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Cited by 1,583Psychological Well-being and Life SatisfactionFlow Experience in Various FieldsHealth, psychology, and well-being

Psychological well-being: evidence regarding its causes and consequences

Open access
Huppert, Felicia A·2009·Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being
DOI 10.1111/j.1758-0854.2009.01008.x
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Abstract

This review focuses on positive aspects of well‐being, or flourishing. It examines evidence for the causes of positive well‐being and also its consequences, including beneficial effects for many aspects of cognitive functioning, health, and social relationships. The neurobiological basis of psychological well‐being is examined, and recent data on brain activation and neurochemical pathways are presented. Individuals vary widely in their habitual level of psychological well‐being, and there is evidence for a seminal role of social factors and the early environment in this process. It is often assumed that the drivers of well‐being are the same as (but in the opposite direction to) the drivers of ill‐being, but while this is true for some drivers, others have more selective effects. Future developments in the science of well‐being and its application require a fresh approach—beyond targeting the alleviation of disorder to a focus on personal and interpersonal flourishing. A universal intervention approach is outlined which may both increase population flourishing and reduce common mental health problems.

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

Huppert reviews evidence that psychological well-being, or flourishing, has causes and consequences that are partly distinct from those of ill-being, spanning cognition, neurobiology, development, social factors, and physical health. The paper argues for universal population-level interventions that increase flourishing and may also reduce common mental disorders.

Key findings

  • Positive mood states can enhance attention, idea generation, creativity, and flexible thinking, while negative mood states can improve attention to detail and conformity; well-being and ill-being also show partly different neurobiological correlates, including left versus right prefrontal activation and a healthy cortisol pattern with a post-awakening peak and a 20-fold decrease later in the day.
  • Early environment matters: in rodent studies, high maternal care produces lasting increases in hippocampal and prefrontal glucocorticoid receptors and resilience, while peri-pubertal enrichment reverses effects of maternal separation; in about 65 children followed from ages 3 to 11, baseline prefrontal asymmetry showed little stability.
  • Drivers are not fully mirrored: demographic and socioeconomic factors account for only around 10 per cent of variation in psychological well-being between individuals, while personality factors account for around twice as much; extraversion drives positive emotional characteristics, whereas neuroticism drives negative mood and common mental disorders.
  • Consequences include better health and survival: in the Nun Study, nuns in the lower half of the distribution of positive statements died on average 9 years sooner than those in the top category; US data suggest only around 17 per cent of adults are flourishing and 11 per cent are languishing, while 16.4 per cent of the UK population has some form of mental health problem.

Methods

  • Design: narrative review of positive psychological well-being, integrating experimental, cross-sectional, longitudinal, population survey, neurobiological, and animal studies.
  • Data or sample: no new primary sample; the paper synthesizes existing evidence, including studies such as a 254-adult serotonin and daily mood study, a roughly 65-child prefrontal asymmetry cohort, and national survey data.
  • Main analysis: narrative synthesis of evidence on causes, consequences, neurobiology, development, and population-level implications; no systematic search or meta-analytic method is described.

Limitations

  • Paper-stated: cross-sectional and observational studies cannot establish causal direction; the amount of variation in well-being explained by intentional activities has not been quantified; no UK data are available on the prevalence of flourishing or languishing; causal mechanisms linking income inequality to well-being are not well understood.
  • Evident from the text: as a narrative review, it does not report systematic inclusion criteria, search strategy, or formal quality appraisal of the cited studies.

Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1111/j.1758-0854.2009.01008.x

Cites

168 of 168 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Claims the paper makes

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  • Premisecitation

    Positive mood states can enhance attention and other cognitive processes.

    “Research using mood induction techniques demonstrates unequivocally that positive mood states can enhance attention and other cognitive processes.”
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    • cites Gasper & Clore, 2000

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    Active participation in social activities and involvement in one's community is associated with higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction.

