Watershed Happiness Report 2025

‭Watershed Happiness Report‬ ‭A Quantitative Study of Happiness‬

‭Watershed School 8th Grade Class, 2024-2025‬

‭Project Happiness & Transformations of Thinking and Self Expeditions‬

‭In collaboration with the University of Colorado Boulder’s Center for Healthy‬ ‭Mind and Mood‬

‭January 30, 2025‬

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‭Table Of Contents‬ ‭1.‬ ‭Introduction‬‭…………………………………………………………….‬‭4‬ ‭Ella Carden and Harry Sherman‬ ‭2.‬ ‭Validating the Watershed Happiness Scale‬‭………………………….‬‭12‬ ‭Emerson Beckham and James Van Horn‬ ‭3.‬ ‭The Relationship Between Happiness and Depression‬‭…….………..‬‭17‬ ‭Lilla Bauer and Jaden O'Connor‬ ‭4.‬ ‭The Effects of Negative Stress on Happiness‬‭……………….…….….‬‭22‬ ‭Ryder Kunkel and Jackson Gardner‬ ‭5.‬ ‭Trust In Our Community‬‭…………………..………………….….…..‬‭26‬ ‭Isa Hulser and Cricket Natapow‬ ‭6.‬ ‭How Activities Affect Happiness‬‭…………………..…………………‬‭34‬ ‭Jules Starnes and Marty Kane Barlow‬ ‭7.‬ ‭Effects of Socializing on Happiness‬‭…………………..………………‬‭39‬ ‭Chetan Trudell and Collin Raney‬ ‭8.‬ ‭What Ages are the Happiest?‬‭…………………..…………………….‬‭44‬ ‭Evynne Ondatje and Eli Rose‬ ‭9.‬ ‭Happiness in Students vs. Staff‬‭…………………..……………….….‬‭49‬ ‭Trea McDonald and Gray Jospe‬ ‭Appendix‬‭………………………………………………………………‬‭54‬

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‭Introduction‬ ‭Ella Carden & Harry Sherman‬ ‭ appiness is a state of being: energized, active, motivated, healthy, safe, content,‬ H ‭connected to other people, resilient, living in the moment, believing in the future, and‬ ‭believing in myself.‬ ‭—Watershed School 8th Grade Class, 2024-2025‬ ‭Executive Summary‬ ‭Happiness is a powerful and complex idea that has many different meanings to different‬ ‭people. People can find happiness in nature, socializing, trust, and everyday life. Researchers‬ ‭worldwide continue to search for more about what, how, and why people are happy. Looking at‬ ‭happiness within communities to understand where it's coming from is beneficial. Data from‬ ‭Chicago high schools show that student surveys can help convey information about school‬ ‭quality and school climate, which can help affect student achievement (Jackson, 2020).‬‭Research‬ ‭shows that adding more happiness into life is far more important than merely feeling good‬ ‭(Mead, 2019).‬ ‭The Watershed 8th grade class co-designed a happiness survey with researchers Alicia‬ ‭Sepulveda, Ph.D. and Roselinde Kaiser, Ph.D. of the University of Colorado Boulder’s Center‬ ‭for Healthy Mind and Mood. The main purpose of this survey was to better understand overall‬ ‭happiness within the Watershed community. We started the process of creating the survey by‬ ‭brainstorming questions and categories that would be beneficial to implement in our survey. The‬ ‭three main themes that we came up with were activities (being in nature, play and hobbies, etc.),‬ ‭social world (trust, safety, support, etc.), and mental health. These themes resulted in the‬ ‭development of a brand new scale for measuring happiness: the Watershed Happiness Survey.‬ ‭The purpose of the survey was to dig deeper into the results and look for correlations as‬ ‭well as findings that would help us prove hypotheses. Our main findings were separated into‬ ‭eight categories: the Watershed Scale, the Subjective Happiness Scale to validate measures, the‬ ‭ages of happiness in the school, happiness between teachers and students, negative stress vs.‬ ‭happiness, trust, socialization, and activities.‬

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‭Summary of Findings‬ ‭The survey was sent out to everyone in the school including staff. The total population is‬ ‭145, with 117 students and 28 staff members. 101 people took the survey which is enough‬ ‭respondents to have a good range of data. The majority of respondents were students ages 10 to‬ ‭18, although the ages of respondents ranged up to 60 years old.‬ ‭The survey results were scored out of the max possible score of 112. Most people ranked‬ ‭in the 70 to 95 range for happiness. However, some outliers were observed, who ranked in the‬ ‭range of 30-50 which may suggest lower levels of happiness for those individuals. This indicates‬ ‭that Watershed School ranks relatively high for happiness.‬ ‭The main focus that we had after looking at the data was to create hypotheses based on‬ ‭each section in the surveys and test them using our graphs. Some examples of correlations that‬ ‭were found were activities and happiness, social life and happiness, and happiness between‬ ‭teachers and students.‬ ‭Methods‬ ‭This study explored the happiness of students and staff in the Watershed community. This‬ ‭survey was co-created by the 8th-grade class at Watershed and Alicia Sepulveda, Ph.D., and‬ ‭Roselinde Kaiser, Ph.D. To create the survey we had multiple brainstorming sessions;‬‭our‬ ‭partners at CU Boulder drafted a survey based on the output from our collaborative meetings. We‬ ‭worked as a class to provide feedback and request revisions for the final survey product. A‬ ‭finalized draft was created‬‭and administered to the Watershed community over four days from‬ ‭January 14-17, 2025.‬ ‭This survey has five parts, three of which were created by Watershed students: the‬ ‭Watershed Happiness Survey, Activities Measure, and Social Measure. In addition to our scales,‬ ‭we included validated scales to ensure that our survey was a valid measure of happiness. Our‬ ‭validated scales included the Short Depression Scale, Subjective Happiness Scale, and Life‬ ‭Events Scale. The questions were given a score so that the results could then be transferred into‬ ‭data. The survey was administered using‬‭REDCap‬‭and‬‭kept entirely anonymous.‬ ‭After administering the survey, Drs. Sepulveda and Kaiser took the results and gave them‬ ‭to a research team at CU Boulder, who tested‬‭a variety‬‭of collaboratively created‬‭hypotheses.‬

