Public Policy Implications from Research on Well-Being in Daily Life
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22124671 |
|---|---|
| Authors | David B Newman (0000-0002-1296-5817, Loma Linda University, corresponding author), Paul K Lutz (0000-0001-7608-7382, Carleton University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 13 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 121-128 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2372-7322 • E-ISSN: 2372-7330 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/23727322251399160 |
| OpenAlex | W4416717161 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 44 |
Individual well-being often plays a role in shaping public policy, yet much of the evidence that informs decisions and policy is based on cross-sectional and experimental research that fails to account for the dynamic nature of well-being. Research that utilizes Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) and daily diary methods highlights how within-person variation in well-being can yield insights distinct from between-person analyses and laboratory-based designs. Highlighting distinct areas of research across domains of climate anxiety, meaning in life, values, empathy, nostalgia, and alcohol use, the review illustrates how within-person processes offer unique policy implications. Findings suggest that policies may be more effective when they account for temporal fluctuations, daily contextual factors, and differences between remembered and lived experiences. EMA research underscores the importance of tailoring interventions to specific moments, whether by supporting closer human-nature connections, fostering daily meaning-making practices, or addressing the anticipation of alcohol use. Ultimately, integrating research on dynamic states of well-being into policy may enhance both individual and societal outcomes
Evidence-based policy · Policy analysis · Policy studies · Psychological intervention · Public policy · Cognitive and psychological constructs research · Mental Health Research Topics · Nostalgia and Consumer Behavior
Well-Being for Public Policy
Perception and the Representative Design of Psychological Experiments
What to Do on Spring Break?
Psychological and physical connections with nature improve both human well-being and nature conservation
Climate anxiety
Promoting inclusion and equity in education
A Meta-Analysis of Compassion-Based Interventions
Multilevel Random Coefficient Analyses of Event- and Interval-Contingent Data in Social and Personality Psychology Research
How Can Measures of Subjective Well-Being Be Used to Inform Public Policy?
Universals in the Content and Structure of Values
High income improves evaluation of life but not emotional well-being
Subjective wellbeing, health, and ageing
Ecological Momentary Assessment
A Survey Method for Characterizing Daily Life Experience
The Satisfaction With Life Scale
On Happiness and Human Potentials
The Hedonic Character of Nostalgia
Finding the future in digitally mediated ruin
To Nostalgize
Understanding the Search for Meaning in Life
The dynamics of searching for meaning and presence of meaning in daily life
Variation in bittersweet nostalgic feelings and their divergent effects on daily well-being
The Hogg Eco-Anxiety Scale
Testing the circular structure and importance hierarchy of value states in real-time behaviors
Unraveling values and well-being—Disentangling within- and between-person dynamics via a psychometric network perspective
Unlocking the bitter potential of nostalgia
A closer look at the hedonics of everyday meaning and satisfaction
Nostalgia and well-being in daily life
The meaning in life questionnaire
Income and education show distinct links to health and happiness in daily life
The daily association between affect and alcohol use
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |