Experienced well-being and compliance behaviour: new applications of Quality of Life theories, using AI and real-time data

Stephanié Rossouw and Talita Greyling

No 1612, GLO Discussion Paper Series from Global Labor Organization (GLO)

Abstract: The study of well-being has evolved significantly over the past three decades, reflecting both theoretical advancements and real-world applications across diverse populations, domains, and times. One of the most pressing issues in contemporary well-being research is the intersection between experienced well-being measures and societal compliance, especially in times of uncertainty. Effective crisis response depends not only on well-designed policies but also on how populations emotionally interpret uncertainty and respond behaviourally. This paper introduces a framework in which experienced well-being indicators are repositioned as behavioural inputs that shape compliance with public health interventions. Drawing on interdisciplinary theories, we argue that emotional readiness plays a critical role in driving prosocial behaviour during times of crisis. Using a cross-national dataset and applying XGBoost and SHAP, we examine how dynamic, within-country features, both structural and subjective, predict compliance with COVID-19 vaccination policy. Results show that general trust and happiness are among the strongest predictors of compliance, often rivalling or exceeding traditional factors like GDP per capita or healthcare spending. Our findings show experienced well-being indicators not only predict compliance within countries but also have cross-national relevance, providing a foundation for more psychologically informed policy design. We propose that policymakers integrate these emotional indicators into crisis response systems to improve behavioural effectiveness and public cooperation.

Keywords: Compliance; global crisis; experienced well-being; emotions; XGBoost; SHAP (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C55 H12 I12 I18 Z13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hap and nep-hea
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:zbw:glodps:1612

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