current studies
current studies
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Characterizing the psychologically rich life:
Personality traits, daily activities, and goal pursual
Characterizing the psychologically rich life:
Personality traits, daily activities, and goal pursual
The idea of a ‘good life’ has traditionally been thought of as one filled with happy, pleasurable moments of comfort (hedonic), or one filled with meaningful dedication to personally valued goals (eudaimonic). Moving beyond the eudaimonic–hedonic divide to conceptualizing well-being, a new pathway has been proposed: well-being via pursuing a psychologically rich life. The psychologically rich life is characterized by a variety of interesting and perspective-changing experiences. The purpose of this study is to identify the individual and contextual factors that characterize the psychologically rich life in an everyday context. This cross-sectional quantitative pilot study is to understand how the personality traits, positive psychological functioning, and daily activities characteristic of those who pursue a life of richness differ from those who pursue a life of pleasure, meaning, or engagement. These findings will inform a hypothesis-driven longitudinal study in 2025.
Equitable community mental health promotion in the Central Lowlands:
Co-designing a well-being research agenda
Equitable community mental health promotion in the Central Lowlands:
Co-designing a well-being research agenda
This project aims to improve community mental health in the Scottish Central Lowlands through co-designing a population survey to evaluate and monitor well-being. The co-design component engages residents from diverse contexts and backgrounds (i.e., those who experience multiple and intersecting health/social inequities) in the selection of factors to measure. This pilot study is the first phase of a 5-year research plan, where the end goal is for strong enough community connections to scale up a sustainable mental health promotion research network in Scotland. We will utilize a systems science approach, embedding co-design principles in primary data collection, analysis, and knowledge translation. We will work with community organizations to identify the levels, needs, and assets of community well-being, which will create the foundation for public mental health survelliance and the development of healthy public policy, practices, and programs.
Measure what matters: An environmental scan and quality appraisal of population well-being surveys
Measure what matters: An environmental scan and quality appraisal of population well-being surveys
Population well-being surveys collect information from large, representative groups of people living in a defined geographic region on various social, emotional, and psychological factors that contribute to overall quality of life. Surveys provide relevant data to shape policies and practices to improve overall quality of life, such as informing the development of national quality of life frameworks. Ensuring that high-quality measures are being used in surveys is essential, because population level data inform policies that affect entire populations. The purpose of this study was to identify all existing population well-being surveys and analyze the quantity and quality of the established measures used in each survey. We conducted an environmental scan and identified 14 population well-being surveys, representing four continents, administered at monthly to 5-year intervals, and on samples of 3,928 to 65,000 individuals. We systematically appraised both the psychometry and pragmatism of each measure used in population well-being surveys through double-blind extraction using an established quality assessment tool. Overall measure quality was 33.05 (range: 20-46) and we found comparable domain scores for psychometric (M = 16.21) and pragmatic quality (M = 16.84). Psychometrically, measures tended to have high convergent validity and lower predictive validity. Practically, measures tended to have high readability scores and be briefer rather than longer. Our findings should be interpreted with our quasi-systematic method in mind, and our English language restriction. By highlighting how survey measures can be improved or refined in order to better measure population well-being, we hope these findings can support future population well-being surveys conducted across the world.
When values don’t add up:
Individual and combined effects of personal values on life satisfaction from a decade of nationally representative social surveys
When values don’t add up:
Individual and combined effects of personal values on life satisfaction from a decade of nationally representative social surveys
Personal values have been found to shape how individuals define, pursue, and experience well-being. Drawing on three waves of nationally representative United Kingdom panel data (Wave 1: N = 10,828; Wave 2: N = 15,708; Wave 3: N = 13,898), this study examined the link between self-reported values and life satisfaction. Across all waves, personal characteristics (e.g., health, happiness) were the most frequently cited values and consistently associated with higher life satisfaction, while material values (e.g., finances, employment) were consistently associated with lower life satisfaction. Latent Class Analysis (LCA) identified six distinct value profiles—subpopulations of participants with similar value configurations—the most popular containing similar frequencies of concern for self and others. Value profiles were less predictive of life satisfaction than independent values, suggesting that the influence of values on well-being may be overstated in the literature. We urge researchers to shift toward studying more naturalistic value configurations, rather than isolated values, to better understand their contribution to well-being.
