APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY - PSYCHOLOGY OF HAPPINESS Flashcards
What has happiness been conceptualised as?
2 distinct aspects of
1. Hedonia - pleasure
2. Eudaimonia - sense that life is well-lived
What did kesebir and diener state about happiness?
More than 80% of interviewees rated at their overall eudaimonic life satisfaction as pretty to very happy
At same time 80% of people interviewed also rate their current hedonic mood as positive
Suggesting that both hedonic and eudaimonic components of happiness correspond
What did kesebir and diener state about happiness?
• Kesebir and Diener (2008)-more than 80% of
interviewees rated their overall ‘eudaimonic’ life
satisfaction as “pretty to very happy”
• At the same time, 80% of people interviewed also
rate their current, hedonic ‘mood’ as positive (e.g.
giving a rating of 6-7 on a 10-point scale, where 5 is
‘hedonically neutral’).
• Suggesting that both hedonic and eudaimonic
components of happiness correspond
What did kringelbach nd berridge argue?
The neuroscience of both pleasure and happiness can be found by studying hedonic brain circuits
Due to most modern perspectives - pleasure is an important component of happiness
- fundamental pleasure like food and sexual
- highest order pleasure and altruistic pleasure
Can happiness be measured?
Norrisish and Vella Brodrick
- argue that its impossible to objectively measure happiness and such should not be the subject of scientific explanation
What does ed diener argue about?
People are happy if they think they are and each person is the best judge of whether they are happy or not which he coined as subjective wellbeing
Whats subjective wellbeing?
Ed diener
- people being happy if they think they are
Whats been used to assesse subjective well-being
The experience sampling method (esm)
-gives an overall indicator of positve and negative affect over time
Describe the experience sampling method?
also referred to as a
daily diary method, or ecological momentary assessment (
EMA ), is an intensive longitudinal research methodology
that involves asking participants to report on their thoughts,
feelings, behaviours, and/or environment on multiple
occasions over time
What does denier the “dr.happiness” argue about subjective well-being?
Construct validity - measuring something real
Highly correlated with some personality traits
Can predict future outcomes
Measure happiness using valid, reliable methods
How can you measure happiness using valid reliable methods?
Using psychometric scales
Looking at observable indicators of happiness such as smiling behaviour
Also objective reports from one’s friends and family
Whats subjective well being related to?
- optimism
- extraversion
- social connections ‘
- being married
-religion
-leisure - good sleep
What shows a no clear relationship?
- age
- money
- having children
-housing - gender
- sunnier climate
Whats the three elements of subjective well being related-being?
- Happiness: how you feel about yourself and the world.
- an emotional state - Satisfaction with Life: global assessment about
acceptance of your life.
- a cognitive assessment. - Emotional stability: low level of neuroticism (neuroticism
= more anxious, mood swings & upset easily)
- five basic dimensions of personality-BIG 5:openness,
conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and
neuroticism
What’s the five basic dimensions of personality - BIG 5?
openness,conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and
neuroticism
Whats the six psychological components of SWB?
- High self esteem
- Sense of perceived control
- Extroversion
- Optimism
- Positive social relationships
- Sense of meaning and purpose
Explain high self esteem?
- most important predictor of SWB
- cultural differences
= western cultures value individual achievement and success, but eastern value group success - self-esteem tied to group membership
Explain sense of perceived control
- belief some measure of control over life events like hurricane, floods, acts of god = events outside your control
Rutter locus of control
- internal locus best - belief that your can effect outcomes
Newer terms = personal control
Some occasions may turn over control
Explain extroversion?
• Higher SWB in people who are interested in things
outside themselves.
• Extroverts generally have higher SWB.
• Seek and enjoy company of others.
• Doesn’t mean that introverts are unhappy.
• Introverts prefer to have a few close friends.
Explain optimism?
“a tendency to expect the best possible outcome; to
dwell on the most hopeful aspect of a situation.”
- Look to the future with hope and positive
expectations.
- Optimistic explanatory style:
- Diana doesn’t return your email about personal tutor
meeting…..
- Negative: Diana hates me, she thinks I’m a lazy student…
- Positive: She must be away on a conference- I’ll email again
next wee
Explain positve social relationships?
• High correlations of SWB with satisfaction with family and
friends.
• Social support and emotional intimacy.
• Important for physical and psychological health.
• *Strongest external source of SWB.
• Social contact better predictor than wealth, education or
career
Explain sense of meaning and purpose?
• Defined as spirituality by some.
• Doesn’t have to be religious.
• Belief that your life is connected to a greater good.
• Your life will make a difference.
•Sense of meaning in concentration camp
survivors.
• Belief that you can find a purpose in life even in
terrible conditions.
• Posttraumatic growth
Who critiques measurements?
Argyle argue that subjective measures are affected by cognitive biases so scores are not reliable
However, others have developed several well-
validated scales for measuring happiness,
supporting its’ validity as a scientific construct.
• The Steen Happiness Index (Seligman, Steen, Park &
Peterson, 2005)
• Subjective Happiness Scale (Lyubomirsky & Lepper, 1999)
• Happiness Scale (Fordyce, 1977
Explain the statisfaction with life scale?
Most widely used scale developed by Ed Diener- A
brief 5 item instrument measuring global cognitive
judgments of satisfaction with ones life.
