BYU MBA Students Collaborate on “Happiness Index” Survey

Provo, Utah — Jul 29, 2008 — A study conducted by four Brigham Young University MBA students in conjunction with The Harris Poll recently asked Americans about nine areas in their lives that contribute to their overall happiness. The responses were then used to create a “National Happiness Index” that can be used to track changes in happiness over time.

The study was conducted online in March 2008 among 2,513 adults. MBA students Derron Bishop, from Saratoga Springs, Utah; Justin Finlinson, from Orem, Utah; John Huang, from Potomac, Maryland; and Robison Wells, from Salt Lake City; worked with BYU faculty member David Alcorn and Dee Alsop and Regina Corso of Harris Interactive to create the Happiness Index by analyzing how many people strongly agree with statements that illustrate a happy lifestyle and strongly disagree with statements that describe dissatisfaction and frustration. Using this method, the researchers concluded that only 35 percent of Americans are “very happy.”

“We wanted to research a topic that would be relevant to the Marriott School, applicable to the field of marketing, and of interest to many people today,” Bishop says. “We also wanted to design a study that was repeatable to measure changes over time. I hope the study will bring an increased awareness regarding factors people should consider as they pursue happiness.”

Among the findings, religiousness and level of education were found to be strongly linked to happiness. Those who say they are “very religious” come in ten points higher on the Happiness Index (45 percent compared to 35 percent). In contrast, less than one-third (28 percent) of people who describe themselves as “not religious” were measured at that level of happiness. In addition, 70 percent of people with a high school education or less consider themselves “optimistic about the future” compared to 82 percent of those with college or post-graduate education.

Ethics is another factor that appears to affect happiness levels — only 26 percent of people who are pressured to act unethically “all the time” or “often” are very happy according to the Index, compared to 37 percent of those who are “never or rarely pressured to act unethically.” People also tend to be happier with age — only 29 percent in the 18 to 24 age bracket are “very happy” according to the survey, compared to 47 percent of people age 65 and older.

The various components of the Happiness Index also reveal some issues relevant to national politics and personal finances. For example:

 Almost three-quarters (73 percent) of people say they feel their “voice is not heard in national decisions that affect [them].”

 Almost four in ten Republicans (39 percent) are very happy, compared to about one-third of Independents (34 percent) and Democrats (33 percent).

 About two-thirds of Americans (65 percent) say they “frequently worry about [their] financial situation.”

 More people without any credit card debt are very happy (38 percent) compared to people who have any amount of credit card debt (32 percent).

Although the study covered a relatively small sample size and did not attempt to make causal conclusions, the survey team believes the correlational data comparing people’s lifestyles to their levels of happiness can still be applied in people’s lives, particularly among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The survey team believes the results show that a lifestyle centered on religiosity and family relationships is highly correlated with happiness.

“It reaffirmed my own faith and belief in the Gospel from an empirical standpoint,” Huang says. “No matter how much circumstances change, there are certain things, or truths, that remain unchanging in one’s search to obtain happiness.”

Alcorn says they plan to conduct the Happiness Index survey annually, in order to expand their data and give more students the opportunity to participate.

The Marriott School is located at Brigham Young University, the largest privately owned, church-sponsored university in the United States. The school has nationally recognized programs in accounting, business management, public management, information systems and entrepreneurship. The school’s mission is to prepare men and women of faith, character and professional ability for positions of leadership throughout the world. Approximately 3,000 students are enrolled in the Marriott School’s graduate and undergraduate programs.

Harris Interactive is a global leader in custom market research. With a long and rich history in multimodal research, powered by their science and technology, Harris Interactive assists clients in achieving business results. Harris Interactive serves clients globally through North American, European and Asian offices and a network of independent market research firms.