Live Workshop Sessions | Wellbeing Measures Workshop

✓ Schedule finalized for March 16, 2026 Updated March 15, 2026

Participation Notice: Comments and Q&A submitted through embedded forms will be publicly visible. Live discussion documents require the shared link to access. Recording and access decisions will be adjusted based on participant preferences; some practitioner segments may have restricted access.

🔬 The Focal Case: Comparing StrongMinds/Friendship Bench (WELLBYs) vs AMF bednets (DALYs)—a 16× cost-effectiveness range driven by methodological choices. Read the detailed analysis →

📝 Where to contribute your thoughts — click for guidance

During live sessions: Zoom chat for quick reactions; Google Doc tabs for substantive notes/questions
Before/after sessions: Hypothes.is annotations on workshop pages for detailed feedback on specific content
Beliefs elicitation: Submit your calibrated probabilities on the Pivotal Questions

All contributions will be consolidated post-workshop. Questions? Email david.reinstein@unjournal.org

Workshop Segments

Each segment has its own discussion space with collaborative notes (Google Doc). Click a segment to view details and join the discussion.

SEGMENT 1 11:00–11:35 AM ET 35 min

Stakeholder Problem Statement & Pivotal Questions

Stakeholders present their WELLBY/DALY challenges (~10 min each), intro to key PQs (~5 min), plus agenda/timing discussion (~5 min)

Speakers: David Reinstein (background), Peter Hickman (Coefficient Giving), Matt Lerner (Founders Pledge)

5 min break/transition

SEGMENT 2 11:40 AM–12:10 PM ET 30 min

WELLBY Reliability Discussion

Is the linear WELLBY a useful and reliable measure for cross-intervention comparison? Previews key literature including Benjamin et al.

Presenter: Matt Lerner (Founders Pledge) · Discussant: Caspar Kaiser (U of Warwick)

5 min break/transition

SEGMENT 3 12:15–12:40 PM ET 25 min

DALY/QALY↔WELLBY Conversion

Approaches to interconvertibility between health and wellbeing measures

Presenter: Samuel Dupret (Happier Lives Institute) · Discussion Lead: Julian Jamison

☕ 45 minute break (12:40–1:25 PM ET) — discussion/overflow permitted. Reconvene at 1:25.

SEGMENT 4 1:25–1:35 PM ET 10 min

Brief: The Unjournal & Pivotal Questions

Reinstein recaps/explains the Unjournal prioritization and evaluation process and our Pivotal Questions initiative

Speaker: David Reinstein

SEGMENT 5 1:35–2:05 PM ET 30 min

Research Presentation: Benjamin et al.

Scale-use heterogeneity findings, calibration methods, and implications for WELLBY measurement. Authors share outline in advance; participants encouraged to pre-read and pre-ask.

Speakers: Dan Benjamin (UCLA/NBER), Miles Kimball (CU Boulder)

SEGMENT 6 2:05–2:30 PM ET 25 min

Evaluator Responses & Discussion

Evaluation findings and technical research issues, author dialogue

Presenters/Discussants: Caspar Kaiser, David Reinstein, Valentin Klotzbücher

SEGMENT 7 2:30–3:00 PM ET 30 min

Beliefs Elicitation

Introduction to belief elicitation methods, then participants complete self-guided form and Metaculus questions. Breakout discussions encouraged.

Presenters: David Reinstein, Ori Heffetz (Cornell)

SEGMENT 8 3:00–3:25 PM ET 25 min

Practitioner Panel & Open Discussion

Brief presentations (~10 min each) on practical implications, reaction/discussion to workshop content, followed by open Q&A. A private follow-up discussion among heavily involved participants will follow.

Panelists: Matt Lerner (FP), Peter Hickman (CG) · Discussant: Ori Heffetz

📚 Background Documents

These analysis pages map the key issues, assumptions, and evidence—helping us get on the same page before discussion. You may find these helpful background for segments 2 & 3.

📄 Linear WELLBY Analysis

Cardinality, neutral point, shifters vs. stretchers, Bond & Lang critique

📄 DALY↔WELLBY Conversion

Empirical anchors (5–10 WELLBYs per QALY), conceptual issues

AI-assisted drafts (Mar 2026) — annotate errors directly on the pages.

Related Resources

Coda PQ Database → Metaculus Questions → Benjamin et al. Evaluation → Forecasting Tournament →

About this page

Some content on these workshop pages was drafted with AI assistance based on our own source materials, notes, and research. We've reviewed it carefully, but errors or unclear passages may remain. If you spot anything incorrect or confusing, please let us know—ideally via a Hypothes.is annotation on the relevant passage, or by emailing contact@unjournal.org.