Academic Relational Civility as a Key Resource for Sustaining Well-Being

In the 21st century, which has been characterized by complexity, instability, and continuous change, the well-being of individuals is threatened. The health and well-being of individuals are recognized as one of the 17 sustainable development goals of the United Nations. From a primary prevention perspective, physical and psychological health can be augmented through the early identification and promotion of key psychological resources that sustain well-being across one’s lifetime. With that goal in mind, the present study explored potential relationships between academic relational civility and both hedonic (positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction) and eudaimonic well-being (meaning in life and flourishing), controlling for the effect of personality traits among university students. The Big Five Questionnaire (BFQ), the Academic Relational Civility Scale (ARCS), the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), the Meaning in Life Measure (MLM), and the Flourishing Scale (FS), were administered to 241 Italian university students. Regression analyses identified that academic relational civility contributed significantly to hedonic and eudaimonic well-being beyond the contribution of stable personality factors. Academic relational civility may represent one psychological resource for supporting and sustaining hedonic and eudaimonic well-being, suggesting the need for further research and intervention.