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

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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

• f 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.

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• 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 bli l ti hi hi ll d

• blique relations among hierarchically arranged

components

• When we measure aspects of flourishing how

d h l t t lit ? do such measures relate to personality?

• 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).

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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.

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• 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?)

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• 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 di l bl cardiovascular problems

• 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

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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.

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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

“l ” t d

• Get my pilot’s license

tti t b d

• “loose” ten pounds
• be a better Druid
• repair my guilt
• repair my quilt
• maybe apologizing to
• getting a water bed
• going to Colorado
• going to the Bahamas
• getting out of debt

y p g g my brother

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• become more

extraverted

• Continue to “grow” as a

person and find extraverted

• come to terms with my

stance on religion and its relevance in my life

• build a cabin in the

woods person and find contentment in everyday life

• letting my fingernails

grow woods

• spending at least 1/2

hour a day with pet

• Singing with friends

itti b k d hour a day with pet budgie

• Get my cat house‐

trained

• Be sensitive to my

incontinent mother

• sitting back and

enjoying the music

• playing with my dog
• hugging my friends
• try to be more easy

incontinent mother going

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• Move to Las Vegas

G t j b

• Tell my sister to get rid
• f her sickening
• Get a job
• f her sickening

boyfriend

• Think before saying

something stupid

• Give a talk to Carleton

economics department economics department

• Don’t give too many

examples of personal projects

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Assessment Modules for Personal Projects Analysis

• Elicitation Module: What’s Up?
• Appraisal Module: How’s it Going?

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• 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

j i j lf id i

• Project Meaning: e.g. enjoyment, self‐identity
• 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

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Projects Highest in Self‐Identity for Adolescents

• Sports 8.14
• Boy/girlfriend 8 45
• Reading

6.15

• Estate

6 04

• Boy/girlfriend 8.45
• Sex

8.63

• Spiritual 8.85
• Community 9.75
• Estate

6.04

• Academic

5.65

• Anti‐School

4.80

Intrapersonal Projects: A Paradox?

• Intrapersonal projects and depressive affect
• Intrapersonal projects and creativity
• The origin of the self‐change project

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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
• utdoor projects
• Gender, connection and agency
• Projects in Portugal: saudade and jubilation

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Conclusions and Caveats

• Optimal functioning comprises the sustainable

it f j t i t l l t pursuit of core projects: internal regulatory 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

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