    “In addition, a large body of work showed that active participation in social activities and involvement in one's community is associated with higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction (Argyle, 1987;Helliwell, 2003;Helliwell & Putnam, 2005;Putnam, 2000).”
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    Individuals vary widely in their habitual level of psychological well-being.

    “Individuals vary widely in their habitual level of psychological wellbeing, and there is evidence for a seminal role of social factors and the early environment in this process.”
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  • Interpretationcitation

    Oxytocin may play a role in social bonding, an important component of overall well-being.

    “Thus, there is some limited evidence that oxytocin may play a role in social bonding-an important component of overall well-being.”
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    • cites Insel, Winslow, Wang, Young, & Hulihan, 1995

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    • cites Kosfeld, Heinrichs, Zak, Fischbacher, & Fehr, 2005

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    • Rests on an assumption: Oxytocin has an important role in childbirth and lactation.
    • Rests on an assumption: In humans, oxytocin is released during orgasm.
  • Premisecitation

    Individual differences in psychological well-being can modulate stress-induced elevations in cortisol.

    “However, individual differences in psychological well-being (including selfesteem and emotional style) can modulate stress-induced elevations in cortisol (Jacobs et al., 2007;Polk, Skoner, Kirschbaum, Cohen, & Doyle, 2005;Pruessner, Hellhammer, & Kirschbaum, 1999;Smyth et al., 1998).”
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    • cites Polk, Skoner, Kirschbaum, Cohen, & Doyle, 2005

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    • Rests on an assumption: Exposure to stressors activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, as evidenced by increased secretion of the stress hormone cortisol.
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    Interpretationcitation

    Social factors and the early environment play a seminal role in individual differences in habitual psychological well-being.

    “Individuals vary widely in their habitual level of psychological wellbeing, and there is evidence for a seminal role of social factors and the early environment in this process.”
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    • cites Meaney, 2001 source

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    • cites Ainsworth & Bell, 1970

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    • Rests on an assumption: The human brain undergoes most of its development postnatally and is designed to respond to the environmental conditions in which a child grows up.

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    Premisecitation

    People experiencing positive emotions evaluate themselves and others more positively, make more lenient attributions, and behave in a more confident, optimistic, and generous way in interpersonal situations.

    “It has also been found that people experiencing positive emotions evaluate themselves and others more positively, make more lenient attributions, and behave in a more confident, optimistic, and generous way in interpersonal situations (Forgas, 2002(Forgas, , 2006;;Sedikides, 1995).”
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    Interpretationreasoning

    The drivers of well-being are not entirely the same as the drivers of ill-being; some drivers are the same, others have more selective effects.

    “It is often assumed that the drivers of well-being are the same as (but in the opposite direction to) the drivers of ill-being, but while this is true for some drivers, others have more selective effects.”
    • Also stated in: § ARE DRIVERS OF WELL-BEING THE SAME AS DRIVERS OF ILL-BEING? · hedged
      “Several sources of evidence suggest that while some drivers are the same, others are not.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

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    Premisecitation

    Positive emotional experiences have beneficial effects on the way people perceive and interpret social behaviours and how they initiate social interactions.

    “Experimental social psychology is full of examples showing that positive emotional experiences have beneficial effects on the way people perceive and interpret social behaviours and how they initiate social interactions (e.g.Forgas, 2001;Isen, 1987).”
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    Happy people tend to function better in life, are typically more productive and more socially engaged, and tend to have higher incomes.

    “An impressive body of cross-sectional survey data shows that happy people: tend to function better in life than less happy people; are typically more productive and more socially engaged; and tend to have higher incomes (Diener, 2000;Judge, Thoresen, Bono, & Patton, 2001).”
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    A healthy cortisol pattern (post-awakening peak and a 20-fold decrease later in the day) is associated with high scores on measures of well-being, but not with scores on measures of ill-being.

