Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Download ASA 2004 Abstract – Happiness equation
Document related concepts
Transcript
The Happiness Equation Robert G. Gottlieb PhD [email protected] The Boeing Company 281 244 4408 And Pauline Vaillancourt Rosenau PhD. Professor Management and Policy Sciences University of Texas Houston - School of Public Health 1200 Herman Pressler E 915 Houston 77030 Texas 713 500 9491 (fax 713 500 9493) email: [email protected] Roundtable presentation at the American Sociological Association’s 2004 Annual Meeting – August 14-17, 2004, San Francisco ABSTRACT In this paper we present a formal model, the “Happiness Equation,” that encompasses and is consistent with much of the empirical research findings on the topic of happiness. This model moves beyond the simplistic by incorporating a weighting factor, k, which facilitates the consideration of social components sometimes overlooked by naive relativist representations. This assessment implies that happiness is not merely relative to what others have so much as it is influenced by comparisons with one’s own pass and current situations. The Happiness Equation helps understand and resolve the contradiction between common assumptions and empirical findings, for example why increased wealth, beauty, and intelligence do not make us happier. It clarifies why and when techniques of psychotherapy such as “positive psychology” and “self-esteem enhancement” make us happier. It points to strategies that political and religious leaders might employ to maintain popular support. The Happiness Equation suggests how individuals can maximize happiness in their daily lives. It is a useful tool for generating hypotheses for future study. Finally, it meets the most demanding rule for such mathematical paradigms: it is both elegant and parsimonious. D:\565329780.doc D:\565329780.doc
