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Negative versus positive topics in psychology journal articles 1887 into 2005
108,643 on “depression”
27,689 on “fear”
282,905 on “treatment”
5,048 on “happiness”
1,253 on “courage
48,094 on “prevention”
Seligman’s “three pillars”
of positive psychology:
• Positive subjective well-being– life satisfaction/happiness/optimism
• Positive strengths and virtues– creativity/courage/compassion/integrity/wisdom/self-control/spirituality
• Positive institutions– healthy families/neighborhoods/schools/media
A more positive psychology for the twenty-first century?
PsychINFO Citations of Well- Being, Life Satisfaction, or Happiness, per year
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
70 75 80 85 90 95 '00 '06
What Is “Subjective Well-Being”?
1. Feeling happy: “Taken all together, how would you say things are these days — would you say you are very happy, pretty happy, or not too happy?”
What Is “Subjective Well-Being”?
2. Thinking life is satisfying: “How satisfied are you with your life as a whole these days?”
Subjective Well-Being916 Surveys in 45 Nations
1.501.50
160160
140140
120120
100100
8080
6060
4040
2020
00
Average = 6.75Average = 6.75on 0 to 10 scaleon 0 to 10 scale
2.002.002.502.50
3.003.003.503.50
4.004.004.504.50
5.005.005.505.50
6.006.006.506.50
7.007.007.507.50
8.008.008.508.50
10,126 momentary moods reported by 226 SMU students (Watson, 2000)
4.50%
17.30%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
Negative Emotions Positive Emotions
% of Time Average Emotion Felt "Very Much" or "Extremely"
Can we trust these self-reports?• Are happy people “in denial”?• The happiness thermometers may read a little high,
yet . . .• Self-report measures are:
– reliable– correlated with experience samplings– correlated with positive indicators– correlated with others’ reports– the only measures of subjective well-being
Percent “Satisfied” or “Very Satisfied” with Life as a Whole
Age group
00
2020
4040
6060
8080
100100
15- 2415- 24 25- 3425- 34 35- 4435- 44 45- 5445- 54 55- 6455- 64 65+65+
PercentPercent
1. Young, Middle-Aged,or Old?
A. Changing emotions
B. Threats to well-being?Mid-life crises and empty nests
Marital Satisfaction and the Family Life Cycle
British studyBritish study
MarriedMarriedwithoutwithoutchildrenchildren
Child-Child-bearingbearing
Pre-school Pre-school children, children, oldest 5oldest 5
SchoolSchoolchildrenchildrenoldestoldest5-125-12
Teenagers Teenagers oldestoldest12-1612-16
First child First child gone to last gone to last
leavingleavinghomehome
EmptyEmptynest to nest to
retirementretirement
EmptyEmptynest tonest to
death of death of first spousefirst spouse
5656
5555
5454
5353
5252
5151
5050
4949
4848
4747
4646
Blood-WolfeBlood-Wolfe
Locke-Locke-WallaceWallace
Rollins-Rollins-FeldmanFeldman
Sat
isfa
ctio
nS
atis
fact
ion
Gender and Well-Being in Sixteen Nations
00
2020
4040
6060
8080
100100
SatisfiedSatisfied Very happyVery happy
MalesMales
FemalesFemales
PercentPercent
Pooled data from 169,776 Pooled data from 169,776 interviews.interviews.
Selected Disorders, by Sex
Data from M. Argyle, 1987.
