Papers | drtimlomas

Paper publications by date

2026

Lomas, T., Koga, H. K., Padgett, N. P., Pawelski, J. O., Kim, E. S., Makridis, C. A., Gundersen, C., Bradshaw, M., Le Pertel, N., Shiba, K., Felton. C., Helliwell, J. F., Johnson, B. R., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2026). Exploring associations of three evaluative subjective wellbeing measures (Cantril’s ladder, life satisfaction, happiness) with 15 childhood and demographic factors across 22 countries. Scientific Reports, 16, 8025

Despite a vast literature on subjective wellbeing (SWB), issues remain, including (a) debates around which concepts best represent it, (b) a disjointed understanding of relevant factors, and (c) limited appreciation of cross-national variation regarding (a) and (b). We address these points using data from the Global Flourishing Study on three constructs pertaining to evaluative SWB specifically (Cantril’s ladder, life satisfaction, and, perhaps more ambiguously, happiness), examining associations with 15 childhood and demographic factors across 202,898 participants from 22 countries. Key findings include, for (a) life satisfaction being the best performing construct (in correlations with overall flourishing), (b) all factors being significantly associated with all constructs (with the largest variation observed for employment status among demographic factors and self-reported health among childhood factors), and (c) patterns varying substantively across countries (suggesting the general trends are not universal but differ according to local socio-cultural dynamics). The findings advance the methodological, socio-demographic, and cross-national understanding of evaluative SWB.

Lomas, T., Masters, M. P., Wheeler, B., & Brown, S. (2026). Celestial (be)longing: A case for scientific interest in humankind’s yearning for, and potential origins in, the heavens. Philosophy and Cosmology. https://doi.org/10.29202/phil-cosm/36/1

Throughout history and across cultures, human beings have fashioned myths involving some kind of interstellar or somehow “otherworldly” contact. These range from visitations from elsewhere in the cosmos, to humanity itself having a celestial origin. Until recently, these narratives have largely been interpreted as imaginative fictions of some form, such as a creative origin story, with the possibility of these actually having some historical truth being generally dismissed. This interpretation is influenced by an epistemological assumption that an “extraordinary” (e.g., extraterrestrial) visitation from some form of “Non-Human Intelligence” (NHI) is a priori highly unlikely, which until recently has been the scientific consensus. However, developments over recent years have led to such assumptions being re-thought. As such, this paper argues these early celestial myths may be worth revisiting with an open mind. Ultimately, the key question may not only be who “they” are (i.e., rumored NHI), but who “we” are (i.e., humans), and relatedly, where did we come from, why are we here, and where are we going?

Lomas, T., Niemiec, R., Diego-Rosell, P., Lai, A. Y., Lee, M. T., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2026). The complex relationship between inner and outer peace: New global insights from the Gallup World Poll. Journal of Happiness Studies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-026-01005-7

Although peace has an intriguing dual character, with both “inner” forms (e.g., low arousal positive states) and “outer forms (e.g., calm and stable societal conditions), there has been minimal work on the relationship between these forms. Drawing on prior literature across various fields, including research exploring the impact of conflict situations on people’s emotions, we hypothesize there is a positive association between inner and outer peace (e.g., people in situations of low outer peacefulness are liable to have lower levels of inner peace). We explored this using data from the most globally comprehensive study to date on inner peace, featuring 386,654 participants in 144 countries across the 2020, 2021, and 2022 Gallup World Polls, which included three items that asked about inner peace in subtly different ways: “Did you feel at peace most of the day yesterday, or not?” (2020); “In general, how often do you feel you are at peace with your thoughts and feelings?” (2021); and “In general, how often can you find inner peace during difficult times?” (2022). We then explored the association of these items with three variables pertaining to outer peace, namely two items about safety/security in the World Poll, together with country-level peacefulness as assessed by the Global Peace Index. While our hypothesis was mostly supported, there were intriguing nuances (e.g., a small but significant inverse relationship between the 2021 item and country-level peacefulness), shedding new light on this important but relatively neglected question of the connection between inner and outer peace.

Lomas, T., Nilsson, A. H., Kjell, O., Niemiec, R., Pawelski, J. O., Padgett, N. R., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2026). Differentiating balance and harmony through natural language analysis: A cross-national exploration of two understudied wellbeing-related concepts. Journal of Positive Psychology, 21(1), 173-191

Although the concepts of balance and harmony are increasingly appreciated as important in research on wellbeing, their precise meaning is often vague or unclear. This paper aims to elucidate these ideas by exploring responses by 15,275 people across 154 nations to two open-ended questions embedded after the online VIA Inventory of character strengths: “What does balance mean to you?” and “What does harmony mean to you?,” together with an item on which people prefer. Strikingly, while harmony was analysed as more positively valenced, people tended to prefer balance. This is perhaps because, using differential language-based analyses, we found people interpret harmony as mostly about relationships working well in synchrony, whereas balance seems to convey proportionality across most life domains, and hence may have more applicability and impact. The paper offers suggestions for future work on these topics, such as exploration of the relevance of culture and economics.

Lomas, T., Padgett, R. N., Eichstaedt, J., Pawelski, J. O., Battle, K. E., Felton, C., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2026). Towards a data-driven and globally-informed framework of flourishing: A seven-factor model derived from factor-analysis of 38 indicators in the Gallup World Poll. Social Indicators Research, 181(2), 61.

Recent decades have seen an explosion of interest in the interrelated concepts of well-being and flourishing, with myriad theories and frameworks aiming to elucidate these constructs. Most such work however has been constructed in a top-down theory-driven way, rather than emerging from the ground up in an open, data-driven, inductive process. As such, this paper takes the latter approach, using 38 relevant variables in the Gallup World Poll as a dataset, involving 391,656 participants across three waves (2020–2022). Through factor analysis we derived a data-driven model of well-being and flourishing, with seven factors (listed in order of emergence as factors): balance and harmony; negative states; positive states; positive life appraisal; material security; societal safety; and character and virtue. These seven may not be exhaustive, given that the World Poll does not capture all aspects of well-being/flourishing, and other factors may exist which we did not identify due to lacking the relevant items(s). Moreover, the seven-factor structure was not observed universally across countries and regions, which indicates some cross-cultural variation in the nature of well-being/flourishing. Nevertheless, our analysis provides a useful new lens through which to understand these important topics, complementing and extending existing theoretical work in this area.

Lomas, T., Padgett, R. N., Pawelski, J., Makridis, C. A., Pacheco, P. A. d. l. R. F., Kim, Y.-I., Breedlove, T., Cowden, R. G., Counted, V., Johnson, B. R., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2026). The prevalence and predictors of experiences of beauty in 22 countries: An international assessment of aesthetic appreciation in the Global Flourishing Study. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 21, 469–504.

Experiences of beauty (EoB) are an important aspect of wellbeing for many people. However, there is relatively little understanding of factors associated with EoB, especially cross-nationally. We thus present the most comprehensive international study to date on this topic, assessing an item in the Global Flourishing Study (GFS): “Do you regularly experience things that you consider beautiful? This may include physical beauty or abstract beauty like that found in music, art, or nature.” The GFS is a five-year (minimum) panel study investigating the predictors of flourishing across 22 countries, with this item featuring in the Wave 1 “mid-year” survey (N = 131,487). Besides measuring flourishing-related outcomes, the GFS assesses 15 flourishing-related factors: four demographic, eight childhood, and three that pertain to both. Overall, the strongest demographic factor (indicated by the variation among the categories in their association with EoB) was education (with EoB higher among those with more education), and the strongest childhood factor was religious service attendance (especially weekly). Even more strikingly, some childhood factors associated with EoB were those that are negative, including even abuse; while that unexpected finding does not mean appreciating such adversity as having an “upside,” it points to EoB having complex roots, including forms of suffering that potentially make people more open and sensitive to the world. The cross-cultural variation was however substantial, with most trends not universal but subject to socio-cultural dynamics. More research is needed to provide deeper understanding of this important aspect of flourishing, for which this paper is a generative foundation and impetus.

Lomas, T., Padgett, R. N., Ritchie-Dunham, J. L., Pawelski, J. O., Nilsson, A. H., Johnson, B. R., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2026). A longitudinal outcome-wide assessment of the impact of life balance on flourishing: A 2-year cross-national analysis of 22 countries in the Global Flourishing Study. Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-47553-z

Despite increasing interest in the idea of life balance, there are currently no longitudinal studies examining this important aspect of human flourishing. Addressing this oversight, the current paper presents a foundational mapping study analyzing a life balance item (“In general, how often are the various aspects of your life in balance?”) in the Global Flourishing Study (GFS), a panel study investigating an extensive range of predictors and outcomes of flourishing in 22 diverse countries. We explore the association of balance at Wave 1 (207,919 participants) with 55 other flourishing-related outcomes at Wave 2 (128,868, a retention rate of 62%). For each outcome we conducted a multivariate regression analysis within each country (with random-effects meta-analyses then used to pool estimates across countries), regressing each Wave 2 outcome on Wave 1 balance, using two models, which could be understood as demarcating the plausible upper and lower bounds of the effect respectively: model 1 is less conservative, controlling for demographic and childhood variables only, whereas model 2 controls for seven principal components extracted from all contemporaneous wave 1 variables. Even under the more conservative model 2 (the “lower bound”), which risks controlling for too much, balance had a small but significant association with many aspects of flourishing, including an effect size of 0.04 with a six-domain flourishing index at the heart of the GFS (which situates balance at joint 25th when considered relative to all 68 wave 1 exposures in a predictor-wide perspective, even if methodological caution means we cannot interpret this as a substantive hierarchy). In addition to its longitudinal nature, another strength of the GFS is its multi-national design, which revealed considerable variation in effect sizes, which for the flourishing index ranged from Hong Kong and Japan (0.11) to China (-0.03). Thus, while balance seems important for flourishing, this effect is unevenly distributed, both across outcomes and countries, though more research is required to delve into why.

Lomas, T., Padgett, R. N., Warren, M. A., Johnson, B. R., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2026). A cross-sectional analysis of male versus female flourishing among 202,898 participants across 22 countries on 73 variables in the Global Flourishing Study. Scientific Reports, 16, 10166.

A prominent debate in modern society is how males or females are faring relative to each other. Despite a vast literature, most research is constrained by two issues: a limited conceptualization and assessment of what it means to do well; and a relatively narrow, often Western-centric coverage. To address these issues, this paper examines male-female differences on 73 items relating to all aspects of wellbeing in the Global Flourishing Study, with data from 202,898 participants across 22 countries. When organizing the items into six domains according to VanderWeele’s flourishing framework, females do slightly better on three (happiness and satisfaction, social relationship quality, and meaning and purpose), and males on two (self-rated health, and financial and material security), and with character/virtue equal. While all domains are weighted equally, since females are only marginally higher on three, whereas the gaps on the two male-led ones are much bigger, males fare slightly better on an overall flourishing index. There is also considerable country-level variation throughout the findings however, showing these general trends are not universal but contingent on local socio-cultural dynamics.

Lomas, T., Teubner, J., Ivey, R. M., Case, C., & Larrey, P. (2026). Into the metaverse (with Lex Fridman and Mark Zuckerberg): Exploring the ontological adventures, potentials, and risks of a new dimension of being. Journal of Humanistic Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1177/00221678261426422

The rise of technologies such as Virtual Reality and the emergence of various metaverse platforms have raised myriad questions and concerns, from their implications for human relationships to suggestions these may constitute a radical new dimension of existence. This paper explores these considerations by conducting a qualitative analysis of a unique interview between podcaster Lex Fridman and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, conducted in September 2023, which was not only about the nature and implications of the metaverse, but actually took place in Meta's prototype metaverse, thereby having the revealing property of Fridman actually experiencing it for the first time, offering a first-person phenomenological commentary and reaction. An analysis inspired and informed by grounded theory identified five main themes, namely new: ontological surprises, blended reality, identities, relationships, and ways of living. Together the results paint a vivid picture of the psychological and societal potentials and pitfalls of this new technology.

Lomas, T., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2026). Contributions towards a positive epidemiology of compassion: Exploring the transmission dynamics of acts of microkindness. International Journal of Wellbeing, 16(2), 1–20.

Recent years have seen enthusiasm for a “positive epidemiology,” extending the standard focus on disease in epidemiology to encompass positive health-related qualities and states, including an epidemiology of compassion. We seek to contribute towards the latter by considering a prosocial state that is closely related to compassion, namely kindness. More specifically, we advocate for attention to a form of kindness which has received minimal attention, but which we consider potentially important, namely microkindnesses: small gestures motivated by genuine warm feelings for others that benefit another, where small refers both to (a) duration (i.e., lasting less than five seconds) and (b) personal consequence to the actor (i.e., involving minimal personal harm or expense). In particular, we focus on the possibility of microkindnesses being transmitted among people, drawing on literature around collective emotions and research on kindness more broadly. We conclude by proposing an epidemiological approach to studying transmission dynamics of microkindnesses, concentrating on smiling and the potential for using AI and emotion recognition software to explore these dynamics.

Bittár, N., Håkan Nilsson, A. H., Dahlen, D., Nathanson, M., Kajonius, P. J., Kjell, O., Lomas, T., Case, B., Padgett, R. N., Chen, Y., Cowden, R., Johnson, B. R., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2026). Flourishing in Sweden: Great overall — but not for all. International Journal of Wellbeing, 3(15).

Sweden consistently ranks among the world’s happiest nations in global surveys. However, such rankings—typically focused on one single life evaluation indicator—may obscure important differences across life domains and population subgroups. Using nationally representative data from 15,068 Swedish adults in the Global Flourishing Study (GFS), this article offers a multidimensional assessment of human flourishing in Sweden across seven domains: psychological wellbeing, purpose and meaning, character and virtue, psychological distress, physical health, social wellbeing, and financial wellbeing. Swedish respondents, on average, reported high levels of life evaluation and financial wellbeing, and low psychological distress, positioning Sweden favorably among the 22 GFS countries. However, comparatively lower scores were observed in purpose and meaning and character and virtue. When comparing population subgroups, a pronounced age gradient emerged, with older Swedes reporting higher wellbeing across nearly all domains compared to younger adults, and many indicators showing medium to large effect sizes (e.g., Cohen’s ds = 0.77 and 0.70 for loneliness and happiness, respectively). Gender and immigration-related differences indicated somewhat lower levels of flourishing among women and foreign-born individuals. The effect sizes were, however, relatively small (e.g., ds at 0.21 in traumatic distress and 0.22 in anxiety for gender and immigration, respectively). These findings highlight Sweden’s strengths in supporting wellbeing and flourishing later in life while also pointing to disparities, particularly among younger adults, but also women and foreign-born populations. The results underscore the value of a multidimensional flourishing framework that moves beyond life evaluations and national averages to identify wellbeing inequalities between sociodemographic groups, even in a country routinely ranked among the world’s happiest.

Buenconsejo, J. U., Contreras, E., Nabia, J. O., Socrates, M. C. A., Case, B., Lomas, T., Chen, Y., Cowden, R. G., Padgett, R. N., Johnson, B. R., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2026). Flourishing in the Philippines: Country-specific insights from the Global Flourishing Study. International Journal of Wellbeing, 3(15).

Existing research on well-being has predominantly focused on relatively individualistic Western societies, with limited attention to developing and more collectivistic countries like the Philippines. This study contributes to addressing this gap by examining multidimensional well-being in a nationally representative sample of Filipinos (n = 5,292) from the first wave of the Global Flourishing Study. Specifically, differences in (1) life satisfaction and happiness, (2) physical and mental health, (3) meaning and purpose, (4) character and virtue, (5) social connectedness, and (6) financial and material stability were analyzed based on participants' sociodemographic characteristics. The results provided evidence of variation in flourishing indicators across gender, age, marital status, employment status, educational attainment, and religious service attendance, though most differences were modest in size. Some sociodemographic characteristics showed small associations with select indicators such as character-related outcomes by gender, physical and psychological well-being across age groups, and material stability across education levels. Religious attendance was more consistently associated with higher flourishing across several dimensions. These findings provide valuable insights into the multidimensional nature of flourishing and potential sociodemographic disparities in flourishing within a developing, collectivistic Southeast Asian context.

Haque, O. S., Wortham, J., Case, B. W., Cowden, R. G., Goodman, D., Lomas, T., Rashid, T., Wolpe, D. J., & Vander Weele, T. J. (2026). Acceptance as a response to suffering: Insights from world religious and philosophical traditions. Journal of Religion and Health. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-026-02594-6

How we relate to suffering shapes how much we ultimately suffer. Contemporary secular medicine and psychology tend to emphasize coping, control, and the reduction of distress, but a less examined, yet historically central, response is acceptance. This paper asks what it means to respond to suffering with acceptance, and why such a response might be wise rather than weak. Using a comparative conceptual analysis, we analyze acceptance of suffering in eight religious and philosophical traditions: Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Psychoanalysis, Stoicism, and Traditional African Religions. We describe the distinctiveness of each tradition’s view, as well as common ground. Across traditions, a shared paradox emerges: by accepting suffering, one can sometimes diminish its power, whereas reactive resistance can sometimes amplify it. We show that acceptance is not resignation or fatalism, but a cognitive-existential stance that clarifies agency, aligns the self with reality, can lead to growth, and can also coexist with protest, healing, and efforts to alleviate injustice. We identify recurring reasons for acceptance that fall into two broad categories: acceptance as alignment with basic truths about reality (e.g., divine providence, impermanence, karma, psychic structure) and acceptance as practically useful (e.g., reducing secondary suffering, cultivating virtue, deepening compassion, stabilizing the psyche). Finally, we propose a set of tradition-specific inventory items as a preliminary framework for future theoretical and empirical work on acceptance of suffering as a multidimensional construct.

Huang, L., Xu, J., Zhao, M. Y., Hou, H., Jarden, A., Lomas, T., Padgett, R. N., Case, B., Chen, Y., Cowden, R. G., Johnson, B. R., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2026). Flourishing in Hong Kong: An analysis of wellbeing-related outcomes in the Global Flourishing Study. International Journal of Wellbeing, 3(15), 6119.

Using population-based data from Hong Kong (N = 3,012) drawn from Wave 1 of the Global Flourishing Study, this study examines the distribution of multidimensional flourishing and explores sociodemographic variation across psychological, social, physical, and economic domains. Overall, respondents reported relatively strong happiness and life satisfaction and financial wellbeing, alongside less favourable social connectedness. Patterns of flourishing varied across age, gender, education, employment, and religious affiliation, highlighting meaningful heterogeneity within the population. Early older adults tended to show more favourable wellbeing profiles, whereas younger adults and nonreligious individuals displayed comparatively lower scores across several domains. Educational attainment and employment status were differentially associated with wellbeing outcomes, underscoring the complex relationship between socioeconomic position and flourishing in Hong Kong’s unique cultural and economic context. Together, these findings provide a population-level overview of flourishing in Hong Kong, identify subgroups that may benefit from targeted policy and public health interventions, and establish a baseline for future longitudinal monitoring of wellbeing.

Nilsson, A. H., Kajonius, P. J., Kjell, O., Dahlen, M., Schwartz, H. A., Case, B., Johnson, B., Lomas, T., Padgett, N., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2026). Swedish well-being: The rising importance of age among demographic, personality, and social relationship factors. SSM - Population Health, 101913. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2026.101913

The main demographic and psychological correlates of Well-Being (WB) are well-established, but have not yet been assessed in the Swedish population–regularly ranked among the world’s top five ranked WB nations–based on large, nationally representative data. Using 2023 Global Flourishing Study data (N = 15,068), this paper analyzes Swedish WB across three domains: demography (e.g., gender, age, and income), individual personality traits (e.g., Big Five neuroticism and extraversion), and social relationship qualities (e.g., loneliness and relationship satisfaction). Using machine learning regression models based on these three domains, we regressed a composite 13-item WB measure–i.e., a general factor consisting of positive markers (e.g., happiness, life balance) and negative markers (e.g., depression, anxiety)--with an accuracy of r = .79 (cross-validated training) that generalized well to a holdout set (r = .79). Age was the strongest demographic marker of Swedish SWB among the 65 predictors (lasso β = .10; bivariate r = .32), only surpassed by the classically strong SWB predictors of neuroticism (β = -.33), loneliness (β = -.24), relationships satisfaction, (β = .17), and friendship contentment (β = .17). We replicated the age–SWB relationship with complementary Gallup World Poll data; spanning 2006 to 2024, and the data suggested that older Swedes have indeed pulled ahead of young Swedes in SWB, albeit only in the last five years. Further, with this paper’s focus on the demographics of WB in Sweden, it offers an unprecedented set of political identity graphs for the benefit of researchers, policymakers, and the common public. The overall conclusion is that while personality and social relationship quality are stronger markers than demography for Swedish WB, age is the strongest demographic predictor, and has grown in significance recently. The findings will ideally inform and guide Swedish public policy and politics, particularly in addressing the declining WB of young Swedes.

Ortega, F., Snower, D. J. Lomas, T., Padgett, R. N, Case, B., Chen, Y., Cowden, R. G., Johnson, B. R., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2026). Well-being in the United States: Insights from the Global Flourishing Study. International Journal of Wellbeing, 15(3), 5907, 1-39.

This paper presents findings from the U.S. Wave 1 data of the Global Flourishing Study (GFS). The analysis examines outcomes of flourishing across three key sociodemographic variables: age, education, and immigration status. Results show consistent age-related gradients in flourishing, with older adults generally reporting higher psychological and social well-being and greater financial security, despite more physical health limitations. Educational attainment is positively associated with most well-being domains, including psychological, physical, and socioeconomic outcomes, though some measures, such as social connectedness and hope show more complex, non-linear patterns. Foreign-born individuals report advantages in some areas of psychological well-being (e.g., optimism, purpose, and future life evaluation) and social well-being (e.g., social connectedness and trust). The paper argues that the GFS offers a comprehensive, multi-dimensional baseline for understanding well-being in the U.S and highlights the need for holistic, interdisciplinary approaches to policy aimed at fostering human flourishing.

