ABSTRACT 1
Would You Be Happier If You Were Richer? A Focusing Illusion
Daniel Kahneman, Alan B. Krueger, David Schkade, Norbert Schwarz, Arthur A. Stone
The belief that high income is associated with good mood is widespread but mostly illusory.
People with above-average income are relatively satisfied with their lives but are barely
happier than others in moment-to-moment experience, tend to be more tense, and do not
spend more time in particularly enjoyable activities. Moreover, the effect of income on life
satisfaction seems to be transient. We argue that people exaggerate the contribution of
income to happiness because they focus, in part, on conventional achievements when
evaluating their life or the lives of others.
1. What is the Topic of this article?
The connection between being rich and happy
2. What is the Purpose of this article?
The purpose of the article is to discuss The belief that high income is associated with good
mood is widespread but mostly illusory.
3. What is the Thesis (Hypothesis) of the article?
The thesis of the article is that people exaggerate the contribution of income to happiness
because they focus, in part, on conventional achievements when evaluating their life or the
lives of others.
ABSTRACT 2
Happiness, political orientation, and religiosity
Michael T. Bixter
Previous research has focused on how happiness is independently associated with political
orientation and religiosity. The current study instead explored how political orientation and
religiosity interact in establishing levels of happiness. Data from both the 2012 General
Social Survey and the 2005 World Values Survey were used. Results from both data sets
support prior research by showing a positive association between happiness and both
political conservatism and religiosity. Importantly, it was found that political conservatism
and religiosity interact in predicting happiness levels. Specifically, the current results suggest
that religiosity has a greater effect on happiness for more politically conservative individuals
compared to more politically liberal individuals.
1. What is the Topic of this article?
The connection between happiness, political orientation, and religiosity
2. What is the Purpose of this article?
The purpose of this article is to explore how political orientation and religiosity interact in
establishing levels of happiness.
3. What is the Thesis (Hypothesis) of the article?
The thesis of the article is that effect of religiosity on happiness is influenced by political
orientation—specifically, religiosity will have a stronger positive impact on happiness for
politically conservative individuals than for politically liberal individuals.
ABSTRACT 3
Positive Affect and Markers of Inflammation: Discrete Positive Emotions
Predict Lower Levels of Inflammatory Cytokines
Jennifer E. Stellar
University of Toronto
Neha John-Henderson
University of Pittsburgh
Negative emotions are reliably associated with poorer health (e.g., Kiecolt-Glaser, McGuire,
Robles, & Glaser, 2002), but only recently has research begun to acknowledge the important
role of positive emotions for our physical health (Fredrickson, 2003). We examine the link
between dispositional positive affect and one potential biological pathway between positive
emotions and health—proinflammatory cytokines, specifically levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6).
We hypothesized that greater trait positive affect would be associated with lower levels of
IL-6 in a healthy sample. We found support for this hypothesis across two studies. We also
explored the relationship between discrete positive emotions and IL-6 levels, finding that
awe, measured in two different ways, was the strongest predictor of lower levels of
proinflammatory cytokines. These effects held when controlling for relevant personality and
health variables. This work suggests a potential biological pathway between positive
emotions and health through proinflammatory cytokines.
1. What is the Topic of this article?
The relationship between specific positive emotions and biological markers of inflammation,
and the link between positive emotions to lower levels of inflammatory cytokines.
2. What is the Purpose of this article?
The purpose of the article is to examine the link between dispositional positive affect and
one potential biological pathway between positive emotions and health—proinflammatory
cytokines, specifically levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6). And to explore the relationship between
discrete positive emotions and IL-6 levels, finding that awe, measured in two different ways,
was the strongest predictor of lower levels of proinflammatory cytokines.
3. What is the Thesis (Hypothesis) of the article?
The hypothesis pf the article is that greater trait positive affect would be associated with
lower levels of IL-6 in a healthy sample.
ABSTRACT 4
Expectations of brilliance underlie gender distributions across academic
disciplines
Sarah-Jane Leslie, Andrei Cimpian, Meredith Meyer, Edward Freeland
The gender imbalance in STEM subjects dominates current debates about women’s
underrepresentation in academia. However, women are well represented at the Ph.D. level
in some sciences and poorly represented in some humanities (e.g., in 2011, 54% of U.S.
Ph.D.’s in molecular biology were women versus only 31% in philosophy). We hypothesize
that, across the academic spectrum, women are underrepresented in fields whose
practitioners believe that raw, innate talent is the main requirement for success, because
women are stereotyped as not possessing such talent. This hypothesis extends to African
Americans’ underrepresentation as well, as this group is subject to similar stereotypes.
Results from a nationwide survey of academics support our hypothesis (termed the field-
specific ability beliefs hypothesis) over three competing hypotheses.
1. What is the Topic of this article?
The gender imbalance in STEM subjects and women’s underrepresentation in academia
2. What is the Purpose of this article?
The purpose of this article is to investigate why women—and also African Americans—are
underrepresented in certain academic fields and explore how underrepresentation is linked
to the belief that success in a field depends primarily on innate talent, a trait these groups
are stereotypically believed to lack.
3. What is the Thesis (Hypothesis) of the article?
The hypothesis of the article is that, across the academic spectrum, women are
underrepresented in fields whose practitioners believe that raw, innate talent is the main
requirement for success, because women are stereotyped as not possessing such talent.
ABSTRACT 5
Racial prejudice predicts opposition to Obama and his health care reform
plan
Eric D. Knowles, Brian S. Lowery, Rebecca L. Schaumberg
The present study examines the relationship between racial prejudice and reactions to
President Barack Obama and his policies. Before the 2008 election, participants’ levels of
implicit and explicit anti-Black prejudice were measured. Over the following days and
months, voting behavior, attitudes toward Obama, and attitudes toward Obama’s health
care reform plan were assessed. Controlling for explicit prejudice, implicit prejudice
predicted a reluctance to vote for Obama, opposition to his health care reform plan, and
endorsement of specific concerns about the plan. In an experiment, the association
between implicit prejudice and opposition to health care reform replicated when the plan
was attributed to Obama, but not to Bill Clinton—suggesting that individuals high in anti-
Black prejudice tended to oppose Obama at least in part because they dislike him as a Black
person. In sum, our data support the notion that racial prejudice is one factor driving
opposition to Obama and his policies.
1. What is the Topic of this article?
The relationship between Racial prejudice and the opposition to Obama and his health care
reform plan
2. What is the Purpose of this article?
The purpose of the article is to examine the relationship between racial prejudice and
reactions to President Barack Obama and his policies.
3. What is the Thesis (Hypothesis) of the article?
The hypothesis of the study is that racial prejudice, particularly implicit anti-Black prejudice,
influences individuals’ negative reactions to Barack Obama and his policies, including
reduced likelihood of voting for him and increased opposition to his health care reform plan.
