Includes index.

Print version record.

1. Is It Possible to Become a Permanently Happier Person? / Richard E. Lucas -- References -- 2. Well-Being: Heritable and Changeable / Joar Vitters� -- Introduction -- Can Happiness Change? -- Heritability -- Twin Research and Biometrie Modeling -- Findings: Univariate Studies -- Findings: Bi- and Multivariate Studies -- Findings: Stability and Change -- Gene-Environment Interplay -- What Heritability Is (Not) About -- Caveats and Criticism -- Toward an Integrated Model of Genes, Environment, and Change -- Genes, Set Points, and Change -- Positive Gene-Environment Interplay -- Conclusions -- References -- 3. Symptoms of Wellness: Happiness and Eudaimonia from a Self-Determination Perspective / Richard M. Ryan -- The Stability of Happiness -- Variability Amidst Stability -- The Significance of Happiness -- Self-Determination Theory -- The Self-Determination Theory Approach to Happiness and Wellness -- SDT and the Eudaimonic Tradition.

Emotions and Wellness in SDT -- Motivational Considerations -- Awareness and Autonomous Regulation: The Role of Mindfulness -- Goals and Aspirations -- Social and Environmental Factors -- Conclusions -- References -- 4. Is Lasting Change Possible? Lessons from the Hedonic Adaptation Prevention Model / Kennon M. Sheldon -- Hedonic Adaptation -- What Is Hedonic Adaptation? -- What Is Not Hedonic Adaptation? -- Evidence Supporting Hedonic Adaptation -- Adaptation to Negative Events -- Adaptation to Positive Events -- Hedonic Adaptation Prevention Model -- Mediators of the Hedonic Adaptation Process -- Moderators of the Hedonic Adaptation Process -- Hedonic Adaptation to Negative Life Changes -- Future Directions and Questions -- Conclusion -- References -- 5. Can Happiness Change? Theories and Evidence / Robert A. Cummins -- Introduction -- Problems of Nomenclature -- The Personality Connection -- Set Points for Mood Happiness.

Subjective Well-Being Homeostasis -- Returning Overly High SWB to Set Point -- Returning Low SWB. to Set Point -- Challenges to Set Point Theory -- One Set Point or Many? -- Joy, Misery, and Myth of Changing Set Points -- Individual Differences in Adaptation -- Can Levels of Happiness Change? -- Return to Set Point After a Strong Positive Event Is Inevitable -- Return to Set Point Following a Strong Negative Event Is not Inevitable -- Any Demonstration of SWB Change Is Baseline-Dependent -- Conclusions -- Acknowledgments -- References -- 6. National Panel Studies Show Substantial Minorities Recording Long-Term Change in Life Satisfaction: Implications for Set Point Theory / Gert C. Wagner -- A Crucial Definitional Issue: How to Define the Set Point? -- Operational Definitions -- The German (GSOEP), British (BHPS), and Australian (HILDA) Household Panel Surveys -- Measures -- The Dependent/Outcome Variable: Life Satisfaction -- Explanatory Variables.

Personality Traits of Self and Partner -- Life Priorities, Goals, or Values -- Behavioral Choices: Partner Personality Traits, Social Participation, the Work -- Leisure Trade-Off, Regular Exercise, and Churchgoing -- Choice of Partner -- Especially His/Her Personality Traits -- Active Social and Community Participation -- The Work -- Leisure Trade-off: Preferred and Actual Working Hours -- Regular Exercise -- Churchgoing -- Analysis of Change Based on Moving 5-Year or 3-Year Averages of Life Satisfaction -- Results -- Set Point Theory: Is Life Satisfaction Really Stable? -- Possible Concerns and Sensitivity Analysis -- Explaining Medium- and Long-Term Change in Life Satisfaction: Life Priorities and Behavioral Choices -- Life Priorities, Values, or Goals -- Behavioral Choices -- Choice of Partner -- Work -- Leisure Balance -- Active Social Participation and Volunteering -- Regular Exercise -- Churchgoing.

