Personality, Well-Being, and Music Involvement

This study identified if music experience is related to goal orientation, personality traits, and well-being. The subjects were the students and staff of Linfield College, members of the surrounding community, and members of a professional choir. The sample contained the spectrum of professional musicians to those with no music experience, ages 18 to nearly retired. Data was gathered via an online survey, with items to collect information about: demographics, music involvement throughout life, athletic involvement throughout life, academic information, personality traits, goal orientation, motivation, and several types of well-being. Overall there were significant correlations found between a wide spectrum of music involvement and specific personality traits, such as Openness and Compassion. Other factors, such as behavioral inhibition and approach, also have overarching correlations with music involvement. These findings suggest that there are clear relations between music and goals, motivation, and personality. We also found numerous relationships between various types of well-being and music involvement, some of which were not anticipated. These results have the potential to impact public policy and public school programs

The Essentialism of Music in Human Life and Its Roots in Nature

The connections between our emotions, music, and the natural world have only been examined in dualities, rather than as an interwoven triangle of elements that are innate and stem from our evolutionary history as a species. Our emotions are profoundly tied to musical sounds, while we also have a deeply rooted emotional connection with nature. The music of the natural world provided the foundation for crucial aspects of our human evolution, making our connections with both music and nature innate. Composers, musicians, poets, and storytellers have recognized this for centuries, exploiting these inherent connections in order to convey emotion and meaning through their creative work. Composers throughout many generations, and from regions across the world, have sought to inspire emotions in the listener through the portrayal of nature in music. In order to fully appreciate and understand how artists have been able to pull our emotions so heavily, it is crucial to examine how far back our history reaches as a musical species, immersed in the natural environment

Non-binary Living in a Binary World: The Unlabeled Experience

Both popular media and social science research suggest that gender/sexual identities and roles that have dominated western society are being challenged (Budgeon, 2014). Heteronormative assumptions and the gender binary are rapidly evolving to capture experiences that reflect greater diversity (Diamond, 2005; Nagoshi et al., 2012), including those that extend beyond labels. We surveyed 915 individuals regarding their gender identity, sexual orientation, and numerous psychological measures related to well-being, in order to understand the experience of those who choose to remain unlabeled. The data would suggest that those not ascribing to the gender binary have lower reported satisfaction with life across several axes when compared to cisgender participants. Explaining their ‘unlabeled’ status, participants described their primary identification as human, expressed discomfort with gender-based assumptions and rejected constrictions of the gender binary

Intrapersonal and Social-Contextual Factors Related to Psychological Well-being among Youth Experiencing Homelessness

Homeless youth are typically defined as a group of adolescents and young adults (ages 12-24) who do not have stable dwellings, but instead live on the streets, in shelters or abandoned buildings, or in other unstable situations (e.g., doubling up with friends). Given the myriad of hardships, stressors, and marginalization faced by youth as they navigate life on the streets, it is encouraging that researchers have begun examining well-being among youth experiencing homelessness. However, the few studies examining well-being among homeless youth have produced inconsistent results. Furthermore, little is known about the components of well-being that are both relevant to and valued by homeless youth, as well as which factors predict differences in well-being among youth. This study examined psychological well-being and its associations with demographic characteristics (race, gender, and sexual orientation), intrapersonal factors (mental health, optimism, and self-esteem), and social-contextual factors (social support, sense of community, and empowerment) among 100 homeless youth utilizing services in Portland, Oregon. Quantitative results indicated that the intrapersonal and social-contextual variables were all significantly associated with psychological well-being among homeless youth at the bivariate level. However, in a full hierarchical regression model containing all study variables, only self-esteem and psychological distress were significant predictors of well-being. Thematic analysis of qualitative data revealed 11 categories of factors that impact youth\u27s well-being, including Self Care, Social Support, and Personal Outlook. Collectively, findings have practical implications for program development at homeless youth service centers while also informing future research in this area

Youth Homelessness

Youth experiencing homelessness face numerous challenges to maintaining their health while homeless and as they exit homelessness. This includes their physical health, mental health, and well-being. Further, research on the efficacy of various interventions that aim to positively impact the health of homeless youth is limited. The following paper summarizes what is currently understood about the health and well-being of youth experiencing homelessness and concludes with recommendations for interventions, prevention programs, and future research

Exploring the Relationships Between Community Experiences and Well-Being among Youth Experiencing Homelessness

