Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Best Possible Self Intervention: Evidence for Its Efficacy in Multi-cultural Contexts

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Book cover Evidence-Based Positive Psychological Interventions in Multi-Cultural Contexts

Abstract

Positive psychology interventions (PPI) have proved to produce mild to moderate effects in reducing depression and promoting subjective and psychological wellbeing. However, it is important to explore the optimal conditions under which these interventions work best. In this sense, it has been suggested that for a PPI to be effective in increasing wellbeing is important to take into account not only the characteristics of the exercise but also cultural background. This chapter presents preliminary efficacy of the Best Possible Self Intervention (BPS) supported by Information and Communication Technologies in different populations: Spanish clinical patients, Spanish participants from the general population, and Romanian immigrants. The intervention consists of a written guided imagery exercise that promotes positive future thinking by asking the participants to think about the best possible way that their life could turn out in four life domains: personal, relational, health, and professional. Participants from the Spanish populations used a virtual system to visualize their BPS and incorporate multimedia content to enrich the experience. Moreover, participants had the support of an internet platform to practice the guided imagery exercise online. Participants from the Romanian population performed the BPS exercise in a paper and pencil format. Assessments were conducted at pre-intervention and post-intervention after one month. To improve adherence, we provided support to all participants through text messages twice a week. Results demonstrated changes in depressive symptomatology, positive affect and positive future expectancies.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Agudelo-Suárez, A., Gil-González, D., Ronda-Pérez, E., Porthé, V., Paramio-Pérez, G., García, A. M., et al. (2009). Discrimination, work and health in immigrant populations in Spain. Social Science and Medicine, 68(10), 1866–1874.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Agudelo-Suárez, A. A., Ronda-Pérez, E., Gil-González, D., Vives-Cases, C., García, A. M., Ruiz-Frutos, C. … Benavides, F. G. (2011). The effect of perceived discrimination on the health of immigrant workers in Spain. BMC Public Health, 11(1), 652.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baños, R. M., Etchemendy, E., Farfallini, L., García-Palacios, A., Quero, S., & Botella, C. (2014). EARTH of well-being system: A pilot study of an information and communication technology-based positive psychology intervention. Journal of Positive Psychology, 9, 482–488.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bolier, L., Haverman, M., Westerhof, G. J., Riper, H., Smit, F., & Bohlmeijer, E. (2013). Positive psychology interventions: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies. BMC Public Health, 13, 119.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boselie, J. J., Vancleef, L. M., Smeets, T., & Peters, M. L. (2014). Increasing optimism abolishes pain-induced impairments in executive task performance. Pain, 155, 334–340.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Botella, J., & Sánchez-Meca, J. (2015). Meta-análisis en Ciencias Sociales y de la Salud (Meta-analysis in social and health sciences). Madrid: Síntesis.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences, 2nd ed. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dobrean, A., & David, D. (2012). Adaptarea in limba romana a inventarului BDI-II, In Beck et al. 2012, Inventarul de depresie BDI-II, Editura RTS, Cluj-Napoca.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dragomir-Davis, A. (2014). Future-directed thinking in general and clinical samples: Validation of the Spanish version of the subjective probability task. Available at http://hdl.handle.net/10234/143465.

  • Eichner, K. V., Kwon, P., & Marcus, D. K. (2014). Optimists or optimistic? A taxometric study of optimism. Psychological Assessment, 26, 1056–1061.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Enrique, Á., Bretón-López, J., Molinari, G., Baños, R. M., & Botella, C. (2018). Efficacy of an adaptation of the best possible self intervention implemented through positive technology: A randomized control trial. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 9, 67–69.

    Google Scholar 

  • Flink, I. K., Smeets, E., Bergbom, S., & Peters, M. L. (2015). Happy despite pain: A pilot study of a positive psychology intervention for patients with chronic pain. Scandinavian Journal of Pain, 7, 71–79.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Georgescu, A., Postelnicu, M., Popescu, A., & Iorgulescu, M. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.researchcentral.ro/index.php?action=listateste&ID=398.

  • González-Castro, J. L., & Ubillos, S. (2011). Determinants of psychological distress among migrants from Ecuador and Romania in a Spanish city. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 57(1), 30–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hanssen, M. M., Peters, M. L., Vlaeyen, J. W. S., Meevissen, Y. M. C., & Vancleef, L. M. G. (2013). Optimism lowers pain: Evidence of the causal status and underlying mechanisms. Pain, 154, 53–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harrist, S., Carlozzi, B. L., McGovern, A. R., & Harrist, A. W. (2007). Benefits of expressive writing and expressive talking about life goals. Journal of Research in Personality, 41(4), 923–930.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holmes, E. A., & Mathews, A. (2005). Mental imagery and emotion: A special relationship? Emotion, 5, 489–497.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holmes, E. A., & Mathews, A. (2010). Mental imagery in emotion and emotional disorders. Clinical Psychology Review, 30, 349–362.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huffman, J. C., DuBois, C. M., Healy, B. C., Boehm, J. K., Kashdan, T. B., Celano, C. M. … Lyubomirsky, S. (2014). Feasibility and utility of positive psychology exercises for suicidal inpatients. General Hospital Psychiatry, 36, 88–94.

