Psychology of happiness
LECTURE 1: THE SOCIAL ASPECTS OF HAPPINESS
BRIEF INTRO AND HAPPINESS FORMULA
Happiness…
provides energy
leads to lower blood pressure after a stressful event
leads to a better immune systes
leads to more tolerance for pain
Happy people lived about 7 years longer than unhappy people
C A N W E I NF LU EN C E OU R O WN H A PP I N ES S?
People thought that you could pursue this Had to live a certain way we lost this way for quite a while
because of Christianity, we should follow the rules of God. In another life we may become happy.
Thomas Jefferson believed that we could influence our own happiness again pursuit of happiness is seen as a
right.
H A P PI NE SS C OR R EL A T E S WI T H I N T E LL I G EN C E A ND A T T R A C T I V EN ES S
Intelligent people are happier
Attractive people are on average happier than unattractive people
Happiness also correlates with wealth wealthy nations are often happier (not a perfect correlation)
BE ST PR ED I C T OR I S: W H E R E A R E PE OP LE BOR N
1. Genes
a. Partly determine happiness (depression)
2. Life circumstances
a. Biggest bias: we think our life circumstances are more important than they are
i. If there is a change in our life circumstances: buying materialistic things to gain short term
happiness we don’t think about the long term happiness
3. Choices we make ourselves
PR ED I C T I NG E MO T I ON :
The intensity in which something will affect your happiness influences our decisions.
When it comes to the duration of our emotions: people think that their emotions will have a bigger effect than in reality
(example from students breaking up)
CORRELATION DOES NOT CAUSE CAUSATION!
H A P PI NE SS F OR MU LA
40% genes + 10-20% circumstances + 40-50% own choices
Doesn’t work on an individual level, it is about explained variance.
Is only stable in western democracies
They interact!
EXCLUSION HURTS
70-85% of what went well exercise will be something social.
Importance of social life:
Education level: .10 1%
Intelligence: .17 2.9%
Attractiveness: .11 1.2%
Income: .17 2.9%
Number of friends: .27 7.3%
Quantity vs quality of friends: they just
asked for a number here, so in this case
its about quantity, but quality is probably
more important.
T H E SO C I A L C OM PO NE N T O F H A PP I N ES S:
12
,People really dislike being excluded (ostricised) parts of brain that light up in a scanner are the same for social pain and
physical pain
3 stages of exclusion:
1. Pain
2. Pressure on fundamental needs such as the need to belong, autonomy/control
and self-worth
3. Repairing: do something to establish affiliation, or do something you are good
at.
For animals: if you are excluded from the group (not part of the heard) death sentance
People have wondered why the human brain developed in this way
The socail cortex (Dunbar) we live in bigger groups
As brain size inceases, so does the group size. Human group size as predicted by
Dunbar’s model comes out to about 150 (causal relationship)
Negotiating social environment is very difficult, physical environment is easier
GROUP SIZE AFFECTS OUR FUNCTIONING
I F Y OU C A N D O SO ME T H I N G A B OU T I T , T H EN DO I T , I F Y OU C A N ’T , T H E N ST OP WO R R Y I NG A BO UT I T !
5: immediate family, best friend(s), complete trust.
15: family, friend groups, work, sportsteam
50:
150: people you know
500: including vague acquaintances
1500: matching name/face
Different now with social media?
We spend 20% of our time socially. 60% of this time we spend with the
immediate 5 usually relaxing
40-50% of our happiness is determined by the choices we make.
Things in a group that make us happy:
Laugh
Dance
Exercise
Music
Synchrony
(SMALL) SOCIAL CONTACT MAKES US HAPPY
Commuters are approached on the platform and asked:
1. Please talk to a fellow passenger
2. Please refrain from talking to a fellow passenger
3. Nothing – control group
They all received an envelope with a brief questionnaire that they
were asked to complete and send afterwards. One question was
‘how happy are you?’
So why aren’t we doing this?
Commuters are approached on the platform and asked:
1. How would you feel after striking up a conversation with a
fellow traveller.
2. How would you feel after not striking up a conversation with a
fellow traveller.
3. Control group.
13
, We are happier when we talk to people, but we think we will be less happy is the same amount of happiness
when we start the conversations/ when others start the conversation
We also think others don’t want a conversation
We are also happier when others start a conversation
Subway, bus, taxi etc.
Shops
GIVING MAKES YOU HAPPY
Which part of your incomes goes to:
1. Rent, mortgage, bills, etc.
2. Things for yourself
3. Things for others
4. Donations, charity
The more we spend on others, the happier we are
(no diff erence between poor or rich people)
making other people happy makes us happier
You are given 20 euros and you are asked:
1. To buy something for yourself, or
2. To buy something for a good friend.
What do you think would make you happier?
They are contacted in the evening:
What actually makes you happier? buying something for someone else
This is also seen in children when they share something they smile more this does have to be taught to children, so
when they learn this, they are often happier
BEING PART OF SOMETHING BIG MAKES YOU HAPPY
India: they bathe in the holy rivers (100 million people) if you are part of a human gathering (symbolic function or
something you can identify with) it has a profound effect on your happiness.
TRUST MAKES YOU HAPPY
There is a strong correlation between wealth and happiness of countries
Happiest countries are relatively stable western democracies
Trust in others is the single most important determinant of happiness when
comparing countries
Degree to which people trust the “system” is also
VERY important
IF YOU LOSE YOUR WALLET,
BEST DO IT IN SWITZERLAND
In what degree do you trust other people?
