Poverty, Stress, and Happiness: Examining The Moderating Role of Psychological Capital On The Relation Between Poverty and Happiness Among Farmers and Fish Farmers in Ghana

Abstract

Although much research has been conducted on the association between poverty and happiness, little is known about its mediators and moderators. Thus, our understanding of how – and the conditions under which -- poverty affects happiness is imprecise. This study assessed stress as a mediator of the negative association between poverty and happiness using a sample of 345 farmers and fish farmers living in Ghana. Further, Psychological Capital (PsyCap, consisting of hope, optimism, resilience, and self-confidence) was examined as a two-stage moderator of the poverty-happiness relationship, as mediated by stress. There was no support for the stage 1 moderation, and while there was support for stage 2 moderation, it was in a direction opposite from what was hypothesized (for overall PsyCap and PsyCapF2). The negative moderation at stage 2 suggests that PsyCap (overall and PsyCap2) is associated with a weakening of an unexpected positive association between stress and happiness. PsyCapF2, appears to reflect agency or general self-efficacy. Although the hypothesized model was not supported this study has provided insights into how future research of Ghanaians might be better designed. It also has shown that the positive PsyCap-happiness relationship found in several Western samples is replicable among Ghanaian farmers, a collectivist and highly religious community.