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‭The statistical program “R” was used to analyze the data, and the CU research team “cleaned”‬ ‭the data, removing incomplete results, and then “scored” it, making it much easier to work with‬ ‭and understand. Finally, Watershed students performed further analysis of the results, creating‬ ‭this report.‬

‭Analysis‬ ‭Fig. 0a: Overall Happiness‬ ‭This analysis focuses on two results:‬ ‭respondent demographics and overall‬ ‭happiness.‬ ‭Figure‬‭0a‬‭shows the frequency of individual‬ ‭happiness scores. This graph shows the‬ ‭distribution of happiness; as you can see, the‬ ‭average level of happiness sits between 75-87.‬ ‭To calculate the exact average of happiness we‬ ‭76‬.‭68‬

‭perform this simple operation:‬ ‭112‬ = ‭68‬. ‭5‭.‬‬ ‭The top value is the average using the mean of‬ ‭the scores, and the bottom value is the‬ ‭maximum possible happiness score for the Watershed Happiness Scale. The average‬ ‭“score” when adjusted is 68.5, but this value could be skewed because of the low outliers‬ ‭which are almost half of the average and the high outliers are almost double the average.‬ ‭To measure the average more accurately, we can calculate using the median of 79.‬ ‭Adjusting the median score gives us: 70.53. The reason for performing this operation is to‬ ‭compare to a recent (2023) national average of self-reported life satisfaction in the United‬ ‭States, which is 6.72/10, or 67.2, as seen in the graphic on the next page.‬

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‭(Ortiz-Ospina & Roser, 2024)‬ ‭This data and comparison essentially show two things:‬ ‭1.‬ ‭There are more happy people than unhappy people in the Watershed community.‬ ‭Of course, this isn't the case for every member of the Watershed community;‬ ‭certain members are experiencing much lower happiness.‬ ‭2.‬ ‭The Watershed community is happier than the national average.‬ ‭Most people who filled out the survey were‬ ‭between the ages of 10 and 20. Staff‬ ‭members ranged from ages 25-60. The‬ ‭average age of the people who took the‬ ‭survey was 20. This information could be‬ ‭highly skewed because of the few older‬ ‭people. The mode, the most common age of‬ ‭respondents, is 16 years old.‬ ‭ igure 0b shows the age distribution‬ F ‭of respondents.‬

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‭Figure 0c, the final graph,‬ ‭represents the Respondent's‬ ‭gender identity.‬ ‭Most respondents identified‬ ‭as Boy or Male and Girl or‬ ‭Female with few‬ ‭identifying as Non-binary‬ ‭and Fluid or Dynamic.‬

‭Discussion‬ ‭What was the point of this survey? This survey revealed a lot of important information as‬ ‭explained above and in the rest of this report. But‬‭why‬‭do a survey like this? First off,‬ ‭metacognition (thinking about thinking) is a valuable process; it is being aware or understanding‬ ‭your thought processes. Metacognition is also impactful for academic performance:‬ ‭“‬‭Metacognition is one of the most effective ways to‬‭improve students’ academic performance‬ ‭and to help students achieve their academic potential” (Lucero & Morell, N.D).‬‭By completing‬ ‭this survey, we are doing the act of metacognition by looking at a result of the general trend in‬ ‭our community and trying to understand and articulate that.‬ ‭Secondly, according to Collins et al.,‬‭“ Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR)‬ ‭is associated with improved outcomes for community members involved in the research process‬ ‭as well as increased capacity at the community level”. The main idea of Community-Based‬ ‭Participatory Research is‬‭“‬‭to equitably engage communities in the research process and thereby‬ ‭ensure their benefit from research.” This is exactly what this survey did.‬

