The DAWN of Well-Being: Development and Validation of Daily Assessment of Well-Being Navigation

This study presents the development and validation of the Daily Assessment of Well-Being Navigation (DAWN), a daily diary measurement instrument. A mixed-method design was employed across the two studies. With respect to Study 1, an initial item pool was designed and reviewed by two experts, followed by cognitive interviews (N = 7; 5 women) and an in-depth deductive thematic analysis. The qualitative findings led to the removal or rephrasing of items characterized by conflicting interpretations or confusion. In Study 2, the refined item set was evaluated in a daily diary study that lasted for one week (N = 75; 71% women). The psychometric results demonstrated that most of the items achieved intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) values within the recommended range of .20–.40, indicating sufficient within-person variability for daily assessment. Furthermore, the test–retest reliability reached acceptable levels for most items (rxx’ > .70). The DAWN tool provides a psychometrically robust framework for examining the dynamic interplay between well-being components and the navigation strategies that are utilized by individuals in daily life.