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Emotional Prosperity Invited BJIR Annual Lecture at LSE, 2009 Andrew Oswald

This lecture discusses the evolving field of social science, particularly the study of mental well-being and its impact on individuals and nations. It highlights research findings from various statistical sources and explores the potential for creating happier societies. The lecture also emphasizes the link between mental well-being and physical health.

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Emotional Prosperity Invited BJIR Annual Lecture at LSE, 2009 Andrew Oswald

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  1. Emotional Prosperity Invited BJIR Annual Lecture at LSE, 2009 Andrew Oswald I would like to acknowledge that much of this work is joint with coauthors Andrew Clark, Nick Powdthavee, David G. Blanchflower, Rainer Winkelmann, and Steve Wu. I thank Andrew Steptoe, Francis Green, Justin Wolfers and Helen Urry for valuable discussions and for their kind permission to use certain later graphics. My research is supported by an ESRC professorship.

  2. Social science is changing

  3. Social science is changing Researchers are studying mental well-being.

  4. Social science is changing Researchers are studying mental well-being. We are drawing closer to psychology and medicine.

  5. Using random samples from many nations: Researchers try to understand what influences the psychological wellbeing of (i) individuals (ii) nations.

  6. Is modern society going in a sensible direction?

  7. The types of statistical sources General Social Survey of the USA British Household Panel Study (BHPS) German Socioeconomic Panel Australian HILDA Panel Eurobarometer Surveys Labour Force Survey from the UK World Values Surveys NCDS 1958 cohort BRFSS

  8. Regression equations Mental well-being = f(Age, gender, education level, income, marital status, friendship networks, region, year…)

  9. Could we perhaps learn …

  10. ..how to make whole countries happier?

  11. Preferably without relying on implausibly good fortune:

  12. England 8 Brazil 0

  13. Stiglitz-Sen-Fitoussi Report • Bina AGARWAL University of Delhi • Anthony B. ATKINSON Warden of Nuffield College • François BOURGUIGNON School of Economics, • Jean-Philippe COTIS Insee, • Angus S. DEATON Princeton University • Kemal DERVIS UNPD • Marc FLEURBAEY Université Paris 5 • Nancy FOLBRE University of Massachussets • Jean GADREY Université Lille • Enrico GIOVANNINI OECD • Roger GUESNERIE Collège de France • James J. HECKMAN Chicago University • Geoffrey HEAL Columbia University • Claude HENRY Sciences-Po/Columbia University • Daniel KAHNEMAN Princeton University • Alan B. KRUEGER Princeton University • Andrew J. OSWALD University of Warwick • Robert D. PUTNAM Harvard University • Nick STERN London School of Economics • Cass SUNSTEIN University of Chicago • Philippe WEIL Sciences Po

  14. Stiglitz Report 2009 www.stiglitz-sen-fitoussi.fr

  15. The Stiglitz Commission Report • advocates a shift of emphasis from a “production-oriented” measurement system … toward broader measures of social progress.

  16. Some cheery news:

  17. Some cheery news: In Western nations, most people seem happy with their lives

  18. Some cheery news: In Western nations, most people seem happy with their lives

  19. The distribution of life-satisfaction levels among British people Source: BHPS, 1997-2003. N = 74,481

  20. From the U.S. General Social Survey (sample size 40,000 Americans approx.) • “Taken all together, how would you say things are these days - would you say that you are very happy, pretty happy, or not too happy?”

  21. Typical GHQ mental-strain questions

  22. Typical GHQ mental-strain questions Have you recently: Lost much sleep over worry? Felt constantly under strain? Felt you could not overcome your difficulties? Been feeling unhappy and depressed? Been losing confidence in yourself? Been thinking of yourself as a worthless person? Been able to enjoy your normal day-to-day activities?

  23. The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS) • I’ve been feeling optimistic about the future • I’ve been feeling interested in other people • I’ve had energy to spare • I’ve been thinking clearly • I’ve been feeling good about myself • I’ve been feeling confident • I’ve been able to make up my own mind • I’ve been feeling loved • I’ve been feeling cheerful

  24. Happiness and mental well-being are of interest in themselves.

  25. But, more broadly, there seem to be deep links between mind and body.

  26. Author(s): Ebrecht M, Hextall J, Kirtley LG, Taylor A, Dyson M, Weinman J PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY     Volume: 29    Issue: 6    Pages: 798-809    Published: JUL 2004

  27. “Every subject received a standard 4mm-punch biopsy, and the healing progress was monitored via high-resolution ultrasound scanning.”

  28. “Every subject received a standard 4mm-punch biopsy, and the healing progress was monitored via high-resolution ultrasound scanning.”

  29. Ebrecht et al 2004 • The overall results showed a significant negative correlation between speed of wound healing and GHQ scores (r = -.59; p < .01)

  30. In other words, happier human beings heal more quickly.

  31. A more recent paper

  32. A more recent paper “Enhanced wound healing after emotional disclosure intervention” Weinman, Ebrecht et al BRITISH JOURNAL OF HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY    Volume: 13    Pages: 95-102    Part: Part 1    Published: FEB 2008

  33. Participants who wrote about traumatic events had significantly smaller wounds 14 and 21 days after the biopsy compared with those who wrote about time management.

  34. We need to understand these interconnections better.

  35. How has the modern work on the economics of happiness proceeded?

  36. The London School of Economics itself has played a prominent historical role in these issues.

  37. Prof. Lionel Robbins

  38. Prof. Lionel Robbins

  39. Prof. Lionel Robbins He was influential in dissuading economists from studying mental well-being. He worked at LSE for 30 years. "Interpersonal Comparisons of Utility: A Comment", 1938, Economic Journal.

  40. Eventually the intellectual tide turned. [One reason was a meeting near here]

  41. 1993: Lionel Robbins Building

  42. 1993: Lionel Robbins Building The first economics-of-happiness conference was held. A central person was Andrew Clark, then a PhD student at LSE.

  43. Our 1993 economics-of-happiness conference, 50 metres from here, was of course a great success?

  44. Our 1993 economics-of-happiness conference, 50 metres from here, was of course a great success? Well, no.

  45. The conference at 10.30am before it filled up.

  46. The conference at 10.30am before it filled up. • The conference at 11.30am after it filled up.

  47. 10 people came. Unfortunately, that included the international speakers whom we had asked to give keynote addresses.

  48. Where the lecture is going next: Various questions

  49. Question #1

  50. Question #1 In the coming century, should our society’s goal be ‘happiness’ rather than GDP?

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