Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Monitoring Psychosocial Prosperity for Social Change

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Positive Psychology as Social Change

Abstract

Social and behavioral scientists have developed a consensual description of the “good life.” Their description of psychosocial prosperity might include additional elements, but there is widespread consensus that it comprises social support and safety, public trust and tolerance, positive evaluations of life, feelings of competence and mastery, and a predominance of positive over negative experience. This description of the elements of a flourishing life should be central to societal policies. Defining psychosocial prosperity, measuring it, and offering interventions to enhance it, are services that the social and behavioral sciences are uniquely qualified to provide. Creating national accounts of psychological and social prosperity will ensure that societies develop in positive directions. Although economic and other social indicators furnish needed information to policy makers, measures of psychosocial prosperity provide an overarching framework for the goals societies should pursue. We present data from the Gallup World Poll on psychosocial prosperity around the globe, and show that it can diverge from economic prosperity. A clearly articulated vision of psychological and social prosperity will give social and behavioral scientists a major role in policy discussions, provide societies with a new mandate for providing quality of life to their citizens, and give a structure into which existing economic and other indicators can be placed. Societal monitoring of psychosocial well-being will focus attention on the qualities of societies beyond economic growth that need improvement.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Amabile, T. M., Barsade, S. G., Mueller, J. S., & Staw, B. M. (2005). Affect and creativity at work. Administrative Science Quarterly, 50, 367–403.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aronson, E. (2004). The social animal. New York: Worth Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Augustine, A. A., Larsen, R. J., Walker, M. S., & Fisher, E. B. (2008). Personality predictors of the time course for lung cancer onset. Journal of Research in Personality, 42, 1448–1455.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (1995). The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 117, 497–529.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Beck, D. A., & Koenig, H. G. (1996). Minor depression: A review of the literature. International Journal of Psychiatry and Medicine, 26, 177–209.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bjornskov, C. (2008). Social capital and happiness in the United States. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 3, 43–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blaine, B. (2008). Does depression cause obesity? A meta-analysis of longitudinal studies of depression and weight control. Journal of Health Psychology, 13, 1190–1197.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bobak, M., Murphy, M., Rose, R., & Marmot, M. (2007). Societal characteristics and health in the former communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union: A multilevel analysis. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 61, 990–996.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Boehm, J. K., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2008). Does happiness promote career success? Journal of Career Assessment, 16, 101–116.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, S. L., Nesse, R. M., Vinokur, A. D., & Smith, D. M. (2003). Providing social support may be more beneficial than receiving it: Results from a prospective study of mortality. Psychological Science, 14, 320–327.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Burk, L. R., Park, J., Armstrong, J. M., Klein, M. H., Goldsmith, H. H., Zahn-Waxler, C., et al., (2008). Identification of early child and family risk factors for aggressive victim status in first grade. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 36, 513–526.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Burton, C. M., & King, L. A. (2008). Effects of (very) brief writing on health: The two-minute miracle. British Journal of Health Psychology, 13, 9–14.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cacioppo, J. T., & Patrick, W. (2008). Loneliness: Human nature and the need for social connection. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cantor, N. (2009). Nancy Cantor: A view from the chancellor’s office. (An interview with Walter Mischel). Observer, 22, 13–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Catterberg, G., & Moreno, A. (2006). The individual bases of political trust: Trends in new and established democracies. International Journal of Public Opinion Research, 18, 31–48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Champagne, F. A., & Meaney, M. J. (2006). Stress during gestation alters postpartum maternal care and the development of the offspring in a rodent model. Biological Psychiatry, 59, 1227–1235.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chida, Y., & Steptoe, A. (2008). Positive psychological well-being and mortality: A quantitative review of prospective observational studies. Psychosomatic Medicine, 70, 741–756.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Choi, J., Fauce, S. R., & Effros, R. B. (2008). Reduced telomerase activity in human T lymphocytes exposed to cortisol. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 22, 600–605.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Coan, J. A., Schaefer, H. S., & Davison, R. J. (2006). Lending a hand: Social regulation of the neural response to threat. Psychological Science, 17, 1032–1039.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, S., Doyle, W. J., Turner, R. B., Alper, C. M., & Skoner, D. P. (2003). Emotional style and susceptibility to the common cold. Psychosomatic Medicine, 65, 652–657.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1988). Optimal experience. New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Danner, D. D., Snowdon, D. A., & Friesen, W. V. (2001). Positive emotions in early life and longevity: Findings from the nun study. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 80, 804–813.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • De Charms, R. (1968). Personal causation: The internal affective determinants of behavior. New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior. New York: Plenum Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • DiMatteo, M. R., Lepper, H. S., & Croghan, T. W. (2000). Depression is a risk factor for noncompliance with medical treatment. Archives of Internal Medicine, 160, 2101–2107.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., & Biswas-Diener, R. (2008). Happiness: Unlocking the mysteries of psychological wealth. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., Lucas, R., Schimmack, U., & Helliwell, J. (2009). Well-being for public policy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2002). Very happy people. Psychological Science, 13, 81–84.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., & Tay, L. (2009). Universal needs and subjective well-being. In preparation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dillard, A. J., Schiavone, A., & Brown, S. L. (2008). Helping behavior and positive emotions: Implications for health and well-being. In S. J. Lopez (Ed.), Positive psychology: Exploring the best in people, Vol 2: Capitalizing on emotional experiences. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers/Greenwood Publishing Group.