    “Several studies have found that this healthy pattern is associated with high scores on measures of well-being (positive affect, optimism, psychological well-being), but not with scores on measures of ill-being (negative affect, pessimism, anxiety, and fear) (Lai et al., 2005;Ryff et al., 2006;Steptoe, Gibson, Hamer, & Wardle, 2007;Steptoe & Wardle, 2005).”
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    • cites Steptoe, Gibson, Hamer, & Wardle, 2007

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    Interpretationreasoning

    Mental well-being and ill-being have different neurobiological as well as behavioural effects.

    “Together, these findings support the idea that mental well-being and ill-being have different neurobiological as well as behavioural effects.”
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    Premisecitation

    Baseline prefrontal asymmetry is stable in adults but not stable during early childhood.

    “Although measures of baseline prefrontal asymmetry are stable in adults, they are not stable during early childhood (Davidson & Rickman, 1999).”
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    Premisecitation

    Positive emotions are not beneficial for all cognitive processes; people in negative mood states are better at taking in the details of a situation, and people who are sad, anxious, or fearful are more conforming and less likely to break rules.

    “Positive emotions are not, however, beneficial for all cognitive processes.There is evidence that people in negative mood states are better at taking in the details of a situation, and that people who are sad, anxious, or fearful are more conforming and less likely to break rules (e.g.Forgas 1998Forgas , 1999;;Huppert, 2006).”
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    Interpretationcitation

    Positive emotions lead to positive cognitions, positive behaviours, and increased cognitive capability, and positive cognitions, behaviours, and capabilities in turn fuel positive emotions.

    “Taken together, the findings suggest that positive emotions lead to positive cognitions, positive behaviours, and increased cognitive capability, and that positive cognitions, behaviours, and capabilities in turn fuel positive emotions (Fredrickson & Joiner, 2002).”
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    The different cognitive styles engendered by positive and negative emotions are adaptive: externally driven behaviour (accommodation) is an appropriate response to perceived threat, whereas internally driven behaviour (assimilation) is an appropriate response to perceived opportunity.

    “Bless and Fiedler (2006) suggested that the different cognitive styles engendered by positive and negative emotions are adaptive.That is, externally driven behaviour or”
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    Interpretationreasoning

    The association between well-being and the cortisol cycle is not the inverse of the association with stress or distress; both positive and negative states are associated with the cortisol response, but independently of each other.

    “Thus, the association between well-being and the cortisol cycle has been demonstrated not to be the inverse of the known association with stress or distress.Both positive and negative states are associated with the cortisol response, but independently of each other.”
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    Premisecitation

    Individuals with a positive emotional style show higher levels of left than right prefrontal activation at rest, while those with a negative emotional style tend to show higher levels of right than left prefrontal activation at rest.

    “Individuals with a positive emotional style show higher levels of left than right prefrontal activation at rest (using EEG or fMRI), while those with a negative emotional style tend to show higher levels of right than left prefrontal activation at rest (Davidson, 1992;Tomarken, Davidson, Wheeler, & Doss, 1992;Urry et al., 2004).”
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    Premisecitation

    Induced negative mood increases relative right-sided activation, whereas induced positive mood increases relative left-sided activation.

    “Davidson and colleagues have also reported that, independent of emotional style, induced negative mood increases relative right-sided activation, whereas induced positive mood increases relative left-sided activation (Davidson, 2005;Davidson, Chapman, Chapman, & Henriques, 1990).”
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    Premisecitation

    Serotonin level is related to positive mood averaged across seven days, but not to negative mood, although it is related to a measure of neuroticism.

    “In a study of 254 healthy adults who made daily ratings of their mood, Flory, Manuck, Matthews, and Muldoon (2004) found that serotonin level was related to positive mood averaged across seven days, but not to negative mood, although it was related to a measure of neuroticism.”
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    • Rests on an assumption: Serotonin levels are reduced in depression, and most modern anti-depressant drugs (SSRIs) act by increasing the amount of serotonin available to brain cells.

