Subjective well-being: The science of happiness and a proposal for a national index.

2000/01/01 by Ed Diener · 6,486 citations
Psychology · #Aging and Gerontology Research #Cognition #Developmental psychology #Experience sampling method #Feeling #Happiness #Index (typography) #Life satisfaction #Personality #Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction #Psychological and Temporal Perspectives Research #Psychology #Psychotherapist #Social psychology #Subjective well-being #Temperament #Well-being

paper · doi:10.1037/0003-066x.55.1.34

published in American Psychologist 55(1), 34-43 (American Psychological Association)

openalex publication_date 2000/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31

Abstract

One area of positive psychology analyzes subjective well-being (SWB), people's cognitive and affective evaluations of their lives. Progress has been made in understanding the components of SWB, the importance of adaptation and goals to feelings of well-being, the temperament underpinnings of SWB, and the cultural influences on well-being. Representative selection of respondents, naturalistic experience sampling measures, and other methodological refinements are now used to study SWB and could be used to produce national indicators of happiness.

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