Measuring Well-Being

Thinking, Fast and Slow

This flow traces the shift from global life satisfaction toward moment-based measures of experienced well-being and social suffering.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

Global Satisfaction Global Satisfaction from "Thinking, Fast and Slow". One Big Question Life Evaluation Survey respondents rate their lives as a whole from the perspective of memory.

Global Satisfaction from "Thinking, Fast and Slow". One Big Question Life Evaluation Survey respondents rate their lives as a whole from the perspective of memory.

One Big Question Life Evaluation Survey respondents rate their lives as a whole from the perspective of memory. Initial Suspicion The measure may capture judgment rather than daily feeling.

Day Reconstruction Day Reconstruction from "Thinking, Fast and Slow". Rebuilding Yesterday Episodes Participants reconstruct the previous day as scenes and rate activities, companions, and emotions.

Day Reconstruction from "Thinking, Fast and Slow". Rebuilding Yesterday Episodes Participants reconstruct the previous day as scenes and rate activities, companions, and emotions.

Rebuilding Yesterday Episodes Participants reconstruct the previous day as scenes and rate activities, companions, and emotions. Duration Weighting Longer episodes count more in the resulting profile of experience.

The U-Index The U-Index from "Thinking, Fast and Slow". Measuring Suffering Unpleasant Time The U-index records the proportion of waking time spent in a negative emotional state.

The U-Index from "Thinking, Fast and Slow". Measuring Suffering Unpleasant Time The U-index records the proportion of waking time spent in a negative emotional state.

Measuring Suffering Unpleasant Time The U-index records the proportion of waking time spent in a negative emotional state. Unequal Burden A minority of people experience much of society's emotional pain.

Money and Feeling Money and Feeling from "Thinking, Fast and Slow". Income's Two Effects Life Evaluation Higher income continues to improve satisfaction judgments.

Money and Feeling from "Thinking, Fast and Slow". Income's Two Effects Life Evaluation Higher income continues to improve satisfaction judgments.

Income's Two Effects Life Evaluation Higher income continues to improve satisfaction judgments. Daily Emotion Beyond a threshold, it does not increase average experienced well-being.

Policy by Experience Policy by Experience from "Thinking, Fast and Slow". Social Measurement Time Use Transportation, childcare, health, and social contact become policy variables.

Policy by Experience from "Thinking, Fast and Slow". Social Measurement Time Use Transportation, childcare, health, and social contact become policy variables.

Social Measurement Time Use Transportation, childcare, health, and social contact become policy variables. Human Aim Reducing daily suffering may matter as much as increasing abstract life satisfaction.

At the opening of the well-being chapter

During the well-being research discussion

Middle of the experienced-well-being chapter

Later in the well-being chapter

Near the end of Part 5