Graduation Year
2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree
Ph.D.
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Degree Granting Department
Educational and Psychological Studies
Major Professor
Shannon Suldo, Ph.D.
Co-Major Professor
Evan Dart, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Committee Member
John Ferron, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Sarah Fefer, Ph.D., BCBA
Keywords
Group therapy, Life satisfaction, Negative affect, Positive affect, Subjective well-being
Abstract
The literature has found positive psychology interventions to be effective at improving the subjective well-being of youth (Tejada-Gallardo et al., 2020). Further research is needed to identify variables such as common factors of change that could be contributing to whether youth report improved outcomes after participating in a positive psychology intervention. This study examined common factors of therapeutic change as predictors for outcomes such as positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction, which are components of subjective well-being. This dissertation aimed to fill the gap in the literature regarding common factors of change as predictors of outcomes in school-based positive psychology interventions. Participants completed a specific positive psychology intervention, the Well-Being Promotion Program (Suldo, 2016), which was implemented as a small group Tier 2 intervention for middle school students identified in a schoolwide screening as having low subjective well-being. The common factors of change examined include therapeutic alliance, hope, expectancy for change, perceived social support from key sources, engagement with intervention activities, treatment homework completion, family involvement in treatment, and personal growth initiative. The sample included 168 middle school students enrolled in the 2023-2024 school year. Participants were recruited from three schools in Florida and two schools in Massachusetts. To examine common factors of change from baseline to post-treatment, this researcher utilized descriptive statistics, correlational/bivariate analyses, and multi-level regression analyses. Results indicated that pre-intervention life satisfaction, positive affect, negative affect, personal growth initiative, average engagement in treatment sessions, and average treatment homework completion were statistically significant predictors of outcomes. Moreover, variability in outcomes was attributed mainly to individual differences and not between-group differences. Implications for practice regarding positive psychology intervention implementation include 1) increasing awareness of students’ personal growth initiative, 2) supporting student engagement during sessions, and 3) considering the measurement, purpose, and impact of treatment homework completion.
Scholar Commons Citation
Bauermeister, Nicolette, "Which Adolescents Benefit Most from Positive Psychology Interventions: Examining the Common Factors of Therapeutic Change" (2025). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/10847
