The ScientificPursuit of Happiness

David G. MyersCentre for Confidence and

Well-Being8 August, 2007

Negative versus positive topics in psychology journal articles 1887 into 2005

108,643 on “depression”

27,689 on “fear”

282,905 on “treatment”

5,048 on “happiness”

1,253 on “courage

48,094 on “prevention”

Seligman’s “three pillars”

of positive psychology:

• Positive subjective well-being– life satisfaction/happiness/optimism

• Positive strengths and virtues– creativity/courage/compassion/integrity/wisdom/self-control/spirituality

• Positive institutions– healthy families/neighborhoods/schools/media

A more positive psychology for the twenty-first century?

PsychINFO Citations of Well- Being, Life Satisfaction, or Happiness, per year

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

70 75 80 85 90 95 '00 '06

What Is “Subjective Well-Being”?

1. Feeling happy: “Taken all together, how would you say things are these days — would you say you are very happy, pretty happy, or not too happy?”

What Is “Subjective Well-Being”?

2. Thinking life is satisfying: “How satisfied are you with your life as a whole these days?”

How Happy Are People?

1. Self-reports are mostly positive

Subjective Well-Being916 Surveys in 45 Nations

1.501.50

160160

140140

120120

100100

8080

6060

4040

2020

00

Average = 6.75Average = 6.75on 0 to 10 scaleon 0 to 10 scale

2.002.002.502.50

3.003.003.503.50

4.004.004.504.50

5.005.005.505.50

6.006.006.506.50

7.007.007.507.50

8.008.008.508.50

10,126 momentary moods reported by 226 SMU students (Watson, 2000)

4.50%

17.30%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

Negative Emotions Positive Emotions

% of Time Average Emotion Felt "Very Much" or "Extremely"

20% 46%46% 27%27% 4%4% 2%2% 1%1% 0%0%

Can we trust these self-reports?• Are happy people “in denial”?• The happiness thermometers may read a little high,

yet . . .• Self-report measures are:

– reliable– correlated with experience samplings– correlated with positive indicators– correlated with others’ reports– the only measures of subjective well-being

Who Is Happy?

1. Young, middle-aged, or old?

Percent “Satisfied” or “Very Satisfied” with Life as a Whole

Age group

00

2020

4040

6060

8080

100100

15- 2415- 24 25- 3425- 34 35- 4435- 44 45- 5445- 54 55- 6455- 64 65+65+

PercentPercent

1. Young, Middle-Aged,or Old?

A. Changing emotions

B. Threats to well-being?Mid-life crises and empty nests

Marital Satisfaction and the Family Life Cycle

British studyBritish study

MarriedMarriedwithoutwithoutchildrenchildren

Child-Child-bearingbearing

Pre-school Pre-school children, children, oldest 5oldest 5

SchoolSchoolchildrenchildrenoldestoldest5-125-12

Teenagers Teenagers oldestoldest12-1612-16

First child First child gone to last gone to last

leavingleavinghomehome

EmptyEmptynest to nest to

retirementretirement

EmptyEmptynest tonest to

death of death of first spousefirst spouse

5656

5555

5454

5353

5252

5151

5050

4949

4848

4747

4646

Blood-WolfeBlood-Wolfe

Locke-Locke-WallaceWallace

Rollins-Rollins-FeldmanFeldman

Sat

isfa

ctio

nS

atis

fact

ion

Who Is Happy?

2. Women or men?

Gender and Well-Being in Sixteen Nations

00

2020

4040

6060

8080

100100

SatisfiedSatisfied Very happyVery happy

MalesMales

FemalesFemales

PercentPercent

Pooled data from 169,776 Pooled data from 169,776 interviews.interviews.

Selected Disorders, by Sex

Data from M. Argyle, 1987.

00101020203030404050506060707080809090

100100

DepressionDepression SchizophreniaSchizophrenia AlcoholismAlcoholism

MalesMales

FemalesFemalesPercentPercent

Psychological disordersPsychological disorders

Well-Being andBeing Well-Off

A. The presumption thatmoney buys happiness

73%

25%

2%0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Yes, happier No, not happier No opinion

“Would you be happier if you made more money?”(Gallup Survey, July, 2006)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

Develop a meaningful philosophy of life

Be very well off financially

% “Very important or essential”

B. Does Money Buy Happiness?

1. Are people happier if they live in rich countries?

Subjective Well-Being of 82 Countries(Combined happiness and life satisfaction, from

1999-2001 World Values Surveys reported by R. Inglehart, 2004)

• Puerto Rico• Mexico• Denmark• Ireland• Iceland• Switzerland • Northern Ireland• Columbia • Netherlands . . .• . . . USA (#15), UK (#25)

• . . . Bulgaria• Belarus• Georgia• Romania• Moldova• Russia• Armenia• Ukraine• Zimbabwe• Indonesia

B. Does Money Buy Happiness?

2. Within a country, are the richest the happiest?

Australian Living Standards Survey, 1991-1992(percent reporting high life satisfaction)

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Household Income Deciles

Americans “very happy” (NORC, 2004)

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

<$20,000 $20k-$50k $50k-$90k >$90k

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

very bad bad satisfactory good very good

quality of life

pe

rce

nta

ge

of

pa

tie

nts

ALS patients (from Kübler et al, 2005)

B. Does Money Buy Happiness?

3. Does the happiness of a peoplerise with their affluence?

$0

$4,000

$8,000

$12,000

$16,000

$20,000

$24,000

$28,000

1957 1965 1973 1981 1989 1997 2005

Personal income(in 2000 $)

% Homes withAir Conditioning

00

2020

4040

6060

8080

100100

19601960 20012001

1515

7676

PercentPercent

Percent Showering Daily (Gallup surveys)

29%

75%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

1950 1999

$0

$4,000

$8,000

$12,000

$16,000

$20,000

$24,000

$28,000

1957 1965 1973 1981 1989 1997 20050%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Personal income(in 2000 $)

Very happy (%)

17%

20%

24%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

% Yes

1957 1976 1996

(from ISR and NORC surveys of Americans, adjusted for demographic changes)

"Have you ever felt that you were going to have a nervous breakdown?"

Teens from affluent families suffer elevated rates of

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Substance use

• Eating disorders

(related to achievement pressures and isolation from adults, suggests one analysis)

China’s households, 1994 and 2004 (Gallup nationwide surveys)

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

ColorTV

Refrig Landlinephone

Mobilephone

19942004

Chinese satisfaction, 1994 and 2004 (“How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the

way things are going in your life today?”)

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

1994 1997 1999 2004

SatisfiedDissatisfied

From WSJ, 5/24/07

Redefining Progress

(1) Progress = standard of living

= material well-being

= unsustainable development

(2) Progress = quality of life= total well-being (physical, mental,

social and spiritual)= sustainable development

The Traits ofHappy People

“I’ve always been happy, but latelyI’ve turned it up a notch or two.”

The Traits of Happy People

A. Self-esteem: Happy peoplelike themselves

– Self-serving bias

– Self-esteem and happiness in stigmatized groups

The Traits of Happy People

B. Personal control: Happy peoplebelieve they choose their destinies

The Traits of Happy People

C. Optimism: Happy peopleare hope-filled

D. Extraversion: Happy peopleare outgoing

Day by Day Well-Being of Introvertedand Extroverted University Students

Neutral

HappyHappy

00

1.01.0

1.51.5

2.02.0

3.03.0

2.52.5

MonMon.. TuesTues.. Weds.Weds. ThursThurs.. Fri.Fri. Sat.Sat. Sun.Sun.

0.50.5

ExtrovertsExtroverts

Introverts

Social Support

A. Close relationships and health

B. Close relationships and happiness

Love and Marriage

A. Marriage and well-being

Percent “Very Happy” among Married and Never Married Americans (NORC surveys, 1972-2004)

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

72 76 80 84 88 92 96 '02

Married

Never married

% Very Happy(NORC: N = 23,076, 1972-2004)

57.6

11.15

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Marriage Very Happy Marriage Pretty Happy Marriage Not Too Happy

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Men Women

Per

cen

t V

ery

Hap

py

Married

Never marriedSeparated

Divorced

Faith and Happiness

• Freud: Religion as sickness

• C. S. Lewis: “Joy is the serious business of heaven”

Spirituality and Happiness

From Gallup survey of adult Americans.From Gallup survey of adult Americans.

00

2020

4040

6060

8080

100100

LowLow HighHigh

Percent “very Percent “very happy”happy”

Spiritual commitmentSpiritual commitment

% Very Happy and Religious Attendance (n=42,845, NORC, 1972-2004)

26%29%

31%

36%39%

47%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

Never Severaltime per

year

Monthly+ NearlyWeekly

Weekly Severaltimes

weekly

What Faith Offers

1. Social support (religio = to bind together)

2. Meaning and purpose

3. Ultimate acceptance

4. Focus beyond self

5. Eternal perspective

How to Feel Better1. Realize: enduring happiness doesn’t come from making

it

2. Savor the moment

3. Take control of your time

4. Act happy

5. Seek work and leisure that engage your skills

6. Join the movement movement

7. Get REST

8. Give priority to close relationships

9. Count your blessings—keep a gratitude journal

10. Take care of the soul

For further information . . .

davidmyers.org