Research Dov Shmotkin

1 research

1.1 pursuit of happiness in hostile world
1.2 multiple appearances of happiness
1.3 endurance of holocaust survivors , long-term effects of trauma in life
1.4 gerontological investigations: exploring underpinnings of aging

research

dov shmotkin’s scientific work has solidified dialectical approach human happiness , suffering, emphasizing developmental paths along adulthood , old age. main concern has been explore psychological mechanisms whereby people can maintain well-being , resilience in face of life adversities , aging processes may inflict trauma, decline , loss. in conceptual model, entitled pursuit of happiness in hostile world, shmotkin, along associates made vital contributions (mainly former doctoral students), have developed dynamic view on intertwinement of resilience , vulnerability. conceptual , empirical work of shmotkin in domains of gerontology sought elucidate how wellness, adaptational functioning , self-fulfillment might counter frailty, disability , disintegration in later life. emerging theme unifies these scientific works shmotkin’s humanistic quest more refined , differential views on interfaces of well-being , distress in human lives.

the pursuit of happiness in hostile world

it held happiness achieved through 2 major systems: subjective well-being (people s evaluations of satisfaction , pleasantness in lives) , meaning in life (people s conceptions lead life corresponding values , potentials). while approaches regard happiness mental outcome, shmotkin’s model considers process. accordingly, both subjective well-being , meaning in life systems regulate, or otherwise reconstruct, personal conceptions of hostile-world scenarios. concept of hostile-world scenario central depicting image each individual has actual or potential threats one’s life or, more broadly, 1 s physical , mental integrity. hostile-world scenario dwells on self-beliefs catastrophes , inflictions such accidents, violence, natural disasters, wars, illness, breakup of close relationships, losses of beloved ones, aging, , death. people, hostile-world scenario adaptive mechanism scanning potentially adverse conditions in life. yet, when under-activated, may induce fool s paradise reckless behaviors and, when over-activated, may produce horrible sense of living in disastrous world.

the ever-active negotiations between happiness-promoting systems , hostile-world scenario constitute dynamic core of model. pursuit of happiness, rather happiness itself, provides individuals favorable psychological environment allows them function competently despite imminence of hostile-world scenarios. study of these dynamics exposes various mechanisms of resilience whereby happiness-promoting systems, in threatening conditions, may amplify each other or possibly compensate each other. non-resilient mechanisms possible when hostile-world scenarios involve increased depletion , vulnerability. mechanisms of these kinds, along related tenets of shmotkin’s model, have been accumulatively illuminated body of empirical findings derived diverse populations. besides empirical works have been published, model has been evoking array of validation endeavors expand underlying conceptualization , still await publication.

the multiple appearances of happiness

in line dynamic features, shmotkin’s work explicated multiple modules , configurations of happiness. example, different synchronic combinations between dimensions of subjective well-being (e.g., life satisfaction, positive affect) produced differential types of well-being among individuals. notably, of these types internally inconsistent (e.g., people high on life satisfaction low on positive affect). important diachronic combinations subjective well-being queried in relation different time zones (past, present, future), depicting varying temporal trajectories conveyed different narratives how one’s well-being evolved along individual’s life course. shmotkin investigated how people conceived well-being in relation past life, reflected in concept of anchor periods, referring paramount experiences in one’s remembered past (e.g., “the happiest period in life,” “the miserable period in life”). studies showed people formed emotional matrix of happiness , suffering in past periods of lives. matrix reflected both consistent , inconsistent feelings, found associated current subjective well-being, reactions trauma, , coping aging. these varied modules, both within one’s subjective well-being , in combination meaning in life, constitute diverse options of coping adversities in life.

through emphasis on multiple appearances of happiness, shmotkin advocated use of person-centered, rather variable-centered, methods in order delineate unattended configurations of human functioning , well-being. thus, use of approach contrasted types of individuals maintained congruity in relative standing on related variables (e.g., subjective well-being , meaning in life) , types incongruent in regard. such incongruent types may indicate conflicting or ambivalent inclinations within individuals, may encompass adaptational advantages. notion in line shmotkin’s dialectical view resilience , vulnerability, in disadvantageous , distressful conditions, co-reside within same individuals.

the endurance of holocaust survivors , long-term effects of trauma in life

in shmotkin’s studies, holocaust survivors present paradigm of extreme trauma happening in life sequelae lingering old age. in approach, trauma test case functionality of happiness-promoting systems in tackling intensified hostile-world scenario , suggesting world of normalcy. studying holocaust survivors in array of community , national samples, shmotkin , colleagues highlighted consistent conclusion older survivors manifested general resilience in life domains along specific vulnerabilities in pertinent psychosocial issues. coping trauma modulated properties of survivors’ time perspective on period of traumatization , ability incorporate trauma coherent life story. in reviews of research on holocaust survivors, shmotkin explicated how long-term effects of survivors’ trauma interacted aging processes , family constellation.

as part of attempts advance methodological approaches facilitated new revelations, intricate consideration in shmotkin’s studies on holocaust survivors choice of focal , comparison groups. question “who survivor?” proved uneasy, , approached combining both subjective , factual criteria. expounded habitual use of merely 1 comparison group in past studies on survivors not methodologically suitable, , several different groups required allowing instructive comparability survivors’ grouping.

at level, shmotkin examined long-term traumatic effects national data israeli branch of survey of health, ageing , retirement in europe (share-israel). shmotkin , collaborators delineated notion of cumulative adversity, typically characterized stressful experiences along biographical courses of older people, , further differentiated between self-oriented (primary harm self) , other-oriented (primary harm person) foci of potentially traumatic events. investigatory team found cumulative adversity, particularly of self-oriented kind, detrimental in various domains of physical , mental functioning.

gerontological investigations: exploring underpinnings of aging

shmotkin’s dialectical view extends gerontological work, aging , old age reflect opposite, yet interactive, vectors of resilience versus vulnerability , survival versus finitude. work largely dwells on epidemiological national surveys (mainly calas , share-israel; see above), juxtaposed concomitants of physical health , mental health. thus, while physical factors found increasingly dominant in predicting people’s mortality in old age, psychosocial factors retained distinctive predictive effect.

another main concern in shmotkin’s gerontological work has been role of individuals’ time perspective in understanding later life’s phenomena. @ old age, in apparent paradoxical fashion, people preserve relatively high levels of happiness, following harsh adversity in past , in face of foreshortened future. besides inclination, shmotkin’s studies showed modes whereby older people sorted out positive , negative feelings past , buffered fears future. in these inquiries, notions of time perspective appeared embedded in adjustment of people old age. in other directions, shmotkin attracted study aging-related issues bore intriguing, yet scarcely examined, implications. such issues included continuity of adult children’s bonds deceased parents, inconsistency between objective , subjective indicators of one’s memory in old age, loosening relations between physical dysfunction , mental wellness in old age, agonizing affliction of bereavement on loss of child among aged parents,

and challenges of fatherhood , aging among gay versus heterosexual men.