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Positive Organisational Psychology (POP) has experienced significant growth in the past two decades, contributing to our understanding of work-related well-being and performance. However, the discipline is now on the cusp of a new wave of research and innovation that may reshape its discourse. This paper introduces the concept of 'Positive Organisational Psychology 2.0' (POP 2.0) as an evidence-based, data-driven field that utilizes technological advancements and human-centred design to understand and enhance positive characteristics of individuals, organisations, and society for optimal psychological functioning, wellbeing, and performance. The paper begins with an overview of POP's emergence, highlighting its key characteristics and exploring the factors behind its rapid growth and declining relevance. We then conceptualize POP 2.0, outline its defining features, and advocate for a broader scope, expanded focal audience, enhanced methodologies, and transformative role shifts for practitioners. We conclude by outlining opportunities, challenges and perspectives for the next wave of innovative research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new theory of joy as defined by the elation of right relation, i.e., an intense and temporary feeling of heightened positive emotion as a consequence of a just right fit between our identity and the moment we are experiencing. Diverse domains of joy are explored: emotional, social, cognitive, physical, communal, and ideological. Several 'paradoxical' forms of joy are also elucidated, including schadenfreude, self-denial, and 'killjoy' attempts to thwart the joy of others. Throughout the paper, promising research questions are presented. At the close of the paper, methodological issues in the investigation of joy are discussed. Researchers are encouraged to investigate joy among a wide range of groups – cultures, countries, ages, genders, and social classes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Happiness is an increasingly prominent topic across academia, with a burgeoning array of research into its different aspects. Among the most dynamic and interdisciplinary work in this arena are studies exploring the myriad factors that influence it. These span multiple topics and fields of enquiry, from physiology and identity to politics and economics, covering analyses at both individual and national levels. This paper offers a comprehensive overview of such work, identifying seven overarching 'conditions' (in themselves multifaceted) that contribute towards the complex creation of happiness: temperament; health; demographics; relationships and communities; culture; economics and equality; and governance. Theoretically, these are conceived as constituting the 'multidimensional conditionality' of happiness (i.e. conditions that contribute to its arising, which interact in complex ways). The paper also highlights issues with current scholarship, providing a stimulus for further work on this important topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While positive psychology has been in development for more than 20 years, positive psychologists still face the challenge of finding optimal measurements of well-being. The PERMA framework provides a new understanding of well-being based on years of research. However, whether it adds value in terms of being distinct from the already established measures of Subjective Well-Being (SWB) has recently been under debate. Certain characteristics of PERMA make it unsuited for traditional factor analysis and data analysis techniques. In this paper, we argue that a network approach is more suitable for understanding the interrelated nature of PERMA components. We then show how the components of PERMA and SWB are distinct using exploratory graphical analysis. Our results show that while PERMA predicts SWB, PERMA provides us a more nuanced way to understand the interrelated antecedents of well-being, which we refer to as the web of well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an earlier paper (Goodman et al., 2018), we found that two models of subjective well-being demonstrated substantial overlap, with correlations between.85-.98. We concluded that these two models do not capture distinct types of well-being – a conclusion consistent with a growing list of studies that have found high correlations between various models of well-being. In response to our work, the developer of one well-being model wrote a commentary offering an alternative conclusion (Seligman, 2018). In this paper, we continue this important discussion by delineating areas of disagreement and common ground. We present our new hierarchical framework of well-being and illustrate how it can resolve long-standing points of contention in well-being measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a personal review of Marty Seligman's career and contribution as seen through the eyes of a long-time friend and colleague. