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SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY NETWORK
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SONJA LYUBOMIRSKY
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Home Page Web Site Curriculum Vitae Wikipedia Biography
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INSTITUTION
University of California, Riverside
CURRENT POSITION
Professor of Psychology
HIGHEST DEGREE
Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Stanford University, 1994
BLOG
How of Happiness: The Scientific Pursuit of Happiness
ONLINE MEDIA
The majority of my research career has been devoted to studying human happiness.
Why is the scientific study of happiness important? In short, because most
people believe happiness is meaningful, desirable, and an important, worthy
goal, because happiness is one of the most salient and significant dimensions of
human experience and emotional life, because happiness yields numerous rewards
for the individual, and because it makes for a better, healthier, stronger
society. Along these lines, my current research addresses three critical
questions - 1) What makes people happy?; 2) Is happiness a good thing?; and 3)
How and why can people learn to lead happier and more flourishing lives?
Why Are Some People Happier Than Others?
I have always been struck by the capacity of some individuals to be remarkably
happy, even in the face of stress, trauma, or adversity. Thus, my earlier
research efforts had been focused on trying to understand why some people are
happier than others (for a review, see Lyubomirsky, 2001). To this end, my
approach had been to explore the cognitive and motivational processes that
distinguish individuals who show exceptionally high and low levels of happiness.
These processes include social comparison (how people compare themselves to
peers), dissonance reduction (how people justify both trivial and important
choices in their lives), self-evaluation (how people judge themselves), and
person perception (how people think about others). All of these processes, it
turns out, have hedonic implications - that is, positive or negative
consequences for happiness and self-regard - and thus are relevant to
elucidating individual differences in enduring well-being. My students and I
have found that truly happy individuals construe life events and daily
situations in ways that seem to maintain their happiness, while unhappy
individuals construe experiences in ways that seem to reinforce unhappiness. In
essence, our research shows that happy individuals experience and react to
events and circumstances in relatively more positive and more adaptive ways. For
example, we found that happy individuals are relatively more likely than their
less happy peers to "endow" positive memories (i.e., store them in their
emotional "bank accounts") but to "contrast" negative memories (i.e., "life is
so much better now") (Liberman, Boehm, Lyubomirsky, & Ross, 2011).
On-going studies in my laboratory are exploring additional cognitive and
motivational processes that support the differing worlds of enduring happiness
versus chronic unhappiness. For example, several investigations have revealed
that unhappy individuals are more likely than happy ones to dwell on negative or
ambiguous events (Lyubomirsky, Boehm, Kasri, & Zehm, 2011). Such "dwelling" or
rumination may drain cognitive resources and thus bring to bear a variety of
negative consequences, which could further reinforce unhappiness. These findings
demonstrate some of the maladaptive by-products of self-reflection, suggesting
that not only is the "unexamined life" worth living, but it is potentially full
of happiness and joy.
To cast our work on happiness in a broader framework, we have also been
exploring the meaning, expression, and pursuit of happiness across cultures,
subcultures, and age groups (e.g., Boehm, Lyubomirsky, & Sheldon, 2011). For
example, despite media reports, do parents actually experience more happiness
and meaning than do non-parents? Furthermore, we are currently carrying out
happiness-increasing interventions among Japanese technical workers, Korean
undergraduates, Spanish professionals, Australian blue collar workers, Canadian
elementary school students, and British teens.
What Are the Benefits of Happiness?
A recent interest has steered me from the search of the roots of happiness to an
examination of its consequences. Is happiness a good thing? Or, does it just
simply feel good? A review of all the available literature has revealed that
happiness does indeed have numerous positive byproducts, which appear to benefit
not only individuals, but families, communities, and the society at large
(Lyubomirsky, King, & Diener, 2005). The benefits of happiness include higher
income and superior work outcomes (e.g., greater productivity and higher quality
of work), larger social rewards (e.g., more satisfying and longer marriages,
more friends, stronger social support, and richer social interactions), more
activity, energy, and flow, and better physical health (e.g., a bolstered immune
system, lowered stress levels, and less pain) and even longer life. The
literature, my colleagues and I have found, also suggests that happy individuals
are more creative, helpful, charitable, and self-confident, have better
self-control, and show greater self-regulatory and coping abilities. On-going
and future experimental and longitudinal studies that attempt to increase the
long-term happiness of students and working adults will give us the opportunity
to assess whether increases in durable happiness predict changes in other
positive outcomes, such as altruistic behavior, creativity, work performance,
physical health, and social relationships. We are investigating whether both
happiness and generosity propagate across social networks (funded by Notre Dame
University's Science of Generosity Initiative), and whether happiness is
associated with more physical movement and greater social interactions (funded
by Hitachi's Central Research Laboratory).
