Browsing by Author "Wilson Fadiji, Angelina"

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    A bibliometric review of positive psychology and well-being research in Africa
    (Frontiers, 2024-06-21) Wilson Fadiji, Angelina; Khumalo, Itumeleng P.; Wissing, Marié Philipina; Appiah, Richard
    Positive Psychology rapidly developed into an influential field of study and intervention, initially situated in Psychology, and later becoming multidisciplinary. Research interest in the study of (psychological) well-being has gained global popularity, with increasing salience in Africa. Although the global trends of these developments are relatively well-known, a bibliometric analysis of positive psychology research in Africa was necessary to shed light on the present hotspots and trends and future trajectories in this region of the world. The data source of the present bibliometric analysis study was Scopus, from which Positive Psychology and well-being research literature from Africa between 1983 and 2023 were searched. Using biblioshiny and VOSviewer, the 622 extracted articles were analysed, from which findings about the current condition, research hotspots, and thematic developmental patterns could be made. Africa experienced an initial slow growth period from 1983 until 2005, after which a rapid growth in research productivity, relevance and impact was experienced. In this regard, the results show that the focal point of scientific productivity is South Africa, with the dominance of South African institutions, particularly the North-West University, from where most positive psychology research is produced and cited. Even with potential access to international journal, African researchers seem to prefer to place their publications in the regional journals such as Journal of Psychology in Africa and South African Journal of Psychology. The research reviewed tends to be characterised by more dominant thematic clusters of positive psychology, psychological well-being, and subjective well-being, with a focus on human individuals. An increasing concern for contextual factors and potential antecedents and dynamics of well-being is also observed. The findings provide a good map from which identification of future research priorities can be deduced. As such, we speculate that future positive psychology research in Africa ought to be concerned with the following: greater distribution and intercountry collaborations across the continent, questions of conceptual clarity of terms, better understanding of contextual factors which influence well-being, and well-being research embracing the complexity of bio-psycho-social-ecological well-being, and science concerned with health-promotion interventions.
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    COVID‑19 experience and student wellbeing amongst publicly funded higher education students in South Africa after the frst, and second waves
    (Springer, 2024-08-21) Wildschut, Angelique; Wilson Fadiji, Angelina
    Although higher education students have been identified as one of the social groups most affected by the impact of COVID-19, higher education literature appears to focus more on documenting implications for teaching and learning, curriculum and institutions, than student wellbeing. This has resulted in gaps to our understanding and approaches to intervene positively in, student wellbeing within the higher education space ‘post-COVID-19’. Drawing on a novel survey data set administered in November 2021, of the 6877 higher educa tion (University and TVET College) students in South Africa, this paper aims to contribute through cross-sectional data that allows analysis of student experience of COVID-19 and its relationship to student wellbeing. As expected, our fndings confirm COVID-19 experience as a significant predictor of student wellbeing. We also identify satisfaction with interventions from higher education stakeholders in response to COVID-19 as the strongest, and the extent to which students felt impacted by changes to their routine behaviours as the weakest, predictors of wellbeing. The paper adds to existing international literature, the South African context with a large sample. Secondly, the analysis provides a more comprehensive view of the link between COVID-19 and higher education student wellbe ing, as TVET College students are included. The composite measurement of COVID-19 experience is a further contribution. Finally, the findings add to the literature on COVID 19 and higher education student wellbeing, the experience of disadvantaged students. The findings underscore the emotional health of students as a critical area for higher education policy and intervention during times of uncertainty or disruption
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    The well-being correlates of religious commitment amongst South African and Kenyan students
    (Sage, 2023-09-30) Khumalo, Itumeleng P.; Selvam, Sahaya G.; Wilson Fadiji, Angelina
    Religious commitment is a prominent feature in the lives of many students in Africa. The present study investigated the well-being correlates (emotional well-being, social contribution, and depression) of religious commitment, and compared them across sex. A cross-sectional sample of 471 students from South Africa and Kenya (men = 244; women = 227; with an average age of 22.8 years) completed the Religious Commitment Inventory, Patient Health Questionnaire, Social Well-being Scale, and Mental Health Continuum Short-Form. Structural equation modelling in Mplus was used to estimate direct effects of religious commitment on emotional well-being, social contribution and depression, and comparison across sex. The results showed significant direct effects, attesting to the association of religious commitment with higher emotional well-being and social contribution, and lower depression, with no significant sex differences. In addition to insight into positive and negative intra- and interpersonal well-being correlates of religious commitment, the absence of sex differences shows uniformity in how religious commitment is related to well-being for male and female students.
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    Understanding the Association Between Education and Wellbeing: An Exploration of the Gallup World Poll
    (Springer, 2024-06-26) Wilson Fadiji, Angelina; Lomas, Tim
    Antecedents of wellbeing across different socio-cultural contexts is a question that psychologists and other social scientist continue to grapple with. Although evidence supporting higher educational levels as being beneficial for wellbeing is significant, there are still contradictory findings, necessitating further exploration into this relationship. Moreover, current evidence seems to focus mostly on data derived from Western samples and have adopted limited measures of wellbeing. The present study explores the relationship between schooling and a subset of 31 wellbeing-related categories in the Gallup World Poll conducted over three years (2020–2022), encompassing 386,654 individuals in 142 countries. The findings indicate that overall participants with higher levels of education fare better than those with lower levels of education. However, disaggregation and comparison across key social indicators, specifically, country/region of residence, sex and age showed that there were instances where higher levels of education were less beneficial for wellbeing. While acknowledging the importance of education for wellbeing, our findings suggest the need to consider how unique socio-cultural factors might further complicate the benefits of education. We also suggest that governments might need to consider what policies are necessary to make the benefits of education more apparent and ubiquitous.
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    Who does better on life satisfaction and meaning in life? A Mixed-methods exploration of demographic characteristics and well-being in Ghana
    (Taylor and Francis, 2023-01-02) Wilson Fadiji, Angelina; Chigeza, Shingairai; Kgopa, Bontle
    The present study examined the relationship between the demographic characteristics of age, sex, religious practice, and standard of living with life satisfaction and meaning in life in a Ghanaian setting. Participants were 394 Ghanaian urban adults (female = 43.90; mean age = 40.84 years, SD = 11.20 years). Participants completed a socio-demographic questionnaire, life satisfaction and meaning life measures, as well as an open-ended question on well-being. Linear regression and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) were employed for the quantitative data analysis and thematic analysis for the qualitative data analysis. Results revealed that living standards predicted life satisfaction and presence of meaning in life. In a post hoc analysis, presence of meaning was much greater than life satisfaction among the group with below average standard of living. From the qualitative findings, we observed that the group with below average standard of living referred extensively to hedonic conceptualisations of well-being. Our findings suggest a need for economic policies to improve population material well-being in order to enhance life satisfaction and meaning in life in a developing country setting.