On November 18, 2020, Jeremy Faulk, MS successfully defended his master thesis entitled “Does the Diversity of Savoring Strategies Increase Happiness? An Experimental Study of Design-Mediated Well-Being.” The thesis was supervised by Dr. Jay Yoon of Design+Environmental Analysis and Dr. Michael Goldstein of Psychology.

Abstract
When we look forward to enjoyable events or share positive experiences with others, we can prolong and amplify positive emotions. These and other savoring strategies can increase our well-being. Yet, it remains unclear whether practicing a diversity of savoring strategies adds its own happiness-boosting effect. In this 1 x 3 randomized controlled study, N = 71 participants either received an 8-day, original interactive scratch-off poster to facilitate high- or low savoring diversity, or they journaled in the control condition. Multiple linear regression models give varied results for well- being outcomes while qualitative data provide insights into the intervention’s effectiveness at promoting positive experiences.