scholarly journals Pursuing Happiness: The Architecture of Sustainable Change

2005 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonja Lyubomirsky ◽  
Kennon M. Sheldon ◽  
David Schkade
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Dynamic Processes ◽  
Sustainable Change ◽  
Important Goal ◽  
Pursuit Of Happiness ◽  
Hedonic Adaptation ◽  
The Past ◽  
Major Factors ◽  
Genetically Determined ◽  
Happiness Level

The pursuit of happiness is an important goal for many people. However, surprisingly little scientific research has focused on the question of how happiness can be increased and then sustained, probably because of pessimism engendered by the concepts of genetic determinism and hedonic adaptation. Nevertheless, emerging sources of optimism exist regarding the possibility of permanent increases in happiness. Drawing on the past well-being literature, the authors propose that a person's chronic happiness level is governed by 3 major factors: a genetically determined set point for happiness, happiness-relevant circumstantial factors, and happiness-relevant activities and practices. The authors then consider adaptation and dynamic processes to show why the activity category offers the best opportunities for sustainably increasing happiness. Finally, existing research is discussed in support of the model, including 2 preliminary happiness-increasing interventions.

Economics of Happiness as an Academic Research Discipline

2012 ◽  
pp. 94-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. Antipina
Keyword(s):  
Economic Performance ◽  
Research Methodology ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Economic Indicators ◽  
Research Discipline ◽  
Happiness Economics ◽  
Education And Health ◽  
Economics Of Happiness ◽  
Happiness Level

The article contains a review of the contemporary research in the field of economics of happiness. Economics of happiness deals with correlation between the subjective notion of well-being and happiness with ones life (happiness level) and economic indicators. The author considers the correlation of economic and noneconomic factors. The last ones —  such as education and health — also affect the level of happiness. The author dwells upon the following questions: research methodology in economics of happiness, correlation between subjective notion of well-being and happiness with ones life and economic performance on micro- and macrolevels.

Enabling Community Well-being Self-Monitoring in the Context of Mining: The Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Klinck ◽  
Ben Bradshaw ◽  
Ruby Sandy ◽  
Silas Nabinacaboo ◽  
Mannie Mameanskum ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Aboriginal Community ◽  
Self Monitoring ◽  
Community Engaged Research ◽  
The Past ◽  
Mineral Development ◽  
Iron Deposits ◽  
Term Monitoring

The Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach is an Aboriginal community located in northern Quebec near the Labrador Border. Given the region’s rich iron deposits, the Naskapi Nation has considerable experience with major mineral development, first in the 1950s to the 1980s, and again in the past decade as companies implement plans for further extraction. This has raised concerns regarding a range of environmental and socio-economic impacts that may be caused by renewed development. These concerns have led to an interest among the Naskapi to develop a means to track community well-being over time using indicators of their own design. Exemplifying community-engaged research, this paper describes the beginning development of such a tool in fall 2012—the creation of a baseline of community well-being against which mining-induced change can be identified. Its development owes much to the remarkable and sustained contribution of many key members of the Naskapi Nation. If on-going surveying is completed based on the chosen indicators, the Nation will be better positioned to recognize shifts in its well-being and to communicate these shifts to its partners. In addition, long-term monitoring will allow the Naskapi Nation to contribute to more universal understanding of the impacts of mining for Indigenous peoples.

Temporal Focus

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abbie J. Shipp
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Psychology Research ◽  
The Past ◽  
Research Areas ◽  
The Future ◽  
Behavior Based ◽  
The Individual ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Temporal Focus

Temporal focus is the individual tendency to characteristically think more or less about the past, present, and future. Although originally rooted in early work from psychology, research on temporal focus has been steadily growing in a number of research areas, particularly since Zimbardo and Boyd’s (1999) influential article on the topic. This chapter will review temporal focus research from the past to the present, including how temporal focus has been conceptualized and measured, and which correlates and outcomes have been tested in terms of well-being and behavior. Based on this review, an agenda for research is created to direct temporal focus research in the future.

scholarly journals Himalayan perceptions: Environmental change and the well-being of mountain peoples

1970 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 17-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack D Ives
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Environmental Change ◽  
Environmental Degradation ◽  
Full Text ◽  
Armed Conflict ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Government Agencies ◽  
The Past ◽  
Highland Forests ◽  
Development Paradigm

