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Center for Wellbeing

Welfare and Happiness at the Stockholm School of Economics

Discover the science of happiness, one episode – one study! In this podcast, host Professor Micael Dahlen explores groundbreaking research with leading experts, uncovering the science behind what truly makes us happy. Whether it's relationships, work, politics, or daily habits, The Happy Science Podcast brings insights from the field in a fun, engaging and accessible way. Tune in for thought-provoking discussions and practical takeaways on how to live a happier, more fulfilling life—backed by science!

THE HAPPY SCIENCE PODCAST

In this fun episode, we look at how our social lives, with everything from supportive

relationships to breakups, impact our wellbeing. Is the pain of a breakup the same for

everyone? Can relationships protect our happiness over time? And what does your

DNA have to do with any of it? Professor Ragnhild Bang Nes of the Norwegian

Institute of Public Health shares fascinating findings from a study of twins. Tune in to

find out which social factors most strongly predict future happiness and how much of

our social wellbeing might be shaped before we’re even born!

Link to the study:

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11136-024-03832-8

Guest:

Research Professor Ragnhild Bang Nes

S2:5 From Parents to Partners: How Divorces, DNA and Daily Connections Shape Our Wellbeing

In this fun episode, we dig into a surprisingly overlooked question: What exactly are

people thinking about when they rate their happiness on global surveys? Is Finland

really the happiest country in the world or just the best at climbing metaphorical

ladders? Researcher August Nilsson joins us to explain how the metaphorical “Cantril

Ladder” works and reveal how tiny tweaks in how we ask about happiness can

dramatically change the answers we get. What happens if we ask about harmony in

life instead? Or if we ditch the ladder metaphor altogether? Tune in for a deep dive

into the psychology behind how we measure happiness and whether we're asking the

right questions at all.

Link to the study:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-52939-y

Guest:

Researcher August Nilsson

S2:4 Climbing the Wrong Ladder? What Happiness Rankings Might Be Missing

In this fun episode, we ask whether city life is secretly dragging down our happiness.

More people than ever are living in cities, but does urban life come at the cost of

happiness? Associate Professor Jens Fyhn Lykke Sørensen from the University of

Southern Denmark shares insights from his research on Denmark’s urban–rural

happiness gap. From the power of green spaces to the strength of local friendships,

we explore why rural residents often report greater life satisfaction, and what city

dwellers might do to catch up. Could a palm tree on your balcony make a difference?

Tune in and find out.

Link to the study:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/384554929_Why_are_City_Residents_Less

_Happy_than_the_Rest_of_the_Population_in_Developed_Countries_Studying_the_

Urban-Rural_Happiness_Gap_in_Denmark_Using_Blinder-Oaxaca_Decomposition

Guest:

Associate Professor Jens Fyhn Lykke Sørensen

S2:3 The Urban Happiness Gap: Are City Dwellers Destined to Be Less Happy?

In this fun episode, we explore how stressful life events like financial strain or

relationship conflicts can affect your life satisfaction and whether these life events are

just a matter of bad luck, or partly your parents’ fault? Professor Ragnhild Bang Nes

of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health shares insights from a unique twin study

that untangles life experiences from biology. Tune in to discover how genes and

environment work together to shape how we feel, and why not all bad life events

impacts us the same way!

Link to the study:

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12144-025-07758-3

Guest:

Research Professor Ragnhild Bang Nes

S2:2 Born to Worry? How Genes and Life Events Shape Our Wellbeing

In this fun episode, we explore what happens when people hit the jackpot. Many of

us often dream of the big win, but does life really change when it happens? Will

wellbeing improve? Does the rush wear off or can the wellbeing be boosted for years,

or even decades? Tune in to hear economist Robert Östling from the Stockholm

School of Economics shares his insights from studying thousands of Swedish lottery

players to see what really changes when money arrives out of the blue, and what

stays surprisingly the same.

Link to the study:

https://www.nber.org/papers/w24667

Guest:

Professor Robert Östling

S2:1 Can Winning The Lottery Buy Lasting Happiness?

Does happiness make you more attractive, or does being attractive make you happier? In this episode, we explore the intriguing connection between how we feel and how we’re perceived. Professor Delin Sun of Duke University has conducted a brain study to uncover the secrets behind happiness and how attractive we are to others. Which comes first—being happy or being desirable? Tune in to find out, and see if a smile really is your best asset!

11. Happiness or Good Looks: Which Comes First? - with Professor Delin Sun

In this episode, we dive into a big no-no in relationships: infidelity. What’s the link between happiness and cheating? Does infidelity make couples less happy, or is unhappiness what drives them to cheat? Professor Olga Stavrova of University of Lübeck shares her research on why this connection matters and what it reveals about relationship dynamics. Tune in to explore how happiness and betrayal are more intertwined than you might think!

10. Cheating and Happiness: What’s the Real Connection? - with Professor Olga Stavrova

In this fun episode, we find out how people associate their happiness with politics and the government. Could a breakup with your partner make you want to dump the government too? In this episode, Professor Peter Esaiasson of University of Gothenburg shares insights from his multi-country research on how happiness impacts support for the government, and even good citizen behaviors as paying taxes and abiding laws. Tune in to explore how happiness, love, and politics are more connected than you might think!

https://ejpr.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1475-6765.12335

9. How Much Does the Government Really Impact Your Happiness? (Spoiler alert: The answer is pretty surprising…) - with Professor Peter Esaiasson

In this fun episode, we tackle the age-old question: Do money and material things really buy happiness? Or could you find just as much (or even more) happiness living deep in the Amazon rainforest, in the mountains of Nepal, or in a desert village? Professor Eric Galbraith from McGill University shares insights from his unique research, where he compares the happiness of people in 19 small, remote villages and tribes around the world with those living in WEIRD society’s – Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich Democracies. Tune in to discover what his research reveals about the universal secrets to happiness!

https://www.pnas.org/doi/pdf/10.1073/pnas.2311703121

8. Does Having Almost Nothing Make You More or Less Happy? - with Professor Eric Galbraith

Is the air you’re breathing making you happy, or unhappy? In this episode, we explore how the quality of air can impact your mood, and even your overall happiness. Professor Paul Dolan of London School of Economics shares his surprising findings on how air quality influences well-being, to an extent that can even be comparable to making thousands of extra dollars or not. Tune in to discover how those good or bad “air days" might be affecting more than just your lungs!

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-benefit-cost-analysis/article/abs/bad-air-days-the-effects-of-air-quality-on-different-measures-of-subjective-wellbeing/E9967A81411253654AC3D934CDEE8FE0

7. Does Air Quality Affect Your Happiness? - with Professor Paul Dolan

In this fun episode, we dive into what happens to happiness when your country is ranked the happiest in the world. How did Finland’s top spot affect its citizens' happiness, and how did Swedes feel about being ranked fourth? Professor Kristina Heinonen of Hanken School of Economics shares fascinating insights from her research on the impact of these rankings. Tune in to discover how national happiness rankings reflect – but also impact - how happy people feel!

1. Does the World Happiness Ranking Impact the Actual Happiness in a Country? (Spoiler Alert: It Does…) - with Professor Kristina Heinonen

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