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New Findings On Happiness Ed Diener First World Congress on Positive Psychology

New Findings On Happiness Ed Diener First World Congress on Positive Psychology Philadelphia, USA June, 2009. WELCOME! First World Congress of Positive Psychology. Subjective Well-Being “Happiness ” Myths New Directions. Themes Today. Adaptation is often partial

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New Findings On Happiness Ed Diener First World Congress on Positive Psychology

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  1. New Findings On Happiness Ed Diener First World Congress on Positive Psychology Philadelphia, USA June, 2009

  2. WELCOME!FirstWorld Congress of PositivePsychology

  3. Subjective Well-Being“Happiness”MythsNew Directions

  4. Themes Today • Adaptation is often partial • Circumstances matter • Happiness is not a single thing -- Wanting versus liking • Outcomes of well-being are as important as the causes

  5. 5. Cultural Differences5:30 Today -- Collected Works of Ed Diener3 VolumesSpringer Publishing

  6. Adaptation is often partial, not complete

  7. The Brickman and Campbell Myths • Lottery winners no “happier” • Spinal cord injured no less happy

  8. Lottery Winners Brickman and Campbell Smith and Razzell Oswald and Winkelman

  9. Life Satisfaction and 100 Percent Disability (Rich Lucas)

  10. Daily Moods of 20-year Old “Harry”

  11. Also There are LargeIndividual Differences in Adaptation!

  12. Adaptation to Marriage (Lucas)

  13. Implications Huge individual differences: e.g., Marriage Paraplegia etc. What people do and think matters Positive psychology is in business!

  14. An implication of incomplete adaptation:2. Circumstances are Important to Well-being

  15. We must have Positive Organizations & Institutions!

  16. The Power of the Situation • Milgram; Zimbardo • Good Samaritan studies • Societal differences

  17. 3. Happiness is NOT a Single Thing

  18. “Germs” • Viruses • Parasites • Molds • Bacteria

  19. World Countries & Positive Affect World Countries & Negative Affect 0.00 to 0.65 0.00 to 0.20 0.65 to 0.75 0.20 to 0.25 0.75 to 0.86 0.25 to 0.41 No data No data

  20. National Predictors of Well-Being Life SatisfactionPositive Engagement Income Social support Conveniences Learning & flow Basic needs Public trust

  21. Does Money Make Us “Happy”?

  22. Declining Marginal Utility of Money

  23. Wanting Vs. Liking • Money is across the world substantially associated with life satisfaction, r = .44 • Is only weakly correlated with Positive Feelings, r = .17

  24. Examples of Wanting Vs. Liking(Berridge) • Drug addiction • Jack

  25. “Jack”

  26. Materialists Happiness is having what we want Positive Psychologists Happiness is liking what we have

  27. Wanting Versus Liking-- Two Types of “Happiness” • Having what one wants • Life Satisfaction • Liking what one has • Positive feelings

  28. Ed: Learning to Desire What He Will Like • Enjoyment Hiking & swimming, data analyses, family & friends, reading, new research ideas, movies • Should Ed? Be APA president, be a dean, be a department head

  29. Lesson for Positive Psychologists Learn to desire what you will like having Educate others about this!

  30. Why Do We Want Money? • Basic needs • Status and self-esteem • Advertising

  31. 4. Outcomes of Well-Being Is it functional to be happy? -- There are skeptics!

  32. Benefits of Well-being: • Social Relationships • Health • Work • Spirituality

  33. Happinss and Social Success:Headed for Divorce?

  34. Ed & Carol 40 years later

  35. Psychologists Happy live about 5 years longer (Sarah Pressman)

  36. Work • Higher income • Creativity • Better organizational citizens

  37. SpiritualityGeorge Vaillant Positive feelings that connect people to things larger than themselves Love, affection Wonder, awe Gratitude Respect

  38. Professor Evelyn Satinoff • I don’t care if my kids are happy • I want them to achieve a lot and help the world!

  39. Well-Being is Good for People Beyond Just Feeling Good • Relationships • Health • Work Success • Citizenship • Spirituality

  40. Too Happy? Are negative feelings ever beneficial? Can someone be too “happy”?

  41. 1. Take-Home MessageBenefits of Well-Being • Well-being aids effective functioning! • Issue: Can we be too happy? What is the optimal level?

  42. 2. Take-Home MessagePartial Adaptation We do not completely adapt to everything! Societies and organizations matter to well-being and positive psychology! We need to examine individual differences, not just averages!

  43. 3. Take-Home MessageDiverse Types of Well-Being “Happiness” is NOT one thing Differentiate the types! Getting rid of negative feelings is not the same as getting positive feelings Money more related to wanting than liking (Satisfaction versus positive feelings) Educating people to desire what they will like

  44. Thank You!!! Questions? Discussion?

  45. Promising Future Directions A. Optimal levels of well-being B. Speeding and slowing adaptation C. Moving beyond averages “Does marriage increase well- being?” When, who, why D. What creates wanting versus liking?

  46. Complete Wealth Social Support Trust Security/safety Trust Personal Mastery & strengths Virtues Life satisfaction Positive feelings Positive spirituality No chronic negative

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