic theories regarding self-actualization and the motive to realize one’s full potential (e.g., Maslow, 1998; Rogers, 1961), from models of mental and physical resil￾ience in response to stress (e.g., Epel, McEwen, & Ickovics, 1998), and from developmental perspectives on the defining markers of thriving (Benson & Scales, 2009; Dowling, Gestsdottir, Anderson, von Eye, & Lerner, 2003; King et al., 2005; Lerner, Dowling, & Anderson, 2003; K. A. Moore & Lippman, 2005; Scales, Benson, Leffert, & Blyth, 2000; Theokas et al., 2005). Our goal in consolidating these per￾spectives into the five components (and related indicators) listed above is to provide a conceptual framework—and a point of departure—for considering how relationship support promotes people’s progress or prosperity in these many domains of well-being, not just in stress-related diseases and outcomes. This conceptualization of thriving does not require that thriving be viewed as an “all or none” outcome, or defined by a strict cutoff point on some scale or measure. Thriving is a multi-dimensional construct that exists as a continuum— people can be more or less thriving across a variety of domains of well-being. Moreover, thriving must be consid￾ered with respect to the individual’s current circumstances. For example, an individual with cancer is likely to experi￾ence lower levels of health and well-being compared to an individual without cancer, but a cancer patient with a caring support network is likely to experience better outcomes (e.g., more purpose and meaning in life, deeper social connec￾tions) than a cancer patient who lacks a supportive network. Thus, thriving must be defined in relative rather than abso￾lute terms. The goal of our theoretical perspective is to understand how relationship support (in stressful and non￾stressful times) contributes to optimal well-being in the ways that are possible for individuals given the circumstances and environments in which they are situated. Life contexts through which individuals thrive. Building on prior models of resilience and thriving in the face of stress (Carver, 1998; Epel et al., 1998), and models of flourishing and posi￾tive well-being (Deci & Ryan, 2000; Diener et al., 2006; Ryff & Singer, 1998; Seligman, 2002, 2008), the current perspec￾tive highlights two life contexts through which individuals may potentially thrive. A first context involves the experi￾ence of adversity. Individuals thrive in this context when they are able to cope successfully with adversities, not only by being buffered from potentially severe consequences of adversity when it arises, but also by emerging from the expe￾rience as a stronger or more knowledgeable person. Because thriving connotes growth and development, thriving in the face of adversity involves more than simply returning to baseline or maintenance of the status quo (Carver, 1998; Epel et al., 1998). Thriving occurs when people weather the storms of life in ways that enable them to grow from the experience (e.g., perhaps through heightened sense of mas￾tery, increased self-regard, a greater sense of purpose in life, and more meaningful social bonds; Ryff & Singer, 1998). Table 1. Descriptive Summary of Thriving Components. Thriving components Examples 1. Hedonic well-being Happiness, life satisfaction, subjective well-being 2. Eudaimonic well-being Having purpose and meaning in life, having and progressing toward meaningful life goals, mastery/efficacy, control, autonomy/self-determination, personal growth, movement toward full potential 3. Psychological well-being Positive self-regard, self-acceptance, resilience/hardiness, optimism, absence (or reduced incidence) of mental health symptoms or disorders 4. Social well-being Deep and meaningful human connections, positive interpersonal expectancies (including perceived available support), prosocial orientation, faith in others/humanity 5. Physical well￾being Physical fitness (healthy weight and activity levels); absence (or reduced incidence) of illness and disease; health status above expected baselines; longevity Downloaded from psr.sagepub.com at Remen University of China on September 6, 2015