Pre-registered Happiness Experiments

A list of interesting psychological experiments which tested different hypotheses about what brings you happiness.

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Pre-registered Happiness Experiments

A list of interesting psychological experiments which tested different hypotheses about what brings you happiness.

psychology, list, science, research, life, mental health

Title Analysis Plan Individual vs Societal Addition vs Subtraction Strategy

Aknin et al., 2020 Does spending money on others promote happiness?: A registered replication report Yes Individual Addition Prosocial

Allcott et al., 2020 The Welfare Effects of Social Media Yes Individual Subtraction Technology

Alzua et al, 2020 Mental health effects of an old age pension: experimental evidence for Ekiti State in Nigeria Yes Societal Addition Money

Andersen et al., 2022 Material resources and well-being-Evidence from an Ethiopian housing lottery Yes Societal Addition Money

Barsasella, et al., 2021 Effects of Virtual Reality Sessions on the Quality of Life, Happiness, and Functional Fitness among the Older People: A Randomized Controlled Trial from Taiwan No Technology

Bekkers et al., 2019 The Joy of Giving: Evidence from a Matching Experiment with Millionaires and the General Population Yes Individual Prosocial

Bell, et al., 2022 A randomized, placebo-controlled trial investigating the acute and chronic benefits of American Ginseng (Cereboost (R)) on mood and cognition in healthy young adults, including in vitro investigation of gut microbiota changes as a possible mechanism of action No Diet

Coles et al., 2022 Fact or artifact? Demand characteristics and participants beliefs can moderate but do not fully account for the effects of facial feedback on emotional experience Yes Individual Addition Act Happy

Coles et al., in press A multi-lab test of the facial feedback hypothesis by the Many Smiles Collaboration Yes Individual Addition Act Happy

Conner et al., 2017 Let them eat fruit! The effect of fruit and vegetable consumption on psychological well-being in young adults: A randomized controlled trial Yes Individual Addition Diet

Cunha et al., 2021 Positive psychology and gratitude interventions: A randomized clinical trial Yes Individual Addition Gratitude

Deady et al., 2020 Preventing depression using a smartphone app: A randomized controlled trial Multiple

Dwyer et al., 2018 Smartphone use undermines enjoyment of face to face social interactions Yes Individual Subtraction Technology

Dwyer et al., 2022 Wealth redistribution promotes happiness Yes Societal Addition Money

Fritz et al., 2021 Kindness and cellular aging: A pre-registered experiment testing the effects of prosocial behavior on telomere length and well-being Yes Individual Addition Prosocial

Ginty et al., 2017 Omega-3 Supplementation and the Neural Correlates of Negative Affect and Impulsivity: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial in Midlife Adults No Diet

Goldfield et al., 2015 Effects of Aerobic Training, Resistance Training, or Both on Psychological Health in Adolescents with Obesity: The HEARTY Randomized Controlled Trial No

Haushofer & Shapiro, 2016, 2018 The short-term impact of unconditional cash transfers to the poor: experimental evidence from Kenya; The long-term impact of unconditional cash transfers: experimental evidence from Kenya Yes Societal Addition Money

Haushofer & Shapiro, 2016, 2018 The long term impact of unconditional cash transfers to the poor: experimental evidence from Kenya; The long-term impact of unconditional cash transfers: experimental evidence from Kenya Yes Societal Addition Money

Haushofer et al, 2020a The Comparative Impact of Cash Transfers and Psychotherapy on Psychological and Economic Wellbeing Yes Societal Addition Money

Haushofer et al, 2020b Economic and psychological effects of health insurance and cash transfers: Evidence from a randomised experiment in Kenya Yes Societal Addition Money

Heintzleman et al., 2020 ENHANCE: Evidence for the efficacy of a comprehensive intervention program to promote subjective well-being. Yes Societal Addition Multiple

Hirshberg et al., 2022 A randomized controlled trial of a smartphone-based well-being training in public school system employees during the COVID-19 pandemic Yes Individual Addition Multiple

Jacques-Hamilton et al., 2019 Costs and benefits of acting extraverted: A randomized controlled trial Yes Individual Addition Sociability

Jaroszewics et al., 2022 How effective is (more) money? Randomizing unconditional cash transfer amounts in the united states Yes Society Addition Money

Johnson et al., 2020 A Community Choir Intervention to Promote Well-Being Among Diverse Older Adults: Results From the Community of Voices Trial Yes Societal Addition Community activities Not included but deserves mention in table: they dont pre-register a detailed account of their positive affect variable.

