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THIS WEEK 14 | NewScientist | 9 October 2010 CHOOSE wisely when considering a partner, whether to attend church and how you look after your body. These decisions could have a significant effect on your overall life satisfaction. That’s according to a study that challenges the theory that life happiness is largely predetermined by your genes. The widely accepted “set-point” theory of happiness says that an individual’s long-term happiness tends to be stable because it depends mainly on genetic factors. The idea is based in part on studies that show identical twins to have more similar levels of life satisfaction than non-identical twins, and suggests that although your level of happiness may occasionally be thrown off by major life events, it will always return to a set level within two years. To find out whether people really are destined for a certain level of happiness, Bruce Headey at the University of Melbourne in Australia and his team questioned people in Germany about their jobs, lifestyles and social and religious activities. The survey was initially completed by 3000 people annually, but that rose to 60,000 per year by the end of the 25-year study period. They found that certain changes in lifestyle led to significant long-term changes in reported life satisfaction, rather than causing the temporary deflections in happiness that set-point theory would suggest (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1008612107). One of the biggest influences on a person’s happiness was their partner’s level of neuroticism. Those with partners who scored highly on tests for neuroticism were more likely to be unhappy – and to stay unhappy for as long as the relationship lasted. Altruism and family values also influenced long-term happiness. People whose annual survey responses changed to place a higher priority on altruistic behaviours and family goals were rewarded with a long- term increase in life satisfaction. Those who prioritised career and material success, however, experienced a corresponding lasting decline. Having strong religious commitments also seemed to help in the pursuit of happiness. “People who attend church regularly seem to be happier than people who are not religious,” says Headey. A person’s weight turned out to be another factor for long-term happiness, especially for women. Underweight men scored slightly lower than those with healthy weights, while women reported being significantly less happy when they were obese. Being overweight appeared to have no effect on men’s happiness. Robert Cummins at Deakin University in Burwood, Australia, notes that changes in happiness reported by Headey’s team could be influenced by individuals falling into or recovering from depression. The group suggests its findings may be applied to other populations, having found similar patterns, as yet unpublished, in the UK and Australia. n Jessica Hamzelou Happiness is yours for the taking “People who attend church regularly appear to be happier than people who are not religious” Registered Charity No 207043 Information theory meets writing Clifford Paterson prize lecture – open to the public 12 October 2010 from 6.30pm to 7.30pm Professor David MacKay FRS University of Cambridge and Chief Scientific Adviser to the Department of Energy and Climate Change Information theory is about the best way to get information content from the least input. Dasher is a technology which achieves higher information content per gesture than any other switch-based communication system, and enables efficient writing with any muscle of the body. Professor MacKay will talk about Dasher and other communication systems designed using information theory; especially those aimed at disabled people. Admission free – no ticket or advance booking required. Doors will open at 5.45pm and seats will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. This event will be broadcast live on the web at royalsociety.org/live and available to view on demand 48 hours later. Visit our video archive at royalsociety.tv royalsociety.org/events The Royal Society 6-9 Carlton House Terrace London SW1Y 5AG Tel: 020 7451 2581 Email: [email protected] Smiles to last a lifetimeBURT GLINN/MAGNUM

Daily choices can affect long-term happiness

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Page 1: Daily choices can affect long-term happiness

THIS WEEK

14 | NewScientist | 9 October 2010

CHOOSE wisely when considering a partner, whether to attend church and how you look after your body. These decisions could have a significant effect on your overall life satisfaction. That’s according to a study that challenges the theory that life happiness is largely predetermined by your genes.

The widely accepted “set-point” theory of happiness says that an individual’s long-term happiness tends to be stable because it depends mainly on genetic factors. The idea is based in part on studies that show identical twins to have more similar levels of life satisfaction than non-identical twins, and suggests that although your level of happiness may occasionally be thrown off by major life events, it will always return to a set level within two years.

To find out whether people really are destined for a certain level of happiness, Bruce Headey at the University of Melbourne in Australia and his team questioned people in Germany about their jobs, lifestyles and social and religious activities. The survey was initially completed by 3000 people annually, but that rose to 60,000 per year by the end of the 25-year study period.

They found that certain changes in lifestyle led to significant long-term changes in reported life satisfaction, rather than causing the temporary deflections in happiness that set-point theory would suggest (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1008612107).

One of the biggest influences on a person’s happiness was their partner’s level of neuroticism.

Those with partners who scored highly on tests for neuroticism were more likely to be unhappy – and to stay unhappy for as long as the relationship lasted.

Altruism and family values also influenced long-term happiness. People whose annual survey responses changed to place a higher priority on altruistic behaviours and family goals were rewarded with a long-term increase in life satisfaction. Those who prioritised career and material success, however, experienced a corresponding lasting decline.

Having strong religious commitments also seemed to help in the pursuit of happiness. “People who attend church regularly seem to be happier than people who are not religious,” says Headey.

A person’s weight turned out to be another factor for long-term happiness, especially for women. Underweight men scored slightly lower than those with healthy weights, while women reported being significantly less happy when they were obese. Being overweight appeared to have no effect on men’s happiness.

Robert Cummins at Deakin University in Burwood,

Australia, notes that changes in happiness reported by Headey’s team could be influenced by individuals falling into or recovering from depression.

The group suggests its findings may be applied to other populations, having found similar patterns, as yet unpublished, in the UK and Australia. n

Jessica Hamzelou

Happiness is yours for the taking

“People who attend church regularly appear to be happier than people who are not religious”

Registered Charity No 207043

Information theory meets writingClifford Paterson prize lecture – open to the public

12 October 2010 from 6.30pm to 7.30pm

Professor David MacKay FRS

University of Cambridge and Chief Scientific Adviser

to the Department of Energy and Climate Change

Information theory is about the

best way to get information content

from the least input. Dasher is a

technology which achieves higher

information content per gesture

than any other switch-based

communication system, and enables

efficient writing with any muscle

of the body. Professor MacKay

will talk about Dasher and other

communication systems designed

using information theory; especially

those aimed at disabled people.

Admission free – no ticket or advance

booking required. Doors will open at

5.45pm and seats will be allocated

on a first-come-first-served basis.

This event will be broadcast live on

the web at royalsociety.org/live and

available to view on demand 48

hours later. Visit our video archive

at royalsociety.tv

royalsociety.org/events

The Royal Society

6-9 Carlton House Terrace

London SW1Y 5AG

Tel: 020 7451 2581

Email: [email protected]

–Smiles to last a lifetime–

burT

glI

nn

/mag

nu

m

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