Happiness Gym Slides Presentation THE HAPPINESS GYM
From Evolutionary Anxiety to Behavioral Activation
Undergraduate Psychology | Positive Psychology & Evolutionary Perspectives
Quick-Fire Debate
"Happiness is a state, not a trait."
Team STATE
Happiness is transient, situational, and driven by external events or momentary neurochemistry.
Team TRAIT
Happiness is a stable personality dimension (subjective well-being) with a high genetic set-point.
10 MINUTES | DEFEND YOUR STANCE
CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY IN ACTION
Katarina Blom: You Don't Find Happiness, You Create It
15:32 MIN
Embedded media
Observation Focus
• The "Clap" Trick (Social Modeling)
• The Savanna Brain (Evolutionary Bias)
• Mind Wandering Statistics
• The Harvard Grant Study
"Your brain is concerned that you survive throughout this day. It's less concerned that you're a happy survivor."
Critiquing the Savanna Brain
Negativity Bias
Why does a single negative comment outweigh ten positive ones? (Teresa Amabile's Diary Study)
The Survival Imperative
Anxiety as a functional adaptation. Is it still adaptive in a digital-first environment?
The Mismatch Theory
Our 10,000-year-old hardware running 21st-century software.
Discussion Prompt:
If anxiety is an evolutionary feature, does "treating" it risk removing a survival mechanism? Or is the current context so different that the adaptation is now maladaptive?
Team Discussion
LAB MISSION
The Freshman Intervention Design
Target Audience
College Freshmen. Facing high stress, isolation, and transition-induced negativity bias.
Design Constraints
• Must counter Negativity Bias
• Must include a social component
• Focus on Action over Thought
Research Justification
You must cite Gilbert, Amabile, or the Harvard Grant Study in your rationale.
45 MINUTES REMAINING
Happiness Intervention Guidelines Psychology Lab 4.2
PROJECT GUIDELINES
Happiness by Design
Undergraduate Psychology
THE CHALLENGE
Design a Behavioral Activation Intervention specifically tailored for college freshmen. The transition to university life often triggers the brain’s evolutionary "threat detection" systems, leading to increased anxiety, social isolation, and a dominant negativity bias. Your goal is to move beyond "positive thinking" and create a protocol of positive action.
Protocol Requirements
1
Action-Oriented: It must focus on a specific, repeatable behavior rather than a shift in mindset alone.
2
Social Glue: It must include a social component that fosters connection or interpersonal vulnerability.
3
Bias Counter: It must explicitly address and attempt to neutralize the "Negativity Bias."
4
Evidence-Based: You must justify your design choices using at least one study from the Research Brief below.
RESEARCH BRIEF
Gilbert & Killingsworth (2010): "A Wandering Mind is an Unhappy Mind"
Using iPhone-based experience sampling, researchers found that participants' minds wandered 46.9% of the time. Crucially, people were less happy when their minds were wandering than when they were not, regardless of what they were doing. Implication: Focus and presence are central to well-being.
Teresa Amabile (2011): The Progress Principle / Diary Study
Analyzing nearly 12,000 diary entries from professionals, Amabile found that "setbacks" have a psychological impact 2-3 times stronger than "successes." The negative emotional weight of a bad day is significantly more durable than the positive weight of a good day. Implication: Interventions must over-index on positive actions to reach neutral equilibrium.
The Harvard Grant Study (1938–Present)
One of the longest-running longitudinal studies of human development. Director Robert Waldinger summarizes the 80+ years of data in one sentence: "Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Period." It’s not about the number of friends, but the quality and depth of connection. Implication: Relationships are the strongest predictor of long-term flourishing.
Extension Phase
Students will implement their protocol for 7 days following the lab.
Intervention Design Worksheet Project Team Name
Date
Researchers (Group Members)
Happiness Intervention Design
Behavioral Activation Worksheet
1
Defining the Freshmen Challenge
Identify 3 specific stressors for freshmen and explain how they might trigger the "Negativity Bias" or an evolutionary anxiety response.
2
The Action Protocol
Describe the specific, repeatable action. What is the "Green Smoothie" for this intervention?
Frequency/Timing
Social Connection Component
3
Empirical Justification
Explain why this intervention will work using findings from the Research Brief (Gilbert, Amabile, or Harvard).
4
Measuring Outcome
How will you know the intervention is working? Define 2 subjective or objective metrics.
Happiness Project Rubric Log Project Rubric
Happiness Intervention Lab
TOTAL: /40 PTS
Criteria Exceptional (10) Proficient (8) Developing (5) Evolutionary Critique Sophisticated analysis of evolutionary mismatch; links anxiety directly to freshmen context. Clear connection made between evolutionary theory and modern stress. Superficial mention of evolutionary psychology without application. Intervention Design Action is highly specific, repeatable, and clearly counters negativity bias. Action is clear but lacks specific implementation details or frequency. Action is vague or relies primarily on "thinking" rather than "doing." Social Integration Innovative social component requiring meaningful interaction or vulnerability. Includes a basic social element (e.g., texting a friend). Social component is missing or purely performative (no interaction). Research Synthesis Integration of multiple studies with precise application to design choices. Correctly cites at least one study to justify the intervention. Citations are missing, incorrect, or irrelevant to the design.
Instructor Notes
The 7-Day Challenge
Self-Implementation Tracking Log
Day
Completed?
Experience / Observation (Brief Notes)
DAY 01
DAY 02
DAY 03
DAY 04
DAY 05
DAY 06
DAY 07
Post-Extension Reflection
Did your experience match your team's hypothesized outcome? Why or why not?
