Happiness: Operational definitions and Duchenne smiling
Operational definitions of happiness
- Happiness can be defined in more than one way; there is not a single universal operational definition.
- Example contrast: Diener and colleagues defined happiness as a score on a questionnaire (self-report).
- Example contrast: Harker and Keltner ( 2001 ) defined happiness as the presence of Duchenne smiling in yearbook photos.
Duchenne smiling as an indicator
- Duchenne smiling = genuine happiness; characterized by wrinkles at the outer corners of the eyes.
- Practical cue: test genuineness by covering the bottom half of the face; genuine smiles show in the eyes, not just the mouth.
Harker & Keltner ( 2001 ) study
- Method: coded yearbook photos of college women who graduated 30 years earlier for Duchenne smiling.
- Finding: happiness as displayed in these yearbook pictures predicted positive life outcomes over 30 years, such as successful marriages and satisfying lives.
- Additional studies used smiling in photos as a predictor of life outcomes, including success in science (Kaczmarek & others).
Key takeaway
- Happiness can be operationalized via observable expressions (e.g., Duchenne smiling) in addition to self-report measures, and these expressions can have long-term predictive value.