Relevance and Contributions of the Study of Child Well-Being in Chile

Abstract

This edited transcript presents the inaugural lecture delivered by Dr. Jaime Alfaro at the opening of the 2025 academic year of the School of Psychology at UNIACC University. Drawing on a research trajectory focused on subjective well-being in childhood and adolescence, the lecture outlines a conceptual and empirical journey that addresses definitional tensions of the construct, its links to mental health, positive development, and psychosocial protection, as well as the inequalities that shape it across gender, age, and conditions of vulnerability. Key findings from longitudinal and comparative studies conducted in Chile are presented, along with a school-based intervention designed to promote well-being through a multidimensional, community-centered, and situated approach. The transcript brings empirical evidence, public policy, and psychological practice into dialogue, and raises open questions about the limitations of current psychology in addressing the multiplicity of childhoods and the challenge of recognizing children’s agency as co-constructors of knowledge.