Prof. Meike Bartels from Department of Biological Psychology at VU University presented us with the current state theories on effects of genes on the overall happiness and wellbeing.

1. Individual(Differences(in(Wellbeing((
and(the(overlap(with(health(and(behavior((
(
Prof.(Dr.(Meike(Bartels(
Department(of(Biological(Psychology(
VU(University(Amsterdam(

2. Major(Depressive(Disorder(–(Global(Burden(of(Disease(2010(((((((
Ferrari(et(al,(2013,(Plos(Medicine (
(
(
(
(
(YLD=(years(lived(with(disabiliNes(

3. ((
((
((
((
((
University(of(Leiceter,(2006(

4. ((
((
((
((
((
UNICEF(2007(

5. How(to(measure(WellXbeing?(
((
((
((
((
((
Science(January(2010(
Science(29(January(2010:(Vol.(327(no.(5965(pp.(534X535((

6. Individual Differences
Large groups of people live
healthy and happy lives

7. GENES(
ENVIRONMENT(
SHARED(ENVIRONMENT(
UNIQUE(ENVIRONMENT(

8. Twins(
IdenNcal(=(MonozygoNc((MZ)((
Fraternal(=(DizygoNc((DZ)(

9. The(Classical(Twin(Design(

10. Causes(of(Individual(Differences(in(Wellbeing(
Bartels(et(al,(2013(
Kendler(et(al.,(2011(
Nes(et(al.,(2010(
Bartels(et(al,(2010(
A(
Bartels(et(al.,(2009(
D(
E(
Stubbe(et(al.,(2005(
Røysamb(et(al.,(2002((
Lykken(&(Tellegen,(1996((
Tellegen(et(al.,(1988((
0%(
10%(
20%(
30%(
40%(
50%(
60%(
70%(
80%(
90%(
100%(

11. Current State of Art
GENES- 40%
ENVIRONMENT- 60%

12. Overlap(WellXbeing(and(Psychopathology(
ATTENTION(PROBLEMSf(
ATTENTION(PROBLEMSm(
69%(
71%(
31%(
75%(
29%(
(X.26,(X.20)(
(
X.26(
(X.29,(X.23)(
29%(
24%(
X.28(
(X.30,(X.25)( (X.31,(X.25)(
63%(
45%(
33%(
X.32(
(X.34,(X.30)(
X.34(
X.35(
(X.36,(X.31)(
(
(X.37,(X.32)(
X.40(
X.35(
(X.38,(X.33)(
37%(
X0.40(
43%(
29%(
X0.30(
X.28(
16%(
71%(
34%(
(7%(
X.23(
X.25(
(X.28,(X.23)(
THOUGHT(PROBLEMSf(
84%(
66%(
(
THOUGHT(PROBLEMSm(
SOCIAL(PROBLEMSf(
SOCIAL(PROBLEMSm(
(X.21,(X.15)(
28%(
57%(
93%(
(X.21,(X.14)(
72%(
((10%(
(((17%(
90%(
83%(
X.18(
X.18(
X.19(
(X.21,(X.15)(
AGGRESSIVE(BEHAVIORf(
RULEXBREAKINGf(
RULEXBREAKINGm(
71%(
33%(
X0.20(
AGGRESSIVE(BEHAVIORm(
ANXIOUS/DEPRESSEDf(
((((67%(
X0.10(
ANXIOUS/DEPRESSEDm(
67%(
SOCIAL(COMPLAINTSf(
WITHDRAWNf(
55%(
SOCIAL(COMPLAINTSm(
WITHDRAWNm(
0.00(
(X.42,(X.37)(
(
(
X.44(
(X.46,(X.41)(
X0.50(
X.51(
(X.53,(X.48)(
(
Nonshared(Environmental(Part(of(the(Phenotypic(CorrelaNon(
X0.60(
X.58(
(X.60,(X.56)(
Shared(Environmental(Part(of(the(Phenotypic(CorrelaNon(
AddiNve(GeneNc(Part(of(the(Phenotypic(CorrelaNon(
X0.70(
Bartels(et(al,(Behavior(GeneNcs(2013(

13. Bartels(et(al,(Behavior(GeneNcs(2013(

14. ((
((
((
((
((

15. ((
((
((
((
((

16. Is(WellXbeing(Stable(within(a(person?(
SetXpoint(Theory(–(Hedonic(TreadmillX(Dynamic(Equilibrium(
even(though(external(forces(are(constantly(changing(our(lives(and(our(life(
goals,(happiness(is(a(relaNvely(constant(state(

17. Science,(Aug(2009(
Dodds(and(Danforth,(Journal(of(Happiness(studies(2010,(Science(Vol(325(2009(

18. PNAS,(jan(2014(

19. To(be(conNnued:(
X The(search(for(genes(
X The(search(for(geneXenvironment(interplay((epigeneNcs)(