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Affective Profiles, Ethnic Identity, and Life Satisfaction in Iran

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The Affective Profiles Model

Abstract

Background: The affective profiles model has been used in several studies investigating individual differences in, for example, well-being and ill-being. The model categorizes individuals in four profiles based on the balance of high/low positive/negative affect: (1) self-fulfilling (high positive affect, low negative affect); (2) high affective (high positive affect, high negative affect); (3) low affective (low positive affect, low negative affect); and (4) self-destructive (low positive affect, high negative affect). Even though the affective profiles model is a model of specific personality dimensions related to life satisfaction and that identity is an important dimension of personality, not many studies have investigated differences in identity or culturally diverse samples using the model.

Aim: This study examines differences in ethnic identity and life satisfaction using the notion of the affective profiles model as the framework for between and within individual differences in an Iranian sample.

Method: A convenience sample of 426 university students (193 females) comprising 4 different Iranian ethnicities (Fars, Kurd, Lor, and Turk) participated in this cross-sectional study by completing the Iranian versions of the Multi-Group Ethnic Identity Measure, which measures ethnic commitment and exploration; the Positive Affect Negative Affect Schedule, which measures positive and negative affect; and the Satisfaction with Life Scale, which measures a person’s life satisfaction in relation to a psychological self-imposed ideal.

Results: After controlling for age and gender, correlation analyses indicated that positive affect was positively correlated with life satisfaction and ethnic identity and its subscales, while negative affect was negatively correlated to these variables. Moreover, after controlling for the role of gender and age, we found that (1) individuals with a self-fulfilling profile scored significantly higher in ethnic commitment than those with the other three profiles, while individuals with a self-destructive profile scored significantly lower in ethnic commitment than individuals with a low affective or a high affective profile; (2) the self-destructive group reported significantly lower mean scores in ethnic exploration compared to the self-fulfilling and low affective profiles; and (3) the self-fulfilling group reported significantly higher levels of life satisfaction than all other three profiles.

Conclusion: The results in the present study support the utility of the affective profiles model as a framework for individual differences with respect to ethnic identity and life satisfaction. For instance, while correlation analyses suggest a straightforward relationship, the model helped to discern in which conditions this can be expected. Moreover, our study also shows that the model is useful in middle eastern populations. As in Western societies, the self-fulfilling experience is denoted by higher levels of life satisfaction, but here we showed that it is also denoted by achieving a secure ethnic identity.

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Habibi Asgarabad, M., Garcia, D., Jafari, F., Taghizadeh, M., Etesami, M.S. (2023). Affective Profiles, Ethnic Identity, and Life Satisfaction in Iran. In: Garcia, D. (eds) The Affective Profiles Model. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-24220-5_13

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