How to live well and the search for meaning have long been of intense concern to humans, perhaps because Homo sapiens is the only species aware of its own mortality. In the last few decades, empirical psychology made a major contribution to this quest. This book surveys groundbreaking work by leading international researchers, demonstrating that social psychology is the core discipline for understanding well-being and the search for meaning. Basic conceptual and theoretical principles are discussed, drawing on philosophy, evolutionary theory and psychology, followed by a review of the role of purposeful, motivated activity and self-control in achieving life satisfaction. The role of emotional and cognitive processes and the influence of social, interpersonal and cultural factors in promoting a happy and meaningful life are discussed. The book will be of interest to students, practitioners and researchers in the behavioral and social sciences, as well as to laypersons for whom improving the quality of human life and understanding the principles of well-being are of interest.

In this book, Lorraine Besser-Jones develops a eudaimonistic virtue ethics based on a psychological account of human nature. While her project maintains the fundamental features of the eudaimonistic virtue ethical framework—virtue, character, and well-being—she constructs these concepts from an empirical basis, drawing support from the psychological fields of self-determination and self-regulation theory. Besser-Jones’s resulting account of "eudaimonic ethics" presents a compelling normative theory and offers insight into what is involved in being a virtuous person and "acting well." This original contribution to contemporary ethics and moral psychology puts forward a provocative hypothesis of what an empirically-based moral theory would look like.

A profound explorationof what it means to have a good life. What do we as human beings want from life? How can we best be fulfilled in our lives, relationships and work? Csikszentmihalyi argues that human beings are at their most creative, most rewarded and happiest when they are performing in a state of flow - the state a pianist, a golfer, a snooker player are in they are performing at their best. In an unusual combination of serious pschcology and self - help, Living Well answers the questions self-help books ask but in a way that reflects the cutting edge of psychological research and thinking. The ideas of this book are thought provoking and in applying them to our lives they have the potential to be life changing.

Psychology has made great strides in understanding mental illness, but how much has it learned about mental health? When people want to reflect upon the good life and how to live it, they turn to philosophers and novelists, not psychologists. The emerging field of positive psychology aims to redress this imbalance. In Flourishing, distinguished scholars apply scientific analyses to study the good life, expanding the scope of social and psychological research to include happiness, well-being, courage, citizenship, play, and the satisfactions of healthy work and healthy relationships. Their findings reveal that a sense of meaning and a feeling of richness emerge in life as people immerse themselves in activities, relationships, and the pursuit of intrinsically satisfying goals like overcoming adversity or serving one's community through volunteering. This provocative book will further define this evolving field.

The authors present an insight into the social psychology of experience drawing upon a few classic works to help develop their argument. The signficance of their ideas for developing a contemporary psychology of experience is illustrated with material from studies focused on setting at home and at work.

This comprehensive and updated new edition offers scholarly summaries of theory and research on the social psychological influences on subjective well-being and life satisfaction. Among the topics covered are types of relationships (e.g., romantic relationships, friendships, online relationships) and types of interactions with others (e.g., forgiveness, gratitude, helping behavior). It also examines broader social issues such as culture, socioeconomic status, religion, and well-being in the workplace. The latest edition includes new chapters on economic inequality, psychedelic social psychology, singlehood, social worth, and identity. Subjective Well-Being and Life Satisfaction: A Social Psychological Perspective is a rich and focused resource for graduate students, upper-level undergraduate students, and researchers in positive psychology and social psychology. It should also be of interest to social neuroscientists, mental health researchers, clinical and counselling psychologists, and anyone interested in the science of well-being.

The quality of people’s relationships with and interactions with other people are major influences on their feelings of well-being and their evaluations of life satisfaction. The goal of this volume is to offer scholarly summaries of theory and research on topics at the frontier of the study of these social psychological influences—both interpersonal and intrapersonal—on subjective well-being and life satisfaction. The chapters cover a variety of types of relationships (e.g., romantic relationships, friendships, online relationships) as well as a variety of types of interactions with others (e.g., forgiveness, gratitude, helping behavior, self-presentation). Also included are chapters on broader social issues such as materialism, sexual identity and orientation, aging, spirituality, and meaning in life. Subjective Well-Being and Life Satisfaction provides a rich and focused resource for graduate students, upper-level undergraduate students, and researchers in positive psychology and social psychology, as well as social neuroscientists, mental health researchers, clinical and counselling psychologists, and anyone interested in the science of well-being.