Effect of the subject - ‘Happiness Engineering’ on Indian senior secondary school students

Abstract

The objective of this research is to investigate the implications of teaching Happiness Engineering subject on various positive psychological outcomes, including subjective well-being, prosocial behavior, and life satisfaction among students enrolled in the 11^th and 12^th grades, hailing from two senior secondary schools situated in the Bokaro district of Jharkhand, India. The research involved 216 participants from seven classes, who were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: HE (Happiness Engineering) and Control. Participants were selected such that students who took Happiness Engineering as a compulsory subject were part of the HE groups, and those who did not, were part of the Control group. The researchers investigated the development and expression of overall well-being in students, including subjective well-being, gratitude, prosocial behavior, and life satisfaction. The effect of this intervention (teaching of Happiness Engineering subject) was then compared to the control condition (where participants did not engage in Happiness Engineering classes). The results of the study revealed several significant findings. First, participants who were part of the HE intervention group reported higher levels of optimism and life satisfaction and lower levels of negative affect. This suggests that the act of consciously focusing on and appreciating positive aspects of one’s life can lead to increased well-being and decreased negative emotions. An exceptionally profound revelation came to light concerning the robust correlation between HE classes and contentment regarding the scholastic milieu. It is noteworthy that, both directly after the implementation of the intervention and during the subsequent assessment at the end of a four-week period, the cohort exposed to the HE intervention exhibited elevated levels of satisfaction in their educational environment in contrast to the control condition. The study unveiled that Happiness Engineering is an effective school subject that has the potential to profoundly influence young adults in perceiving and engaging with their school environment, ultimately fostering a more positive and enriching educational experience.