Computational Model Library

Between Pleasure and Contentment: Evolutionary Dynamics of Some Possible Parameters of Happiness (1.0.0)

We offer and test a simple operationalization of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being (“happiness”) as mediating variables that link outcomes to motivation. In five evolutionary agent-based simulation experiments, we compared the relative performance of agents endowed with different combinations of happiness-related traits (parameter values), under four types of environmental conditions. We found (i) that the effects of attaching more weight to longer-term than to momentary happiness and of extending the memory for past happiness are both stronger in an environment where food is scarce; (ii) that in such an environment “relative consumption,” in which the agent’s well-being is diminished by that of its neighbors, is more detrimental to survival when food is scarce; and (iii) that agents with a positive outlook, whose longer-term happiness gets more increase from positive events than decrease from negative ones, is generally advantageous.

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This release is out-of-date. The latest version is 1.1.0

Between Pleasure and Contentment: Evolutionary Dynamics of Some Possible Parameters of Happiness 1.0.0

We offer and test a simple operationalization of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being (“happiness”) as mediating variables that link outcomes to motivation. In five evolutionary agent-based simulation experiments, we compared the relative performance of agents endowed with different combinations of happiness-related traits (parameter values), under four types of environmental conditions. We found (i) that the effects of attaching more weight to longer-term than to momentary happiness and of extending the memory for past happiness are both stronger in an environment where food is scarce; (ii) that in such an environment “relative consumption,” in which the agent’s well-being is diminished by that of its neighbors, is more detrimental to survival when food is scarce; and (iii) that agents with a positive outlook, whose longer-term happiness gets more increase from positive events than decrease from negative ones, is generally advantageous.

Version Submitter First published Last modified Status
1.1.0 Yue Gao Wed Mar 16 17:05:31 2016 Tue Feb 20 12:55:31 2018 Published
1.0.0 Yue Gao Sat Mar 12 18:23:16 2016 Tue Feb 20 19:42:24 2018 Published

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