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    Premisecitation

    Providing a socially stimulating environment during the peri-pubertal period in rodents completely reverses the effects of maternal separation on both endocrine and behavioural responses to stress, and eliminates the differences in hippocampal function and cognitive performance.

    “Francis, Diorio, Plotsky, and Meaney (2002) showed that providing a socially stimulating environment during the peri-pubertal period in rodents completely reverses the effects of maternal separation on both endocrine and behavioural responses to stress, and eliminates the differences in hippocampal function and cognitive performance (Bredy et al., 2003;Bredy, Zhang, Grant, Diorio, & Meaney, 2004).”
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    The experience of paternal warmth and respect at an early age is associated with high levels of psychological well-being on most dimensions of the Ryff scale, and the influence of the father's parenting style was greater than the mother's.

    “A recent population-based study of women in mid-adult life (Huppert et al., submitted) found that the experience of paternal warmth and respect at an early age is associated with high levels of psychological well-being on most dimensions of the Ryff scale (Ryff, 1989) and that the influence of the father's parenting style was greater than the mother's.”
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    • cites Huppert et al., submitted

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    Interpretationcitation

    Environmental factors have a powerful effect both in setting enduring levels of emotional responsiveness and cognitive ability during the critical post-natal period, and in providing opportunities for remediation at a later stage in the life course.

    “These findings provide support for the powerful effect of environmental factors both in setting enduring levels of emotional responsiveness and cognitive ability during the critical post-natal period, and in providing opportunities for remediation at a later stage in the life course.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: The human brain undergoes most of its development postnatally and is designed to respond to the environmental conditions in which a child grows up.

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    Premisecitation

    The 5-HTT gene affects brain activation in regions involved in processing emotion; short allele homozygotes show increased resting cerebral blood flow in the amygdala and decreased blood flow in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex compared to long allele homozygotes.

    “In a study of healthy volunteers, half homozygous for the short allele and half homozygous for the long allele, the former group showed significantly increased resting cerebral blood flow in the amygdala and decreased blood flow in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (Rao et al., 2007).”
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    High levels of maternal care produce a permanent increase in the concentration of glucocorticoid receptors in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, and are associated with resilience in stressful situations and high levels of learning and memory throughout life.

    “High levels of maternal care (from either a biological or adoptive mother) produce a permanent increase in the concentration of glucocorticoid receptors in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of the brain (Liu et al., 1997;Liu, Diorio, Day, Francis, & Meaney, 2000), and are associated with resilience in stressful situations and high levels of learning and memory throughout life.”
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    Premisecitation

    Prolonged maternal separation leads to a lower density of sites for the neurotransmitter dopamine, and lasting changes in the responsiveness of dopamine neurones to stress and psychostimulants.

    “These studies have also shown that prolonged maternal separation leads to a lower density of sites for the neurotransmitter dopamine, and lasting changes in the responsiveness of dopamine neurones to stress and psycho-stimulus (Brake, Zhang, Diorio, Meaney, & Gratton, 2004).”
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    Premisecitation

    Extraversion is strongly associated with a positive emotional style, while neuroticism is associated with a negative emotional style.

    “Extraversion (sociability) is strongly associated with a positive emotional style, while neuroticism is associated with a negative emotional style (e.g.Argyle & Lu, 1990;Diener, Suh, Lucas, & Smith, 1999).”
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    Premisecitation

    The short allele variant of the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) gene confers vulnerability to depression, but only when there are appropriate environmental triggers, while the long allele variant acts as a resilience or protective factor.

    “Recent research has shown that the short allele variant of the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) gene confers vulnerability to depression, but only when there are appropriate environmental triggers, while the long allele variant acts as a resilience or protective factor (Caspi et al., 2003;Kendler, Kuhn, Vittum, Prescott, & Riley, 2005).”
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    Interpretationreasoning

    Neuroticism drives negative mood and common mental disorders, whereas extraversion drives positive emotional characteristics.

