About this Research Topic
Instabilities of many kinds have surged in recent years and caused negative impacts on our social-economic life. For example, global climate change has been accelerating in the past decade, with unpredictable impacts on the economy and society. The sudden break of COVID-19 two years ago has profoundly impacted our daily life and the way society operates. More recently, the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine also rendered a serious humanitarian crisis, leading to insecure regional and global political situations. Moreover, the military conflict has resulted in worldwide inflation and thus a more ambiguous economic outlook. The instabilities in our environment may continue and be prevalent in the future.
These instabilities have been striking psychological burdens on individuals, making research on individuals’ well-being in an unstable world an imperative topic. Therefore, in this Research Topic, we seek to enrich our understanding of how instability affects individuals’ well-being and how people psychologically compensate for the threat of instabilities. We welcome original research and systematic review on relevant topics, with theories from multiple disciplines, including psychology, management, and communication. Research conducted in diverse cultural backgrounds is welcome, particularly, studies that identify the cross-cultural discrepancy or consistency. Research papers should possess both theoretical depth and practical feasibility.
The potential topics of interest include, but are not limited to the following ones:
• Psychological compensation scale development
• Typology research of psychological compensation
• Meta-analyses of psychological compensation
• Psychological resource and compensatory consumption under threat
• Well-being issues (e.g., stress, anxiety) caused by instabilities
• How instabilities impact physical and/or mental health
• How instabilities shape personal and collective goals
• Well-being interventions based on new technologies (e.g., AI, big data)
• Well-being interventions based on special activities (e.g., rituals, mindfulness)
• The roles of NGOs in well-being interventions
• Policy-making based on psychological nudging
These instabilities have been striking psychological burdens on individuals, making research on individuals’ well-being in an unstable world an imperative topic. Therefore, in this Research Topic, we seek to enrich our understanding of how instability affects individuals’ well-being and how people psychologically compensate for the threat of instabilities. We welcome original research and systematic review on relevant topics, with theories from multiple disciplines, including psychology, management, and communication. Research conducted in diverse cultural backgrounds is welcome, particularly, studies that identify the cross-cultural discrepancy or consistency. Research papers should possess both theoretical depth and practical feasibility.
The potential topics of interest include, but are not limited to the following ones:
• Psychological compensation scale development
• Typology research of psychological compensation
• Meta-analyses of psychological compensation
• Psychological resource and compensatory consumption under threat
• Well-being issues (e.g., stress, anxiety) caused by instabilities
• How instabilities impact physical and/or mental health
• How instabilities shape personal and collective goals
• Well-being interventions based on new technologies (e.g., AI, big data)
• Well-being interventions based on special activities (e.g., rituals, mindfulness)
• The roles of NGOs in well-being interventions
• Policy-making based on psychological nudging
Keywords: Psychological Compensation, Well-Being, Happiness, Instability, Psychological Resource
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