The Architecture of Sustainable Happiness
An ongoing program of research with my students and collaborator Ken Sheldon is
asking the question, "How can happiness be reliably increased?" (for reviews,
see Boehm & Lyubomirsky, 2009; Lyubomirsky, 2008; Lyubomirsky, Sheldon, &
Schkade, 2005; Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009). Despite pessimism from the current
literature that the pursuit of happiness may be largely futile, my colleagues
and I believe that durable increases in happiness are indeed possible and within
the average person's reach. Thus, following my construal theory of happiness, I
am exploring how the cognitive and motivational processes and biases associated
with relatively greater happiness can be nurtured, acquired, or directly taught.
To this end, my current research is investigating the mechanisms by which a
chronic happiness level higher than one's genetically-determined set point can
be achieved and sustained. My colleagues and I believe that sustainable
increases in happiness are possible through the practice of intentional
cognitive, motivational, and behavioral activities that are feasible to deploy
but require daily and concerted effort and commitment.
We are presently conducting multiple experimental intervention studies in which
participants' cognitive and behavioral strategies are systematically retrained.
For example, intervention studies with students, community members, workers,
depressed individuals, and hospital patients are testing the efficacy of five
cognitive and behavioral volitional strategies: 1) regularly setting aside time
to recall moments of gratitude (i.e., keeping a journal in which one "counts
one's blessings" or writing a gratitude letter), 2) engaging in self-regulatory
and positive thinking about oneself (i.e., reflecting, writing, and talking
about one's happiest and unhappiest life events or one's goals for the future),
3) practicing altruism and kindness (i.e., routinely committing acts of
kindness), 4) pursuing significant, intrinsic life goals (e.g., listing and
taking action on "baby steps" towards goals), and 5) savoring positive
experiences (e.g., using one's five senses to relish daily moments). Most
important, we are testing whether the benefits of such activities differ across
cultures (see above), and whether they are influenced by such factors as
person-activity "fit," motivation, persistence, social support, social
comparison, face-to-face delivery, variety, timing, and expectations (e.g.,
Boehm et al., 2011; Lyubomirsky, Dickerhoof, Boehm, & Sheldon, 2011;
Lyubomirsky, Sousa, & Dickerhoof, 2006; Sheldon et al., 2010). We are also
examining the "why" of happiness-boosting interventions by testing the mediating
role of positive experiences, need satisfaction, flow, intrinsic motivation, and
positive thoughts. Finally, we are investigating genetic and environmental
influences on individual differences in responses to happiness-increasing
interventions.
Thwarting Hedonic Adaptation
Finally, a line of research with my students and Ken Sheldon focuses on hedonic
adaptation to positive experience as a critical barrier to raising happiness
(Lyubomirsky, 2011; Sheldon & Lyubomirsky, in press). After all, if people
become accustomed to (and take for granted) anything positive that happens to
them, then how can they ever become happier? A new model suggests that
adaptation to positive experience proceeds via two paths: 1) through diminished
positive emotions and 2) through increased aspirations. The key to achieving
increased and lasting well-being thereby lies in effortful, intentional
activities that slow down or preclude the positive adaptation process. Current
studies are testing the hypothesis that such activities share several properties
that potentially help them to effectively forestall adaptation: they are
dynamic, episodic, novel, and attention-enticing. We are presently applying our
model to understand what produces materialism and consumerism, and how to design
interventions that significantly depress people's aspirations and bolster their
humility, thereby allowing them to step off the hedonic treadmill and become
more thrifty (e.g., Chancellor & Lyubomirsky, 2011).
MEDIA CONTACT
Media Contacts are available to answer media inquiries about their research or
other areas of expertise. If you are a reporter, writer, or producer who wishes
to schedule an interview, please use the Contact form to send a request that
includes: (1) the interview topic, (2) the media outlet or publication you work
for, and (3) the date by which you hope to complete the interview.
