The Influence of Self-Esteem and Facial Expressions on Happiness: A 2x2 ANOVA Study
Self-Esteem, Expression, & Happiness
- “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment. True happiness comes from the freedom to express who you truly are and to embrace that authenticity with confidence.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
Facial Expression
- Construct definition
- non-verbal communication that provides insights about an individual’s feelings or intentions which plays a role in human communications and emotional expressions.
- Operational definition
- operationalized by showing participants two conditions of the manipulated variable, self-esteem, which were a Duchenne smile and a neutral expression
Self-Esteem
- Construct definition
- refers to an person’s overall self-worth or self-perceived value
- Operational definition
- operationalized by manipulating during the image task procedure where participants read a sentence describing whether or not the photo had high or low self-esteem
Happiness
- Construct definition
- the positive emotional state of temporary experiences or long-term circumstances
- Operational definition
- measured with a questionnaire consisting of six questions about happiness and satisfaction or unhappiness and dissatisfaction
Hypotheses
|
|
Duchenne Smile |
Neutral Expression |
| Self-Esteem |
High self-esteem |
higher happiness |
lower happiness |
|
Low self-esteem |
lower happiness |
lower happiness |
Discussion
- Small Sample Size
- Experimental Design
- Practical Applications
Our study highlights not only how specific factors such as self-esteem and facial expressions have their own impacts, but also how their interaction is imperative to determining happiness, emotional well-being, and overall social interactions.