Doing the Right Thing: A Mixed-Methods Study Focused on Generosity and Positive Well-Being

This mixed-methods study was designed to demonstrate how an increase in generous actions influences an individual's self-reported long-term happiness. Participants were 74 college students randomly assigned to 1 of 2 experimental conditions-the generosity intervention group and the control group. Data collected on psychological well-being and life satisfaction were analyzed using multivariate analyses of covariance. The quantitative results indicated that even though all participants showed increased levels of satisfaction with life and overall positive psychological well-being after 5 weeks of a writing intervention, there were no differences between the generosity group and the writing group. Additional results from a qualitative analysis further revealed that generosity themes toward oneself centered on (a) material acquisition, (b) luxury, and (c) self-care. The findings support the positive effect of a multilevel, intentional focus on generous activities among young adults.