Do Some People's Personality Traits Predispose Them to Gains or Losses of Life Satisfaction? -- Conclusions -- Appendix 6.1 -- Correlations of Life Satisfaction1984 -- 1988 with Life Satisfaction in Later 5-Year Periods -- References -- 7. Does Happiness Change? Evidence from Longitudinal Studies / Richard E. Lucas -- Understanding Change Through Stability Coefficients -- Alternatives to Two-Wave Designs -- Linking Change to the Experience of Life Events -- Results from Recent Longitudinal Studies -- New Innovations in Research on Life Events -- Conclusions -- References -- 8. Increasing Happiness by Well-Being Therapy / Giovanni A. Fava -- Introduction -- The Concepts of Happiness and Well-Being in Clinical Psychology -- Increasing Happiness by Targeted Interventions: Is "Happier Always Better"? -- The Structure of Well-Being Therapy -- Initial Sessions -- Intermediate Sessions -- Final Sessions -- Well-Being Therapy: Clinical Considerations.

WBT: Validation Studies -- Residual Phase of Affective Disorders -- Prevention of Recurrent Depression -- Loss of Clinical Effect During Drug Treatment -- Treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder -- Post-traumatic Stress Disorder -- Cyclothymic Disorder -- Are Psychotherapy-Induced Modifications in Well-Being Enduring? -- Conclusions -- References -- 9. Long-Term Change of Happiness in Nations: Two Times More Rise Than Decline Since the 1970s / Ruut Veenhoven -- Introduction -- Pursuit of Greater Happiness -- Claim That Greater Happiness Is Not Attainable -- Earlier Research -- Research Questions -- Happiness -- Data -- World Database of Happiness -- Collection Happiness in Nations -- Method -- Change in All 199 Series -- Significance 18 Dense Series -- Results: More Advance Than Decline in All Series -- Ratio of Rise and Decline -- Average Change Coefficients -- Similar Across Time Spans -- Significant in Most of the Dense Series -- Discussion.

Why the Belief in Stable Happiness in Nations -- Related Trends in Living Conditions -- Related Trends in Human Flourishing -- Conclusion -- Appendix 9.1 Example of a Presentation of Findings on Average Happiness in Nations -- Appendix 9.2 Data Matrix -- References -- 10. Set Point Theory and Public Policy / Malgorzata Switek -- Point-of-Time Evidence: 21 European Countries, 2007 -- Data and Methods -- Results -- Time Series Evidence: China Since 1990 -- Discussion -- Acknowledgments -- Appendix 10.1 -- References -- 11. Economic Approaches to Understanding Change in Happiness / Alois Stutzer -- Introduction -- Hedonic Adaptation -- Empirical Approaches in Economics -- Examples for Evidence from Longitudinal Studies -- Theoretical Explanations -- A Life Course Perspective on SWB -- A Conceptual Framework -- First Evidence -- (External) Conditions Affecting Subjective Well-Being -- The Empirical Challenge of Causal Relationships.

Economic Condition I Income -- Economic Condition II (Un)employment -- Social Factors -- Political Factors -- Public Goods and Public Bads -- Conclusions -- References -- 12. Personality Traits as Potential Moderators of Well-Being / Robin K. Young -- Personality Change as Support for Well-Being Change: The Cases of Extraversion and Neuroticism -- Revisiting the "Happy Personality": Linking Traits and Subjective Well-Being -- Personality as a Predictor of Well-Being Trajectories -- Extraversion and Neuroticism -- Conscientiousness -- Openness to Experience -- Specific Traits as Potential Moderators -- Conclusions and Final Thoughts -- References -- 13. Statistical Models for Analyzing Stability and Change in Happiness / Tanja Kutscher -- Direct Versus Indirect Assessment -- Individual Change Versus Mean Change -- Overview -- Psychometric Models for Analyzing Variability and Change -- Basic Model: Latent State Model -- Latent Change Model.

Latent Autoregressive Model -- Latent State-Trait Model -- Latent State-Trait Autoregressive Model -- Latent State-Trait Change Models -- Latent State-Trait Change Models: Continuous Trait Change -- Latent State-Trait Change Models: Discontinuous Trait Change -- Latent State-Trait Change Models: Continuous and Discontinuous Trait Change -- 1st Mixture Models -- Choice of a Model -- Application of the Models in Long-Term Panel Studies -- Predicting and Explaining Change -- Application -- Results -- Models with Life Events -- Discussion -- References -- 14. Stable Happiness Dies in Middle-Age: A Guide to Future Research / Ed Diener -- Future Directions -- Conclusions -- References.