    “Thus, neuroticism appears to drive negative mood and common mental disorders, whereas extraversion drives positive emotional characteristics.”
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    Premisecitation

    Women have substantially higher rates of symptoms or diagnosis of common mental disorders such as anxiety and depression than men, but the effect of gender is much less clear when it comes to mental well-being.

    “Women have substantially higher rates of symptoms (or diagnosis) of common mental disorders such as anxiety and depression than men, but the effect of gender is much less clear when it comes to mental well-being.”
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    Premisecitation

    Large surveys using single-item measures of well-being usually find a U-shaped relationship with age: younger and older people tend to have higher well-being scores than the middle aged, although there may be a decline in well-being among the very old.

    “Large surveys using single-item measures of well-being (e.g.overall rating of life satisfaction) usually find a U-shaped relationship with age: younger and older people tend to have higher well-being scores than the middle aged, although there may be a decline in well-being among the very old (e.g.Blanchflower & Oswald, 2008;Clark & Oswald, 1994).”
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    Premisecitation

    The most unequal countries also appear to be the most materialistic and to have the most individualistic values.

    “On the other hand, the causal mechanisms are not well understood; the most unequal countries also appear to be the most materialistic and to have the most individualistic (rather than communitarian) values, and these characteristics are known to be associated with lower psychological well-being (Kasser, 2002).”
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    Premisecitation

    Higher levels of income and socioeconomic status are associated with higher levels of well-being and lower rates of disorder, although this effect diminishes at progressively higher levels of income.

    “In general, there is a social gradient whereby higher levels of income and socioeconomic status are associated with higher levels of well-being and lower rates of disorder (e.g.Dolan et al., 2008;Ryff & Singer, 1998b), although this effect diminishes at progressively higher levels of income.”
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    Premisecitation

    Getting married is good for one's psychological well-being.

    “Some longitudinal studies have found that, while getting married is good for one's psychological well-being, being married may not be (e.g.Zimmermann & Easterlin, 2006).”
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    Being married is usually associated with higher life satisfaction and lower rates of psychological ill health.

    “Being married is usually associated with higher life satisfaction and lower rates of psychological ill health (see review by Dolan, Peasgood, & White, 2008).”
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    Premisecitation

    Income inequality is at a historically high level in the UK, with no evidence that this situation is changing.

    “It should be noted that income inequality is at a historically high level in the UK (Orton & Rowlingson, 2007), with no evidence that this situation is changing.”
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    Premisecitation

    There was no relationship between antibody response and either trait negative affect or depression.

    “There was no relationship between antibody response and either trait negative affect or depression.”
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    • cites Marsland, Cohen, Rabin, and Manuck (2006)

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    Interpretationcitation

    Unemployed people do not on average show evidence of mental health problems such as depression or anxiety; rather, they fail to flourish.

    “In other words, unemployed people do not on average show evidence of mental health problems such as depression or anxiety; rather, they fail to flourish.”
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    Premisecitation

    Training in mindfulness meditation has substantial benefits for reducing distress and enhancing well-being in a range of groups.

    “Training in the mindful awareness of sensations, thoughts, and feelings (”
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    Interpretationreasoning

    There may well be substantial leverage in developing interventions which change behaviours, cognitions, and motivations as a method of improving psychological well-being.

    “There may well be substantial leverage in developing interventions which change our behaviours, cognitions, and motivations, as a method of improving psychological well-being.”
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    Premisecitation

    Sociability was linearly related to decreased probability of developing a cold, an effect not accounted for by sociability-related differences in immunity.

    “Another study found that sociability was linearly related to decreased probability of developing a cold-an effect not accounted for by sociability related differences in immunity (Cohen, Doyle, Turner, Alper, & Skoner, 2003b).”
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    Premisecitation

    Positive affect and optimism had somewhat different effects on the diurnal pattern of salivary cortisol secretion, but both were associated with a healthy pattern, compared to negative affect and pessimism.

