The Psycholog
yof
Happiness
#2
Dinners
with theRe
ader
www.theseymourreader.com
LOOKING
WHERETHE
LIGHTISGOOD
Ed Diener
Martin Seligman
We finally can do itScientists can measure people’s happiness.
We’ve always meant to do it
So let’s do it!Therefore, happiness should be a primary policy focus.
Happiness is the goal of public policy.
The big ideaUnified,
comprehensive science of happiness
Policies to increase
public happiness
Scientists can measure people’s happiness.
Happiness is the goal of public policy.
Therefore, happiness should be a primary policy focus.
The Philoso
phyof
Happiness
Scientists can measure people’s happiness.
Happiness is the goal of public policy.
Therefore, happiness should be a primary policy focus.
The Economicsof Happiness
16 April
Scientists can measure people’s happiness.
Happiness is the goal of public policy.
Therefore, happiness should be a primary policy focus.
The Psychologyof
Happiness
LOOKING
WHERETHE
LIGHTISGOOD
The Psychologyof
Happiness
Scientists can measure people’s happiness.
The Psychologyof
Happiness
Limits of measurement
Limits of scientific objectivity
Limits of democratic neutrality
These limits compromise this goal
Limits of measurement
Limits of scientific objectivity
Limits of democratic neutrality
Unified, comprehensive
science of happiness
Scientists can measure people’s happiness.
Scientists can measure people’s happiness.Subjective Well-Being (SWB)
Subjective Well-Being (SWB)
SATISFACTION
PLEASURE
Subjective Well-Being (SWB)
PLEASUREDaniel Kahneman
INTE
NSI
TY
DURATION
INTE
NSI
TYDURATION
Choose Your Colonoscopy!
Daniel Kahneman
Choose Your Colonoscopy!IN
TEN
SITY
DURATION
#1
INTE
NSI
TYDURATION
#2
Choose Your Colonoscopy!IN
TEN
SITY
DURATION
#1
INTE
NSI
TYDURATION
#2
Less momentary pain
More highly rated
Choose Your Colonoscopy!IN
TEN
SITY
DURATION
#1
INTE
NSI
TYDURATION
#2
The experiencing self
Choose Your Colonoscopy!IN
TEN
SITY
DURATION
#1
INTE
NSI
TYDURATION
#2
The experiencing self
The remembering self
DURATION
DESI
RE T
O S
TOP
The experiencing self
DURATION
DESI
RE T
O S
TOP
The experiencing self
DURATION
DESI
RE T
O S
TOP
“Objective Unhappiness”
The experiencing self
DURATION
The experiencing selfDE
SIRE
TO
CO
NTI
NU
E
“Objective Happiness”
DURATION
DESI
RE T
O S
TOP
Peak-End Rule
The remembering self
DURATION
DESI
RE T
O S
TOP
“Subjective Unhappiness”
The remembering self
DURATION
The remembering selfDE
SIRE
TO
CO
NTI
NU
E
“Subjective Happiness”
Choose Your Colonoscopy!IN
TEN
SITY
DURATION
INTE
NSI
TYDURATION
The experiencing self
The remembering self
Choose Your Colonoscopy!IN
TEN
SITY
DURATION
INTE
NSI
TYDURATION
The experiencing self
The remembering self
Lower Objective Unhappiness
Lower Subjective Unhappiness
Choose Your Colonoscopy!IN
TEN
SITY
DURATION
INTE
NSI
TYDURATION
The experiencing self
The remembering self
Lower Objective Unhappiness
Lower Subjective Unhappiness
AREA!
SHAPE!
The experiencing self
The remembering self
The experiencing selfWHAT HAPPINESS
REALLY IS
“Objective Happiness Theory”
DURATION
DESI
RE T
O C
ON
TIN
UE
“Objective Happiness Theory”
The Area Under the
Curve
DURATION
DESI
RE T
O C
ON
TIN
UE
Scientists can measure people’s happiness.Subjective Well-Being (SWB)
ADD
ADDJeremy Bentham
Subjective Well-Being (SWB)
PLEASUREDaniel Kahneman
Subjective Well-Being (SWB)
Ed Diener
SATISFACTION
Subjective Well-Being (SWB)States of Mind:
SATISFACTIONEd Diener
Domain satisfactionGlobal satisfactionPositive emotion
Positive mood
Experience-Sampling MethodHow intense are your positive emotional experiences?
How frequent are your positive emotional experiences?
How happy
are you?