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‭Recommendations‬ ‭In each section of the report that follows, you will find recommendations for our‬ ‭community about the various themes we have explored throughout our classes and survey‬ ‭process. The overall survey, though, could benefit from being condensed and simplified in the‬ ‭future to collect more responsiveness. A BMC medical research methodology study in 2011‬ ‭assessed whether or not shorter surveys get more respondents (Sahlqvist et al., 2011). They gave‬ ‭participants a longer version of a survey as well as a condensed version. The study found that‬ ‭participants who took the short version of the survey were more likely to complete it.‬ ‭Another method that could be included in future surveys would be making responses‬ ‭required. Required survey questions can also increase completion rates. A‬‭benefit of required‬ ‭responses is that they help to prevent overlooked questions and allow respondents to see missed‬ ‭questions and answer them‬‭(‬‭Sauro, 2016). Although there are some cons like response bias,‬ ‭which means lying or randomly answering questions that can increase with required responses, it‬ ‭would overall be a good thing to consider. Data cleaning is also another tool that helps with this.‬ ‭Editing and improving the survey in the future will help with the results and increase‬ ‭responses, which will give more varying results. This in turn leads to more information and‬ ‭findings that will make for a better survey.‬ ‭Acknowledgements:‬ ‭We would like to thank and greatly appreciate Drs. Sepulveda and Kaiser for co-creating‬ ‭and leading us through the process of this survey. They did an amazing job helping us generate‬ ‭the survey questions and helping inform us about validated scales, good questions, and graphs.‬ ‭We also appreciate Shay Castle, Editor-in-Chief of‬‭Boulder Weekly‬‭, who helped us brainstorm‬ ‭themes and areas of study for our survey. A big thanks to the research team who ‘cleaned,’‬ ‭scored the data, and turned them into graphs. Acknowledgments go to our educators, Amy‬ ‭Robbins and Locke Hassett, as well, for facilitating this process and helping to make everything‬ ‭happen. Lastly, we would like to thank all of the respondents who took the time to take our‬ ‭survey.‬

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‭References‬ ‭Collins, S. E., et al. (2018). “Community-based participatory research (CBPR): Towards‬ ‭equitable involvement of community in psychology research.”‬‭The American‬ ‭psychologist‬‭,‬‭73‬‭(7), 884–898.‬‭https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000167‬‭.‬ ‭Jackson, K. (2020). “Linking Social-Emotional Learning to Long-Term Success.”‬‭Education‬ ‭Next,‬‭21(10),‬ ‭https://www.educationnext.org/linking-social-emotional-learning-long-term-success-stud‬ ‭ent-survey-responses-effects-high-school/‬‭.‬ ‭Lucero, R., Morrell, S. (N.D). “Metacognition’s Role in Learning.” Colorado State University:‬ ‭The Institute for Learning and Teaching.‬ ‭https://tilt.colostate.edu/metacognitions-role-in-learning/#:~:text=Metacognitio‬ ‭n%20refers%20to%20thinking%20about,(Wilson%20and%20Conyers%20110).‬ ‭Mead, E. (7 November 2024). “6 Benefits of Happiness According to the Research.”‬ ‭PositivePsychology.‬‭https://positivepsychology.com/benefits-of-happiness/‬‭.‬ ‭Sahlqvist, S., Song, Y., Bull, F. et al. “Effect of questionnaire length, personalisation and‬ ‭reminder type on response rate to a complex postal survey: randomised controlled trial.”‬ ‭BMC Med Res Methodol‬‭11, 62 (2011).‬‭https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-11-62‬ ‭Sauro, J. (2016). “Pros and Cons of Requiring Survey Responses.”‬‭MeasuringU.‬ ‭https://measuringu.com/requiring-responses/‬‭.‬

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‭Validating the Watershed Happiness Scale‬ ‭Emerson Beckham and James Van Horn‬ ‭Introduction‬ ‭This section explores the hypothesis that people who report high happiness on the‬ ‭Watershed Happiness Scale will score the same or have a higher score on the Subjective‬ ‭Happiness Scale. The Subjective Happiness Scale is an internationally recognized validated‬ ‭scale, used to measure happiness and overall well-being (Lyubomirsky & Lepper, 1999). We aim‬ ‭to see if people who report high happiness levels on the Watershed Happiness Scale will report‬ ‭similar answers on the Subjective Happiness Scale in order to add validity to the Watershed‬ ‭Scale.‬ ‭Summary of Findings‬ ‭The results showed that people who took the Watershed survey reported the same or close‬ ‭amount of happiness compared to the validated survey, demonstrating that our hypothesis was‬ ‭correct. One of the key trends that was shown was that the higher up on the Watershed Scale, the‬ ‭higher people were on the validated scale. They had near perfect correlation, almost having an‬ ‭equivalent relative score on each survey. After analyzing the data, it indicates that the Watershed‬ ‭Scale can work in the real world just the same as the validated scale.‬ ‭Methods‬ ‭The hypothesis states that people who report higher happiness on the Watershed‬ ‭Happiness Scale also report higher happiness on the validated scale. The validated measure‬ ‭(Subjective Happiness Scale) was developed by the researchers Sonja Lyubomirsky and Heidi‬ ‭Leper, and has been used for decades.‬ ‭The hypothesis was measured by giving two different happiness surveys to the members‬ ‭of the Watershed community, and comparing scores. Watershed students worked with two‬ ‭representatives from CU Boulder’s Center for Healthy Mind and Mood to look at the results and‬ ‭create a graph. In this case, a scatter plot was created to help find the line of best fit to illustrate‬ ‭the correlation between the independent variable (Watershed Scale) and the dependent variable‬ ‭(the Subjective Happiness Scale).‬ ‭12‬

‭Analysis‬ ‭When examining the data, we noticed that the hypothesis is generally supported, with a‬ ‭few outliers. This gives us the confidence that the Watershed Scale is a very effective survey to‬ ‭measure subjective happiness. This trend is clearly visible on‬‭figure 1‬‭below. The trend is shown‬ ‭by the line of best fit.‬

‭(fig. 1)‬ ‭Interestingly, the data also revealed that the chances of the hypothesis being false is very,‬ ‭very slim. The P-value is the chance of the results being random, so the lower the number is, the‬ ‭less likely that the chances were random. The R-value shows the strength, direction, and quality‬ ‭of the correlation.‬ ‭P < 0.001→ less than a 0.1% chance of random occurrence‬ ‭R = 0.811→ Strong positive correlation‬