    “Positive affect and optimism had somewhat different effects on the diurnal pattern of salivary cortisol secretion, but both were associated with a healthy pattern, compared to negative affect and pessimism.”
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    • cites Lai et al. (2005)

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    If we use only a targeted approach, there will always be plenty of new cases of disorder, since the majority who develop disorder come from the general population; only a small percentage of the total who develop disorder are from the high risk group.

    “However, evidence from epidemiology suggests that, if we use only this targeted approach, there will always be plenty of new cases of disorder, since the majority who develop disorder come from the general population; only a small percentage of the total who develop disorder are from the high risk group (Rose, 1992(Rose, , 2008)).”
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    Premisecitation

    Happier people tend to have healthier lifestyles, more friends, and also more positive interpersonal experiences.

    “Happier people tend to have healthier lifestyles (Watson, 1988), more friends, and also more positive interpersonal experiences (Diener et al., 1999).”
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    16.4 per cent of the UK population has some form of mental health problem.

    “According to the most recent available national survey, 16.4 per cent of the UK population has some form of mental health problem (Singleton et al., 2001).”
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    Premisecitation

    Mortality was greatly reduced in individuals who reported providing instrumental or emotional support, compared to those who did not, and this effect remained after adjustment for a host of potential health, behavioural, and socio-demographic confounders.

    “In a prospective study of hundreds of elderly couples, Brown and her colleagues (Brown, Nesse, Vinokur, & Smith, 2003) found that mortality was greatly reduced in individuals who reported providing instrumental or emotional support, compared to those who did not, and this effect remained after adjustment for a host of potential health, behavioural, and socio-demographic confounders.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Brown, Nesse, Vinokur, & Smith, 2003

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    In older people, volunteering was associated with more positive affect and more meaning in life, but not with less negative affect.

    “For instance, a study by Greenfield and Marks (2004) found that in older people, volunteering was associated with more positive affect and more meaning in life, but not with less negative affect.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Greenfield and Marks (2004)

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Only around 17 per cent of US adults are flourishing, while 11 per cent are languishing.

    “Data from the US suggest that only around 17 per cent of adults are flourishing, while 11 per cent are”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Keyes, 2002b

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationnone given

    While an adverse early environment can produce lifelong impairments in behaviour and neurobiology, compensation is possible at later stages in the life course.

    “3.While an adverse early environment can produce lifelong impairments in behaviour and neurobiology, compensation is possible at later stages in the life course.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable). May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    Targeting interventions to those with a disorder or at high risk may alleviate misery in the short term, but a universal approach could enhance the lives of ordinary people, not just those with pathology.

    “5. Targeting interventions to those with a disorder or at high risk may alleviate misery in the short term, but a universal approach could enhance the lives of ordinary people, not just those with pathology.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable).

    Interpretationreasoning

    Interventions which encourage positive actions and attitudes have an important role to play in enhancing well-being.

    “Interventions which encourage positive actions and attitudes have an important role to play in enhancing well-being.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    External circumstances affect our well-being, but our actions and attitudes may have a greater influence.

    “4. External circumstances affect our well-being, but our actions and attitudes may have a greater influence.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    To the extent that beneficial characteristics can be learned or taught at the population level, they represent additional ways to increase flourishing across the population, with resulting benefits for capability, productivity, relationships, and health.

    “To the extent that these beneficial characteristics can be learned or taught at the population level (e.g. through school-based programmes or workplace initiatives) they represent additional ways to increase flourishing across the population, with resulting benefits for capability, productivity, relationships, and health.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationnone given

    Psychological well-being is associated with flexible and creative thinking, pro-social behaviour, and good physical health.

