...30/04/2013 Workplace Happiness Lecture Key Questions • What is happiness? • Why is happiness important? • Cognitive Lens: How do we understand/misunderstand what will make us happy at work? • Situational Lens: When are people happy at work? • Trait Lens: Who is happy at work? What is Happiness? 1 30/04/2013 What is Happiness? • Happiness: – an emotional state. – how you feel about yourself and the world. • Satisfaction with Life: – more global judgment about your acceptance with your life conditions. – more of a cognitive assessment. What is Happiness? 2 pathways to well‐being Removing negative states • Depression • Anxiety • Insecurity • Addiction • Violence Promoting positive states • Hope • Optimism • Empathy • Courage • Gratitude ‐5 0 +5 Taking away obstacles Bringing in enablers 2 30/04/2013 Happiness as Flourishing Elevated levels of Emotional functioning Psychological functioning Social functioning PERMA & flourishing Worker Well-Being Positive Emotion Engagement Relationships Meaning Accomplishment Positive Relationships 7 Is being happy and satisfied the same thing? How happy are workers? • • • • • • • Time magazine poll (12/2004) “Would you say that so far you have lived ‐‐the best possible life you could have. ‐‐a very good life ‐‐a good life ‐‐a fair life ‐‐a poor life 3 30/04/2013 How happy are workers? • • • • • • • Time magazine poll (12/2004)...
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...proper to human beings are those which correspond to the activity of a perfect and blessed man. Section 6: Let us review what has already been said about happiness. Happiness is an activity of some sort which is chosen for its own sake and is self-sufficient. Actions according to virtue are chosen for their own sake. Happiness is not found in amusement, for it would be absurd to argue that the goal of a person's life and work is amusement. Rather, amusement is chosen for the purpose of relaxation, which is necessary to enable a person to engage in serious work. Everything is thought to be chosen for the sake of something else except for happiness. A happy life is a life according to virtue. Section 7: Since it has already been established [in Book One] that happiness is an activity according to virtue, it is reasonable to posit that it is an activity according to the highest virtue, which would be an activity corresponding to the best part of man. The activity of the intellect is the best human activity, since it corresponds to the highest part of man, is concerned with the best objects, is the most continuous activity, is self-sufficient, and is loved for its own sake. Everything attributed to a blessed man seems to exist in the activity of the intellect, which is contemplation. A life of contemplation, then, would be the perfect happiness for man. Such a life is above man, for it is...
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...Unit 4 Happiness Assignment Template Student Name Kaplan University HU300 – section number Unit 4 assignment instructions This week, our writing assignment focuses on individual definitions of happiness. For this writing assignment, you will prepare and conduct interviews with two people about their definition of happiness, how they gained this view, and whether they feel happiness is achievable. Choose two people who vary in age and experience. Only one of the subjects can be someone you know well. This is an opportunity to learn about acquaintances and strangers as well. These should be face-to-face interviews. Introduce this assignment by introducing each subject one at a time. Who are they? What is the nature of your relationship? Next, ask a variety of questions to get them to consider not just their definition of happiness, but its origins and development. You can use these sample questions to get you started, but should add more questions or change the interview as it develops: Has your definition of happiness changed over time? What experiences have influenced your definition? Do you expect the definition to change again? Follow the Unit 4 template for this assignment in DocSharing. It includes submitting a transcript of your interviews, including your questions, so take notes or record the discussion. Finally, you should draw conclusions about the process and the answers that were given. Compare and contrast the results of the interviews. Discuss what was...
