In this paper, I have aimed to clarify the role of happiness research in the measurement of
well-being. Happiness is notoriously elusive, yet has recently received a considerable amount of
attention in the study of well-being, as well as from the media and policymakers. Theorists are
divided in their interpretations of happiness findings. For example, some theorists interpret
the (contentious) finding that happiness does not correlate with income in the long term as an
indication that we should radically rethink the use of GDP in developing and assessing policy.
Other theorists interpret the same findings as an indication that there is more to life than happiness;