Learning Outcomes

• Understand the causes of happiness.

• Comprehend the effects of happiness.

• Learn about obstacles to happiness.

Introduction

• Focus on happiness and subjective well-being is central to positive psychology.

• Researchers explore factors affecting happiness and its effects.

Causes of Happiness and Well-being

Dimensions of Well-being

• Well-being includes subjective, social, and psychological dimensions.

• Constructs like psychological well-being and health-related quality differ from subjective well-being.

Personality Traits and Happiness

• Happy individuals tend to be extraverted, optimistic, with high self-esteem.

• Unhappy individuals often display high neuroticism, no strong link to intelligence.

• Cultural factors influence personality traits associated with happiness (individualism vs collectivism).

Genetic and Environmental Basis for Personality Traits

• Approximately 50% of major personality traits' variance is genetic.

• High activity and positive affect correlate with extraversion; irritability with neuroticism.

• Optimism and secure attachments enhance happiness.

Culture and Happiness

• Happiness correlates with stable democracies and social equality.

• Individualist cultures report higher happiness than collectivist ones.

Relationships and Happiness

• Married individuals generally report higher happiness.

• Clear communication and respect lead to marital satisfaction.

• Kinship ties enhance social support and subjective well-being.

Friendship and Community

• Close relationships correlate with happiness; acquaintances can provide social support.

• Religious involvement tends to relate positively with happiness due to meaning, hope, and social support.

Environmental Factors

• Pleasant surroundings correlate with happiness.

• Access to nature, good weather contributes positively to mood.

Wealth

• Happiness correlates with wealth, though the relationship is complex and influenced by social comparisons.

Health and Happiness

• Subjective health correlates with happiness while objective health ratings do not.

Exercise

• Regular exercise is linked to increased happiness.

Employment and Education

• Employment status and job satisfaction correlate positively with happiness.

• Higher education levels relate to greater happiness, especially in lower-income groups.

Recreation

• Leisure activities have a positive short-term effect on happiness.

Effects of Happiness

Positive vs Negative Emotions

• Positive emotions lead to win-win scenarios; negative emotions relate to zero-sum games.

• Barbara Fredrickson's broaden-and-build theory explains how positive emotions foster personal growth and resources.

Longevity

• Happiness linked to longevity; studies show happiness in youth contributes to longer life spans.

Evolutionary Perspectives on Obstacles to Happiness

Adaptation and Habituation

• Human inclination to adapt leads to a 'hedonic treadmill' effect, returning to baseline happiness.

Social Comparisons

• Negative comparisons to others can generate unhappiness through unrealistic standards promoted by media.

Emotional Responses

• Loss often leads to more intense emotional reactions than equivalent gains, impacting happiness.

• Distressful emotions like anxiety and jealousy can hinder happiness but have evolutionary advantages.

Summary

• Positive psychology seeks to understand and enhance happiness and subjective well-being.

• Factors influencing happiness include personality traits, cultural context, relationships, and employment.

• Positive emotions foster well-being and longevity, while adaptation to pleasure can reduce long-term happiness.