A decade of life’s ups and downs:
Investigating trajectories of population well-being using nonlinear growth curve modeling on nationally representative UK social surveys
A decade of life’s ups and downs:
Investigating trajectories of population well-being using nonlinear growth curve modeling on nationally representative UK social surveys
Living a satisfying life has external, secondhand benefits for families and communities, which makes it relevant to healthy public policy. We examined life satisfaction trajectories and how demographic covariates and satisfaction with specific domains influence life satisfaction over 13 waves of data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study (N = 89,3333 overall). Using nonlinear growth curve modeling, we found that life satisfaction remained relatively stable over the 13 waves (average of 5.06 to 5.26 out of 7), with small but significant variations based on demographic characteristics. Older individuals and those identifying as ethnic minorities reported higher baseline satisfaction, while males experienced steeper changes over time relative to females. Domain-specific satisfaction (leisure, income, health) predicted global life satisfaction at each wave; leisure satisfaction was consistently the strongest predictor. These findings support bottom-up models of subjective well-being: that satisfaction in personally valued life domains shapes overall life satisfaction. Plotting observed life satisfaction by age also provided descriptive support for the highly-debated U-shaped age trajectory of life satisfaction. By highlighting the importance of leisure satisfaction, our results underscore the potential for public policy to promote well-being through community leisure opportunities for all ages. This study contributes to theoretical debates around well-being stability and change, suggesting that while life satisfaction has trait-like qualities (i.e., is stable over time), it is also influenced by domain-specific appraisals (particularly leisure). Interventions aimed at enhancing population well-being may be most effective when they prioritize time affluence (e.g., work-life balance policies), promote leisure engagement, and are designed to support fulfillment in valued life domains.
How does it feel to pursue personally important goals?
Affective appraisals and well-being benefits of self-concordant goals
How does it feel to pursue personally important goals?
Affective appraisals and well-being benefits of self-concordant goals
Pursuing self-concordant goals, those that align with one’s authentic values and identity, has been consistently linked to greater well-being. Drawing on the Self-Concordance Model (SCM) and Eudaimonic Activity Model (EAM), the present research investigates the affective dynamics and well-being benefits of daily activities embedded in meaningful goal pursuit. Across two pre-registered studies using three open datasets (one cross-sectional and two daily diary), we examined: (1) the types of daily activities people engage in to pursue broader goals, (2) the level (goal vs domain) at which self-concordance most strongly predicts well-being, (3) affective patterns across stages of goal progress, and (4) whether there is an optimal level of challenge in goal pursuit for promoting eudaimonic well-being. In Study 1, we leveraged two daily diary datasets (Sample 1: N = 127 participants, 1,278 episodes; Sample 2: N = 97 participants, 1,511 episodes), finding that occupational and mental health-promoting activities were most often linked to broader self-concordant goals and yielded the strongest eudaimonic well-being benefits, whereas passive leisure provided the least. Study 2 used a cross-sectional dataset (N = 327 participants) with entries on 608 self-concordant goals which provided repeated measures data. Analyses revealed that pursuing self-concordant goals elicited complex emotional experiences: greater hope and stress, reduced fear, and heightened certainty as progress increased. A curvilinear relationship between goal difficulty and enjoyment emerged across all goals (not just self-concordant goals), suggesting that moderate challenge may optimize hedonic, but not necessarily eudaimonic, well-being. Together, these findings highlight that the pursuit of personally meaningful goals is psychologically rich, characterized by both enjoyment and discomfort. Rather than chasing happiness directly, individuals appear to flourish most when engaging in authentic, growth-oriented activity—reinforcing the importance of volitional functioning in daily life.
Identifying pathways from personality traits to well-being: Psychological need satisfaction and temporal life evaluations
Identifying pathways from personality traits to well-being: Psychological need satisfaction and temporal life evaluations
Personality traits are well-known correlates of well-being, but the specific mechanisms behind these links and how personality influences individuals’ life expectations over time remain unclear. Aiming to build a fuller picture of personality’s role in flourishing, we investigate how personality traits shape well-being through both present-day motivational mechanisms (i.e., need satisfaction) and future-oriented life evaluations, using open data from the Global Flourishing Survey (N > 200,000 across 22 countries). Guided by Self-Determination Theory’s Basic Psychological Need Mini-Theory, we test whether the Big-5 personality traits contribute to greater well-being through satisfaction of the needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness at a global scale. Additionally, we assess how these traits relate to discrepancies between current and anticipated life evaluations, reflecting optimism or pessimism about future well-being. Utilizing longitudinal structural equation modeling—including cross-lagged panel and latent change score models—the research aims to uncover how personality contributes to both the stability and change of life satisfaction over time. By integrating motivational and temporal approaches, this project advances a personality-informed model of flourishing and highlights personalized pathways to well-being across contexts.
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