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current developmental perspective on flow theory focuses mainly on the growth of skills. Such perspective, however, may overlook how individuals find flow in the face of developmental losses. This paper expands the current developmental perspective on flow theory by incorporating the contemporary view of lifespan human development. The first part of the review is an introduction to the current developmental perspective on flow theory and its premises. The second part identifies and describes the theories of how individuals respond to excess environmental challenges. The third part proposes a new lifespan developmental perspective on flow theory that revises the original premises and covers the range of cognitive and behavioral responses to challenge–skill imbalance. The fourth part explains the relations of the imbalance-induced responses to the imbalance–flow experience model. The final part discusses potential moderators that facilitate (or inhibit) the effectiveness of the imbalance-induced responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite decades of research on materialism, there are few viable strategies for reducing materialism in younger consumers. In this paper, we present two studies conducted among over 900 adolescents that reveal a promising strategy for decreasing materialism: fostering gratitude. In Study 1, results from a nationally representative survey showed that children and adolescents with a grateful disposition were less materialistic. In Study 2, experimental evidence showed that an intervention designed to increase gratitude (i.e. keeping a gratitude journal) significantly reduced materialism among adolescents and also attenuated materialism's negative effect on generosity. Using real money and donation as a behavioral measure, we found that adolescents who kept a gratitude journal donated 60% more of their earnings to charity compared to those in the control condition. We discuss the implications of our findings, offer some suggestions for putting our results into action, and provide an agenda for future research in this domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In thinking and talking about wellbeing, people often deploy spatial metaphors, such as identifying positive and negative affect with 'up' and 'down' respectively. However, there has not yet been a systematic investigation of how wellbeing is represented through metaphor. To shed light on this topic, a content analysis was conducted of spatial metaphors in academic discourse on wellbeing, focusing on recent editions of two leading journals, the Journal of Positive Psychology, and the British Journal of Clinical Psychology. Across 28 papers, 54 spatial metaphors were identified, grouped into four main categories: verticality; horizontality; configuration; and dynamism. Above all, wellbeing is associated with interior expansiveness, with positive valence usually attaching to vertical metaphors of height and depth, horizontal metaphors of width and breadth, and configuration metaphors of size and growth. The analysis thus offers valuable insights into the subjective dynamics of wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Positive psychology has made significant advances in our understanding of well-being, yet agreement about the definition and nature of well-being remains elusive. This study explores theexperience of well-beingfrom a bottom-up, naturalistic point of view and compares these inductive notions with existing a priori theories. Using a qualitative-focused case study methodology, this paper explores how everyday people describe well-being in the context of job loss among a sample of 20 workers from the Ottawa, Canada technology sector. Findings support integrated conceptualizations of hedonia and eudaimonia while also potentially identifying new notions of well-being. Identified themes include (a) life evaluation, (b) transitory experiencing, (c) growth and grounding, (d) environmental mastery/stability, (e) mental ill-being/ill-health, and (f) motivational mindsets/conditions. This study shows well-being to be a rich, pluralistic construct which includes the non-dualistic notions of both subjectivity and objectivity as well as encompassing notions related to the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In our reaction to Ballantyne (current issue), we consider a question we view as important when considering applied work on intellectual humility: What motivates us to be intellectually humble, and how does our cultural context influence our motivations? In particular, we reflect on the potential benefits and costs of intellectual humility. Compared with other virtues that have developed thriving applied research programs (e.g., forgiveness, gratitude), there has been less developed theory and empirical work explaining why individuals and groups would want to become more intellectually humble in the first place. In closing, we consider some strategies that might help individuals and groups identify why they would want to grow in intellectual humility, which could lay an important foundation for future applied work (e.g., developing effective interventions to promote intellectual humility) in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1990s, research studies and theoretical work have made the case for altruistic and compassionate love as a psychosocial determinant of physical and mental health and well-being. Empirical findings and the deliberations of various conferences, working groups, and think-tank initiatives have laid the groundwork for a field that has been referred to as the epidemiology of love. This article provides a narrative history of this field, beginning with early work in psychology and in sociology. These precursors include decades of psychological studies of romantic, sexual, affectional, and interpersonal bonds, preceded by the work of sociologist Pitirim Sorokin in the 1950s detailing his taxonomy of the multiple aspects and dimensions of altruism and love. More recently, research at the intersection of altruism, love, spirituality, and human flourishing has emerged, including studies of physical and mental health. Currently, funded initiatives are developing applications of this research to global population health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging research shows that moral emotions can promote individual prosocial behaviors and adaptation during adversity. Integrating Affective Events Theory (AET) with two functionalist theories of emotions (social functions of emotions and broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions), we extend this line of research by focusing on other-oriented moral emotions as facilitators of individuals' adaptive behavior of voice during a major crisis. We conducted a four-wave survey study with 111 U.S. working adults during the early (acute) stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our path analyses in AMOS, coupled with PROCESS-aided analyses in SPSS, indicated that supervisors' companionate love expression elicited gratitude in subordinates, particularly when subordinates perceived high uncertainty of the crisis, which, in turn, broadened subordinates' in-role perceptions of, and promoted engagement in, voice behaviors. Our findings extend AET in meaningful ways and contribute to research on the moral emotions of companionate love and gratitude, stressing their value in managerial practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Positive youth development (PYD) models propose that character is an important antecedent to civic action, yet few studies have examined temporal links between character strengths and civic behavior. Using a daily diary design, this study tests temporal associations between character and civic behavior during the 2018 US midterm elections. Participants (N = 235, Mage = 19.43) completed seven daily assessments of three character strengths (purpose, future-mindedness, gratitude) and four types of civic behavior (volunteering/helping behavior, environmentalism, standard political behavior, social movement behavior). There were between-person weekly effects and within-person daily effects for most character strengths, volunteering/helping behavior, and environmentalism. Higher daily purpose was associated with greater daily standard political and social movement involvement. Greater social movement involvement predicted higher next-day purpose and future-mindedness. Greater volunteering/helping behavior predicted higher next-day future-mindedness. Higher purpose predicted greater next-day standard political and social movement involvement. Findings support PYD models by documenting nuanced associations between character and civic action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The states of mind (SOM) model-related ratios of positive/negative affect to psychological functioning, findings that were later integrated into Lefebvre's mathematical model of self-awareness. Using a different mathematical model, Fredrickson and Losada proposed a 'tipping point' that distinguished 'languishing' from 'flourishing groups,' but a critique of their work led to a retraction. This cast doubt on positivity ratios and left the concept without mathematical underpinnings. This article highlights critical differences between tipping points and balance points, the latter used by the SOM model and not subject to the same criticisms. An experiment using Fredrickson's and Losada's model was re-analyzed comparing their method with the SOM model, revealing a higher concordance of ratios with existing norms using the SOM method. Since positive and negative affect are important mental-health indicators, restoring a valid mathematical model strengthens the scientific status of this phenomenon and provides a robust theory for positive psychology research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rooted in self-determination theory and guided by its organismic theorizing on personality integration, the present research examined the association between autonomy and everyday creativity at the levels of individual differences in personality and daily fluctuations in motivation, and whether vitality explains this association. In Studies 1a (N = 203) and 1b (N = 68), participants completed measures of trait autonomy, trait vitality, and everyday creativity via self-ratings and responses to a behavior checklist, respectively. In Study 2 (N = 152), undergraduates completed daily measures of autonomous motivation, state vitality, 'little-c' creativity (self-reported and independently rated), and 'mini-c' creativity. Results of Studies 1a and 1b revealed indirect effects (between-persons) of autonomy on everyday creativity through vitality. Results of Study 2 revealed indirect effects (within-persons) of autonomous motivation on 'little-c' creativity and 'mini-c' creativity through state vitality. This complementary set of findings offers a more refined perspective on personality integration and the development of creativity in daily life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A meta-analysis of positive psychology intervention (PPIs) studies was conducted. PPIs were defined as interventions in which the goal of wellbeing enhancement was achieved through pathways consistent with positive psychology theory. Data were extracted from 347 studies involving over 72,000 participants from clinical and non-clinical child and adult populations in 41 countries. The effect of PPIs with an average of ten sessions over six weeks offered in multiple formats and contexts was evaluated. At post-test, PPIs had a significant small to medium effect on wellbeing (g = 0.39), strengths (g = 0.46), QoL (g = 0.48), depression (g = −0.39), anxiety (g = −0.62), and stress (g = −0.58). Gains were maintained at three months follow-up. Individuals in non-western countries with clinical problems, who engaged in longer individual or group therapy programs containing multiple PPIs benefited most. This meta-analysis shows that PPIs have an extensive evidence base supporting their effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sustainable Happiness Model (SHM) has been influential in positive psychology and well-being science. However, the 'pie chart' aspect of the model has received valid critiques. In