Sam joined UEL as senior lecturer in 2009. His main interests include wellbeing and quality of life, applications of psychological research to public policy, social indicators and associated measurement issues, and the psychology of pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours.

In addition to his post at UEL, Sam is senior research fellow at the University of Liverpool’s Health Inequalities Research Institute. Previously he worked at nef (the new economics foundation), an independent think-tank, where he co-authored the award-winning Happy Planet Index. He has worked on numerous projects with national and local government, the NHS, business and third sector organisations to explore how policy and practice could be different if promoting psychological wellbeing was a central goal.

Sam studied at Cambridge and Sheffield Universities and holds a PhD in psychology from the University of London.

• MSc in Applied Positive Psychology

• Module leader for PYM703: Applications of Positive Psychology (MAPP)

Peer-reviewed Journal Articles

1. Abdallah, S., Thompson, S., & Marks, N. (2008). Estimating worldwide life satisfaction. Ecological Economics, 65, 35–47. doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2007.11.009

Book Chapters

1. Thompson, S. (in press). Can happiness save the world? In I. Boniwell & S. David (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of happiness. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Conference Papers

1. Abdallah, S., & Thompson, S. (2008, 18–19 April). Psychological barriers to de-growth: values mediate the relationship between well-being and income. Paper presented at the 1st International Conference on Economic De-Growth for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity, Paris.

Poster Sessions

1. Abdallah, S., & Thompson, S. (2010, 26–29 March). Differential relations between income and aspects of well-being. Poster session presented at the 2nd International Conference on Economic De-Growth for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity, Barcelona.

Reports

1. Thompson, S., Michaelson, J., Abdallah, S., Johnson, V., Morris, D., Riley, K., et al. (2010). Moments of change as opportunities for influencing behaviour. Sustainable Behaviours Unit, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
2. Abdallah, S., Thompson, S., Michaelson, J., Marks, N., & Steuer, N. (2009). The (un)happy planet index 2.0: why good lives don’t have to cost the Earth. London: nef.
3. Michaelson, J., Abdallah, S., Steuer, N., Thompson, S., & Marks, N. (2009). National accounts of well-being: bringing real wealth onto the balance sheet. London: nef.
4. Thompson, S. (2009). The experience of community well-being and resilience: an exploratory investigation. The National Community Forum.
5. Aked, J., Marks, N., Cordon, C., & Thompson, S. (2008). Five ways to well-being: the evidence. The Foresight Project on Mental Capital and Well-being, Government Office for Science.
6. Thompson, S., & Marks, N. (2008). Measuring well-being in policy: issues and applications. The Foresight Project on Mental Capital and Well-being, Government Office for Science.

Peer-reviewed Journal Articles

1. Wylie, A., & Thompson, S. (2007). Establishing health promotion within the modern medical curriculum: a case study. Medical Teacher, 29, 766–771. doi:10.1080/01421590701477407
2. Thompson, S. (2007). Determinants of listeners’ enjoyment of a performance. Psychology of Music, 35, 20–36. doi:10.1177/0305735607068886
3. Thompson, S., Williamon, A., & Valentine, E. (2007). Time-dependent characteristics of performance evaluation. Music Perception, 25, 13–29. doi:10.1525/mp.2007.25.1.13
4. Thompson, S. (2006). Audience responses to a live orchestral concert. Musicae Scientiae, 10, 215–244.
5. Williamon, A., & Thompson, S. (2006). Awareness and incidence of health problems among conservatoire students. Psychology of Music, 34, 411–430. doi:10.1177/0305735606067150
6. Thompson, S., & Williamon, A. (2003). Evaluating evaluation: musical performance assessment as a research tool. Music Perception, 21, 21–41. doi:10.1525/mp.2003.21.1.21

Non-peer-reviewed Journal Articles

1. Thompson, S. (2006). The science of well-being. Mental Health Promotion Update (newsletter of the National Institute for Mental Health in England).
2. Thompson, S., & Marks, N. (2006). Towards a flourishing society: economics, politics and well-being. Journal of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health, 126, 260–261. doi:10.1177/146642400612600611

Book Chapters

1. Marks, N., & Thompson, S. (2006). Well-being, culture and policy. In A. Gilmore (Ed.), Culture and health: building the evidence. Manchester: Northwest Culture Observatory.
2. Williamon, A., Thompson, S., Lisboa, T., & Wiffen, C. (2006). Creativity, originality, and value in music performance. In I. Deliège & G. Wiggins (Eds.), Musical creativity: multidisciplinary research in theory and practice. Hove: Psychology Press.
3. Thompson, S., & Lehmann, A.C. (2004). Strategies for sight-reading and improvising music. In A. Williamon (Ed.), Musical Excellence. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
4. Williamon, A., & Thompson, S. (2004). Psychology and the music practitioner. In J.W. Davidson (Ed.), The music practitioner: research for the music performer, researcher and listener. Farnham, UK: Ashgate.

Reports

1. Steuer, N., Marks, N., & Thompson, S. (2007). Measuring well-being at the local level. The Audit Commission.
2. Steuer, N., Thompson, S., & Marks, N. (2007). Review of the environmental dimension of children and young people’s well-being. The Sustainable Development Commission.
3. Thompson, S., Abdallah, S., Marks, N., Simms, A., & Johnson, V. (2007). The European (un)Happy Planet Index: an index of well-being and carbon efficiency in the EU. London: nef.
4. Marks, N., Abdallah, S., Simms, A., & Thompson, S. (2006). The (un)Happy Planet Index: an index of human well-being and environmental impact. London: nef.
5. Marks, N., Thompson, S., Eckersley, R., Jackson, T., & Kasser, T. (2006). Sustainable development and well-being: relationships, challenges and policy implications. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

• Honorary Research Associate, Royal College of Music
• Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts
• Member of the British Psychological Society