The experiences of active engagement of signature strengths on the well-being among Indian college-going seminarians: An intervention study

• Main Author: Fernandes, Elvis Hilton
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2016
• Subjects: Seminarians > India; Well-being; Missionaries > India; St. Francis Xavier (Goa, India); Educational Psychology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_doctoral/457
• Institution: De La Salle University

This intervention study explored the experiences on Active engagement of signature strengths on the well-being among Indian college going seminarians. The respondents of the study consisted of 10 participants belonging to the Society of the Missionaries of St. Francis Xavier, Pilar, Goa, India. Most of them were doing their first year of college and were in their early twenties.This study employed the qualitative research design of case study wherein the data were collected using in-depth interview and was analyzed using thematic content analysis as a method of analysis. Cross-case analysis among cases was employed to have a comprehensive understanding of the phenomena under study.Life Satisfaction, Relatedness and strengthening of vocation were some of themes that surfaced before going through the psycho-educational program. Upon, going through the psycho-educational program, participants experienced increase in competence, more autonomy and relatedness, increase in life satisfaction, feeling more positive emotions, decrease in negative emotions, enhancement of self-esteem and strengthening of vocation.With regard to how active engagement in signature strengths contributed to Basic needs satisfaction, participants said that the practice of signature strengths resulting in more relatedness, more competence and strengthening of vocation contributed to more autonomy. The development of strengths as an off-shoot of using signature strengths was cited as contributing to more competence. Whereas, more interactions and being more other-oriented contributed to more relatedness.With regard to how active engagement in signature strengths contributed to Subjective Well-being, the participants on one hand said that the practice of signature strengths resulting in more relatedness, competence, autonomy, strengthening of vocation, enhancement of self-esteem and decrease in negative emotions contributed to increase in life satisfaction. On the other hand, more relatedness, competence, enhancement of self-esteem and strengthening of vocation as an offshoot of using signature strengths, contributed to the increase in positive emotions. Whereas, more relatedness, competence, feeling more positive emotions and meaningful life contributed to the decrease in negative emotions.The study concluded that active engagement of signature strengths contributed to satisfaction of Basic Psychological needs and increase in Subjective Well-being. Based on the findings the implications for seminarians and seminary educators are broadly discussed.