    Google Scholar 

  • Layous, K., Lee, H., Choi, I., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2013). Culture matters when designing a successful happiness-increasing activity: A comparison of the United States and South Korea. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 44, 1294–1303.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Loveday, P. M., Lovell, G. P., & Jones, C. M. (2016). The best possible selves intervention: A review of the literature to evaluate efficacy and guide future research. Journal of Happiness Studies, 3, 1–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lyubomirsky, S., & Layous, K. (2013). How do simple positive activities increase well-being? Current Directions in Psychological Science, 22, 57–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lyubomirsky, S., Diener, E., & King, L. (2005). The benefits of frequent positive affect: Does happiness lead to success? Psychological Bulletin, 131(6), 803–855.

    Google Scholar 

  • MacLeod, A. K. (1996). Affect, emotional disorder, and future-directed thinking. Cognition and Emotion, 10, 69–86.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meevissen, Y. M., Peters, M. L., & Alberts, H. J. (2011). Become more optimistic by imagining a best possible self: Effects of a two week intervention. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 42, 371–378.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Molinari, G., García-Palacios, A., Enrique, Á., Roca, P., Fernández-Llanio Comella, N., & Botella, C. (2018). The power of visualization: Back to the future for pain management in fibromyalgia syndrome. Pain Medicine, 19, 1451–1468.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Otero, J. M., Luengo, A., Romero, E., Gómez, J. A., & Castro, C. (1998). Psicología de personalidad. Manual de prácticas (Psychology of personality. Practice manual). Barcelona: Ariel Practicum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pascoe, E. A., & Smart Richman, L. (2009). Perceived discrimination and health: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 135(4), 531–554.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peters, M. L., Flink, I. K., Boersma, K., & Linton, S. J. (2010). Manipulating optimism: Can imagining a best possible self be used to increase positive future expectancies? Journal of Positive Psychology, 5, 204–211.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peters, M. L. S., Meevissen, Y. M. C., & Hanssen, M. M. (2013). Specificity of the best possible self intervention for increasing optimism: Comparison with a gratitude intervention. Terapia Psicológica, 31, 93–100.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pietrowsky, R., & Mikutta, J. (2012). Effects of positive psychology interventions in depressive patients: A randomized control study. Psychology, 3, 1067–1073.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Quero, S., Molés, M., Pérez, M. A., Botella, C., & Baños, R. M. (2012). An online emotional system to deliver homework assignments for treating adjustment disorders. Journal of CyberTherapy and Rehabilitation, 5, 115–116.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sandin, B., Chorot, P., Lostao, L., Joiner, T. E., Santed, M. A., & Valiente, R. M. (1999). Escalas PANAS de afecto positivo y negativo: Validación factorial y convergencia transcultural (The PANAS scales of positive and negative affect: Factor analytic validation and cross-cultural convergence). Psicothema, 11, 37–51.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanz, J., García Vera, M. P., Espinosa, R., Fortin, M., & Vázquez, C. (2005). Adaptación española del inventario para la depresión de Beck- II (BDI-II): Propiedades psicométricas en pacientes con trastornos psicológicos (Spanish adaptation of the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II): 3. Psychometric features in patients with psychological disorders). Clínica y Salud, 16, 121–142.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scheier, M. F., Carver, C. S., & Bridges, M. W. (1994). Distinguishing optimism from neuroticism (and trait anxiety, self mastery, and self-esteem): A reevaluation of the life orientation test. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 1063–1078.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shapira, L. B., & Mongrain, M. (2010). The benefits of self-compassion and optimism exercises for individuals vulnerable to depression. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 5(5), 377–389.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sin, N. L., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2009). Enhancing well-being and alleviating depressive symptoms with positive psychology interventions: A practice friendly meta-analysis. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 65, 467–487.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Watson, D., Clark, L. A., & Tellegen, A. (1988). Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The PANAS scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54, 1063–1070.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. CIBER of Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBERObn), Valencia, Spain

    Guadalupe Molinari & Cristina Botella

  2. Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

    Ángel Enrique

  3. University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA

    María Dragomir-Davis

  4. Universitat Jaume I, Castellón, Spain

    Cristina Botella

Authors
  1. Guadalupe Molinari
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ángel Enrique
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. María Dragomir-Davis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Cristina Botella
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Cristina Botella .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Industrial Engineering and Innovation Sciences, Human Performance Management Group, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

    Llewellyn Ellardus Van Zyl

  2. Optentia Research Focus Area, North-West University, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa

    Sebastiaan Rothmann Sr.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Molinari, G., Enrique, Á., Dragomir-Davis, M., Botella, C. (2019). The Best Possible Self Intervention: Evidence for Its Efficacy in Multi-cultural Contexts. In: Van Zyl, L., Rothmann Sr., S. (eds) Evidence-Based Positive Psychological Interventions in Multi-Cultural Contexts. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-20311-5_11

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation