Module 5: Videos 5-11

Topic: the 4th habit of the highly happy: Taking personal responsibility for your happiness

Week 4, Video #5: Habit #4: Taking Personal Responsibility for Happiness

1. We over-predict enjoyment from vacations

a. Mitchell, T. R., Thompson, L., Peterson, E., & Cronk, R. (1997). Temporal adjustments in
the evaluation of events: The “rosy view”. Journal of Experimental Social
Psychology, 33(4), 421-448.

2. Thoughts influence feelings, with different feelings evoked by different types of

thoughts:

a. Ortony, A., Clore, G. L., & Collins, A. (1990). The cognitive structure of emotions.
Cambridge university press.

b. Raghunathan, R., & Pham, M. T. (1999). All negative moods are not equal: Motivational
influences of anxiety and sadness on decision making. Organizational behavior and
human decision processes, 79(1), 56-77.

c. Roseman, I. J., Spindel, M. S., & Jose, P. E. (1990). Appraisals of emotion-eliciting events:
Testing a theory of discrete emotions. Journal of Personality and Social
Psychology, 59(5), 899.

d. Roseman, I. J. (1991). Appraisal determinants of discrete emotions. Cognition &

Emotion, 5(3), 161-200.

3. We can regulate our emotions by regulating our thoughts:

a. Ochsner, K. N., & Gross, J. J. (2005). The cognitive control of emotion. Trends in cognitive
sciences, 9(5), 242-249.
 Week 4, Video #6: Obstacles to Taking Personal Responsibility

1. Stress (even temporary) depletes executive functioning

a. Arnsten, A. F. (2009). Stress signalling pathways that impair prefrontal cortex structure
and function. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 10(6), 410-422.
 For a broader discussion of this and related topics, see:
b. Rock, David. Your brain at work

2. Internal (or self) control leads to a variety of positive consequences:

a. Tangney, J. P., Baumeister, R. F., & Boone, A. L. (2004). High self‐control predicts good
adjustment, less pathology, better grades, and interpersonal success. Journal of
personality, 72(2), 271-324.

Week 4, Video 7: Internal and External Control as Compensatory Forces

1. Religious people are happier because belief in God gives them sense of vicarious
control:

a. Pollner, M. (1989). Divine relations, social relations, and well-being. Journal of health
and social behavior, 92-104.

2. Greater “internal control” lowers desire to seek “external control”:

a. Astin, J. A., & Shapiro, D. H. (1997). Measuring the psychological construct of control:
Applications to transpersonal psychology. Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, 29, 63-
72.

Week 4, Video #8: Learning Simple Emotion Regulation Strategies

1. For reviews on emotion regulation strategies, see:

a. Gross, J. J. (1998). The Emerging Field of Emotion Regulation: An Integrative Review.

Review of General Psychology, 2(5) 271-299.

b. Gross, J. J., & Thompson, R. A. (2007). Emotion regulation: Conceptual foundations. In J.

J.Gross (Ed.), Handbook of emotion regulation New York: Guilford Press.
c. Ochsner, K. N., & Gross, J. J. (2005). The cognitive control of emotion. Trends in cognitive
sciences, 9(5), 242-249.

For other papers on emotion regulation, see:

a. Ochsner, K. N., & Gross, J. J. (2008). Cognitive emotion regulation insights from social
cognitive and affective neuroscience. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 17(2),
153-158.

2. People think labeling emotions will make them feel bad when, in fact, it makes them
feel better:

a. Lieberman, M. D., Inagaki, T. K., Tabibnia, G., & Crockett, M. J. (2011). Subjective
responses to emotional stimuli during labeling, reappraisal, and distraction. Emotion
(Washington, DC), 11(3), 468-480.

b. Lieberman, M. D., Eisenberger, N. I., Crockett, M. J., Tom, S. M., Pfeifer, J. H., & Way, B.
M. (2007). Putting feelings into words affect labeling disrupts amygdala activity in
response to affective stimuli. Psychological science, 18(5), 421-428.

3. For a review on the self-serving bias, see:

a. Campbell, W. K., & Sedikides, C. (1999). Self-Threat Magnifies the Self-Serving Bias: A
Meta-Analytic Integration. Review of General Psychology, 3(1), 23-43.

4. Self-serving bias causes problems in the long run:

a. For a discussion of how the self-serving bias may lead to bad decisions in the context
of negotiations, see Babcock, Linda, and George Loewenstein (1997), “Explaining
Bargaining Impasse: The Role of Self-Serving Biases,” Journal of Economic Perspectives,
11(1): 109-126.

b. For a discussion of how the bias could lead to myopia in the context of organizational
decisions, see Larwood, Laurie, and William Whittaker (1977), “Managerial Myopia: Self-
serving biases in organizational planning,” Journal of Applied Psychology, 62(2): 194 –
198.

c. For a review of the general idea that self-serving attributions could lead to bad
decisions, see Ehrenreich, B. (2009). Bright-sided: How the relentless promotion of
positive thinking has undermined America. Macmillan.
d. Ehrenreich, B. (2009). Bright-sided: How the relentless promotion of positive thinking
has undermined America. Macmillan, outlines the pitfalls of overly optimistic thinking.

e. For a discussion of how self-serving bias leads to mental problems and problems in
interpersonal relationships, see, Colvin, C. Randall; Block, Jack; Funder, David C. (1995),
“Overly positive self-evaluations and personality: Negative implications for mental
health,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 68(6): 1152-1162.

f. For a more general review of how being overly positive (about oneself or one’s future)
leads to negative consequences, see, Ehrenreich, B. (2009). Bright-sided: How the
relentless promotion of positive thinking has undermined America

5. Suppressing emotions lower happiness:

a. Goldin, P. R., McRae, K., Ramel, W., & Gross, J. J. (2008). The neural bases of emotion
regulation: reappraisal and suppression of negative emotion. Biological psychiatry,
63(6), 577-586.

Week 4, Video #9: Appreciating Uncertainty and Lack of Control

1. We find things more enjoyable when things are uncertain:

a. Gregory S. Berns, Samuel M. McClure, Giseppe Pagnoni, and P. Read Montague (2001),
“Predictability modulates human brain response to reward,” The journal of
neuroscience, 21(8): 2793 – 2798.

b. Vosgerau, J., Wertenbroch, K., & Carmon, Z. (2006). Indeterminacy and live
television. Journal of Consumer Research, 32(4), 487-495.

c. Wilson, Timothy D.; Centerbar, David B.; Kermer, Deborah A.; Gilbert, Daniel T. (2005),
“The Pleasures of Uncertainty: Prolonging Positive Moods in Ways People Do Not
Anticipate,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 88(1), 5-21.

2. Optimum stimulation level:

a. Raju, P. S. (1980). Optimum stimulation level: Its relationship to personality,

demographics, and exploratory behavior. Journal of consumer research, 7 (3), 272-282.

3. For many of us, life is too frenzied and out of control:

a. Schulte, B. (2015). Overwhelmed: How to Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the
Time. Macmillan.

4. Importance of leading a healthy lifestyle:

a. Rath, T. (2013). Eat Move Sleep: How Small Choices Lead to Big Changes. Missionday,
LLC.

Week 4, Video # 10: The importance of leading a healthier lifestyle

1. Sugar is a bigger killer than all controlled substances put together

a. Taubes, G. (2011). Is sugar toxic. The New York Times Magazine. Retrieved from
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/magazine/mag-17Sugar-t.html?_r=0

2. Sugar is “candy for cancer cells”

a. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110526152549.htm

b. Liu, H., Huang, D., McArthur, D. L., Boros, L. G., Nissen, N., & Heaney, A. P. (2010).
Fructose induces transketolase flux to promote pancreatic cancer growth. Cancer
research, 70(15), 6368-6376.

3. You look less attractive when your diet doesn’t have enough fruits and veggies

a. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110111133224.htm

b. http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/eat-your-way-fabulous-skin

c. Stephen, I. D., Coetzee, V., & Perrett, D. I. (2011). Carotenoid and melanin pigment
coloration affect perceived human health. Evolution and Human Behavior, 32(3), 216-
227.

4. Eating “bad” fat makes you aggressive and depressed:

a. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120313122504.htm

b. Golomb, B. A., Evans, M. A., White, H. L., & Dimsdale, J. E. (2012). Trans fat consumption
and aggression.

5. Eating “bad fat” makes you lazy and stupid:

a. http://www.livescience.com/5635-high-fat-diet-stupid-lazy.html
6. Eating “bad fat” increases chance of altercation with spouse:

a. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120424095502.htm

7. Sitting for more than 6 hours a day greatly increases chances of an early death:

a. Lee, I. M., Shiroma, E. J., Lobelo, F., Puska, P., Blair, S. N., Katzmarzyk, P. T., & Lancet
Physical Activity Series Working Group. (2012). Effect of physical inactivity on major
non-communicable diseases worldwide: an analysis of burden of disease and life
expectancy. The lancet, 380(9838), 219-229.

