Leveraging Network Insights into Positive Emotions and Resilience for Better Life Satisfaction

Within a network analysis framework, this study explored the relationships between positive emotions, resilience, and life satisfaction. Positive emotions and resilience are critical to enhancing psychological well-being, but their complex interplay requires further investigation, particularly in a Greek adult population.

We conducted a cross-sectional study with 1,230 Greek adults (67.6% females, 32.4% males), using a network analysis to assess the relationships among positive emotions, resilience, and life satisfaction. Data were collected through the Scale of Positive and Negative Experience (SPANE-8), the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). Network structures were constructed using the graphical LASSO technique for partial correlation analysis, and Bayesian networks were applied to generate Directed Acyclic Graphs (DAGs) to identify directional pathways. Centrality metrics were used to determine critical variables in the network.

Happiness, pleasure, and contentment are examples of positive emotions that are central nodes in the network that are highly correlated with higher levels of life satisfaction. Resilience, primarily as a recovery mechanism from stress, showed weaker direct associations with life satisfaction. The DAG revealed that positive emotions significantly influenced life satisfaction, suggesting their pivotal role in improving well-being.

The findings underscore the importance of positive emotions in enhancing life satisfaction, suggesting that interventions targeting emotional well-being may be more effective than those focused solely on resilience. These insights offer a foundation for developing psychological interventions to improve life satisfaction.