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‭Discussion‬ ‭The implications of this research suggest that the Watershed Happiness Scale is useful‬ ‭and could possibly be used later down the line to get a gauge on overall school happiness. As a‬ ‭result of creating this survey, we learned that happiness is influenced by a large number of‬ ‭factors, including our culture, biology, emotions/feelings, beliefs, social relationships, and‬ ‭activities. Because of this, the process of measuring happiness is pretty complex! In fact, some‬ ‭researchers suggest that “‬‭it is nearly impossible to draw definitive conclusions from happiness‬ ‭surveys” (Brooks, 2019).‬ ‭We also learned that you need to use simple and precise language when creating a survey‬ ‭statement. It’s also important to think about balance and include as many happiness factors as‬ ‭possible without overwhelming your survey takers.‬‭We believe these were valuable lessons to‬ ‭learn because it gave us experience with conducting a research project. We were also able to‬ ‭learn first-hand how researchers approach studying something as big as happiness, and now we‬ ‭have a method to gauge the happiness of our community, allowing us to make recommendations‬ ‭for the future.‬ ‭Recommendations‬ ‭If we were to conduct this survey in the future, one recommendation would be to make‬ ‭the survey shorter and more visually appealing so people don’t get bored while taking it. An‬ ‭additional recommendation would be to create more engaging questions on the Watershed‬ ‭Survey, as well as to remove questions that some people might feel uncomfortable or pressured‬ ‭to answer, such as sex assigned at birth. In conclusion, results clearly support our hypothesis:‬ ‭People who report higher happiness on the new Watershed Scale also report higher happiness on‬ ‭the validated scale. This means our new scale is ready to use for future research. If any part of it‬ ‭is changed, future researchers will need to validate the new creation.‬

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‭References‬ ‭Brooks, N. (2019). “Don’t worry? The sad truth about happiness scales.”‬‭Krannert: Purdue’s‬ ‭School of Management Magazine.‬ ‭https://business.purdue.edu/konline/2019f/features/purce-bond.php‬‭.‬ ‭Lyubomirsky, S., & Lepper, H. S. (1999). “A measure of subjective happiness: Preliminary‬ ‭reliability and construct validation.”‬‭Social Indicators Research, 46‬‭(2), 137–155.‬ ‭https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006824100041‬‭.‬

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‭The Relationship Between Happiness and Depression‬ ‭Lilla Bauer and Jaden O’Connor‬ ‭Introduction‬ ‭Mental health is‬‭vital in shaping who we are and our happiness. T‬‭o further investigate the‬ ‭relationship between happiness and mental health, Part 5 of this survey, the Short Depression‬ ‭Scale, was included and cross-referenced with individual responses from the Watershed‬ ‭Happiness Survey. This section will evaluate the strength of the relationship between depression‬ ‭and happiness, discuss the implications of our findings, and provide recommendations for‬ ‭depression vs. happiness within the Watershed community.‬ ‭Summary of Results‬ ‭The survey results revealed that people who score high on Watershed Happiness Scale‬ ‭score low on the Short Depression Scale. These findings suggest that Watershed happiness may‬ ‭influence overall depression in the following way: waking up to know that you are excited about‬ ‭school and being happy in school can affect your outside life. Additionally, it is worth noting that‬ ‭even with good questions, people will still go through the survey and not pay attention,‬ ‭indicating either your survey is dull or the questions aren't hitting what you're trying to get at.‬ ‭Methods‬ ‭Our study (H8) investigated how people who are happier at Watershed score lower levels‬ ‭of depression. The independent variable is the Short Depression Scale, and the dependent‬ ‭variable is the Watershed Happiness Scale. The survey method used occasionally, called reverse‬ ‭scoring, is to score questions so that a “one” represents the highest value and a “seven” the‬ ‭lowest. This encourages careful responses but can lead to outliers if participants don’t read the‬ ‭questions thoroughly. To analyze the data, we compared responses measuring depression with‬ ‭happiness scores. A higher score on the depression scale indicates a greater likelihood of‬ ‭short-term depression in a respondent. For instance, the statement “I am not happy in life" would‬ ‭have‬‭1‬‭signify “this does not describe me at all," and‬‭7‬‭indicate “this describes me very well.”‬

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‭(Fig. 3a: Happiness vs. Depression)‬ ‭Analysis‬ ‭As Figure 3a shows, most people are above the scale of (10, 60) showing high happiness‬ ‭and low depression. From what the graph has shown, our hypothesis is supported: at Watershed,‬ ‭high happiness is strongly correlated with low depression. The line of the best fit shows a‬ ‭significant negative correlation between happiness and depression: as depression increases,‬ ‭happiness tends to decrease.‬ ‭To further understand the data, it’s valuable to analyze specific statistical values:‬ ‭●‬ ‭R‬‭= correlation coefficient. Ranges from -1 to + 1. Negative one is a perfect‬ ‭negative correlation, and positive one is a perfect positive correlation.‬ ‭○‬ ‭For this data set, R= -0.687, meaning a strong negative correlation.‬

