Research Expertise
1. Well-being in collectivist cultures.
Subjective well-being in collectivist cultures has been conceptualized differently due to a unique socio-historical context that prioritizes the interdependence between people, especially within one’s in-group. My research has been devoted to understanding the unique characteristics of well-being in collectivist cultures, including the potential reasons for the differential outcomes of well-being interventions in these cultures and how cultural values inform these differences. My research contributes to the sparse literature on the characteristics of well-being in collectivist cultures, which account for more than 70% of the world’s population. This body of work provides the foundation for developing interventions to increase well-being in collectivist culture cancer patients.
- Shin, L. J., Armenta, C. N., Kamble, S., Chang, S.-L., Wu, H.-Y., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2020). Gratitude in collectivist and individualist cultures. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 15(5), 598-604. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2020.1789699
- Shin, L. J., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2017). Increasing well-being in independent and interdependent cultures. In M. A. Warren & S. I. Donaldson (Eds.), Scientific advances in positive psychology (pp. 11–36). Praeger/ABC-CLIO.
- Gaskin-Wasson, A. L., Walker, K. L., Shin, L. J., & Kaslow, N. J. (2016). Spiritual well-being and psychological adjustment: Mediated by interpersonal needs? Journal of Religion and Health, 57(4), 1376-1391. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-016-0275-y
2. Culture and positive activities.
Positive activity interventions (PAIs) are simple, self-administered cognitive and behavioral activities designed to increase subjective well-being by promoting positive feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. Positive activities may be especially valuable for collectivist cultures because they are less stigmatizing, economical, and carry no side effects, but few PAIs have focused on increasing the well-being of individuals from these cultures. My research has been devoted to developing and testing novel PAIs that consider the characteristics of collectivist cultures and subsequently developing PAIs in light of these findings. Recalling and performing acts of kindness is a PAI that has shown promise in increasing the well-being of members of collectivist cultures, due to their positive focus on others and strengthening the interdependent relationship. I have tested this PAI worldwide in collectivist cultures such as Hong Kong and South Korea. This research is pivotal in increasing the well-being of collectivist cultures, which have been shown to score lower in absolute well-being, even after controlling for income.
- Shin, L. J., Margolis, S. M., Walsh, L. C., Kwok, S. Y. C. L., Yue, X., Chan, C.-K., Siu, N. Y.-F., Sheldon, K., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2021). Cultural differences in the hedonic rewards of recalling kindness: Priming cultural identity with language. Affective Science. 2(1), 80-90. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42761-020-00029-3
- Shin, L. J., Layous, K., Choi, I., Na, S., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2019). Good for self or good for others? The well-being benefits of kindness in two cultures depend on how the kindness is framed. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 15(6), 795-805. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2019.1651894
- Shin, L. J., Ruberton, P. M., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2018). The spotlight activity: Development and feasibility test of a naturalistic attention-redirection well-being intervention. Journal of Positive Psychology and Wellbeing, 2(1), 64-91. http://journalppw.com/index.php/JPPW/article/view/49/3
- Shin, L. J., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2016). Positive activity interventions for mental health conditions: Basic research and clinical applications. In J. Johnson & A. Wood (Eds.), The handbook of positive clinical psychology (pp. 349-363). Wiley.
3. Asian American cancer survivors.
The development of psychosocial interventions for Asian Americans is guided by our knowledge of how psychosocial factors influence adjustment among this population of cancer patients. My research in this area has examined how psychosocial factors such as coping styles and self-stigma relate to quality of life in this unique population. My research contributes to the understudied literature on Asian American cancer patient and survivors and will help inform the development of future psychosocial interventions to help increase the adjustment and quality of life for this population, which often deals with unique difficulties, such as cancer-related stigma, emotional suppression related to the goal of harmonious relationships, language barriers, and lack of social support in a foreign country.
- Lu, Q., Chen L., Shin, L. J., Wang, C., Dawkins-Moultin, L., Chu, Q., Loh, A., Young, L., & Wang, C. (2021). Improvement in quality of life and psychological well-being associated with a culturally based psychosocial intervention for Chinese American breast cancer survivors. Supportive Care in Cancer, 29, 4565-4573. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-020-05942-8 PMCID: PMC8600643
- Chu, Q., Wong, C. C. Y., Chen, L., Shin, L. J., Chen L., & Lu, Q. (2020). Self-stigma and quality of life among Chinese American breast cancer survivors: A serial multiple mediation model. Psycho-Oncology, 30(3), 392-399. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pon.5590 PMID: 33175446
- Hoang, T. M, Shin, L. J., Xu, S., & Lu, Q. (2020). Coping with breast cancer among immigrant Chinese Americans. Asian American Journal of Psychology, 11(2), 108–116. https://doi.org/10.1037/aap0000175
- Choi, E., Shin, L. J., Chen, L., & Lu, Q. (in press). Lived experiences of young adult Chinese American breast cancer survivors: A qualitative analysis of their strengths and challenges using expressive writing. European Journal of Oncology Nursing.