Abstract
BackgroundWhy are some people happier than others? This question has intrigued many researchers. However, limited work has addressed this question within a neuroscientific framework.MethodsThe present study investigated the neural correlates of trait happiness using the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) approach. Specifically, regional homogeneity (ReHo) was examined on two groups of young adults: happy and unhappy individuals (N = 25 per group).ResultsDecreased ReHo in unhappy relative to happy individuals was observed within prefrontal cortex, medial temporal lobe, superior temporal lobe, and retrosplenial cortex. In contrast, increased ReHo in unhappy relative to happy individuals was observed within the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, middle cingulate gyrus, putamen, and thalamus. In addition, the ReHo within the left thalamus was negatively correlated with Chinese Happiness Inventory (CHI) score within the happy group.LimitationsAs an exploratory study, we examined how general trait happiness is reflected in the regional homogeneity of intrinsic brain activity in a relatively small sample. Examining other types of happiness in a larger sample using a multitude of intrinsic brain activity indices are warranted for future work.ConclusionsThe local synchronization of BOLD signal is altered in unhappy individuals. The regions implicated in this alteration partly overlapped with previously identified default mode network, emotional circuitry, and rewarding system, suggesting that these systems may be involved in happiness.
Highlights
Happiness is almost everyone’s pursuit, the capacity to be happy varies widely across people
The local synchronization of BOLD signal is altered in unhappy individuals
Group analysis in regional homogeneity (ReHo) The mean ReHo maps for the happy and unhappy group are shown in Figure 2
Summary
Happiness is almost everyone’s pursuit, the capacity to be happy varies widely across people. Rather than focusing on the objective determinants of happiness, the construal theory focused on explaining the individual differences in happiness with hedonically related subjective psychological processes such as self-evaluation, self-reflection, self-regulation, social comparison, and person perception [2,3]. This theory suggests that our alternative perspectives (either positive or negative) and our constructions of reality have different hedonic consequences and, as such, are associated with different levels of enduring happiness [2]. Limited work has addressed this question within a neuroscientific framework
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