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...Happiness To You And Me Leanna Hernandez Kaplan University Art and Humanity week 4 Unit 4 assignment instructions This week, our writing assignment focuses on individual definitions of happiness. For this writing assignment, you will prepare and conduct interviews with two people about their definition of happiness, how they gained this view, and whether they feel happiness is achievable. Choose two people who vary in age and experience. Only one of the subjects can be someone you know well. This is an opportunity to learn about acquaintances and strangers as well. These should be face-to-face interviews. Introduce this assignment by introducing each subject one at a time. Who are they? What is the nature of your relationship? Next, ask a variety of questions to get them to consider not just their definition of happiness, but its origins and development. You can use these sample questions to get you started, but should add more questions or change the interview as it develops: Has your definition of happiness changed over time? What experiences have influenced your definition? Do you expect the definition to change again? Follow the Unit 4 template for this assignment in DocSharing. It includes submitting a transcript of your interviews, including your questions, so take notes or record the discussion. Finally, you should draw conclusions about the process and the answers that were given. Compare and contrast the results of the interviews. Discuss what...
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...A STUDY: INCOME AND HAPPINESS ACROSS EUROPE: DO REFERENCE VALUES MATTER? Contents Summary 2 The Silver Lining of Materialism: The Impact of Luxury Consumption on Subjective Well-Being 3 Data used for analysis 5 Econometric Model 6 Critical Reflection 8 Reference List 11 A Study: Income and happiness across Europe: Do reference values matter? Summary The authors in this study - Guglielmo Maria Caporale, Yannis Georgellis, Nicholas Tsitsianis and Ya Ping Yin - assess the relationship between income and subjective well-being; by tracing back to works of Adam Smith, Karl Marx, Veblen and Duesenberry, the authors revive significant attention to the neoclassical economic theory that portrays well-being and absolute income to be highly correlated. The data was retrieved from the European Social Survey (ESS) to examine a potential relationship between income and happiness (self-reported satisfaction), the authors execute their study across 19 European Countries. With utilisation of Easterlin (1974) as their seminal paper, the research draws attention to the Easterlin Paradox (Easterlin, 1995) that suggests there is no relationship between economic expansion in industrialised countries and its average level of happiness. The authors look to assess topical contradictory findings that conclude absolute income is correlated with levels of happiness (e.g.: Frijters et al., 2004). The research purpose of this paper was to re-examine this controversial link for...
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...J Happiness Stud (2011) 12:323–341 DOI 10.1007/s10902-010-9190-1 RESEARCH PAPER A Different Rationale for Redistribution: Pursuit of Happiness in the European Union John Cullis • John Hudson • Philip Jones Published online: 3 March 2010 Ó Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2010 Abstract This paper considers the role of redistribution in the light of recent research findings on self reported happiness. The analysis and empirical work reported here tries to relate this to a representative actor ‘homo realitus’ and the ‘pursuit of happiness’ rather than the traditional ‘homo economicus’. Econometrically estimating the determinants of happiness in the European Union (EU) using Eurobarometer data and the construction of an ‘Index of Happiness’ facilitates policy simulations. Such simulations find that in terms of average happiness there is little advantage to redistributing income within a country, but more from redistributing income between countries. The importance for happiness of relative income, average standard of living, marital status and age are confirmed. The theoretical rationale for redistribution is also examined. Keywords Happiness Á Income redistribution Á EU 1 Introduction Beveridge (1942) stated that: ‘‘The object of government in peace and in war is not the glory of rulers or of races, but the happiness of the common man’’.1 As Director of the London School of Economics he was the author of the report that inspired the extension of the UK welfare state...
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...paper reviews what is known about the definition, causes and consequences of happiness at work, drawing also on insights from the expanding positive psychology literature on happiness in general. A comprehensive measure of individual-level happiness at work might include work engagement, job satisfaction, and affective organizational commitment. Aspects of happiness have been (and should be) conceptualized and measured at multiple levels, including transient experiences, stable person-level attitudes, and collective attitudes, and with respect to multiple foci, such as discrete events, the job, and the organization. At all levels, there is evidence that happiness has important consequences for both individuals and organizations. Past research has tended to underestimate the importance of happiness at work. Critical analysis: happiness has been found to be a highly valued goal in most societies (Diener 2000). The rise of positive psychology in the past decade (Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi 2000) has legitimized attention to happiness and other positive states as opposed to the previously dominant disease model which directed attention disproportionately to illness, depression, stress and similar negative experiences and outcomes. three sets of questions about happiness are addressed: (1) How has happiness been defined and measured? (2) What are the antecedents of happiness? (3) What are the consequences of happiness? Defineing happiness: In contrast...
