TY - JOUR
T1 - Intentional growth training
T2 - Developing an intervention to increase personal growth initiative
AU - Thoen, Megan A.
AU - Robitschek, Christine
PY - 2013/7
Y1 - 2013/7
N2 - Background: A one-week intervention (Intentional Growth Training; IGT) to increase personal growth initiative (PGI) was created and tested in a series of studies to determine its effect on PGI level. Because PGI predicts psychological well-being and depression, IGT has potential to have considerable benefit on a person's mental health. Methods: Study 1 was the initial assessment of whether IGT increased PGI greater than various control conditions. Study 2 employed an enhanced version of IGT and utilised the singular components of IGT determining which components were most impactful at increasing PGI. Study 3 was a narrative analysis of writing samples from Study 2 determining whether participant language varied by condition in use of negative or positive emotion, or personal growth-related words. Results: In Study 1, PGI increased significantly across conditions. In Study 2, the growth activity only condition, and PGI education coupled with the growth activity, produced significant increases in PGI. In Study 3, those receiving only PGI education used more growth-related words than control conditions. Conclusion: The most effective IGT format appears to include both education about PGI and a growth activity. The benefits of utilising IGT are discussed.
AB - Background: A one-week intervention (Intentional Growth Training; IGT) to increase personal growth initiative (PGI) was created and tested in a series of studies to determine its effect on PGI level. Because PGI predicts psychological well-being and depression, IGT has potential to have considerable benefit on a person's mental health. Methods: Study 1 was the initial assessment of whether IGT increased PGI greater than various control conditions. Study 2 employed an enhanced version of IGT and utilised the singular components of IGT determining which components were most impactful at increasing PGI. Study 3 was a narrative analysis of writing samples from Study 2 determining whether participant language varied by condition in use of negative or positive emotion, or personal growth-related words. Results: In Study 1, PGI increased significantly across conditions. In Study 2, the growth activity only condition, and PGI education coupled with the growth activity, produced significant increases in PGI. In Study 3, those receiving only PGI education used more growth-related words than control conditions. Conclusion: The most effective IGT format appears to include both education about PGI and a growth activity. The benefits of utilising IGT are discussed.
KW - Deconstruction
KW - Intentional Growth Training
KW - Intervention
KW - Narrative analysis
KW - Personal growth initiative
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84880126159&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/aphw.12001
DO - 10.1111/aphw.12001
M3 - Article
C2 - 23292959
AN - SCOPUS:84880126159
VL - 5
SP - 149
EP - 170
JO - Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being
JF - Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being
SN - 1758-0846
IS - 2
ER -