Vanney, C. E., Mesurado, B., Fitz Herbert, A. L., Lomas, T., Padgett, R. N., Case, B., Cowden, R. G., Chen, Y., Johnson, B. R., & VanderWeele, T. J.(2026). Flourishing in Argentina: Evidence from the Global Flourishing Study (GFS) across socioeconomic groups and levels of religiosity. International Journal of Wellbeing, 15(3), 5955, 1-30.

Using Wave 1 data from the Global Flourishing Study (GFS), this study examined the levels of well-being in multiple domains of flourishing and their variations across demographic groups in Argentina (N=6,724). The results show that the mean flourishing level of Argentine participants is above the pooled means across all 22 countries included in the GFS in the domains of psychological well-being, social well-being, and character & prosocial behavior, but it is below the cross-national average in socioeconomic outcomes. In addition, the mean levels of flourishing in Argentina differ across groups with different levels of religiosity. For instance, the mean scores on multiple indicators of flourishing are higher among Christian Argentinians than their non-religious counterparts. Moreover, the means on multiple indicators of flourishing are also higher among those who attended religious services frequently than those who never attended services. The results make a meaningful contribution to studies on flourishing in Argentina. The findings also provide intriguing paths for future research and highlight the importance of population-level monitoring of flourishing in Argentina.

Yemiscigil, A., Baskurt, A. B., Asici, A. A., Lomas, T., Padgett, R. N., Case, B., Chen, Y., Cowden, R., Johnson, B. R., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2026). Flourishing in Türkiye: A comprehensive country-specific analysis of wellbeing-related outcomes in the Global Flourishing Study. International Journal of Wellbeing, 3(15), 5933.

Measures of flourishing provide a comprehensive assessment of multiple facets of well-being, broadening how well-being can be studied and promoted. The current study uses large-scale data collected by the Global Flourishing Study, which includes nationally representative samples from 202,898 participants from 22 countries around the world. Specifically, it presents an analysis of 69 wellbeing outcomes in the Türkiye sample (N = 1,473), examining demographic and socioeconomic correlates of wellbeing while comparing Türkiye’s average scores of wellbeing with the pooled estimates for the combined set of all 22 countries included in the Global Flourishing Study. The analyses revealed disparities in wellbeing, with young people and ethnic minorities generally reporting lower wellbeing across most outcomes. Individuals aged 50 and older and frequent religious service attenders tended to report greater wellbeing. Those with higher education reported greater personal well-being but lower satisfaction with the social-political context. Compared to the pooled cross-country estimates, Türkiye scored lower across most psychological and social wellbeing outcomes, while some religion/spirituality outcomes were higher in Türkiye. We contextualize these results with respect to current and historical cultural, political, and socioeconomic conditions of Türkiye, and point to future research directions. The findings from this research can inform policies that aim at promoting wellbeing in an equitable and effective manner in the context of Türkiye.

2025

Lomas, T. (2025). A heuristic formula for appreciating the quality of art and its importance to wellbeing. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 20(6), 1091-1099

This commentary proposes a heuristic for appreciating the quality of art and its importance to wellbeing. I begin with a taxonomy I developed in a paper on "positive art," which argued that art contributes to wellbeing in five main ways: aesthetic appreciation; enriching experience; sense-making; entertainment; and bonding. The present commentary suggests these do not merely outline the effects of art, but its very nature, proposing that all art fulfils at least one of these functions, and the more it does, the better the art. I augment that model by harnessing a related formula I created in a paper on "positive semiotics" that identified the ways a sign could be positive, drawing on Peirce's theory of semiotics, Pawelski's analysis of the positive, and the triad of the good, true, and beautiful. Together, these two frameworks create a handy formula that is useful in valuing and enjoying art.

Lomas, T. (2025). Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) disclosure as ontological shock? Exploring diversity among social media responses to a congressional UAP hearing. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 65(3), 654-688.

The topic of “Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena” (UAP) has risen to increasing prominence recently, as exemplified by the Congressional UAP hearing in July 2023. Indeed, some observers interpreted the event as “disclosure” – a process by which authorities, long suspected to have withheld evidence that some UAP are genuinely anomalous (e.g., extraterrestrial), admit this to the public. Whether it actually constituted disclosure is another issue, but it was certainly experienced by some as such. The significance of such disclosure is that some commentators suggested it may precipitate “ontological shock” (a person having their fundamental sense of reality challenged in some way). Whether the hearing did indeed do so is the research question animating this paper, which presents an exploratory, preliminary examination of reactions to the hearing on X (previously Twitter). A Grounded Theory analysis identified 19 themes (involving 76 subthemes), distributed across four categories: concern; positive reactions; skepticism and indifference; and critical engagement. Evidently, even if this event constituted disclosure and/or ontological shock for some people, there were diverse reactions, and collectively the effect was more one of ontological “fracturing.” The paper highlights the complexity of this topic and the need for further research.

Lomas, T., Bradshaw, M., Case, B., Cowden, R., Crabtree, S., English, C., Fogleman, A., Johnson, K. A., Ritter, Z., Johnson, B. R., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2025). The development of the Global Flourishing Study questionnaire: Charting the evolution of a new 109-item inventory of human flourishing. BMC Global and Public Health, 3, 30.

Given the well-founded critiques of academia as Western-centric, there are increasing efforts to conduct research that is more cross-cultural and global. These dynamics apply to all aspects of life, including human flourishing, as exemplified by the new Global Flourishing Study (GFS), a longitudinal panel study investigating the predictors and components of flourishing across over 200,000 participants from 22 geographically and culturally diverse countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Hong Kong [S.A.R of China, with mainland China also included from 2024 onwards], Egypt, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Philippines, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Tanzania, Turkey, UK, and USA). The research is not only comprehensive in its global reach but also its conceptual coverage of flourishing, involving 109 distinct questions (comprising a one-off intake survey of 43 items and an annual survey of 71 items, with five items shared by both). This paper elucidates the questionnaire development process, giving a transparent and open accounting of its multi-phase construction. By describing this process in detail, this article not only articulates the nature of the GFS but also serves as a useful resource in the survey development literature more broadly (e.g., for scholars undertaking similar endeavors).

Lomas, T., Masters, M., & O’Malley, A. (2025). Conspiracies, cover-ups, compartmentalization, and containment: The complex, secrecy-related information dynamics of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena. World Futures. https://doi.org/10.1080/02604027.2025.2585942

This paper sheds lights on these dynamics by delving into the informational complexity around this topic. The aim here isn’t to determine or uncover the ”truth” about this phenomenon, which we are not in a position to do anyway (having no privileged access to classified or otherwise secret information, and only relying on what is in the public domain). Rather, we are just attempting to think about, from first principles, the interrelated nature of information, people, institutions, and potential UAP, such that together these intersecting considerations might help explain the murkiness and confusion that habitually surround this topic. Our starting point is to note three crucial properties of information that influence whether and with whom it is shared, namely information as power, responsibility, and value. We then suggest that these properties are enhanced to the extent information is novel, unusual, not widely known/believed, existentially challenging, connected to scientific/technological development, and militarily/politically consequential. These “secrecy multipliers” all pertain to the UAP topic. The paper then reviews eleven intersecting reasons for UAP-related secrecy. The first five concern the nature of institutions and people, and are not specific to this topic per se: institutions create secrets; institutional complexity; information control; information impedance; and the lure of secrecy. The next six more closely pertain to UAP, and involve various forms of concern, including regarding: the existential implications of the topic; possible “beings” connected to UAP; geopolitical power dynamics; legal repercussions arising from alleged concealment; institutional reputations; and public reaction. To be clear, the plausibility of these secrecy-related dynamics in relation to the topic does not mean that UAP are in fact necessarily “genuine” (i.e., extraordinary). Nevertheless, whatever the ultimate truth about UAP proves to be, these considerations help explain the historic and present secrecy around the phenomenon.

Lomas, T., O’Malley, A., Masters, M. P., & Vernet, R. (2025). The UAP Assessment Matrix: A proposed framework for evaluating evidence and understanding regarding Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena. Acta Astronautica, 234, 491-503

Over recent years the issue of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) has increasingly captivated attention and even concern, as reflected in the US military establishing a UAP Task Force in 2020. By their very definition however, such phenomena present an epistemological challenge to observers and analysts, raising questions such as what does it mean for something to be unidentified or anomalous, and relatedly, what kind of evidence and understanding would it take for the phenomenon to become identified and explained. This paper aims to help address these issues by providing a UAP Assessment Matrix that would allow observers to appraise a given UAP event/case, featuring two main dimensions: evidence (i.e., the quality of the data pertaining to it); and understanding (i.e., the extent to which the data align with various theories and explanations). Moreover, both dimensions feature numerous sub-dimensions (which is what makes the framework a matrix), allowing more nuanced and fine-grained assessments to be made. We also demonstrate the matrix using a little-known but significant UAP case study from 1953. The matrix will ideally provide a foundation for more rigorous and considered analyses of UAP events and stimulate further understanding of this vitally important topic.

Lomas, T., Padgett, R. N., Case, B., Chen, Y., Cowden, R. G., Johnson, B. R., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2025). Introduction to the Global Flourishing Study country-specific special issue. International Journal of Wellbeing, 15(3), 5103.

The Global Flourishing Study (GFS) is a unique longitudinal panel study investigating the distribution and determinants of human flourishing across 22 diverse countries. Given such a comprehensive dataset, there are many ways of approaching, analysing, and discussing the data. The core GFS team is conducting an extensive series of studies, each focusing on a specific flourishing outcome indicator across all GFS countries. Another valuable and complementary approach is to focus on specific countries across all outcomes, which is precisely the nature of this special issue, which features separate papers for each GFS country. The papers are all led by scholars in or from the different countries, in partnership with researchers on the core GFS team. Given the unique nature of this collaborative endeavour, this introductory paper sets out the process through which this special issue came into being. Besides highlighting the value of this kind of research partnership, this paper thus also offers a foundation and guide for similar initiatives in the future.

Lomas, T., Padgett, R. N., Ritchie-Dunham, J. L., Lee, M. T., Pawelski, J. O., Shiba, K., Johnson, B. R., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2025). A cross-national analysis of the childhood predictors of inner peace in the Global Flourishing Study. Scientific Reports, 15, 11328

Great efforts have been expended studying how people’s childhood affects their life in adulthood. Although attention has mostly focused on ‘negative’ outcomes, such as mental illness, paradigms like positive psychology have encouraged interest in desirable phenomena too. Yet amidst this ‘positive turn’ some desiderata have still received scant engagement, including inner peace. This lacuna perhaps reflects the Western-centric nature of academia, with low arousal positive emotions regarded as being relatively undervalued in the West. But aligning with broader efforts to redress this Western-centricity is an emergent literature on this topic. This report adds to this by presenting cross-sectional wave 1 data from the most ambitious longitudinal study to date of inner peace, namely as an item – “In general, how often do you feel you are at peace with your thoughts and feelings?” – in the Global Flourishing Study, an intended five-year study investigating the predictors of human flourishing involving (in this first year) 202,898 participants from 22 countries. This exploratory paper looks at 13 childhood predictors of peace, using random effects meta-analysis to aggregate all findings, focusing on three research questions. First, how do recalled aspects of a child’s upbringing predict peace in adulthood, for which the most impactful factor on average was self-rated health growing up, with Risk Ratios, relative to “good”, ranging from 0.93 for “poor” to 1.07 for “excellent”. Second, do associations vary by country, with the effect of poor self-rated health spanning 0.37 in Turkey to 1.19 in Nigeria. Third, are relationships robust to potential unmeasured confounding, as assessed by E-values, for which the effect of poor health growing up is robust up to an unmeasured confounder association Risk Ratio of 1.36 with inner peace. These results shed valuable new light on the long-term causal dynamics of this overlooked but important topic.

Lomas, T., Padgett, R. N., Ritchie-Dunham, J. L., Lee, M. T., Pawelski, J. O., Shiba, K., Johnson, B. R., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2025). Demographic variation in inner peace across 22 countries: A cross-national analysis of the Global Flourishing Study. Journal of Happiness Studies, 27, 66

Although peace is invariably regarded as a universal good, most research focuses on ‘outer’ forms (e.g., societal relations), with little attention to ‘inner’ peace (IP, i.e., tranquil states of mind). This may reflect the Western-centrism of academia, with low arousal positive states like IP being relatively undervalued in the West. But alongside broader efforts to redress such Western-centricity, an emergent literature is now exploring this concept. This report adds to this by presenting the most ambitious longitudinal study to date of IP, namely as an item – “In general, how often do you feel you are at peace with your thoughts and feelings?” – in the Global Flourishing Study, a five-year (minimum) panel study of the predictors of flourishing, involving (in this first year) 202,898 participants from 22 countries. This paper looks at demographic variation vis-à-vis IP, with our primary analyses consisting of meta-analyses across countries for each demographic group, focusing on three research questions. (1) What are the distributions and descriptive statistics of key demographic factors? (2) How does IP order across countries, with considerable variation observed, with the percentage always or often at peace ranging from 89% (95% CI = 87,90) in Hong Kong to just 49% (0.46,0.52) in Turkey. (3) How does IP vary across demographic categories, with the greatest variation among those always/often at peace observed in relation to age (68% [63,73] of 18–24 year olds versus 86% [73,94] of the 80+), followed by employment status (63% [0.57,0.68] of unemployed job-seekers versus 78% [65,75] of retirees), then religious attendance (68% [62,73] for non-attendees versus 80% [73,85] for more than once weekly). The results shed new light on the personal and contextual factors that shape this valued yet under-studied outcome, and provide a helpful foundation for further enquiry.

Lomas, T., Padgett, R. N., Ritchie-Dunham, J. L., Pawelski, J. O., Shiba, K., Johnson, B. R., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2025). Childhood predictors of balance in life: A cross-national analysis of the Global Flourishing Study. Scientific Reports, 15, 13301

Although the importance of balance has been recognized in various specific domains, from work-life balance to a balanced diet, there has been curiously little attention to balance in life overall (i.e., across all aspects of living). As a result, there is relatively little understanding of its various dynamics, including of any childhood factors that may be associated with balance in adulthood. To gain a better understanding of such factors, we analysed cross-sectional wave 1 data on life balance in the Global Flourishing Study. This is a five-year (minimum) panel study investigating the predictors of human flourishing, involving (in this first year) 202,898 participants from 22 countries, and which includes the item, “In general, how often are the various aspects of your life in balance?” Here we looked at 13 childhood predictors of balance, using random effects meta-analyses to aggregate all findings in the main text, focusing on three research questions. First, how do different aspects of a child’s upbringing predict balance in adulthood?, for which the most impactful factor was “feel[ing] like an outsider in your family” when growing up (Risk Ratio = 0.90), and the least was immigration status (0.98). Second, do these associations vary by country?, with the effect of being an outsider, for example, strongest in Australia, and weakest (not different than zero) in Egypt, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Nigeria, the Philippines, Poland, South Africa, and Turkey. Third, are the observed relationships robust to potential unmeasured confounding, as assessed by E-values, which overall was the case. These results shed new light on the cross-cultural and potential causal dynamics of this overlooked topic and provide the foundation for further enquiry.

Lomas, T., Padgett, R. N., Ritchie-Dunham, J. L., Pawelski, J. O., Shiba, K., Johnson, B. R., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2025b). Demographic variation in balance in life across 22 countries: A cross-national analysis of the Global Flourishing Study. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 20, 1011–1036

The importance of balance has been selectively acknowledged in modern scholarship through notions such as work-life balance. However, the broader notion of balance in life has remained underappreciated. This may reflect the Western-centric nature of academia, with balance having received less attention in the West compared to other cultures. But aligning with efforts to make scholarship more globally inclusive, an emergent literature is exploring this concept. This report adds to this by presenting data from the most ambitious longitudinal study to date of life balance, as an item – “In general, how often are the various aspects of your life in balance?” – in the Global Flourishing Study, a five-year (minimum) panel study investigating the predictors of flourishing involving (in this first year) 202,898 participants from 22 countries. Reporting on wave 1 of the study, this paper looks at demographic variation vis-à-vis life balance, with our primary analyses consisting of meta-analyses across countries for each demographic group, focusing on three research questions. First, what are the distributions and descriptive statistics of key demographic factors. Second, how do levels of balance order across countries, with considerable variation observed, with the percentage either always or often in balance ranging from 83% in Israel to just 44% in Tanzania. Third, how does balance vary across demographic categories, with the biggest difference in relation to employment status (with 76% of retirees often or always in balance, versus 57% of those unemployed/seeking a job), and the smallest in relation to immigration status. These results shed new light on the personal and contextual factors that shape this valued outcome, and provide the foundation for further enquiry.

Lomas, T., Pawelski, J. O., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2025). Flourishing as ‘sustainable well-being’: balance and harmony within and across people, ecosystems, and time. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 20(2), 203-218.

Academic interest in well-being has blossomed in recent years, to the point that numerous forms of well-being have now been proposed, covering myriad aspects of the person (e.g., mental, physical, social, spiritual) and of life more broadly (e.g., communal, economic, environmental). This proliferation of forms raises the question of how they might ideally interrelate, as well as whether there is some kind of overall well-being that draws them together. To that end, this paper argues that a zenith of ultimate or complete well-being would involve managing to sustain well-being across numerous systems (i.e., configurations of different processes and entities), such that they are in a state of balance and harmony. These systems include: (a) the various dimensions of the person (e.g., physical, mental, social, spiritual); (b) self-and-other (i.e., where both the person and those around are doing well); (c) people-and-environment (i.e., where human well-being is aligned with the well-being of nature); and (d) time (i.e., well-being obtains both in the present and into the future). We suggest that attaining all of these various forms of sustainable well-being constitutes an ideal of flourishing to which people and societies can and should aspire.

Bradshaw, M., Counted, V., Lomas, T., Woodberry, R. D., VanderWeele, T. J., & Johnson, B. R. (2025). Childhood experiences and adult prayer or meditation in 22 countries around the world. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 15083.

Few studies have examined how childhood experiences and characteristics shape daily prayer or meditation in adulthood across countries around the world using nationally-representative data. The current study addresses this limitation by analyzing data from the Global Flourishing Study (GFS), an international survey of 202,898 individuals from 22 geographically, economically, and culturally diverse countries collected in 2022–2023. Father-child relations, early-life religious attendance, year of birth, and gender were associated with adult daily prayer or meditation in a meta-analysis of all 22 countries. Parental marital status, economic conditions, abuse and adversity, health, and immigration status were not significant in the pooled analysis, but were important in one or more countries. All childhood characteristics showed some variation across nations. E-values suggested that the strongest associations were robust against confounding from unmeasured covariates. Cross-national research is difficult for many reasons including language barriers, norms regarding talking about sensitive issues, and survey question translation and interpretation issues. Despite these, findings show meaningful associations between numerous childhood characteristics and adult prayer or meditation around the world. Results also reveal considerable variation across countries and cultures. This work lays the foundation for future longitudinal GFS studies on the causes and correlates of prayer or meditation in a global context.

Counted, V., Lee, M. T., Lomas, T., Cowden, R., Allen, K.-A., Basu, J., Laidler, D., Routledge, C., Seamon, D., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2025). Love of place: Conceptual framework and template for measuring the contributory and unitive affection towards a place. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 107, 102203.

This paper examines the construct of 'love of place'-a deep connection with a significant place (unitive love) and a desire to see it flourish (contributory love), which is distinct from and extends beyond traditional notions of place attachment, nostalgia, or belonging that are common in the literature on place. Drawing from interdisciplinary perspectives, including environmental psychology , urban studies, and cultural geography, we explore how individuals form deep affections to places that shape their admiration, care, and a sense of reverence or affection for a significant place. Using the Delphi method, a panel of experts and scholars with expertise on love, place, or the intersection between the two formed the basis for the thematic analysis, which helped refine the construct across seven core dimensions: identity, emotional attachment, biophilic connection, sacred spaces, communal harmony, and heritage. We operationalized each dimension according to unitive and contributory domains, emphasizing how this framing of love might foster personal and collective flourishing. Our findings highlight how environmental changes, in some cases leading to solastalgia, disrupt the spatial affections associated with some expressions or manifestations of love of place. Unlike related constructs, the contributory aspect of love of place involves a desire to contribute to the good of a place, akin to how people express unconditional love for individuals. We argue that a key difference lies in the nature of the affections involved. Love of place invokes deeper emotional and existential elements, as well as aspects beyond emotions, while an emotion like place attachment, for example, may focus more on functionality and familiarity. Our proposed framework of love of place offers a new lens for exploring place-related experiences and could inform future research on spatial affection and environmental stewardship.

Cowden, R. G., Skinstad, D., Lomas, T., Johnson, B. R. & VanderWeele, T. J. (2025). Measuring wellbeing in the Global Flourishing Study: Insights from a cross-national analysis of cognitive interviews from 22 countries. Quality & Quantity, 59, 575–597.

