Psychology defines happiness as someone’s subjective well-being, combining positive emotions with a sense of meaning in one’s life (Ackerman, 2019). It arises due to neurological, hormonal or physical changes in the body. While we can easily recognise happiness, its subjective nature makes it difficult to study with complete accuracy. So, can we quantify happiness?
In theory, it is possible to measure happiness. We can use the hedonic treadmill to tell real happiness from fake, and Martin Seligman’s PERMA theory to understand what a flourishing life looks like. Physical signs like hormone shifts and body language can also help us spot happiness. Lastly, self-reports are often used in psychology to understand how people define happiness for themselves.
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Fake Happiness and Hedonism
An initial step is to distinguish it from fake happiness: displaying a positive state to others despite not feeling that way, often due to social acceptance needs and insecurities. According to psychological hedonism, humans act based on wanting pleasure, rather than pain. (Bruton, 2016) Jeremy Bentham defined happiness as pleasure without pain, which may explain why it’s contagious; being around happy people tends to lift others’ moods.
The hedonic treadmill is the idea that happiness levels change in response to life events. (Psychology Today, 2018) Every person has a different initial state of well-being because of genetic differences (Pennock, 2016). For example, lottery winners experience increased levels of pleasure when acquiring the prize. However, they return to their baseline emotional state after the excitement is over. (Corporate Finance Institute, 2023)
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Hormonal Changes
Hormones affect how we feel. The main “happy hormones” are dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins. Dopamine is released when we do things that help us survive, like eating, and makes us feel pleasure. (Cleveland Clinic, 2022)
Serotonin keeps us calm and focused. Low levels can cause depression, while too much can be dangerous. (Mayo Clinic, 2017) (Cleveland Clinic, 2022)
Oxytocin, known as the “love hormone,” helps with bonding, trust, and reducing anxiety. Endorphins act as natural painkillers.
Seligman’s PERMA Theory
Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning and Accomplishment (PERMA) are the five factors that lead to a flourishing life, according to Seligman. (University of Pennsylvania, 2025) They improve overall well-being, self-confidence, feeling appreciated in personal and professional interactions and encourages perseverance.
The model may be a more viable tool to measure happiness than physical behaviors (i.e. smiling, laughing and having open and relaxed arm positions), because people express it differently. And, PERMA covers various reasons from an individual’s life that lead to happiness. However, it can generalise individual experiences and struggles to address complex mental health issues.
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Self-Reporting
The individual responds to questions to assess their own level of happiness. For example, Kahneman et al. (2004) developed the Day Reconstruction Method, a self-report survey to assess people’s emotional states during daily activities.
These may be reliable because information comes directly from the source without the bias of a researcher or psychologist. However, if someone struggles to recognise their emotions or has other health issues, it may affect their report’s accuracy.
Disclaimer: This article is based completely on secondary research and is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to be substituted for psychological and clinically-tested methodologies to understand the state of happiness.