    Google Scholar 

  • Epel, E., Daubenmier, J., Moskowitz, J. T., Folkman, S., & Blackburn, E. (2009). Can meditation slow rate of cellular aging? Cognitive stress, mindfulness, and telomeres. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1172, 34–53.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American Psychologist, 56, 218–226.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fredrickson, B. L., & Levenson, R. W. (1998). Positive emotions speed recovery from the cardiovascular sequelae of negative emotions. Cognition and Emotion, 12, 191–220.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fredrickson, B. L., Mancuso, R. A., Branigan, C., & Tugade, M. M. (2000). The undoing effect of positive emotions. Motivation and Emotion, 24, 237–258.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fredrickson, B. L., Tugarde, M. M., Waugh, C. E., & Larkin, G. (2003). What good are positive emotions in crises? A prospective study of resilience and emotions following terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11th, 2001. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(2), 365–376.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Frisch, M. B., Clark, M. P., Rouse, S. V., Rudd, D. M., Paweleck, J. K., Greenstone, A., et al. (2005). Predictive and treatment validity of life satisfaction and quality of life inventory. Assessment, 12, 66–78.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • George, J. M., & Zhou, J. (2007). Dual tuning in a supportive context: Joint contributions of positive mood, negative mood, and supervisory behaviors to employee creativity. Academy of Management Journal, 50, 605–622.

    Google Scholar 

  • Halpern, D. (2005). Social capital. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Helliwell, J. F., Barrington-Leigh, C., Harris, C., & Huang, H. (2010). International evidence on the social context of well-being. In E. Diener, D. Kahneman, & J. F. Helliwell (Eds.), International differences in well-being. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hindelang, M. J., Hirschi, T., & Weiss, J. G. (1979). Correlates of delinquency: The illusion of discrepancy between self-report and official measures. American Sociological Review, 44, 995–1014.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoffman, D. M. (1996). Psychological and physiological responses to depressed others. Dissertation Abstracts International, Section B, The Sciences and Engineering, 57, 4030.

    Google Scholar 

  • House, J. S., Landis, K. R., & Umberson, D. (1988). Social relationships and health. Science, 241, 540–545.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Inglehart, R., & Welzel, C. (2009). Human beliefs and values: The link between modernization and democracy. University of Michigan. Submitted for publication.