The current dissertation presents two published empirical studies and one new study informed by the findings and recommendations of the first two. The first study investigated how intrapersonal factors (self-esteem, psychological distress, and optimism) and social-contextual factors (social support, sense of community, and empowerment) relate to the psychological well-being of 100 youth experiencing homelessness. The results indicated that all six variables were significantly related to well-being, but the intrapersonal factors had a stronger association with psychological well-being than the social-contextual factors. The second manuscript is a qualitative study investigating what community means to youth experiencing homelessness, what communities they are a part of, and how these communities contribute to their well-being. This study found that 1) youth generally define community in ways that align with current theory on sense of community, 2) youth view community as important, and 3) their experiences within community settings promote their overall well-being in a variety of ways. However, the findings also suggest that community is not always a positive experience for these youth. The third manuscript is a qualitative study undertaking a more detailed and contextualized exploration of community supports and well-being among youth experiencing homelessness. This study centered the perspectives and lived experiences of youth and engaged them in reflection on how their community supports and well-being might impact their short- and long-term goals. Further, this study explored how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted well-being and community supports among youth. Findings from the final study have the potential to inform future research aimed at supporting the well-being and needs of youth experiencing homelessness

Community And Well-Being: A Qualitative Study Of How Youth Experiencing Homelessness Define Community And Its Relations To Their Well-Being

Prior research with youth experiencing homelessness suggests that community experiences can play an important role in their resilience and well‐being. This literature suggests that a sense of community (SOC) and social support may be two key interpersonal factors related to the well‐being of this population. However, quantitative research exploring these relationships has resulted in inconsistent findings, which may be due to a lack of understanding regarding youth\u27s definitions of and experiences with community. This study utilized semistructured qualitative interviews with 24 youth experiencing homelessness to explore their definitions of community, how it is important to them, what communities they are a part of, and how these communities contribute to their well‐being. Overall, findings suggest that (a) youth generally define community in ways that align with current theory on SOC, (b) youth view community as important, and (c) their experiences within community settings promote their overall well‐being in various ways. However, the findings also suggest that community is not always a positive experience for these youth. This study has implications for how to promote the well‐being of youth experiencing homelessness, as well as how SOC and social support may relate to the well‐being of this population

Housing and Food Insecurity at Portland State University

This report presents findings from Portland State University’s first housing and food insecurity survey of students and employees. It was conducted by The Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative (HRAC), a center formed to help address homelessness and its negative impact on individuals, families, and communities, with an emphasis on communities of color. Reducing homelessness in the PSU community was one of the foundational goals of the center, and this survey is an important step in that work. This report examines the rates of housing insecurity, homelessness, and food insecurity among students and employees disaggregated by race and additional factors to shed light on the most vulnerable members of our community. We also explored employment and financial situation, types of assistance received (e.g., SNAP benefits, Medicaid, food pantry use), health (e.g., sleep and stress), and social connectedness. Due to the unprecedented nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and its widespread impacts, we also conducted a follow-up survey of 166 vulnerable students in order to understand how the pandemic impacted their basic needs security, academic performance, finances, and various aspects of their health and well-being

How Far Have We Come? an Integrative Review of the Current Literature on Sense of Community and Well-Being.

Sense of community and well-being are considered core tenets in the field of community psychology, acting as focal points for theory, research, and action. This integrative review synthesizes the empirical literature on sense of community and well-being with respect to four research questions focused on the relationships between these variables, the methodologies used to study those relationships, and how future research might expand upon the current literature. A search of the available literature produced 30 articles that met the search criteria, based primarily on conceptualizations and measurement of both sense of community and hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. This review suggests a general consensus across the literature of a positive relationship between sense of community and well-being among both youth and adults in a variety of settings, and discusses the strengths and limitations of this area of research, pointing to the need for more nuanced, ecologically valid research that incorporates more qualitative and critical methodologies. We hope that this review can promote a more thorough understanding of how sense of community and individual well-being relate to each other, and that ongoing research in this area can be a catalyst for action research and interventions that are applied to pressing contemporary issues as well as strengths-based approaches focused on how to foster and support the well-being of individuals within their community contexts

Addressing Homelessness at Portland State and in the Broader Portland Community

Homelessness is one of the most pressing challenges facing our community. In this presentation, we highlight the work of the PSU Department of Psychology and the PSU Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative to address homelessness both within our campus community and in the broader Portland metropolitan area. The presentation will begin with an overview by Dr. Greg Townley (Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and co-founder of PSU’s Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative) on the role that action-based research can play in providing evidence-based solutions to homelessness. He and his research team will then describe three studies examining different aspects of homelessness research and service delivery. Dr. Katricia Stewart (recent graduate of the PSU Psychology doctoral program and Senior Policy Analyst at Homebase) will share results from a study of homelessness and housing insecurity among PSU students and employees. Emily Leickly and Holly Brott* (current PSU Psychology doctoral students) will then share findings from a recent study of local tiny home villages for individuals transitioning out of homelessness. Finally, Dr. Townley will discuss his work helping to design and evaluate the Portland Street Response, a new branch of Portland’s first responder system that responds to non-emergency calls involving people experiencing homelessness and mental health crisis. *Holly Brott was not able to attend, but contributed to this research. This 60-minute recorded Zoom presentation is followed by a 15-minute Q&A session inviting attendees to ask questions about this work