Does Money Buy Happiness?

For this post I am going to be considering sections of the paper 'Who is Happy?' by Myers and Diener. Download the paper from here.

Certainly giving away the money can create happiness...read this...

From the paper:

"Although the correlation between income and happiness is not negative, it is modest..."

That depends surely on whether you KEEP the money or SPEND it - and if so, on what/whom?

"Psychologists have found that people who spend their money on simple experiences such as going to the theatre, dining out or taking adventure holidays tend to be happier with their purchases than those who buy material possessions, regardless of how much they spend."

In 2002 the BBC reported:

"They say "money can't buy you happiness" but researchers have proved the opposite.Winning just £1,000 can be enough to change a person's outlook on life, suggests the study by researchers at the University of Warwick."

Eight years later the BBC reported:

"Recent research seems to suggest that money can make you a happier person after all.

That, of course gets economists rather excited: maybe we could measure the economics of happiness? If possible, it would make politicians happy too."

Remember: don't buy things - buy experiences...

Does Happiness Vary by Culture?

For this post I am going to be considering sections of the paper 'Who is Happy?' by Myers and Diener. Download the paper from here.

Nations differ strikingly in happiness...

According to the BBC, Denmark is the happiest nation.

But why?

Important factors:

• Wealth
• Natural beauty
• Small size
• Quality education
• Good health care.

The World Values Survey, which has compiled data from 350,000 people in 97 countries since 1981, found Denmark to be home to the planet's most contented citizens (again) with Zimbabwe as the most miserable (again). Classic Scandinavian front-runners like Sweden and Finland were nudged out of the top 10 by Puerto Rico and Colombia. El Salvador placed a surprising 11th, beating out Malta and Luxembourg. Further down the list came the U.S., ranked in 16th place.

See BusinessWeek.com's slide show for a look at the world's 10 happiest countries.

Does Happiness Vary by Race?

For this post I am going to be considering sections of the paper 'Who is Happy?' by Myers and Diener. Download the paper from here.

"Knowing someone's race or ethnic group also gives little clue to the person's psychological well-being...'

The University of Michigan's World Values Surveys (WVS) has compiled data on the happiest countries in the world for over twenty years. Their results are considered the most authoritative by happiness researchers.

WVS measures the happiness of individuals by two different means. The first is to simply ask them how "happy" they are. The second is to ask them how "happy" they are, and also how "satisfied" they are. The results are then combined to arrive at a measure of their "subjective well-being," a term generally considered synonymous with happiness.

Because of these two different ways of measuring happiness, some confusion arises in determining which countries in the world are happiest. There is support for the the validity of both measures. For example, former president of the American Psychological Association, Dr. Martin Seligman, uses the "happiness only" measure in his book Authentic Happiness. However, Dr. Ron Inglehart, director of World Values Surveys, considers the "subjective well-being" measure a more accurate indicator of personal happiness.

For further information about the 2004 survey read on....

Does Happiness have a Favourite sex?

For this post I am going to be considering sections of the paper 'Who is Happy?' by Myers and Diener. Download the paper from here.

"...men are five times as vulnerable as women to alcoholism and antisocial personality disorder..."

Maybe then (1991) but now? With more women drinking than ever before? With 24 hour drink laws?

Read this about alcohol and women....

'...gender accounted for less than 1% of people's global well-being...'

Recent data would disagree...

Researchers from the University College London questioned nearly 9,800 people over the age of 50 about their lives and found that women were more optimistic than men.

Dr Elizabeth Breeze, who co-authored the report, said that women tended to become happier as they got older once they no longer had to worry about looking after their families.

However...Why Men Are Happier Than Women

1. We keep our last name.

2. The garage is all ours.

3. Wedding plans take care of themselves.

4. Chocolate is just another snack.

5. We can be president.

6. We can wear a white T-shirt to a water park.

7. Car mechanics tell us the truth.

8. The world is our urinal.

9. We never have to drive to another gas station because this one's just too icky.

10. Same work, more pay.

11. Wrinkles add character.

12. Wedding dress - $5000; tux rental - $100.

13. People never stare at our chest when we're talking to them.

14. The occasional well-rendered belch is practically expected.

15. New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle our feet.

16. One mood, ALL the time.

17. Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.

18. We know stuff about tanks.

19. A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase.

20. We can open all our own jars.

21. We get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.

22. If someone forgets to invite us, he or she can still be our friend.

23. Our underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack.

24. Everything on our face stays its original color.

25. Three pairs of shoes are more than enough.

26. We don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.

27. We almost never have strap problems in public.

28. We are unable to see wrinkles in our clothes.

29. The same hair style lasts for years, maybe decades.

30. We don't have to shave below our neck.

31. Our belly usually hides our big hips.

32. One wallet and one pair of shoes, one color, all seasons.

33. We can "do" our nails with a pocket-knife.

34. We have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache.

35. We can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives, on December 24, in 45 minutes

Is happiness a particular age?

