Want to be happier?

New research says that it’s all about low expectations! Researchers at the University College London have shed light on the neural processes that lead to happiness, which until now were assumed to depend on life’s events. The study included 26 individuals and these individuals were asked to make a decision and their choices would either lead to a financial gain or loss. While engaging in the task, the neural activity of the subject was measured using an MRI to trace signals from the striatum, which are thought to depend on dopamine. The researchers repeatedly asked the subject about how happy they were and the researchers took this data to build a computational model that weighs self-proclaimed happiness against recent rewards and expectations. The researchers claimed that they were expecting to see that recent rewards would affect moment-to-moment happiness, but were surprised when they found out just how important expectations were in determining happiness. One researcher said that life is full of expectations and it is often said that you will be happier if your expectations are lower—and they found that there is some truth to this.