Abstract Book of the 9th World Conference on Social Sciences
Year: 2025
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How Spirituality Promotes Flourishing: The Mediating Roles of Psychological Capital and Just-World Belief
Peeyush Anand, Rabindra Kumar Pradhan
ABSTRACT:
In an era marked by increasing interest in the science of well-being, understanding how intrinsic motivational processes contribute to flourishing has become a central concern in positive psychology. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT), the present study conceptualises spirituality as an intrinsic motivational orientation that facilitates flourishing through two interrelated mechanisms: psychological capital (PsyCap), reflecting autonomous agency and competence, and just-world belief (JWB), representing meaning-making and existential coherence. A sample of 598 adults completed standardised measures of spirituality, PsyCap, JWB, and flourishing. Parallel mediation analysis with bootstrapping revealed that spirituality positively predicted flourishing; however, this relationship was fully mediated by PsyCap and JWB, with the direct effect rendered non-significant upon inclusion of the mediators. These findings substantiate the SDT proposition that intrinsic motivation directed toward transcendent and meaningful goals nurtures well-being by fulfilling the psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Conceptually, the study advances the understanding of spirituality as a self-determined motivational resource that simultaneously cultivates agentic efficacy and coherent worldviews, thereby fostering optimal psychological functioning. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed for developing well-being interventions that enhance intrinsic motivation through spiritual engagement, psychological capital enhancement, and the cultivation of meaning systems that sustain flourishing across diverse life domains.
Keywords: Spirituality, Psychological Capital, Just World Beliefs, Flourishing, Self-Determination Theory