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...The analysis of various themes of happiness started out on an individual level where we all identified what made each one of us happy. Following this, we discussed these themes of happiness in a group of two, and subsequently in a group of 9. At the end of the discussion, many themes turned out to be common to most of us, while some themes stood out and were characteristic to certain individuals in our group. ANALYSIS OF VARIOUS THEMES OF HAPPINESS COMMON THEMES OF HAPPINESS • “SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT” – This theme resonated with all the individuals of our group. However, the meaning of ‘accomplishment’ turned out to be subjective. While for some people it was more on the academic front like their JEE rank, or a great SPI at the end of a semester, for some others it was career-‐oriented like landing an internship in their dream company. For someone...
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...December, 12th 2014 Happiness: Experiences vs. Materialistic Items Abstract When discussing happiness there are so many different factors that contribute to one’s own happiness in life. The purpose of this survey is to analyze whether or not buying experiences rather than possessions increases one’s level of subject well-being. The survey consisted of 90 participant’s, 15 being male and 75 being female volunteers. In this study, survey analysis was the method used to obtain results from participants in a randomized survey. It t. lysis of the study in the has already been conducted in the alayzed as well as other researchpiness from materialistic iteis crucial to understand the definition of happiness which is scientifically known as subjective well-being. Subjective well-being is a commonly used measure of what many tend to believe as happiness. Subjective is what people feel and report, while well-being is what we know as happiness. On top of the survey there will be an analysis of other research that has been done in order to be able to better understand the relationship between ones happiness in terms of experiences or materialistic items. The hypothesis is that purchasing experiences will increase ones happiness more than purchasing a possession. In order to find data results to prove the hypothesis, this paper will discuss an analysis of the study along with other research that has already been conducted in the past. Literary Review There has been a variety...
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...Utilitarianism and Kant’s duty-based theory. The aim of this essay is to weigh each of these two ethical theories. The analysis conducted will then be used to determine which of the two theories is applicable in day-to-day life. An explanation for the belief will also be presented. Utilitarian theory of J. S. Mill Utilitarianism was initiated by John Stuart Mill. It refers to an essay that supports utilitarianism as a moral theory. It also responds to the various misconceptions that individuals have concerning utilitarianism. According to Mill, the principle behind utilitarianism is that actions are only right if they are aimed at bringing happiness and wrong if they result in the opposite of happiness (Mill, 2009). In his regard, Mill claims that happiness exists in the presence of pleasures and absence of pain. Pleasure differs in terms of quality and quantity. Some of the ways that count as one’s happiness include achievement of personal goals and virtuous living. Mill also claims that utilitarianism is a result of the various sentiments that are caused by the social nature of human beings. As such, a society that embraces utilitarianism as its ethic standard would be bound by such standards and morals that define utilitarianism. Furthermore, Mill argues that happiness forms the basis of morality in a society (Mill, 2009). That is because happiness is all that people desire. He illustrates this by asserting that everything that an individual desires is aimed...
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...WORLD HAPPINESS REPORT 2013 WORLD HAPPINESS REPORT 2013 was edited by John Helliwell, Richard Layard and Jeffrey Sachs In July 2011 the UN General Assembly passed a historic resolution. It invited member countries to measure the happiness of their people and to use this to help guide their public policies. The first WORLD HAPPINESS REPORT was published in 2012. The need is a rising worldwide demand that policy framing must be closer to issues that really matters to people as perceived from their lives. The reports look for differences and trends in the equality or inequality with which happiness is distributed within and among countries and regions. The essence of traditional virtue ethics is that happiness is achieved by harnessing the will and the passions to live the right kind of life. A desirable level of happiness means feeling mildly to moderately positive usually, with occasional negative emotions in appropriate situations. Promoting a healthy start in life is vital, and there is ample evidence to indicate that early intervention programs have an important protective or preventive effect. Also, individuals who are happier tend to have better social relations. Well-being is also related to having less gossip and more meaningful conversations. The questions to use must be chosen according to end use purpose since they are of critical importance for measuring subjective wellbeing. The contextual impact of preceding questions must be also taken care of. The analysis of subjective...