Happier countries are more trustworthy in
general
14
LECTURE 1: THE SOCIAL ASPECTS OF HAPPINESS
BRIEF INTRO AND HAPPINESS FORMULA
Happiness…
provides energy
leads to lower blood pressure after a stressful event
leads to a better immune systes
leads to more tolerance for pain
Happy people lived about 7 years longer than unhappy people
C A N W E I NF LU EN C E OU R O WN H A PP I N ES S?
People thought that you could pursue this Had to live a certain way we lost this way for quite a while
because of Christianity, we should follow the rules of God. In another life we may become happy.
Thomas Jefferson believed that we could influence our own happiness again pursuit of happiness is seen as a
right.
H A P PI NE SS C OR R EL A T E S WI T H I N T E LL I G EN C E A ND A T T R A C T I V EN ES S
Intelligent people are happier
Attractive people are on average happier than unattractive people
Happiness also correlates with wealth wealthy nations are often happier (not a perfect correlation)
BE ST PR ED I C T OR I S: W H E R E A R E PE OP LE BOR N
1. Genes
a. Partly determine happiness (depression)
2. Life circumstances
a. Biggest bias: we think our life circumstances are more important than they are
i. If there is a change in our life circumstances: buying materialistic things to gain short term
happiness we don’t think about the long term happiness
3. Choices we make ourselves
PR ED I C T I NG E MO T I ON :
The intensity in which something will affect your happiness influences our decisions.
When it comes to the duration of our emotions: people think that their emotions will have a bigger effect than in reality
(example from students breaking up)
CORRELATION DOES NOT CAUSE CAUSATION!
H A P PI NE SS F OR MU LA
40% genes + 10-20% circumstances + 40-50% own choices
Doesn’t work on an individual level, it is about explained variance.
Is only stable in western democracies
They interact!
EXCLUSION HURTS
70-85% of what went well exercise will be something social.
Importance of social life:
Education level: .10 1%
Intelligence: .17 2.9%
Attractiveness: .11 1.2%
Income: .17 2.9%
Number of friends: .27 7.3%
Quantity vs quality of friends: they just
asked for a number here, so in this case
its about quantity, but quality is probably
more important.
T H E SO C I A L C OM PO NE N T O F H A PP I N ES S:
12
,People really dislike being excluded (ostricised) parts of brain that light up in a scanner are the same for social pain and
physical pain
3 stages of exclusion:
1. Pain
2. Pressure on fundamental needs such as the need to belong, autonomy/control
and self-worth
3. Repairing: do something to establish affiliation, or do something you are good
at.
For animals: if you are excluded from the group (not part of the heard) death sentance
People have wondered why the human brain developed in this way
The socail cortex (Dunbar) we live in bigger groups
As brain size inceases, so does the group size. Human group size as predicted by
Dunbar’s model comes out to about 150 (causal relationship)
Negotiating social environment is very difficult, physical environment is easier
GROUP SIZE AFFECTS OUR FUNCTIONING
I F Y OU C A N D O SO ME T H I N G A B OU T I T , T H EN DO I T , I F Y OU C A N ’T , T H E N ST OP WO R R Y I NG A BO UT I T !
5: immediate family, best friend(s), complete trust.
15: family, friend groups, work, sportsteam
50:
150: people you know
500: including vague acquaintances
1500: matching name/face
Different now with social media?
We spend 20% of our time socially. 60% of this time we spend with the
immediate 5 usually relaxing
40-50% of our happiness is determined by the choices we make.
Things in a group that make us happy:
Laugh
Dance
Exercise
Music
Synchrony
(SMALL) SOCIAL CONTACT MAKES US HAPPY
Commuters are approached on the platform and asked:
1. Please talk to a fellow passenger
2. Please refrain from talking to a fellow passenger
3. Nothing – control group
They all received an envelope with a brief questionnaire that they
were asked to complete and send afterwards. One question was
‘how happy are you?’
So why aren’t we doing this?
Commuters are approached on the platform and asked:
1. How would you feel after striking up a conversation with a
fellow traveller.
2. How would you feel after not striking up a conversation with a
fellow traveller.
3. Control group.
13
, We are happier when we talk to people, but we think we will be less happy is the same amount of happiness
when we start the conversations/ when others start the conversation
We also think others don’t want a conversation
We are also happier when others start a conversation
Subway, bus, taxi etc.
Shops
GIVING MAKES YOU HAPPY
Which part of your incomes goes to:
1. Rent, mortgage, bills, etc.
2. Things for yourself
3. Things for others
4. Donations, charity
The more we spend on others, the happier we are
(no diff erence between poor or rich people)
making other people happy makes us happier
You are given 20 euros and you are asked:
1. To buy something for yourself, or
2. To buy something for a good friend.
What do you think would make you happier?
They are contacted in the evening:
What actually makes you happier? buying something for someone else
This is also seen in children when they share something they smile more this does have to be taught to children, so
when they learn this, they are often happier
BEING PART OF SOMETHING BIG MAKES YOU HAPPY
India: they bathe in the holy rivers (100 million people) if you are part of a human gathering (symbolic function or
something you can identify with) it has a profound effect on your happiness.
TRUST MAKES YOU HAPPY
There is a strong correlation between wealth and happiness of countries
Happiest countries are relatively stable western democracies
Trust in others is the single most important determinant of happiness when
comparing countries
Degree to which people trust the “system” is also
VERY important
IF YOU LOSE YOUR WALLET,
BEST DO IT IN SWITZERLAND
In what degree do you trust other people?
Happier countries are more trustworthy in
general
14
