The ABC Model of Happiness-Neurobiological Aspects of Motivation and Positive Mood, and Their Dynamic Changes through Practice, the Course of Life.
Biology May 31, 2022 DOI: 10.3390/biology11060843 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Conceptual review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | U-curve of happiness Aging Life satisfaction Motivational salience Reward Subjective well-being |
| Key findings | Argues that happiness comprises three neurobiologically distinct types—wanting, avoiding, and non-wanting—which follow a U-curve across the lifespan, leading to a 'satisfaction paradox' where older people are happiest, and that this trajectory can be influenced by contemplative and stress-reduction practices. |
Abstract
Happiness is a feeling, an immediate experience, not a cognitive construct. It is based on activity in the brain's neurobiological reward and motivation systems, which have been retained in evolution. This conceptual review provides an overview of the basic neurobiological principles behind happiness phenomena and proposes a framework for further classification. Three neurobiologically distinct types of happiness exist: (A) wanting, (B) avoiding, and (C) non-wanting. Behind these types lies a dynamic gradation, ranging from the more youthful anticipation, pleasure and ecstasy (A), to stress processing, escape and relief (B) as we find them accentuated in the middle-aged, to deep satisfaction, quiescence and inner joy (C), which is particularly attributed to older people. As a result, the development of happiness and satisfaction over the course of life typically takes the form of a U-curve. The outlined triad and dynamic of happiness leads to the paradoxical finding that the elderly seem to be the happiest-a phenomenon that is termed "satisfaction paradox". This assumed change in happiness and contentment over the life span, which includes an increasing "emancipation" from the idea of good health as a mandatory prerequisite for happiness and contentment, can itself be changed-it is trainable. Programs for mindfulness, contemplation, or stress reduction, including positive psychology and mind-body/behavioral medicine training, seem to be capable of influencing the course happiness over time: Happiness can be shaped through practice.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical populations | 2003 | Review | |
| Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects | 2007 | Review | |
| Mindfulness Interventions | 2016 | Review | |
| Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation | 2017 | Review | |
| Mindfulness and acceptance: expanding the cognitive-behavioral tradition | 2005 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
Cites 13
- In search of durable positive psychology interventions: Predictors and consequences of long-term positive behavior change The Journal of Positive Psychology September 1, 2010
- Resting-state fMRI functional connectivity and mindfulness in clinical and non-clinical contexts: A review and synthesis. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews February 22, 2022
- Brain Structure and Functional Connectivity Correlate with Psychosocial Development in Contemplative Practitioners and Controls Brain Science May 30, 2021
- Cerebral Blood Flow and Brain Functional Connectivity Changes in Older Adults Participating in a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program. Behavioral Sciences February 14, 2022
- Mindfulness Training Improves Cognition and Strengthens Intrinsic Connectivity Between the Hippocampus and Posteromedial Cortex in Healthy Older Adults. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience August 27, 2021
and 8 more in the library