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To Flourish: A Positive Psychology Engine Approach to Retirement Well-Being
Short Abstract
Viewed through the framework of Seligman’s (2012) well-being “PERMA” theory and operationalized through Jayawickreme, Forgeard, and Seligman’s (2012) engine approach to well-being, this study investigated the effect of positive psychology on retirement satisfaction using nationally representative data from the 2006 and 2008 Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Results of the cumulative logit model provided significant evidence linking positive psychology with retirement satisfaction. The positive psychological variables found to be important to retirement satisfaction were optimism, perceived mastery, and purpose in life. The results of this study suggest that positive psychology provides for an effective approach to investigate and evaluate retirement satisfaction. Relevant implications for both retirees and professionals providing retirement planning advice include learning and developing optimism (Seligman, 2011), discovering areas of pursuit during retirement, and potentially structuring a phased transition to retirement to facilitate the re-discovery of life’s purpose.