Publications

There is clear evidence that the prevalence of negative media reporting has increased substantially over the past years. There is evidence that this negative reporting adversely affects social interactions, and thereby also health and well-being outcomes. Given the wide reach of negative media reporting and the contagion of such reporting and the resulting interactions, the effects on health are arguably substantial. Moreover, there is little incentive at present for media outlets to change practices. A commitment of news outlets to report one positive story for every 3 negative stories, and of news consumers to restrict attention to outlets that do, could dramatically alter practices and, consequently, population health.

Work engagement is a state in which workers show high levels of vigor, dedication, and absorption to and in their work and have been associated with several positive life outcomes. Job crafting describes a set of pro-active behaviors in which individuals alter their work behaviors and environments. It is thought increased job crafting may be associated with increased work engagement. In order to estimate the effect of job crafting on work engagement and control for reverse causation, we performed a random-effects meta-analysis focused on repeated data designs (e.g., longitudinal, daily diary, RCT). We found a considerable positive association between job crafting and later work engagement (standardized effect size of d = 0.37, 95%CI = [0.16, 0.58]). We conclude the paper with a general discussion of the state of job crafting research, limitations, and a call for large randomized controlled trial interventions

The paper reviews various evidence-based activities that can be easily employed to promote human flourishing. The evidence from numerous randomized trials has now established a number of do-it-yourself activities that can be used to improve various aspects of well-being. Moreover, various relational and institutional commitments can be voluntarily pursued which likewise have been shown to have substantial effects on well-being. Each of these activities or commitments in some way involves an orientation to the good. The present paper reviews the nature of, and evidence for, various cognitive and behavioral activities and interventions, various relational and institutional commitments, and also various workbook interventions that have been shown to promote well-being. This is important for its own sake. It is also important in thinking about the tracking and measurement of well-being. Concerns are sometimes raised about the measurement of well-being that, if it is to be routinely assessed, then there is an accompanying responsibility to be able to offer support to those with low well-being measurements.  This present guide to flourishing activities helps, at least partially, to address concerns about being able to support those with lower well-being levels if well-being assessment were to become routine.

A proposal is put forward for a measure of community well-being that can be adapted to numerous specific contexts. The community well-being measure extends beyond simple measures of community satisfaction which are often currently employed. The proposed measure includes items in six domains relevant to community well-being: flourishing individuals, good relationships, proficient leadership, healthy practices, satisfying community, and strong mission. Adaptation of the measure for a variety of contexts is provided so that the proposed approach can be used in nations, cities, neighborhoods, families, workplaces, schools, and religious communities. Discussion is given to the complex relationships between individual and community well-being, and how measures of community well-being may be useful for tracking and assessment or reflection purposes, and how it might ultimately be used for the improvement of community well-being.

Participation in religious services is associated with numerous aspects of human flourishing, including happiness and life satisfaction, mental and physical health, meaning and purpose, character and virtue, and close social relationships. Evidence for the effects of religious communities on these flourishing outcomes now comes from rigorous longitudinal study designs with extensive confounding control. The associations with flourishing are much stronger for communal religious participation than for spiritual-religious identity or for private practices. While the social support is an important mechanism relating religion to health, this only explains a small portion of the associations. Numerous other mechanisms appear to be operative as well. It may be the confluence of the religious values and practices, reinforced by social ties and norms, that give religious communities their powerful effects on so many aspects of human flourishing.