For this post I am going to be considering sections of the paper 'Who is Happy?' by Myers and Diener. Download the paper from here.

"...no time of life is notably happier or unhappier than others…’

Look at the components of unhappiness. Whatever they are, are they more likely to be present at a particualr age? Is illness more or less likely at an older age? Are financial difficulties more or less likely at a mid-age? Is sexual bewilderment more or less likely in the teenage years?

'...knowing someone's age gives no clue to the person's average sense of well-being...'

'..People do face crisis times, but not at any predictable age...'

What may cause the crisis? Divorce? redundancy? Are these not more likely at any particular age?



The paper says : "The empty nest syndrome also turns out to be rare..."

Really?


Starting University:
How To Deal With Empty Nest Syndrome

The Components of Well-Being

For this post I am going to be considering sections of the paper 'Who is Happy?' by Myers and Diener. Download the paper from here.

"If good feelings exclude bad feelings at the same moment in time then the more time one spends up the less time one spends down. Thus the frequencies of good and bad moods are inversely related..."

This presupposes that the opposite of 'up' is 'down' and these are the only two states.

Thus this is a false dilemma.

One can be neither happy nor unhappy. A state of contentment, or absence of discontentment. I am not particularly happy whilst writing this; neither am I unhappy.

The paper states that: "SWB is defined by three correlated but distinct factors: the relative presence of positive affect; absence of negative effect and satisfaction with life"

It is not the absence of negative effect but the superiority of the positive effect that is improtant. The overall state of mind is the sum total of, to assume otherwise would suggest a bliss-ful state is easily achievable.

Who is Happy?

For this post I am going to be considering sections of the paper 'Who is Happy?' by Myers and Diener. Download the paper from here.

The paper states that:

Those who describe themselves as happy and satisfied with life seem happy to their friends and to their family members. Their daily mood ratings reveal mostly positive emotions. They recall more positive events and fewer negative events (Seiditz & Diener 1993)'

If we reverse things so instead of 'happy people recall...' we get 'we recall...and so we become happy' it is likely that our happiness would improve. So let's break this down and see how the elements may be achieved:

1. Happy to their friends and family members.

Firstly - how to get friends? You're new to the area - how do you meet people?

Two ideas:

1. Visit here

2. Visit here

If you're in Oxford, visiting this site will enable you to look for meetings, clubs, societies, jobs etc.

2. Recalling more positive and fewer negative events.

This is one of the four activities suggested in Professor Wiseman's experiments.

Here is the short list:

a. Expressing gratitude

b. Smiling

c. Recalling a pleasant event from the day before

d. Carrying out an act of kindness

Now watch these....









Guardian comment

Here are ten 'happiness tips'

1. Meet up with a friend that you haven’t seen for a while.
2. Watch a funny television programme or film.
3. Exercise for about thirty minutes three times a week.
4. Cut your television viewing by half.
5. Distract yourself with a book (personally, I would recommend ‘59 Seconds’!)
6. Create novel challenges by starting a new hobby, joining an organisation, or learning a new skill.
7. Go for a 20 minute walk in the sun.
8. Spend ten minutes listening to relaxing or uplifting music.
9. Stroke a dog.
10. Don’t listen to the news.

Who is Happy?

For this post I am going to be considering sections of the paper 'Who is Happy?' by Myers and Diener. Download the paper from here.

'Social desirability is a substantive characteristics that enhances well-being'.

Between 1924 and 1927 Elton Mayo carried out the Hawthorne Experiment. The conclusions included:

The need for recognition, security and sense of belonging is more important in determining workers' morale and productivity than the physical conditions under which he works.

It is therefore possible that the mere event of being involved in the study, enhanced well-being. the participants felt 'involved' and 'important'. Also their answers are likely to be influenced by this social desirability and the mneed to portray themselves in a positive light. In the paper there seemed to be no consideration of either point.

Many years ago I took part in an experiment at Oxford University. At the beginning of the experiment we were told that we were going to be filmed at the end and asked to talk about something. Then the experiment began testing reactions to statements. At the end I was waiting for the filming and was told that there never was going to be any filming and we were just told that to make us nervous and on-edge. This then would affect our answers to the other questions.

I was actually looking forward to the filming and the 'promise' of celluloid immortality had had a positive, not negative, effect on me.