8. Sitting is just as bad as smoking for heart-disease:

a. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-active-times/sitting-is-the-new-
smokin_b_5890006.html?ir=India&adsSiteOverride=in

b. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2001824/Sitting-dangerous-smoking-study-
shows.html

c. http://www.runnersworld.com/health/sitting-is-the-new-smoking-even-for-runners

d. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2622916/Work-desk-Then-experts-worrying-
news-Why-sitting-bad-smoking.html

e. Katzmarzyk, P. T., Church, T. S., Craig, C. L., & Bouchard, C. (2009). Sitting time and
mortality from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Med Sci Sports
Exerc, 41(5), 998-1005.

9. Inactivity kills more people worldwide than smoking:

a. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/magazine/mag-17sitting-t.html?_r=0

b. Thorp, A. A., Owen, N., Neuhaus, M., & Dunstan, D. W. (2011). Sedentary behaviors and
subsequent health outcomes in adults: a systematic review of longitudinal studies,
1996–2011. American journal of preventive medicine,41(2), 207-215.

c. Matthews, C. E., George, S. M., Moore, S. C., Bowles, H. R., Blair, A., Park, Y., ... &
Schatzkin, A. (2012). Amount of time spent in sedentary behaviors and cause-specific
mortality in US adults. The American journal of clinical nutrition, ajcn-019620.

d. Wilmot, E. G., Edwardson, C. L., Achana, F. A., Davies, M. J., Gorely, T., Gray, L. J., ... &
Biddle, S. J. (2012). Sedentary time in adults and the association with diabetes,
cardiovascular disease and death: systematic review and meta-
analysis. Diabetologia, 55, 2895-2905.
e. Patel AV, Bernstein L, Deka A, Feigelson HS, Campbell PT, Gapstur SM, Colditz GA, Thun
MJ. Leisure time spent sitting in relation to total mortality in a prospective cohort of US
adults. American Journal of Epidemiolog. 172:419–29.

10. Even among those who exercise a lot, those who spend most time sitting have a 50%
higher risk of death:

a. Owen, N., Bauman, A., & Brown, W. (2009). Too much sitting: a novel and important
predictor of chronic disease risk? British journal of sports medicine, 43(2), 81-83.

11. If you spend 1 hour idly in front of TV, it shaves off 22 minutes from your life-
expectancy;

a. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/8702101/Every-hour-of-TV-watching-
shortens-life-by-22-minutes.html

b. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/9386569/Limit-TV-watching-to-2-
hours-to-live-longer-say-scientists.html

c. Veerman, J. L., Healy, G. N., Cobiac, L. J., Vos, T., Winkler, E. A., Owen, N., & Dunstan, D.
W. (2011). Television viewing time and reduced life expectancy: a life table
analysis. British journal of sports medicine, bjsports085662.

12. 95% of us need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per day/night (24 hour cycle) to feel
“well rested:

a. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/magazine/mag-17Sleep-t.html

b. Van Dongen, H. P., Maislin, G., Mullington, J. M., & Dinges, D. F. (2003). The cumulative
cost of additional wakefulness: dose-response effects on neurobehavioral functions and
sleep physiology from chronic sleep restriction and total sleep deprivation. SLEEP-NEW
YORK THEN WESTCHESTER-,26(2), 117-129.

13. You look less attractive when you don’t get enough sleep

a. Axelsson, J., Sundelin, T., Ingre, M., Van Someren, E. J., Olsson, A., & Lekander, M.
(2009). Beauty sleep: experimental study on the perceived health and attractiveness of
sleep deprived people. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 341, c6614-c6614.

14. You make worse decisions when you are sleep-deprived:

a. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2656292/
b. https://hbr.org/2006/10/sleep-deficit-the-performance-killer

c. Manzar, M. D., Zannat, W., & Hussain, M. E. (2015). Sleep and physiological systems: a
functional perspective. Biological Rhythm Research, 46(2), 195-206.

15. Sleep improves ability of kids to stave off impulsivity:

a. Gruber, R., Cassoff, J., Frenette, S., Wiebe, S., & Carrier, J. (2012). Impact of sleep
extension and restriction on children’s emotional lability and impulsivity.
Pediatrics, 130(5), e1155-e1161.

