A Biopsychosocial Model of Subjective Well-Being

For over 30 years, the concept of subjective well-being has been traditionally understood as consisting of two components: affect and cognition, typically conceptualized as life satisfaction.

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About the project

This project develops a comprehensive biopsychosocial model of subjective well-being that integrates affect, life satisfaction and harmony in life.

The research project is part of the International Network for Well-Being at University of Stavanger.

Contributors

  • Danilo Garcia (UiS, Principal Investigator)
  • Ali Al Nima (Promotion of Health and Innovation, PHI, Lab, Collaborator)
  • Kevin M. Cloninger (Anthropedia Foundation, USA, Collaborator)

An illustration of Biopsychosocial Model of Subjective Well-Being as a tridimensional construct
An illustration of Subjective Well-Being as a tridimensional construct consisting of positive affect and negative affect (Biological: affective dimension), life satisfaction (Psychological: cognitive dimension), and harmony in life (Social: behavioral dimension).

Background

For over 30 years, the concept of subjective well-being has been traditionally understood as consisting of two components: affect (the emotional component) and cognition (the evaluative component), typically conceptualized as life satisfaction. However, growing evidence suggests the need for a biopsychosocial model that also includes a social dimension—harmony in life. This project develops a comprehensive biopsychosocial model of subjective well-being that integrates affect (positive and negative emotions), life satisfaction (cognitive evaluations), and harmony in life (the social and behavioral dimension). Harmony reflects an individual’s ability to achieve balance and adapt in relation to life’s internal and external demands.

Aim

This project aims to validate a biopsychosocial model of subjective well-being, which addresses the dynamic interaction between physiological, psychological, and social factors in contributing to well-being. This model extends beyond traditional two-component frameworks to reflect the holistic complexity of human well-being.

Method

Various psychometric approaches, including Classical Test Theory and Item Response Theory, were used to evaluate the model’s validity. The Positive Affect Negative Affect Schedule, Satisfaction with Life Scale, and Harmony in Life Scale were administered to large samples. Statistical methods such as Bifactor Models, Multidimensional Item Response Theory, and Semantic Analysis were applied to explore the multidimensionality of subjective well-being.

Expected Results

The biopsychosocial model is expected to demonstrate a more robust predictive power for overall well-being compared to traditional models. By including harmony in life, the model will offer a deeper understanding of the role that social and behavioral factors play in subjective well-being, particularly within collectivist and balanced cultural frameworks.

Relevance

This research has the potential to redefine the measurement and conceptualization of well-being by incorporating social harmony as a critical component. It could inform future interventions, well-being policies, and strategies aimed at enhancing overall life satisfaction and mental health.

An illustration of some of the psychometric approaches used to evaluate the validity of a biopsychosocial structure of subjective well-being.
Some of the psychometric approaches used to evaluate the validity of a biopsychosocial structure of subjective well-being.

Publications Within the Project

Articles

  1. Garcia, D. (2024). The Big, the Dark, and the Biopsychosocial Shades of Harmony: Personality Traits and Harmony in Life. Behavioral Sciences, 14, 873. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14100873.
  2. Nima, A. A., Garcia, D., Sikström, S., &. Cloninger, K. M. (2024). The ABC of Happiness: Validation of a Tridimensional Model of Subjective Well-Being (Affect, Cognition, and Behavior) Using Bifactor Polytomous Multidimensional Item Response Theory. Heliyon, 10:e24386. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24386.
  3. Nima, A. A., Cloninger, K. M., Lucchese, F., Sikström, S., & Garcia, D. (2020). Validation of a General Subjective Well-Being Factor Using Classic Test Theory. PeerJ, 8:e9193. https://10.7717/peerj.9193.
  4. Nima, A. A., Cloninger, K. M., Persson, B. N., Sikström, S., & Garcia, D. (2020). Validation of Subjective Well-Being Measures using Item Response Theory. Frontiers in Psychology, 10: 3016. https://10.3389/fpsyg.2019.03036.
  5. Garcia, D., Nima, A. A., Granjard, A., & Cloninger, K. M. (2020). Bring Balance to the Force! A Biopsychosocial Model of Subjective Well-Being. International Journal of Person Centered Medicine, 10, 23-32.

Chapters

Garcia, D., Nima, A. A., Kjell, O. N. E., Granjard, A., & Sikström, S. (2020). The (Mis)measurement of Happiness: Words We Associate to Happiness (Semantic Memory) and Narratives of What Makes Us Happy (Episodic Memory). In S. Sikström & D. Garcia (Eds.), Statistical Semantics: Methods and Applications (pp. 165-189). Cham, Switzerland: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-37250-7_10.

Conferences

  1. Garcia, D. (2024). A Tridimensional Model of Subjective Well-Being: IRT, CTT, and MIRT. The Norwegian Psychometric Gathering, Stavanger, Norway.
  2. Nima, A. A., & Garcia, D. (2021). The Biopsychosocial Model of Subjective Well-Being: Validation using Bifactor Polytomous Multidimensional Item Response Theory. APS 2021 Virtual Convention.
  3. Nima, A. A., Cloninger, K. M., & Garcia, D. (2020). Att mäta subjektivt välbefinannde: en biopsykosocial modell [To Measure Subjective Well-Being: A Biopsychosocial Model]. Presented at FoU i Sverige - vad pågår? Stockholm, Sweden.
  4. Nima, A. A., Cloninger, K. M., Persson, B. N., Sikström, S., & Garcia, D. (2020). Testing the Internal Validity of a Biopsychosocial Model of Subjective Well-Being. 32nd Association for Psychological Science Annual Convention. Chicago, Illinois, USA.
  5. Nima, A. A., Cloninger, K. M., Persson, B. N., Sikström, S., & Garcia, D. (2020). Item Response Theory on Subjective Well-Being Measures. 32nd Association for Psychological Science Annual Convention. Chicago, Illinois, USA.
  6. Nima, A. A., Amato, C., Mihailovic, M., Harris, U., Kijima, N., & Garcia, D. (2019). Psychometric Properties of the Satisfaction with Life Scale among Psychiatric Patients in Sweden. 3rd Biennial International Convention of Psychological Science. Paris, France.