{"title":"Not Flourishing","authors":"Alexander Bryson, David G. Blanchflower","doi":"10.1007/s10902-026-01121-4","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"We examine the age profile of subjective wellbeing and illbeing in the 22 countries appearing in the Global Flourishing Study (GFS) 2022–2024. We propose an alternative to the Flourishing Index at the heart of so much of the GFS literature which has better statistical properties. We call it the Revised Flourishing Index (RFI). The age profile of the original Flourishing Index and some of its sub-components are U-shaped in age. However, the RFI rises linearly in age. We also introduce a new Not Flourishing Index (NFI) capturing illbeing. The NFI and each of its four sub-components fall markedly with age. These results are broadly replicated among those surveyed via a computer-assisted web-based interview (CAWI), except in the case of the original Flourishing Index which, like the RFI, now rises in age. However, the RFI, NFI and the original Flourishing Index age profiles have the opposite signs to the CAWI profiles when conducted via computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI). We argue these differences by survey mode arise due to social desirability bias and non-random selection into CATI. Analyses of the European Social Survey (ESS) 2023–2024 and the CAWI-based Global Minds (GM) surveys 2020–2026 for the subset of countries appearing in the GFS support these CAWI findings in the GFS, albeit with alternative metrics, providing some external validity for our GFS findings.","PeriodicalId":15837,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Happiness Studies","volume":"94 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7000,"publicationDate":"2026-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Happiness Studies","FirstCategoryId":"102","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-026-01121-4","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"PSYCHOLOGY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
We examine the age profile of subjective wellbeing and illbeing in the 22 countries appearing in the Global Flourishing Study (GFS) 2022–2024. We propose an alternative to the Flourishing Index at the heart of so much of the GFS literature which has better statistical properties. We call it the Revised Flourishing Index (RFI). The age profile of the original Flourishing Index and some of its sub-components are U-shaped in age. However, the RFI rises linearly in age. We also introduce a new Not Flourishing Index (NFI) capturing illbeing. The NFI and each of its four sub-components fall markedly with age. These results are broadly replicated among those surveyed via a computer-assisted web-based interview (CAWI), except in the case of the original Flourishing Index which, like the RFI, now rises in age. However, the RFI, NFI and the original Flourishing Index age profiles have the opposite signs to the CAWI profiles when conducted via computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI). We argue these differences by survey mode arise due to social desirability bias and non-random selection into CATI. Analyses of the European Social Survey (ESS) 2023–2024 and the CAWI-based Global Minds (GM) surveys 2020–2026 for the subset of countries appearing in the GFS support these CAWI findings in the GFS, albeit with alternative metrics, providing some external validity for our GFS findings.
期刊介绍:
The international peer-reviewed Journal of Happiness Studies is devoted to theoretical and applied advancements in all areas of well-being research. It covers topics referring to both the hedonic and eudaimonic perspectives characterizing well-being studies. The former includes the investigation of cognitive dimensions such as satisfaction with life, and positive affect and emotions. The latter includes the study of constructs and processes related to optimal psychological functioning, such as meaning and purpose in life, character strengths, personal growth, resilience, optimism, hope, and self-determination. In addition to contributions on appraisal of life-as-a-whole, the journal accepts papers investigating these topics in relation to specific domains, such as family, education, physical and mental health, and work.
The journal welcomes high-quality theoretical and empirical submissions in the fields of economics, psychology and sociology, as well as contributions from researchers in the domains of education, medicine, philosophy and other related fields.
The Journal of Happiness Studies provides a forum for three main areas in happiness research: 1) theoretical conceptualizations of well-being, happiness and the good life; 2) empirical investigation of well-being and happiness in different populations, contexts and cultures; 3) methodological advancements and development of new assessment instruments.
The journal addresses the conceptualization, operationalization and measurement of happiness and well-being dimensions, as well as the individual, socio-economic and cultural factors that may interact with them as determinants or outcomes.
Central Questions include, but are not limited to:
Conceptualization:
What meanings are denoted by terms like happiness and well-being?
How do these fit in with broader conceptions of the good life?
Operationalization and Measurement:
Which methods can be used to assess how people feel about life?
How to operationalize a new construct or an understudied dimension in the well-being domain?
What are the best measures for investigating specific well-being related constructs and dimensions?
Prevalence and causality
Do individuals belonging to different populations and cultures vary in their well-being ratings?
How does individual well-being relate to social and economic phenomena (characteristics, circumstances, behavior, events, and policies)?
What are the personal, social and economic determinants and causes of individual well-being dimensions?
Evaluation:
What are the consequences of well-being for individual development and socio-economic progress?
Are individual happiness and well-being worthwhile goals for governments and policy makers?
Does well-being represent a useful parameter to orient planning in physical and mental healthcare, and in public health?
Interdisciplinary studies:
How has the study of happiness developed within and across disciplines?
Can we link philosophical thought and empirical research?
What are the biological correlates of well-being dimensions?