Happiness, Laughter and Health Flashcards
what are the benefits of happiness?
increased happiness could lead to:
- longer life (could be a difference of 9 years)
- health
- resilience
- increased performance
what is the trend of happiness over time? associated with the standard of living
the standard of living has increased in industrialized countries yet happiness has increased very little
The pursuit of happiness - what does it have to do in terms of making decisions?
- many decisions are rooted in the desire to become happy
- the decisions we make fail to increase our happiness
- Americans have spent a lot of money on motivational speakers, and self-help books
what does Dr. Daniel Gilbert blame for the main causes of our unhappiness? (3)
- CULTURE
- live in a society where we believe that we need to constantly buy bigger, better and newer things
- stuff does not buy happiness
- money only brings joy to people who are lacking in the basic necessities - GENES
- hardwire us to reproduce
- children can have a negative impact on a parent’s happiness IN THE MOMENT
- this doesn’t mean that moments of joy and happiness do not exist - IMAGINATION
- when we envision a future we see either lasting gloom or happily-ever-after
- however, unhappiness and joy do not last as long as we expect it to
ie. winning the lottery or becoming disabled
- arrival fallacy
what makes us happy (5)?
- AGE
- as age increases so does the level of happiness (maybe bc of life experience, developing coping skills) - MARITAL STATUS
- married people tend to be happier than single people
- generalization and correlation
- quality of a relationship is important - EDUCATION
- college/uni grads are happier than those without degrees - RELIGION
- people who attend to religious services weekly tend to be happier than those who don’t
- unconditional support - HEALTH
- correlation
- healthier people are happier
who are the happiest group of individuals?
men 65 and older
who are the most unhappy group of individuals?
men 18-29
Happiness - nature vs. nurture: what did the study involve and what was the outcome - Dr. Seligman
- studied identical twins who were separated at birth
- outcome: it is possible to lift or biological set range of happiness, at least to some extent, if we work at it
(born with a range of happiness)
Happiness around the world - what is the similarities in all cultures?
- people express fundamental; emotions in similar ways (anger, fear, jealousy, happiness)
- in all cultures: happiness depends on close family and other human relationships
Why was the happiness around the world study conducted?
developed due to increased political interest in using measures of happiness as a national indicator along with measures of wealth
what were the strongest determinants of national happiness & what was a factor in the study?
strongest determinants of national happiness:
1. health levels
2. Prosperity
3. access to basic education
Factor: population size - smaller countries scored better while largest population scored worse
what is some happiness advice from the experts?
- find small things we can do everyday to bring us joy
- family/friends are crucial
- find meaning in life (religion, philosophy, spirituality)
- set goals
- to predict how happy something will make you talk to others
What are the 2 types of smiles, according to Dr. Seligman? and what it it an indicator of?
- Duchenne Smile
- genuine
- hard to fake
- forehead wrinkle, corners of the mouth turn up - Pan American Smile
- inauthentic
- expression of courtesy and politeness rather than inner joy
an indicator of: overall level of happiness
what is the health benefit of smiling?
- more joy in our smiles might positively influence health and happiness
what is health benefits a sense of humour associated with?
- greater self-reported physical health
- increased self-esteem
- a decrease in psychological symptoms related to negative life events
- increased ability to relax
- decreased feeling of loneliness, depression
and stress - greater QOL
What are the basics of laughter - when is it more likely to occur? who is more likely to laugh, speaker or the listener? how much laughter does is in response to a formal effort at humour?
- more likely to occur in social settings (30x more likely to occur)
- speaker produces up to 46% more laughter than listeners
- less than 20% of laughter in response to formal effort
what are the 2 distinct types of laughs?
- Duchenne Laughter
- genuine, spontaneous
- emotionally valenced (humour driven)
- often happens bc of incongruity & unexpectedness
- stimulated by the subcortical/brainstem region - Non-Duchenne Laughter
- Inauthentic, self-generated
- emotionless (conversational)
- expression of courtesy and politeness
- stimulated by the prefrontal/premotor/motor areas
Laughter - Biological function
- universal human behaviour found in all cultures
- one of the first vocalizations emitted by infants (2-6m)
- humans are genetically predisposed to develop and produce this ability (even if they are deaf and blind) - derived from primate play signals
is there a variation when it comes to laughter in the world?
- laughter-evoking context and how laughter is interpreted is influenced by cultural norms and learning
- cultural variations in subject matter, context, frequency and intensity
Strategic (Non-Duchenne laughter)
- speaker laughter is used to smooth interactions and promote +ve feelings
- laughter among strangers is used to avoid misunderstanding and facilitate friendships
- used to “punctuate statements, not interrupt them
when is nervous laughter expressed?
in response to stress, signals anxiety
when is “laugh-speak” utilized?
influence attitudes and behaviours of others
what are the benefits of laughter?(3)
- health/physical
- psychological
- social
Keltner & Harker experiment 2006 - what was it and what were their findings?
- they sorted through 141 high school yearbooks and sorted out the Duchenne smile from the Pan American smiles
- they followed up at ages 27, 43 and 52
- found that those with the Duchenne smile were more likely to be/stay married and more likely to experience an increased well being
(consistent over 30 years)
what are the physiological effects of laughter?
- increased endorphins in brain/body
- improved immune function
- the decrease in pain
- the decrease in stress hormones, BP, muscle tension and inflammation
Miller (2000) experiment - what was it and what were the findings?
- compared humour responses of 300 people
- people with HD were 40% less likely to laugh in a variety of situations compared to those without
- those with HD responded less humourlessly to everyday situations and displayed increased anger/hostility
what are some psychological effects of laughter?
- increased mood
- positive affect
- the decrease in negative responses to stressful events (coping/resilience)
the decrease in anxiety - enhanced communication and creativity
what are the social effects of laughter? what is the purpose of laughter? what about group sizes? and what does it improve?
- purpose of laughter: make & strengthen human connections
- Heard Duchenne laughter stimulates others to laugh (contagious)
- larger group size = increased laughter response to funny shit
- improves group cohesion & cooperation, and promotes the integration of new individuals
what is the purpose of conversational laughter? which individuals use this type of laughter more, and why?
- “social lubricant “: lighten mood, make listeners more receptive, and increase the “in-group” feeling
- Dominant individuals use this type of laughter more than subordinates - used to control the emotional climate
how much laughter is recommended? On average, how much do children laugh compared to adults?
- 30min/day to recieve all the benefits
children: 250-500x/day
adults: 15-50x/day
