Carol Ryff's Model of Psychological Well-Being - Living Meanings

1/20/22, 9:51 PM Carol Ryff's Model of Psychological Well-being - Living Meanings
Carol Ryff’s Model of

Psychological Well-being The
Six Criteria of Well-Being
IN PSYCHOLOGY, WELL-BEING
Professor Carol Ryff studied “Well-Being” before it was cool. 20

years before we all start talking about well-being and thriving, Ryff
https://livingmeanings.com/six-criteria-well-ryffs-multidimensional-model/ 1/12
was already quietly working on the problem at the University of

Wisconsin-Madison.
She ended up creating one of the first systematic models of

Psychological Well-Being, and her model remain one of the most
scientifically verified and empirically rigorous today.1
Carol Ryff was motivated by two things: firstly,well-being should

not be restricted to medical or biological descriptions—instead it is
a philosophical question about the meaning of a good life.2

Secondly, current psychological theories of well-being at that time
lacked empirical rigor–they had not been and could not be tested.
To construct a theory that joins philosophical questions with

scientific empiricism, Ryff mined for building blocks in a diverse
selection of well-being theories and research, from Aristotle to
John Stuart Mill, from Abraham Maslow to Carl Jung. She
identified the recurrence and convergence across these diverse
theories, and these intersections gave her the foundation for her
new model of well-being.
Carol Ryff’s model of Psychological Well-being differs from past

models in one important way: well-being is multidimensional, and
not merely about happiness, or positive emotions. A good life is
balanced and whole, engaging each of the different aspects of well-
being, instead of being narrowly focused. Ryff roots this principle
in Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics, where the goal of life isn’t
feeling good, but is instead about living virtuously.
Carol Ryff’s six categories of well-being are:3
1) Self-Acceptance
High Self Acceptance: You possess a positive attitude toward

yourself; acknowledge and accept multiple aspects of yourself
including both good and bad qualities; and feel positive about your
past life.
Low Self Acceptance: You feel dissatisfied with yourself; are

disappointed with what has occurred in your past life; are troubled
about certain personal qualities; and wish to be different than what
you are.
2) Personal Growth
Strong Personal Growth: You have a feeling of continued
development; see yourself as growing and expanding; are open to
new experiences; have the sense of realizing your potential; see
improvement in yourself and behavior over time; are changing in
ways that reflect more self-knowledge and effectiveness.
Weak Personal Growth: You have a sense of personal stagnation;

lack the sense of improvement or expansion over time; feel bored
and uninterested with life; and feel unable to develop new attitudes
or behaviors.
3) Purpose in Life
Strong Purpose in Life: You have goals in life and a sense of
directedness; feel there is meaning to your present and past life;
hold beliefs that give life purpose; and have aims and objectives for
living.
Weak Purpose in Life: You lack a sense of meaning in life; have

few goals or aims, lack a sense of direction; do not see purpose of
your past life; and have no outlook or beliefs that give life meaning.
4) Positive Relations With Others

Strong Positive Relations: You have warm, satisfying, trusting
relationships with others; are concerned about the welfare of
others; are capable of strong empathy, affection, and intimacy; and
understand the give and take of human relationships.
Weak Relations: You have few close, trusting relationships with

others; find it difficult to be warm, open, and concerned about
others; are isolated and frustrated in interpersonal relationships;
and are not willing to make compromises to sustain important ties
with others.
5) Environmental Mastery
High Environmental Mastery: You have a sense of mastery and
competence in managing the environment; control complex array
of external activities; make effective use of surrounding
opportunities; and are able to choose or create contexts suitable to
your personal needs and values.
Low Environmental Mastery: You have difficulty managing

everyday affairs; feel unable to change or improve surrounding
contexts; are unaware of surrounding opportunities; and lack a
sense of control over the external world.
6) Autonomy
High Autonomy: You are self-determining and independent; are
able to resist social pressures to think and act in certain ways;
regulate behavior from within; and evaluate yourself by personal
standards.
Low Autonomy: You are concerned about the expectations and

evaluations of others; rely on judgments of others to make
important decisions; and conform to social pressures to think and
act in certain ways.
The Science
While an untested model is just a daydream, Carol Ryff’s model of
Psychological Well-Being has faced continued waves of testing.
And her model has proved rather sturdy. Common to psychology,

there is the usual squabbling over the questionnaires that tries to
measure the six criteria. However, in general, researchers working
across diverse population samples found that the data supports and
is best explained by a six-factor model.456
Ryff’s model also survived cross-culturally, with studies applying it
successfully to populations in Spain and Columbia 7, in Sweden 8,
and in Hong Kong.9
Some contradictory evidence exists, arguing that the six criteria
could be simplified, as large overlaps have been found.1011 Other
studies do not find this overlap 12, and Ryff argues that these
inconsistent findings were due to overly short questionnaires,
rather than the model itself.13
Conclusion
Carol Ryff’s model of Psychological Well-Being provides a powerful
framework through which to analyze and organize one’s life, and to
generate ideas about how to live better. So why isn’t the popular
media talking about the model? Perhaps it is time Ryff hired better
marketing staff. We’ll all benefit.
Check out top Positive Psychology books on

Amazon.
Liked this article? Like our Facebook Page or follow

me on Twitter!
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Abraham Maslow and Becoming The Self-Determination Theory:

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11 Comments
brianbrawdy
GREAT read! Enjoying the series as well!
 JUNE 18, 2015  REPLY

David
Thank you Brian! Glad you are liking it!
 JUNE 18, 2015  REPLY
Lyle Barber
Thank You! I am glad to be reading your series and to pro-

actively use your examples as varies ways people percieve
health and wellness. I present these various ways of well-being
to my clients in a clinical and behavioral health settings.
 SEPTEMBER 28, 2015  REPLY

David
I’m glad you are enjoying it and finding it useful, Lyle!

