The Personal Dimension: Psychological and Physical Thriving

This dimension asks what individuals need in order to flourish, in mind and in body, and how a community can support those needs.

Psychological needs: Self-Determination Theory

Evidence strength: strong. Decades of research in many settings.

Developed by Edward Deci and Richard Ryan, Self-Determination Theory proposes three basic psychological needs: autonomy (acting in line with one’s values), competence (feeling effective) and relatedness (feeling connected to others). Contexts that support these needs are associated with greater motivation and well-being, while contexts that thwart them are associated with the opposite.

For the project: these three needs are design criteria. Opt-in participation and a fluid Edge support autonomy. Roles based on skill and interest support competence. Connection with people who share the project’s purpose supports relatedness.

Flourishing: the PERMA model

Evidence strength: a widely used framework. Researchers still debate how distinct its five elements are.

Martin Seligman’s model describes five building blocks of flourishing: positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning and accomplishment. We use it as an organising checklist for what a good life includes, not as a fixed formula.

Physical thriving: movement, food, sleep and connection

Evidence strength: strong for each behaviour individually.

Large bodies of research link regular physical activity, a healthy diet, adequate sleep and strong social relationships with longer, healthier lives. The “Blue Zones” idea popularised these themes, but the longevity data behind it is disputed, so we rely on the evidence for each behaviour directly.

Sources

• Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68, [PDF]
• Seligman, M. (2011). Flourish. Free Press. Google Books
• World Health Organization (2020). Guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. WHO, [PDF]
• Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T. B., & Layton, J. B. (2010). Social relationships and mortality risk: a meta-analytic review. PLoS Medicine, 7(7). PLoS Medicine