Prior research suggests that cross-national cognitive interviewing can provide preliminarily insights into the extent to which survey items that will be employed in large-scale global research might be understood similarly or differently across countries. Against the backdrop of the recently launched Global Flourishing Study, we used multinational cognitive interview data from 116 individuals (M = 41.4 years, SD = 14.9, female = 50.9%) in 22 countries to explore similarities and differences in item difficulty and comprehension of five of the Global Flourishing Study survey items that are related to personal wellbeing. Interviewer observations indicated that most participants (≥ 90%) did not experience a lot of difficulty responding to each of the items. Focusing on a specific comprehension probe that was common across the five items (i.e., “In your own words, what is this question asking?”), we applied the constant comparative analytic method to generate an overarching theme for each item that captured the common core or essence of how participants across the countries interpreted the items. However, there was some variability—both between and within countries—in how responses to the probe in the different countries related to the overarching theme for each item. Given the richness of the Global Flourishing Study as a possible data resource, including its broad representativeness of the global population and availability as an open access dataset, these findings will be useful to researchers who are interested in using data from the Global Flourishing Study to study human wellbeing in different parts of the world.

Cowden, R. G., Wilson Fadiji, A., Govender, K., Hendriks, H. J., Schoeman, W. J., Case, B., Chen, Y., Lomas, T., Padgett, R. N., Johnson, B. R., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2025). Flourishing in South Africa: Benchmarks and sociodemographic variation across 69 health, wellbeing, and related factors in the Global Flourishing Study. International Journal of Wellbeing, 15(3), 1–19.

Using nationally representative data for South Africa (N = 2,651) from Wave 1 of the Global Flourishing Study, we explored the distributions of 69 health, wellbeing, and related factors and tested for potential sociodemographic differences in the means/proportions of those indicators. When comparing estimates for South Africa with pooled estimates for the combined set of 22 countries included in the Global Flourishing Study, we did not find definitive evidence of differences on most of the main health and wellbeing outcomes. On the few main outcomes where we observed differences, estimates for some were more favorable in South Africa (e.g., peace, suffering) while others were less favorable (e.g., life satisfaction, trust). South Africa was more distinguishable from the entire set of 22 countries on the outcomes within the supplementary domains of socioeconomic factors and religion/spirituality, with lower estimates found for South Africa on several socioeconomic factors and higher estimates observed for almost all religion/spirituality indicators. Our exploration of sociodemographic variation in the outcomes suggested that some subpopulations might be flourishing to a greater degree than others (e.g., those aged 80 years or older, males), but the pattern of sociodemographic differences across the outcomes was somewhat mixed and the flourishing profile of subpopulations varied quite considerably. These findings offer important insights for South African policymakers and public health practitioners on the need to support vulnerable subpopulations (e.g., females, those who are divorced), as well as lay the foundation for population-level monitoring of flourishing in South Africa using future Global Flourishing Study panel data.

Job Chen, Z., Davoodi, T., Diego-Rosell, P., Lomas, T., Yuanhong Lai, A., & Cowden, R. G. (2025). Religious/spiritual connection and subjective well-being across religious and nonreligious individuals in 121 countries. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

Prior research suggests a positive association between some religious/spiritual variables and well-being. However, many measures of religious/spiritual constructs are often within explicitly religious contexts, limiting the conceptualization of links between spiritual connection and well-being among nonreligious individuals. The present study employs a novel, versatile measure assessing how frequently individuals feel connected to a religion or form of spirituality. Using nationally representative 2021 Gallup World Poll data from 121 countries ( N = 125,843), we describe the distribution of religious/spiritual connection and examine its associations with subjective well-being among religious and nonreligious individuals. A majority of individuals worldwide—including many who are nonreligious—reported “often/always” feeling religious/spiritual connection. Adjusting for relevant covariates, religious/spiritual connection associated positively with subjective well-being in the global sample of religious individuals and, in some countries, nonreligious individuals (effect sizes were mostly small). Cross-national variation points to the complex role of religious/spiritual connection in shaping subjective well-being globally.

Jeffery-Schwikkarda, D., Li, J., Nagpalc, P., & Lomas, T. (2025). Systematic review of character development in low- and middle-income countries, (20)1, 169-191. Journal of Positive Psychology, 25(1), 169-191.

Character strengths and development is one of the most important and influential areas of positive psychology. Yet most of this research involves – as per the field generally – research in high income countries, with relatively little awareness of its dynamics in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, there is a burgeoning research base in such countries, but this has hitherto been neither consolidated nor widely disseminated. To remedy this lacuna, this paper reports on a systematic review of the peer-reviewed journal articles on character development in LMICs, analysing 164 articles selected from 1,507 initial abstracts. Our analysis shows that research into character in LMICs is developing rapidly, noting various significant trends with respect to countries, populations, outcomes, and interventions. We also point where further efforts are needed, showing how research on this important topic can continue to prosper in regions that have been relatively neglected in the literature.

VanderWeele, T. J., Johnson, B. R., Bialowolski, P. T., Bonhag, R., Bradshaw, M., Breedlove, T., Case, B., Chen, Y., Chen, Z. J., Counted, V., Cowden, R. G., de la Rosa, P. A., Fogleman, A., Gibson, C., Grigoropoulou, N., Gundersen, C., Jang, S. J., Johnson, K. A., Kim, E. S., … Yancey, G. (2025). The Global Flourishing Study: Study profile and initial results on flourishing. Nature Mental Health, 3 636–653.

The Global Flourishing Study is a longitudinal panel study of over 200,000 participants in 22 geographically and culturally diverse countries, spanning all six populated continents, with nationally representative sampling and intended annual survey data collection for 5 years to assess numerous aspects of flourishing and its possible determinants. The study is intended to expand our knowledge of the distribution and determinants of flourishing around the world. Relations between a composite flourishing index and numerous demographic characteristics are reported. Participants were also surveyed about their childhood experiences, which were analyzed to determine their associations with subsequent adult flourishing. Analyses are presented both across and within countries, and discussion is given as to how the demographic and childhood relationships vary by country and which patterns appear to be universal versus culturally specific. Brief comment is also given on the results of a whole series of papers in the Global Flourishing Study Special Collection, employing similar analyses, but with more-specific aspects of well-being. The Global Flourishing Study expands our knowledge of the distribution and determinants of well-being and provides foundational knowledge for the promotion of societal flourishing.

Weziak-Bialowolska, D., Zalewska, A. M., Krys, K., Case, B., Lomas, T., Padgett, R. N., Johnson, B. R., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2025). Understanding well-being in Poland: Insights from the Global Flourishing Study. International Journal of Wellbeing, 15(3), 1–27.

This study explores well-being in Poland across psychological, social, economic, and spiritual dimensions, situating it within a global context using data from the Global Flourishing Study (GFS). Data from 10,389 individuals representative of the Polish population were analyzed. The study examined multiple well-being indicators including psychological, social, spiritual, and economic outcomes, alongside health, character strengths and prosocial behaviors. Variations in well-being were assessed based on demographic factors, including gender, age, marital status, religiosity, immigration status, and labor market status. Poles report relatively higher psychological well-being, including happiness, life satisfaction, present life evaluation, inner peace, and life balance compared to global metrics of GFS countries. Perceived freedom and optimism are slightly lower. Retirees (aged 60+) exhibit notable psychological resilience, and spiritual flourishing. Social well-being highlights strong social support but low community participation. Psychological distress, including depression and traumatic suffering, is less prevalent than in other GFS countries. However, physical health presents mixed results - self-rated health is comparatively high and physical pain is less common, risky behaviors (smoking, drinking, low exercise frequency) remain concerns. Character strengths and prosocial behavior, such as delayed gratification, gratitude, forgiveness, and volunteering are lower than GFS means. Financial and material security is relatively strong, yet religious engagement is shifting: despite declining institutional participation, 61% of Poles find spiritual comfort, and 28% meditate or pray daily. Poland’s well-being landscape reflects both strengths and challenges, with notable demographic differences.

2024

Lomas, T. (2024). A global picture of unidentified anomalous phenomena: Towards a cross‐cultural understanding of a potentially universal issue. International Social Science Journal, 74, 851–879.

Over recent years, the issue of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) has increasingly captivated attention and even concern, as reflected in the US military establishing a UAP Task Force in 2020. However, the discourse and debate around this important topic are beset with misunderstandings and a general lack of knowledge and information. One prominent point of contention is the claim or insinuation that this is a uniquely Western concern, and even one exclusively centred on North America. Crucially though, this is an incorrect assumption and perhaps reflects the Western‐centrism to which academia is liable. To redress this issue, this paper reviews the publicly available information on the prevalence of UAP sightings and reports worldwide, showing that, even if these are heavily biased towards the United States, this is nevertheless a global phenomenon. The discussion concludes though by noting that this is a very poorly understood topic – despite the dawning recognition of its importance – and much more work is needed to better ascertain its cross‐cultural dynamics.

Lomas, T. (2024). A history of scientific approaches to Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Time to rethink their relegation to the paranormal and engage seriously? Journal of Scientific Exploration, 38(1), 91–109.

The topic of “Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena” (UAP) has historically been regarded with skepticism by the scientific community. After a period of relative openness and ambivalence in the 1950s and 60s, it eventually became generally categorized as a “paranormal” concern and dismissed as a legitimate focus of inquiry. However, the issue has risen to public prominence over recent years. As such, this paper argues UAP should be redeemed as a scientific topic and given the scrutiny that such a potentially important phenomenon merits. The focus here is not assessing the nature of UAP per se but simply to argue this is a valid topic that the scientific community has shied away from which deserves real consideration.

Lomas, T. (2024). The extraterrestrial hypothesis: A case for scientific openness to an interstellar explanation for Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena. Philosophy and Cosmology, 32.

Over the past several years the question of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) has commanded increasing interest. Attention has generally focused on two main classes of hypotheses: a conventional terrestrial explanation (e.g., human technology), and a more extraordinary extraterrestrial explanation (i.e., an intelligent civilization from elsewhere in the cosmos). However, while some authorities seem open to the latter (e.g., elements of the military and intelligence communities), on the whole scientists appear reluctant to consider it. This may be because such ideas have long been relegated to the "paranormal" and dismissed as a legitimate focus of enquiry. However, work has nevertheless flourished on adjacent ideas, such as the possibility of extraterrestrial life per se and the viability of interstellar space travel. As such, given these adjacent ideas, together with new evidence concerning UAP that seems to elude conventional understanding, this paper argues that the scientific community should engage with the extraterrestrial hypothesis as a real and genuine possibility.

Lomas, T., Case, B., Cratty, F., & Batson, A. (2024). The dance of East and West: A brief history of an unstable but enduring conceptual partnership. East West Studies, 13, 6-25.

The distinction between East and West is among the most prominent and influential cross-cultural tropes in both academic scholarship and public discourse. However, in most cases, this attention tends to focus narrowly on certain instances or iterations of this binary. In particular, Edward Said's influential analysis of 'Orientalism' has led to a relative fixation on the dynamic between Western Europe and the 'near' and 'far' East in the 19 th century. However, the East-West polarity has been a defining feature of at least the last 2,500 years of human history. It is, moreover, a complex and contested binary, whose boundaries and contours have constantly shift ed. This paper therefore highlights these complexities through a 'psycho-historical' approach, namely, exploring the psychological nature and dynamics of this distinction through a historical lens. Th us, we explore variations on the East-West theme throughout six key historical eras: prehistory ; the Classical Age; the rise of Christianity; the medieval world; the Enlightenment; and the Cold War. It is hoped that our analysis not only offers a useful introduction to the evolution of the East-West distinction but also encourages scholars to adopt a more subtle and nuanced approach to its dynamics.

Lomas, T., Case, B., Lee, M. T., Bear, L., Cowden, R. G., Greenberg, Y. K., Rashid, T., & VanderWeele, T. (2024). Love of creation: Exploring diversity and commonality among religious and philosophical traditions. Zygon, 59(2), 352–381.

Love is widely recognized as one of the most important, desired, and consequential aspects of the human condition, and thus has rightly been the focus of much academic attention. However, this interest has tended to concentrate on specific forms of love-especially romantic and familial forms-to the exclusion of others. One such overlooked form is love of "creation"-of the world and the wider cosmos in which human beings find themselves. Throughout history and across cultures, this kind of love has been developed and articulated by religious and philosophical traditions in diverse ways. This article showcases a selection of ten such traditions, generally through the prism of one particularly important figure within each tradition, including Hinduism, Judaism, Zen Buddhism, Manichaeism, Christianity, Islam, Maasai thought, Cherokee thought, Romanticism, and secular reverence. Through these lenses, the diverse ways love of creation has been expressed can be appreciated. In conclusion, we also try to find some common ground among these traditions by constructing a provisional set of items for a love of creation measure that would be applicable across traditions.

Lomas, T., Case, B., & Masters, M. (2024). The cryptoterrestrial hypothesis: A case for scientific openness to a subterranean earthly explanation for Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena. Philosophy and Cosmology, 33.

Recent years have seen increasing public attention and indeed concern regarding Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP). Hypotheses for such phenomena tend to fall into two classes: a conventional terrestrial explanation (e.g., human-made technology), or an extraterrestrial explanation (i.e., advanced civilizations from elsewhere in the cosmos). However, there is also a third minority class of hypothesis: an unconventional terrestrial explanation, outside the prevailing consensus view of the universe. This is the ultraterrestrial hypothesis, which includes as a subset the "cryptoterrestrial" hypothesis, namely the notion that UAP may reflect activities of intelligent beings concealed in stealth here on Earth (e.g., underground), and/or its near environs (e.g., the moon), and/or even "walking among us" (e.g., passing as humans). Although this idea is likely to be regarded sceptically by most scientists, such is the nature of some UAP that we argue this possibility should not be summarily dismissed, and instead deserves genuine consideration in a spirit of epistemic humility and openness.

Lomas, T., Diego-Rosell, P., Shiba, K., Standridge, P., Lee, M. T., & Lai, A. Y. (2024). The world prefers a calm Life, but not everyone gets to have one: Global trends in valuing and experiencing calmness in the Gallup World Poll. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 19(6), 1023-1036.

Psychology has paid relatively little attention to low arousal positive states like calmness. One explanation for this lacuna is the Western-centric nature of the field, and the related suggestion that such states are undervalued in Western cultures compared to high arousal ones, in contrast to Eastern cultures, which possibly place greater value on low arousal forms. But how accurate are these generalizations? This study draws on the most globally comprehensive study to date on calmness-121,207 participants in 116 countries in the 2020 Gallup World Poll-featuring two items asking whether people: (a) prefer a calm life or an exciting life; and (b) experienced calmness yesterday. Our particular interest was in the intersection of these, such that we could categorise people in four categories of calmness: satisfied (both prefer and experience it); unwanted (experience calmness but prefer excitement); longed-for (prefer calmness but don't experience it); and unmissed (neither prefer nor experience it). The results reveal a nuanced picture that challenges certain stereotypes (e.g., calmness had no particular association with Eastern cultures), and shed new light on this overlooked topic (e.g., poorer people and countries are more likely to prefer calmness yet are less likely to actually experience it). As ever, more work is needed, but these findings provide a foundation for future research into this important phenomenon.

Lomas, T., Padgett, R. N., Lai, A. Y., Pawelski, J. O., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2024). A multidimensional assessment of global flourishing: Differential rankings of 145 Countries on 38 wellbeing indicators in the Gallup World Poll, with an accompanying factor analysis of the structure of flourishing. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 20(3), 397-421.

For over ten years the World Happiness Report has influentially ranked nations on self-reported life evaluation as measured by the Gallup World Poll. Inspired by this endeavour, this paper aims to broaden our understanding of global flourishing by assessing an expansive battery of 38 items relating to wellbeing in the World Poll, encompassing 386,654 people in 145 countries over three years (2020-2022). The variation in the respective placing of countries across different items reveals a complex picture of flourishing, with many nations ranking highly on certain metrics but faring poorly on others. Moreover, a factor analysis of the items produced a conceptualization of flourishing featuring nine different dimensions. Together, these findings paint a nuanced picture of both the multifaceted nature of flourishing and its complex manifestations around the world.

Lomas, T., Pawelski, J., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2024). A flexible map of flourishing: The dynamics and drivers of flourishing, wellbeing, health, and happiness. International Journal of Wellbeing, 13(4), 1–38.

Concepts like flourishing, well-being, health, and happiness are of increasing interest across many fields, from psychology and medicine to politics and economics. However, these terms are used in diverse and contested ways, which makes it hard to find common ground and understanding. To attempt to help remedy the confusion, this paper offers an overarching conceptual “map” within which these concepts can be situated, thereby providing a common language and framework for their consideration. Moreover, while the overall configuration of this map is conceptually and logically stable, its specific elements are more flexible, particularly in terms of scalable granularity (allowing fine-grained differentiation of internal regions) and epistemological openness (allowing revisions in light of gains in knowledge). As such, the map can be adapted to suit different fields, and updated to accommodate advances in understanding. To that end, we clarify topics of investigation that are still in need of development, providing a roadmap for future research.

Case, B., & Lomas, T. (2024). Towards a historical comparison framework. International Journal of Wellbeing, 13(4), 3587.

The recently proposed Global Comparison Framework (Lomas, 2023) lays out a rich array of dimensions of flourishing and their determinants on which the nations of the world might be compared. Despite its capaciousness and comprehensiveness, however, the GCF’s reliance on a contemporary snapshot of global diversity still presents scholars engaged in cross-cultural studies of flourishing with a relatively narrow field of inquiry. The GCF’s focus on contemporary indicators is understandable, but the roots of many of the differences among nations today – whether considered in terms of psychological profile, economic development, political and cultural norms, or, ultimately, overall flourishing – frequently lie in the distant and long buried past. This paper provides notes toward a historical supplement for the GCF – a historical comparison framework (HCF) – by sketching a set of indicators which, while no longer operative or at least salient for most of the world today, were at various points highly significant determinants of cultural, technological, or economic change, with effects which are still evident today in cross-cultural differences in flourishing or its determinants. We group these indicators under three broad headings: geography, migration and conquest, and religion.

Cebral-Loureda, M., Lee, M. T., Hernández-Baqueiro, A., Lomas, T., & Tamés-Muñoz, E. (2024). Love as a concept in academic research: A bibliometric review. Methods in Psychology, 100153.

Love has a variety of different meanings from abstract notions to very concrete, everyday, instinctive ones. Research on love in the early years tended to focus on sexuality and romantic relationships, more recently towards ethics. Stenberg's triangular theory; Hendrick's model; Aron's framework; attachment theory are the main systematic academic studies. Work on love has grown from 2000 incorporating neuroscience, gender, or self-love, currently at the center of many debates.

Counted, V., Cowden, R. G., & Lomas, T. (2024). Global diversity in spatial (rural-urban) well-being in over 100 countries. Cities, 149, 104987.

This study uses three years of repeated cross-sectional data (N = 386,654) from the multinational Gallup World Poll (representing >90 % of world's population) to explore differences in the well-being of rural and urban inhabitants. We performed a series of descriptive analyses comparing rural and urban residents on 30 indicators of well-being, both in the overall sample and by regional, sex, educational, age, and income subgroups. In the overall sample and for most subgroups, urban residents tended to report higher levels of well-being compared to their rural counterparts (effect sizes were mostly very small). This trend did not apply to all well-being metrics, with rural residents occasionally reporting more favorable well-being for some indicators (both in the overall sample and for some subgroups). Our findings suggest that the magnitude and direction of urban-rural well-being disparities are nuanced and may vary across different individual and geographical capabilities (e.g., resources, opportunities, and freedoms available to individuals based on their location). The findings of this study offer a global snapshot of potential urban-rural disparities in well-being, and provide a stepping-stone toward more robust research that can unpack the causal dynamics between the rural-urban continuum and multidimensional well-being. We explore some possible implications of the findings for policy development and practice aimed at fostering well-being in rural and urban areas around the world.

Counted, V., Cowden, R. G., & Lomas, T. (2024). Multidimensional flourishing in Africa: An intracontinental analysis of 38 well-being indicators in 40 countries. Journal of Happiness Studies, 25(5), 51.

Despite the rising global interest in well-being and its various dimensions, research in this area has been criticized for its Western-centric conceptual and geographical emphasis. In this cross-sectional study, we leverage more than 30 indicators of well-being from three years of Gallup World Poll (2020–2022) data to explore the diversity of well-being in nationally representative samples from 40 countries on the African continent (N = 90,093). Our descriptive analysis provided evidence of between-country differences in well-being, including among countries within the same region. There was also some evidence of within-country variation across the indicators of well-being. We draw on several theoretical perspectives to discuss the diverse experiences of well-being in the African context, highlighting the importance of applying a culturally sensitive lens to understanding and promoting well-being. Our descriptive exploration of multidimensional well-being in Africa shines a spotlight on a part of the world that has received comparatively less empirical attention in this area, and provides a useful foundation for future research toward building a more inclusive and diverse global picture of human flourishing.

Friedrich, C., & Lomas, T. (2024). Embodied superpower: A qualitative study of the experience of highly sensitive wellbeing practitioners. International Journal of Wellbeing, 14(3), 3455, 1-26.

Purpose: Research has identified that approximately 20-31 percent of the global population can be considered highly sensitive––carrying the trait of sensory-processing sensitivity (SPS). SPS, associated with increased sensitivity and responsiveness to internal, environmental, and social stimuli, is often considered to be a vulnerability. Despite this, it has been shown to have the potential of becoming an asset to people. However, a gap exists in the research literature regarding the experience of highly sensitive wellbeing practitioners and how they can best manage their high sensitivity to the benefit of themselves and others. Design: A qualitative approach explored how highly sensitive wellbeing practitioners experience and deal with SPS in the context of working with clients. Method: In-depth, semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with ten practitioners, drawn from a number of wellbeing professions. Results: The qualitative grounded theory analysis revealed the overarching theme of experiencing SPS as an ‘embodied superpower’ and a complex, interwoven dynamic interplay between four major themes: appreciation, challenges, journey, and client work. The results show that, if managed well, SPS can indeed be a valuable asset to practitioners. Implications: As the first of its kind to investigate this topic in a systematic, scientific manner, the study has significance in exploring SPS, especially in relation to embodiment theory. Findings have implications for highly sensitive wellbeing practitioners, contributing to the understanding of their trait and offering practical suggestions on how to best manage it.

