Journal
MOTIVATION AND EMOTION
Volume 34, Issue 1, Pages 39-48Publisher
SPRINGER/PLENUM PUBLISHERS
DOI: 10.1007/s11031-009-9153-1
Keywords
Subjective well-being; Psychological needs; Sustainable happiness; Goal progress; Attitudes towards happiness
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University-based community members (N = 181) participated in a four-wave, 6-month longitudinal experiment designed to increase treatment participants' happiness levels. Participants were randomly assigned to set goals either to improve their life circumstances (comparison condition) or to increase their feelings of autonomy, competence, or relatedness in life (treatment conditions). We hypothesized that sustained gains in happiness would be observed only in the three treatment conditions, and that even these gains would last only when there was continuing goal engagement. Results supported these predictions and the sustainable happiness model on which they were based (Lyubomirsky et al. in Rev Gen Psychol 9:111-131, 2005). Furthermore, participants with initial positive attitudes regarding happiness change obtained larger benefits. We conclude that maintained happiness gains are possible, but that they require both a will and a proper way (Lyubomirsky et al. in Becoming happier takes both a will and a proper way: two experimental longitudinal interventions to boost well-being, 2009).
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