16. You are less likely to crave unhealthy food when you have slept well (and therefore,
less likely to put on weight in the wrong places):

17. Golley, R. K., Maher, C. A., Matricciani, L., & Olds, T. S. (2013). Sleep duration or
bedtime? Exploring the association between sleep timing behaviour, diet and
BMI in children and adolescents. International journal of obesity, 37(4), 546-551.

18. You are in a better mood after a good night’s rest:

a. Griffith, L. C., & Rosbash, M. (2008). Sleep: hitting the reset button. Nature
neuroscience, 11(2), 123-124.

b. Van der Helm, E., Yao, J., Dutt, S., Rao, V., Saletin, J. M., & Walker, M. P. (2011). REM
sleep depotentiates amygdala activity to previous emotional experiences. Current
Biology, 21(23), 2029-2032.

c. See also: dreaming takes the sting out of painful memories.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111123133346.htm, and
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/sleeps-secret-repairs/

19. Sleep deprivation makes you just as accident prone as being drunk:

a. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1739867/

b. http://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/sleep-deprivation-is-as-bad-for-your-
performance-as-alcohol.html

20. You are likely to be less satisfied with your job when you are sleep-deprived

a. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110304091500.htm
b. Barnes, C. M., Ghumman, S., & Scott, B. A. (2013). Sleep and organizational citizenship
behavior: The mediating role of job satisfaction. Journal of occupational health
psychology, 18(1), 16. (Access at:
http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Christopher_Barnes5/publication/233410239_Sle
ep_and_Organizational_Citizenship_Behavior_The_Mediating_Role_of_Job_Satisfaction
/links/0046352fe6fd255b07000000.pdf)

21. Poor sleep puts stress on immune system increasing chances of cold and flu:

a. http://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-news/sleep-may-be-best-prevention-cold-flu

b. http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/excessive-sleepiness-10/immune-system-lack-
of-sleep

c. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129829134

22. Sleep-deprivation associated with higher risk of cancer:

a. http://www.cancercenter.com/community/newsletter/article/researchers-are-
studying-the-link-between-sleep-and-cancer/

b. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/20/sleep-apnea-tied-to-increased-cancer-risk/

c. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/07/11/poor-sleep.aspx

Week 4, Video # 11: Do’s and Don’ts of a Healthier Lifestyle

1. “Attention deficit trait” disorder:

a. Hallowell, E. M. (2005). Overloaded circuits. Harvard business review, 11.

2. Importance of making it easy on yourself to make good decisions for making good
decisions:

a. Leventhal, H., Singer, R., & Jones, S. (1965). Effects of fear and specificity of
recommendation upon attitudes and behavior. Journal of Personality and Social
Psychology, 2(1), 20.

3. Keeping healthy snacks in easy-to-reach places and unhealthy snacks in difficult-to-

reach places:
a. http://cachampionsforchange.cdph.ca.gov/Pages/tipsforeatinghealthy.aspx

b. For a broader discussion of this topic, see Wansink, B. (2007). Mindless eating: Why we
eat more than we think. Bantam.

4. Eating from smaller and non-white plates/bowls:

a. Van Ittersum, K., & Wansink, B. (2012). Plate size and color suggestibility: the Delboeuf
Illusion’s bias on serving and eating behavior. Journal of Consumer Research, 39(2), 215-
228.

b. For a broader discussion of other strategies to cut down consumption quantity, see
Wansink, B. (2007). Mindless eating: Why we eat more than we think. Bantam.

5. We crave fried and carb-heavy foods when we are hungry:

a. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/26/craving-carbs-on-an-empty-stomach/

b. Page, K. A., Seo, D., Belfort-DeAguiar, R., Lacadie, C., Dzuira, J., Naik, S., ... & Sinha, R.
(2011). Circulating glucose levels modulate neural control of desire for high-calorie
foods in humans. The Journal of clinical investigation, 121(10), 4161.

c. Wansink, B., Tal, A., & Shimizu, M. (2012). First foods most: after 18-hour fast, people
drawn to starches first and vegetables last. Archives of internal medicine, 172(12), 961-
963.

6. Starting meals with healthy items is healthier:

a. Wansink, B., Tal, A., & Shimizu, M. (2012). First foods most: after 18-hour fast, people
drawn to starches first and vegetables last. Archives of internal medicine, 172(12), 961-
963.

7. Have a hearty breakfast:

a. People who eat breakfast are smarter and skinner:

http://www.fastcoexist.com/1680410/people-who-eat-breakfast-are-smarter-and-
skinnier

b. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120330110204.htm
c. Leidy, H. J., Ortinau, L. C., Douglas, S. M., & Hoertel, H. A. (2013). Beneficial effects of a
higher-protein breakfast on the appetitive, hormonal, and neural signals controlling
energy intake regulation in overweight/obese,“breakfast-skipping,” late-adolescent
girls. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 97(4), 677-688.

8. Moving all day (and not just an hour a day) is important:

a. Among those who spend most time sitting, 50% greater risk of dying by any cause:

9. Those with pedometers walk more:

a. http://walking.about.com/od/measure/a/pedometer0405.htm

10. It’s important to take a break every 20 or 30 minutes:

Blood sugar and insulin levels spike up when you sit a lot, but even a 2 min break
every 20 minutes counteracts this: Dunstan, D. W., Kingwell, B. A., Larsen, R., Healy, G.
N., Cerin, E., Hamilton, M. T., ... & Owen, N. (2012). Breaking up prolonged sitting
reduces postprandial glucose and insulin responses. Diabetes care, 35(5), 976-983.

11. 92% people who maintain healthy wait exercise at home (so get an elliptical or
treadmill for home):

a. Thomas, J. G., Bond, D. S., Hill, J. O., & Wing, R. R. (2011). THE NATIONAL WEIGHT
CONTROL REGISTRY: A Study of" Successful Losers". ACSM's Health & Fitness
Journal, 15(2), 8-12.

12. Moderate 20 minute exercise in the morning lifts mood for up to 12 hours:

a. Sibold, J. S., & Berg, K. M. (2010). Mood Enhancement Persists for Up To 12 Hours
Following Aerobic Exercise: a Pilot Study 1. Perceptual and motor skills,111(2), 333-342.

13. Start small: even 15 minutes of light exercise/day improves health;

a. Wen, C. P., Wai, J. P. M., Tsai, M. K., Yang, Y. C., Cheng, T. Y. D., Lee, M. C., ... & Wu, X.
(2011). Minimum amount of physical activity for reduced mortality and extended life
expectancy: a prospective cohort study. The Lancet, 378(9798), 1244-1253.

14. Walking a mile a day (for six days a week) reduces the risk of dying early by 20% and
also keeps your brain from shrinking.
a. Woodcock, J., Franco, O. H., Orsini, N., & Roberts, I. (2011). Non-vigorous physical
activity and all-cause mortality: systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort
studies. International Journal of Epidemiology, 40(1), 121-138.

b. Walking slows progress of Alzheimer’s:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101129101914.htm

15. Short bursts of intense activity significantly improves heart health:

a. Paffenbarger Jr, R. S., Laughlin, M. E., Gima, A. S., & Black, R. A. (1970). Work activity of
longshoremen as related to death from coronary heart disease and stroke. New England
Journal of Medicine, 282(20), 1109-1114.

16. Minimize artificial light-sources in bedroom:

a. Chellappa, S. L., Steiner, R., Blattner, P., Oelhafen, P., Götz, T., & Cajochen, C. (2011).
Non-visual effects of light on melatonin, alertness and cognitive performance: can blue-
enriched light keep us alert. PloS one, 6(1), e16429.

b. Light lowers melatonin levels, disturbing sleep: Gooley, J. J., Chamberlain, K., Smith, K.
A., Khalsa, S. B. S., Rajaratnam, S. M., Van Reen, E., ... & Lockley, S. W. (2010). Exposure
to room light before bedtime suppresses melatonin onset and shortens melatonin
duration in humans. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 96(3), E463-
E472.

17. We sleep better when there’s a regular and constant noise in the background:

a. http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/sleep-better-the-science-of-sound-machines-
168208

b. Spencer, J. A., Moran, D. J., Lee, A., & Talbert, D. (1990). White noise and sleep
induction. Archives of disease in childhood, 65(1), 135-137.

18. We sleep better in cooler environments:

a. http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/cant-sleep-adjust-the-temperature

b. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/putting-insomnia-on-ice/

c. http://www.rodalenews.com/help-insomnia
19. Heart attacks more prevalent the day after the time-change:

a. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120307162555.htm

20. We make better decisions after good sleep:

a. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2656292/

b. https://hbr.org/2006/10/sleep-deficit-the-performance-killer

c. Manzar, M. D., Zannat, W., & Hussain, M. E. (2015). Sleep and physiological systems: a
functional perspective. Biological Rhythm Research, 46(2), 195-206.