myers and diener

Question 1

methodology

Answer 1

-lit review so no procedures.
-m and d selected the topic and searched for relevant studies (secondary sources)
-the studies used methods such as correlations, observations, meta-analysis

Question 2

what were they investigating

Answer 2

factors affecting subjective well being.

Question 3

findings- age

Answer 3

no real difference-
inglehart (1990) revealed that no time of life is notably happier or unhappier than others.

Question 4

inglehart 1990

Answer 4

a survey of roughly 170,000 people from 16 different countries. included in the age and gender findings

Question 5

findings- gender

Answer 5

generally no difference- 80% of men and 80% of women said they were at least ‘fairly satisfied’ with life. inglehart

Question 6

findings- race

Answer 6

no real difference- people of different nationalities scored similarly on tests of self esteem.

Question 7

findings- culture

Answer 7

large differences found-
nations differ in happiness even when income differences are controlled. for example, portugal, 10% of people say they’re very happy whereas in the netherlands, 40% of people say the same.

Question 8

findings- relationships

Answer 8

-people who can name several friends are healthier and happier
- married people are more likely to describe themselves as ‘very happy’ than those who never married, divorced or separated.

Question 9

findings- flow

Answer 9

work should help the individual reach a ‘flow’ state, where one is so caught up in an activity that the mind does not wander, one becomes oblivious to surroundings and time flies. (csikszentmihalyi)

Question 10

findings- faith

Answer 10

surveys have shown that people who are strongly religious are twice as likely to say they are ‘very happy’. faith seems to help people to cope with a crisis.

Question 11

what were m+d theory of happiness, three elements

Answer 11

1. adaptation
   2.cultural worldview
   3.values and goals

Question 12

adaptation

Answer 12

only events within the last 3 months have a significant effect on well-being as the response to events fades over time.

Question 13

cultural worldview

Answer 13

an individuals culture influences how life events are interpreted, which in turn affects well-being

Question 14

values and goals

Answer 14

having goals and making progress towards them can predict well-being. therefore, things like money are only important if they’re relevant to a person’s life goals.

Question 15

conclusions

Answer 15

-dismissed the idea that factors such as age, sex and money were important indicators of happiness, instead of focusing on things like personality and relationships.
-researching who is happy, could help people to rethink their priorities and better understand how to build a world that enhances human well-being.