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Behavioral Sciences
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Experiences and Well-Being in Personal Growth
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Experiences and Well-Being in Personal Growth

A special issue of Behavioral Sciences (ISSN 2076-328X). This special issue belongs to the section "Developmental Psychology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 19 March 2026 | Viewed by 18277

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Madoka Kumashiro

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London SE14 6NW, UK
Interests: personal growth; motivation; ideal self; well-being; close relationships; balancing fundamental needs; work–life balance; attachment styles; self-esteem; autonomy; mentoring
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Personal growth has long been recognized as an essential aspect of human motivation and well-being across the lifespan and, recent decades have seen increasing emphasis in popular culture, fueled by social media, placed on the importance of cultivating experiences and pursuing careers and lifestyles that promote personal growth and provide meaning in life. At the same time, there is growing recognition that relentless pursuit of personal growth motives and experiences may be contributing to the current mental health crisis, aided by social media and the often-unrealistic expectation that individuals should constantly be pursuing experiences and careers/lifestyles that lead to a meaningful life.

In recent years, various psychological disciplines have sought to examine factors and experiences that contribute to personal growth and the importance of personal growth for overall well-being. There is also more understanding of how factors such as individual differences and the social environment, including social relationships, culture, the workplace, and educational settings, can contribute to such personal growth processes, with consequences for well-being. Research on post-traumatic growth also illustrates how some individuals can experience personal growth after experiencing adversity or trauma, which will eventually lead to higher levels of resilience and well-being.

This Special Issue aims to explore the complex relationship between personal growth experiences and overall well-being across the lifespan, drawing on diverse perspectives from across the psychological sciences in both non-clinical and clinical settings. We welcome papers that examine naturally occurring processes or utilize experimental approach or intervention research, as well as high-quality systematic reviews that offer insights into various factors that feed into personal growth motives and experiences, and how these processes negatively or positively affect well-being.

Dr. Madoka Kumashiro
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Behavioral Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • personal growth
  • post-traumatic growth
  • personal development
  • self-improvement
  • self-actualization
  • self-fulfillment
  • well-being
  • identity development
  • positive psychology