this article, we start by agreeing with many such critiques, while also explaining the context of the original article and noting that we were speculative but not dogmatic therein. We also show that subsequent research has supported the most important premise of the SHM – namely, that individuals can boost their well-being via their intentional behaviors, and maintain that boost in the longer-term. However, such effects may be weaker than we initially believed. We describe three contemporary models descended from the thinking embodied in the SHM – the Eudaimonic Activity Model, the Hedonic Adaptation Prevention model, and the Positive Activity Model. Research testing these models has further supported the premise that how people live makes a difference for their well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accumulating evidence suggests that grit – perseverance and passion for long-term goals – facilitates subjective well-being (SWB), yet the underlying mechanism and the time frame in which this effect operates are less known. Building upon self-determination theory, we propose that needs satisfaction (NS) acts as a key mediator of the effect of grit on SWB. Study 1 comprised a cross-sectional survey of 2,963 adolescents and found that, at the dispositional level, grit was positively associated with SWB, and NS played a mediating role. Study 2 further uncovered the intrapersonal dynamics of the relations among grit, NS and SWB with a 21-day diary study (N = 78). Multilevel within-subject mediation analysis showed that daily grit promoted happiness by satisfying basic psychological needs. Moreover, this effect was observed regardless of the participants' trait-level grit. Collectively, our findings highlighted the importance of NS in explaining the association between grit and SWB regarding the inter- and intrapersonal relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research in the past decade has shown basic psychological needs (BPNs) as essential for human wellness, but little is known about their effects on positive affects that are more characteristic of East Asian cultures or whether their effects differ for different affective outcomes. We examined the role of BPNs in a recently conceptualized affect characteristic of East Asians, namely, peace of mind (PoM). We also investigated whether this effect differs from that on vitality, a high-arousal affect more characteristic of American culture. Furthermore, we examined whether these relationships are moderated by culture. Key findings include: (1) BPNs positively predict PoM; (2) PoM is positively correlated with vitality, while the effect of BPNs is stronger on PoM than on vitality; (3) PoM (relative to vitality) is more characteristic of Chinese than American college students; and (4) culture does not moderate the relative effect of BPNs on PoM vs. vitality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The task of this short response is to interact with the article in this volume by Johnson and in so doing, advance a definition of joy. To that end, this article will focus on three elements, (a) contextualization/tradition, (b) human cognition as embodied, embedded, enacted and extended, and (c) clinical implications of the pursuit of joy. Contextualization will be explored through the specificity of culture and theological tradition. Embodiment, embeddedness, enactment and extension will be explored as an alternative to western anthropology which tends toward inwardness and individualism. Finally, clinical implications of joy will be explored in terms of the dialectical tension of balancing positive and negative realities of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: For the past two decades, hope theory has been an important framework for conceptualizing goal pursuits. Surprisingly there has been little effort to test the underlying suppositions of hope theory or to further validate the Hope Scale. Method: In Study 1, participants (N = 162, Mage = 19, 61% female) completed the Hope Scale and nominated goals they would like to accomplish in the next few months. Goals were coded on several dimensions. In Study 2, participants (N = 118, Mage = 19, 59% female) completed the Hope Scale, measures of optimism and self-efficacy, and generated workable pathways for achieving standardized goals. Results: Hope scores predicted setting objectively important, prosocial, long-term, and challenging goals. Hope (but not optimism or self-efficacy) was associated with generating more pathways for standardized goals. Conclusions: The results of these studies generally support the tenets of hope theory and provide further validation for the Hope Scale. As expected, people with higher hope were more likely than their lower-hope counterparts to engage in what has been considered successful goal-setting behavior. Hope is associated with important goal-relevant behaviors and efforts to increase hopeful thought may be important in helping individuals to move toward important life outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study extends the Broaden & Build theory to the collective (i.e. groups) level of analysis, focusing on the mediating role of group social resources (i.e. cohesion, coordination, teamwork, supportive team climate) between group positive affect (i.e. enthusiasm, optimism, satisfaction, comfort) and group performance (i.e. in-and extra-role performance, creative performance). To test our hypotheses, we conducted two studies using independent samples. Study 1 is a laboratory study with 449 participants nested in 112 small groups who performed an organizational simulation creative task. Study 2 is a field study that aggregated scores of 2159 employees nested in 417 groups. In both the lab and field studies, structural