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‭●‬ ‭95% Cl‬‭= confidence interval. 95% certain that R is between -.784 / -.558‬ ‭●‬ ‭P‬‭value = how likely these results would happen randomly, by chance. The‬ ‭likelihood of this happening randomly again is <.001‬ ‭Outliers & Insights‬ ‭Outliers such as the points (2, 70) can provide unique insights. This person's Watershed‬ ‭happiness score is below average, yet they scored low on overall depression. Another outlier is‬ ‭the dot at (16, 90). This dot means that even with a high Watershed Happiness score, they still‬ ‭have a high overall depression score.‬ ‭In conclusion, the higher the Watershed happiness, the lower the overall depression, with‬ ‭some significant outliers.‬ ‭Discussion‬ ‭The implications of this research suggest that having lower depression could overall‬ ‭improve happiness or more significant depression pushing lower happiness. But is happiness the‬ ‭absence of depression? Based on this data, happiness could be considered a good‬‭predictor‬‭of‬ ‭low depression. However, happiness could also be regarded as contentment, joy, or‬ ‭accomplishment. But the reality is, there is no honest answer. According to the American‬ ‭Psychological Association (Cohn, et al., 2009), thinking positively can enhance mood and‬ ‭happiness. Additionally, the National Library Of Medicine says: “‬‭Positive emotions are strong‬ ‭predictors of happiness that sometimes alleviate negative thoughts that can lead to depression‬ ‭over time.”‬ ‭On the other hand, other recent research says differently. According to‬‭Psychology Today,‬ ‭“‬‭Some believe that happiness is simply the absence of sadness, and sadness is the absence of‬ ‭happiness. Recent research suggests that happiness and sadness are separate, independent‬ ‭emotions that can coexist in a person's emotional experience” (Bennett, 2023).‬‭Our data, both the‬ ‭trend and outliers, also supports this topic's complexity.‬ ‭While significant questions like “‬‭Is happiness the absence of depression?‬‭” are‬ ‭interesting, that wasn’t the purpose of this hypothesis. The purpose was to see if the Watershed‬ ‭Happiness Scale was statistically relevant, and the scale was highly statistically relevant in terms‬

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‭of the survey. Because of the negative correlation between the data points, the Watershed Scale‬ ‭was a highly effective way of measuring individual happiness in contrast to depression, even‬ ‭considering outliers that mirror the real human experience of a full range of emotions.‬ ‭Regardless, this data does show that it is clear that most of the individuals at Watershed School‬ ‭report higher happiness and lower depression.‬ ‭Recommendations‬ ‭Rates of depression among teens have risen dramatically in the last five years, with the‬ ‭COVID-19 pandemic causing a large spike. According to the World Health Organization, there‬ ‭has been a 25% increase in anxiety and depression since the pandemic in children alone‬ ‭(Hirsh-Paskek, et al., 2024).‬‭Our survey results mainly demonstrate depression in younger‬ ‭adolescents to mid/post-teens. The Short Depression Scale could be useful for these kinds of‬ ‭studies. This data could be helpful in future studies in measuring data on depression, happiness,‬ ‭and even in the question reviewed earlier of “‬‭happiness‬‭being the absence of depression.”‬‭This‬ ‭data demonstrates the connection between the Watershed community, and even if there are some‬ ‭outliers, it still shows the same results. That data could be used for something even more‬ ‭significant if needed.‬

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‭References‬ ‭Bennett, K. (2023,03/10). “The Worst Way to Think About Happiness and Sadness.”‬ ‭https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/modern-minds/202303/the-worst-way-to-thin‬ ‭k-about-happiness-and-sadness#:~:text=Not%20Mutually%20Exclusive%20In%20anoth‬ ‭er%20study%2C%20researchers,can%20coexist%20within%20a%20person's%20emotio‬ ‭nal%20experience‬‭.‬ ‭Cohn, M. A., Fredrickson, B. L., Brown, S. L., Mikels, J. A., & Conway, A. M. (2009).‬ ‭Happiness unpacked: positive emotions increase life satisfaction by building resilience.‬ ‭Emotion‬‭https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3126102/‬‭.‬ ‭Hirsh-Pasek, K. “Why play serious work” (2024, May 2nd). Brookings Institution.‬ ‭https://www.brookings.edu/articles/why-play-is-serious-work/‬‭.‬

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‭The Effects of Negative Stress on Happiness‬ ‭Ryder Kunkel and Jackson Gardner‬ ‭Introduction‬ ‭Have you ever missed an assignment or been late for work and felt s‬‭tressed‬‭? This differs‬ ‭from positive stress, which can make you feel motivated to do something like homework. This‬ ‭part will cover the relationship between negative stress and happiness with the data from the‬ ‭survey; it will describe how the survey was formed to collect data as well as discuss results and‬ ‭implications. The hypothesis is “People who experience more negative stress are less happy.”‬ ‭This was important due to the unknown relationship between negative stress and happiness‬ ‭affecting the Watershed community in a harmful or unpleasant way. The data showed how‬ ‭negative stress affects our community's happiness and what to do moving forward.‬ ‭Summary of Findings‬ ‭The data showed that the more negative stress there is, the less happiness was reported.‬ ‭However, some outliers were observed, such as someone who reported high negative stress, but‬ ‭also the most happiness, which may suggest inaccurate data. Additionally, it is worth noting that‬ ‭since we had a few questions, and the questions could have been interpreted with a different‬ ‭meaning than we intended, the data will not be accurate.‬ ‭Methods‬ ‭This study explored the relationship between negative stress and overall happiness. The‬ ‭hypothesis was that with more negative stress, the less happy someone would be. To test our‬ ‭hypothesis, we measured negative stress using the Life Events Scale (Part 6), items 1-11, and the‬ ‭Watershed Happiness Scale (Part 1), items 1-16.‬ ‭The independent variable in this study was negative stress, while the dependent variable‬ ‭was happiness. We modified the data representation created by our research partners at CU‬ ‭Boulder by adding an estimated line of best fit to more clearly illustrate the correlation between‬ ‭negative stress and happiness (‬‭fig. 3a).‬

