PSYC 1113 Chapter 14
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Title: Happiness - Yunsuh Nike Wee
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Important Dates:
SB Quiz: Due 11/15 @ 11:59 PM (SB 12, 11, 10, 14, 16)
Research Credits (SONA): Last day to earn research credit is 12/6 @ 5 PM
CTE: Unit 8 Due 11/15 @ 11:59 PM
Review date: 11/19
Exam 3: Scheduled for 11/21
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Key Topics of Study:
Subjective Well-Being (SWB): Definition, measurement, and study
Characteristics of happy individuals: attractiveness, wealth, youth, religiousity, personality, and lifestyle
Psychological processes relevant to happiness: adaptation, flow, happiness judgments, and prediction biases
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Course Overview:
Aim: To provide insights into overestimated and underestimated aspects of life
Clarification: This is NOT a "how-to-be-happy" course
Central Question: "Who is Mr. Happiness?"
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Subjective Well-Being (SWB):
Basic Premise: Understanding individual well-being requires direct measurement of cognitive and affective experiences in life
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What is Happiness?:
According to ordinary people (Freedman, 1978):
Defined as a 'good' state of being, fulfilling desires,
Associated with feeling good about oneself and the world
Considered a major life goal
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Happiness as Fun, Excitement, and Pleasure:
Focus on pleasures arising from active experiences (e.g., sports, parties, sex)
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Happiness as Peace of Mind and Contentment:
Emphasis on the absence of negative feelings (e.g., worry)
Greater focus on satisfaction over thrill and contentment over mere fun
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Active vs Passive Aspects of Happiness:
Both elements are necessary for true happiness
Pleasure alone is insufficient; satisfaction without joy can feel empty
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Structure of Subjective Well-Being (SWB):
Components include:
Life Satisfaction (LS)
Positive Affect (PA)
Negative Affect (NA)
Independence of frequency of each component
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Independence of Positive and Negative Affect (PANA):
Querying the idea of "Hot Cold independence"
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Roles of Positive and Negative Affect:
Watson et al. (1999):
Positive Affect: Prepares individuals for energetic, active states in favorable conditions
Negative Affect: Maintains a constant level, aiding in threat awareness
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Importance of Understanding PA & NA:
They are influenced by distinct sets of factors and serve different functions (exploration vs. safety)
Simply measuring absence of Negative Affect (e.g., depression) is inadequate
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Emotions as Signals:
Negative Emotions: Indicate danger and potential harm
Positive Emotions: Signal opportunities and resources critical for survival
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Frequency of Positive Affect (PA):
Importance of the frequency over intensity of positive experiences
Intense PA is rare and can have negative aftermath
Quote: "Happiness is the frequency, not the intensity, of positive affect" (Diener et al., 1991)
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Key Message: Happiness comprises numerous small joys rather than a singular, monumental experience
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Summary of Measuring SWB:
SWB includes both cognitive (LS) and emotional aspects (PA & NA)
Subjectivity of SWB and its emphasis on the presence of Positive Affect
Focus on frequency, not intensity
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Quote: "Life swings like a pendulum backward and forward between pain and boredom." ─ Arthur Schopenhauer
Myth: Most people are unhappy
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Misconceptions about Happiness in America:
Lifetime clinical depression estimate: 8-18% vs. higher estimates (e.g., working adults 49%, psychology majors 50%)
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Positive Life Satisfaction in America:
Percent of Americans reporting positive life satisfaction (above neutral):
Working adults: 56%
Psychology majors: 61%
Clinical graduate students: 48%
Actual finding: 82-84% report positive satisfaction
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Universally Happy: Graph of SWB data:
Based on self-reported surveys (916 total) across nations measured on a 0-10 scale
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Reasons for General Happiness:
SWB Homeostasis (setpoint)
Longitudinal study shows minimal change (+3%) in happiness over 21 years across 2000 individuals
Positive baseline for humans to focus on negative events vital for survival
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Evolutionary Perspective:
Suggests positive emotions may have been evolutionarily selected for survival and mating advantages
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Who is Happy?:
Relevant life conditions: Money, youth, health, marriage, attractiveness, religiosity
Complexity of happiness is acknowledged
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Money and Happiness:
La Rochefoucauld's View: Evaluate the happiness of those possessing what we desire
Conclusion from research (Diener et al., 1999): Life conditions mildly correlate with happiness
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Insights on Money's Influence:
Summary of research trends on money's effects on happiness
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Income and Happiness:
Income predicts less daily sadness but not necessarily more daily happiness (Kushlev et al., 2015)
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Reasons for Limited Effect of Income on Happiness:
Concepts: Adaptation and hedonistic treadmill
Expectations and standards of happiness change over time
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How Spending Money Impacts Happiness:
Material purchase vs Experiential purchase
Material: Tangible objects
Experiential: Enjoy experiences (e.g., travel, activities)
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Social Context of Happiness:
Emphasis on how experiences with social interactions enhance happiness
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Final Thoughts on Money's Role in Happiness:
Money is impactful for those in dire need, less so when basic needs are met
The connection between money and SWB often overstated
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Value of Marriage to Happiness:
An outline exploring marriage's role in well-being
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Statistics on Marriage and Happiness:
Impact of marital status on happiness and depression rates across demographics
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Benefits of Marriage:
Consistently linked to better physical health, longer lifespan
Enhanced social support, coping mechanisms through challenges
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Potential Measurement Issues:
Need for longitudinal data to assess the pure effect of marriage on happiness
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Selection Effect:
Findings show that individuals with high life satisfaction are more likely to marry and maintain relationships
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Childbirth's Effect on SWB:
Study exploring SWB related to childbirth dynamics over time
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Effects of Marriage on SWB over Time:
Observations following individuals before and after marriage for reactions in SWB
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Conflict in Past Studies about Marriage's Influence:
Shortcomings in merely comparing groups (i.e., married vs. single)
Highlight missed changes in personal experiences affecting SWB
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Impact of Age on Happiness:
General trends observed across age groups and life satisfaction percentages
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Age and SWB Trends:
Life satisfaction remains consistent across age groups, no significant evidence of age-decline in happiness
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Religion’s Role in Happiness: Overview
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Data on Religious Attendance and Happiness:
Correlation between frequency of religious attendance and levels of happiness