equation modeling results revealed that group social resources fully mediate the relationship between group positive emotions and performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I discuss two fundamental issues that come up in Matthew Johnson's literature review: the nature of emotion and the delineation or specification of the concept of joy. Emotions, I claim, are a kind of non-sensory perception, namely, concern-based construals. I argue that affect should not be thought of as fundamental to emotion as such (some emotions are not felt), and should not be regarded as non-cognitive (we learn truths from our feelings). In the second part of my response, I sketch my account of joy as the fundamental structure of positive emotions: that something I am concerned for (positively desire, for example) is, will, or might be actual. Joy is fundamental emotional satisfaction. (Its 'negative' counterpart is emotional distress.) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Arabic world, few studies are interested in psychological factors influencing the physically active old adults. The specific goals of the present research are the following: (i) test the factor structure and invariance tests for gender and physical activities for the Arabic version of the passion scale; (ii) test a model that describes a mediator role of subjective vitality in the relationships between passion and life satisfaction (iii) test the presence of differences for gender, physical activity practice, education level and age on passion. Two studies were conducted with 551 physically active Egyptian old adult (n = 354;n = 197). Passion, Subjective vitality and Life Satisfaction scales were administered. Passion scale composed of two subscales (harmonious and obsessive). Strong support for the complete invariance between groups. Subjective vitality was a mediator in the relationships between harmonious passion and life satisfaction. Education level and age had an effect on passion subscales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite growing interest in meaning in life, many have voiced their concern over the conceptual refinement of the construct itself. Researchers seem to have two main ways to understand what meaning in life means: coherence and purpose, with a third way, significance, gaining increasing attention. Coherence means a sense of comprehensibility and one’s life making sense. Purpose means a sense of core goals, aims, and direction in life. Significance is about a sense of life’s inherent value and having a life worth living. Although some researchers have already noted this trichotomy, the present article provides the first comprehensible theoretical overview that aims to define and pinpoint the differences and connections between these three facets of meaning. By arguing that the time is ripe to move from indiscriminate understanding of meaning into looking at these three facets separately, the article points toward a new future for research on meaning in life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grounded in expectancy value theory (EVT), a moderated mediation model predicting children’s physical activity (PA) enjoyment was tested. Ability beliefs and subjective task value were initially investigated as mediating the relationship between social support from friends and PA enjoyment. It was hypothesized that children play an active role in this socialization process with support seeking self-efficacy moderating the mediated relationships. Findings revealed PA social support from friends and PA enjoyment was mediated by PA ability beliefs, but this mediated relationship was conditional on children having average-to-high levels of support seeking self-efficacy. The mediated relationship between PA social support from friends and PA enjoyment through subjective task value was not moderated by support seeking self-efficacy. Results support the importance of instilling confidence in children to seek out PA support in order to maximize opportunities for PA enjoyment and suggest pathways may be more complex than originally posited in EVT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:There is accumulating evidence that positive mental health and psychopathology should be seen as separate indicators of mental health. This study contributes to this evidence by investigating the bidirectional relation between positive mental health and psychopathological symptoms over time.Methods:Positive mental health (MHC-SF) and psychopathological symptoms (BSI) were longitudinally measured in a representative adult sample (N = 1932) on four measurement occasions in nine months. A cross-lagged panel design was applied and evaluated with a latent growth model combined with an item response theory measurement model.Results:Psychopathological symptoms were longitudinally related to positive mental health and vice versa, controlling for initial levels. The changes over time were even more important than the absolute levels of psychopathological symptoms and positive mental health, respectively.Conclusions:The results underline the need for a comprehensive perspective on mental health, incorporating both the treatment of symptoms and the enhancement of well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A growing body of empirical research suggests that brief contact with natural environments improves emotional well-being. The current study synthesizes this body of research using meta-analytic techniques and assesses the mean effect size of exposure to natural environments on both positive and negative affect. Thirty-two studies with a total of 2356 participants were included. Across these studies, exposure to natural environments was associated with a moderate increase in positive affect and a smaller, yet