Nilsson, A. H., Eichstaedt, J. C., Lomas, T., Schwartz, A., & Kjell, O. (2024). The Cantril Ladder elicits thoughts about power and wealth. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 2642.

The Cantril Ladder is among the most widely administered subjective well-being measures; every year, it is collected in 140+ countries in the Gallup World Poll and reported in the World Happiness Report. The measure asks respondents to evaluate their lives on a ladder from worst (bottom) to best (top). Prior work found Cantril Ladder scores sensitive to social comparison and to reflect one’s relative position in the income distribution. To understand this, we explored how respondents interpret the Cantril Ladder. We analyzed word responses from 1581 UK adults and tested the impact of the (a) ladder imagery, (b) scale anchors of worst to best possible life, and c) bottom to top. Using three language analysis techniques (dictionary, topic, and word embeddings), we found that the Cantril Ladder framing emphasizes power and wealth over broader well-being and relationship concepts in comparison to the other study conditions. Further, altering the framings increased preferred scale levels from 8.4 to 8.9 (Cohen’s d = 0.36). Introducing harmony as an anchor yielded the strongest divergence from the Cantril Ladder, reducing mentions of power and wealth topics the most (Cohen’s d = −0.76). Our findings refine the understanding of historical Cantril Ladder data and may help guide the future evolution of well-being metrics and guidelines.

Padgett, R. N., Morgan, G. B., & Lomas, T. (2024). Regularizing threshold priors with sparse response patterns in Bayesian factor analysis with categorical indicators. Psychological Methods.

Using instruments comprising ordered responses to items is ubiquitous for studying many constructs of interest. However, using such an item response format may lead to items with response categories infrequently endorsed or unendorsed completely. In maximum likelihood estimation, this results in nonexisting estimates for thresholds. This work focuses on a Bayesian estimation approach to counter this issue. The issue changes from the existence of an estimate to how to effectively construct threshold priors. The proposed prior specification reconceptualizes the threshold prior as prior to the probability of each response category, which is an easier metric to manipulate while maintaining the necessary ordering constraints on the thresholds. The resulting induced-prior is more communicable, and we demonstrate comparable statistical efficiency with existing threshold priors. Evidence is provided using a simulated data set, a Monte Carlo simulation study, and an example multigroup item-factor model analysis. All analyses demonstrate how at least a relatively informative threshold prior is necessary to avoid inefficient posterior sampling and increase confidence in the coverage rates of posterior credible intervals.

Wilson Fadiji, A., & Lomas, T. (2024). Understanding the association between education and wellbeing: An exploration of the Gallup World Poll. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 1-35.

Antecedents of wellbeing across different socio-cultural contexts is a question that psychologists and other social scientist continue to grapple with. Although evidence supporting higher educational levels as being beneficial for wellbeing is significant, there are still contradictory findings, necessitating further exploration into this relationship. Moreover, current evidence seems to focus mostly on data derived from Western samples and have adopted limited measures of wellbeing. The present study explores the relationship between schooling and a subset of 31 wellbeing-related categories in the Gallup World Poll conducted over three years (2020–2022), encompassing 386,654 individuals in 142 countries. The findings indicate that overall participants with higher levels of education fare better than those with lower levels of education. However, disaggregation and comparison across key social indicators, specifically, country/region of residence, sex and age showed that there were instances where higher levels of education were less beneficial for wellbeing. While acknowledging the importance of education for wellbeing, our findings suggest the need to consider how unique socio-cultural factors might further complicate the benefits of education. We also suggest that governments might need to consider what policies are necessary to make the benefits of education more apparent and ubiquitous.

2023

Lomas, T. (2023). A provisional global comparison framework: One hundred psychologically salient ways of conceptualizing and evaluating the world. International Journal of Wellbeing, 13(4), 1-27

Having long been critiqued as Western-centric, psychology is increasingly attuned to the need to conduct more cross-cultural research. However, there is relatively little clarity, consensus, or nuance on how best to conceptually “carve up” and assess different peoples and places. Arguably the two most common distinctions are East versus West, and differentiating countries into low, middle, and high income groups. However, both categorizations have their issues, not to mention that overreliance on these hardly does justice to the complexity of the world. To encourage more nuanced and granular thinking, this paper presents a provisional Global Comparison Framework, a curated list of one hundred variables on which countries can be differentiated. These have been selected primarily as: (a) psychologically salient (e.g., likely to influence outcomes such as mental health); (b) having publicly available data from reputable organizations (e.g., the World Bank); and (c) having relatively global coverage (e.g., including at least two thirds of nations). However, the framework is also offered as an iterative work-in-progress that will be refined in relation to feedback. Similarly, in recognition that these indicators are not the only relevant variables, and that their selection is inevitably influenced by the author’s own values and interests, it is hoped that the paper might inspire scholars to create their own version of this kind of framework, featuring variables they would prefer to see included. Finally, and more broadly, this framework will ideally encourage and facilitate greater cross-cultural consideration and more nuanced investigations across the field.

Lomas, T. (2023). Exploring associations between income and wellbeing: New global insights from the Gallup World Poll. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 19(4), 629-646.

Wellbeing is an increasingly prominent topic across academia, including analyses of the myriad factors that influence it. Of these, perhaps the most prominent is economics, with a relatively-well substantiated link, especially at lower levels of income. However, most work has been limited to select measures (usually life evaluation) and/or populations (usually Western nations). This paper offers an expansive approach, exploring associations between income and a selection of 31 items pertaining to wellbeing in the Gallup World Poll over 3 years (2020–2022), covering 386,654 people in 142 countries. Significantly, on every single variable, participants with higher incomes fare better than those with lower incomes. However, there are also many interesting nuances when filtering the results through various demographic considerations, including comparing participants in terms of global regions, sex, age, and level of education. Together, these nuances paint a complex picture of the impact of economics on wellbeing.

Lomas, T. (2023). Stranger than we can imagine: The possibility and potential significance of non-human forms of consciousness and wellbeing. Journal of Positive Psychology, 18(6), 807-826.

Recent decades have seen an intensification of scholarship on wellbeing. Looking ahead, the next frontier may be engaging with the possibility of non-human forms of wellbeing. This paper reviews the main candidates for what these forms may be, limiting its considerations to entities that are living and capable of conscious experience. However, what makes this topic so complex and fascinating is that what exactly constitutes life or conscious experience is not self-evident. Thus, this paper considers various potential life forms, which vary in the extent to which they challenge standard conceptions of life, including organic life forms on earth, matter, AI, and extra-terrestrial life. Some possibilities are unlikelier and more speculative than others, but all have at least a non-zero probability, so merit at least some consideration and attention. Moreover, the paper articulates why these possibilities have considerable relevance for human wellbeing, and so warrant the attention of wellbeing scholars.

Lomas, T. (2023). The appeal of aesthetics: A cross-cultural lexical analysis. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 17(4), 518-529.

Art and aesthetics have long been understood as central to human well-being and flourishing. However, the academic study of these phenomena has been critiqued for its Western-centricity and general lack of cross-cultural engagement. As such, this article aims to broaden our appreciation of the contours of aesthetics by engaging with relevant “untranslatable” words (i.e., without an exact equivalent in English), thereby enriching our conceptual map of this arena. Over 300 relevant terms from 24 languages were located and analyzed using grounded theory. Four main metathemes were identified, each with several themes: stimuli (spanning the sensory modalities of sight, sound, taste, smell, touch, and the mind), qualities (harmony, naturalness, simplicity, prettiness, and shock), dynamics (appreciation, understanding, and inspiration), and modes (modalities, movements, and techniques). The article therefore adds to our understanding of this vital arena of human well-being and flourishing, though, as ever, further work is needed.

Lomas, T. (2023). The person as an extended field: Querying the ontological binaries and dominant “container” metaphor at the core of psychology. New Ideas in Psychology, 70.

The Western-centricity of psychology means it has inherited some of the key ontological categories and distinctions at the heart of Western cultures. This paper identifies four such distinctions that have been particularly influential in psychology: mind-body; subjective-objective; self-other; and inner-outer. Together, these have created a pervasive view that the mind-and the person more broadly-is metaphorically like a "container." However, this paper proposes that a better conceptualization, or at least a complementary one, may be a "field," whereby people's being extends outwards, beyond the apparent boundary of their skin, into the world. Such perspectives have been especially prominent in other cultures and traditions (such as Buddhism), but have pedigree in the West too. The paper thus draws on various cultural sources, and numerous disciplines both within psychology and beyond. It is hoped the discussion may help psychology reflect on and re-evaluate the ontological assumptions at its core, and to engage with field-based perspectives that may be provide a useful alternative or complement to the standard container metaphor.

Lomas, T. (2023). The ultraterrestrial hypothesis: A case for scientific openness to an “interdimensional” explanation for unidentified aerial phenomena. The Journal of Transpersonal Psychology.

Recent years have seen increasing public attention regarding unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP). Hypotheses for such phenomena tend to fall into two classes: a conventional terrestrial explanation (e.g., human-made drones), or an extraterrestrial explanation (i.e., advanced civilizations from elsewhere in the cosmos). However, there is also a third minority class of hypothesis: an unconventional terrestrial explanation, outside the prevailing consensus view of life and the universe. This is the “ultraterrestrial” hypothesis, which includes – but is not limited to – the “interdimensional” hypothesis, namely the highly speculative notion that UAP may reflect activities of beings from other dimensions that coexist alongside our own. Such hypotheses may rightly be regarded with scepticism by most scientists. However, this paper suggests they nevertheless should not be ruled out, and deserve serious consideration in a spirit of epistemic humility and openness.

Lomas, T. (2023). The value of ambivalent emotions: A cross-cultural lexical analysis. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 20(2).

Although wellbeing tends to be associated with positive affect, theorists have suggested it might also involve more ambivalent emotions. Scholars have further argued that although such emotions are somewhat overlooked in Western societies, other cultures are more attuned to them. In the interest of exploring the value of ambivalent emotions, an enquiry was conducted into relevant concepts found across the world’s cultures, focusing specifically on so-called untranslatable words. Through a quasi-systematic search of academic and grey literature, together with conceptual snowballing, 30 relevant terms were located. A process of grounded theory analysis identified five main themes: hope; longing; pathos; appreciation of imperfection; and sensitivity to mystery. The analysis highlights the need for a more expansive conception of wellbeing, going beyond an exclusive identification with positively valenced emotions to incorporate more complex and ambivalent processes.

Lomas, T., & Case, B. (2023). A history of psychogeography and psychocosmology: Humankind's evolving orientation on earth and in space. Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology, 4, 100090.

Although psychology has tended to focus on the individual, paradigms have emerged looking at people in context, such as social psychology. More recently, these have included fields attending to humans’ ecological context, such as ecopsychology. However, little has been conducted on spatial orientation, on how humankind has understood itself in relation to the Earth (“psychogeography”) or the universe (“psychocosmology”). To address this lacuna, this paper presents a historical narrative of psychogeography and psychocosmology, identifying four main perspectives that emerged over time. First, stretching into pre-history, belief in a flat Earth and a layered cosmos. Second, beginning around the 6th Century BCE, a spherical Earth and a geocentric cosmos. Third, from the 15th Century onwards, an expanded Earth and a heliocentric cosmos. Finally, in the 20th Century, an unstable Earth and an acentric cosmos. The paper illuminates the evolving way humans have understood their world and place in the wider universe, and highlights the psychological impact of these developments.

Lomas, T., & Case, B. (2023). From angels to aliens: Humankind’s ongoing encounters with, and evolving interpretations of, the genuine celestial unknown. Zygon, 58(3), 614-635.

Throughout history, people have observed aerial events that appeared extraordinary and anomalous. In earlier eras, these were often interpreted through a lens that invoked special classes of divine beings, such as angels (who, compared with gods, are regarded as more likely to interact with humans). Today, in our ostensibly secular scientific age, there is a tendency to assume such observers were mistaken, and that with the benefit of modern knowledge, these events can be “debunked” and attributed to conventional naturalistic explanations. However, recent years have seen a burgeoning interest and even concern over the issue of unidentified aerial phenomena. Through the lens of our “space age,” these are sometimes interpreted using notions such as extraterrestrial agents. Ultimately though, this article suggests that both categories of explanation, from angels to aliens, may be the perennial human quest to render comprehensible, through the prism of prevailing beliefs and traditions, an ongoing encounter with celestial phenomena that remain genuinely unknown but deeply significant.

Lomas, T., Diego-Rosell, P., Shiba, K., Standridge, P., Lee, M. T., Case, B., Lai, A. Y., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2023). Complexifying individualism versus collectivism and West versus East: Exploring global diversity in perspectives on self and other in the Gallup World Poll. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 54(1), 61-89.

A wealth of research has suggested the West tends toward individualism and the East toward collectivism. We explored this topic on an unprecedented scale through two new items in the 2020 Gallup World Poll, involving 121,207 participants in 116 countries. The first tapped into orientations toward self-care versus other-care (“Do you think people should focus more on taking care of themselves or on taking care of others?”). The second enquired into self-orientation versus other-orientation (“Which of the following is closest to your main purpose in life? Being good at what you do in your daily life, Caring for family and close friends, or Helping other people who need help?”). We anticipated that self-care and self-orientation would index individualism (hence be higher in the West), while other-care and other-orientation would index collectivism (hence be higher in the East). However, contrary to expectation, there was greater self-care in the East (45.82%) than in the West (41.58%). As predicted though, there was greater self-orientation in the West (30.20%) than in the East (23.08.%). Greater self-care in the East invites one of two interpretations. Either these items: (a) index individualism and collectivism as anticipated, so in some ways the East is more individualistic and the West less individualistic than assumed; or (b) do not index individualism and collectivism as anticipated, so the concepts are more complex than often realized (e.g., collectivism may involve prioritizing self-care over other-care). Either way, the findings help complexify these concepts, challenging common cross-cultural generalizations in this area.

Lomas, T., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2023). The mental illness‐health matrix and the mental state space matrix: Complementary meta‐conceptual frameworks for evaluating psychological states. Journal of Clinical Psychology. doi: 10.1002/jclp.23512

Objective: It is increasingly appreciated that mental health may not just involve a relative absence of mental illness, but the active presence of positive psychological desiderata. However, research attention on mental illness and health has tended to remain siloed and disconnected-proceeding along parallel tracks-with their potential relationship underexplored and undertheorized. As such, we sought to develop theoretical models to help us better understand the interaction of these two domains of experience. Methods: Through extensive engagement with relevant literature, we created two complementary meta-conceptual frameworks to represent and evaluate states of mental illness and health. Results: The Mental Illness-Health Matrix allows different forms of mental illness and health to be situated and assessed within a common framework. The Mental State Space Matrix further enables these various forms to be conceptualized and appraised in terms of numerous common parameters (e.g., valence and arousal). Conclusion: It is hoped that these frameworks will stimulate and support further research on the inter-relational dynamics of illness and health. Indeed, the matrices themselves are provisional works-in-progress, with their articulation here intended as a foundation for their further development as understanding of these topics evolves and improves.

Lomas, T., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2023). Toward an expanded taxonomy of happiness: A conceptual analysis of 16 distinct forms of mental wellbeing. Journal of Humanistic Psychology. doi: 10.1177/00221678231155512

Recent decades have seen a surge of scientific interest in happiness. However, its theoretical conceptualization is a work in progress. Much of the literature focuses on two main forms: hedonic (encompassing life satisfaction and positive affect) and eudaimonic (encompassing phenomena such as character development and meaning in life). However, this binary has been critiqued as being incomplete, in part because it reflects a Western-centric perspective that overlooks forms emphasized in non-Western cultures. As a result, scholars have begun to highlight other forms besides hedonia and eudaimonia. This article surveys the literature to identify 16 potential forms in total, classified according to whether they primarily pertain to feelings (hedonic, contented, mature, chaironic, and vital), thought (evaluative, meaningful, intellective, aesthetic, and absorbed) or action (eudaimonic, masterful, accomplished, harmonic, nirvanic, and relational). This article thus offers a more expansive, albeit still just provisional, taxonomy of this vital and still-evolving topic.

Case, B., Counted, V., Ritchie-Dunham, J., Cowden, R., Gibson, C. Koga, H., Lomas, T., & Padgett, N. (2023). Beyond a single story: The heterogeneity of human flourishing in 22 countries. International Journal of Wellbeing, 13(4), 3555, 1-35.

Contemporary cross-cultural research on flourishing and development has been limited by a focus on Western populations and typically Western priorities, and by attention to only a few indicators of flourishing, such as life satisfaction, life expectancy, or GDP per capita. This paper highlights some significant challenges for robust cross-national and cross-cultural research on the domains and drivers of flourishing. Using data from the recently proposed Global Comparison Framework and the Gallup World Poll, we explore the within- and between-country heterogeneity of flourishing and its determinants across the 22 countries which are the subject of the Global Flourishing Study. Sources of heterogeneity considered include potential tradeoffs among domains of flourishing; the effects of cultural differences on the conceptualization and actualization of flourishing; and the cultural specificity of core analytical concepts, including “life evaluation” and “nation.”

Lambert, L., Joshanloo, M., Warren, M. A., Christiani, K., Lomas, T., Cody, B., Al Sabah, I., El Chalabi, A., & Kruchlik, G. (2023). Promoting kindness through the positive theatrical arts: Assessing Kuwait’s Boomerang programme. Psychological Studies, 1-13.

As the field of positive psychology aims to build and strengthen the well-being of individuals, its repertoire of empirically validated strategies designed to do so is growing. Kuwait’s “Boomerang” anti-bullying theatre programme designed to increase social kindness in schools is an example. The tools of applied theatre were taught to facilitators, who in turn trained seven to ten students who were real-life bullies, victims, and bystanders across seven Kuwaiti schools to become actors in each institution’s culminating theatre play. Participating acting students and audience members were assessed to determine the effects of the programme. Results showed that their perceptions of social cohesion and trust, a positive school climate, and life satisfaction improved. Implications for student well-being are discussed, alongside the broader use of the positive arts, an emerging area of positive psychology.

Gudka, M., Gardiner, K. L. K., & Lomas, T. (2023). Towards a framework for flourishing through social media: A systematic review of 118 research studies. Journal of Positive Psychology, 18(1), 86-105.

Background: Over 50% of the world uses social media. There has been significant academic and public discourse around its negative mental health impacts. There has not, however, been a broad systematic review in the field of Positive Psychology exploring the relationship between social media and wellbeing, to inform healthy social media use, and to identify if, and how, social media can support human flourishing. Objectives: To investigate the conditions and activities associated with flourishing through social media use, which might be described as ‘Flourishing through Social Media’. Method and Results: A systematic search of peer reviewed studies, identifying flourishing outcomes from usage, was conducted, resulting in 118 final studies across 7 social media platforms, 50,000+ participants, and 26 countries. Conclusions: The interaction between social media usage and flourishing is bi-directional and nuanced. Analysis through our proposed conceptual framework suggests potential for a virtuous spiral between self-determination, identity, social media usage, and flourishing.

VanderWeele, T. J., & Lomas, T. (2023). Terminology and the Well-being Literature. Affective Science, 4, 36-40.

In this commentary, we offer some remarks concerning distinctions that might be drawn between psychological well-being, emotional well-being, well-being more generally, and flourishing. We put forward a flexible map of flourishing to help understand the relative place of these and other terms, and their respective nestings. We discuss some of the challenges concerning terminology related to the use of ordinary language, as well as practices of branding ordinary language expressions that potentially threaten understanding, and we offer some suggestions as to how to navigate some of these terminological challenges in the well-being literature

2022

Lomas, T. (2022). The appeal of aesthetics: A cross-cultural lexical analysis. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1037/aca0000484

Art and aesthetics have long been understood as central to human well-being and flourishing. However, the academic study of these phenomena has been critiqued for its Western-centricity and general lack of cross-cultural engagement. As such, this article aims to broaden our appreciation of the contours of aesthetics by engaging with relevant “untranslatable” words (i.e., without an exact equivalent in English), thereby enriching our conceptual map of this arena. Over 300 relevant terms from 24 languages were located and analyzed using grounded theory. Four main meta-themes were identified, each with several themes: stimuli (spanning the sensory modalities of sight, sound, taste, smell, touch, and the mind), qualities (harmony, naturalness, simplicity, prettiness, and shock), dynamics (appreciation, understanding, and inspiration), and modes (modalities, movements, and techniques). The article therefore adds to our understanding of this vital arena of human well-being and flourishing, though, as ever, further work is needed.

Lomas, T. (2022). Making waves in the great ocean: A historical perspective on the emergence and evolution of wellbeing scholarship, 17(2), 257-270.

The past 150 years have seen remarkable advances in the study of wellbeing. To appreciate the value and significance of these developments, this paper offers a historical perspective on their dynamics, arguing that we have seen four great waves of wellbeing scholarship in the modern West. I begin by exploring the wave metaphor itself, and then propose that these waves have been unfurling in a Western cultural ‘ocean.’ As such, I then explore key historical currents that have shaped this ocean, including Greek philosophy, Christianity, the Renaissance, and the Enlightenment. From there, the narrative considers the emergence of the first wave (psychiatry and psychotherapy), second wave (humanistic psychology), and third wave (positive psychology). The paper concludes by suggesting we are seeing an emerging fourth wave of ‘global wellbeing scholarship,’ in which these Western waters are beginning to intermingle with other regional oceans (which have likewise progressed through their own developmental currents and waves), creating a more globally inclusive picture of wellbeing.