PRIMARY INTERESTS:
* Applied Social Psychology
* Attitudes and Beliefs
* Culture and Ethnicity
* Emotion, Mood, Affect
* Life Satisfaction, Well-Being
* Motivation, Goal Setting
* Personality, Individual Differences
* Self and Identity
* Social Cognition
RESEARCH GROUP OR LABORATORY:
* Positive Psychology Laboratory
* Interactive Map
Note from the Network: The holder of this profile has certified having all
necessary rights, licenses, and authorization to post the files listed below.
Visitors are welcome to copy or use any files for noncommercial or journalistic
purposes provided they credit the profile holder and cite this page as the
source.
IMAGE GALLERY
Myths of Happiness 1.1MB | Linked
VIDEO GALLERY
4:35
What Determines Happiness?
Select video to watch
* 4:35
What Determines Happiness?
Length: 4:35
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* 2:55
What is Happiness?
Length: 2:55
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* 6:31
Happiness for a Lifetime
Length: 6:31
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* 38:50
Boosting Well-Being Through Kindness, Gratitude, and Optimism
Length: 38:50
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* 4:18
What Is Post-Traumatic Growth?
Length: 4:18
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* 1:25:25
The Science and Practice of Happiness Across the Lifespan
Length: 1:25:25
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* 2:35
The Benefits of Happiness
Length: 2:35
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* 5:12
Pessimism About Happiness
Length: 5:12
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* 38:55
The How of Happiness (Talks at Google)
Length: 38:55
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* 3:37
Who Says You Need a Partner to be Happy on Valentine's Day?
Length: 3:37
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* 6:38
Gratitude Brings Happiness
Length: 6:38
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* 10:54
On the How of Happiness (CGTN America)
Length: 10:54
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* 1:17:41
The Science of Happiness (Seaver Distinguished Lecture)
Length: 1:17:41
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* 58:16
Happiness Habits (Action for Happiness Webinar)
Length: 58:16
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* 2:14
Happiness Takes Work
Length: 2:14
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* 41:12
The How of Happiness (World Happiness Summit)
Length: 41:12
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BOOKS:
* Lyubomirsky, S. (2013). The myths of happiness: What should make you happy,
but doesn’t, what shouldn’t make you happy, but does. New York: Penguin
Press.
* Linked image: Myths of Happiness
* Lyubomirsky, S. (2008). The how of happiness: A new approach to getting the
life you want. New York: Penguin Press.
JOURNAL ARTICLES:
* Boehm, J. K., Lyubomirsky, S., & Sheldon, K. M. (2011). A longitudinal
experimental study comparing the effectiveness of happiness-enhancing
strategies in Anglo Americans and Asian Americans. Cognition & Emotion, 25,
1152-1167.
* Layous, K., Nelson, S. K., Oberle, E., Schonert-Reichl, K., & Lyubomirsky, S.
(2012). Kindness counts: Prompting prosocial behavior in preadolescents
boosts peer acceptance and well-being. PLOS ONE, 7, e51380.
* Lyubomirsky, S. (2002). Why are some people happier than others? The role of
cognitive and motivational processes in well-being. American Psychologist,
56, 239-249.
* Lyubomirsky, S., Caldwell, N. D., & Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (1998). Effects of
ruminative and distracting responses to depressed mood on retrieval of
autobiographical memories. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75,
166-177.
* Lyubomirsky, S., Dickerhoof, R., Boehm, J. K., & Sheldon, K. M. (2011).
Becoming happier takes both a will and a proper way: An experimental
longitudinal intervention to boost well-being. Emotion, 11, 391-402.
* Lyubomirsky, S., King, L. A., & Diener, E. (2005). The benefits of frequent
positive affect: Does happiness lead to success? Psychological Bulletin, 131,
803-855.
* Lyubomirsky, S., & Layous, K. (in press). How do simple positive activities
increase well-being? Current Directions in Psychological Science.
* Lyubomirsky, S., & Lepper, H. (1999). A measure of subjective happiness:
Preliminary reliability and construct validation. Social Indicators Research,
46, 137-155.
* Lyubomirsky, S., & Ross, L. (1999). Changes in attractiveness of elected,
rejected, and precluded alternatives: A comparison of happy and unhappy
individuals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 76, 988-1007.
* Lyubomirsky, S., & Ross, L. (1997). Hedonic consequences of social
comparison: A contrast of happy and unhappy people. Journal of Personality
and Social Psychology, 73, 1141-1157.
