Levels of Happiness Between Gender and Race A fifth teen question questionnaire was handed out to shoppers in the Colonial Bel Air Mall, to measure the levels of happiness between gender and race. It was determined that there were no significant differences of happiness between the two. Although women happiness ratings were slightly higher than men and blacks were higher than whites it was not significant enough to make a difference. Books, books, and more books have analyzed human misery. During its first century, psychology focused far more on negative emotions, such as depression and anxiety, than positive emotions, such as happiness and satisfaction. Even today, our texts say more about suffering than about joy. That is now changing. During the 1980sm the number of Psychological Abstract citations of “well-being,” “happiness,” and “life satisfaction” quintupled, to 780 articles annually. Social scientists, policy makers and laypeople express increasing interest in the conditions, traits, and attitudes that define quality of life.Studies (see Diener& Diener, 1994) reveal that happiness is more abundant than believed by writers from Samuel Johnson (“That man is never happy for the present is so true”; Boswell, 1776/1973, Vol. 2, p. 37) to John Powell(“Professionals estimate that only 10 to 15 percent of Americans think of themselves as truly happy”, Powell,1989 p. 4).Recognizing that most people are reasonably happy, but that some people are happier than others, researchers are offering a fresh perspective on an old puzzle: Who are the happy people? Does happiness favor those of a particular age, sex, or race? Does wealth enhance well-being? Does happiness come with having certain traits? A particular job? Close friends? And active faith? Are those people who go to work in suits happier and more fulfilled than those who go in overalls? Do people higher on the ...
