the pursuit of happiness

Eda Gurel AtayUniversity of Puget Sound

Lynn R. KahleUniversity of Oregon

Karen RingUniversal McCann, NYC

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men [sic] are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…”

--From U.S. Declaration of Independence

“It’s the economy, stupid.” --James Carville, advice to candidate Bill Clinton

The measurement of wealth and by implication happiness has generally been embodied by such economic indices as Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Governments endeavor to create wealth and are judged by the wealth they create.

Government has fostered growth of GDP by motivating ever-greater levels of consumption (an ideology often supported by consumer behavior).

One problem with never-ending consumption growth for growth’s sake (also the ethic of a cancer cell) is that it is unsustainable.

We live on a planet with finite resources, as well as one where some types of consumption have undesirable consequences.

We need to find a mechanism whereby happiness can be pursued without leading to ever-increasing consumption and inevitable environmental disaster.

The positive psychology movement has achieved remarkable advances in both theory and measurement (e.g., Haidt, 2006).

Subjective well-being, or happiness, has been a focus of much attention in that field.

Beyond the lowest level of income, the cultural proverb that “money can’t buy happiness” is probably true. .As Maslow would suggest, other needs or values ascend in importance after physiological essentials are satisfied.

Happy places: Costa Rica, Denmark

Table 1 Correlates of High Life Satisfaction and Happiness

Smiling frequency Smiling with the eyes (“unfakeable smile”) Ratings of one’s happiness made by friends Frequent verbal expressions of positive emotions Sociability and extraversion Sleep quality Happiness of close relatives Self-reported health Active involvement in religion Recent positive changes of circumstances (increased income, marriage)

Value (Rokeach 1973, p.5):

“an enduring belief that a specific mode of conduct or end-state of existence is personally or socially preferable to an opposite or converse mode of conduct or end-state of existence”

Value System (Rokeach 1973, p.5):

“an enduring organization of beliefs concerning preferable modes of conduct or end-states of existence along a continuum of relative importance”

Self-definition (Rokeach 1973)

Guiding behaviors and judgments

◦ Political attitudes (Reynolds et al. 1997; Lee 2003)◦ Moral reasoning (Abdolmohammadi and Baker 2006)◦ Employee creative behavior (Rice 2006)◦ Healthy lifestyles (Divine and Lepisto 2005)◦ Consumer Behaviors (Kahle & Xie 2008)

Adaptation (Kahle 1983)

ValuesPerspectives

onSuccess

Satisfaction with

Standard of Living

H1: Individuals’ values will influence how they conceptualize success.

H2: Different conceptualizations of success will result in different levels of satisfaction with standard of living.

Media in Mind: Universal McCann’s 2003 U.S.

national survey

◦5,143 participants aged 18 and above

◦Gender distribution: Male: 2254 (48%) Female: 2889 (52%)

Rokeach Value Survey – rank order of 18 valuesRANK

A comfortable life (a prosperous life)

An exciting life (a stimulating, active life)

A sense of accomplishment (lasting contribution)

A world at peace (free of war and conflict)

A world of beauty (beauty of nature and the arts)

Equality (brotherhood, equal opportunities for all)

Family security (taking care of loved ones)

Freedom (independence, free choice)

Happiness (contentedness)

Inner harmony (freedom from inner conflict)

Mature love (sexual and spiritual intimacy)

National security (protection from attack)

Pleasure (an enjoyable, leisurely life)

Salvation (saved, eternal life)

Self-respect (self-esteem)

Social recognition (respect, admiration)

True friendship (close companionship)

Wisdom (a mature understanding of life)

Things associated with success – check all that applyConsumption Self Family

General Consumption:

Being able to afford things that are important to you.

Owning a home

Conspicuous Consumption:

Owning a luxury car.

Having expensive designer clothing.

Staying at luxury hotels.

Shopping at prestigious stores.

Owning a prestigious credit card (platinum, gold card)

Dining at “in” restaurants

Going on expensive vacations

Having expensive jewelry / watches

Being in excellent physical condition.

Being in control of your life.

Being satisfied with your life.

Being happy with who you are.

Being well-groomed and attractive.

Having a good family life.

Having successful children

Having a happy family

QuestionnaireQuestionnaire

Standard of Living

(1=Completely Disagree; 5=Completely Agree)

I am satisfied with my current financial situation.

I like playing the lottery.

ValuesPerspectives

onSuccess

Satisfaction with

Standard of Living

Things Associated with Success Most Important Value

Family:

Having a good family life. Family security

Having a happy family. Family security

Having successful children. Family security

Self:

Being in excellent physical condition. Family security

Being in control of your life. Family security

Being satisfied with your life. Family security

Being happy with who you are. Family security

Being well-groomed and attractive. Family security

General Consumption:

Being able to afford things that are important to you. Family security

Owning a home. Family security

Things Associated with Success Most Important Value

Conspicuous Consumption:

Owning a luxury car. Happiness

Having expensive designer clothing. Happiness

Staying at luxury hotels. Happiness

Shopping at prestigious stores. Happiness

Owning a prestigious credit card (platinum, gold card) Happiness

Dining at “in” restaurants Happiness

Going on expensive vacations Happiness

Having expensive jewelry / watches Happiness