Greater correlation with global measures
DURATION
INTE
NSI
TYFrequency is #1
Subjective Well-Being (SWB)States of Mind:
SATISFACTIONEd Diener
Domain satisfactionGlobal satisfactionPositive emotion
Positive mood
• 7 - Strongly agree • 6 - Agree • 5 - Slightly agree • 4 - Neither agree nor disagree • 3 - Slightly disagree • 2 - Disagree • 1 - Strongly disagree
____ In most ways my life is close to my ideal
____ The conditions of my life are excellent.
____ I am satisfied with my life.
____ So far I have gotten the important things I want in life.
____ If I could live my life over, I would change almost nothing.
The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS)
Limits of measurement
Limits of scientific objectivity
Limits of democratic neutrality
Limits of measurement
Norbert Schwarz
Fritz Strack
What happens when you ask people how happy they are?
Taking all things together, how happy would you say you are these days?
Very happy
Pretty happy
Not too happy
Context-independentJUDGMENT
Context-independent
REPORT
Taking all things together, how happy would you say you are these days?
Very happy
Pretty happy
Not too happy Context-independent
REPORT
How “should” I answer?To whom do I answer?
Who is visible when I answer?
Taking all things together, how happy would you say you are these days?
Very happy
Pretty happy
Not too happy
Context-independentJUDGMENT
Default: current mood
Taking all things together, how happy would you say you are these days?
Very happy
Pretty happy
Not too happy
Context-independentJUDGMENT
Default: current moodLife items compared
Life “these days” …
… does this fall inside … or outside?
Taking all things together, how happy would you say you are these days?
Very happy
Pretty happy
Not too happy
Context-independentJUDGMENT
Default: current moodLife items compared
Survey factors
1.How many dates have you had recently?
2.How happy are you these days?
1.How happy are you these days?
2.How many dates have you had recently?
Taking all things together, how happy would you say you are these days?
Very happy
Pretty happy
Not too happy
Why is this so hard?
Taking all things together, how happy would you say you are these days?
Very happy
Pretty happy
Not too happy
My hypothesis
The Very Earnest
Happ
ines
s
Some other thing
Of Very Serious ThingsOften =current mood + survey design + reporting norms
How happy are you?
Subjective Well-Being (SWB)
ADD
ADD
Limits of measurement
ADD
ADD
Limits of measurement
Concept
Limits of measurement
Limits of scientific objectivity
Limits of democratic neutrality
Unified, comprehensive
science of happiness
Policies to increase
public happiness
Unification within
measures
Unification between measures
Unified, comprehensive
science of happiness
Unification within
measures
The AffectBalance Scale
The AffectBalance Scale
The AffectBalance Scale
Commensurability
Satisfaction With Life Scale
The Questions____ In most ways my life is close to my ideal. ____ The conditions of my life are excellent.____ I am satisfied with my life.____ So far I have gotten the important things I want in life.____ If I could live my life over, I would change almost nothing.
The Scores• 7 - Strongly agree • 6 - Agree • 5 - Slightly agree • 4 - Neither agree nor disagree • 3 - Slightly disagree • 2 - Disagree • 1 - Strongly disagree
Score from 5 to 35
Combination Commensurability
multi-dimensional
Satisfaction
Combination Commensurability Unification within
measures
multi-dimensional
Positive Affect
multi-dimensional
Unification between measures
Engagement
Satisfaction
Positive Affect
Pleasure
Combination Commensurability Unification within
measures
Unification between measures
Combination Commensurability Unification within
measuresThese issues will be different for
different people …
… because different people have different values.
Unification between measures
Combination Commensurability Unification within
measuresUnification is value-laden.
It is not strictly technical.
Combination Commensurability
Ed DienerMartin Seligman
Combination Commensurability
Seen as technical issues.
Ed DienerMartin Seligman
Unified, comprehensive
science of happiness
Policies to increase
public happiness
Unified, comprehensive
science of happiness Limits of scientific
objectivity
Policies to increase
public happiness
Limits of democratic neutrality
Ed Diener
Ed Diener
I am as happy as I think I am
Happiness is a state of mind
Content Criterion
I am as happy as I think I am
Happiness is a state of mind
Content CriterionLimits of democratic
neutrality
I am as happy as I think I am
Happiness is a state of mind
Content Criterion
These issues will be different for
different people …
… because different people have
different values.
Limits of democratic neutrality
Yes
No
Yes
No
I am as happy as I think I am
Happiness is a state of mind
Content Criterion
SWB is value-laden.
SWB is not strictly neutral.
Limits of democratic neutrality
Yes
No
Yes
No
Unified, comprehensive
science of happiness
Policies to increase
public happiness
Unified, comprehensive
science of happiness
Limits of measurement
Limits of scientific objectivity
Limits of democratic neutrality
These limits compromise this goal
The Psycholog
yof
Happiness
#2
Dinners
with theRe
ader
www.theseymourreader.com
LOOKING
WHERETHE
LIGHTISGOOD