Lecture 20: The Dark Side of the American Dream

Question 1

Tim Kasser

Answer 1

• A self-determination theorist who focuses on the impact of growing up in a consumerist society
• A leader in the Simplicity Movement, which emphasizes having a meaningful and purposeful life

Question 2

the American Dream

Answer 2

• The ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative
• Emphasizes meritocracy
• Rooted in the U.S.’s absence of a monarchy

Question 3

social mobility in the U.S. today

Answer 3

Moving out of a poor or middle-class family in the U.S. now is harder than in Europe

Question 4

academic attainment of immigrants vs. non-immigrants in Canada

Answer 4

Immigrant kids in Canada have higher academic attainment than non-immigrant kids

Question 5

Koestner’s experience with the Amish

Answer 5

Koestner used to travel to Lancester, Pennsylvania during summer break as a child and observe the Amish

Question 6

lifestyle of the Amish

Answer 6

• The Amish live like they are in the 18th century
• Avoidance of modern technology
• Families have 9 kids

Question 7

core values of the simple life

Answer 7

• Community & family
• Humility
• The religious life

Question 8

depression in the Amish

Answer 8

The Amish have the lowest rates of depression in the U.S.

Question 9

controversy regarding education in the Amish

Answer 9

• The Amish didn’t want their kids to go to school because they feared it would make them prideful
• The federal government got involved, so now Amish kids have to go to school until they are 16
• The Amish can run the schools but they have to follow a syllabus set out by the government

Question 10

George Brown on the origins of depression

Answer 10

“Depression holds a pivotal position in understanding what is wrong with society. While sadness, unhappiness, and grief are inevitable, this is not true of depression. Its origins are closely linked to the quality of core social roles.”

Question 11

Kasser on the American Dream

Answer 11

Lower well-being is associated with having extrinsic goals focused on rewards, praise, & competition relatively central to one’s personality in comparison to intrinsic goals that are congruent with inherent growth tendencies.

Question 12

the starlet

Answer 12

• A reality show where wannabe actresses competed for a role on One Tree Hill
• Most of the contestants display entitlement and superiority
• One girl is more modest, and she’s the one who ends up winning
• Subliminal message about the fleeting nature of beauty and stardom (ex. sleeping in Marilyn Monroe’s bed as a reward)
• The show was highly reviewed because they selected contestants who reassembled popular actresses of the time

Question 13

examples of external aspirations

Answer 13

• money
• fame
• appealing image

Question 14

examples of intrinsic aspirations

Answer 14

• close relationships
• community invovlement
• personal growth

Question 15

aspirations over time

Answer 15

• The focus on extrinsic aspirations appears to be increasing
• In 2024, nearly half of young adults said they were “obsessed” with being rich

Question 16

aspirational index studies

Answer 16

• Involve asking participants how important it is to them to achieve a life goal in the future
• Assess the relative balance between intrinsic and extrinsic aspirations

Question 17

how do most people report their aspirations?

Answer 17

Most of us will rate intrinsic aspirations higher

Question 18

Kasser & Ryan, 1993 Study 1 method

Answer 18

Community adults aged 18-79 completed surveys of aspirations and well-being, which measured 1) self-actualization 2) vitality 3) depression 4) physical symptoms

Question 19

Kasser & Ryan, 1993 Study 1 findings

Answer 19

Found that people who were more extrinsically focused reported higher depression and lower well-being

Question 20

Kasser & Ryan, 1993 Study 1 replications

Answer 20

• These findings were replicated in Germany and Korea
• The U.S. focused more on intrinsic motivation but the correlations were similar

Question 21

2014 Meta-Analysis by Kasser

Answer 21

• 144 studies from all continents except for Africa
• 52% were from north America
• Found a mean effect size of r=.20 of extrinsic aspirations and distress

Question 22

Mediational Analyses: Prospective Longitudinal Study method

Answer 22

Studied university students over 6 years

Question 23

Mediational Analyses: Prospective Longitudinal Study findings

Answer 23

Found that aspirations lead to changes in need satisfaction, which leads to changes in autonomous motivation for personal goals, which leads to even higher need satisfaction, and changes in well-being

Question 24

does mediation of aspirations by need satisfaction apply to everyone?

Answer 24

• This trend applies to most people and can have a significant impact of one’s life
• We all have tendencies to care about appearance and status
• Ex. Koestner’s vulnerability is sneakers

Question 25

impact of gender and culture on the impact of extrinsic values on well-being

Answer 25

gender and culture do not seem to moderate this impact

Question 26

distribution of aspirations

Answer 26

Aspirations are normally distributed

Question 27

what aspirations are best?

Answer 27

The more we are balanced toward intrinsic, the healthier our outcomes will be

Question 28

moderating factors for intrinsic vs. extrinsic aspirations

Answer 28

• motivation behind aspirations
• attainability
• living your values

Question 29

example of the importance of the motivation behind aspirations

Answer 29

Making money to send your kids to school doesn’t negatively impact well-being

Question 30

attainability and aspirations

Answer 30

it doesn’t matter how attainable a goal is; it still impacts well-being

Question 31

when do you get the biggest payoff from extrinsic aspirations?

Answer 31

if they are aligned with your intrinsic values

Question 32

Weinstein & Ryan, 2010 Motivation and Prosocial Behaviour study

Answer 32

• Asked participants why they were participating in prosocial behaviour
• Found that if you are doing prosocial things for extrinsic reasons, you will not benefit

Question 33

aspirations and well-being study method

Answer 33

• 200 young adults were contacted 1 year after graduation
• They assessed aspirations and well-being
• They then followed up at 1 year to assess attainment of aspirations, need satisfaction, and changes in well-being

Question 34

aspirations and well-being study findings

Answer 34

Found that achieving extrinsic things undercuts well-being

Question 35

Amish people and mental helath

Answer 35

• Research shows that Amish people may be at an advantage compared to the Starlets
• But, traditional cultures do not necessarily get things right where mental health is concerned

Question 36

issues in Amish communities

Answer 36

• Parenting practices like spanking
• Childhood marriages

Question 37

Kasser’s recommendations

Answer 37

• We cannot altogether abandon our interest in money, status, and appearance
• We should instead make sure that our focus on these aspirations is moderate and outweighed by intrinsic aspirations
• We should become aware of societal, social, and personal factors that drive us toward materialistic values

Question 38

Kasser’s framework

Answer 38

Outlined 2 broad classes of aspirations distinguished on the basis of content:
extrinsic and intrinsic aspirations

Question 39

extrinsic aspirations

Answer 39

depend on the contingent reaction of others and are typically engaged as a means to an end

Question 40

intrinsic aspirations

Answer 40

expressive of natural growth tendencies and are likely to satisfy basic psychological needs