This authoritative volume reviews the breadth of current scientific knowledge on subjective well-being (SWB): its definition, causes and consequences, measurement, and practical applications that may help people become happier. Leading experts explore the connections between SWB and a range of intrapersonal and interpersonal phenomena, including personality, health, relationship satisfaction, wealth, cognitive processes, emotion regulation, religion, family life, school and work experiences, and culture. Interventions and practices that enhance SWB are examined, with attention to both their benefits and limitations. The concluding chapter from Ed Diener dispels common myths in the field and presents a thoughtful agenda for future research.
1. Ed Diener and the Science of Subjective Well-Being, Randy J. Larsen and Michael Eid I. The Realm of Subjective Well-being 2. Philosophy and the Science of Subjective Well-Being, Daniel M. Haybron 3. Sociological Theories of Subjective Well-Being, Ruut Veenhoven 4. Evolution and Subjective Well-Being, Sarah E. Hill and David M. Buss 5. The Pursuit of Happiness in History, Darrin M. McMahon II. Measuring Subjective Well-being 6. The Structure of Subjective Well-Being, Ulrich Schimmack 7. The Assessment of Subjective Well-Being: Successes and Shortfalls, William Pavot 8. Measuring the Immeasurable: Psychometric Modeling of Subjective Well-Being Data, Michael Eid III. The Happy Person 9. Personality and Subjective Well-Being, Richard E. Lucas 10. Happiness and the Invisible Threads of Social Connection: The Chicago Health, Aging, and Social Relations Study, John T. Cacioppo, Louise C. Hawkley, Ariel Kalil, M. E. Hughes, Linda Waite, and Ronald A. Thisted 11. The Happy Mind in Action: The Cognitive Basis of Subjective Well-Being, Michael D. Robinson and Rebecca J. Compton 12. The Frequency of Social Comparison and Its Relation to Subjective Well-Being, Frank Fujita 13. Regulation of Emotional Well-Being: Overcoming the Hedonic Treadmill, Randy J. Larsen and Zvjezdana Prizmic 14. Two New Questions about Happiness: ""Is Happiness Good?"" and ""Is Happier Better?"", Shigehiro Oishi and Minkyung Koo 15. Material Wealth and Subjective Well-Being, Robert M. Biswas-Diener 16. Religion and Human Flourishing, David G. Myers IV. Subjective Well-Being in the Interpersonal Domain 17. What Makes People Happy?: A Developmental Approach to the Literature on Family Relationships and Well-Being, Marissa L. Diener and Mary Beth Diener McGavran 18. Research on Life Satisfaction of Children and Youth: Implications for the Delivery of School-Related Services, E. Scott Huebner and Carol Diener 19. Job Satisfaction: Subjective Well-Being at Work, Timothy A. Judge and Ryan Klinger 20. Comparing Subjective Well-Being across Cultures and Nations: The ""What"" and ""Why"" Questions, Eunkook M. Suh and Jayoung Koo V. Making People Happier 21. Interventions for Enhancing Subjective Well-Being: Can We Make People Happier, and Should We?, Laura A. King 22. Promoting Positive Affect, Barbara L. Fredrickson 23. Gratitude, Subjective Well-Being, and the Brain, Robert A. Emmons VI. Conclusions and Future Directions 25. Myths in the Science of Happiness, and Directions for Future Research, Ed Diener