* Lyubomirsky, S., Sheldon, K. M., & Schkade, D. (2005). Pursuing happiness:
The architecture of sustainable change. Review of General Psychology, 9,
111-131.
* Lyubomirsky, S., Sousa, L., Dickerhoof, R. (2006). The costs and benefits of
writing, talking, and thinking about life's triumphs and defeats. Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology, 90, 692-708.
* Lyubomirsky, S., Tucker, K. L., Caldwell, N. D., & Berg, K. (1999). Why
ruminators are poor problem solvers: Clues from the phenomenology of
dysphoric rumination. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77,
1041-1060.
* Nelson, S. K., Kushlev, K., English, T., Dunn, E. W., & Lyubomirsky, S.
(2013). In defense of parenthood: Children are associated with more joy than
misery. Psychological Science, 24, 3-10.
* Nolen-Hoeksema, S., Wisco, B. E., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2008). Rethinking
rumination. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 3, 400-424.
* Sheldon, K. M., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2012). The challenge of staying happier:
Testing the Hedonic Adaptation Prevention model. Personality and Social
Psychology Bulletin, 38, 670-680.
OTHER PUBLICATIONS:
* Layous, K., & Lyubomirsky, S. (in press). The how, why, what, when, and who
of happiness: Mechanisms underlying the success of positive interventions. In
J. Gruber & J. Moscowitz (Eds.), The light and dark side of positive
emotions. New York: Oxford University Press.
* Lyubomirsky, S. (2011). Hedonic adaptation to positive and negative
experiences (pp. 200-224). In S. Folkman (Ed.), Oxford handbook of stress,
health, and coping. New York: Oxford University Press.
COURSES TAUGHT:
* Academic Skills and Professional Development
* Applications of Social Psychology
* Experimental Design and Analysis of Variance
* Honors Research Seminar
* Introduction to Psychology
* Psychology of Happiness and Virtue
* Seminar: Affect and Cognition
* Seminar: Emotion and Culture
* Seminar: Positive Psychology
* Seminar: The Psychology of Mental Control
* Social Psychology
Driving Directions
Sonja Lyubomirsky
Department of Psychology
University of California
Riverside, California 92521
United States of America
* Phone: (951) 827-5041
* Fax: (951) 827-3985
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Last edited by user: November 14, 2012
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MYTHS OF HAPPINESS
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Myths of Happiness
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Linked to this publication:
* Lyubomirsky, S. (2013). The myths of happiness: What should make you happy,
but doesn’t, what shouldn’t make you happy, but does. New York: Penguin
Press.
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Cover of my new book, The Myths of Happiness (Penguin Press)
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WHAT DETERMINES HAPPINESS?
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What Determines Happiness?
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WHAT IS HAPPINESS?
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What is Happiness?
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HAPPINESS FOR A LIFETIME
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Happiness for a Lifetime
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BOOSTING WELL-BEING THROUGH KINDNESS, GRATITUDE, AND OPTIMISM
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Boosting Well-Being Through Kindness, Gratitude, and Optimism
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WHAT IS POST-TRAUMATIC GROWTH?
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What Is Post-Traumatic Growth?
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THE SCIENCE AND PRACTICE OF HAPPINESS ACROSS THE LIFESPAN
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THE BENEFITS OF HAPPINESS
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PESSIMISM ABOUT HAPPINESS
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Pessimism About Happiness
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THE HOW OF HAPPINESS (TALKS AT GOOGLE)
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The How of Happiness (Talks at Google)
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WHO SAYS YOU NEED A PARTNER TO BE HAPPY ON VALENTINE'S DAY?
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Who Says You Need a Partner to be Happy on Valentine's Day?
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GRATITUDE BRINGS HAPPINESS
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Gratitude Brings Happiness
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ON THE HOW OF HAPPINESS (CGTN AMERICA)
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On the How of Happiness (CGTN America)
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THE SCIENCE OF HAPPINESS (SEAVER DISTINGUISHED LECTURE)
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The Science of Happiness (Seaver Distinguished Lecture)
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HAPPINESS HABITS (ACTION FOR HAPPINESS WEBINAR)
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Happiness Habits (Action for Happiness Webinar)
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HAPPINESS TAKES WORK
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Happiness Takes Work
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THE HOW OF HAPPINESS (WORLD HAPPINESS SUMMIT)
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The How of Happiness (World Happiness Summit)
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