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‭Fig. 3a: The results with a line of best fit.‬ ‭We used the correlation coefficient (r-value) to measure the relationship between negative‬ ‭stress and happiness. We used the P-value to find the data's probability of coincidence. The‬ ‭P-value was <0.001, which means that there was less than a 0.1% chance of this data occurring at‬ ‭random. The r value was 0.398, which means that the variables have a moderate correlation. The‬ ‭slope of the line of best fit is -0.759, which shows a moderate negative correlation, which means‬ ‭that the higher the negative stress, the lower the happiness.‬ ‭Analysis‬ ‭While negative stress is not strongly affecting our community, our results show that‬ ‭people are still experiencing stress. People might feel overwhelmed or busy (due to negative‬ ‭stress), which can impact their ability to enjoy being with people or enjoy positive moments.‬ ‭Rick Hanson, for example, argues our brains are wired to lean into bad memories and negative‬ ‭experiences; it is, therefore, important to take time to enjoy positive experiences more by using‬ ‭steps called HEAL (Hanson, 2014, p.110-115).‬

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‭Badri Bajaj et al. (2022) further support these findings; as negative stress becomes more‬ ‭frequent, the amygdala triggers, which can cause fear, anxiety, and rage. So, if we can reduce‬ ‭harmful stress, our brains will be in a more relaxed state and work at a higher level to process‬ ‭information. Reducing negative stress can improve the lived experience of people as individuals‬ ‭and Watershed School as a whole.‬ ‭Discussion‬ ‭To boost happiness moving forward, we should help each other take the stress off our‬ ‭shoulders. Humans are social animals, meaning helping each other will make us happy by‬ ‭releasing a chemical called oxytocin. Oxytocin has been revealed to reduce anxiety and stress‬ ‭(‬‭Takayanagi and Onaka, 2021).‬‭But stress doesn’t only come from school; it can come from your‬ ‭family or social life. So if you think someone is feeling down, try to help them. This will reduce‬ ‭stress from homework, social life, and family, creating a stress-free environment and a stronger‬ ‭community.‬ ‭Recommendations‬ ‭From a neurological perspective, when we experience negative stress, our brains release‬ ‭chemicals called cortisol and norepinephrine, which is why stress can feel bad. Preventing this‬ ‭could include adding a study hall block where people behind can catch up on stressful work; this‬ ‭could also include adding time for people to do something that calms them, such as a sport or‬ ‭playing with a stress ball, listening to calming music, or sleeping and exercising. Overall, we‬ ‭found that stress and happiness were directly correlated and lower stress can lead to higher levels‬ ‭of happiness. Taking steps to reduce stress could lead to a happier community.‬

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‭References‬ ‭Bajaj, B. et al. “Resilience and Stress as Mediators in the Relationship of Mindfulness and‬ ‭Happiness.” (2022, February 3).‬‭Frontiers in Psychology.‬ ‭https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8850270/#:~:text=Chronic%20stressors%20m‬ ‭ay%20significantly%20affect,experience%20increased%20levels%20of%20happiness‬‭.‬ ‭Hanson, R. (2013).‬‭Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and‬ ‭Confidence.‬‭Harmony Books.‬ ‭Takayanagi, Y. and Onaka, T. (2021, December 23). “Roles of Oxytocin in Stress Responses,‬ ‭Allostasis, and Resilience”.‬‭Molecular Sciences.‬ ‭https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8745417/‬‭.‬

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‭Trust In Our Community‬ ‭Isa Hulser and Cricket Natapow‬

‭Introduction‬ ‭What if the key to happiness isn’t wealth or achievement but in the bonds we build with‬ ‭others? Trust is often overlooked, but it might play a big role in our happiness. In section 6, we‬ ‭explore the correlation between happiness and trust and how this plays a role in our community.‬ ‭Many past studies have shown that people who have a stronger interest in their community and‬ ‭other individuals are happier and more satisfied with life (‬‭Brain World, 2020)‬‭. We believe that‬ ‭when‬‭individuals feel a basic level of trust in others, outside of their‬‭immediate friends and‬ ‭family, they are happier (Radcliff, 2022). This section evaluates the strength of the relationships‬ ‭between trust and happiness and connects the sociological and neurological aspects of trusting‬ ‭others within the context of the Watershed community.‬ ‭Summary of Findings‬ ‭The survey results showed us that most people in our community have a high level of‬ ‭trust and that trust correlates with higher levels of happiness. There are no people who have a‬ ‭high happiness level and don’t trust in their community. As represented in the figures below‬ ‭(figs. 4a and 4b), there is a correlation between the trust scores and the overall happiness scores.‬ ‭For each score distribution, the majority of score frequencies occurred between the 70th and 80th‬ ‭percentile of a given data set, showing additional correlation and statistical significance‬ ‭(conversation with Locke Hassett, 2024). This data correlates and is also statistically significant‬ ‭because the distributions are fairly predictable and standard for a population.‬

