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This chapter addresses the issue of whether the term well-being, particularly the phrase subjective well-being, can be used as an indicator of quality, and quality-of-life. It examines both the way language is used and the cognitive basis of these expressions. Based on the assumption that subjective well-being (SWB), in particular, is a form of emotional expression, the chapter examines whether the phrase is a discrete emotion, a product of cognitive-emotional processes, or cognitive-emotional regulation. It ends with a discussion of how subjective well-being can be modeled. Neurobiological, nonlinear, and simulated embodiment models are considered. The chapter concludes that SWB and quality and quality-of-life, while overlapping concepts, are best keep distinct, since to use them interchangeably dilutes the unique meaning of each. For this reason it is not recommended to consider SWB, in and of its self, as an indicator of quality-of-life or health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL).

DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4419-9819-4_11

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