consistent, decrease in negative affect relative to comparison conditions. Significant heterogeneity was found for the effect of nature on positive affect, and type of emotion assessment, type of exposure to nature, location of study, and mean age of sample were found to moderate this effect. The implications of these findings for existing theory and research are discussed, with particular emphasis placed on potential avenues for fruitful future research examining the effects of nature on well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of intellectual humility is still in its early stages and issues of definition and measurement are only now being explored. To inform and guide the process of defining and measuring this important intellectual virtue, we conducted a series of studies into the implicit theory – or ‘folk’ understanding – of an intellectually humble person, a wise person, and an intellectually arrogant person. In Study 1, 350 adults used a free-listing procedure to generate a list of descriptors, one for each person-concept. In Study 2, 335 adults rated the previously generated descriptors by how characteristic each was of the target person-concept. In Study 3, 344 adults sorted the descriptors by similarity for each person-concept. By comparing and contrasting the three person-concepts, a complex portrait of an intellectually humble person emerges with particular epistemic, self-oriented, and other-oriented dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Flow is an intrinsically motivating state of consciousness characterized by simultaneous perception of high challenge and skill. The position that challenge–skill balance is the primary antecedent for achieving a flow state is unclear, and more research is needed to examine its impact on flow within multiple domains. Therefore, a meta-analysis was conducted on 28 studies examining the challenge–skill balance related to flow and intrinsic motivation in a variety of contexts. The results indicated that the relationship between challenge–skill balance and flow was moderate, and smaller with intrinsic motivation. Moderator analyses revealed weaker correlations when individuals were from an individualistic culture, in work or education contexts, using experience sampling method, and self-reporting state flow vs. trait. Compared to other theorized antecedents, challenge–skill balance was a robust contributor to flow along with clear goals and sense of control. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The orientation to happiness framework proposes that individuals seek well-being through three behavioral orientations: Pleasure, meaning, and engagement. We investigated how orientations to happiness (OTH) influenced the pursuit and experience of daily activities using experience sampling methods. One hundred and seventy three people responded to three text messages per day for seven days asking how they felt about their current activity. Most participants did not report a dominant orientation to happiness, and the highest rated orientation receiving did not predict which daily activities participants engaged in most. However, trait orientation to happiness related to how activities were experienced. Individuals scoring highly on all three orientations rated their activities highly on momentary pleasure, meaning, engagement, and happiness. Overall, it appears more important for daily well-being to have a balanced and strong portfolio of the three OTH than to have any one particularly dominant orientation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seligman recently introduced the PERMA model with five core elements of psychological well-being: positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment. We empirically tested this multidimensional theory with 516 Australian male students (age 13–18). From an extensive well-being assessment, we selected a subset of items theoretically relevant to PERMA. Factor analyses recovered four of the five PERMA elements, and two ill-being factors (depression and anxiety). We then explored the nomological net surrounding each factor by examining cross-sectional associations with life satisfaction, hope, gratitude, school engagement, growth mindset, spirituality, physical vitality, physical activity, somatic symptoms, and stressful life events. Factors differentially related to these correlates, offering support for the multidimensional approach to measuring well-being. Directly assessing subjective well-being across multiple domains offers the potential for schools to more systematically understand and promote well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A new psycho-social system approach to well-being is presented, in which psychological and social functioning is understood through an empirically derived framework of five domains. A quantitative co-term analysis was performed on 3466 terms within 18,401 PsycINFO® journal documents on topics related to positive psychology (PP) across disciplines such as psychology, education, management, business and psychiatry. The analysis revealed that research on PP topics can be classified into five broad domains: attention and awareness, comprehension and coping, emotions, goals and habits, and virtues and relationships. These domains provide a new systematic framework, the Five Domains of Positive Functioning, for understanding positive psycho-social functioning and exploring the underlying ways in which people function to achieve well-being outcomes. When used within the psycho-social system approach, the framework can be used in future research to clarify mechanisms of change, facilitate comparisons between different PP interventions and suggest ways to improve intervention effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]