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‭Methods‬ ‭In this study, we explored the correlation between trust and happiness. The hypothesis‬ ‭was that a higher sense of trust would foster a happier community. We measured the trust levels‬ ‭by using statements one, three, five, and seven on the Social Measure (Watershed) scale to test‬ ‭our hypothesis. CU research partners assessed the raw data and were able to estimate that in the‬ ‭Watershed community, there is a relationship between trust and happiness with a positive‬ ‭correlation between the amount of trust and the amount of happiness. They were able to graph‬ ‭this relationship using the variable of x as the amount of happiness and y being the amount of‬ ‭trust in the community. We modified the data representation created by our research partners at‬ ‭CU Boulder by adding an estimated line of best fit to illustrate the correlation between trust and‬ ‭happiness (‬‭fig. 4c).‬‭The line of best fit was added to represent the average of the data.‬

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‭Figure 4c: AI database used to calculate the line of best fit.‬

‭Analysis‬ ‭Analyzing the data shows a clear relationship between trust and happiness. Trust plays a‬ ‭crucial role in your happiness and it can influence your mood and your life satisfaction level if‬ ‭you trust in your community. This relationship is evident in our survey results. The graph below‬ ‭(fig. 4D) shows a scatter plot illustrating the relationship between trust levels in the community‬ ‭and overall happiness scores. Each point on the graph represents an individual participant's‬ ‭responses to the survey, with the x-axis (horizontal) indicating the level of trust (ranging from‬ ‭low to high) and the y-axis (vertical) showing the corresponding happiness score. As observed,‬ ‭there is a generally upward trend, suggesting a positive correlation between trust and happiness.‬ ‭This means that as trust levels increase, happiness scores tend to rise correspondingly.‬ ‭28‬

‭There are some outliers on the graph, such as a few individuals with low trust but high‬ ‭happiness, which don't match the general trend. This tells us that while trust is a factor in‬ ‭influencing happiness, there may be other elements or personal characteristics contributing to‬ ‭those individuals' happiness levels that are independent of their low trust in the community.‬ ‭Overall, the graph provides a compelling visual representation of the findings and illustrates the‬ ‭hypothesis that higher trust levels correlate with greater happiness in the community. We used‬ ‭the AI data analysis tool (chat GPT 4o) with guidance. While there are outliers, a possible‬ ‭explanation is that the bulk of the responses fall in the middle of the data set, as explained by‬ ‭Figures 4a and 4b in the summary.‬

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‭Discussion‬ ‭Trust plays a crucial role in your happiness and it can influence your mood and your life‬ ‭satisfaction level if you trust in your community. Results indicate that trust is important for our‬ ‭community. It is a baseline for happiness in a relationship and a community because it allows‬ ‭people to feel safe and be themselves. According to Benjamin Radcliff (2022), “In a high-trust‬ ‭environment, people go about their lives with the easy assurance that others around them are‬ ‭generally honest and even benevolent. These sorts‬‭of strong human connections‬‭have been‬ ‭shown to promote happiness.”‬ ‭“By comparison, in a low-trust environment,” Radcliff continues, “people are suspicious.‬ ‭They feel they must always be on guard, in case other people attempt to deceive, exploit, or take‬ ‭advantage of them.” This is why it was a big sign as to why trust and happiness correlate for‬ ‭most of our Watershed community. People who can trust their community with being themselves,‬ ‭but also with keeping secrets or personal information that they do not want to be shared, have a‬ ‭higher sense of happiness. As the saying goes, “If we know each other's secrets, we will find‬ ‭comfort” (John Churton Collins). Keeping a secret feels unnatural, so to have the trust in a‬ ‭community to not have to hide anything is a significant point in overall happiness. Additionally,‬ ‭according to‬‭Equality Trust,‬‭“There is a substantial and robust body of research suggesting that‬ ‭countries with higher levels of inequality have lower levels of trust. This lack of trust is‬ ‭associated with a variety of other social issues including happiness, homicides, and health.”‬ ‭Recommendations‬ ‭Based on the findings, we discovered that trust and happiness are highly correlated. To‬ ‭foster a more positive and happy relationship between friends or someone you want to be in‬ ‭contact with, try to be honest, keep promises, communicate well, be reliable, help others, admit‬ ‭mistakes, and build trust. To further enhance happiness in our community, we propose being kind‬ ‭because it ensures people trust who you are and people also will feel safer around you (Frei and‬ ‭Morriss, 2020).‬ ‭As Frei and Morriss (2020) argue, “Trust has three drivers: authenticity, logic, and‬ ‭empathy. When trust is lost, it can almost always be traced back to a breakdown in one of them”‬ ‭(fig. 4e). To create trust in a community first there needs to be kindness and no judgment because‬ ‭judgment and hurting each other is like dominos and continues until it's stopped. By choosing‬

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‭kindness and sticking with it, you can reverse the line and trust will be built; with trust comes‬ ‭happiness and if the whole world is happy, nobody will be mean. As the quote from Mahatma‬ ‭Gandhi goes, “An eye for an eye will leave the whole world blind.”‬

