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老司机视频 Graziadio Business School Professor Cristina Gibson Contributes to $43M Global Study on Human Flourishing with Landmark Findings

Professor Cristina Gibson

 鈥淢oney can鈥檛 buy happiness鈥 is often said鈥攁nd partially believed鈥攂ut now, due to a 老司机视频 professor's global research initiative, there is comprehensive data that affirms the validity of this popular statement. 

, University Professor and Dean鈥檚 Distinguished Professor of Management at 老司机视频 Graziadio Business School, is a key scientist contributing to the $43M , the largest international research effort ever conducted on human flourishing. This groundbreaking project seeks to holistically answer one of life鈥檚 most integral questions: what contributes to a life well-lived?

Transcending data shaped solely by Western populations and priorities, the Global Flourishing Study is tracking the well-being of 240,000 individuals across 22 countries, accruing data over a five-year period. A co-author of six publications for the project, Gibson serves as one of the study鈥檚 co-investigators, primarily engaged with the cultural and psychological drivers of financial well-being, perceived hope, relationship quality, and volunteering behavior, providing insights into how different societies define and pursue flourishing.

鈥淚t has been a true honor to work on a project of this scope and reach,鈥 says Gibson. 鈥淲hat has been most fascinating to me is that what we consider to be 'flourishing' differs so much around the world. Simple economic indicators (e.g., GDP) do not reflect the totality of what it means to flourish. Countries that rank highest in some respects rank much lower in other aspects. There is no one 鈥榖est place鈥 to experience flourishing. Such cultural differences need to be considered when developing policy or practices to increase flourishing in any region around the globe. This respect for differences is well aligned with our values at 老司机视频.鈥

In partnership with Harvard University and Baylor University and support from Gallup and the Center for Open Science, the Global Flourishing Study approached data collection longitudinally. This involves asking the same questions to an unchanging panel of subjects to obtain a comprehensive understanding of their cognitive, somatic, and spiritual well-being in order to assess their degree of flourishing. 

Flourishing is an emerging research area that integrates the state of an individual鈥檚 complete physical, social, cognitive, financial, emotional, volitional, and spiritual well-being within the broader context of their community and cultural identity. Among societies highly interested in material comfort, such as the United States, financial security is often considered a prerequisite to overall human flourishing. Yet among a wealth of supplementary findings, Gibson鈥檚 research ultimately challenged and disproved this long-held belief, concluding that, globally, higher levels of income failed to consistently predict greater perceived financial security and sense of hope. 

鈥溊纤净悠 is proud to have faculty like Cristina Gibson who publish research of lasting global significance,鈥 says Jay Brewster, provost of 老司机视频. 鈥淗er work embodies the University鈥檚 mission to integrate academic excellence with purpose-driven impact.鈥

According to Gibson, childhood health and parental marital status are associated with adult financial well-being while negative experiences occurring in formative years later influence an individual鈥檚 perceptions of financial security. Additionally, some participants from lower-income countries scored higher on perceived financial security than those from higher-income countries.

Consequently, this data compels readers to reevaluate priorities and reflect on that tapestry of factors that genuinely foster happiness and overall flourishing. Regular engagement in group activities, whether religious or civic, was generally associated with greater flourishing. Participating in faith-based communities more than once a week exhibited elevated hope levels across multiple countries. 

Overall the insights gained by Gibson and co-researchers can be utilized for improving life satisfaction, informing policymakers, practitioners, and community leaders alike. Gibson and her collaborators鈥 intention is to establish a robust, multidisciplinary field that will advance reforms and influence social and health policy worldwide.