Jinrui Liu

• Liu, Jinrui; Vittersø, Joar; Teulings, Irene Johanna Elisabeth; Nes, Ragnhild Bang; Mayerhofer, Lilian Juliane Kozlowski & Røysamb, Espen (2026). Jingle all the way? Pleasant and energized positive affect show differential longitudinal relationships with life satisfaction and personality. Journal of Positive Psychology. ISSN 1743-9760. doi: 10.1080/17439760.2026.2701098. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Positive affect (PA) is operationalized differently across studies, leaving open whether distinct conceptualizations relate to subjective wellbeing (SWB) similarly over time. Although mainstream wellbeing theory treats PA and life satisfaction (LS) as components of a latent SWB factor, empirical findings on their causal relations remain inconsistent. This study examined whether pleasant versus energized PA show comparable longitudinal associations with LS using random-intercept cross-lagged panel models across nine waves from two national longitudinal datasets, PAIRFAM (N = 12,520) and LISS (N = 17,532). Both PA types showed consistent bidirectional associations with LS, but relationships were stronger for pleasant PA. Cross-lagged effects and time-specific residual correlations were approximately twice as large compared to energized PA. Pleasant and energized PA also differed in their associations with extraversion and neuroticism. These findings suggest that PA indicator choice affects SWB measure validity, with implications for positive psychology interventions targeting SWB.

• Liu, Jinrui; Nes, Ragnhild Bang; Vittersø, Joar; Teulings, Irene Johanna Elisabeth & Røysamb, Espen (2026). Positively Negative: Why Negative Affect is Linked to Higher Wellbeing. Journal of Happiness Studies. ISSN 1389-4978. 27(5). doi: 10.1007/s10902-026-01040-4. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Many researchers oppose the hedonic idea that wellbeing can be reduced to the maximization of positive affect (PA) and the minimization of negative affect (NA). However, few studies have investigated alternative optimal levels of affects other than maximized PA and minimized NA. This paper examines ideal levels of PA and NA, and their alignment as an alternative approach to wellbeing. Study 1 investigates people’s ideal levels of affects. In a randomized forced-choice experiment (N = 352, U.S.-based), most participants rejected a life without NA and idealized experiencing 10-13% NA and 66-80% PA across experimental conditions and two selfreported measures. Study 2 (N = 638, international sample) examines whether life satisfaction corresponds more closely to affective alignment than to affective maximization. Using piecewise regression, we found that PA was consistently and positively associated with life satisfaction. Lower NA was associated with higher life satisfaction only among those experiencing more NA than desired. For those already below their ideal NA level, further reduction was no longer related to life satisfaction. Crucially, participants whose experienced and ideal affects were aligned reported the highest life satisfaction, instead of the group with highest hedonic experience. Overall, our findings suggest that individuals feel most satisfied when their experience aligns with their ideal, rather than when maximizing hedonic experience. Furthermore, the alignment is more linked to life satisfaction than to wisdom or personal growth. All in all, maximizing PA and minimizing NA are neither desired nor associated with the highest life satisfaction.

• Teulings, Irene Johanna Elisabeth; Deserno, Marie K.; Liu, Jinrui; Nes, Ragnhild Bang; Røysamb, Espen & Vittersø, Joar [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2026). Beyond the borders of wellbeing: network analyses reveal the fuzzy boundaries between wellbeing domains. Journal of Positive Psychology. ISSN 1743-9760. doi: 10.1080/17439760.2026.2651077. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Understanding what constitutes a good life is central to psychological research, yet wellbeing models remain contested with respect to their structure and borders. We employ a network approach to investigate how wellbeing dimensions interrelate and whether they form distinct or overlapping constructs. Using a large, population-based sample from the European Social Survey (N = 45,122; 29 countries), we identified strong links between a broad range of wellbeing indicators across different theoretical domains. Community detection revealed six empirical clusters that partially align with existing distinctions (e.g. hedonic versus eudaimonic wellbeing). However, we also identified 11 indicators belonging to multiple clusters, demonstrating the fuzzy boundaries between wellbeing domains. These results highlight the need for integrative frameworks that better capture the interconnected nature of wellbeing. Our findings encourage more granular analyses and underscore the need for comprehensive measurement tools to advance wellbeing research, inform policy, and guide public health efforts.

• Tamnes, Christian K.; Bekkhus, Mona; Eilertsen, Maja; Nes, Ragnhild Bang; Prydz, Monica Beer & Ystrom, Eivind [Show all 63 contributors for this article] (2025). The nature of the relation between mental well-being and ill-being. Nature Human Behaviour. 9(12), p. 2431–2440. doi: 10.1038/s41562-025-02319-x. Full text in Research Archive

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• Teulings, Irene Johanna Elisabeth; Bjørndal, Ludvig Daae; Liu, Jinrui; Nes, Ragnhild Bang; Røysamb, Espen & Vittersø, Joar (2026). Being Good, Feeling Good? Daily Links Between Moral and Prosocial Values, Value-Fulfillment, and Wellbeing. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Are moral and prosocial people also happier in everyday life? Existing research is mixed: endorsing prosocial values is often linked to higher well-being, yet acting to help others can entail personal costs in the moment. One reason may be that most studies examine values rather than daily value-consistent behaviour, and rarely distinguish between momentary and longer-term well-being. We address these gaps using ecological momentary assessment data from more than 10,000 adults (120 beeps in total per person). At baseline, participants reported their moral and prosocial values. During the assessment period, they received four prompts per day asking whether they had (a) acted like a good, moral person and (b) taken care of or helped someone, alongside a broad set of well-being indicators (e.g., positive emotions, negative emotions, life satisfaction, meaning, social well-being, engagement). This design allows us to quantify the extent to which people behave in line with their values across days, and to link both values and daily behaviour as well as value–behaviour congruence to momentary and long-term well-being. Ongoing analyses will clarify when, and for whom, “being good” is associated with “feeling good”.

• Kvarberg, Paal Fredrik Skjørten & Liu, Jinrui (2025). Necessary Conditions in Lay Attributions of Well-being. Full text in Research Archive
• Liu, Jinrui; Nes, Ragnhild Bang; Vittersø, Joar; Teulings, Irene Johanna Elisabeth & Røysamb, Espen (2025). How Good is Feeling Good? Full text in Research Archive
• Teulings, Irene Johanna Elisabeth; Bjørndal, Ludvig Daae; Liu, Jinrui; Nes, Ragnhild Bang; Røysamb, Espen & Vittersø, Joar (2024). Beyond the Borders of Wellbeing Towards The Good Life Network. Full text in Research Archive
• Teulings, Irene Johanna Elisabeth; Bjørndal, Ludvig Daae; Liu, Jinrui; Nes, Ragnhild Bang; Røysamb, Espen & Vittersø, Joar (2024). Beyond the Borders of Wellbeing Towards The Good Life Network. Full text in Research Archive
• Liu, Jinrui; Nes, Ragnhild Bang; Vittersø, Joar; Teulings, Irene Johanna Elisabeth & Røysamb, Espen (2024). We Value Negative Affect and Some is Good for Us! Full text in Research Archive
• Liu, Jinrui; Nes, Ragnhild Bang; Vittersø, Joar; Teulings, Irene Johanna Elisabeth & Røysamb, Espen (2024). We Value Negative Affect and Some is Good for Us. Full text in Research Archive
• Røysamb, Espen; Mayerhofer, Lilian; Bjørndal, Ludvig Daae; Liu, Jinrui; Teulings, Irene Johanna Elisabeth & Vittersø, Joar [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2024). The Happy Personality Revisited. Full text in Research Archive

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