Happiness (Subjective Well-Being) - Michael Hoerger幸福（幸福）-迈克尔hoerger.ppt

Happiness(Subjective Well-being) Introduction What is happiness? Subjective well-being: Participants report on own positive and negative feelings High positive affect: happiness, pleasure, excitement, contentment, meaning Low negative affect: anxiety, sadness, worthlessness, restlessness, dejection Compare ourselves to our reference group Culture Average personal income matters up to $10,000, but not much after that Egalitarianism = more happiness Freedom to choose = more happiness Instability = unhappiness In the U.S.: lower happiness for African Americans than whites Personality Happiness is relatively consistent across lifespan Temperament + Socialization Low neuroticism, high extraversion Assertiveness Self-regulation Personal Control Psychopathology Gender Women: ↑ ↑ anxiety, depression, and mood disorders Men: ↑ anger and aggression Smaller differences for… American minorities Developing countries Amish Age Correlates r = .10 with happiness Larger for males Smaller or negative for females! Retrospective accounts show college years to be the happiest Happier people live longer Pursuit of Happiness What choices can we make to maximize happiness? “Whether its the thing that matters or the thing that doesnt, both of them matter less than you think they will” – Gilbert Reference points and coping Many factors NOT important for happiness, but a few are… Health Correlates r = .30 with happiness Health causes happiness and vice versa Mild long-term impact for stable disabilities Harder to adapt to progressive diseases Mild benefits of attractiveness and cosmetic surgery for women; height for men Work People who work are happier Happier people work more effectively Unemployed are much less happy Boredom, worse physical and psychological health, lower income, lower education Worse impact among high SES Reverse finding for retired people Income Matters more to poor countries/people Income correlates r = .17 with happiness in the U.S. After about $10,000 / year, pe