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 326 KB  
Article
The Long Path to Motherhood: Personal Growth and Well-Being During Medically Assisted Reproduction
by Elad Mijalevich-Soker, Roni Meir and Orit Taubman – Ben-Ari
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(12), 1694; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15121694 - 6 Dec 2025
Viewed by 191
Abstract
Most studies of medically assisted reproduction (MAR) primarily focus on its negative consequences for women’s mental health. However, there are indications that women experience well-being and personal growth during this period as well. This study focuses on personal and social resources that contribute [...] Read more.
Most studies of medically assisted reproduction (MAR) primarily focus on its negative consequences for women’s mental health. However, there are indications that women experience well-being and personal growth during this period as well. This study focuses on personal and social resources that contribute to women’s well-being and personal growth during MAR, based on Schaefer and Moos’s personal growth model. We examined the contributions of socio-demographic and fertility-related characteristics, self-mastery, emotional regulation, and the tendency for social sharing. Women (n = 175) undergoing MAR completed self-report questionnaires. The study’s variables accounted for 36.6% of the variance in well-being and 34.4% in personal growth, indicating that higher self-mastery was associated with both higher well-being and personal growth. A lower tendency to suppress emotions was related to higher well-being, and a greater inclination for reappraisal and more sharing of the situation with others were associated with greater personal growth. Additionally, women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) experienced more growth compared to other MAR procedures. The findings highlight the importance of self-mastery, reappraisal, and social sharing for well-being and personal growth during MAR. They indicate that these positive consequences are distinct constructs, that deserve different intervention strategies to empower women’s mental health in such circumstances. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Experiences and Well-Being in Personal Growth)
17 pages, 493 KB  
Article
Vicarious Posttraumatic Growth in Peer-Support Specialists: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis
by Taryn C. Greene, Joshua R. Rhodes, Skyla Renner-Wilms, Richard G. Tedeschi, Bret A. Moore and Gary R. Elkins
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(12), 1673; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15121673 - 3 Dec 2025
Viewed by 212
Abstract
Vicarious Posttraumatic Growth (VPTG) is a critical yet underexplored phenomenon among trauma-focused helping professionals. While secondary trauma (ST), compassion fatigue, and burnout are widely recognized negative aspects of working with trauma survivors, less is known about the potential benefits of this work and [...] Read more.
Vicarious Posttraumatic Growth (VPTG) is a critical yet underexplored phenomenon among trauma-focused helping professionals. While secondary trauma (ST), compassion fatigue, and burnout are widely recognized negative aspects of working with trauma survivors, less is known about the potential benefits of this work and its contributions to well-being. This qualitative study explored peer-support specialists’ perceptions of growth arising from indirect exposure to trauma and examined how these experiences relate to well-being. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 13 participants, independently coded transcripts, and developed themes through consensus. Findings suggest VPTG may follow a similar path to Posttraumatic Growth (PTG), with participants reporting challenges to core beliefs, emotional distress, and transformative cognitive-emotional shifts that facilitated growth across domains that appear to mirror the five PTG domains. Outcomes of working with trauma survivors extended beyond the PTG domains to include compassion satisfaction, hope, expanded coping skills, and improved mental health. Taken together, these findings illustrate the participants’ subjective experiences of both challenge and transformation through their work with trauma survivors, offering preliminary insight into how indirect trauma exposure may contribute to VPTG and well-being. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Experiences and Well-Being in Personal Growth)
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14 pages, 271 KB  
Article
Comparison Between the Original PTGI and the PTGI-SF in a Large Sample of New Mothers
by Orit Taubman – Ben-Ari
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(12), 1641; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15121641 - 28 Nov 2025
Viewed by 178
Abstract
The first objective of this study is to review and synthesize research from the past fifteen years on variables associated with personal growth (or post-traumatic growth, PTG) during the transition to motherhood, and to revisit key questions using a uniquely large dataset; the [...] Read more.
The first objective of this study is to review and synthesize research from the past fifteen years on variables associated with personal growth (or post-traumatic growth, PTG) during the transition to motherhood, and to revisit key questions using a uniquely large dataset; the second objective of the study is to compare findings across different PTG scoring methods, to determine whether the long and short forms of the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) produce equivalent data and whether the five growth domain scores provide additional insights beyond the total scores. Data were aggregated from multiple previous studies, resulting in a large sample (n = 4641) of first-time mothers with infants up to 24 months old (M = 6.82 months, SD = 4.42). Analysis of the associations between demographic and childbirth characteristics and PTG scores revealed that in most cases, the original PTGI and the short version (PTGI-SF) exhibited similar associations with the background variables. The five PTGI domain scores of personal strengths, spirituality, new opportunities, and appreciation of life showed associations consistent with those observed for the two total scores. The findings reinforce and validate previous research, while also offering new insights. Notably, the results suggest that the PTGI-SF is highly useful, as it yields results comparable to those of the original, longer inventory. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Experiences and Well-Being in Personal Growth)
18 pages, 312 KB  
Article
Posttraumatic Growth and Resilience: Their Distinctive Relationships with Optimism and Pessimism
by Kanako Taku and Amber Efthemiou
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(11), 1519; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15111519 - 8 Nov 2025
Viewed by 608
Abstract
Posttraumatic growth (PTG) and resilience should have distinct features due to their theoretical background, and yet their respective relationships with optimism have been consistently positive. Their relationships with pessimism have been understudied, which obscures how PTG and resilience may conceptually differ. We hypothesize [...] Read more.