00101020203030404050506060707080809090
100100
DepressionDepression SchizophreniaSchizophrenia AlcoholismAlcoholism
MalesMales
FemalesFemalesPercentPercent
Psychological disordersPsychological disorders
73%
25%
2%0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Yes, happier No, not happier No opinion
“Would you be happier if you made more money?”(Gallup Survey, July, 2006)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
Develop a meaningful philosophy of life
Be very well off financially
% “Very important or essential”
Subjective Well-Being of 82 Countries(Combined happiness and life satisfaction, from
1999-2001 World Values Surveys reported by R. Inglehart, 2004)
• Puerto Rico• Mexico• Denmark• Ireland• Iceland• Switzerland • Northern Ireland• Columbia • Netherlands . . .• . . . USA (#15), UK (#25)
• . . . Bulgaria• Belarus• Georgia• Romania• Moldova• Russia• Armenia• Ukraine• Zimbabwe• Indonesia
Australian Living Standards Survey, 1991-1992(percent reporting high life satisfaction)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Household Income Deciles
Americans “very happy” (NORC, 2004)
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
<$20,000 $20k-$50k $50k-$90k >$90k
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
very bad bad satisfactory good very good
quality of life
pe
rce
nta
ge
of
pa
tie
nts
ALS patients (from Kübler et al, 2005)
$0
$4,000
$8,000
$12,000
$16,000
$20,000
$24,000
$28,000
1957 1965 1973 1981 1989 1997 2005
Personal income(in 2000 $)
% Homes withAir Conditioning
00
2020
4040
6060
8080
100100
19601960 20012001
1515
7676
PercentPercent
$0
$4,000
$8,000
$12,000
$16,000
$20,000
$24,000
$28,000
1957 1965 1973 1981 1989 1997 20050%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Personal income(in 2000 $)
Very happy (%)
17%
20%
24%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
% Yes
1957 1976 1996
(from ISR and NORC surveys of Americans, adjusted for demographic changes)
"Have you ever felt that you were going to have a nervous breakdown?"
Teens from affluent families suffer elevated rates of
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Substance use
• Eating disorders
(related to achievement pressures and isolation from adults, suggests one analysis)
China’s households, 1994 and 2004 (Gallup nationwide surveys)
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
ColorTV
Refrig Landlinephone
Mobilephone
19942004
Chinese satisfaction, 1994 and 2004 (“How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the
way things are going in your life today?”)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
1994 1997 1999 2004
SatisfiedDissatisfied
Redefining Progress
(1) Progress = standard of living
= material well-being
= unsustainable development
(2) Progress = quality of life= total well-being (physical, mental,
social and spiritual)= sustainable development
The Traits of Happy People
A. Self-esteem: Happy peoplelike themselves
– Self-serving bias
– Self-esteem and happiness in stigmatized groups
The Traits of Happy People
C. Optimism: Happy peopleare hope-filled
D. Extraversion: Happy peopleare outgoing
Day by Day Well-Being of Introvertedand Extroverted University Students
Neutral
HappyHappy
00
1.01.0
1.51.5
2.02.0
3.03.0
2.52.5
MonMon.. TuesTues.. Weds.Weds. ThursThurs.. Fri.Fri. Sat.Sat. Sun.Sun.
0.50.5
ExtrovertsExtroverts
Introverts
Percent “Very Happy” among Married and Never Married Americans (NORC surveys, 1972-2004)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
72 76 80 84 88 92 96 '02
Married
Never married
% Very Happy(NORC: N = 23,076, 1972-2004)
57.6
11.15
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Marriage Very Happy Marriage Pretty Happy Marriage Not Too Happy
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Men Women
Per
cen
t V
ery
Hap
py
Married
Never marriedSeparated
Divorced
Faith and Happiness
• Freud: Religion as sickness
• C. S. Lewis: “Joy is the serious business of heaven”
Spirituality and Happiness
From Gallup survey of adult Americans.From Gallup survey of adult Americans.
00
2020
4040
6060
8080
100100
LowLow HighHigh
Percent “very Percent “very happy”happy”
Spiritual commitmentSpiritual commitment
% Very Happy and Religious Attendance (n=42,845, NORC, 1972-2004)
26%29%
31%
36%39%
47%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
Never Severaltime per
year
Monthly+ NearlyWeekly
Weekly Severaltimes
weekly
What Faith Offers
1. Social support (religio = to bind together)
2. Meaning and purpose
3. Ultimate acceptance
4. Focus beyond self
5. Eternal perspective
How to Feel Better1. Realize: enduring happiness doesn’t come from making
it
2. Savor the moment
3. Take control of your time
4. Act happy
5. Seek work and leisure that engage your skills
6. Join the movement movement
7. Get REST
8. Give priority to close relationships
9. Count your blessings—keep a gratitude journal
10. Take care of the soul