3.3 CLA Outcomes

Summary of 3.3
Cognitive level of analysis: An integrative look at happiness

Are rich people happier? ... This is not always the case.

According to the psychologist Lyubomirsky (2001), our inborn genetic set-point for happiness can account for up to 50 percent of our own happiness, where as 10 percent is due to circumstances and 40 percent is something that can be influenced by each individual. Happiness is not a concretely constructed concept... it may just be a cultural construction. 

Cognitive factors in happiness: beliefs about happiness:

Although people in the Western world are richer, they are not necessarily happier. This could be because people tend to compare themselves to others. Leon Festinger came up with a cognitive theory called the social comparison theory, where people learn about and assess themselves by comparison with others. According to the social comparison theory, people are happy if they have more than those they normally compare themselves to. Another explanation is that people link happiness to reaching certain goals, but they tend to set higher goals once they have achieved the first ones, therefore they end up never really feeling happy. Julian Rotter proposed the level of aspiration theory. This theory suggests that people examine what they can gain and how likely it is that they will achieve it before they make decisions about what to do. Expectations are influenced by previous experience as well as a desire to reach their goals. People begin to calculate and formulate their general expectancies -  general ideas about what to expect in different situations. People are more motivated to achieve the goals that they set. However, the amount of happiness that is attained as a result of the goals are often too short-lived and minimal.

Myers and Dieners (1995) have shown that there is a contradiction between wealth and happiness. They found that although the proportion of Americans who said that they were very happy remained stable at around 1/3 while the incomes of Americans as a whole increased in the last fifty years. This suggests that there is no direct link between an increase in wealth and happiness. 

Hagerty (2003) studied the relationship between happiness and distributions of wealth. He found that happiness was positively correlated with equality of distribution of wealth in the country. The average level of life satisfaction was high as the inequality of income decreased. This can be explained via Festinger's social comparison theory. People tend to compare themselves to others, and comparing yourself to those who are more fortunate (aka upward comparison) leads to dissatisfaction.

Johnson and Kruger (2006) found that although many people believe there is a relationship between happiness and wealth, it is more "satisfaction with one's own salary that brings happiness." The size of the salary does not matter- the satisfaction of the individual with his/her own salary does. Therefore, if an individual thinks they are not getting paid enough, they are likely to be more dissatisfied. By comparing themselves to those who have higher salaries, they are dissatisfied as well.

Conway, di Fazio and Mayman (1999) from Canada investigated the illusion that "money brings happiness" in a group young males and females. Researchers found that there is a widespread belief that a high-status person was generally happier, less angry, less depressed and experienced less fear in their daily lives than low-status people.
⇒Like these, faulty assumptions and associations with variables are called illusory correlations. ⇒This study demonstrated that there is a positive relationship between wealth and happiness, even though this is not supported by psychological research.

Socio-cultural factors in happiness:

According to the Dalai Lama, the key to happiness is in our own hands. Happiness can be achieved through systematic training of the mind and heart, and through the reshaping of attitudes and outlook. 矢⇒The whole point of life is to be happy.
⇒Happiness is determined by one's state of mind than external conditions, as long as basic survival needs are met.
⇒Compassion for other people is an important part of one's spiritual development. It is also the basis for individual happiness and pleasure.

⇒Dalai Lama: "If people base their happiness on wealth, they will no longer be happy when they lose it. If they base their happiness on connectedness to other people, they will still have something valuable even once they lose all their money. Having empathy and trusting others are important steps toward true happiness."

It is true that average life satisfaction of nations is highly related to income, simply because this is associated with the fulfillment of basic needs and living longer. Experiencing positive emotions is also associated with social variables such as trust, safety and the lack of corruption. (This is positive psychology = psychology with the aim of conducting research that promotes human happiness and well-being)

Biological factors of happiness:

⇒People tend to adapt to their environments.
⇒Humans have inherited the ability to habituate (get used to things) to life's circumstances.
⇒This is why humans seem to get used to pleasant things, and start to take them for granted.
⇒Humans also have inherited the tendency to notice trouble, so we focus on the more troublesome aspects of life.
⇒Humans seem to have an inner voice of dissatisfaction that prompts us to strive for MORE.

Genetics:

David Lykken: "We have an innate base-line or set-point of happiness that depends largely on the individual." The Happiness Twin Study conducted by David Lykken et al in 1996, which compared happiness scores among sets of identical and fraternal twins who grew up together or were reared apart. If the twins have similar happiness levels but are reared apart, then happiness must be genetic. ⇒Researchers found that identical twins had very similar happiness scores, and fraternal twins did not: leading them to conclude that each individual has a genetically influenced set-point for happiness, and that 50 percent of the difficulties in a person's happiness level is genetically determined.

The researchers also suggested that only 10 percent of the variance in happiness levels can be explained by situation factors. This is supported by research where richer and more beautiful people are not happier than the average person. Therefore, 40 percent of happiness remains to be in the control of the individual. 

Typical characteristics of happy people, according to Sonja Lyubomirsky in The How of Happiness

• They devote time to family and friends
• They can express gratitude for what they have
  
• They are the first to volunteer to help others
• They are naturally optimistic
• They enjoy pleasures of live and live in the present
• They spend time doing physical activities
• They are committed to lifelong goals 
• They cope well in calamities