Lomas, T., Bartels, M., Weijer.M, V. De, Pluess, M., Hanson, J., & VanderWeele1, T. J. (2022). The architecture of happiness. Emotion Review, 14(4), 288–309.

Happiness is an increasingly prominent topic of interest across academia. However, relatively little attention has been paid to how it is created, especially not in a multidimensional sense. By ‘created’ we do not mean its influencing factors, for which there is extensive research, but how it actually forms in the person. The work that has been done in this arena tends to focus on physiological dynamics, which are certainly part of the puzzle. But they are not the whole picture, with psychological, phenomenological, and socio cultural processes also playing their part. As a result, this paper offers a multidimensional overview of scholarship on the ‘architecture’ of happiness, providing a stimulus for further work into this important topic.

Lomas, T., Ishikawa, Y., Diego-Rosell, P., Daly, J., English, C., Harter, J., … Lai, A. Y. (2022). Balance and harmony in the Gallup World Poll: The development of the Global Wellbeing Initiative module. International Journal of Wellbeing, 12(4), 1-19.

Over recent decades, scholarship on wellbeing has flourished. However, this has been critiqued as Western-centric, firstly in terms of the location of research participants and scholars, and moreover in terms of the very ideas and values through which wellbeing is understood. In response to such issues, the Global Wellbeing Initiative-a partnership between Gallup and the Wellbeing for Planet Earth foundation-was created to look at wellbeing from a more global perspective. The centrepiece of this initiative is a survey module in the Gallup World Poll. This paper charts the evolution of this module to date, from its initial incarnation in the 2020 poll (featuring items on various aspects of wellbeing) to a finalized 2022 iteration (which focuses specifically on balance and harmony). With the 2022 version now intended to stay consistent longitudinally, this paper establishes a valuable baseline for this important project which will contribute to a more inclusive and comprehensive understanding of wellbeing.

Lomas, T., Lee, M. T., Ritchie-Dunham, J., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2022). The varieties of vitality: A cross-cultural lexical analysis. International Journal of Wellbeing, 12(4), 155-180.

Vitality has been underappreciated and underexplored by academia at large. This oversight is potentially explained by the Western-centric nature of most fields, with vitality having been comparatively neglected in the West relative to elsewhere. One explanation for this lacuna is that vitality is not easily pigeonholed within the ontological categories dominant in the West, such as mind and body. This paper therefore aims to learn from cultures that have cultivated a greater understanding of vitality, doing so by engaging with relevant 'untranslatable' words (i.e., those without exact equivalent in English), thus enriching our conceptual map of this topic. Over 200 relevant terms were located and analyzed using an adapted form of grounded theory. Three themes were identified, each with four subthemes: spirit (life force, channels, soul, and transcendence); energy (fortitude, channeling, willpower, and recharging); and heart (desire, passion, affection, and satisfaction). The paper thus refines our understanding of this important topic and provides a foundation for future research.

Lomas, T., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2022). The garden and the orchestra: Generative metaphors for conceptualizing the complexities of well-being. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(21), 14544.

Our understanding of well-being, and related concepts such as health and flourishing, is shaped by the metaphors through which we think about such ideas. Current dominant metaphors—including a pyramid, ladder, and continuum—all have various issues. As such, this paper offers two other metaphors which can better do justice to the nuanced complexities of these notions, namely, a garden and an orchestra. Through these metaphors, this paper articulates a comprehensive framework for conceptualizing and appreciating the nature of well-being (and associated concepts), which it is hoped will generate further insights and research into these valued and sought-after phenomena.

Aziz, C., Lomas, T., & Mattoli, S. (2022). Wellbeing on Prince Edward Island, Canada: A statistical case-study of wellbeing-related community factors. International Journal of Community Well-Being.

This research continues the advances in applied positive psychology by measuring and exploring the factors which contribute to the happiness among people living in Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada. This research provides a province-wide account of subjective well-being (SWB), which is defined as a person’s cognitive and affective evaluation of his or her life, by answering the questions: What is the measurable level of well-being of individuals in PEI? What are the relationships between community factors and components of well-being in PEI? Which quality of life factors most influence individual’s emotions and life satisfaction in PEI? Participation was voluntary, anonymous, and included just over 1% of the adult population of residents (n = 1381). Data was collected online between October and November 2020. Demographic variables were collected and analyzed using variance of mean scores from three self-reported well-being measures, Satisfaction with Life Scale, Positive and Negative Effect Schedule, and the World Health Organization’s (brief) Quality of Life Scale. Regression analysis was used to investigate contributions to well-being. Findings uncovered inequity in well-being among minority populations including, LGBT, gender diverse, Indigenous, disabled, and those living under the poverty line. This study provides a deeper understanding that Islanders view psychological health and healthy environment as important aspects of quality of life influencing their well-being. Results build on existing theories on the influence of income, age, and education have on well-being. Finally, the research provides a starting point and methodology for the continuous measurement and tracking of both the affective and cognitive accounts of well-being on PEI, or in other communities, provinces, or islands. This research provides insight into happiness as an indicator of how our society is performing and adds momentum towards the adoption of sustainable development goals, such as national happiness.

Okuzono, S. S., Shiba, K., Kim, E. S., Shirai, K., Kondo, N., Fujiwara, T., Kondo, K., Lomas, T., Trudel-Fitzgerald, C., Kawachi, I., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2022). Ikigai and subsequent health and wellbeing among Japanese older adults: Longitudinal outcome-wide analysis. The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific, 21, 100391.

Background: Having a purpose in life has been linked to improved health and wellbeing; however, it remains unknown whether having "Ikigai"-a related but broader concept in Japan-is also beneficial for various physical and psychosocial outcomes. Methods: Using data from a nationwide longitudinal study of Japanese older adults aged ≥65 years, we examined the associations between having Ikigai in 2013 and a wide range of subsequent outcomes assessed in 2016 across two databases (n = 6,441 and n = 8,041), including dimensions of physical health, health behavior, psychological distress, social wellbeing, subjective wellbeing, and pro-social/altruistic behaviors. We adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics and the outcome values (whenever data were available) in the prior wave (2010). Findings: Having Ikigai (vs. not having Ikigai) was associated with a 31% lower risk of developing functional disability [95% confidence interval (CI) for risk ratio: 0.58, 0.82] and 36% lower risk of developing dementia [95% CI for risk ratio: 0.48, 0.86] during the three-year follow-up. Having Ikigai was associated with decreased depressive symptoms and hopelessness as well as higher happiness, life satisfaction, instrumental activity of daily living, and certain social outcomes (e.g., more frequent participation in hobby clubs). Some of these associations were stronger for men than women, and among individuals with high socioeconomic status (p-values for effect measure modification < 001). Interpretation: Having Ikigai may promote health and wellbeing outcomes among Japanese older adults, but particularly men and individuals with high socioeconomic status.

Shiba, K., Cowden, R. G., Gonzalez, N., Lee, M. T., Lomas, T., Lai, A. Y., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2022). Global Trends of Mean and Inequality in Multidimensional Wellbeing: Analysis of 1.2 Million Individuals From 162 Countries, 2009–2019. Frontiers in Public Health, 10.

Introduction: Human flourishing is a multidimensional concept characterized by a state of complete wellbeing. However, much of the prior research on wellbeing has principally focused on population averages assessed using a single item of wellbeing. This study examined trends in population averages and inequalities for a multidimensional index of wellbeing and compared emergent patterns with those found for Cantril's ladder, a measure of life satisfaction commonly used as a unidimensional index of wellbeing. Methods: Data were from the Gallup World Poll from the years 2009 to 2019, a repeated cross-sectional survey of nationally representative samples comprising ~1.2 million individuals from 162 countries. We assessed five domains of flourishing: (1) happiness, (2) health, (3) purpose, (4) character, and (5) social relationships. We used the Gini Index to estimate inequalities in wellbeing within populations. We examined and compared country ranking, global and region-specific trajectories of mean and inequality, and relationships with age for flourishing and Cantril's ladder. Results: Although all trends were highly correlated across the two metrics of wellbeing, we identified distinct patterns in flourishing concerning geography, time, and age relationships that were not observed for Cantril's ladder. Temporal trends and age relationships were different across domains of flourishing. Evidence of changing inequalities in wellbeing was also found, even when population averages were high or stable over time. Conclusion: Comprehensive measures of wellbeing are needed to capture the complex and changing patterns of wellbeing both within and across populations.

VanderWeele, T. J., Case, B. W., Chen, Y., Cowden, R. G., Johnson, B., Lee, M. T., Lomas, T., & Long, K. G. (2022). Flourishing in critical dialogue. SSM-Mental Health, 100172.

We discuss certain critiques of the research literature on flourishing. We fully agree with calls for greater attention to qualitative work, to cultural differences, and to questions of power and justice concerning flourishing. We argue, however, that in spite of notable differences in understandings of flourishing across cultures, there is also a great deal that is held in common, including on topics considered by some as more controversial, such as character and virtue. We also argue that while qualitative research and understanding is important, it is likewise important not to be dismissive of rigorous quantitative research even if certain groups find its results to be unappealing. We further propose that the best way to navigate diverse understandings of flourishing in pluralistic contexts is to identify those aspects of flourishing which are in fact held in common, and to promote these together, but then to acknowledge that certain understandings of flourishing will vary by culture or religious tradition, and to allow and enable each community to exposit, study, and promote flourishing, as it understands it, in critical dialogue with others.

2021

Lomas, T. (2021). Life balance and harmony: Wellbeing’s golden thread. International Journal of Wellbeing, 11(1), 18-35.

The relevance of balance and harmony to wellbeing has been under-appreciated in psychology. Even though these concepts have received considerable attention across different contexts (e.g., work-life balance), this literature is fragmented and scattered. There have been few attempts to bring these disparate threads together, or to centre these concepts as foundational and important across all aspects of human functioning. This paper remedies this lacuna by offering a narrative review of these diverse works. Relevant literature is organised into four emergent categories: affect, cognition, behaviour, and self-other relations. Throughout these, balance and harmony can be appreciated as not merely relevant to wellbeing, but arguably a defining principle, a 'golden thread' running through its myriad dimensions (though this thread is itself multifaceted, comprising a cluster of interlinked concepts). Based on this analysis, an overarching definition of wellbeing is offered: the dynamic attainment of optimal balance and harmony in any-and ideally all-aspects of life. This paper provides a foundation and stimulus for further work on these important topics.

Lomas, T. (2021). The dimensions of prosociality: A cross-cultural lexical analysis. Current Psychology,

40, 1136-1347.

The West is usually portrayed as relatively individualistic. It is further argued that this tendency has influenced academia, leading to an underappreciation of the importance of prosociality. In the interest of exploring this topic, an enquiry was conducted into conceptualisations of prosociality across the world’s cultures. This enquiry focused on so-called untranslatable words, i.e., which lack an exact translation into another language (in this case, English). Through a quasi-systematic search of academic and grey literature, together with additional data collection, over 200 relevant terms were located. An adapted form of grounded theory identified five dimensions: socialising/congregating; morals/ethics; compassion/kindness; interaction/communication; and communality. The analysis sheds light on the dynamics of prosociality, as understood by cultures across the globe. Moreover, the roster of terms featured have the potential to enrich the nomological network in psychology, allowing for a richer conceptualisation of the social dimensions of human functioning.

Lomas, T. (2021). Towards a cross-cultural map of wellbeing. The Journal of Positive Psychology. 16(5), 622-639.

Positive psychology has been critiqued as Western-centric, influenced by the mostly Western contexts in which it has developed. English is its dominant mode of discourse, for example, which has shaped its understanding of its subject matter. To generate a more comprehensive cross-cultural 'map' of wellbeing, the author is creating a lexicography of relevant 'untranslatable' words (without exact translation in English). An initial analysis of 216 words, published in the Journal of Positive Psychology in 2016, identified six main categories: positive feelings, ambivalent feelings, love, prosociality, character, and spirituality. Subsequently, over 1,400 more words have been added to the lexicography to date. As a result, analyses have been published of each category separately, revealing their internal structure. In addition, six further categories have been identified: cognition, embodiment, aesthetics, eco-connection, competence, and understanding. This paper summarises these analyses, and outlines their significance in terms of augmenting the conceptual map in positive psychology.

Lomas, T., Case, B., Cratty, F., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2021). A global history of happiness. International Journal of Wellbeing, 11(4).

Happiness is an increasingly prominent topic of interest across numerous academic fields. However, the literature can sometimes imply it is predominantly a modern concern. Relatedly, critics have argued that contemporary scholarship on happiness is Western-centric, yet in so doing can appear to suggest that happiness is mainly a Western preoccupation. However, taking an expansive view of happiness-defining it broadly as a desirable mental experience-one can appreciate that versions of this phenomenon have been of interest to humans across cultures and throughout history. To articulate this perspective, this paper offers a brief overview of 14 different eras, spanning a range of global regions, in each case highlighting concepts and concerns that bear some close resemblance to happiness. In so doing, the paper encourages a deeper and more inclusive understanding of this vital topic.

Lomas, T., Cowden, R., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2021). Befriending the butterfly: A multidimensional review of strategies to facilitate happiness and wellbeing. The European Journal of Applied Positive Psychology.

Happiness has been compared to a butterfly that ever eludes one’s deliberate efforts to grasp it. However, recent decades have seen a wealth of research which suggests it may indeed be possible to facilitate happiness – and wellbeing more broadly – or at least invite its appearance. This paper offers a narrative review of this literature, taking an expansive multidimensional approach to allow the broadest possible view of what such facilitation may involve or permit. This means not only looking at individualised strategies and activities (e.g., meditation), as reviews in this arena tend to limit themselves too, but also efforts to make people’s sociocultural contexts more conductive to happiness and wellbeing. While remaining cognizant of the limitations of the existing literature, this paper provides evidence for practical strategies that may facilitate happiness and wellbeing in sustainable ways.

2020

Lomas, T. (2020). Etymologies of wellbeing: Exploring the non-English roots of English words used in positive psychology, The Journal of Positive Psychology 15(3), 373-389.

Mainstream psychology can be considered relatively Western-centric, as reflected in the fact that its discourse and theorising is mainly in English, influencing how it conceptualises its subject matter. However, English itself is a complex product of multiple cultural influences, including the widespread borrowing of words from other languages. To shed light on this issue, this paper conducted an etymological analysis of a sample of words in psychology-focusing as a case study on a seminal article in positive psychology. The analysis identified 1333 lexemes, of which more than 60% can be regarded as loanwords (i.e., borrowed from other languages). The analysis shows the great cultural influences that have combined to form English, and hence psychology, yet also the extent to which this influence has been limited to certain cultures. The paper thus illustrates how psychology has benefitted from insights forged in other languages, but moreover how it might continue to do so through more systematic and comprehensive forms of cross-cultural engagement.

Lomas, T. (2020). Positive coaching psychology: A case study in the hybridization of positive psychology. International Journal of Wellbeing, 10(2), 1-16.

Positive psychology has fruitfully interacted with numerous other disciplines, creating new hybrid paradigms. One such instance involves coaching and coaching psychology, which share the field's focus on enhancing wellbeing and performance across life domains. As a result, there is an emergent interest in exploring their interaction with positive psychology, and developing frameworks for their integration. To shed further light on their relationship, this paper explores four perspectives on the intersections between these emerging fields, including (a) the fields as essentially coterminous; (b) positive psychology encompassing coaching psychology; (c) coaching psychology encompassing positive psychology; and (d) the fields as overlapping but not coterminous (the author's preferred perspective). More generally, the paper offers suggestions for how positive psychology can integrate with the various kinship fields in these processes of hybridisation.

Lomas, T., Garraway, E., Stanton, C., & Ivtzan, I. (2020). Masculinity in the midst of mindfulness: Exploring the gendered experiences of at-risk adolescent boys. Men and Masculinities, 23(1), 127-149.

Teenage boys are a source of considerable concern in society, with poorer health, educational and social outcomes than their female counterparts. Of particular concern are ‘at-risk’ adolescents, who by definition are liable to poorer outcomes. However, there are indications that activities such as mindfulness may offer opportunities for such adolescents to negotiate more positive constructions of masculinity. This study piloted a new four-week mindfulness based intervention, created specifically for a group of eight at-risk adolescent boys at a school in London. In-depth semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with participants before and after the intervention, and analysed using grounded theory. The data revealed an overarching theme of ‘pressure control.’ Participants depicted themselves as facing multiple pressures, many of which related to making the difficult transition from childhood to adulthood. However, the context of the intervention enabled them to forge a masculine performance in which they were able to reclaim agency and self-control. Notably, such control was often exercised in the direction of facilitating emotional connection and agility, thus subverting traditional masculine expectations. The results show that at-risk adolescent boys are capable of far more nuanced and skilled emotional performances than they are often given credit for.

Lomas, T., Roache, A., Rashid, T., & Jarden, A. (2020). Developing ethical guidelines for positive psychology practice: An on-going, iterative, collaborative endeavour. Journal of Positive Psychology, 15(6), 716-721. doi:

As positive psychology has matured, questions have arisen around how to ensure best practice, including with respect to ethics. This issue is particularly pertinent vis-à-vis its applied dimensions, such as positive psychology interventions by students and graduates of MAPP programmes. However, the field has hitherto lacked clear ethical guidelines to assist practitioners in the field. Aiming to address this gap, the authors have devised a set of guidelines, in collaboration with key stakeholders across the positive psychology community, published in the International Journal of Wellbeing (Jarden, Rashid, Roache & Lomas, in press). The current article briefly summarises the importance, development, content, and future directions of these guidelines, thus providing a concise overview of this important project. It is hoped this article, together with the guidelines themselves, will not only highlight the importance of ethical practice, but offers practical suggestions for guiding practitioners in the field.

Byrne, L., & Lomas, T. (2020). ‘The Uni-being model: A multi-dimensional wellbeing toolkit’. European Journal of Applied Positive Psychology, 4, 15, 1-15.

In the last two decades, the proponents of positive psychology have expanded its evidence base to include multiple constructs and interventions pertaining to wellbeing. In recent years, the proponents of second wave positive psychology have encouraged a more synergistic and multi-dimensional view of wellbeing. This paper suggests that a meta-theoretical model that aligns the constructs within positive psychology and second wave positive psychology is required. To address this need, the Uni-being model is introduced and described herein. It is suggested that the Uni-being model is multi-dimensional and universal-relativist. It is possible to situate extant theories and interventions within the framework of the model. Furthermore, the structure of the model is amenable to idiosyncratic circumstances and cultures, thus allowing users to create their own pathways through the model. The Uni-being model may serve as a tool for researchers to propose and investigate conceptual pathways. An example of an 8-week program, that may be derived from the model is introduced. Future research directions, including theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Lambert, L., Lomas, T., van de Weijer, M. P., Passmore, H. A., Joshanloo, M., Harter, J., Ishikawa, Y., Lai, A., Kitagawa, T., Chen, D., Kawakami, T., Miyata, H., & Diener, E. (2020). Towards a greater global understanding of wellbeing: A proposal for a more inclusive measure. International Journal of Wellbeing, 10(2), 1-18. doi:10.5502/ijw.v10i2.1037

The science of wellbeing has come a long way from the early days of measuring wellbeing via a nation’s GDP, and wellbeing measures and concepts continue to proliferate to capture its various elements. Yet, much of this activity has reflected concepts from Western cultures, despite the emphasis placed on wellbeing in all corners of the globe. To meet the challenges and opportunities arising from cross-disciplinary research worldwide, the Well-Being for Planet Earth Foundation and the Gallup World Poll have joined forces to add more culturally relevant constructs and questions to existing Gallup modules. In this white paper, we review the discussion from the international well-being summit in Kyoto, Japan (August 2019), where nine such additions were proposed and highlight why a more global view of wellbeing is needed. Overall, the new items reflect a richer view of wellbeing than life satisfaction alone and include hedonic and eudaimonic facets of wellbeing, social wellbeing, the role of culture, community, nature, and governance. These additions allow for the measurement of a broader conceptualization of wellbeing, more refined and nuanced cross-cultural comparisons, and facilitate a better examination of the causes of variation in global wellbeing. The new Gallup World Poll additions will be trialled in 2020, with additional inclusions from this summit to be made in 2021.

Merino, D., Velázquez, M., & Lomas, T. (2020). An exploration of the Spanish cultural term rasmia: A combination of eagerness, strength, activeness, courage, tenacity and gracefulness. Journal of Happiness Studies, 21, 693-707.

Since much of the empirical work within Positive Psychology has taken place in English speaking Western countries, there is concern that the resulting concepts and theories of well-being reflect a bias towards Western (and more specifically English-influenced) ways of thinking. However, efforts are underway in the field to enhance its intercultural sensitiv ity, including in relation to studying cross-cultural diversity in emotional experience and understanding. In that respect, the current article focuses on the notion of rasmia, a Span ish term denoting drive and tenacity in achieving a goal. The research aims to explore the beliefs and conceptions that Spanish people have regarding rasmia. An on-line survey of Spanish residents revealed that rasmia was defined as incorporating eagerness, strength, activeness, courage, tenacity and gracefulness. A second study, conducted in order to determine the degree of agreement with this definition, showed an 80% of agreement. The results highlight the value of engaging with non-English concepts like rasmia.

