Emotional Intelligence (Happiness) 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following best represents the concept of 'subjective well-being' (SWB) as researchers define it?
- An objective measure of life circumstances such as income and health
- A person's own evaluation of their life, including positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction (Correct answer)
- A neurological measure of brain activity in the prefrontal cortex
- The absence of diagnosable mental illness
Correct answer: A person's own evaluation of their life, including positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction
Subjective well-being is a self-reported, multidimensional construct comprising high positive affect, low negative affect, and high life satisfaction.
Question 2: Research on the 'happiness set point' suggests that approximately what percentage of happiness variation is attributed to genetics?
- About 10%
- About 30%
- About 50% (Correct answer)
- About 90%
Correct answer: About 50%
Lyubomirsky's research suggests approximately 50% of happiness variation is attributable to a genetically determined set point, with 10% from circumstances and 40% from intentional activities.
Question 3: Sophia is feeling down after a setback. She chooses to write about three specific things that went well that day. This exercise is most directly targeting:
- Emotional suppression of negative feelings
- Gratitude and positive attention retraining (Correct answer)
- Avoidance of difficult emotions
- Social comparison to others
Correct answer: Gratitude and positive attention retraining
The 'three good things' exercise targets gratitude and trains attention toward positive events, which research shows elevates mood and happiness over time.
Question 4: A person who has high levels of trait happiness is most likely to display which characteristic in the workplace?
- Avoidance of any form of criticism or negative feedback
- Greater creativity, productivity, and prosocial behavior toward colleagues (Correct answer)
- An inability to recognize genuine problems or threats
- Dependence on external validation for motivation
Correct answer: Greater creativity, productivity, and prosocial behavior toward colleagues
Research by Sonja Lyubomirsky and others shows happy individuals tend to be more creative, productive, and prosocial, making them effective contributors in workplace settings.
Question 5: Which of the following is an example of 'savoring' as a happiness-enhancing strategy?
- Quickly moving from one pleasant experience to the next to maximize enjoyment
- Deliberately slowing down to fully appreciate and extend the enjoyment of a positive experience (Correct answer)
- Recalling only negative experiences to build resilience
- Planning future events to have something to look forward to
Correct answer: Deliberately slowing down to fully appreciate and extend the enjoyment of a positive experience
Savoring involves deliberately attending to and appreciating positive experiences in the moment or through reflection, thereby intensifying and extending positive emotions.
Question 6: Research on 'experience vs. material purchases' and happiness consistently shows that:
- Material purchases provide more lasting happiness because they are permanent
- Experiential purchases tend to produce more lasting happiness than material ones (Correct answer)
- Both types of purchases contribute equally to lasting happiness
- Neither experiences nor material goods have meaningful effects on happiness
Correct answer: Experiential purchases tend to produce more lasting happiness than material ones
Studies by Van Boven and Gilovich show experiential purchases (travel, concerts, etc.) produce more enduring happiness because they are less susceptible to social comparison and hedonic adaptation.
Question 7: Which of the following best describes the role of 'meaning' in happiness according to self-determination theory?
- Meaning is irrelevant to happiness; pleasure is the only true driver
- A sense of purpose and meaning fulfills the basic psychological need for contribution, enhancing well-being (Correct answer)
- Meaning only matters for happiness in religious or spiritual contexts
- Meaning and pleasure are identical psychological constructs
Correct answer: A sense of purpose and meaning fulfills the basic psychological need for contribution, enhancing well-being
Self-determination theory identifies autonomy, competence, and relatedness as basic psychological needs, with meaning and purpose emerging from their fulfillment, directly enhancing well-being.
Emotional Intelligence (Happiness) 4
Which of the following best represents the concept of 'subjective well-being' (SWB) as researchers define it?