Paul Dolan
Professor of Behavioural Science at the LSE, and author of two bestselling books on happiness
Developing measures of subjective wellbeing and applying behavioural science in practice
Over the past three decades, Paul’s research in health economics and behavioural science has focussed on an array of issues, including valuing health states, equity in health, valuing safety, the impacts of COVID-19, social mobility, the theory and practice of nudging, and the use of financial incentives. The glue that has held this all together is developing tools to better capture the richness of the human condition for the purposes of individual, corporate and policy decisions.
Paul’s research has had significant impact. He is author of ‘Mindspace: Influencing behaviour through public policy’ published by The Institute for Government in March 2010 and he wrote the questions that are used by the ONS in the UK to monitor national wellbeing.
Get Happier
We would all like to be a bit happier, but sometimes we make mistakes about what will and will not make us feel better. In this free podcast series, Paul seeks to summarise what the science of happiness tells us about how to be happy in 10 episodes, each of around 10 minutes. Each letter of the words Get Happier is the first letter of the title of each episode. This is a not self-help series: this is a guide through the evidence on the causes and consequences of happiness that will help you navigate your own way towards being happier.
Brought to you with the support of the LSE.
Crystal: Paul’s new Substack
The science behind happiness, Paul’s new Substack, will teach you the science behind happiness, and help you redesign your personal and working life to be happier.
In his latest book, Paul draws on a variety of studies covering issues such as wellbeing, inequality and discrimination to bust the common myths about our sources of happiness. He shows that there can be many unexpected paths to lasting fulfilment. Some of these might involve not going into higher education, choosing not to marry, rewarding acts rooted in self-interest and caring a little less about living for ever.
By freeing ourselves from the myth of the perfect life, we might each find a life worth living.
How can we make it easier to be happy?
In his first book, Paul reveals that wellbeing isn't about how we think - it's about what we do. By making deliberate choices that bring us both pleasure and meaning, we can redesign our lives for maximum happiness - without thinking too hard about it.
Join my online course
In my new ExpertTrack with FutureLearn, you’ll learn how we do not always make the best decisions, how environment and context can play heavily into our decisions, and how we often don’t even make the same decision twice. The course runs over 3 modules, and you can take it at your own pace (and there is a free 7 day trial).