Happiness Maximization Is a WEIRD Way of Living

Psychological science tends to treat subjective wellbeing and happiness synonymously. We start from the assumption that subjective wellbeing is more than being happy to ask the fundamental question: what is the ideal level of happiness? From a cross-cultural perspective, we propose that the idealization of attaining maximum levels of happiness may be especially characteristic of WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrial, Rich, Democratic) societies, but less so for others. Searching for an explanation for why “happiness maximization” might have emerged in these societies, we turn to studies linking cultures to their eco-environmental habitat. We discuss the premise that WEIRD cultures emerged in an exceptionally benign ecological habitat, i.e., compared to other regions, they faced relatively light existential pressures. We review the influence of the Gulfstream on the North-Western European climate as a source of these comparatively benign geographical conditions. We propose that the ecological conditions in which WEIRD societies emerged afforded them a basis to endorse happiness as a value and to idealise attaining its maximum level. To provide a nomological network for “happiness maximization”, we also studied its several potential side-effects: alcohol and drug consumption and abuse, and the prevalence of mania. To evaluate our hypothesis, we re-analyse data from two large-scale studies on ideal levels of personal life satisfaction—the most common operationalization of happiness in psychology—involving respondents from 61 countries. We conclude that societies whose members seek to maximize happiness tend to be characterized as a WEIRD, and generalizing this across societies can prove problematic if adopted at the ideological and policy level

An attribute fusion system based on the Choquet integral to evaluate the quality of composite parts

International audienc

Troubles de la repolarisation ventriculaire et syndrome du QT long (étude clinique et génétique à propos de 10 observations pédiatriques et 4 observations adultes)

L'allongement de l'espace QT sur l'électrocardiogramme au-delà de 440 msec tenant compte de la fréquence cardiaque (correction selon Bazett) correspond à une anomalie de repolarisation transmurale ventriculaire et définit le syndrome du QT long (SQTL). Il est classé dans les tachycardies ventriculaires polymorphes et est responsable de troubles du rythme ventriculaire (torsades de pointe) pouvant conduire à la mort subite par fibrillation ventriculaire. Il peut être congénital ou acquis. Son diagnostic repose sur des signes électrocardiographiques et/ou électrophysiologiques, et/ou une anamnèse personnelle et familiale et/ou une enquête génétique exhaustive permettant une attitude thérapeutique et préventive codifiée. Nous rapportons ici l'étude de 10 cas pédiatriques et 4 cas adultes pris en charge au CHU de Saint-Etienne afin d'illustrer ces différentes remarques.ST ETIENNE-BU Médecine (422182102) / SudocSudocFranceF