Is the U-shaped Happiness Trajectory a Human Universal?

UC Santa Barbara (Audio)

Happiness is often described as being U-shaped over adulthood—starting high, declining to a midlife slump, then improving thereafter despite social losses and declines in health. Though some claim that this U-shape is a fundamental feature of human lives, happiness has mostly been studied in high-income countries. To provide a broader perspective, Michael Gurven, Professor of Anthropology at UC Santa Barbara, discusses age-profiles of subjective well-being among non-industrialized societies where people lack formal institutions that promote social welfare. Gurven says the average trajectory of happiness over adulthood differs among populations. Series: "GRIT Talks" [Humanities] [Show ID: 40085]