We seek to advance the well-being of individuals, organizations, and societies. Our goal is to delineate the social, economic, and political determinants of subjective well-being at both the micro- and macro-level with an eye toward public policy. Our research projects include examining the relationship between leisure and subjective well-being and studying the societal effects of money on well-being. We also research the connection between contemporary notions of well-being and classical notions of well-being, such as character and interests.

We examine the best ways to quantify constructs of interest — such as emotions, personality, and attitudes — in individuals, organizations, and societies. This involves an integration of theory with newer measurement models and techniques, such as ideal point measurement, latent class modeling, multilevel modeling, time-based modeling, and data science methods. With latent class modeling, we can identify groups of individuals that have unique signature patterns. With multilevel models, key characteristics of organizations and societies can be assessed more effectively. With time-based models, we can better understand the unfolding of when and how things happen. With data science methods, we analyze new data modes, such as videos, voice, and location, to advance our knowledge of the phenomenon of interest.

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