In 2019 I went back to university to study for a Masters in Applied Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology at the University of East London. For my research project and subsequent dissertation I researched The impact of creating a Vision Board on life-goal clarity and wellbeing. Here is a brief overview of the study and its findings.
Many positive psychology studies have demonstrated the benefits of writing about the best possible self as a positive psychology intervention. However, no research has been conducted into the efficacy of creating a vision board to represent the best possible self.
This six-week online quasi-experimental study, a study with no control group, aimed to determine whether creating a vision board as an amended version of the Best Possible Self intervention would have a positive impact on life-goal clarity, subjective wellbeing and flourishing.
The study was carried out by 58 participants during the global pandemic in 2020. The intervention required the participants to follow the online instructions provided and create a vision board, as a visual representation of their best possible self, in a place of their choosing and with their own materials.
Flourishing, life-goal clarity and subjective wellbeing, (i.e. life satisfaction and positive and negative emotional experiences), were measured one week before creating the vision board, immediately after creating the vision board, and a follow up survey was completed four weeks later.
Findings showed that participants experienced a significant positive change in their subjective wellbeing, flourishing, and the clarity of their life goals between the beginning and the end of the study. These results are consistent with existing literature on the benefits to wellbeing of the Best Possible Self intervention.
In an attempt to translate and summarise the impact of creating a Vision Board here goes:
The immediate effects of making a vision board were:
* an increase in positive feelings
* becoming more clear on life goals
The longer term effects of making a vision board were:
* still experiencing positive feelings
* still being clear on life goals
* an increase in flourishing ( for example feeling optimistic about the future)
* a reduction in negative feelings
* an increase in life satisfaction
All of these results were statistically significant – a researcher’s reason to do a happy dance!! This means that the changes in the scores on the questionnaires were big enough to be seen as important – woo hoo!!
The study’s results support the proposal that the creation and use of a vision board could be a new and valuable positive psychology intervention to improve subjective wellbeing and flourishing. It also highlights the wider benefits of creating a vision board, that of being a tool to identify life goals.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank all the amazing participants who spent their valuable time and energy engaging in this study, making it possible.
Would you like to create a Vision Board using the method used within this research study? Click here to access my self-study course.
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