Researchers with University College London in the United Kingdom said they've refined the mathematical equation that will reveal how happy a person is. First developed in 2014, the equation has now been updated to account for how other peoples' circumstances will impact an individual's happiness.
Study co-lead author Dr. Robb Rutledge said in a press releasethat the equation can predict exactly how happy a person will be "based not only on what happens to them but also what happens to the people around them."
Published in the journal Nature Communications, the research found that an inequity in circumstances between people will negatively impact happiness. The study observed responses between strangers who played one-on-one gambling games and found that when both people lost, or when both people won, the participants were happier than when only one person won and the other lost.
The new equation also reveals a great deal about an individual's generosity:
On average we are less happy if others get more or less than us, but this varies a lot from person to person. Interestingly, the equation allows us to predict how generous an individual will be in a separate scenario when they are asked how they would like to split a small amount of money with another person. Based on exactly how inequality affects their happiness, we can predict which individuals will be altruistic.
In addition to the gambling games, participants were asked if they would anonymously split a small sum of money with another participant. The results of this activity revealed the connection that guilt and envy play in a person's happiness, according to co-lead Author Archy de Berker, who said:
The people who gave away half of their money when they had the opportunity showed no envy when they experienced inequality in a different task but showed a lot of guilt. By contrast, those who kept all the money for themselves displayed no signs of guilt in the other task but displayed a lot of envy. This is the first time that people’s generosity has been directly linked to how inequality affects their happiness.
Ultimately, the study reveals people who are more generous and altruistic, who care about the wellbeing of people around them, are happier than those who are not. Go figure.
University College London did not immediately reply to Complex's request for comment.
