Using the Happiness Advantage in a College Honors Program

In the field of college success and retention, researchers have examined school facilities, grade point averages, SAT scores, high school grades, and student involvement among other variables (Aitken). One of the additional variables that has been examined is how happiness affects college success. According to Shawn Achor's 2010 book, The Happiness Advantage, "happiness is the joy we feel in striving for our potential" (17). In the research, happiness has been examined as a trait with which the students may arrive on campus or that they develop while there (Aitken). In either case, the matter of student happiness is of primary importance to teachers and administrators in honors, who work closely with gifted students who may be at high risk for stress and depression. High school graduation is usually a time of happiness for students, but then moving on and leaving home for college the first time can be stressful. Adapting to the nuances of living with non-family members, adjusting to different schedules, and worrying about personal finances has been linked to depression among college students (Mowbray et al.; Hefner and Eisenberg). According to Eisenberg et al., depression can affect academic success. Further, depression can lead to other negative health behaviors, including smoking, drinking, and engaging in unsafe sex (Cranford, Eisenberg, & Serras; Weitzman). Suicide becomes a risk for these students as they try to adapt to entering college (Garlow et al.), and honors students might be at a higher risk because of their perfectionism (Rice et al.). While students are trying to adjust to their new existence, colleges struggle to keep them happy so they will stay there. Researchers have examined GPA, SAT scores, college facilities, roommates, extracurricular involvement, and relationships to determine which factors play the most critical role in retention (Aitken). Workplaces also strive to examine what will keep employees happiest and most loyal (Mitchell, Holton and Lee). Both employees and students who are happy with their environment and their relationships within that environment are often more productive and perform better (Achor). Conversely, sometimes too many social relationships can negatively affect the success of a college student (Aitken). Time management becomes an issue in their satisfaction and success. Few research studies focus on overall life satisfaction and retention, especially among college students in the United States, but in The Happiness Advantage Achor refers to life satisfaction as a critical tool for examining not only happiness but success. He claims that happiness precedes success, not the other way around as many assume, and his book provides a method for becoming happier. College is a part of this bigger picture. Discovering a method to feel more grateful and to think more positively can influence honors and non-honors students. Students can learn these skills both in and outside of class, and Frederickson showed in 1998 that happier people have been shown to learn better, have more open minds, and be better problem-solvers. Fredrickson also demonstrated later, in 2001, that happier people are more physically fit, have better overall health, and report stronger social relationships because they gravitate toward other positive people. Other studies have shown how happiness affects the overall success of a college career (Nickerson, Diener, and Schwarz), but little research has focused on promoting and encouraging happiness in the classroom as students progress through college or how to encourage happiness as a lifestyle. Through my preliminary study of how positive psychological principles influenced self-reported life satisfaction among first-year students in an honors seminar, I hope to initiate a broader longitudinal research study that includes more freshmen honors sections. Ideally, I would like to follow the students through their life after graduation to determine how happiness levels determine future success. …