The

Science of Well-Being ©2018

THE SCIENCE OF WELL-BEING THE SCIENCE OF WELL-BEING

WHAT PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE WHAT PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE
SAYS ABOUT THE GOOD LIFE SAYS ABOUT THE GOOD LIFE
#1: MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT HAPPINESS
Good Job #2: WHY OUR EXPECTATIONS ARE SO BAD
#3: HOW CAN WE OVERCOME OUR BIASES
LAURIE SANTOS
YALE UNIVERSITY #4: STUFF THAT REALLY INCREASES HAPPINESS
#5: PUTTING STRATEGIES INTO PRACTICE

X
GOOD JOB
LOTS OF MONEY
LET’S TAKE A MOMENT AWESOME STUFF
TO REVIEW… TRUE LOVE
THE PERFECT BODY
THE PERFECT GRADES

LOTS OF
WHY DOES MISWANTING ANNOYING FEATURES
OCCUR? OF OUR MINDS
THAT MESS US UP

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HOW CAN WE STRATEGIES THAT YOU CAN USE

OVERCOME THESE INTENTIONALLY TO OVERCOME
ANNOYING FEATURES? YOUR BIASES

STRATEGIES PART 1: STRATEGIES PART 2:

THWART YOUR RESET YOUR
HEDONIC ADAPTATION REFERENCE POINTS

ANNOYING FEATURE #1:

ARE THERE THINGS THAT
OUR MINDS’ STRONGEST
WE SHOULD BE WANTING THAT
INTUITIONS ARE OFTEN
WE DON’T REALIZE?
TOTALLY WRONG

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BETTER WANTING #1:

THINGS YOU SHOULD WANTING THE RIGHT PARTS
WANT BUT DON’T OF WHAT WE ALREADY WANT

BETTER WANTING #2:

WANTING BETTER STUFF A “GOOD” JOB
THAT WE DON’T WANT YET

WHAT FACTORS SHOULD

WE WANT IN A JOB?

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TWO FACTORS #1. SIGNATURE STRENGTHS

CHARACTER STRENGTHS = A DESIRE, A

DISPOSITION TO ACT, OR A FEELING THAT
INVOLVES THE EXERCISE OF JUDGMENT
THAT LEADS TO A RECOGNIZABLE HUMAN
EXCELLENCE OR INSTANCE OF HUMAN
FLOURISHING

MARTIN SELIGMAN

CHARACTER STRENGTHS ARE…

1. UBIQUITOUS (W IDELY RECOGNIZED ACROSS CULTURES)
2. FULFILLING (LEADS TO FULFILLMENT, SATISFACTION)
3. MORALLY-VALUED
4. NOT ABLE TO DIMINISH OTHERS
5. THE OPPOSITE OF A NEGATIVE TRAIT
6. TRAIT-LIKE (STABLE INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCE )
7. MEASURABLE
8. DISTINCTIVE (NOT REDUNDANT W / OTHER STRENGTHS)
9. PARAGONS (SOME PEOPLE REALLY HAVE IT)
10. PRODIGIES (SOME PEOPLE PRECOCIOUSLY HAVE IT)
11. SELECTIVE ABSENCE (SOME PEOPLE DON’T HAVE IT)
12. INSTITUTIONALIZED (SOCIET Y VALUES IT)

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24 CHARACTER STRENGTHS! 24 CHARACTER STRENGTHS!

• APPRECIATION OF BEAUT Y • KINDNESS
• BRAVERY • LEADERSHIP
• CITIZENSHIP • LOVE
• CREATIVIT Y • LOVE OF LEARNING
• CURIOSIT Y • MODEST Y AND HUMILIT Y
• FAIRNESS • PERSISTENCE
• FORGIVENESS AND MERCY • PERSPECTIVE
• GRATITUDE • PRUDENCE
• HOPE • SELF–REGULATION
• HUMOR • SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE
• INTEGRIT Y • SPIRITUALIT Y
• JUDGMENT • ZEST

24 CHARACTER STRENGTHS!

SIGNATURE STRENGTHS = THOSE

CHARACTER STRENGTHS THAT ARE
MOST ESSENTIAL TO WHO WE ARE

SELIGMAN ET AL. (2005)

“USE ONE OF YOUR TOP

STRENGTHS IN A NEW AND
DIFFERENT WAY EVERYDAY
FOR ONE WEEK.”

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LAVY & LITTMAN-OVADIA (2016)

SURVEYED WORKERS (N=1095) ABOUT:

- CHARACTER STRENGTH USE AT WORK
- JOB SATISFACTION
- PRODUCTIVITY
- POSITIVE AFFECT

LAVY & LITTMAN-OVADIA (2016) HARZER & RUCH (2012)

• WHAT MAKES PEOPLE THINK OF THEIR JOB

é USE STRENGTHS AT WORK =
AS “A CALLING”
é PRODUCTIVITY AND é JOB
• TESTED THE # OF SIGNATURE STRENGTHS
SATISFACTION MEDIATED BY POSITIVE
WORKERS USED THROUGHOUT THE DAY
EMOTIONS

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#1. SIGNATURE STRENGTHS #2. INCREASING FLOW

FLOW = THE MENTAL STATE IN WHICH

A PERSON PERFORMING AN ACTIVITY IS
FULLY IMMERSED IN A FEELING OF
ENERGIZED FOCUS, FULL INVOLVEMENT,
AND ENJOYMENT (AKA “THE ZONE”)

MIHALY CSIKSZENTMIHALYI

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SOME FEATURES OF FLOW

• CHALLENGING BUT ATTAINABLE GOALS
• STRONG FOCUSED CONCENTRATION
• THE ACTIVITY IS INTRINSICALLY REWARDING
• FEELINGS OF SERENITY HOW TO ACHIEVE FLOW?
• LOSS OF SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS
• TIMELESSNESS / LOSE TRACK OF TIME
PASSING
• LACK OF AWARENESS OF PHYSICAL NEEDS
• COMPLETE FOCUS ON THE ACTIVITY ITSELF

"THE BEST MOMENTS IN OUR LIVES ARE

NOT THE PASSIVE, RECEPTIVE, RELAXING
TIMES. THE BEST MOMENTS USUALLY
OCCUR IF A PERSON’S BODY OR MIND
IS STRETCHED TO ITS LIMITS IN A
VOLUNTARY EFFORT TO ACCOMPLISH
SOMETHING DIFFICULT AND
WORTHWHILE.”

MIHALY CSIKSZENTMIHALYI

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LEFEVRE (1988) LEFEVRE (1988)

• ~100 WORKERS SURVEYED DURING THEIR DAY • WORK = HIGH CHALLENGE/HIGH SKILL SITUATIONS
USING EXPERIENCE SAMPLING PAGING
• WORK = SENSE OF EFFICACY AND SELF-CONFIDENCE
• “HOW ARE YOU FEELING?”
• LEISURE = LOW CHALLENGE/LOW SKILL SITUATIONS
• “CONCENTRATION?”
• LEISURE = APATHY AND BOREDOM
• “WHAT WOULD YOU RATHER BE DOING?”

LEFEVRE (1988)

A “GOOD” JOB
• RATHER BE DOING? = LEISURE > WORK
• PREFER TO KEEP DOING = LEISURE >
WORK

DISCONNECT IN OUR BELIEFS

ABOUT WORK VS. LEISURE

#1. SIGNATURE STRENGTHS #2. INCREASING FLOW