Question

Assignment: Happiness Across the Life Span

Purpose: Personalizing the shifting basis of happiness across the life span by connecting research/theory to experience.

Research concludes that no age or stage of life is happier than any other. The only thing that changes is the basis of happiness. For example what makes teens and the elderly happy are very different.  

1. If you compare yourself to your grandparents (or parents) would you agree with this general rule? Compare and contrast the basis of your own happiness with that of your grandparents or parents. What is similar? What is different?

2. Write a brief summary of

a) the difference between a pleasant affect-hedonic lifestyle of the young and a positive involvement-growth-related lifestyle of older adults, as described in the study by Kunzman and colleagues,

b) the major assumptions of socioemotional selectivity theory.  

3. To what extent do the two lifestyles described by Kunzman study “fit” and help explain the differences between you and your grandparents? Do you fit a hedonic and do your grandparents fit a growth-related lifestyle? Discuss and offer explanations and examples concerning of what fits and what does not.

4. To what extent does socioemotional selectivity theory “fit” and help explain the differences between you and your grandparents? Discuss and offer explanations and examples concerning what fits and what does not.

Answer 1

I agree to this statement that happiness can be found across all the stages and it is irrespective of any stage. It is about the mental state.

Ans 1) My grandfather was ever happy, he rarely used to complain. Though he had some physical problems, such as walking, he use to feel bad. But he used to listen to old classical music, read some or the other thing and was always happy. I am happy when I go out, though rendering kid is a task but it gives me joy and mental satisfaction. Hence the mental state, the satisfaction by meeting your freinds can be a common factor.

a) Kunzmann stated that young genertaion tends to be more hedonic than having positive outlook whereas older generation have less hedonic lifestyle and more positive attitude. Hence young generation deals with positive affect-pleasant feelings and positive involvement - seperate.

b) Socioselectivity thepry assumes that there are two types of goals knowledge reated and emotion related. As person is young he happiness is all knowledge related and as he grows older his happiness is all emotion related.

Ans 3) I don't think so that Kunzmann ideas of plesant and positive are related to younger or older generation. I always believe that it is positive attitude only be it younger be it older is connected with happiness over to plesanr lifestyle. Even a young person or a kid tries to find out what has made him or her happy and would follow accordingly, it is not always plesant lifestyle which matters.

Ans 4) This socioemotional theory is somewhat correct. The younger generation try to seek knowledge, they make friends out of curiosity or satisfy their own emotional needs and become happy whereas the older generation rely moe on the emotional needs, they form their peer groups based upon emotional needs and they get closer.