Preview of Himalayan perceptions: Environmental change and the well-being of mountain peoples by JD Ives Routledge, London and New York To be published in August 2004 Himalayan Perspectives returns to the enormously popular development paradigm that Ives dubbed the ‘Theory of Himalayan Degradation’. According to this seductive construct, poverty and overpopulation in the Himalayas was leading to degradation of highland forests, erosion, and downstream flooding. In the ‘Himalayan Dilemma’, Ives and Messerli exposed this “Theory” as a dangerous collection of assumptions and misrepresentations. While most scholars in the field promptly conceded Ives and Messerli’s points, the Theory has somehow survived as the guiding myth of development planners and many government agencies. In his new book, Ives returns to drive a stake through the heart of this revenant. His book not only reviews the research that, over the past 15 years, has confirmed the arguments of the ‘Himalayan Dilemma’; it also takes a close look at all those destructive factors that were overlooked by the conveniently simplistic ‘Theory of Himalayan Environmental Degradation’: government mismanagement, oppression of mountain minorities, armed conflict, and inappropriate tourism development. Himalayan Journal of Sciences 2(3): 17-19, 2004 The full text is of this article is available at the Himalayan Journal of Sciences website

Sexual harassment and psychological complaints: student- and class-level associations

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
S Brolin Låftman ◽  
Y Bjereld ◽  
B Modin ◽  
P Löfstedt
Keyword(s):  
School Climate ◽  
Sexual Harassment ◽  
Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
School Class ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
The Past ◽  
Class Level ◽  
Using Data

Abstract Background Students who are subjected to sexual harassment at school report lower psychological well-being than those who are not exposed. Yet, it is possible that the occurrence of sexual harassment in the school class is stressful also for those who are not directly targeted, with potential negative effects on well-being for all students. The aim was to examine whether sexual harassment at the student- and at the class-level was associated with students' psychological complaints. Methods Data from the Swedish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) of 2017/18 was used, with information from students aged 11, 13 and 15 years (n = 3,720 distributed across 209 classes). Psychological complaints were constructed as a summative index of four items capturing how often the student had felt low, felt irritable or bad tempered, felt nervous, or had difficulties to fall asleep, during the past six months (Cronbach's alpha=0.78). Sexual harassment at the student-level was measured by one item concerning bullying at school: “Other students have exposed me to sexual jokes”. Students who reported that this had happened at least “2 or 3 times a month” were classified as exposed to sexual harassment at school. Sexual harassment at the class-level was defined as the school class proportion of students exposed to sexual harassment, reported in per cent. Two-level linear regression analysis was applied. Results Students who had been exposed to sexual harassment had higher levels of psychological complaints (b = 2.74, p < 0.001). The proportion of students in the school class who had been exposed to sexual harassment was also associated with higher levels of psychological complaints, even when adjusting for sexual harassment at the student-level, gender and grade (b = 0.03, p = 0.015). Conclusions Sexual harassment is harmful for those who are exposed, but may also affect other students negatively. Thus, a school climate free from sexual harassment will profit all students. Key messages Using data collected among students aged 11, 13 and 15 years, this study showed that sexual harassment at the student- and class-level was associated with higher levels of psychological complaints. Sexual harassment is harmful for those who are exposed, but may also affect other students negatively. Thus, a school climate free from sexual harassment will profit all students.

The economics of escalation

2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 106-140
Author(s):  
Fabio D’Orlando ◽  
Sharon Ricciotti
Keyword(s):  
Human Nature ◽  
Budget Constraint ◽  
Theoretical Treatment ◽  
Jel Codes ◽  
Innate Behavior ◽  
Hedonic Adaptation ◽  
The Past ◽  
Subjective Scale ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Positional Effects

Escalation is a key characteristic of many consumption behaviors that has not received theoretical attention. This paper aims to propose both a definition and a theoretical treatment of escalation in consumption. We define escalation as a subject’s attempt to obtain “more” or engage in consumption behaviors that are “more intense” on a measurable, quantitative or qualitative, objective or subjective, scale (more difficult ski slopes, stronger drugs, harder sex, better restaurants etc.), even if the subject preferred less intense consumption behaviors in the past. Further, this evolution in behavior also occurs if the budget constraint does not change. We will find endogenous and exogenous theoretical microfoundations for escalation in models of hedonic adaptation, desire for novelty, acquisition of consumption skills, rising aspirations, positional effects, and envy. However, we will also discuss the possibility that the tendency to escalate is a specific innate behavior inherent to human nature. Finally, we will propose a preliminary theoretical formalization of such behavior and indicate the possible implications of taking escalation into adequate consideration. JEL codes: B52, D11, D90, D91, I31

Social Media and Emotional Well-being: Pursuit of Happiness or Pleasure

2021 ◽  
pp. 1326365X2110037
Author(s):  
D. Guna Graciyal ◽  
Deepa Viswam
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Pursuit Of Happiness ◽  
Social Dysfunction ◽  
Combining Data ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Depth Interviews

