13 A Construal Approach to Increasing Happiness

Seeking ever-greater happiness-or what researchers refer to as "subjective well-being" (SWB; Diener, 1984; Diener, Suh, Lucas, & Smith, 1999)-is an important goal for people in almost every nation (Diener, 2000). Indeed, ever since the pursuit of happiness was immortalized in the Declaration of Independence as an inalienable right for all citizens, it has become ingrained in U.S. culture. Yet, many appear unsuccessful in this pursuit. Although everyone undoubtedly knows friends, colleagues, neighbors, and acquaintances who are consistently positive and upbeat, it is nor difficult to identify other individuals who are chronically down-and-out and dissatisfied with life. What accounts for these two affective predispositions? That is, why are some people happier than orhers, and is it possible to shift from being a generally unhappy person to a hap­ pier one? To address these questions, we begin by discussing two contrasting theories of the determinants of happiness-bottom-llp and top-dawn-and then introduce a new frame­ work that incorporates both of these perspectives. Next, we describe several potential happiness-increasing practices and provide empirical evidence from our laboratory that suPPOrts their use to improve well-being in healthy individuals. Finally, weaving social and clinical psychology together, we consider how particular interventions to bolster happiness can inform interventions to alleviate clinical problems such as major depres­ sive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. Future directions for research on the pursuit of happiness and its applications to the clinical arena are then discussed .