Go on a run, hike through nature and meditate, and you’re basically guaranteed a happier life. At least, that’s what scores of listicles might lead you to believe. But a new review of hundreds of studies on happiness questions just how strong the evidence is for some of these happiness hacks.
To find studies of happiness that applied these best practices, psychologists Dunigan Folk and Elizabeth Dunn of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver combed through hundreds of papers. The team focused on research that studied a large sample of people, which helps tease out real effects, and studies that were pre-registered, meaning that researchers outlined how they were going to conduct a study before starting it. That way, they can’t tweak it midway; it’s the scientific equivalent of calling your shot in pool.
Although studies of happiness were plentiful, studies that met these high standards were relatively scarce. And the evidence they offered, especially for exercise, meditation and time in nature, was weaker than one might expect, the researchers report July 20 in Nature Human Behaviour.
Science News spoke with Dunn to discuss happiness, how we can get better at studying it and what science says works — and doesn’t — to build a happier life. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
2023-07-20 10:00:07
Original from www.sciencenews.org