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The Role of Religiosity in SWB:
Research indicates life conditions impact happiness levels in various degrees
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Reasons for Happiness through Religion:
Psychological and social benefits such as meaning, purpose, and social support
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Factors in Happiness Associated with Physical Attractiveness:
Insights into the relation between physical looks and subjective wellbeing
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Gender Differences in SWB:
Observations pre-dominantly indicate more depression in women, but equal levels of happiness
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Exploration of Social Relationships and Satisfaction:
Relationships are crucial for enhancing SWB across various demographics and personal circumstances
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Findings from Personality Studies:
Studies reveal that gender and other factors contribute to SWB effects
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Potential Predictors of Happiness:
Examination of social relationships, happiness factors, and overall well-being
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Varied Emotional Responses:
Understanding gendered differences in emotional expression and socialization effects on happiness levels
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Mind Wandering's Effect on Happiness:
Research highlights the relationship between focused engagement and happiness
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Circumstances for Happiness:
Happiness relies on being present and engaged in enjoyable activities with others
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Prediction of Happiness:
Evaluating accuracy in predictions related to major life decisions
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Major Life Decisions & Happiness Forecasts:
Errors in predicting future happiness levels highlighted
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Common Misjudgments in Happiness Predictions:
Challenges involve the underestimation of adaptive capacities to events
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Reflection on Life's Extremes:
Questions posed about expected impacts of positive and negative outcomes on happiness
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The Role of Romantic Relationships in Happiness:
Examining expectations versus reality in romantic relationship dynamics
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Academic Tenure Study Insights:
Exploration of how predictions of happiness differ from actual experienced emotions
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Relative Happiness of Lottery Winners:
Insights into the psychology of happiness against life circumstances
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Emotional Intensity vs. Time:
Overview of predictably compared with experienced emotional intensity across time frames
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Errors in Happiness Forecasting:
Discussion around neglecting factors while overestimating salient features of experiences
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The Concept of Immune Neglect:
Individuals often underestimate resilience and coping mechanisms following negative events
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Focalism in Predictions:
The tendency to focus narrowly on specific events leading to inaccurate assessments of overall happiness
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Evidence from College Study:
Researching the correlation of de-focalized discussions and post-event happiness predictions
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Practical Happiness Assessment Techniques:
Insights into how changing focus can lead to clearer happiness forecasting
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Summary on Objective Factors:
Overall minor impact of demographic differences on SWB and happiness prediction
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Set-point Theory of Happiness:
Discussion focusing on adaptability of happiness within inherent ranges
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Knowledge of the Hedonic Treadmill:
Explanation of emotional adaptation to experiences over time
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Research on Weekly Mood Fluctuations:
Correlations drawn from extroverts to introverts across moods throughout the week
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Understanding the Hedonic Treadmill:
The cycle of emotional engagement followed by feelings of dissatisfaction
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Insights into Emotional Adaptation:
Discussion of exceptions regarding adaptation and traumatic experiences
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Graphic Representation of Adaptation over Life Events:
Longitudinal data illustrating how individuals adjust to pivotal life moments
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Key Takeaways:
Importance of recognizing the inflation of emotional experiences over time
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Understanding Factors Crucial to Happiness:
Society and individual difference factors impacting overall well-being and satisfaction
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Significance of Individual Characteristics:
Observations highlighting temperament and personality traits within happiness dimensions
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Disposition Model of SWB:
Understanding that individuals have genetic predispositions affecting happiness levels
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Findings from Twin Studies:
Analysis of varying traits showing high heritability toward happiness
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Role of Personality in Predicting SWB:
Correspondences among various personality traits and their predictive strength on happiness scores
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Comparative Analysis on Happiness Predictions Based on Gender:
Summary of excessive social connections resulting in personal happiness stats
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Extraversion as a Key Predictor:
Review of multiple studies confirming extraversion positively correlates with happiness
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Behavioral Patterns of Extraverts:
Focused on the social and intrinsic motivations contributing to happy states
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Social Prediction of Extraversion Across Species:
Evidence that not only humans but other primates reflect similar happiness traits
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Dual View on Extraversion:
Exploring instrumental versus temperamental influences on happiness levels among individuals
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Conclusion on Extraversion and Happiness:
Discusses the role of social environment relating to varying extent of happiness across personality
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Establishing Flow in Activities:
The significance of engaging in activities for intrinsic joy and fulfillment
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Characteristics of Flow States:
Requirements for activities to lead to flow, balancing skills with challenges
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Live Example of Flow State:
Key differentiating factors that illustrate intrinsic fulfillment in activities
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Outcomes of Happiness Engagement:
Happiness arising from the process rather than the destination
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Understanding Happiness Beyond Targets:
Emphasizing day-to-day living, not merely achieving long-term goals
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Requirements of Happiness for Individuals:
Analysis of differentiating factors contributing to major happiness levels across individuals
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Personality Role in Happiness Levels:
Quantitative study explaining correlations among personality and happiness demographics
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Enhanced Social Relationships and Happiness:
Research affirmation of social connections as pivotal to higher life satisfaction
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Recognition of Social Experiences:
Essential examination of social, individual factors across happiness metrics
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Closing Thoughts:
Emphasizing the continual quest for happiness laid with social bonds and contributions