Understanding Psychology (10th Ed)

Study Alert
Remember the concept that 
individuals have a set point 
(a general, consistent level) 
relating to subjective well-
being.
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prosperous have, on the whole, happy residents (Diener & Clifton, 2002; Suh, 2002; 
Suhail & Chaudhry, 2004). 
The bottom line: Money does not seem to buy happiness. Despite the ups and 
downs of life, most people tend to be reasonably happy, and they adapt to the trials 
and tribulations—and joys and delights—of life by returning to a steady-state level 
of happiness. That habitual level of happiness can have profound—perhaps life-
prolonging—implications (Diener & Seligman, 2004; Hecht, 2007).
498 Chapter 
14 
Health Psychology: Stress, Coping, and Well-Being
20% 
46% 
27% 4% 2% 1% 0% 
Faces Scale: “Which face comes closest to expressing how you feel about your life as a whole?”
FIGURE 2 
Most people in the United 
States rate themselves as happy, while 
only a small minority indicate they are 
“not too happy.” 
(Source: Myers, 2000, p. 57, 
drawn from 
Social Indicators of Well-Being: 
Americans’ Perceptions of Life Quality 
(pp. 207 
and 306), by F. M. Andrews and S. B. Withey, 
1976. New York, Plenum. Copyright 1976 by 
Plenum.)
R E C A P / E V A L U A T E / R E T H I N K 
K E Y T E R M S
R E C A P 
How do our interactions with physicians affect our health and 
compliance with medical treatment? 
• Although patients would often like physicians to base a 
diagnosis only on a physical examination, communicat-
ing one’s problem to the physician is equally important. 
(p. 493)
• Patients may fi nd it diffi cult to communicate openly 
with their physicians because of physicians’ high social 
prestige and the technical nature of medical information. 
(p. 494)
How does a sense of well-being develop?
• Subjective well-being, the measure of how happy people 
are, is highest in people with high self-esteem, a sense of 
control, optimism, and a supportive network of close re-
lationships. (p. 495)