The Effect of Induced Happiness Levels on Academic Performance

Past research has shown that people who have high levels of happiness show greater job performance and productivity than those who are less happy (Lyubomirsky, King, & Diener, et al., 2005) and that happiness can be improved in both non-depressed and depressed people (Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009; Seligman, Steel, Park, & Peterson., 2005). However, little research has been done on the application of positivity interventions in the classroom context. In 4 academic classrooms, positivity and control interventions were applied. I then measured well-being, engagement, and classroom performance. I found that the positivity intervention resulted in higher engagement and classroom performance for advanced students, but not for introductory students. The Effect of Induced Happiness Levels on Academic Performance Positive Psychology Introduction. Positive Psychology is a fairly young specialization in psychology. The movement began in the 1990’s when psychologists began thinking critically about psychology’s tendency to focus primarily on the illnesses and problems of the human mind, rather than what makes humans thrive and succeed. Positive psychologists desired to focus more on studying the qualities of those who “optimally function” in life, rather than those with disorders (Linley, Joseph, Harrington, & Wood, 2006). However, positive psychology does not wish to deem the other specializations in psychology as “negative”; rather, the approach simply examines the human mind from a different perspective. Positive psychologists investigate what the catalysts for positive emotion are (e.g., does volunteering or shopping raise one’s happiness level? ). Also, as previously mentioned, positive psychology looks at what kind of behavior positive emotion evokes (e.g., better job performance). Essentially, positive psychology strives to understand what qualities lead to positive emotion, and how to utilize such qualities for attaining the optimal life (Linley et al., 2006). The field of positive psychology has yielded numerous findings that have been demonstrated to enhance one’s well-being. This in and of itself is a wonderful thing. Perhaps, however, another consequence from enhancing subjective well-being is heightened performance in work and in performance related domains (Lyubomirsky, King, & Diener, 2005). Thus there is significant practical value in exploring the relationship between happiness and success in academic and organizational contexts. Research leads us to know that positive emotions are certainly advantageous, as they can “broaden and build” one’s experience in life. The “broaden and build” theory (Fredrickson & Joiner, 2002) states that positive emotions are adaptively important in that they will broaden one’s skills and resources in life. For example, being friendly to a stranger might lead to a friendship that provides new resources and joy. Curiosity and intrigue with a new part of town can lead to new navigational skills. These opportunities broaden our potential to build new skills, therefore sending us on what Fredrickson calls “upward spirals”. The term upward spirals simply means that “positive emotions— through their effects on broadening thinking—predict future increases in broadening emotions” (Fredrickson & Joiner, 2002, pg. 172). This theory supports the notion that those who seek and experience positive emotions are more successful and have advantages over those who lack positive thinking. Positive Psychology Interventions. Naturally, interventions have been devised in order to utilize these findings from the broaden and build theory. For example, research shows that when participants wrote down three things that made them happy each day for a week, their subjective well-being was increased for up to six months (Seligman, Steel, Park, & Peterson, 2005). Happiness (or subjective well-being) interventions have also proven to be effective in altering success in the classroom (Seligman, Ernst, Gillham, Reivich, & Linkins, 2009). These interventions utilize tactics such as writing thank you letters, or merely listing the things that went well that day—simple tasks that are rarely conceptualized as relevant to breeding success. These interventions may change our conceptualization of factors that improve performance by shifting focus away from exclusively academic interventions, and opening up opportunities for educators to enhance academic performance using psychological interventions. Challenges Facing the U.S. Education System Many have argued that there are multiple problems holding America back from educational reform. First, there is the notion that individual differences between students serve as a decisive factor of success: some students are made for academia and some are not. America is synonymous with competition, and education tends to take an exclusive approach rather than an inclusive one (Oakes, Quartz, Ryan, & Lipton, 2000). Telling students that they are not made for school, or they are significantly different from other students, will inhibit the education system’s progression. Oakes et al. (2000) state that it is easy to see our education as “wedded” to Anglo-American priority because it ultimately tends to Caucasians the best. Further, she argues that majority of schools diminish disadvantaged students to make them appear too needy, and needy children are not best suited for academia. Lastly, schools need to go beyond the procedural approach of superficial parent involvement and utilize a vision of “participatory democracy” (Oakes et al., 2000; p. 575). The main message—schools need to be reformed in a fashion that is inclusive and genuine. Positive psychology’s ideology and theory serves as a remedy to many of the flaws that Oakes points out. America’s education system needs to strive to appreciate and utilize human differences and instill that same attitude within its students. Positive Psychology Solutions Oakes et al.’s analysis of US education describes the type of problems that positive psychology intends to fix. Positive psychology focuses on the signature strengths of people, appreciating and maximizing personal differences. The American education system strives to have a “prototypical student”, whereas positive psychology strives to utilize the differences in each student, acknowledging a multidimensional student body. Positive psychology builds resilience in its students, teaching students to grapple with the disappointment often associated with our competitive culture. Thinking positively can further confidence in signature strengths (i.e. positive qualities, such as creativity or kindness, that are signature to each student), and improve social relations between classmates. Positive psychology in education forces students to look at the positive rather than negative, something that the education system today severely lacks. Positive psychology may be one answer for the problems preventing effective education reform from getting off the ground. Namely, researchers have proposed and studied three different models of education reform that are based on the positive psychology perspective: Positive Behavioral Support, Swarthmore College, and Geelong Grammar School. Curriculums Utilizing Positive Psychology-Positive Behavioral Support. Positive Behavioral Support is a mechanism that utilizes positive psychology’s theoretical stance through emphasizing positive thought and positive reinforcement. For years now school therapists have been using Positive Behavioral Support (PBS) on those children with behavioral problems. The initial goal of PBS was to “help an individual change his/her lifestyle.to render problem behavior irrelevant, inefficient, and ineffective by helping an individual achieve goals in a socially acceptable manner to reduce problem behavior” (Carr, Dunlap, Horner, Koegel, Turnbull, & Sailor, 2002). However, what used to be given to an isolated group of “problem behavior” students is now being utilized as a school-wide tool in many schools throughout the nation and internationally. School-Wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS) is viewed not as a tool to fix problem behavior, but as a school-wide program to prevent potentially aversive behaviors from forming in students. SWPBS strives to improve a positive social environment, which prevents students from engaging in negative behavior (Surgai & Horner, 2002). SWPBS discourages disciplinary actions such as detention, surveillance cameras and security guards because there is actually little empirical data suggesting that these disciplinary actions create students of better character. It takes the ideology that “punishment and exclusion are ineffective when used without a proactive support system” (Surgai & Horner, 2002, p. 26). Instead, SWPBS uses a prevention based strategy that attempts to “break-up the contingencies that maintain antisocial behavior networks, increase rates and opportunities for academic success, establish and sustain positive school and classroom climates, and give priority to an agenda of primary prevention” (Surgai & Horner, 2002, p. 26). Positive psychology’s theory resonates within positive behavioral support. PBS is not directly based off of positive psychology’s interventions of happiness, but it focuses on the preventative ideology that is seen in positive psychology. There does not have to be a “problem behavior” for PBS, just as in positive psychology there does not have to be a mental illness to use positive psychology. Further, it works to establish a positive atmosphere by ridding the schools of punishment based learning, and rewarding students for better behavior. PBS is a great way to begin implementing positive psychology ideology. However, PBS utilizes happiness and positivity as one entity, whereas positive psychology views happiness as a multifaceted thing and distinguishes the different qualities of happiness (character strengths, resilience, efficacy, flow, and gratitude). So in