Happiness Reconsidered: A Perspective on Psychology (and Economics?) - PDF document

Happiness Reconsidered: A Perspective on Psychology (and Economics?) A Perspective on Psychology (and Economics?) Brian R. Little Department of Psychology Carleton University Happiness, Well ‐ Being and the Quality of Lives • Holt’s history of happiness in bumper stickers Happiness=Luck (Homeric) Happiness=Virtue (Classical) Happiness=Heaven (Medieval) Happiness=Pleasure (Enlightenment) Happiness=A Warm Puppy (Contemporary) Happiness A Warm Puppy (Contemporary) From Jim Holt, “Oh, Joy” a Review of “Happiness: A History” by D. M. McMahon. New York Times, February 12, 2006. 1

• Complexity of the good: – Eudaimonic and hedonic well ‐ being: contemporary debate about whether they are distinct – Flourishing includes happiness, physical vitality and accomplishments: Statistical analyses confirm oblique relations among hierarchically arranged bli l ti hi hi ll d components • When we measure aspects of flourishing how d do such measures relate to personality? h l t t lit ? • Heckman’s 2009 challenge: what are the “non ‐ cognitive” characteristics that mediate human development (e.g. progressing through the school system)? y ) – Two ways personality psychologists answer the challenge: Traits (e.g. Big Five) and Personal action constructs (PAC units) (e.g. personal projects). 2

Big Five Traits and Flourishing • Openness to Experience • Conscientiousness • Extraversion • Agreeableness • Neuroticism • Openness to Experience – Linked to creativity, innovation: importance of fact that creative individuals open to both positive and negative emotion – Myth of the creative hero – Regional variation: very high in western U.S. 3

• Conscientiousness – Excellent predictor of successful outcomes in workplace and in health – One exception? Jazz musicians • Extraversion – Need stimulation to reach optimal arousal levels (implications for caffeine consumption and crime rates – Lower risk aversion – U.S. state with the highest extraversion? • North Dakota (the Fargo factor?) 4

• Agreeableness – Relation to commons dilemmas. Highly agreeable individuals more sensitive to commons. Highly extraverted individuals are less sensitive. – Individuals low in agreeableness at much greater risk for health problems, particularly cardiovascular problems di l bl • Neuroticism – High levels of neuroticism much greater risk aversion (low threshold for detecting punishment cues). Especially so in neurotic introverts – Stability (low N) associated with greater resiliency 5

Personal Action and Flourishing • Personal Projects: – Extended sets of personally salient action in context – They can be measured through a suite of assessment devices (PPA) – Human well ‐ being arises from the sustainable pursuit of core personal projects • Not so much the “pursuit of happiness” as “the happiness of pursuit” • Sustainable pursuit of core projects involves – Internal, regulatory skills and resources – External, social ecological skills and resources (including economic factors) – Optimal development is based on an accurate reading of eco ‐ system resources and constraints • The positive tilt debate. 6

A Social Ecological Model of Well Being • Person Attributes: Stable, Mutable • Contextual Attributes: Stable, Mutable • Personal Projects • Quality of Life (Optimal Functioning) – Health, happiness, SBW, sustainable human development, “hard indicators” Examples of the Content of Personal Projects • Get my pilot’s license • “loose” ten pounds “l ” t d • getting a water bed tti t b d • be a better Druid • going to Colorado • repair my guilt • going to the Bahamas • repair my quilt • getting out of debt • maybe apologizing to y p g g my brother 7

• become more • Continue to “grow” as a extraverted extraverted person and find person and find contentment in • come to terms with my everyday life stance on religion and its relevance in my life • letting my fingernails grow • build a cabin in the woods woods • spending at least 1/2 • Singing with friends hour a day with pet hour a day with pet • sitting back and itti b k d budgie enjoying the music • Get my cat house ‐ • playing with my dog trained • hugging my friends • Be sensitive to my • try to be more easy incontinent mother incontinent mother going 8

• Move to Las Vegas • Tell my sister to get rid of her sickening of her sickening • Get a job G t j b boyfriend • Think before saying something stupid • Give a talk to Carleton economics department economics department • Don’t give too many examples of personal projects 9

Assessment Modules for Personal Projects Analysis • Elicitation Module: What’s Up? • Appraisal Module: How’s it Going? 10

• Three Contextual Modules: – Primary context: Laddering Hows and Whys – Secondary context: Cross ‐ Impact Matrix – Tertiary context: Joint Cross ‐ Impact Matrix Five Factor Model of Project Appraisals and Well Being • Project Meaning: e.g. enjoyment, self ‐ identity j i j lf id i • Project Structure: e.g. initiation, control • Project Community: e.g. visibility, support • Project Efficacy: e.g. progress, competence • Project Stress: e.g. stress, difficulty j g , y 11

Projects Highest in Self ‐ Identity for Adolescents • Sports 8.14 • Reading 6.15 • Boy/girlfriend 8 45 • Boy/girlfriend 8.45 • Estate • Estate 6.04 6 04 • Sex 8.63 • Academic 5.65 • Spiritual 8.85 • Anti ‐ School 4.80 • Community 9.75 Intrapersonal Projects: A Paradox? • Intrapersonal projects and depressive affect • Intrapersonal projects and creativity • The origin of the self ‐ change project 12

Examples of Ad hoc Dimensions and Eco ‐ Settings Studied • Self identity: Voices in the classroom • Age you feel: Voices of mid ‐ life men • Studies of the elderly: Some surprising findings? • “South East Asian Immigrants” and “language difficulties” difficulties” • Pregnancy, entrepreneurs and “emotional support” • Facilitation of built environment on access to outdoor projects • Gender, connection and agency • Projects in Portugal: saudade and jubilation 13

Conclusions and Caveats • Optimal functioning comprises the sustainable pursuit of core projects: internal regulatory it f j t i t l l t skills and social ecological skills and affordances • Be careful about explicitly focusing on “happiness projects” pp p j • Fortuity and the unexpected good Happiness is Engagement 14

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