Happiness Quantified | George MacKerron | Talks at Google

TL;DR

Mappiness is a smartphone app that measures people's happiness in different environments, showing that green spaces and social activities increase happiness, while work and certain life events can decrease happiness.

Transcript

[MUSIC PLAYING] GEORGE MACKERRON: Well, Alex has stolen the content on my first couple of slides. So I guess I'm George, and I'm going to talk to you about the economics of happiness and some of the findings of my own research. As Alex says, I've got several hats, academic economist, creator of a study called Mappiness, which is largely what I'll t... Read More

Key Insights

• ✋ Mappiness research shows that natural environments, social activities, and physical exercise are positively associated with higher levels of happiness.
• 💦 Work and certain life events, such as loss or negative experiences, can decrease happiness.
• 👨‍🔬 Adaptation to different environments and potential cultural differences are important considerations in happiness research.
• 🧑‍🏭 Mappiness 2 will offer personalized interventions to improve happiness and include a focus on work-related factors.

Questions & Answers

Q: How does Mappiness measure happiness?

Mappiness measures happiness by collecting data on individuals' daily experiences, activities, and locations through the smartphone app.

Q: What are the main factors that affect happiness according to Mappiness research?

According to Mappiness research, natural environments, social activities, physical exercise, and positive life events are associated with higher happiness levels. Conversely, work, negative life events, and certain activities can decrease happiness.

Q: Does Mappiness take cultural or ethnic differences into account?

Mappiness does not directly collect data on cultural or ethnic differences. However, the app collects demographic information such as age and gender, which can be further analyzed to explore potential differences in happiness.

Q: How does Mappiness handle adaptation to different environments?

Mappiness research does not specifically address adaptation to different environments. However, it is possible that individuals may adapt to certain environments over time, leading to changes in happiness levels. This is an area that could be explored further in future studies.

Q: Does Mappiness provide personalized recommendations or interventions to improve happiness?

Mappiness 2, the upcoming version of the app, is expected to include interventions to improve happiness based on individuals' reported happiness levels. These interventions may include mindfulness practices and other scientifically validated approaches.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Mappiness is a research project and smartphone app that measures people's happiness in different environments.

• The app collects data on individuals' happiness levels, activities, locations, and other factors.

• Findings from Mappiness research show that natural environments, social activities, and physical exercise are associated with higher happiness levels, while work and certain life events can decrease happiness.