A new paper presents a strong case for life satisfaction scales (Diener et al. in "Soc Indic Res," 2012). However, it underestimates two important weaknesses in subjective wellbeing (SWB) measures: the contrast between individual satisfaction and social discontent; and the contradictory evidence on the benefits of personal freedom. This commentary…

What is meant by the term "wellbeing"? Much has been written on the relationship between chronic illness and mental health outcomes, particularly in terms of "happiness", and the reciprocal relationship between physical and emotional health. Visual impairment research into wellbeing has tended to focus specifically on the concept of "emotional"…

Oswald and Wu (2010; "Science") recently reported life satisfaction ranks for residents of the 50 U.S. states. Their rankings were framed as measures of "well-being," but were derived from responses to only a single survey item ("In general, how satisfied are you with your life?"). Here we contrast Oswald and Wu's subjective rankings with our…

This paper argues that feelings of agency are linked to human well-being through a sequence of adaptive mechanisms that promote human development, once existential conditions become permissive. In the first part, we elaborate on the evolutionary logic of this model and outline why an evolutionary perspective is helpful to understand changes in…

This paper critiques the view that the study of happiness is not a worthy scientific pursuit. The happiness set point and hedonic treadmill theories denote the complexity of increasing happiness levels due to genetic limitations and adaptation, however, there is mounting evidence to suggest that with the use of appropriate measures and specific…

Aging can be difficult for some, but for others it is a process in which problems and joys are encountered and faced through the life cycle. In this study, 50 older adults responded to an open-ended question. Respondents were asked to give advice to the young on their insights toward fulfillment of life goals. Responses were put into five…

The stories of three corporate workers demonstrate what motivates people on the job today: a desire to better the world, to be part of a team, or to strive for technical excellence. (SK)

The author reflects on what he has learned about personal and life relationships during his several decades of professional experience in counseling and related fields. He suggests four groupings of personal learnings: dealing with world problems; living with uncertainties; taking risks in human relationships; and the joy of learning. (Author/BL)

Offers an understanding of "class activism" that focuses less on the putative emotional needs of working-class students, of whatever ethnicity or gender, and more on the ways hierarchy and distinction are reproduced within and outside of the various institutions of higher education. Suggests that it is possible and even desirable for most people…

Creativity is universal and not limited by age. Creative acts help in understanding the meaning of life and aging; they contribute to well-being and life satisfaction. Programs such as Elderhostel and California's Creative Aging Workshops nurture creativity in older adults. (SK)

The Values Scale was developed by the international Work Importance Study to assess the values a person seeks to satisfy through life roles. Results are useful in the Career Development Assessment and Counseling Model, which looks at the relative importance of work to an individual and readiness to assess interests and abilities and make career…

It was predicted that the 21st century would be an era of family stress and transformation (McCubbin, McCubbin, Thompson, Han, & Allen, 1997). When evaluating what families face today and what FCS professionals are addressing in current research, curriculum, and programming, it seems that this is indeed the case. Today's FCS professionals need to…

Finds that Erikson's model of ego development fails to see the relationship between individual crises and the modern postmetaphysical world view, where the meaning of life is in question. Suggests that Erikson's description of crisis and ego integration remains sound but should be tied to the specific problems associated with living in modern…

Discusses the concept of suicide intervention which allows for the possibility of death facilitation as well as prevention. A proposed suicide intervention model is contrasted with the goals and methods of existing suicide prevention and crisis counseling services. (JAC)

Examines phenomena of mid-career dissatisfaction and presents ideas to overcome dissatisfaction from Daniel Nagy, executive director of placement at the University of Pittsburgh's Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business. Discusses need to identify sources of dissatisfaction and explores options to make one's career more rewarding. (NB)