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Mapping Wellbeing: Exploring Lay Concepts of Wellbeing and How They Compare With Positive Psychology Approaches. A Mixed Methods Study of New Zealand Adults.

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Thesis(5.7 MB)

Date

2025

Authors

Supervisor

Du Preez, Elizabeth
Oades, Lindsay G

Item type

Thesis

Degree name

Doctor of Philosophy

Journal Title

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Volume Title

Publisher

Auckland University of Technology

Abstract

The literature from the science of Positive Psychology (PP), while expanding rapidly, often overlooks insights from the lived experiences of laypeople that are critical for developing a comprehensive understanding of wellbeing (Hone et al., 2014; Joshanloo, 2019; Kim et al., 2018). Recent movements in PP advocate for diversity beyond mainstream Western populations and methodological rigidity, and urge a holistic approach that considers both positive and negative aspects of life (Henrich, 2020; Kashdan & Biswas-Diener, 2015; Lomas et al., 2021a; Lomas & Ivtzan, 2016). Bridging the gaps between lay and academic perspectives is essential for advancing wellbeing knowledge and developing evidence-based theory, measurement, and intervention that will enhance individual and societal wellbeing. This exploratory-descriptive, embedded mixed methods (Core QUAL + quan) (Morse, 2017) study addresses these gaps by collecting lay concepts of wellbeing and comparing them to established PP approaches. New Zealand adults (N = 1064) responded to an anonymous online survey and a sub-sample of 476 responses underwent inductive, reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2022a) and inferential and descriptive statistical analysis. The findings reveal that laypeople perceive wellbeing as a multifaceted construct influenced by individual context, with components and mechanisms that overlap with and expand upon established PP approaches. From this analysis, the Model of Elemental Wellbeing (MEW) was developed, identifying four core ‘elements’ (Inner self, Material stability, Health and Connection) and three ‘golden threads’ (Balance, Active pursuit, and Freedom). Demographic and wellbeing measures analysed across the sample underscored the universality of these novel insights. The cultural context of New Zealand provided a unique lens through which to capture Indigenous Te Ao Māori and Western knowledge, resulting in a model that embraces dimensions across mind, body, place, time, subjective and objective facets, establishing its potential relevance across diverse populations and contexts. This research offers nine contributions to the wellbeing science literature, informed by a multifaceted perspective of the lived experience of wellbeing and resulting in a novel model of wellbeing. The model is hybrid, dialectical, situated, and normative, and offers insights for understanding and promoting wellbeing at an individual and societal level.

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Keywords

Lay concepts, wellbeing science, hybrid wellbeing model, second and third wave Positive Psychology, mixed methods, Core QUAL + quan, inductive, Reflexive Thematic Analysis, Exploratory-Descriptive.

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Permanent link

http://hdl.handle.net/10292/18815

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Doctoral Theses