The Science of Happiness
Learn the latest psychology behind why it's hard to be happy, and take our quiz to learn how your contentment compares to that in other cultures
The Many Faces of Happiness
Cultural twists on the concept hint at new ways of lifting your spirits and making you more content with life
Global Survey Links Religion and Happiness
An analysis of the Gallop World Poll finds that there is an association with religion and increased happiness, but only in societies that lack adequate social support. Christie Nicholson reports...
Quiz: How Happy Are You?
Answer these 11 simple questions to compare your score with worldwide data
The Happy Couple: Secrets to a Long Marriage
The key to keeping the magic alive in a marriage, experts say, is finding ways to promote the positive
Why It's So Hard to Be Happy
The pursuit of happiness drives much of what we do, but achieving it always seems just out of reach
The Science of Lasting Happiness
Through controlled experiments, Sonja Lyubomirsky explores ways to beat the genetic set point for happiness. Staying in high spirits, she finds, is hard work
Skip the Small Talk: Meaningful Conversations Linked to Happier People
Happier people have more meaningful conversations
Smile! It Could Make You Happier
Making an emotional face—or suppressing one—influences your feelings
Rapid Thinking Makes People Happy
Accelerated thoughts may trigger the brain's novelty-loving reward system
Money Buys Unhappiness
Thinking about cash impairs the ability to savor experiences
A Wandering Mind is an Unhappy One
New research underlines the wisdom of being absorbed in what you do
Adversity Is Linked to Life Satisfaction
A certain amount of negative life events is correlated with an overall sense of life satisfaction and happiness. Christie Nicholson reports
Money Can Buy Happiness Sometimes
Speaking at the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology in Tampa in early February, psychologist Ryan Howell said that money spent on experiences made people happier than buying things...
Happiness Is Contagious
A happy person within a social circle quickly influences those around him or her to be happy, extending to three degrees of separation. Adam Hinterthuer reports
Happy People Talk More Seriously
A recent study analyzed 20,000 conversations and found that happiness strongly correlated with talkative people who went beyond the small talk. Christie Nicholson reports
Why Are Conservatives Happier Than Liberals?
Conservatives have greater subjective life satisfaction than liberals, according to a Pew Research Center survey. Two New York University researchers performed three studies to find out why...