Thanks for commenting!
 OCTOBER 1, 2015  REPLY
Steve Cottrell
An enjoyable and interesting read, thank you. Carol’s work

seems not to have achieved the profile it deserves outside of
academic circles, which is a puzzle and a great shame. Thank
you very much for publicising her great work.
 MAY 4, 2016  REPLY
Ayra Magalyon. (@airamagss)
Hi! This is totally a good reference for our research. I

sincerely hope you could provide your full name so we
could use your article and mention you as the author. If
only, it’s all okay with you. Thank you and God bless.
 JULY 13, 2016  REPLY
Waqas Ahmad
Gr8 work David. references you provided shows your hard

work are really establishing points you are trying to make.
 NOVEMBER 7, 2016  REPLY
norah
May we know Sir the interpretation of Psychological well-being

test questionnaire? how will we get the result of (6) six
dimensions
including the autonomy, environmental mastery, positive

relations, personal growth, purpose in life and self acceptance.
how will we know sir if it is high or low? What are the range of
score to know if it is high or low?
We are hoping for your kind reply.
 MARCH 29, 2017  REPLY

David
Hi, you can check out these two links:
https://www.karger.com/ProdukteDB/katalogteile/isbn3_
8055/_98/_53/suppmat/p192-PWB.pdf
http://www.liberalarts.wabash.edu/ryff-scales/
 MARCH 30, 2017  REPLY
EEMcC
Perhaps Ryff’s model is not as well known as it should be

because it is not that easy to remember. If it had been
presented as an acronym, it would have been easier to market
and better received. What I would like to know is how her
factors map onto Seligman’s PERMA model of well-being?
 JANUARY 23, 2018  REPLY
Hazel O'Neil
Will definetely be telling my friends about this! Thanks for the

tips
 DECEMBER 8, 2020  REPLY
Leave a Reply
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1/20/22, 9:51 PM Carol Ryff's Model of Psychological Well-being - Living Meanings

Carol Ryff’s Model of

Professor Carol Ryff studied “Well-Being” before it was cool. 20

was already quietly working on the problem at the University of

She ended up creating one of the first systematic models of

scientifically verified and empirically rigorous today.1

Carol Ryff was motivated by two things: firstly,well-being should

a philosophical question about the meaning of a good life.2

To construct a theory that joins philosophical questions with

Carol Ryff’s model of Psychological Well-being differs from past

Carol Ryff’s six categories of well-being are:3

High Self Acceptance: You possess a positive attitude toward

Low Self Acceptance: You feel dissatisfied with yourself; are

Weak Personal Growth: You have a sense of personal stagnation;

Weak Purpose in Life: You lack a sense of meaning in life; have

4) Positive Relations With Others

Weak Relations: You have few close, trusting relationships with

Low Environmental Mastery: You have difficulty managing

Low Autonomy: You are concerned about the expectations and

And her model has proved rather sturdy. Common to psychology,

is best explained by a six-factor model.456

Ryff’s model also survived cross-culturally, with studies applying it

successfully to populations in Spain and Columbia 7, in Sweden 8,

and in Hong Kong.9

Some contradictory evidence exists, arguing that the six criteria

could be simplified, as large overlaps have been found.1011 Other

rather than the model itself.13

Check out top Positive Psychology books on

Liked this article? Like our Facebook Page or follow

POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY WELL-BEING

Abraham Maslow and Becoming The Self-Determination Theory:

GREAT read! Enjoying the series as well!

 JUNE 18, 2015  REPLY

Thank you Brian! Glad you are liking it!

 JUNE 18, 2015  REPLY

Thank You! I am glad to be reading your series and to pro-

 SEPTEMBER 28, 2015  REPLY

I’m glad you are enjoying it and finding it useful, Lyle!

 OCTOBER 1, 2015  REPLY

An enjoyable and interesting read, thank you. Carol’s work

 MAY 4, 2016  REPLY

Ayra Magalyon. (@airamagss)

Hi! This is totally a good reference for our research. I

 JULY 13, 2016  REPLY

Gr8 work David. references you provided shows your hard

 NOVEMBER 7, 2016  REPLY

May we know Sir the interpretation of Psychological well-being

including the autonomy, environmental mastery, positive

We are hoping for your kind reply.

 MARCH 29, 2017  REPLY

Hi, you can check out these two links:

 MARCH 30, 2017  REPLY

Perhaps Ryff’s model is not as well known as it should be

 JANUARY 23, 2018  REPLY

Will definetely be telling my friends about this! Thanks for the

 DECEMBER 8, 2020  REPLY

Enter your comment here...

Your email address

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 The Myth of Authentic Travel

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