Sinclair, E., Lomas, T., & Hart, R. (2020). Does positivity promote denial of domestic abuse. International Journal of Wellbeing, 10(1): 26-53

Positive Psychology has been criticized for making people feel pressured to remain positive irrespective of circumstances. This narrative review specifically investigates the relationship between positive attitudes and denial in the context of domestic abuse, in order to examine whether there is research evidence to support the critique on the adverse upshots of positivity. The search yielded 29 studies. Overall the literature suggests that misdirected or overgeneralized positivity exacerbates harm and abuse: an optimistic bias can put victims in danger; empathy, hope, acceptance and resilience are associated with refraining to leave abusive relationships; and forgiveness increases the likelihood of further transgressions. We therefore argue that scholars and practitioners need demonstrate care in promoting positivity, since it can be detrimental within a toxic context.

2019

Lomas, T. (2019). Anger as a moral emotion: A 'bird's eye' systematic review. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 32 (3-4), 341-395.

Anger is common problem for which counselling/psychotherapy clients seek help, and is typically regarded as an invidious negative emotion to be ameliorated. However, it may be possible to reframe anger as a moral emotion, arising in response to perceived transgressions, thereby endowing it with meaning. In that respect, the current paper offers a ‘bird’s eye’ systematic review of empirical research on anger as a moral emotion (i.e., one focusing broadly on the terrain as a whole, rather than on specific areas). Three databases were reviewed from the start of their records to January 2019. Eligibility criteria included empirical research, published in English in peer-reviewed journals, on anger specifically as a moral emotion. 175 papers met the criteria, and fell into four broad classes of study: survey-based; experimental; physiological; and qualitative. In reviewing the articles, this paper pays particular attention to: how/whether anger can be differentiated from other moral emotions; antecedent causes and triggers; contextual factors that influence or mitigate anger; and outcomes arising from moral anger. Together, the paper offers a comprehensive overview of current knowledge into this prominent and problematic emotion. The results may be of use to counsellors and psychotherapists helping to address anger issues in their clients.

Lomas, T. (2019). The elements of eco-connection: A cross-cultural lexical enquiry. International journal of environmental research and public health, 16(24):5120, doi: 10.3390/ijerph16245120

The environment is widely recognised to be in peril, with clear signs of a climate crisis. This situation has many dimensions and factors, but key among them are the often-destructive ways in which humans interact with the natural world. Numerous cultures—particularly more industrialised and/or Western ones—have developed predatory and disconnected modes of interaction. In such modes, nature tends to be constructed as a resource to be exploited (rather than, say, a commonwealth to be protected). However, many people—especially, but not only, in less ‘developed’ nations—have cultivated less destructive modes of relationship. These bonds may be broadly encompassed under the rubric of ‘eco-connection’. In the interests of exploring these latter modes, an enquiry was conducted into adaptive forms of engagement with nature across the world’s cultures. The enquiry focused on untranslatable words, i.e., which lack an exact translation in another language (in this case, English). Through a quasi-systematic search of academic and grey literature, together with additional data collection, over 150 relevant terms were located. An adapted form of grounded theory identified three main dimensions of eco-connection: sacrality, bonding, and appreciation. Such analyses have the potential to promote greater wellbeing literacy with respect to our relationship with nature, both within academia and beyond in the wider culture. This includes enriching the nomological network in psychology, and more broadly building a nature-related vocabulary that is more sustainable and harmonious. In doing so, there may also be benefits to public health, in that developing such literacy could possibly influence people’s engagement with nature itself, leading to more adaptive forms of relationship.

Lomas, T. (2019). Positive work: A multidimensional overview and analysis of work-related drivers of wellbeing International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology, 3, 69–96

Scholars are beginning to appreciate the work-related 'drivers' of wellbeing, i.e., the ways work may promote or hinder employees' wellbeing. This paper brings a multidimensional perspective to bear on this topic by providing: (a) a multidimensional overview of these drivers; and (b) a multidimensional analysis of how they actually 'drive' wellbeing. The paper is in two parts. Part 1 briefly summarises the drivers, highlighting key theories and interventions. Part 2 then brings a multidimensional analysis to bear on the drivers, doing so by focusing on one driver in particular ('managing emotions') as a case study. This driver is analysed through the prism of a multidimensional model of the person, the 'Layered Integrated Framework Example' model. It is hoped that, in future, similar analyses can consequently be undertaken for the other drivers. The paper thus offers a generative research agenda for exploring how to enable people to flourish at work.

Lomas, T. (2019). Positive semiotics. Review of General Psychology, 23(3), 359-370.

Although semiotics has historically been a focus of interest in psychology, its impact over recent decades has been fairly muted. Moreover, no systematic efforts have been made to study and understand it from a positive perspective, i.e., the way sign-systems are or can be “positive.” As such, this paper introduces the notion of “positive semiotics,” a label for the disparate research and theorising that is already underway across academia relating to this topic. The paper draws on the work of C. S. Peirce, particularly in terms of his triadic view of sign-systems as comprising a sign, an object, and an interpretant. The idea of positivity is then elucidated using the criterion of desirability, drawing on the work of James Pawelski. Attempts are also made to ascertain the nature of desirability, including normative forms (clarified here using the conceptual triad of goodness, truth, and beauty) and non-normative forms (understood as personal wants). The paper then considers four key semiotic channels – discursive language, body language, symbols, and art – looking at selective examples of how positive semiotics might pertain to that channel. It is hoped the paper will stimulate further interest in, and work on, a phenomenon that is of considerable importance to psychology and beyond.

Lomas, T. (2019). The roots of virtue: A cross-cultural lexical analysis. Journal of Happiness Studies, 20, 1259–1279.

Although the notion of virtue is increasingly prominent in psychology, the way it has been studied and conceptualised has been relatively Western-centric, and does not fully account for variations in how it has been understood cross-culturally. As such, an enquiry was conducted into ideas relating to virtue found across the world’s cultures, focusing specifically on so-called untranslatable words. Through a quasi-systematic search of academic and grey literature, together with conceptual snowballing and crowd-sourced suggestions, over 200 relevant terms were located. An adapted grounded theory analysis identified five themes which together provide an insight into the “roots” of virtue (i.e., the main sources from which it appears to spring): virtue itself (the concept of it); considerateness (caring about it); wisdom (knowing what it consists of); agency (managing to be/do it); and skill (mastery of the preceding elements). The results help shed further light on the potential dynamics of this important phenomenon.

Lomas, T., Roache, A., Rashid, T., & Jarden, A. (2019). Developing ethical guidelines for positive psychology practice: An on-going, iterative, collaborative endeavour. Journal of Positive Psychology. doi: 10.1080/17439760.2019.1651892

As positive psychology has developed as a field, questions have arisen around how to ensure best practice, including with respect to ethics. This issue is particularly pertinent vis-à-vis its applied dimensions, such as positive psychology interventions by students and graduates of MAPP programmes. However, the field has hitherto lacked clear ethical guidelines to assist practitioners. Aiming to address this gap, the authors have devised a set of guidelines, in collaboration with key stakeholders across the positive psychology community, published in the International Journal of Wellbeing. The current article briefly summarises the importance, development, content, and future directions of these guidelines, thus providing a concise overview of this important project. It is hoped that this article, together with the guidelines themselves, will not only highlight the importance of ethical practice, but offer practical suggestions for guiding practitioners in the field.

Gourov, D., & Lomas, T. (2019). ‘It’s about wholeness. I love my awesomeness and I love my flawesomeness’: An IPA analysis of coaching with the shadow in mind. The Coaching Psychologist, 15(2), 10-20.

Difficult emotions and cognitive states are recognised in second wave positive psychology as being a gold mine for personal growth. The growing body of knowledge in positive psychology gives coaching psychologists a perimeter to work with, whilst archetypal shadow analysis, rooted in Jung’s teachings, gives depth and insight. While definitions of coaching vary considerably, it can be argued to function as shining a light onto things that are hidden for the client, thereby bringing wholeness and clarity. Interpretive phenomenological analysis was used to analyse coaching with the shadow in mind, where this work became defined as looking at parts that are hidden, suppressed, unowned and unacknowledged by us and others. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four professional coaches. Three higher order themes were identified: the coach’s personal journey through the shadow, what a shadow coach does and the client’s journey into the shadow. These themes may generate insight into this paradigm of coaching for the first time and is an important step in the ongoing integration of second wave positive psychology and coaching psychology.

Jarden, A., Rashid, T., Roache, A., & Lomas, T. (2019). Ethical guidelines for positive psychology practice. International Journal of Wellbeing, 9(2), 1-30. doi: 10.5502/ijw.v9i2.XXX

These guidelines are the result of a collaborative and independent working group led by Aaron Jarden, Tayyab Rashid, Annalise Roache and Tim Lomas. The guidelines are independent of any organisation or association; however, numerous parties have been involved in the development and refinement of this first iteration. It is the authors’ intention to update the guidelines on a bi-annual cycle to further strengthen their depth and breadth of functionality, and we welcome feedback from the community to aaron.jarden@unimelb.edu.au

2018

Lomas, T. (2018). Experiential cartography, and the significance of untranslatable words. Theory & Psychology, 28(4).

Mainstream psychology can be regarded as largely Western-centric, with its concepts and priorities biased towards Western ways of thinking and understanding. Consequently, the field would benefit from greater cross-cultural awareness and engagement. To that end, this article offers one means of engagement, the study of “untranslatable” words (i.e., terms without an exact equivalent in another language, in our case English). A key function of language is that it offers a “map” that allows us to understand and navigate the world. In that respect, such words point to cultural variation in the maps we use, and even to variation in the actual territory mapped. The paper concludes with suggestions for why and how psychology could benefit from engaging with such words.

Lomas, T. (2018). The dynamics of spirituality: A cross-cultural lexical analysis. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 11(2), 131–140.

The notion of spirituality is increasingly prominent in academic and cultural discourse alike. However, it remains a nebulous concept, capable of diverse interpretations, particularly cross-culturally. In the interest of exploring this diversity, yet also with the aim of identifying common themes, an enquiry was conducted into conceptualizations of spirituality across cultures. Specifically, the enquiry focused on so-called untranslatable words, i.e., which lack an exact equivalent in another language (in this case, English). Through a quasi-systematic search, together with conceptual snowballing, over 200 relevant terms were located. A grounded theory analysis identified three key dimensions: the sacred, contemplative practice, and self-transcendence. Based on these, a conceptualization of spirituality was formulated that may be valid cross-culturally, namely: engagement with the sacred, usually through contemplative practice, with the ultimate aim of self-transcendence.

Lomas, T. (2018). The flavours of love: A cross-cultural lexical analysis. Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour, 48, 134–152.

Linguists have often remarked upon the polysemous nature of love, whereby the term encompasses a wide diversity of emotional relationships. Several typologies have been constructed to account for this diversity. However, these tend to be restricted in scope, and fail to fully represent the range of experiences signified by the term ‘love’ in discourse. In the interest of generating an expanded typology of love, encompassing its varied forms, an enquiry was conducted into relevant concepts found across the world's cultures, focusing on so-called untranslatable words. Through a quasi-systematic search of published and internet sources, 609 relevant words were identified. These were organised through a version of grounded theory into 14 categories, representing 14 different forms or ‘flavours’ of love. The result is an expanded theoretical treatment of love, allowing us to better appreciate the nuances of this most cherished and yet polysemous of concepts.

Lomas, T. (2018). The quiet virtues of sadness: A selective theoretical and interpretative appreciation of its potential contribution to wellbeing. New Ideas in Psychology, 49(18-26). doi: 10.1016/j.newideapsych.2018.01.002

Critical emotion theorists have raised concerns that ‘normal’ human emotions like sadness are increasingly being pathologised as disorders. Counter efforts have thus been made to normalise such emotions, such as by highlighting their ubiquity and appropriacy. This paper goes slightly further by suggesting that sadness is not merely normal, but may have inherent value, and indeed be an integral component of a flourishing life. It offers a meta-theoretical review of literature on the potential ‘virtues’ of sadness. Three overarching themes are identified, each comprising four subthemes: (a) sadness as a mode of protection (including as a warning, as prompting disengagement, as a mode of conservation, and as enhanced accuracy); (b) sadness as an expression of care (including as a manifestation of love, of longing, of compassion, and eliciting care); and (c) sadness as a vehicle for flourishing (including as a moral sensibility, as engendering psychological development, as an aesthetic sensibility, and as integral to fulfilment). It is thus hoped that the paper can contribute to a more ‘positive’ cultural discourse around sadness, suggesting that, for the majority of people, experiences of sadness may serve an important and even desirable function in their lives.

Lomas, T. (2018). The spatial contours of wellbeing: A content analysis of metaphor in academic discourse. Journal of Positive Psychology. doi: 10.1080/17439760.2018.1450437

In thinking and talking about wellbeing, people often deploy spatial metaphors, such as identifying positive and negative affect with “up” and “down” respectively. However, there has not yet been a systematic investigation of how wellbeing is represented through metaphor. To shed light on this topic, a content analysis was conducted of spatial metaphors in academic discourse on wellbeing, focusing on recent editions of two leading journals, the Journal of Positive Psychology, and the British Journal of Clinical Psychology. Across 28 papers, 54 spatial metaphors were identified, grouped into four main categories: verticality; horizontality; configuration; and dynamism. Above all, wellbeing is associated with interior expansiveness, with positive valence usually attaching to vertical metaphors of height and depth, horizontal metaphors of width and breadth, and configuration metaphors of size and growth. The analysis thus offers valuable insights into the subjective dynamics of wellbeing.

Lomas, T. (2018). The value of ambivalent emotions: A cross-cultural lexical analysis. Qualitative Research in Psychology. doi: 10.1080/14780887.2017.1400143

Although wellbeing tends to be associated with positive affect, theorists have suggested it might also involve more ambivalent emotions. Scholars have further argued that although such emotions are somewhat overlooked in Western societies, other cultures are more attuned to them. In the interest of exploring the value of ambivalent emotions, an enquiry was conducted into relevant concepts found across the world’s cultures, focusing specifically on so-called untranslatable words. Through a quasi-systematic search of academic and grey literature, together with conceptual snowballing, 30 relevant terms were located. A process of grounded theory analysis identified five main themes: hope, longing, pathos, appreciation of imperfection, and sensitivity to mystery. The analysis highlights the need for a more expansive conception of wellbeing, going beyond an exclusive identification with positively valenced emotions to incorporate more complex and ambivalent processes.

Lomas, T., & Lomas, C. (2018). An art history of happiness: Western approaches to the good life through the last 1000 years, as illustrated in art. Journal of Positive Psychology and Wellbeing, 1-24.

A prominent criticism of positive psychology is that it has been shaped by its Western context, and yet that this ‘situatedness’ often remains unacknowledged. Consequently, this paper offers an archaeological analysis of conceptualisations of happiness in the West. More specifically, the paper explores the emergence of significant ideas relating to the good life through the innovative device of studying artworks, on the premise that being featured in art is an effective signifier of when a given idea rose to prominence. Taking a time span of 1,000 years, one artwork per century has been selected to illustrate the emergence of a particular stream of thought during that centennial period. The paper elucidates the roots of current ideas around happiness in fields like positive psychology, and in the West more generally. It is hoped this type of ‘consciousness-raising’ activity may help such fields acknowledge and overcome any limitations arising from their cultural situatedness.

Lomas, T., Garraway, E., Stanton, C., & Ivtzan, I. (2018). Masculinity in the midst of mindfulness: Exploring the gendered experiences of at-risk adolescent boys. Men and Masculinities. doi: 10.1177/1097184X18756709

Teenage boys are a source of considerable concern in society, with generally poorer health, educational, and social outcomes than their female counterparts. Of particular concern are “at-risk” adolescents, who by definition are liable to poorer outcomes than peers not deemed at-risk. However, there are indications that activities such as mindfulness may offer opportunities for such adolescents to negotiate more positive constructions of masculinity. This study piloted a new four-week mindfulness-based intervention, created specifically for a group of eight at-risk adolescent boys at a school in London. In-depth, semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with participants before and after the intervention and analyzed using grounded theory. The data revealed an overarching theme of “pressure control.” Participants depicted themselves as facing multiple pressures, many of which related to making the difficult transition from childhood to adulthood. However, the context of the intervention enabled them to generate a masculine construction in which they were able to reclaim agency and self-control. Notably, such control was often exercised in the direction of facilitating emotional connection and agility, thus subverting traditional masculine expectations. The results show that at-risk adolescent boys are capable of more nuanced and skilled emotional competencies than they are often given credit for.

Lomas, T., Medina, J. C., Ivtzan, I., Rupprecht, S., & Eiroa-Orosa, F. J. (2018). A systematic review and meta-analysis of the impact of mindfulness-based interventions on the wellbeing of healthcare professionals. Mindfulness. doi: 10.1007/s12671-018-1062-5

Efforts to improve the well-being of healthcare professionals include mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs). To understand the value of such initiatives, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of empirical studies pertaining to the use of MBIs with healthcare professionals. Databases were reviewed from the start of records to January 2016 (PROSPERO registration number: CRD42016032899). Eligibility criteria included empirical analyses of well-being outcomes acquired in relation to MBIs. Forty-one papers met the eligibility criteria, consisting of a total of 2101 participants. Studies were examined for two broad classes of well-being outcomes: (a) “negative” mental health measures such as anxiety, depression, and stress; (b) “positive” indices of well-being, such as life satisfaction, together with outcomes associated with well-being, such as emotional intelligence. MBIs were generally associated with positive outcomes in relation to most measures (albeit with moderate effect sizes), and mindfulness does appear to improve the well-being of healthcare professionals. However, the quality of the studies was inconsistent, so further research is needed, particularly high-quality randomised control trials.

Lomas, T., Medina, J. C., Ivtzan, I., Rupprecht, S., & Eiroa-Orosa, F. J. (2018). A systematic review of the impact of mindfulness on the wellbeing of healthcare professionals. Journal of Clinical Psychology. 7(3), 319–355. doi: 10.1002/jclp.22515

Objective: Among efforts to improve the well-being of healthcare professionals are initiatives based around mindfulness meditation. To understand the value of such initiatives, we conducted a systematic review of empirical studies pertaining to mindfulness in healthcare professionals. Method: Databases were reviewed from the start of records to January 2016. Eligibility criteria included empirical analyses of mindfulness and well-being outcomes acquired in relation to practice. 81 papers met the eligibility criteria, comprising a total of 3,805 participants. Studies were principally examined for outcomes such as burnout, distress, anxiety, depression, and stress. Results: Mindfulness was generally associated with positive outcomes in relation to most measures (although results were more equivocal with respect to some outcomes, most notably burnout). Conclusion: Overall, mindfulness does appear to improve the well-being of healthcare professionals. However, the quality of the studies was inconsistent, so further research is needed, particularly high-quality randomized controlled trials.

Lomas, T., Medina, J. C., Ivtzan, I., Rupprecht, S., & Eiroa-Orosa, F. J. (2018). Mindfulness-based interventions in the workplace: An inclusive systematic review and meta-analysis of their impact upon wellbeing. Journal of Positive Psychology. doi: 10.1080/17439760.2018.1519588

Given the demanding nature of many professions, efforts are ongoing to develop initiatives to improve occupational wellbeing, including mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs). To assess the efficacy of MBIs, meta-analytic procedures were conducted on 35 randomized controlled trials derived from an earlier inclusive systematic literature search (covering all occupations, MBIs, and wellbeing-related outcomes). Mindfulness had significant moderate effects on deficit-based outcomes such as stress (SMD = −0.57), anxiety (SMD = −0.57), distress (SMD = −0.56), depression (SMD = −0.48), and burnout (SMD = −0.36), and significant moderate to small effects on asset-based outcomes like health (SMD = 0.63), job performance (SMD = 0.43), compassion and empathy (SMD = 0.42), mindfulness (SMD = 0.39), and positive wellbeing (SMD = 0.36), while no significant effects were observed for depression or emotional regulation. However, the quality of the studies was inconsistent, suggesting more high-quality randomised controlled trials are needed.

Schimschal, S. E., & Lomas, T. (2018). Gritty leaders: The impact of grit on positive leadership capacity. Psychological Reports. doi: 10.1177/0033294118785547

The concepts of grit and positive leadership are central to extraordinary performance. However, to date there has been little empirical analysis of the relationship between a leader’s level of grit and their capacity to implement positive leadership strategies and practices. This correlational study explores these linkages, taking grit subfactors into consideration as well as three dimensions of positive leadership. Convenience sampling was used to survey 100 leaders across a range of industries. Respondents completed the Grit Scale and 18 questions from the Positive Leadership Practices Self-Assessment. Results indicated that grit positively correlated with positive leadership, and perseverance exhibited a stronger relationship than passion. Further, grit accounted for variance in positive leadership. These findings provide a solid evidence base for giving leaders access to development opportunities that can accelerate the growth of grit and positive leadership.

2017

Lomas, T. (2017). The spectrum of positive affect: A cross-cultural lexical analysis. International Journal of Wellbeing, 7(3), 1-18. doi: 10.5502/ijw.v7i3.608

Although wellbeing tends to be associated with positive affect, the phenomenological terrain in this regard is often poorly differentiated. In the interest of bringing further granularity to this area, an enquiry was conducted into relevant concepts found across the world’s cultures, focusing specifically on so-called untranslatable words. Through a quasi-systematic search of academic and grey literature, together with conceptual snowballing, 134 relevant terms have been located so far (with the process of enquiry ongoing). Through a process of grounded theory analysis, seven main themes were identified: peace/calm; contentment/satisfaction; cosiness/homeliness; savouring/appreciation; revelry/fun; joy/euphoria; and bliss nirvāṇa. The analysis highlights the need for a more expansive and granular conceptualisation of positive affect, one that recognises the depth and breadth of the subjective terrain that it covers.

