Happiness

Question 1

What does it mean that the meaning of happiness differs across cultures?

Answer 1

“Every culture has its own focus on what it means to acquire happiness”

• Happiness manifests itself differently across different cultures.
• The way people demonstrate their happiness to themselves and others is often a reflection of their society’s values.

Question 2

What does it mean that the meaning of happiness changes with time?

Answer 2

With time, the definition of happiness in America has:

• increased its emphasis on personal control
• decreased its emphasis on happiness as fortune/good luck

Question 3

What does it mean that the meaning of happiness changes with age?

Answer 3

Young people may associate happiness with different things than older people. They have different focuses.

Question 4

Why does the meaning of happiness change with age?

Answer 4

Temporal focus

Question 5

What is temporal focus?

Answer 5

The degree to which individuals think about the past, present, and/or future
example:
- younger people have more expansive futures, so they are more future oriented –> excitement
- older people are more present-oriented –> peacefulness

Question 6

What is happiness good for?

Answer 6

• may produce enduring physical and psychological benefits (e.g. increase engagement)
• broadens exploratory behaviors

Question 7

What is the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions?

Answer 7

Positive feedback loop:

• Suggests that positive emotions (such as happiness, and perhaps interest and anticipation) broaden one’s awareness and encourage novel, exploratory thoughts and actions, which leads back to positive emotions

Question 8

Why is happiness difficult to sustain?

Answer 8

• Hedonic adaptation
  Adaptation makes it difficult to sustain high levels of happiness after a positive change takes place

Question 9

What is hedonic adaptation?

Answer 9

the tendency to return to a relatively stable range of happiness despite major life changes

Question 10

What does it mean that happiness reflects a change in circumstances?

Answer 10

Since it is a state of emotion, depending on what we are experiencing our happiness changes.

Question 11

What are the 6 ways to reduce the process of hedonic adaptation?

Answer 11

1. Take a break
2. Create scarcity
3. Increase variety
4. Focus on experiences, not possessions
5. Take action
6. Give back