well-being research

positive psychology research 

The individual-level line of research focuses on the intersection of personality, motivation, and well-being. We study how people cultivate happiness, meaning, and psychological richness in everyday life. This line of research investigates the processes and structures that support well-being, where we explore how people balance consistency and change, stability and exploration, in ways that support well-being. We also investigate personality-driven processes for selecting, pursuing, and enjoying activities by testing theoretical premises from positive psychology models (e.g., Basic Psychological Needs, Positive Activity Model, Broaden-and-Build). Here, we're interested in how people can facilitate an upward spiral of well-being benefits to inform activity-based positive psychological interventions. Using longitudinal surveys, experience-sampling, and mixed-methods designs, this work develops process-oriented models of well-being that bridge hedonic, eudaimonic, and psychologically rich perspectives. A central goal is to understand well-being as a dynamic and adaptive system—one that balances stability with change and supports growth across diverse contexts.

mental health promotion research

Our population-level research is focused on strengthening mental health promoting conditions across socio-ecological domains (e.g., community, policy) using a public mental health approach. Our applied research relies on implementation science, evidence synthesis methods, and participatory and systems-science approaches to co-design interventions and tools that enable equitable, community-driven approaches to well-being promotion. By collaborating with local organisations and international partners, we co-design community well-being surveys, work toward adapting international best practices, and pilot test novel interventions in real-world settings. Through these partnerships, we aim to translate well-being science into practical strategies that improve everyday life and reduce social inequalities.

happiness meta-science

This stream of research investigates how knowledge about well-being is produced, represented, and improved. It examines the structure, inclusivity, and methodological evolution of well-being science to strengthen its transparency, credibility, and global reach. Our meta-science work focuses on three interlinked themes:

1. Mapping the Field – Using bibliometric and network analysis to chart how ideas, theories, and collaborations develop across time, revealing intellectual patterns, blind spots, and opportunities for integration.

2. Equity and Representation in Research – Conducting large-scale audits of who is studied (and who is not) in well-being research, identifying demographic, cultural, and geographic gaps that limit the generalizability of the evidence base.

3. Scientific Practice and Methodological Reform – Tracking the adoption of open science, reproducibility, and analytic innovation across two decades of well-being research, situating the field within psychology’s broader credibility movement.

Together, these studies provide a reflective lens on the science of well-being itself—linking conceptual progress with transparency, inclusion, and methodological rigour to build a more cumulative and representative discipline.