Kardas et al., 2021, Study 5 Keep Talking: (Mis)Understanding the Hedonic Trajectory of Conversation Yes Individual Addition Sociability

Kean et al., 2015 Chronic consumption of flavanone-rich orange juice is associated with cognitive benefits: an 8-wk, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in healthy older adults No

Keech & Hamilton, 2021 Changing Stress Mindsets With a Novel Imagery Intervention: A Randomized Controlled Trial Yes Individual Addition Silver linings

Kim et al., 2022 Prosocial spending encourages happiness: A replication of the only experiment reported in Dunn, Aknin, and Norton (2008) Yes Individual

Kushlev & Dunn, 2019 Smartphones distract parents from cultivating feelings of well-being when with their children Yes Individual Subtraction Technology

Kushlev et al., 2017 Digitally connected, socially disconnected: The effects of relying on technology rather than other people Yes Individual Subtraction Technology

Kushlev et al., 2019 Smartphones reduce smiles between strangers Yes Individual Subtraction Technology

Lindqvist et al., 2020 Long-Run effect of lottery wealth on psychological well-being Yes Societal Addition Money

Markovic et al., 2020 Effectiveness of Expressive Writing in the Reduction of Psychological Distress During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Randomized Controlled Trial No

Martela & Ryan, 2021 If giving money to the Red Cross increases well-being, does taking money from the Red Cross increase ill-being?-Evidence from three experiments Yes Individual Addition Prosocial

McIntosh & Zeitlin, 2020 Using household grants to benchmark the cost effectiveness of a USAID Workforce Readiness Program Yes Societal Addition Money

Modrego-Alarcon et al., 2021 Efficacy of a mindfulness-based programme with and without virtual reality support to reduce stress in university students: A randomized controlled trial No

Nelson-Coffey et al., 2021 Practicing Other-Focused Kindness and Self-Focused Kindness Among Those at Risk for Mental Illness: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial No

Nouchi, et al., 2020 A Single 30 Minutes Bout of Combination Physical Exercises Improved Inhibition and Vigor-Mood in Middle-Aged and Older Females: Evidence From a Randomized Controlled Trial No

O'Brien & Kassirer, 2019 People are slow to adapt to the warm glow of giving Yes Individual Addition Prosocial

O'Brien & Smith, 2019 Study 3b Unconventional Consumption Methods and Enjoying Things Consumed: Recapturing the “First-Time” Experience Yes Individual Addition Injecting novelty

O'Brien, 2021 The "Next" Effect: When a Better Future Worsens the Present Yes Individual Subtraction Cogntive reframing

Powell et al., 2013 Effectiveness of a Web-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Tool to Improve Mental Well-Being in the General Population: Randomized Controlled Trial Yes (but wrong measure)

Rankin & Sweeny, 2021 Preparing silver linings for a cloudy day: The consequences of preemptive benefit finding Yes Individual Addition Silver linings

Seppala, et al., 2020 Promoting Mental Health and Psychological Thriving in University Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Three Well-Being Interventions No

Sjåstad et al., 2020 Greener grass our sour grapes? How people value future goals after failure (experiments 5 and 6 were pre-registered) Yes Individual Subtraction Performance feedback and identification

Varma & Hu, 2022 Prosocial behaviour reduces unwanted intrusions of experimental traumatic memories Yes Individual Addition Prosocial

Varma et al., 2022 Prosocial behavior promotes positive emotion during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yes Individual Addition Prosocial

Walsh et al., 2022, Study 2 The role of actors, targets, and witnesses: Examining gratitude exchanges in a social context Yes Individual Addition Gratitude Gratitude

Walsh et al., n.p. What is the Optimal Way to Give Thanks? Comparing the Effects of Gratitude Expressed Privately, One-to-One via Text, or Publicly on Social Media Yes Individual Addition Gratitude

West et al., 2021 Happiness from treating the weekend like a vacation Yes Individual Addition Injecting novelty

Whillans & West, 2022 Alleviating time poverty among the working poor: a pre-registered longitudinal field experiment Yes Individual Subtraction Time

Whillans et al., 2017 Does volunteering improve well-being? Yes Individual Addition Prosocial

Whillans et al., 2017 Buying time promotes happiness Yes Individual Subtraction Time

Pre-registered Happiness Experiments
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Tags Psychology, List, Science, Research, Life, Mental health
Type Google Sheet
Published 07/04/2024, 20:37:27

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