Dialogue on Vital Engagement
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Dr Lau: What is Vital Engagement?
Dr Ho: Broadly described, Vital Engagement is "the participation in an enduring relationship that is at once enjoyed and meaningful" (Nakamura & Csikszentmihalyi, 2003, p.83).
Dr Lau: Forget the textbook definition, what are the important elements of Vital Engagement?
Dr Ho: There are four key words in the above definition of Vital Engagement - "enduring", "relationship", "enjoyed" and "meaningful". Amongst them "enduring" and "relationship" highlight the nature of the engagement whilst "enjoyed" and "meaningful" describe what contributes to a vital experience.
Dr Lau: In common language, what is the meaning of these words?
Dr Ho: "Enduring" implies that the engagement should be long and lasting, and stand the test of time. In Vital Engagement, this enduring "relationship" is marked by total absorption and high intensity of involvement. "Enjoyment" captures the idea that one participates in the enduring activity because one finds it interesting and enjoyable instead of the expectation of reward (e.g. money) (Moneta, 2004). "Meaningfulness", simply put, states that one finds the engaged activity has a purpose and is worthwhile, which makes the activity a significant part of one's life experience.
Dr Lau: But how long is "long lasting"?
Dr Ho: Ideally it should be life long. However, the most important point is that Vital Engagement should never be a passing fad. In other words, one will continue to participate in the activity irrespective of whether it is a trendy one.
For example, bowling was a popular game for many youngsters in Hong Kong in the 80s but it is not the case nowadays. Most people who picked up bowling in the 80s have dropped the game. The minority who continue to play regularly would probably find bowling a vital engagement in life.
Dr Lau: How can an activity be "enduring enjoyable" when all of us know that repetition leads to boredom?
Dr Ho: Activities can broadly be categorised according to (1) the challenges they provide and (2) the skills required to perform the task. An enjoyable activity usually requires that both challenges and skills are high and in relative balance with each other (i.e. challenges and skills are of similar strengths). Accordingly, a potential good Vital Engagement activity should provide a pathway of progression so that once a lower level of skills is acquired (i.e. skills > challenges), one can move to a higher level of challenges (in this higher level, challenges will be larger than skills initially but gradually challenges and skills will balance off and lead to enjoyment). Many activities like playing piano and Tai-chi have these characteristics.
On the other hand, there are some activities that do not provide a clear pathway of progression, or an objective standard of quality of the end products, but will continue to provide enjoyment for its practitioner because of its creative nature. Creative work in art and science (painting, research) falls into this realm.
Dr Lau: Why do we need to know about Vital Engagement?
Dr Ho: There are evidences that people vitally engaging in enduring relationships and activities are happier, of higher functioning as well as able to cope with life challenges better. They may also establish a more meaningful and flourishing life through such engagements.
Dr Lau: From what you'd said, Vital Engagement is beneficial to the mental health of our police officers, who are constantly under a high level of stress while discharging their daily duties. The enjoyment derived from engaging in a devoted activity in their leisure hours can balance their stress at work and elevate their resilience. They are also able to find meaningfulness in other aspects of their lives besides police work itself. This can help our colleagues to strike a better work-life balance, which is an important element of positive mental health in modern society.
Reference:
Moneta, G. B. (2004). The flow model of intrinsic motivation in Chinese: Cultural and personal moderators. Journal of Happiness Studies, 5, 181-217.
Nakamura, J., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2003). The construction of meaning through vital engagement. In C. L. M. Keyes & J. Haidt (Eds.), Flourishing. Positive psychology and the life well-lived (pp. 83-104). Washington D.C.: American Psychological Association.
Seek advice and help from the Psychological Services Group: 28666206 (5th floor, 111 Leighton Road, Causeway Bay). PEN: psg@police.gov.hk
(All cases will be kept in strict confidence.)
The following dialogue between Dr Samuel Ho, Associate Professor of the Department of Psychology, the University of Hong Kong, and Dr Edmond Lau, Police Clinical Psychologist sheds more light on Vital Engagement. Dr Ho has rich experiences in the study of positive psychology.