Posttraumatic growth (PTG) and resilience should have distinct features due to their theoretical background, and yet their respective relationships with optimism have been consistently positive. Their relationships with pessimism have been understudied, which obscures how PTG and resilience may conceptually differ. We hypothesize that the differences may emerge whether optimism and pessimism are evaluated as cognitive expectancies or dispositional personality traits. The current study examined how optimism and pessimism would be distinctly associated with PTG and resilience, depending on whether optimism and pessimism reflect dispositional personality traits or cognitive expectancies. Midwestern United States university students (N = 347) completed an in-person survey that included measures examining optimism and pessimism as personality traits and a cognitive task estimating the likelihood of positive and negative future events happening to them and happening to others and re-estimating after obtaining novel information (i.e., belief update), in addition to PTG and resilience. Results indicated that dispositional optimism was positively associated with both PTG and resilience, whereas dispositional pessimism was negatively associated with only resilience. Furthermore, higher expectancy of positive events to be happening in the future was mostly associated with PTG whereas lower expectancy of negative events to be happening in the future was mostly associated with resilience. In addition, the perception that positive events would be more likely to happen to them than to others was only associated with resilience. Findings regarding the relationships with adjusted cognitive expectancies (i.e., belief update) were mixed. The current findings reveal potential distinctions between PTG and resilience by highlighting that they may have asymmetrical relationships with optimism and pessimism, depending on whether optimistic/pessimistic characteristics are considered as personality traits or cognitive expectations of positive and negative future events. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Experiences and Well-Being in Personal Growth)
18 pages, 282 KB  
Article
SOLACE Spectrum: A Personality Assessment for Personal Growth in Therapy
by Sherry R. Rosenblad, Carlos Guerrero, Jodie Lockeby and Dirce Utrera
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(11), 1473; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15111473 - 29 Oct 2025
Viewed by 1114
Abstract
Personality assessment has long been recognized as a valuable tool for understanding individual differences with implications for self-understanding and growth-related processes. Building on the development of the Personality Spectrum Analysis (PSA), the present study evaluated the SOLACE Spectrum, a revised and expanded measure [...] Read more.
Personality assessment has long been recognized as a valuable tool for understanding individual differences with implications for self-understanding and growth-related processes. Building on the development of the Personality Spectrum Analysis (PSA), the present study evaluated the SOLACE Spectrum, a revised and expanded measure designed to provide a reliable and accessible framework for understanding personality in therapeutic and relational contexts. Data were collected from 1021 adults through online administration, and exploratory factor analysis revealed six components: Stability, Optimism, Leadership, Achievement, Compassion, and Extroversion. The instrument demonstrated strong internal consistency (α = 0.91) and robust test–retest reliability (0.851–0.922), indicating stability over time. Findings support the SOLACE Spectrum as a psychometrically sound measure that can inform understanding of personality traits, relationship processes, and personal growth processes. Its application may assist professionals in therapy, counseling, and educational or organizational settings by providing descriptive feedback on personality dimensions, highlighting areas of strength, and identifying potential areas for reflection and personal insight. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Experiences and Well-Being in Personal Growth)
15 pages, 669 KB  
Article
Diverging Paths to the Self: The Distinct Psychological Roles of Nostalgia and Declinism in Personal Growth
by Zhuo Feng, Tim Wildschut, Constantine Sedikides and Jianning Dang
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(10), 1388; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15101388 - 14 Oct 2025
Viewed by 1131
Abstract
We investigated how nostalgia and declinism, two distinct forms of past-oriented reflection, differentially relate to personal growth. In preregistered cross-sectional Study 1 (N = 810, Chinese sample), we measured nostalgia using three instruments: the Southampton Nostalgia Scale (SNS), the Nostalgia Inventory (NI), [...] Read more.
We investigated how nostalgia and declinism, two distinct forms of past-oriented reflection, differentially relate to personal growth. In preregistered cross-sectional Study 1 (N = 810, Chinese sample), we measured nostalgia using three instruments: the Southampton Nostalgia Scale (SNS), the Nostalgia Inventory (NI), and the Personal Inventory of Nostalgic Experiences (PINE). Although SNS- and NI-based nostalgia were positively associated with personal growth and uncorrelated with declinism, PINE-based nostalgia was positively linked to declinism and unrelated to growth. Canonical correlation analysis further indicated conceptual overlap between PINE items and declinism. In experimental Study 2 (N = 360, Chinese sample), we manipulated nostalgia and declinism with the Event Reflection Task to test their causal effects. Compared to a control condition, nostalgia increased personal growth, but declinism reduced it. Collectively, the findings highlight the importance of measurement in nostalgia research and underscore the psychological distinction between nostalgia and declinism. Accurately capturing the tone and function of nostalgic reflection is essential to understanding its influence on the self, motivation, and well-being. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Experiences and Well-Being in Personal Growth)
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19 pages, 828 KB  
Article
Personal Growth and Wellbeing: An Iterative Mindset Assessment and Perspective
by Kyra Bobinet, Jeni L. Burnette, Whitney Becker and Mallory Rowell
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(7), 906; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15070906 - 4 Jul 2025
Viewed by 3956
Abstract
Interest in personal growth is expanding in both the popular press and the scientific literature. These expansions incorporate varied theoretical approaches and multiple areas of life. In the current work, we propose a novel perspective that focuses on managing failure to reach self-improvement [...] Read more.
Interest in personal growth is expanding in both the popular press and the scientific literature. These expansions incorporate varied theoretical approaches and multiple areas of life. In the current work, we propose a novel perspective that focuses on managing failure to reach self-improvement goals and improving wellbeing. Specifically, we introduce an iterative mindset, which is the belief that making adaptations combined with deliberate practice and neutralizing of failure is critical for lasting transformations. We seek to contribute to the personal growth and mindset literature in two key ways. First, we developed and validated a new measure, called an Iterative Mindset Inventory (IMI), examining factor structure, reliability, and validity. Second, we investigated the links between iterative mindsets, self-improvement, and wellbeing, extending existing work on the power of beliefs to shape self-development. In both studies (Study 1, N = 871; Study 2, N = 345), we incorporated online samples that resembled the adult population of the United States. In Study 1, we found evidence for the proposed theoretical three-factor structure of an iterative mindset, which we label iterate, practice, and assess. In Study 2, using a longitudinal approach across three weeks, we confirmed the three-factor structure and found high test–retest reliability. Iterative mindsets were also positively linked to weight-loss success across both studies and to self-efficacy and wellbeing in Study 2. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Experiences and Well-Being in Personal Growth)
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Review