Lomas, T. (2017). A re-appraisal of boredom: A case study in second wave positive psychology. In N. J. L. Brown, T. Lomas & F. Eiroa-Orosa (Eds.), The Routledge International Handbook of Critical Positive Psychology (pp. 213-226). New York: Routledge.

Positive psychology has become increasingly amenable and open to critical perspectives, including with respect to the very notions of “positive” and “negative.” This problematizing of the “positive” has been referred to as “second wave” positive psychology (Lomas & Ivtzan, 2015; (Ivtzan, Lomas, Hefferon, & Worth, 2015)—and previously as positive psychology “2.0” (Wong, 2011)—as elucidated in the introduction to this section. The rationale for these labels is that the initial “first wave” of the field was essentially founded on a binary positive–negative construction: Certain phenomena were viewed as positive, and hence desirable, with others therefore being negative, and hence undesirable. However, it is increasingly clear that such categorical appraisals are far from straightforward: ostensibly positive phenomena can be detrimental to wellbeing, while seemingly negative phenomena may be conducive to it. To some extent, this critical appreciation was implicit within the field from the beginning (e.g., Seligman, 1990). However, this more nuanced appreciation tended to be missing from the overarching “message” of the field. Now, though, there is a growing recognition of the complex “dialectics” of flourishing, involving an intricate interplay between seemingly negative and positive phenomena (e.g., Kashdan & Biswas-Diener, 2014). This chapter provides an illustration of this second wave approach in the form of a case study on an emotion that is generally regarded as negative and undesirable, namely boredom.

Lomas, T. (2017). Applied positive psychology: Facilitating multidimensional flourishing. In D. Dunn (Ed.), Positive Psychology: Established and Emerging Issues (pp. 317-338). New York: Routledge.

As positive psychology has matured as a field, among its most prominent successes has been the emergence of a strong applied dimension, known as applied positive psychology. This burgeoning arena of praxis has involved the development of interventions and activities designed to promote well-being. This chapter offers an overview of these efforts, which are organized here according to a multidimensional meta-theoretical framework known as the LIFE (Layered Integrated Framework Example) model. This framework features the four main ontological “dimensions” of the person (mind, body, culture, and society), each of which is stratified into five levels. The model provides a comprehensive map of the person, and of their well-being, allowing us to situate and appreciate the range of interventions and strategies that have been developed within APP.

Lomas, T. (2017). Can mindfulness help at-risk adolescent boys? In K. Niven, S. Lewis & C. Kagan (Eds.), Making a Difference with Psychology (pp. 113-120). London: Richard Benjamin Trust.

Could the practice of mindfulness help at-risk adolescent boys manage the challenges in their lives, do better at school, and generally increase their well-being? Mindfulness is a practice that is thought to develop people’s attention and awareness skills. It has been found to have positive effects in diverse populations, from pregnant mothers to military personnel, and in relation to varied problems, from depression to eating disorders. In this research, I aimed to test whether mindfulness might be of benefit to at-risk adolescent boys, whose characteristics make them more likely to suffer issues with well-being.

Lomas, T. (2017). Positive politics: Exploring the wellbeing implications of left-wing versus right-wing political agendas. In N. J. L. Brown, T. Lomas & F. Eiroa-Orosa (Eds.), The Routledge International Handbook of Critical Positive Psychology (pp. 351-367). Routledge: New York.

The impact of politics on wellbeing has perennially been a topic of some debate in society, and has more recently been a focus of concern in academia too. The current chapter considers this academic literature, drawing it together under the proposed rubric of ‘positive politics,’ defined as the study of the impact of political policies and processes upon wellbeing. The aim of this chapter, and of positive politics generally, is to encourage the use of wellbeing research to inform: (a) politicians and policy makers (with regard to policy making); and (b) citizens (with regard to democratic choices). To do this, the chapter offers a set of orienting analyses concerning the differences between left-wing and right-wing political perspectives. Rather than presenting left versus right as a unidimensional spectrum, the chapter suggests that the left–right polarity plays out across multiple spectra. Twelve different spectra are identified, three of which are constructed as overarching, with the remainder positioned as subsidiary to these: attributions (encompassing justness and equality), locus of concern (encompassing taxation, welfare, and institutional balance), and directionality (encompassing religion, freedom, statehood, and immigration). The chapter explores the implications that different perspectives on these twelve spectra have for wellbeing, thereby setting out an agenda for further research into the impact of politics upon wellbeing.

Lomas, T., Etcoff, N., Gordon, W. V., & Shonin, E. (2017). Zen and the art of living mindfully: The health-enhancing potential of Zen aesthetics. Journal of Religion and Health. doi: 10.1007/s10943-017-0446-5

Amidst the burgeoning enthusiasm for mindfulness in the West, there is a concern that the largely secular ‘de-contextualized’ way in which it is being harnessed is denuding it of its potential to improve health and wellbeing. As such, efforts are underway to ‘re-contextualize’ mindfulness, explicitly drawing on the wider framework of Buddhist ideas and practices in which it was initially developed. This paper aims to contribute to this, doing so by focusing on Zen Buddhism, and in particular on Zen aesthetic principles. It concentrates on the seven principles identified by Shin’ichi Hisamatsu (1971) in his classic text Zen and the Fine Arts: kanso (simplicity); fukinsei (asymmetry); koko (austere sublimity); shizen (naturalness); daisuzoku (freedom from routine); sei-jaku (tranquillity); and yūgen (profound grace). The presence of these principles in works of art is seen as reflecting and communicating insights that are central to Buddhism, such as non-attachment. Moreover, these principles do not only apply to the creation and appreciation of art, but have clear applications for treating health-related disorders, and improving quality of life more generally. This paper makes the case that embodying these principles in their lives can help people enhance their levels of psychosomatic wellbeing, and come to a truer understanding of the essence of mindful living.

Lomas, T., Medina, J. C., Ivtzan, I., Rupprecht, S., Hart, R., & Eiroa-Orosa, F. J. (2017). The impact of mindfulness on wellbeing and performance in the workplace: An inclusive systematic review of the empirical literature. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology. doi: 10.1080/1359432X.2017.1308924

Work can be demanding, imposing challenges that can be detrimental to the physical and mental health of workers. Efforts are therefore underway to develop practices and initiatives that may improve occupational well-being. These include interventions based on mindfulness meditation. This paper offers a systematic review of empirical studies featuring analyses of mindfulness in occupational contexts. Databases were reviewed from the start of records to January 2016. Eligibility criteria included experimental and correlative studies of mindfulness conducted in work settings, with a variety of well-being and performance measures. A total of 153 papers met the eligibility criteria and were included in the systematic review, comprising 12,571 participants. Mindfulness was generally associated with positive outcomes in relation to most measures. However, the quality of the studies was inconsistent, so further research is needed, particularly involving high-quality randomized control trials.

Lomas, T., Medina, J. C., Ivtzan, I., Rupprecht, S., & Eiroa-Orosa, F. J. (2017). The impact of mindfulness on the wellbeing and performance of educators: A systematic review of the empirical literature. Teaching and Teacher Education, 61, 132-141. doi: 10.1016/j.tate.2016.10.008

Given the potentially demanding nature of teaching, efforts are underway to develop practices that can improve the wellbeing of educators, including interventions based on mindfulness meditation. We performed a systematic review of empirical studies featuring analyses of mindfulness in teaching contexts. Databases were reviewed from the start of records to January 2016. Eligibility criteria included empirical analyses of mindfulness, mental health, wellbeing, and performance outcomes acquired in relation to practice. A total of 19 papers met the eligibility criteria and were included in the systematic review, consisting of a total 1981 participants. Studies were principally examined for outcomes such as burnout, anxiety, depression and stress, as well as more positive wellbeing measures (e.g., life satisfaction). The systematic review revealed that mindfulness was generally associated with positive outcomes in relation to most measures. However, the quality of the studies was inconsistent, and so further research is needed, particularly involving high-quality randomised control trials.

Dolan, A., Lomas, T., Ghobara, T., & Hartshorne, G. (2017). “It's like taking a bit of masculinity away from you”: Towards a theoretical understanding of men’s experiences of infertility. Sociology of Health & Illness. doi: 10.1111/1467-9566.12548

In the UK, nearly half of all cases of infertility involve a ‘male-factor’. Yet, little empirical work has explored how men as men negotiate this terrain. Three interrelated concepts; ‘hegemonic masculinity’, ‘embodied masculinity’ and the linkages between ‘masculinities’ and male help-seeking, provide the theoretical framework that guided a qualitative study conducted with 22 men experiencing infertility. The paper explores men's propensity to delay their help-seeking in relation to infertility despite their desire for children. It also demonstrates how, in the context of infertility, the male body can be defined as both a failed entity in itself (unable to father a child) and a subordinated social entity (unable to measure up to hegemonic ideals) that characterises men's masculine identities. The paper also illustrates how men appear willing to accept responsibility for their infertility and adopt aspects of hitherto subordinate masculine practice. This does not, however, constitute the total unravelling of well understood and accepted expressions of masculinity. Finally, the paper demonstrates how infertility is perceived as having the potential to fracture current and even future relationships. Moreover, regardless of how well men measured up to other hegemonic ideals, ultimately they can do little to counteract the threat of other (fertile) men.

Ivtzan, I., Young, T., Lee, H. C., Lomas, T., & Kjell, O. (2017). Mindfulness based flourishing program: A cross-cultural study of Hong Kong Chinese and British participants. Journal of Happiness Studies. doi: 10.1007/s10902-017-9919-1

The Mindfulness Based Flourishing Program (MBFP) is an online 8-week intervention developed for enhancing wellbeing with the use of mindfulness practices, through targeting a range of positive variables. The efficacy of the MBFP has been demonstrated in a randomized controlled trial, and in order to further establish it as an intervention with widespread application, cross-cultural validation is warranted. The current study was conducted with the primary aim of testing the validity of the MBFP with a Hong Kong Chinese population, as well as verifying its positive effects. A randomized wait-list controlled design was adopted with 115 participants (92 females, mean age = 31.50). Intervention outcomes were compared between Hong Kong Chinese and British participants. Five positive variables were examined (self-compassion, meaning in life, positive and negative emotions, gratitude, and mindfulness), and measures were taken pre- and post-intervention. Significant gains in wellbeing measures were observed in both the Hong Kong Chinese and the British experimental groups. Levels of wellbeing post-intervention were also higher for the two experimental groups as compared to their control counterparts. The current study provides preliminary evidence for the MBFP’s cross-cultural validity, and strengthens previous claims for its efficacy as a new, accessible alternative for enhancing wellbeing.

Perridge, D., Hefferon, K., Lomas, T., & Ivtzan, I. (2017). “I feel I can live every minute if I choose to”: Participants’ experience of a mindfulness based flourishing programme. Qualitative Research in Psychology. doi: 10.1080/14780887.2017.1359709

Both separately and in conjunction, mindfulness and positive psychological interventions have been found to increase wellbeing against a number of measures. Research has been primarily based upon the application of self-report scales, and little has yet been done to examine the lived experience of participants. The aim of this study therefore was to apply an interpretative phenomenological approach to the experience of participants in a Mindfulness Based Flourishing (MBF) programme which combines positive psychological interventions with mindfulness, in order to more fully understand the scope and depth of the impact their experience had on them. Three participants from a completed MBF each had a one-off semi-structured interview, the results of which were transcribed verbatim. The resulting texts were analysed, with five themes emerging which demonstrated the impact the programme had had on participants’ sense of self and on the nature of their connections with others. While all participants identified benefits accruing from the course, it also presented challenges emotionally as well as in terms of the embedding of knowledge and skills. Future research should look to examine the impact of such programmes in wider cultural and temporal frameworks, and additionally should explore the application of Grounded Theory to identify more theoretical level explanations of phenomenon.

2016

Lomas, T. (2016). The art of second wave positive psychology: Harnessing Zen aesthetics to explore the dialectics of flourishing. International Journal of Wellbeing, 6(2), 14-29. doi: 10.5502/ijw.v6i2.2

In recent years, a ‘second wave’ of positive psychology has been emerging, characterised above all by an awareness and appreciation of the ‘dialectical’ nature of flourishing. This paper offers a philosophical foundation for this second wave, based on Eastern philosophy, and in particular, Zen aesthetics. Part one introduces Zen, including its key philosophical ideas and practices, as well as two antecedent traditions that helped to form it, namely Buddhism and Taoism. Part two then elucidates three aesthetic principles that are integral to Zen: mono no aware (the pathos of life), wabi-sabi (desolate beauty), and yūgen (profound grace). The paper discusses how these principles could be of value to positive psychology in fostering dialectical understanding and appreciation, thus highlighting future directions for the field.

Lomas, T. (2016). The magic of ‘untranslatable’ words: Building a positive cross-cultural lexicography. Scientific American, 12 July.

Frisson. What a strange word. It evokes that peculiar intermingling of excitement and fear that can attend momentous events. The spark of electricity when you lock eyes with someone who is yet unknown to you, but who might just be ‘the one.’ The queasy sensation of anxious adrenaline when a big news story breaks. The fearful joy as you plunge downhill on a vertiginous rollercoaster. The word ‘thrill’ perhaps comes close. But not quite. As such, realising that all near-equivalents in English are imperfect, we gladly alight upon the French loanword. And as we do, our existence feels just a little richer and more nuanced...

Lomas, T. (2016). A meditation on boredom: Re-appraising its value through introspective phenomenology. Qualitative Research in Psychology. doi: 10.1080/14780887.2016.1205695

Boredom is almost universally regarded as a dysphoric mental state, characterised by features such as disengagement and low arousal. However, in certain quarters (e.g., Zen Buddhism), boredom is seen as potentially having great value and even importance. The current study sought to explore boredom through a case study involving introspective phenomenology. The author created conditions in which he would experience boredom for an hour, and recorded his experience in real-time using a variant of the Experiencing Sampling Method. The data were analysed using an adaptation of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The results indicated that the state of boredom contained three main sources of value: (a) altered perception of time; (b) awakened curiosity about the environment; and (c) exploration of self. Consequently, the paper offers a re-appraisal of boredom, suggesting that rather than necessarily being a negative state, if engaged with, boredom has the potential to be a positive and rewarding experience.

Lomas, T. (2016). Positive psychology - The second wave. The Psychologist, 29, 536-539.

It is nearly twenty years since Martin Seligman used his 1998 American Psychological Association presidential address to inaugurate the notion of ‘positive psychology.’ The rationale for its creation was Seligman’s contention that psychology had hitherto tended to focus mainly on what is wrong with people, on dysfunction, disorder and distress. There were of course pockets of scholarship that held a candle for human potential and excellence, like humanistic psychology. Nevertheless, on the whole, he argued that concepts such as happiness did not attract much attention or credibility in mainstream psychology. Emerging to redress this lacuna, positive psychology soon became a fertile new paradigm, encompassing research into a panoply of processes and qualities that could be deemed ‘positive,’ from overarching constructs such as flourishing, to more specific concepts like hope. Of course, none of this was radically new: many of these topics had been studied empirically for years by scholars in disparate fields, and indeed had been debated for centuries, millennia even. However, part of the appeal of the new field was that it created a conceptual space where these diverse topics – all of which shared the ‘family resemblance’ (à la Wittgenstein) of pertaining to wellbeing – could be brought together and considered collectively. Thus, as a novel branch of scholarship focused specifically and entirely on ‘the science and practice of improving wellbeing’ (Lomas, Hefferon, & Ivtzan, 2015, p.1347), it was a welcome new addition to the broader church of psychology. However, it was not without its critics...

Lomas, T. (2016). Flourishing as a dialectical balance: Emerging insights from second wave positive psychology. Palgrave Communications, 2:16018.

2015

Lomas, T. (2015). Positive cross-cultural psychology: Exploring similarity and difference in constructions and experiences of wellbeing. International Journal of Wellbeing, 5(4), 60-77.

Critical theorists have accused positive psychology of paying insufficient attention to cultural variation in the way wellbeing is constructed and experienced. While there may be some merit to this claim, the field has developed a more nuanced appreciation of culture than its critics suggest. However, it could also be argued that positive psychology has not sufficiently appreciated or absorbed the wealth of literature within cross-cultural psychology pertaining to wellbeing. This paper aims to forge a bridge between positive psychology and cross-cultural psychology by introducing the idea of ‘positive cross-cultural psychology,’ an interdisciplinary conceptual space for existing and future cross-cultural research on wellbeing. Moreover, the paper offers a meta-theoretical perspective on trends within this literature. It is suggested that cross-cultural research is underpinned by two broad orienting perspectives: a ‘universalising’ perspective, which holds that, despite apparent cultural differences, people share a common human nature; and a ‘relativising’ perspective, which argues that people are strongly shaped by their cultural context. However, the paper finally argues that most research can actually be seen as offering a synthesising perspective – labelled here as ‘universal relativism’ – which recognises universals in the ways wellbeing is sought, constructed and experienced, but allows for extensive variation in the ways these universals are shaped by culture.

Lomas, T. (2015). Positive social psychology: A multilevel inquiry into socio-cultural wellbeing initiatives. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 21(3), 338-347.

Although the field of positive psychology has made great strides in developing interventions for wellbeing, many of these are aimed at individuals, designed to engender adaptive psychological qualities and skills. As such, relatively little attention has been paid within the field to the socio-cultural factors that influence health and wellbeing. However, there is an emergent body of work that does focus on these factors, as summarised in this paper. Using Urie Bronfenbrenner’s (1977) multileveled ecological systems theory as a framework, the paper provides an overview of socio-cultural wellbeing interventions and research at multiple levels of scale (microsystems, mesosystems, exosystems, macrosystems, and ecosystems). In doing so, the paper has two main aims: (a) to show how positive change in wellbeing can be affected by the strategic manipulation of socio-cultural contextual factors; and (b) to suggest ways in which the adoption of such a contextual approach can inform policy making.

Lomas, T. (2015). Self-transcendence through shared suffering: A transpersonal theory of compassion. Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, 27(2).

The value of compassion has often been appraised in terms of its benefits to the recipient, or its contribution to civil society. Less attention has been paid to the positive effect it may have upon the protagonists themselves, partly because compassion ostensibly appears to involve mainly dysphoric emotions (i.e., sharing another’s suffering). However, driven by the question of why traditions such as Buddhism and Christianity esteem compassion so highly, in this article, a theory of compassion is proposed that focuses on its transformative potential. In particular, I argue that compassion inherently involves a process of self-transcendence, enabling people to enter into an intersubjective state of selfhood. Drawing on Buddhist and Christian ideas, I then suggest that this intersubjective state is not only an antidote to the protagonists’ own suffering, but can accelerate their psychospiritual development. Thus, the article offers a new perspective on compassion that allows us to fully appreciate its transpersonal and transformative potential.

Lomas, T., Hefferon, K., & Ivtzan, I. (2015). The LIFE model: A meta-theoretical conceptual map for applied positive psychology. Journal of Happiness Studies, 16(5), 1347-1364.

Abstract: Since its emergence in 1998, positive psychology has flourished. Among its successes is the burgeoning field of applied positive psychology (APP), involving interventions to promote wellbeing. However, the remit of APP is currently unclear. As such, we offer a conceptual map delineating the terrain that APP might conceivably cover, namely, the LIFE (Layered Integrated Framework Example) model. The model is based on Wilber’s (1997) Integral Framework, which features the four main ontological ‘dimensions’ of the person. We then stratify these dimensions to produce a comprehensive conceptual map of the person, and of the potential areas of application for APP. For example, we deconstruct the collective dimensions of Wilber’s framework using the levels of Bronfenbrenner’s (1977) experimental ecology. The result is a detailed multidimensional framework which facilitates a comprehensive approach to promoting wellbeing, and which charts a way forward for APP.

Lomas, T., & Ivtzan, I. (2015). Second wave positive psychology: Exploring the positive-negative dialectics of wellbeing. Journal of Happiness Studies. doi: 10.1007/s10902-015-9668-y.

Abstract: Positive psychology has tended to be defined in terms of a concern with ‘positive’ psychological qualities and states. However, critics of the field have highlighted various problems inherent in classifying phenomena as either ‘positive’ or ‘negative.’ For instance, ostensibly positive qualities (e.g., optimism) can sometimes be detrimental to wellbeing, whereas apparently negative processes (like anxiety) may at times be conducive to it. As such, over recent years, a more nuanced ‘second wave’ of positive psychology has been germinating, which explores the philosophical and conceptual complexities of the very idea of the ‘positive.’ The current paper introduces this emergent second wave by examining the ways in which the field is developing a more subtle understanding of the ‘dialectical’ nature of flourishing (i.e., involving a complex and dynamic interplay of positive and negative experiences). The paper does so by problematizing the notions of positive and negative through seven case studies, including five salient dichotomies (such as optimism versus pessimism) and two complex processes (posttraumatic growth and love). These case studies serve to highlight the type of critical, dialectical thinking that characterises this second wave, thereby outlining the contours of the evolving field.

Lomas, T., Ivtzan, I., & Fu, C. (2015). A systematic review of the neurophysiology of mindfulness on EEG oscillations. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 57, 401-410.

