An Integrative Look at Happiness

Happiness

• Common beliefs about what contributes to happiness (i.e. money!) are not confirmed by psychological research

• People get used to originally happy situations so the happiness wears off

• Lyubomirsky (2001):– Inborn genetic set-point for happiness

probably accounts for 50% of our happiness– Circumstances affect 10% of our happiness– Individuals can influence the other 40%

Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832)

• Defined happiness: the sum of positive emotions minus the sum of negative emotions

• Believed any action that promoted happiness was morally right– Actions promoting happiness defined as

pleasure and the absence of pain

Rich Doesn’t = Happy

• Two explanations:– People compare themselves to others

• Based on Leon Festinger’s social comparison theory • People assess themselves in comparison with others;

they aren’t as happy if they compare themselves to people who have more/as much

– People link happiness to reaching goals, but continue to set higher ones• Based on Julian Rotter’s level of aspiration theory• People formulate general expectancy• Only happy for a short time (if at all) once they reach

their goal

Myers and Dieners (1995)

• Found discrepancy between wealth and happiness

• Buying power of average American had tripled since 1950

• Proportion of Americans who described themselves as “very happy” remained at about 1/3

• Shows no direct link between increase in wealth and increase in happiness!

Hagerty (2003)

• Happiness was positively correlated with equality of distribution of wealth in the country

• As inequality of income decreased, average level of life satisfaction increased

• Could be explained by social comparison theory – We often tend to compare ourselves to those

who are more fortunate (upward comparison) which leads to dissatisfaction

Goals & Happiness

• People who link happiness to specific goals are less likely to be happy

• When they reach their goals and do not find themselves to be any happier they set new ones!

• The media portrays wealthy consumers as happy and the public believes it!

Johnson and Kruger (2006)

• Satisfaction with one’s own salary is a better indicator of happiness

• Dissatisfaction when people think they should earn more or feel others deserve less than they earn– Less happy, more greedy, because they

compare themselves to others

Conway, di Fazio, and Mayman (1999)

• Judge emotional reactions of high-status people (with money) and low-status people (without money)

• Widespread false belief (illusory correlation) that richer = happier, less angry, less depressed, less afraid

• Did not believe the status made a difference in love

Dalai Lama

• Dalai Lama thinks the key to happiness is in our hands

• Compassion is an important part of spiritual development– State of mind which is non-aggressive and

rests on the desire to help other people – Acknowledging all people’s right to happiness

• Base happiness on connectedness to other people—not wealth– Empathy is an important factor

Sociocultural Influences: Bhutan

• Bhutan is very poor, but people are very happy• Spiritual and meditative people; happy with idle

time, contemplation, and the pursuit of wisdom• Government is not focused on productivity,

efficiency, and money• Government considers the unique nature of

Bhutanese culture valuable• King of Bhutan introduced the gross national

happiness to measure happiness– The king is a Buddhist and thinks the purpose of life is

inner happiness

Sociocultural Influences

• The Danes are the happiest people on Earth– Over 2/3 are “very satisfied” with their lives– Climate does not seem a positive happy force– Welfare state and highest level of income

equality– Prosperous economy and well-functioning

democracy– Do not have particularly high expectations

about the future—more realistic

Adrian White’s Map of World Happiness

• Created with a meta-analysis of 100 different worldwide studies

• Happiest: Denmark, Switzerland• Unhappiest: Democratic Republic of the

Congo, Zimbabwe, Burundi

National Happiness

• 81% of population think the government should focus on making citizens happier rather than wealthier

• .62 correlation between nation’s happiness and health

• .52 correlation between nation’s happiness and wealth

• .51 correlation between nation’s happiness and provision of education

Positive Psychology

• Term coined by Martin Seligman• One main goal: conduct research that

promotes human happiness and well-being• People can learn to think positively• Positive emotions help mentally and

physically• However, most happiness research is only

applicable to Western civilizations

Biological Factors in Happiness

• Habituation: People tend to adapt to their environment

• Inherited ability to adapt to both negative and positive situations– Evolutionarily: our ancestors passed on genes

such as the ability to notice changes/adapt

• Humans seem to have an inner voice of dissatisfaction that prompts them to strive for more– Our ancestors were the same way

Genetics & Happiness

• David Lykken thinks we have an innate baseline (or set-point) of happiness

• Happiness Twin Study (Lykken 1996) to compare happiness scores of identical and fraternal twins– Identical twins were very similar in happiness

scores– Fraternal twins were not similar at all

Happiness

• 50% of happiness is due to genetics• 10% due to situational factors– i.e. rich, poor, healthy, unhealthy, married,

sing

• 40% within one’s own control– According to Sonja Lyubomirsky– Actions and thoughts can affect happiness

Characteristics of Happy People

• Devote a lot of time to family and friends• Easily express gratitude• First to offer a helping hand• Optimistic outlook on future• Enjoy pleasures of life; live in the present• Spend time doing physical exercise• Committed to lifelong goals and ambitions• Cope well in times of crisis

Lyubomirky Suggests…

• Express gratitude• Investigate social connections• Practice acts of kindness• Avoid overthinking• Avoid social comparison

Volunteering & Happiness

• Swartz et al. (1999)• Volunteer work resulted in dramatic

changes in their lives– Thinking of other people’s problems– More tolerant and open– Confidence in coping abilities– Participated in more social activities– Fewer episodes of depression

• Small sample; not large enough to generalize