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8 pages, 187 KB  
Review
Posttraumatic Growth as a Pathway to Wellness for Individuals and Organizations
by Richard G. Tedeschi, Bret A. Moore and Taryn C. Greene
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(12), 1653; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15121653 - 2 Dec 2025
Viewed by 404
Abstract
Posttraumatic growth (PTG) offers an alternative understanding of trauma response, contrasting with traditional perspectives focused solely on symptom development and resilience. In the PTG model, individuals and groups report positive changes in life philosophy, self-understanding, and interpersonal relationships because of successfully navigating the [...] Read more.
Posttraumatic growth (PTG) offers an alternative understanding of trauma response, contrasting with traditional perspectives focused solely on symptom development and resilience. In the PTG model, individuals and groups report positive changes in life philosophy, self-understanding, and interpersonal relationships because of successfully navigating the struggles involved with experiencing adversity. This narrative review includes the evolution of PTG theory, highlighting the disruption of core beliefs, the role of rumination, and the reconstruction of a life narrative as central mechanisms of the PTG process. The authors describe the five empirically validated domains of PTG and outline the naturally occurring PTG process. Methods are discussed for facilitating PTG through “expert companions,” who may be peers or professionals providing nonjudgmental, supportive relationships that encourage emotional regulation, constructive disclosure, and meaning making. The article explores how these methods can be applied to individuals, communities, and organizations, all of which may experience comparable domains of growth following collective adversity. The article concludes by highlighting how a focus on posttraumatic growth shifts perspectives from viewing trauma survivors as broken to recognizing their potential for transformation and underscores the role of both professional and community support in fostering PTG and healthier organizational climates. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Experiences and Well-Being in Personal Growth)
16 pages, 404 KB  
Review
Mindfulness, Loving-Kindness, and Compassion-Based Meditation Interventions and Adult Attachment Orientations: A Systematic Map
by Taranah Gazder, Erica Ruby Drummond, Mine Gelegen and Sarah C. E. Stanton
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(2), 119; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15020119 - 24 Jan 2025
Viewed by 7210
Abstract
Meditation interventions have important benefits, including potentially helping those with higher attachment anxiety and avoidance enjoy better personal and relational growth. This preregistered and reproducible systematic map sought to identify the extent and scope of experimental evidence investigating the role of mindfulness, loving-kindness, [...] Read more.
Meditation interventions have important benefits, including potentially helping those with higher attachment anxiety and avoidance enjoy better personal and relational growth. This preregistered and reproducible systematic map sought to identify the extent and scope of experimental evidence investigating the role of mindfulness, loving-kindness, and compassion-based multi-session meditation interventions in (a) moderating the effects of attachment orientations on outcomes over time and/or (b) changing attachment orientations over time. We conducted a systematic map, as the literature on meditation interventions and attachment is nascent. We searched 5 databases, screening 725 studies. We extracted data from four journal articles and one dissertation (five studies in total) which met our inclusion criteria. Four studies examined the effects of meditation interventions on buffering attachment insecurity and one examined attachment security enhancement. All five studies included a mindfulness meditation intervention, and one included a loving-kindness meditation intervention. All studies were conducted in Western cultures. Studies primarily found evidence for interventions benefitting those with higher attachment anxiety, although some evidence emerged for higher attachment avoidance. Our systematic map highlights a critical need for further application of meditation interventions in an attachment and personal growth context, given the promising nature of early work in this area. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Experiences and Well-Being in Personal Growth)
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Other