Virtual engagement of lives has been made possible with the advent of social media. Almost 80% of the day are spent virtually on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Snapchat, etc. Usage of social media to connect to and communicate with the ones we care about is always healthy, termed as social networking. Social dysfunction occurs when the constant communication leads to the point where our real or offline life gets replaced by virtual or online life. There is a slight boundary between social networking and social dysfunction. When social networking is advantageous, social dysfunction affects emotional well-being. When emotional well-being is affected, many users experience a compulsion to dissociate from the real world as they find virtual world, full of fantasy and enjoyment. When the Internet was created, perhaps no one was aware of its potential. More than the convenience for sharing of information it has brought the world so close to crumbling the geographical boundaries. The more people-to-people communication is, the more is the strengthening of relationships, bonds grow stronger with ‘more’ social media platforms. Being on ‘more’ social media platforms has become a benchmark for living amidst the younger generation. Either as an activity of happiness or as an activity of pleasure, users tend to use social media at varying levels. This paper aims to conceptualize the the intricacies of social media in young lives and to discern whether their association is happiness or pleasure activity. The research method of this paper has a mixed-methods research design combining data from structured survey with information outputs from in-depth interviews.

“So Quick Bright Things Come to Confusion”

1987 ◽  
Vol 13 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 169-187
Author(s):  
Alexander Morgan Capron
Keyword(s):  
Homo Sapiens ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Workplace Safety ◽  
Selective Abortion ◽  
Self Identity ◽  
The Past ◽  
Adverse Impacts ◽  
The Rich ◽  
Insurance Discrimination

In the past several decades, the problems facing those of us who labor in the vineyards of health policy and ethics have been the problems of success — first medicine's and then, though to a lesser extent, our own. By this I mean that it has been the remarkable fruits of biomedicine, from research to health care delivery, that have produced the rich harvest of ethical, social and legal issues that have drawn our, and society's, attention.In the basic science laboratory, scientists have developed means to splice pieces of DNA together, raising questions from workplace safety to the reengineering of homo sapiens. Of more immediate concern, tests for genetic susceptibility to disease in one's self and one's offspring have been developed, thereby generating questions about employment and insurance discrimination, selective abortion, and adverse impacts on self-identity and well-being.

scholarly journals The Science of Ageism: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 646-646
Author(s):  
Jerin Lee ◽  
Natalie Shook
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Census Bureau ◽  
Complex Nature ◽  
The Past ◽  
Growing Pains ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
One Step ◽  
Prejudicial Attitudes ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The past two decades have been marked by a rapidly aging population in the U.S. (U.S. Census Bureau, 2018), making prejudicial attitudes toward older adults (i.e., ageism) and the impact of such attitudes more relevant. As such, ageism researchers have worked tirelessly to not only understand this normalized and insidious form of bias, but also develop efforts to combat it. This symposium will feature four ageism researchers who will showcase both the growing pains and novel contributions of ageism research, ranging from the impact of ageism on psychological health to ageism interventions to issues related to the measurement of ageism. Specifically, Dr. Ayalon will present findings regarding difficulties with the assessment of exposure to ageism and the consequences of ageism for psychological well-being. Dr. Horhota will share research demonstrating challenges associated with confronting ageism. Dr. Levy will present a model showcasing factors associated with the reduction of ageism. Ms. Lee will discuss research findings examining the construct validity of several ageism measures. These talks highlight theoretical and real-world implications associated with the complex nature of ageism, providing important directions for enriching ageism research going forward.

A randomised controlled trial to test a non-metallic deodorant used during a course of radiotherapy

2000 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 205-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Gee ◽  
D. Moffitt ◽  
M. Churn ◽  
R.D. Errington
Keyword(s):  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Benefits ◽  
Weekly Basis ◽  
Skin Reactions ◽  
Treated Area ◽  
The Past ◽  
Randomised Controlled ◽  
Larger Sample

Background: Radiotherapy skin reactions have been well documented in the past. Until recently, washing of the treated area and the use of perfumed products that contain metals has not been advocated during treatment. The aims of this study were to assess the skin reactions of patients using a non-metallic deodorant and to see whether there were any psychological benefits from being able to use the deodorant.Method: 41 women attending for radiotherapy to either the breast or breast and axilla were recruited into the trial. They were randomised into one of two groups. Complete data was obtained for 36 patients. 20 patients used the deodorant and 16 did not. Any skin reactions noted were recorded on a weekly basis. Patients were also asked to complete a questionnaire relating to feelings and activities and to comment on the deodorant if they had used it.Results: Skin reactions did seem to be slightly worse in the patients using deodorant, and it was only in this group of patients that axillary reactions were noted. However, neither of these results were statistically significant. The use of the deodorant did not have any impact on the psychological well being of the patients, but patients using it had found it pleasant to use and the majority said that they would use it again.Conclusion: Further study is indicated to look at skin reactions using the deodorant with a larger sample of patients.

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