Leveraging Integrative Analyses to Advance the Science of Happiness

Abstract

A recent review by Folk and Dunn (2023) in Nature Human Behaviour examinedevidence for commonly recommended strategies to increase happiness. They concluded that, contrary to popular portrayals, the empirical basis for many such strategies is weak as most supporting studies were neither preregistered nor adequately powered. The authors rightly call for more rigorous, confirmatory research—specifically large-scale, preregistered randomized controlled trials—to definitively establish the efficacy. However, while awaiting rigorous, large-scale studies, we need not dismiss existing research entirely. Valuable signals, which could inform future investigations, may remain despite study limitations. With careful application, quantitative synthesis methods, including meta-analysis (MA) and integrative data analysis (IDA), may yield insights from current imperfect studies. By integrating rigorous emerging evidence, we can build a more nuancedcumulative science of well-being.