A theoretical model of psychological well-being that encompasses 6 distinct dimensions of wellness (Autonomy, Environmental Mastery, Personal Growth, Positive Relations With Others, Purpose in Life, Self-Acceptance) was tested with data from a nationally representative sample of adults (N = 1,108), aged 25 and older, who participated in telephone interviews. Confirmatory factor analyses provided support for the proposed 6-factor model, with a single second-order super factor. The model was superior in fit over single-factor and other artifactual models. Age and sex differences on the various well-being dimensions replicated prior findings. Comparisons with other frequently used indicators (positive and negative affect, life satisfaction) demonstrated that the latter neglect key aspects of positive functioning emphasized in theories of health and well-being.

For more than 20 years, the study of psychological well-being has been guided by two primary conceptions of positive functioning. One formulation, traceable to Bradburn's (1969) seminal work, distinguished between positive and negative affect and defined happiness as the balance between the two. Conceptual and methodological refinements built on this early operationalization of well-being. For example, the postulated independence of positive and negative affect was challenged and linked with the failure to distinguish between the intensity and the frequency of affect (Diener, Larsen, Levine, & Emmons, 1985). Frequency of positive and negative affect tends to correlate negatively, whereas intensity correlations are generally positive. These conflicting relations were said to suppress the association between positive and negative affect, thereby creating an illusion that the components are independent. Of the two, frequency has been promoted as the better indicator of well-being because it can be better measured and is more strongly related to long-term emotional well-being than intensity is (Diener & Larsen, 1993; Diener, Sandvik, & Pavot, 1991). Other initiatives have focused on measurement issues, calling for more valid and reliable indicators of positive and negative affect (Watson, Clark, & Tellegen, 1988) and...