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Happiness: The Science Behind Your Smile

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About the Course

Bringing together the latest insights from psychiatry, psychology, and philosophy, Daniel Nettle sheds light on happiness, the most basic of human desires. Nettle examines whether people are basically happy or unhappy, whether success can make us happy, what sort of remedies to unhappiness work, why some people are happier than others, and much more.
The book is packed with fascinating observations. We discover the evolutionary reason why negative thoughts are more powerful than positive ones. We read that happiness varies from country to country; for example, the Swiss are much more happy than Bulgarians. And we learn that, in a poll among people aged 42 years old—peak mid-life crisis time—more than half rated their happiness an 8, 9, or 10 out of 10, and 90% rated it above 5. Nettle, a psychologist, is particularly insightful in discussing the brain systems underlying emotions and moods, ranging from serotonin, to mood enhancing drugs such as D-fenfluramine, which reduces negative thinking in less than an hour; to the part of the brain that, when electrically stimulated, provides feelings of benevolent calm and even euphoria. In the end, Nettle suggests that we would all probably be happier by trading income or material goods for time with people or hobbies, though most people do not do so.
Happiness offers a remarkable portrait of the feeling that poets, politicians, and philosophers all agree truly makes the world go round.

This course is based on the book, Happiness: The Science Behind Your Smile created by Nettle, Daniel

Journal/Publisher

Oxford Press

Publication Date

2005

Course Material Author

Nettle, Daniel

Daniel Nettle is Reader in Psychology at the University of Newcastle. He is the author of Strong Imagination: Madness, Creativity, and Human Value and co-author of Vanishing Voices (with Suzanne Romaine). He runs the psychological research website www.psychresearch.org.uk.

Nettle, Daniel authored the material only, and was not involved in creating this CE course. They are identified here for your own evaluation of the relevancy of the material this course is based on.

Course Creator

Dan Rebek, Ph.D.

Recommended For

This course is recommended for health care professionals, especially psychologists, counselors, social workers, and nurses who seek knowledge about recent developments in the scientific study of happiness. It is appropriate for all levels of participants' knowledge.

Course Objectives:

After taking this course, you should be able to:

  1. Describe the author's view of the concept of happiness.
  2. Examine the questions of whether or not people are basically happy and why some people seem to be intrinsically happier than others.
  3. Identify the brain systems responsible for regulating moods and emotions.
  4. Evaluate the suggestions offered regarding ways people can be happier and apply them as you deem appropriate to work with clients/patients.
  5. Summarize information presented about what is known regarding the paradoxical nature of human happiness.

Availability

This course is available starting Apr 2nd, 2009 and expires May 14th, 2020

Disclosure to Learners

Disclosure of Relevant Financial Relationships

Exam Questions

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Course Retired
Course Number 101528
5 CE credit hours
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Exam Fee $29.85
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