Round, Julie and Burke, Jolanta
(2018)
A dream of a retirement: The longitudinal
experiences and perceived retirement
wellbeing of recent retirees following
a tailored intervention linking best
possible self-expressive writing
with goal-setting.
International Coaching Psychology Review, 13 (2).
pp. 27-45.
ISSN 1750-2764
Abstract
Objectives: The research aimed to analyse retirees’ experiences of a tailored positive psychology intervention
(PPI) combining Best Possible Self (BPS) expressive writing with goal-setting and to explore its potential
as an aid to retirement wellbeing. This is the first time, to our knowledge, that BPS and goal-setting have
been employed as a combined approach.
Design: This was an experimental study design using qualitative analysis methods, namely interpretative
phenomenological analysis, alongside participatory action research.
Methods: Three recently retired women participated in the project. Semi-structured interviews and groups
were used.
Results: The intervention contributed to feelings of retirement wellbeing by boosting a number of
meaning-related factors (such as self-awareness, purpose in life and intrinsic goal-progress), bringing about
an overall improvement in hedonic-eudaimonic balance.
Conclusions: Findings suggest a need for further research into the newly combined intervention and into its most
appropriate delivery format(s) for retirees (e.g. online versus face-to-face). Given the intervention’s potential to elicit
wellbeing-maximising goals, the current findings have relevance for populations beyond the retiree community
| Item Type: |
Article
|
| Keywords: |
Best Possible Self; goal setting; self-concordance; retirement; positive psychology intervention;
meaning in life; older people; |
| Academic Unit: |
Faculty of Social Sciences > Education |
| Item ID: |
13112 |
| Depositing User: |
Jolanta Burke
|
| Date Deposited: |
26 Jun 2020 22:01 |
| Journal or Publication Title: |
International Coaching Psychology Review |
| Publisher: |
British Psychological Society |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| URI: |
|
| Use Licence: |
This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available
here |
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