THE SCIENCE OF HAPPINESS: HOW CAN YOU BECOME HAPPIER AND WHY SHOULD YOU?

Happiness not only feels good; it is good. Happy people are more productive, creative, and resilient; they have more friends and more stable marriages; and they show superior physical health. Furthermore, it appears that feeling socially connected is the key to happiness. Fortunately, experiments have shown that people can intentionally increase their happiness and connectedness. In this presentation, Lyubomirsky will describe both classic and recent research revealing when and why such practices as expressing gratitude, doing kind acts, and engaging in more social interactions work “best” and how small and simple activities can transform us into happier and more flourishing individuals.

Sonja Lyubomirsky (AB Harvard, summa cum laude; PhD Stanford) is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside, and the author of the best-selling The How of Happiness and The Myths of Happiness (published in 39 countries). Lyubomirsky and her research on the science of happiness have been the recipients of many grants and honors, including a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Basel, Diener Award for Outstanding Midcareer Contributions in Personality Psychology, Christopher Peterson Gold Medal, and Positive Psychology Prize. She lives in Santa Monica, California, with her family.