2009 Press Releases
UCC psychologist investigates the secrets of happiness
09.12.2009
Studies from positive psychology on the science of happiness are quite startling according to UCC psychologist, Dr Zelda Di Blasi. “We may think that winning the lottery would guarantee happiness.
09.12.2009
Studies from positive psychology on the science of happiness are quite startling according to UCC psychologist, Dr Zelda Di Blasi. “We may think that winning the lottery would guarantee happiness.
Instead, studies find that lottery winners do not end up significantly happier than a control group,” says Dr Di Blasi, Applied Psychology Department, UCC. “Equally interesting was a study carried on paraplegics. Findings show that paraplegics are not as unhappy as one might expect. This is because we naturally tend to adapt to life events and we revert to our happiness levels. Psychologists refer to this as general adaptation syndrome.”
Research has found that wealth doesn’t bring happiness. Despite huge increases in affluence compared with 1950, people throughout the developed world report no greater feelings of happiness. This does not mean that the recession is not having any impact on our happiness and sense of wellbeing. Unemployment is linked to depression. This is partly due to a loss in income, but also due to a reduction in self-esteem, social networks and perceived social status.
What is reassuring in our current economic climate is that: “About half of our happiness is biological,” says Dr Di Blasi. “About ten per cent is determined by our circumstances and 40% is determined by our intention and our choice to cultivate happiness. Studies across the US and Europe have shown that by introducing daily ‘happiness boosters’ such as gratitude, altruism and mindfulness into our daily lives we can significantly increase our levels of happiness.”
This study of happiness is part of positive psychology which brings rigorous empirical research into areas of well-being and happiness, personal strengths and resources, positive groups and flourishing institutions. Some of the reasons for the boom in this field are due to advances in neurology. “We are now able to pin-point where happiness lies in the brain. We also understand that thanks to brain plasticity, we can change our levels of happiness and record such changes in our pre-frontal cortex. Another reason for the growing interest in this area comes from study on the economics of happiness. We may be a lot better off than we were in the past, but our happiness levels have not changed. Instead we have seen increases in depression and anxiety.”
As part of a departmental research group in ‘Wellbeing and Social Engagement’, Dr Di Blasi along with her colleagues Dr Mike Murphy and Dr David O’Sullivan, is currently conducting research to identify predictors of happiness and to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions aiming to increase psychological wellbeing among college students (e.g. keeping a gratitude diary, engaging in acts of kindness, mindfulness meditation). “In one study we introduced brief mindfulness meditation at the start of psychology lectures to improve the quality of the lectures. Besides boosting attention, mindfulness meditation was found to improve wellbeing while decreasing stress levels, compared to a control group.”
Positive Psychology is a popular final year module in the UCC Applied Psychology Department, now in its third year. The students learn about the science and art of happiness: what it is, what influences it, how to harness it, and its psychoneuroimmunological nature. Along with learning the latest scientific discoveries in the field, the course has a strong experiential element. Students have an opportunity to engage in various exercises both in class and at home, and to reflect on these for their personal development, and ultimately their wellbeing.
RMcD
Picture: Dr Zelda Di Blasi, Department of Applied Psychology, UCC
Research has found that wealth doesn’t bring happiness. Despite huge increases in affluence compared with 1950, people throughout the developed world report no greater feelings of happiness. This does not mean that the recession is not having any impact on our happiness and sense of wellbeing. Unemployment is linked to depression. This is partly due to a loss in income, but also due to a reduction in self-esteem, social networks and perceived social status.
What is reassuring in our current economic climate is that: “About half of our happiness is biological,” says Dr Di Blasi. “About ten per cent is determined by our circumstances and 40% is determined by our intention and our choice to cultivate happiness. Studies across the US and Europe have shown that by introducing daily ‘happiness boosters’ such as gratitude, altruism and mindfulness into our daily lives we can significantly increase our levels of happiness.”
This study of happiness is part of positive psychology which brings rigorous empirical research into areas of well-being and happiness, personal strengths and resources, positive groups and flourishing institutions. Some of the reasons for the boom in this field are due to advances in neurology. “We are now able to pin-point where happiness lies in the brain. We also understand that thanks to brain plasticity, we can change our levels of happiness and record such changes in our pre-frontal cortex. Another reason for the growing interest in this area comes from study on the economics of happiness. We may be a lot better off than we were in the past, but our happiness levels have not changed. Instead we have seen increases in depression and anxiety.”
As part of a departmental research group in ‘Wellbeing and Social Engagement’, Dr Di Blasi along with her colleagues Dr Mike Murphy and Dr David O’Sullivan, is currently conducting research to identify predictors of happiness and to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions aiming to increase psychological wellbeing among college students (e.g. keeping a gratitude diary, engaging in acts of kindness, mindfulness meditation). “In one study we introduced brief mindfulness meditation at the start of psychology lectures to improve the quality of the lectures. Besides boosting attention, mindfulness meditation was found to improve wellbeing while decreasing stress levels, compared to a control group.”
Positive Psychology is a popular final year module in the UCC Applied Psychology Department, now in its third year. The students learn about the science and art of happiness: what it is, what influences it, how to harness it, and its psychoneuroimmunological nature. Along with learning the latest scientific discoveries in the field, the course has a strong experiential element. Students have an opportunity to engage in various exercises both in class and at home, and to reflect on these for their personal development, and ultimately their wellbeing.
RMcD
Picture: Dr Zelda Di Blasi, Department of Applied Psychology, UCC