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...Happiness and Optimism Urwa Zahid BS Applied Psychology Semester 5 Government Post Graduate College for Women Gujranwala Introduction The psychological pursuit of “happiness” is begun in China, India and Greece nearly 2500 years ago with Confucius, Buddha, Socrates and Aristotle. So, we can find very similarities between the inner side of these thinkers and the modern “Science of Happiness”. Happiness is a sense of wellbeing, joy or contentment. When people are successful, safe or lucky they feel happiness. In 1900’s, at the time of beginning as industrialization and urbanization brought many new problems to society, citizens began forming voluntary organizations to address the needs of their communities....
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...study, we did not hold any explicit hypothesis for any sort of specific outcome. However, there has been previous studies and research that have concluded that there is a preference for experiential purchases over material purchases among different samples of the population. These studies have concluded that the main reason behind these findings is that people tend to feel happier from their life experience purchases rather than material goods purchases. They conclude that an experience can create long lasting happiness as opposed to a material good that tends to result in shrinking happiness as time goes by. Another reason is that material goods tend to diminish a person’s happiness when compared to other similar goods not owned by that person. Given the results for these previous studies and research, we are inclined to believe that the outcome of our own study will obtain similar results. Research Question The research question for this study was formulated as follows: What kind of consumption (experiences vs material goods) is preferred by college students...
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...Impact Statement of Movie: Happy We have learned that three factors that determine happiness is a genetic set point (50%), intentional activity (40%), and life circumstances (10%). If our genetic set point is determined to make up 50% of our capacity for happiness, what are the inherited traits that are responsible for that? Is it being blessed with perfect balance brain chemistry? A physical body that effortlessly responds to every demand and challenge required of it? Is it having both of these and also living in a time and place that reveres and rewards both of these? Watching the movie, I enjoyed being able to learn about individuals from other cultures and different life circumstances as to what they consider happiness. I enjoyed the reaffirmation that happiness is subjective to the person experiencing the life terms dealt to them. However, I believe is that one can find people with every degree of happiness and unhappiness, everywhere and anywhere. One could find a similar representation of each and every person featured in the movie- all in the one major city in our country. Of course this is partly due to the divergent sets of ethnic groups in American society but even so, the more diverse the growing subcultures are, the more opportunity A major point though, is that I believe how a culture (that includes the family of origin) responds to the individual member accounts for much more than 10%. A culture that is extremely “tribal” dominates and shapes an individual...
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...are the overall happiness created for everyone affected by the action. Influenced by many enlightenment thinkers, especially empiricists such as John Locke and David Hume, Bentham developed an ethical theory grounded in a largely empiricist account of human nature. He famously held a hedonistic account of both motivation and value according to which what is fundamentally valuable and what ultimately motivates us is pleasure and pain. Happiness, according to Bentham, is thus a matter of experiencing pleasure and lack of pain. Objective Value: Pain & Pleasure and Moral Naturalism For Bentham, morals can be described naturally and scientifically rather than as any duties imposed by a god, but such a description requires an account of human nature. Just as Bentham thinks nature is explained through reference to the laws of physics, and not through appeal to any religious ideas, so human behaviour can be explained by reference to the two natural, primary motives of pleasure and pain; this is the theory of psychological hedonism. There is, Bentham admits, no direct proof of such an analysis of human motivation—though he holds that it is clear that, in acting, all people implicitly refer to it. At the beginning of the Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation, Bentham writes: Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure. It is for them alone to point out what we ought to do, as well as to determine what we shall do....
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