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14 pages, 571 KB  
Project Report
Development of the Self-Directed TRANSCEND Suffering Workbook Intervention: A Population Health Psychology Approach for ‘Everyday’ Suffering
by Richard G. Cowden, Emily C. Hill, Omar S. Haque, Virág Zábó, György Purebl, Johannes H. De Kock and Tyler J. VanderWeele
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(4), 445; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15040445 - 31 Mar 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1479
Abstract
The discipline of psychology has long been interested in understanding human suffering and identifying suitable approaches for effectively managing it. Although there are many clinical models invoking different philosophical worldviews and therapeutic approaches for addressing suffering, they typically require trained professionals and, therefore, [...] Read more.
The discipline of psychology has long been interested in understanding human suffering and identifying suitable approaches for effectively managing it. Although there are many clinical models invoking different philosophical worldviews and therapeutic approaches for addressing suffering, they typically require trained professionals and, therefore, are not widely accessible to the general population. Empirical evidence suggests that even ‘everyday’ experiences of suffering in nonclinical populations can negatively impact mental health and well-being, which has ushered in calls for a population health psychology approach by developing accessible, affordable, and scalable interventions that attend to the experience of suffering. As a response to such calls, we developed the TRANSCEND Suffering workbook, a brief self-directed workbook intervention for suffering. This project report describes the first phase of the workbook development process, including its scope, theoretical underpinnings, central change objectives, organization, and engagement targets. We summarize feedback that laypeople and experts spanning various academic and applied disciplines provided about the workbook and discuss how this feedback was evaluated and used to make refinements aimed at enhancing the utility of the workbook. While empirical testing is needed to determine the efficacy of the TRANSCEND Suffering workbook, we discuss some potential implications (along with caveats and limitations) of this low-intensity intervention for addressing population-level suffering, facilitating growth through suffering, and promoting human flourishing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Experiences and Well-Being in Personal Growth)
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