Abstract: Mindfulness meditation has been purported to be a beneficial practice for wellbeing. It would therefore be expected that the neurophysiology of mindfulness would reflect this impact on wellbeing. However, investigations of the effects of mindfulness have generated mixed reports of increases, decreases, as well as no differences in EEG oscillations in comparison with a resting state and a variety of tasks. We have performed a systematic review of EEG studies of mindfulness meditation in order to determine any common effects and to identify factors which may impact on the effects. Databases were reviewed from 1966 to August 2015. Eligibility criteria included empirical quantitative analyses of mindfulness meditation practice and EEG measurements acquired in relation to practice. A total of 56 papers met the eligibility criteria and were included in the systematic review, consisting of a total 1715 subjects: 1358healthy individuals and 357 individuals with psychiatric diagnoses. Studies were principally examined for power outcomes in each bandwidth, in particular the power differentials between mindfulness and a control state, as well as outcomes relating to hemispheric asymmetry and event-related potentials. The systematic review revealed that mindfulness was most commonly associated with enhanced alpha and theta power as compared to an eyes closed resting state, although such outcomes were not uniformly reported. No consistent patterns were observed with respect to beta, delta and gamma bandwidths. In summary, mindfulness is associated with increased alpha and theta power in both healthy individuals and in patient groups. This co-presence of elevated alpha and theta may signify a state of relaxed alertness which is conducive to mental health.

Lomas, T., Cartwright, T., Edginton, T., & Ridge, D. (2015). A qualitative analysis of experiential challenges associated with meditation practice. Mindfulness, 6(4), 848-860.

Although empirical interest in meditation has flourished in recent years, few studies have addressed possible downsides of meditation practice, particularly in community populations. In-depth interviews were conducted with 30 male meditators in London, UK, recruited using principles of maximum variation sampling, and analysed using a modified constant comparison approach. Having originally set out simply to inquire about the impact of various meditation practices (including but not limited to mindfulness) on men’s wellbeing, we uncovered psychological challenges associated with its practice. While meditation was generally reported to be conducive to wellbeing, substantial difficulties accounted for approximately one quarter of the interview data. Our paper focuses specifically on these issues in order to alert health professionals to potential challenges associated with meditation. Four main problems were uncovered, of increasing severity: meditation was a difficult skill to learn and practise; participants encountered troubling thoughts and feelings which were hard to manage; meditation reportedly exacerbated mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety; and in a few cases, meditation was associated with psychotic episodes. Our paper raises important issues around safeguarding those who practise meditation, both within therapeutic settings and in the community.

Lomas, T., Cartwright, T., Edginton, T., & Ridge, D. (2015). New ways of being a man: ‘Positive’ hegemonic masculinity in meditation-based communities of practice. Men and Masculinities, 5(3), 88-106.

Abstract: Connell’s (1995) concept of hegemonic masculinity is often reduced to a singular construct, consisting of ‘toxic’ traits viewed as detrimental to wellbeing. However, the concept allows for variation in hegemony, including the possibility of forms more conducive to wellbeing. Through in-depth interviews with 30 male meditators in the UK, we explore the social dimensions of meditation practice to examine its potential implications for wellbeing. Most participants became involved with ‘communities of practice’ centered on meditation that promoted new local hegemonies; these included ideals experienced as conducive to wellbeing, like abstinence. However, social processes associated with hegemony, like hierarchy and marginalization, were not overturned. Moreover, participants faced challenges enacting new practices in relation to the broader system of hegemonic masculinity – outside these communities – reporting censure. Our findings are cautionary for professionals seeking to encourage wellbeing behaviors: there is potential for adaptation in men, yet complex social processes influence this change.

Lomas, T., Edginton, T., Cartwright, T., & Ridge, D. (2015). Cultivating equanimity through mindfulness meditation: A mixed methods enquiry into the development of decentring capabilities. International Journal of Wellbeing, 5(3), 88-106.

Mindfulness meditation is thought to help practitioners become more tolerant of dysphoric emotions by enabling them to cultivate decentring skills. Such skills may be especially useful for male meditators, as men are thought to have particular difficulties regulating their emotions, partly due to masculinity norms around emotional toughness. However, there have been few studies pertaining to mindfulness focusing specifically on men, exploring the intersection between wellbeing and masculinity. Uniquely, we sought to examine the development of decentring capabilities in a non-clinical sample of male meditators using a longitudinal mixed-methods design. Thirty meditators were recruited in London, UK. Participants completed an emotional Stroop task – at two points, a year apart – to assess changes in emotional reactivity linked to meditation. Participants also undertook qualitative interviews at both time points, analysed using a modified constant comparison approach. Together, the two datasets converged to suggest that men did develop decentring skills through meditation, leading to greater equanimity in the presence of negative qualia. In addition to offering insights into the mechanisms underpinning the impact of mindfulness on wellbeing, the study provides a gendered dimension to the analysis of wellbeing strategies like meditation, a dimension which has hitherto been conspicuously absent from recent literature in fields such as positive psychology.

Kennett, P., & Lomas, T. (2015). Making meaning through mentoring: Mentors finding fulfilment at work through self-determination and self-reflection. International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring, 13(2), 29-44.

Organisations are increasingly concerned with promoting employee engagement. Research from positive psychology suggests that one key driver of engagement is experiencing work as meaningful. Organisations are therefore keen to understand how meaningful work is created. The present study conjectured that becoming a mentor might be one effective way of experiencing meaning at work. In-depth interviews were conducted with four experienced mentors, analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis, to understand the impact that mentoring has on mentors. It was found that mentoring could indeed be a meaningful experience, enhancing work-related fulfilment. More detailed analysis revealed that meaning was engendered through a potent combination of self-determination (incorporating autonomy, relatedness and competence) and self-reflection, and a theoretical model was devised to reflect these findings. The paper offers recommendations for organisations, showing that mentoring relationships may not only benefit mentors (and mentees), but also organisations themselves.

Torres, L. F. T., & Lomas, T. (2015). The impact of strength-based interventions on the well-being of expatriate spouses. Revista Latinoamerica De Psicologia Positiva, 2(1), 46-61.

In this current world of globalization, expatriates are a common factor among the majority of private and public organization, multi-lateral institutions and NGO’s. Nonetheless, ex-patriates do not often relocate alone. For this reason, spouses and families comprise an important socio-economic and psychological issue. However, despite the numerous amounts of research highlighting the poor levels of well-being among spouses, the field of psychology has failed to address this issue. Studies on strength-based interventions have demonstrated effective results to improve well-being. This study aims to explore the effects of a strength-based intervention on the wellbeing of ex-patriate spouses and to examine the difficulties and challenges spouses experienced when practicing it. Four ex-patriate’s spouses were interviewed before and after the intervention. The data was analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Three superordinate themes emerged 1) The struggle to practice the intervention (2) Search of novelty and excitement and (3) Well-being improvement. The results suggest that the effectiveness of the strengths intervention is influenced by multiple key elements affecting and in some cases, limiting spouse’s responses to the exercise. This research concludes that even though spouse’s well-being slightly improved, it also had positive effects on other psychological components such as self-concept, selfawareness and motivation. Finally, this study highlights the need for further research to better understand both the mechanisms by which practicing strengths contribute to this outcome and the complex rationalization process individuals go through when applying strengths.

Lomas, T. (2015). The dialectics of emotion. In I. Ivtzan, T. Lomas, K. Hefferon & P. Worth (Eds.), Second Wave Positive Psychology: Embracing the Dark Side of Life (pp. 5-30). London: Routledge.

Objectives: This chapter will enable you to: interpret the relationships between ‘psychology as usual,’ PP, and ‘second wave’ PP; understand the dialectics of thesis-antithesis-synthesis; see the reciprocal co-dependency of dichotomous terms; critique the pursuit of optimism, self-esteem, freedom, forgiveness and happiness; find potential value in pessimism, humility, constraint, anger and sadness; appreciate the ambivalent nature of the good life via principles of Buddhist aesthetics; understand the significance and value of engaging with the ‘dark side’ of life.

Lomas, T. (2015). Wellbeings: Suffering, compassion, and interconnectedness. In I. Ivtzan, T. Lomas, K. Hefferon & P. Worth (Eds.), Second Wave Positive Psychology: Embracing the Dark Side of Life (pp. 134-152). London: Routledge.

Objectives: This chapter will enable you to: articulate the difference between compassion, empathy and sympathy; see that compassion inherently involves embracing the dark side of life (i.e., suffering); consider the value placed on compassion by traditions like Christianity and Buddhism; appreciate a range of ‘other-regarding’ qualities in addition to compassion, including loving-kindness, generosity, and sympathetic joy; differentiate various models of selfhood, including individualism and intersubjectivism; generate compassion through meditative practices; understand how cultivating compassion can engender self-transcendence; appreciate self-transcendence as a key component of psychospiritual development.

Lomas, T., & Jnanavaca (2015). Types of mindfulness, orders of conditionality, and stages of the spiritual path. In E. Shonin (Ed.), Buddhist Foundations of Mindfulness (297-310). London: Springer.

Abstract: This chapter aims to broaden our appreciation of mindfulness by situating it within a deeper Buddhist context. We highlight dimensions of mindfulness that are implicit within canonical Buddhist teachings, but which are often overlooked in contemporary psychological literature. We do this by identifying three threads within the teachings, then weaving these threads together to elucidate the connections between them. The first thread is the notion that there are different types of mindfulness, captured by various Pali words: sati (awareness suffused with spirit of recollection); appamada (awareness suffused with an ethos of ethical care); and sampajañña (awareness suffused with a sense of spiritual development). The second thread is the teaching of Paṭiccasamuppāda (the law of conditionality), and Buddhaghosa’s interpretation of this as involving five different niyāmas (orders of causality): utu-niyāma (physical); bīja-niyāma (biological); citta-niyāma (mental); kamma-niyāma (ethical); and dhamma-niyāma (spiritual). The third thread is the idea of the spiritual path, and the notion that this comprises various stages; we focus here on the contemporary teachings of Sangharakshita, who identifies five stages (based on the Sarvāstivāda Five Path Schema): integration; skilful intention; spiritual death; spiritual rebirth; and spontaneous compassionate activity. We then weave these threads together into three broad phases of practice that a person might ideally progress through: phase 1 (cultivation of sati, appreciation of utu-, bīja- and citta-niyāma, and stage I of the path); phase 2 (cultivation of appamada, appreciation of kamma-niyāma, and stage II of the path); and phase 3 (cultivation of sampajañña, appreciation of dhamma-niyāma, and stages III, IV and V of the path).

2014

Lomas, T., Cartwright, T., Edginton, T., & Ridge, D. (2014). Engagement with meditation as a positive health trajectory: Divergent narratives of progress in male meditators. Psychology and Health, 29(2), 218-236.

Objective: Studying personal narratives can generate understanding of how people experience physical and mental illness. However, few studies have explored narratives of engagement in health positive behaviours, with none focusing on men specifically. Thus, we sought to examine men’s experiences of their efforts to engage in and maintain healthy behaviours, focusing on meditation as an example of such behaviour. Design: We recruited 30 male meditators, using principles of maximum variation sampling, and conducted two in-depth interviews with each, separated by a year. Main outcome measures: We sought to elicit men’s narratives of their experiences of trying to maintain a meditation practice. Results: We identified an overall theme of a ‘positive health trajectory,’ in particular, making ‘progress’ through meditation. Under this were six main accounts. Only two articulated a ‘positive’ message about progress: climbing a hierarchy of practitioners, and progress catalysed in other areas of life. The other four reflected the difficulties around progress: progress being undermined by illness; disappointment with progress; progress ‘forgotten’ (superseded by other concerns); and progress re-conceptualised due to other priorities. Conclusion: Men’s narratives reveal the way they experience and construct their engagement with meditation – as an example of health behaviour – in terms of progress.

Lomas, T., Edginton, T., Cartwright, T., & Ridge, D. (2014). Men developing emotional intelligence through meditation? Combining narrative, cognitive, and EEG findings. Psychology of Men and Masculinity, 15(2), 213-224.

Abstract: Traditional masculine norms around emotions (e.g., inexpressiveness) can mean men have difficulties managing their emotions, contributing to potential mental health problems. However, it is recognized that men and masculinities are diverse, and that some men can positively self-manage their mental health, although this has received little attention in the literature. Uniquely, we sought to find men who had discovered ways to engage constructively with their emotions, in this case through meditation. Thirty male meditators, recruited using a maximum variation sampling strategy, participated in a longitudinal mixed-method study in the UK. Participants undertook two cognitive neuroscience sessions – approximately one year apart – comprising cognitive assessments of attention, in combination with EEG measurement during task performance and meditation. In-depth narrative interviews exploring men’s experiences of meditation were also conducted at both time-points, analyzed using a modified constant comparison approach. Taken together, the quantitative and qualitative results suggested men developed attention skills through meditation, although there were variations according to previous meditation experience (e.g., a sharper longitudinal increase in theta amplitude under meditation for novice practitioners). Moreover, development of attention appeared to enhance men’s emotional intelligence, which in turn could be conducive to wellbeing. The paper has implications for psychologists working with men, pointing to the potential for teaching men about better regulating their emotions for improved wellbeing.

Lomas, T., Cartwright, T., Edginton, T., & Ridge, D. (2014). A religion of wellbeing?: The appeal of Buddhism to men in London, UK. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 6(3), 198-207.

Against a backdrop of increasing secularization, the number of Buddhists in Britain continues to rise (Office for National Statistics, 2012). However, few studies have explored the reasons people are drawn towards Buddhism, with none focusing on men specifically. Uniquely, we conducted in-depth narrative interviews with 30 male meditators in London, UK, to explore the appeal Buddhism held for them. Buddhism was portrayed as a nexus of ideas and practices which improved men’s lives. Analyzed through the prism of a multidimensional biopsychosocial model of wellbeing, Buddhism appeared to have the potential to promote wellbeing in biological terms (e.g., health behaviors), psychological terms (e.g., generating subjective wellbeing), and social terms (e.g., offering a supportive social network). From a gendered perspective, Buddhism offered men the opportunity to rework their masculine identity in ways that enhanced their wellbeing. This was a complex development, in which traditional masculine norms were upheld (e.g., Buddhism was constructed as a ‘rational’ framework of ideas/practices), yet also challenged (e.g., norms around alcohol abstinence). Our study offers new insights into the hazards and the attractions – particularly for men – of engaging with Buddhism.

Brani, O., Hefferon, K., Lomas, T., Ivtzan, I., & Painter, J. (2014). The impact of body awareness on subjective wellbeing: The role of mindfulness. International Journal of Body Psychotherapy, 13(1), 94-107.

Positive psychology has been criticized for the lack of research on the role of the body in wellbeing. As the research into the many variables that influence subjective wellbeing (SWB) continues, the important role of body awareness (BA) on SWB has been neglected. It was hypothesised that there would be a significant predictive relationship between BA and SWB, and moreover that this relationship would be moderated by mindfulness. One hundred and nineteen participants from the general population completed relevant self-report scales through an online survey. BA had a positive relationship with SWB, but this relationship was not moderated by mindfulness. These findings have implications for positive psychology that reinforce the argument for more body-based interventions and overall embodiment within the discipline.

Halonan, S., & Lomas, T. (2014). A passionate way of being: A qualitative study revealing the passion spiral. International Journal of Psychological Research, 7(2).

Being engaged in an activity one is passionate about has been tied to feeling life is worth living for. Existing research in passion has explored this phenomenon purely using quantitative research methodology, and by tying an individual’s passion to a specific activity. In this study, passion was explored in semi-structured interviews with 12 participants. The qualitative grounded theory analysis revealed a passionate way of being, with passion being located in the individual rather than in a specific activity. A new phenomenon to positive psychology, a passionate way of being is about having a purpose, creating positive impact, and pursuing variety. These key elements, amongst others, created a reinforcing, self-sustaining spiral, which offered a route to hedonic and eudaimonic happiness, generally serving to enhance life (though it could also detract from life if it became overpowering).

Surana, P. K., & Lomas, T. (2014). The power of charity: Does giving away money improve the wellbeing of the donor? Indian Journal of Positive Psychology, 5(3), 223-230.

Although money is central to people’s lives, the impact of people’s attitudes to money on their well-being has rarely been studied. The present study explored the effect of giving away money on an individual’s life satisfaction, self-esteem and money-related attitudes (anxiety, distrust, power-prestige and retention time). An innovative intervention was designed in which participants were invited to either give away money (the experimental condition) or spend money on themselves as usual (the control condition) for three days. The impact of the intervention was assessed using a mixed methods design, comprising pre- and post- quantitative self-report scales (life satisfaction, self-esteem and money-related attitudes) together with qualitative diary reports (analysed using grounded theory). As hypothesized, participation in the intervention led to significant increases in wellbeing in the experimental group, including improvements in life satisfaction and self-esteem. In addition, while the control group experienced higher post-test levels of money-related anxiety, the experimental group suffered no such increases. The results provide corroboration for the powerful idea that charity does not only benefit the recipient, but positively impacts upon the donor too.

2013

Lomas, T. (2013). Critical positive masculinity. Masculinties and Social Change, 2(2), 167-193.

Although theorists like Connell (1 995) have emphasised diversity in men and masculinities, there remains a tendency to present masculinity in singular terms as an assemblage of toxic traits, constructing men as ‘damaged and damage doing’ (Mac an Ghaill & Haywood, 201 2). However, an emergent body of work suggests men are able to resist or define traditional norms to negotiate a more ‘positive’ construction of masculinity, e.g., conducive to health. Thus the present article makes the case for introducing a new perspective within the study ofmen and masculinities: Critical Positive Masculinity. Influenced by the field of positive psychology, this perspective draws together work showing the potential for men to find more constructive ways of doing masculinity, including a series of articles on men adopting new masculine practices through involvement with meditation. However, drawing on the Critical Studies on Men approach, the new perspective still seeks to problematize men and gendered power relations, as even ostensibly ‘positive’ forms of masculinity can have deleterious consequences for marginalised groups. Critical positive masculinity offers a fresh perspective that is neither fatalistically negative nor naively optimistic about the possibility for positive change in men.

Lomas, T., Cartwright, T., Edginton, T., & Ridge, D. (2013). ‘I was so done in that I just recognized it very plainly, “You need to do something”’: Men’s narratives of struggle, distress and turning to meditation. Health:, 17(2), 191-208.

Abstract: Traditional masculinities can mean men are unable or unwilling to deal constructivelywith distress. However, researchers increasingly acknowledge that men and masculinities(including hegemonic styles) are diverse. Moreover, men can positively manage theirwell-being, although little research explores how they do so. Uniquely, our study soughtto find men who report finding ways to care for themselves to examine narratives abouthow such self-care originated. We aimed to do this by exploring issues underpinningmen’s journeys towards meditation, focusing on implications for well-being. In-depthinterviews were conducted in 2009 with 30 meditators, selected using principles ofmaximum variation sampling, and analysed with a modified ‘constant comparison’approach. Men’s journeys towards meditation were fraught with difficulties. Mendescribed crossing a threshold from boyhood into ‘manhood’ where they encounteredtraditional forms of masculinity (e.g. stoicism), and most described subsequent strategiesto disconnect from emotions. While men eventually found ways to engage moreconstructively with their emotions and well-being, this article explores the struggle anddistress of their journeys.

2012

Lomas, T. (2012). Journeys Towards Wellbeing: Men, Meditation and Mental Health. (PhD), London: University of Westminster.

Abstract: There is a prominent discourse in academic literature, and society at large, that presents men as ‘damaged and damage doing’ (Mac an Ghaill and Haywood, 2012: 483). Incorporated within this idea is the notion that ‘masculinity’ itself is problematic and represents a ‘risk factor’ for health (Gough, 2006). For example, traditional masculine norms, like ‘toughness,’ have been linked to poor emotional management skills in men, which in turn are implicated in mental health problems (Aldao et al., 2010). However, it is increasingly acknowledged that there is diversity within and across men and masculinities, and that men are capable of positively managing their well-being, although little research exists exploring how they do so. To address this deficit, this study sought to find men – meditators – who were likely to have found ways to positively manage well-being to examine factors relating to this engagement.

Meditation was selected as it is associated with positive outcomes on a range of mental health indicators (Mars and Abbey, 2010). Thirty male meditators, mainly from one organisation in London, were selected using principles of maximum variation sampling. The study employed a longitudinal mixed methods design, including in-depth narrative interviews analysed using a modified constant comparison approach (Strauss and Corbin, 1998), and also a cognitive-neuroscience component, involving EEG measurement across a battery of cognitive tasks and a meditation sitting. All participants were interviewed and tested twice,1 a year apart, between 2009 and 2010.Drawing on various theories, including Connell's (1995) notion of hegemonic (i.e. dominant) masculinity, and Mayer and Salovey's (1997) model of emotional intelligence, the analysis explored themes relating to men’s involvement with meditation, including how engagement came about, and its impact upon well-being.

The findings suggested that men negotiated difficult journeys towards meditation: for example, they came up against traditional and other hegemonic forms of masculinity, and most described subsequent strategies to be emotionally tough and/or disconnect from difficult emotions. Meditation itself was linked to well-being in various ways, notably through the cultivation of emotional intelligence via the development of attention – this was indicated by emergent themes in the qualitative analysis, and results from the cognitive neuroscience component.Overall, the analysis was unusual in exploring masculinities and meditation, as well as the wider social context of practice, and how the social dimensions of meditation also impacted upon well-being. For example, many men meditated within a ‘community of practice’ (Lave and Wenger, 1991), which influenced their behaviour, e.g. reducing alcohol use. The findings also highlighted various problems linked to meditation that have received less attention in the literature, including mental health disorders, and ostracism from peers. In summary, the study discusses implications for helping men to better manage their well-being.

Paper publications by date

Schimschal, S. E., & Lomas, T. (2018). Gritty leaders: The impact of grit on positive leadership capacity. Psychological Reports. doi: 10.1177/0033294118785547

Lomas, T. (2017). The spectrum of positive affect: A cross-cultural lexical analysis. International Journal of Wellbeing, 7(3), 1-18. doi: 10.5502/ijw.v7i3.608

​​

​