A proposed integrated happiness framework to achieve sustainable development

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Psychology
• Economics

Background:

• Growing global demand for national well-being indicators beyond Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
• Limitations of GDP as a sole measure of national progress and societal welfare.
• Need for integrated models encompassing economic and psychological well-being factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and test an integrated happiness framework for measuring national well-being beyond GDP.
• To incorporate economic indicators and subjective psychological factors, including inner strengths and environmental satisfaction.
• To integrate positive psychology approaches into happiness models.

Main Methods:

• Development of a novel integrated happiness framework.
• Empirical testing using survey data from Malaysia.
• Probability proportional to size sampling of 1,368 participants.

Main Results:

• Malaysians rated their inner strengths significantly higher than their external conditions.
• Evidence suggests a disconnect between individuals' cultivated virtues and their lived experiences.
• Inner strength emerged as a critical determinant of overall happiness.

Conclusions:

• The proposed integrated happiness framework offers a more comprehensive measure of national well-being than GDP alone.
• Inner strengths play a pivotal role in shaping individual happiness.
• Further research is needed to explore the cultivation of virtues and their impact on well-being in diverse populations.