Myers and Diener - Classic Evidence (Positive)
- Created by: chlopayne
- Created on: 16-04-19 13:14
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- Myers and Diener - Who is happy?
- This study aims to pool together previous research in order to answer key questions.
- Who are the happy people? What traits are related to happiness? What elements should be a part of theories of happiness?
- Methodology
- Collected together the findings of many studies into happiness and used this to come to conclusions.
- This is a literature review, includes current knowledge on a topic.
- Collected together the findings of many studies into happiness and used this to come to conclusions.
- Findings
- Effect of age on happiness:
- No time of life is notably happier (Latten 1989).
- Reinforced by 1980s survey of 169,776 people sampled in 16 nations (Inglehard 1990).
- Predictors of happiness changes with age.
- Social relations are important in later life (Herzog, Rogers, Woodworth 1982).
- No time of life is notably happier (Latten 1989).
- Effect of gender on happiness:
- Women are twice as likely to have depression and anxiety.
- Men are 5x more likely to have alcoholism /antisocial personality disorder.
- Meta-analysis of 146 studies, gender account for less than 1% of wellbeing (Haring, Stock +Okun 1984).
- 1980s survey of 16 nations = 80% of men and women said they're 'fairly satisfied with life'.
- Women are twice as likely to have depression and anxiety.
- Effect of race/culture of happiness:
- Robins + Reiger 1991: African-Americans are just as happy as European-Americans (less vulnerable to depression)
- Disadvantaged groups maintain self esteem by valuing things which they excel.
- Nations differ in happiness.
- 'Very happy' - Portugal = 10% Netherlands = 40%.
- Swiss rank high on life satisfaction compared to German, French and Italian.
- Robins + Reiger 1991: African-Americans are just as happy as European-Americans (less vulnerable to depression)
- Effect of money on happiness:
- 75% of American collegians essential life goal is to "be well off financially" (Astin, Korn + Riggs 1993).
- Topped the list of 19 possible life objectives.
- Adults share this materialism, increased income would make them happier (Strumptel 1976).
- Food, shelter and safety is basic to wellbeing. Poor countries = satisfaction with finances is a moderate predictor (Diener).
- Diener (1993) found in the United states theree is a correlation between income and happiness.
- Forbes list of wealthiest Americans reported only slightly more happiness than normal Americans.
- 75% of American collegians essential life goal is to "be well off financially" (Astin, Korn + Riggs 1993).
- Effect of age on happiness:
- Evaluation
- Methodology + procedures
- Literature review: issue of bias - couldn't include every piece of research and chose the studies they wanted to include.
- it may not be representative and has researcher bias.
- Self report data
- Participants may lie, social desirability bias.
- Subjectivity, wellbeing is different to everyone so may answer differently.
- Lack of insight into their own behaviour and feelings to answer correctly.
- Reliability - participants are only asked once. Happiness and wellbeing changes day to day.
- Correlations: cannot align causation to the findings, careful when drawing conclusion, variable may get in the way of findings.
- Literature review: issue of bias - couldn't include every piece of research and chose the studies they wanted to include.
- Ethical issues and social implications
- Literature review doesn't involve experimentation on participants so they can't be harmed.
- Self report data; rating your own happiness may cause psychological harm to the participants - may bring up painful thoughts and feelings.
- May feel privacy is being invaded, questions are personal.
- Observations; when beeper goes off, the participant would record their mental and emotional state.
- Gain an overview of participants mental state over a period of time.
- However, it can be see as an invasion of privacy. They may not want to record personal issues.
- Gain an overview of participants mental state over a period of time.
- Socially sensitive research; studies which there are potential consequences/ implications for the participants.
- In this study, the findings relating to different groups and their happiness could be used to fuel discrimination.
- Methodology + procedures
- This study aims to pool together previous research in order to answer key questions.
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