THE GREATER GOOD SCIENCE CENTER

The Greater Good Science Center is an interdisciplinary research center devoted to the scientific understanding of happy and compassionate individuals, strong social bonds, and altruistic behavior. Under this umbrella we include play, mindfulness, flow, and service to others, as well as positive and prosocial emotions such as awe, joy, gratitude, hope, love, and compassion. All of these factors greatly affect human development throughout the life span. While serving the traditional tasks of an IHD center-fostering groundbreaking scientific discoveries-the GGSC is also committed to helping people apply scientific research to their lives.

The mission of the Greater Good Science Center is to promote the study and development of social well-being in the world. We pursue two main strategies to accomplish this:

Science

By studying the social and biological roots of positive emotions, we hope to foster well-being in society as a whole. Our research agenda engages scholars in multiple disciplines, including neuroscience, psychology, sociology, political science, economics, public policy, social welfare, public health, law, and organizational behavior.

Learn more about our Science Initiative and programs for scholars

Outreach

We promote social well-being by (1) translating and disseminating relevant scientific research by scholars both within and outside UC Berkeley and (2) providing the general public with research-based prescriptions for action. Our online magazine Greater Good, our parenting resource Half Full: Science for Raising Happy Children, and our public event series The Science of a Meaningful Life all offer practical, science-based strategies for fostering positive emotions, emotional literacy, and for promoting the greater good.

Go to Greater Good online

Go to Half Full: Science for Raising Happy Kids