    Google Scholar 

  • Isen, A. (2009). A role for neuropsychology in understanding the facilitating influence of positive affect on social behavior and cognitive processes. In S. J. Lopez & C. R. Snyder (Eds.), Oxford handbook of positive psychology (pp. 503–518). New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jowell, R., & Gillian, E. (2009). Happiness is not enough: Cognitive judgments as indicators of national well-being. Social Indicators Research, 91, 317–328.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kenrick, D., Griskevicius, V., Neuberg, S., & Schaller, M. (2010). Renovating the pyramid of needs: Contemporary extensions built upon ancient foundations. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 5, 292–314.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lucas, R. E. (2007). Adaptation and the set-point model of subjective well-being: Does happiness change after major life events? Current Directions in Psychological Science, 16, 75–79.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Major, B., & Schmader, T. (1998). Coping with stigma through psychological disengagement. In J. K. Swim & C. Stangor (Eds.), Prejudice: The target’s perspective (pp. 219–241). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mays, V. M., Cochran, S. D., & Barnes, N. W. (2007). Race, race-based discrimination, and health outcomes among African Americans. Annual Review of Psychology, 58, 201–225.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Musselman, D. J., Bowling, A., Giles, N., Larsen, H., Betan, E., & Phillips, L. S. (2007). The interrelationship of depression and diabetes. In A. Steptoe (Ed.), Depression and physical illness (pp. 165–194). New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Musselman, D. L., Evans, D. L., & Nemeroff, C. B. (1998). The relationship of depression to cardiovascular disease: Epidemiology, biology, and treatment. Archives of General Psychiatry, 55, 580–592.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Myers, D. G. (1999). Close relationships and quality of life. In D. Kahneman, E. Diener, & N. Schwartz (Eds.), Well-being: The foundations of hedonic psychology (pp. 374–391). New York: Russell Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Okazaki, S. (2009). Impact of racism on ethnic minority mental health. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 4, 103–107.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. (Eds.). (2004). Character strength and virtues. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Phelan, K., Khoury, J., Atherton, H., & Kahn, R. S. (2007). Maternal depression, child behavior, and injury. Injury Prevention, 13, 403–408.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pressman, S. D., & Cohen, S. (2007). Use of social words in autobiographies and longevity. Psychosomatic Medicine, 69, 262–269.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Proffitt, D. (2006). Embodied perception and the economy of action. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 1, 110–122.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Putnam, R. (2000). Bowling alone: Collapse and revival of American community. New York: Simon & Schuster.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roose, S. P. (2003). Depression: Links with ischemic heart disease and erectile dysfunction. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 64, 26–30.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55, 68–78.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ryff, C. D. (1989). Happiness is everything, or is it? Explorations on the meaning of psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57, 1069–1081.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ryff, C. D., & Singer, B. (1998). The contours of positive human health. Psychological Inquiry, 9, 1–28.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seligman, M. E. P. (2009, June 18–21). Positive psychology and positive education. International Positive Psychology Association first world congress on Positive Psychology, Philadelphia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh-Manoux, A., Gueguen, A., Martikainen, P., Ferrie, J., Marmot, M., & Shipley, M. (2007). Self-related health and mortality: Short- and long-term associations in the Whitehall II study. Psychosomatic medicine, 69, 138–143.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, T. W., Glazer, K., Ruiz, J. M., & Gallo, L. C. (2004). Hostility, anger, aggressiveness, and coronary heart disease: An interpersonal perspective on personality, emotion, and health. Journal of Personality, 72, 1217–1270.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tamir, M. (2009). Why do people want to feel and why? Current Directions in Psychological Science, 18, 101–105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • The Economist. (2009, April 18). There was a lawyer, an engineer, and a politician…, 64–65.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tice, D. M., Baumeister, R. F., & Zhang, L. (2004). In P. Philippot & R. S. Feldman (Eds.), The regulation of emotion (pp. 213–226). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tice, D. M., Baumesiter, R. F., Shmueli, D., & Muraven, M. (2007). Restoring the self: Positive affect helps improve self-regulation following ego depletion. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 43, 379–384.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tsai, W. C., Chen, C. C., & Liu, H. L. (2007). Test of a model linking employee positive moods and task performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92, 1570–1583.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Veenhoven, R. (2005). Apparent quality-of-life in nations: How long and happy people live. Social Indicators Research, 71, 61–86.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • White, R. W. (1959). Motivation reconsidered: The concept of competence. Psychological Review, 66, 297–333.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, K. D. (2009). Ostracism: Effects of being excluded and ignored. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 41, 279–314.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, D. R., & Mohammed, S. A. (2009). Discrimination and racial disparities in health: Evidence and needed research. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 32, 20–47.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wright, C. A., George, T. P., Burke, R., Gelfand, D. M., & Teti, D. M. (2000). Early maternal depression and children’s adjustment to school. Child Study Journal, 30, 153–168.

    Google Scholar 

  • Xu, J., & Roberts, R. E. (2010). The power of positive emotions: It’s a matter of life or death – Subjective well-being and the longevity over 28 years in a general population. Health Psychology, 29, 9–19.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA

    Ed Diener & Carol Diener

  2. The Gallup Organization, Washington, DC, USA

    Ed Diener

Authors
  1. Ed Diener
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Carol Diener
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ed Diener .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. SE. Aldercrest Rd. 4625, Milwuakie, 97222, Oregon, USA

    Robert Biswas-Diener

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Diener, E., Diener, C. (2011). Monitoring Psychosocial Prosperity for Social Change. In: Biswas-Diener, R. (eds) Positive Psychology as Social Change. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9938-9_4

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation