Posted on 12/03/2004 6:12:33 PM PST by neverdem
A team of psychologists and economists is reporting today what many Americans know but do not always admit, especially to social scientists: that watching television by oneself is a very enjoyable way to pass the time, and that taking care of children - bless their little hearts - is often about as much fun as housework.
Those findings, published in the journal Science, run contrary to previous research about what makes people happy and why.
The study also suggests that the fundamental realities of marriage and job security have far less to do with daily moods than factors like deadlines on the job and quality of sleep.
The study looked at 909 working women in Texas, though the researchers said the results probably applied more broadly.
It found that in general the group woke up a little grumpy but soon entered a state of mild pleasure that increased by degrees through the day, punctuated by occasional bouts of anxiety, frustration and anger. Predictably, the researchers found that commuting to work, housework and facing a boss rated as the least pleasant activities, while sex, socializing with friends and relaxing were most enjoyable.
Yet contrary to previous research on daily mood, the study found that the women rated television watching high on the list, ahead of shopping and talking on the phone, and ranked taking care of children low, below cooking and not far above housework.
The study marks the debut of a novel questionnaire that probes the subtle, moment-to-moment emotions that constitute an ordinary day. In the new approach, called the Day Reconstruction Method, people keep a diary of everything they did during the day, from reading the paper in the morning to arguing with children or co-workers over lunch, from running to catch the 6 p.m. bus home to falling asleep with their socks on.
The next day, consulting the diary, they relive each activity and, using seven-point scales, rate how they felt at the time relative to each of a dozen feelings like annoyed, criticized, worried, warm, friendly or happy.
Customarily, researchers who study well-being have asked sweeping questions about contentment or dissatisfaction. In contrast, the new survey method prompts people to relive a normal day, rating how pleased or annoyed, depressed or competent they felt in specific activities.
Reimagining the day's activities, rather than reporting what they could or should be feeling about them, allows people to be more honest, some psychologists said.
"This is a measure of people's mood in the moment," though "that doesn't mean it's the best thing they could be doing," said the study's lead author, Dr. Daniel Kahneman, a professor of psychology and public affairs at Princeton University. For example, had the study asked respondents to rate how thrilled they were at a given moment rather than simply how happy, it would have come up with different answers, Dr. Kahneman said.
"But we are trying to get a better idea or sense of what people's daily lives are actually like," he added, "what it is they do with their time."
One of the most consistent findings in studies of well-being is how little difference money makes. As long as people are not battling poverty, they tend to rate their happiness in the range of 6 or 7, or higher, on a 10-point scale.
After controlling for other factors, Dr. Kahneman and his colleagues found that even differences in household income of more than $60,000 had little effect on daily moods. Job security, too, had little influence.
By far the two factors that most upset daily moods were a poor night's sleep and tight work deadlines. According to a scale the researchers developed, women who slept poorly reported relatively little enjoyment even when relaxing in front of the TV or shopping.
Dr. Richard Suzman, associate director for behavioral and social research at the National Institute on Aging, which helped finance the study, said that if the new survey method proved sensitive to life changes in further studies, it could also establish quality-of-life measures firmly in mainstream medicine. Researchers would then have a more complete picture of how new drugs or medical technologies might enrich or dull the small pleasures of daily life.
"This instrument should give us a much improved measure of well-being," Dr. Suzman said. "At the broadest level, it could help us set up a national well-being account, similar to the gross national product, that would give us a better understanding of how changes in policy, or social trends, affect quality of life."
I bet if they had interviewed 909 stay at home moms their results would have been verrrrrryy different.
They need to keep in mind, these women are taking care of kids after a full day at a paid job and are tired and the kids are cranky since they've been good in school or daycare all day.
it could help us set up a national well-being account, similar to the gross national product, that would give us a better understanding of how changes in policy, or social trends, affect quality of life."
Part of this makes me think "follow the money", they are getting grants for this garbage, and the other is that my tin-foil hat is a little too tight.
What a CROCKO.. Most Mom's that I know get deluged in the "minutae" of life, but our children are our lives!
Question.. Is it about my getting what I think I need, or is it about raising these little devils to be the best they can be?
Do I have a choice?
I also think that a finding such as
"people tend to do things they want" will require 5 years and multi-million dollar grant to figure out.
That's almost as good a the TIME mag cover story that announced (surprise!) that men and women were (egads) different.
FReepmail me if you want on or off my health and science ping list.
The study probably categorized a parent's chores and preparation activities relevant to their children as "child care" rather than parents' actual social interaction and involvement with their kids.
Also did they differentiate between stay at home parents and parents who work outside the home? Did the researchers include homeschooling families? It's in the way researchers categorize daily routine as to how a parent's response could be assessed.
"Child care" in the survey may have been worded to include a parent's chores and routine household management related to children such as:
Notice that there is no mention of online computer time. :)
...back to cooking breakfast for the 6 year old and changing the diaper of the 4 month old...
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