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sds Olsen Positive psychology and happiness study on Channel 2s new reality show Happier 8 ordinary Icelanders were observed as they went about icreasing their happiness levels through positive psychology Notable increase in happiness measurable success! A new Icelandic Happiness Study Slide 2 8 week course in happiness Mindfulness was the basis of the course. Mindfulness teaches us to stay in the present, content with the now, distancing ourselves from negative thoughts. The practice of Mindfulness leads to increased self-awareness, serenity and better mental and physical status. The course is based on the best selling book Happier by Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar. A challenge a week: 1. Good habits - give you a sense of security and freedom 2. Expressing gratitude (Thank you letters) 3. Map your life - meaning, pleasure, strengths 4. Positive emotions and what enhances them 5. Outside the comfort zone learn to fail or fail to learn 6. Being human - painful emotions and experiences 7. Integrity and values for better self-esteem 8. Good deeds to better the world. Knowing is not enough DOING leads to change Slide 3 HAPPIER sds Olsen Happier is a new breed of TV show Positive reality TV! Nobody gets eliminated everone is a winner Based on positive psychology A scientific study measureable results of the participants progress. Happiness course for all to see Slide 4 The Science Guy: Dr. orlkur Karlsson sds Olsen Dr. Karlsson measured the participants success and failures before, after and during the show to produce measurable data. His findings were presented weekly. Dr. Karlsson has a P.hD in psychology and analytics. He is presides over the pscyhology and public health dept. at The University of Reykjavk Slide 5 Research methods - measuring tools sds Olsen 1. Dieners Happiness Test. A simple self evaluation questionnaire with 8 questions and 7 options to answer each one. Questions about general well being, hopefulness and attitudes to life. Named after its creator, Ed Diener, one of the worlds most respected happiness researchers. 2. Mindfulness Attention Awareness - MAAS from 2005. A self evaluation questionnaire with 15 questions and 6 options to answer each one. 3. Discomfort test Participants ability to keep their hand submerged in ice- cold water. Measures general endurance. 4. Stress tests Cortisol levels were checked each week at the University Hospital by dr. sleifur skarsson. 5. The Happiness Index 40 questions each week measuring process, mapping the participants increased happiness levels. Slide 6 Dieners Happiness Test sds Olsen Here below you will find 8 statements rate your response according to the following options: 1....... 2....... 3........ 4........5....... 6....... 7 Strongly DisagreeSomewhat Neutral SomewhatAgree Strongly disagree disagree agree Agree ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- g lifi tilgangsrku og innihaldsrku lfi Tengsl mn vi anna flk eru gefandi og veita mr stuning g sinni daglegum verkum mnum af innlifun og huga g stula me beinum htti a hamingju annarra g er hf(ur) og leikin(n) v sem skiptir mig mli g er g manneskja og lifi gu lfi g er bjartsn(n) framt mna Flk ber viringu fyrir mr Leggu saman stigin, fyrir ll tta atriin. Lgsti hugsanlegur stigafjldi er 8 en hsti 56. H einkunn bendir til hamingjurks lfs, en lg einkunn a mislegt megi betur fara. Samkvmt essu prfi er meal hamingja manna heiminum bilinu 44 til 45 stig. Tveir helstu srfringar heims hamingjumlingum, Ed Diener og Robert Biswald-Diener smdu etta prf ri 2009. Slide 7 Participants are now in among the happiest 17% of the worlds population sds Olsen Participants took the Dieners Happiness Test before and after the course In the beginning they were among the unhappiest 21% of the worlds population but by the end they were happier than 83% of people. They are now among the happiest 17%! The Diener Happiness Test is considered to be one of the best indicators of happiness in the world it has been tried and tested in numerous studies. Slide 8 30% increse in participants Happiness Index sds Olsen A weekly 40 question test mapping participants progress on a scale of 0 100. Index numbers were revealed at the end of each episode Before the course started the average score was 67. By the end it had reached 95.3. Slide 9 Arnaldur went from 52/67 to 86 sds Olsen Slide 10 Dagn fr r 60 stigum 92 sds Olsen Slide 11 Grma went from 71/82 to 92 sds Olsen Slide 12 Heirn went from 54 to 99 sds Olsen Slide 13 Jhann went from 72/74 to 99 sds Olsen Slide 14 Kristn went from 66 to 94 sds Olsen Slide 15 Sigurur went from 77 to 92 sds Olsen Slide 16 Valgeir went from 74 to 92 sds Olsen Slide 17 Mindfulness: before and after sds Olsen MAAS-scale (Mindfulness Awareness....) Participants increased their Mindfulness by almost 8% on the MAAS Mindfulness Awareness Scale. Participants reported having increased their active mindfulness, and how, before the course, they had been completely unaware of their lack of it at the beginning of the course, when they first took the test. Slide 18 Everyone increased their endurance, except Valgeir (he was having a bad day) sds Olsen Slide 19