    “1. Psychological well-being is associated with flexible and creative thinking, pro-social behaviour, and good physical health.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
49 of 49

  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The human brain undergoes most of its development postnatally and is designed to respond to the environmental conditions in which a child grows up.

    “Unlike the other major organs of the body, our brain undergoes most of its development postnatally, and is exquisitely designed to respond to the environmental conditions in which a child happens to grow up.”

  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Exposure to stressors activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, as evidenced by increased secretion of the stress hormone cortisol.

    “Exposure to stressors activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, as evidenced by increased secretion of the stress hormone cortisol.”

  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Serotonin levels are reduced in depression, and most modern anti-depressant drugs (SSRIs) act by increasing the amount of serotonin available to brain cells.

    “Serotonin levels are reduced in depression, and most modern anti-depressant drugs, known as serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), act by increasing the amount of serotonin available to brain cells.”

  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Oxytocin has an important role in childbirth and lactation.

    “Oxytocin has long been known for its important role in childbirth and lactation”

  • The paper relies on this without support.

    In humans, oxytocin is released during orgasm.

    “In humans, oxytocin is released during orgasm.”

  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Well-being is more than the absence of ill-being and therefore needs to be studied in its own right.

    “the recognition that, since well-being is more than the absence of illbeing, it needs to be studied in its own right”
6 of 6

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Research works printed but not linked: 10

  1. Abbott R.A. Ploubidis G.B. Croudace T.J. Kuh D. Wadsworth M.E.J. &Huppert F.A.(under review).Women's psychological well‐being in mid‐life and its relationship to socio‐economic conditions: Evidence from a British birth cohort.British Journal of Health Psychology.
  2. Forgas J.P., 2006, Affect in social thinking and behavior, 269
  3. Huppert F.A., 2006, Affect in social thinking and behavior, 235
  4. Kahneman D., 1999, Well‐being: The foundations of hedonic psychology, 3
  5. Keverne E.B., 2008, Neurobiology of well‐being: A life course perspective. Foresight Mental Capital and Mental Well‐being Project
  6. Keyes C.L.M., 2002, Promoting positive child, adolescent and family development: A handbook of program and policy innovations, 257
  7. Maccoby E.E., 1983, Handbook of child psychology: Socialiation, personality, and social development, 1
  8. Seligman M., 1991, Learned optimism
  9. Seligman M., 2002, Authentic happiness
  10. Shallice T., 2004, The cognitive neurosciences III, 943

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Related

Authors
Huppert, F. A.
Affiliations
University of Cambridge (GB)
Corresponding author
Huppert, Felicia A
ORCID
Huppert, Felicia A
Venue
Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2009-06-05
Volume
1
Issue
2
Pages
137-164
ISSN
  • 1758-0846 (ISSN-L)
  • 1758-0854
DOI
10.1111/j.1758-0854.2009.01008.x
OpenAlex
W2033418294
Semantic Scholar
7af663c8569488774ac2493824398482d6be4858
Cited by
1,583
References
168
Citations by year
2026: 106 · 2025: 190 · 2024: 213 · 2023: 204 · 2022: 189 · 2021: 162 · 2020: 123 · 2019: 80 · 2018: 59 · 2017: 59 · 2016: 57 · 2015: 55 · 2014: 40 · 2013: 15 · 2012: 15
FWCI
13.32
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor)
Locations
  • Applied Psychology Health and Well-Being (publishedVersion)
  • Research Bank (Australian Catholic University) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Flow Experience in Various Fields
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health, psychology, and well-being
Keywords
psychological well-being, eudaimonia, cognitive function, interpersonal relationships, brain activation, neurochemical pathways, individual differences, early life environment, social factors, mental illness, universal interventions, positive psychology

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Claims read by deepseek-v4.1-flash under definition version 3 (extract-v3) on 2026-10-10.

Classified by jev-1.13-20260917 (gold-guideline-v0.2) on 2026-10-10.

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