Positive and Negative Emotions and Well-being in Japanese University Students

Objectives: This study was designed to identify the relationship between positive and negative emotions and physical and psychological well-being. Methods: Japanese university students (N = 200) participated in a self-administered questionnaire survey by responding to the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), Subjective Well-Being Scale (SWBS), and certain items of the Cornell Medical Index (CMI). Results: There were significant positive correlations between positive emotions and physical and psychological well-being, as well as significant negative correlations between negative emotions and physical and psychological well-being. A stronger correlations was observed between psychological well-being and positive and negative emotions among women than men. Moreover, there was a significant difference in psychological well-being depending on positive and negative emotion scores, and their interaction. Discussion and Conclusions: Well-being was associated with both positive and negative emotions. Moreover, these emotions had a stronger influence on women than on men. Also, the results indicated that having high positive emotions was more important for psychological well-being than the absence of negative emotions. It is suggested that further investigations on populations with a wider age range should be conducted to replicate these results.