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‭References‬ ‭Brain World. (December 1, 2020). “The Giving Brain: A Look at the Nerology of Altruism.”‬ ‭https://brainworldmagazine.com/giving-brain-look-neurology-altruism/‬‭.‬ ‭Equality Trust (N.D.) “Trust participation, attitudes, and happiness.”‬ ‭https://equalitytrust.org.uk/trust-participation-attitudes-and-happiness/#:~:text=There%20‬ ‭is%20a%20substantial%20and,including%20happiness%2C%20homicides%20and%20h‬ ‭ealth‬‭.‬ ‭Frei, F. and Morriss, A. (May-June 2020). “Begin with Trust.”‬‭Harvard Business Review‬‭.‬ ‭https://hbr.org/2020/05/begin-with-trust‬‭.‬ ‭Radcliff, B. (May 11, 2022). “Trusting societies are overall happier - a happiness expert‬ ‭explains why.”‬ ‭https://newhampshirebulletin.com/2022/05/12/trusting-societies-are-overall-happier-and-‬ ‭a-happiness-expert-explains-why-commentary/#:~:text=In%20a%20high%2Dtrust%20en‬ ‭vironment,trust%20environment%2C%20people%20are%20suspicious‬‭.‬

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‭How Activities Affect Happiness‬ ‭Jules Starnes and Marty Barlow‬ ‭Intro‬ ‭Activities such as playing a sport or doing art are beneficial to your mental health.‬ ‭Part 2 of this survey, Activities Measure, was designed to investigate the relationship between a‬ ‭variety of activities, such as play, altruism, spending time in nature, and happiness. In this‬ ‭section, we evaluate the strength of the relationship between activities and happiness and discuss‬ ‭the implications of the results for our community. This is quite important to understand.‬ ‭Methods‬ ‭The hypothesis for this section was that: The more activities you engage in, the happier‬ ‭you are. Our independent variable was activities (meaning sports, hobbies, or hanging out with‬ ‭friends and family), measured using the Activities Measure (Part 2) and the dependent variable‬ ‭was subjective happiness, measured using the Subjective Happiness Scale (Part 4: SHS). We‬ ‭modified the data representation created by our research partners at CU Boulder by adding an‬ ‭estimated line of best fit to more clearly illustrate the correlation between the Activities Measure‬ ‭and the Subjective Happiness Scale (‬‭fig. 2).‬ ‭Notes:‬‭In the future, this study could be modified to better understand the relationship‬ ‭between sports/physical activities and Subjective‬‭Happiness by defining activities more‬ ‭clearly.‬ ‭Analysis‬ ‭The data from the graph shows a trend between people who do more activities and‬ ‭greater self-reported happiness. From the graph, it seems activities are more popular than not‬ ‭participating in any activities. Interestingly, the data revealed that activities and overall happiness‬ ‭are quite popular in our school, which could imply a still active community. Given we live in‬ ‭Colorado, this does not come as a surprise. With this, discussion is necessary to help us‬ ‭understand this analysis.‬

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‭Discussion‬ ‭These results indicate that participation in activities is important for our community. It‬ ‭improves mental and physical health (Hirsch-Pasek, 2024). One potential explanation for this‬ ‭finding is that being outside benefits a person quite a lot (Narvez, 2013). Physical activity has‬ ‭been proven to reduce depression and other mental health complications (Mahindru et al., 2023).‬ ‭Participating in art activities provides similar benefits (Mayo Clinic, 2024). Additionally, the‬ ‭CDC recommends that we get “at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each‬ ‭week.” This is highly recommended, among other things. This is important to understand,‬ ‭especially for struggling students. It could give them an outlet for supporting themselves.‬ ‭Recommendations‬ ‭Based on our findings, we recommend doing more activities, such as hobbies like‬ ‭building Legos, playing an instrument or sports, or playing on a team. This supports happiness.‬ ‭Playing physical sports can help reduce stress, help teamwork, and playing sports can also‬ ‭increase mental health (Narvez, 2014). Furthermore, participating in activities like playing an‬

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‭instrument can help your mood, confidence, coordination, and much more (Matthews, 2021).‬ ‭Just listening to music can help with stress, mood, and can even help with sleep (Johns Hopkins‬ ‭Medicine, n.d.).‬ ‭To support students in participating in more activities, we recommend that Watershed‬ ‭School provides more support for students to participate in sports and after school activities,‬ ‭whether that is playing on a different school’s team or Watershed making their own team.‬

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‭References‬ ‭Hirsch-Pasek, K. et al. (2024, May 29). Why play is serious work. Brookings.‬ ‭https://www.brookings.edu/articles/why-play-is-serious-work/#:~:text=However%2C%2‬ ‭0literature%20states%20that%20play,is%20critical%20for%20adults%20too.‬ ‭Johns Hopkins Medicine. (n.d.) Keep Your Brain Young with Music,‬ ‭https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/keep-your-brain-young‬ ‭-with-music#:~:text=It%20provides%20a%20total%20brain,%2C%20mental%20alertnes‬ ‭s%2C%20and%20memory.‬ ‭Mahindru, A. et al. (2023, Jan 7). “Role of Physical Activity on Mental Health and Well-Being:‬ ‭A Review.”‬‭Cureus.‬‭doi: 10.7759/cureus.33475. PMID: 36756008; PMCID:‬ ‭PMC9902068.‬ ‭Matthews, M. (2021). 18 Benefits of Playing a Musical Instrument.‬ ‭https://stamfordschools.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/18-benefits-of-playing-a-mu‬‭s‬ ‭ical-instrument.pdf.‬ ‭Mayo Clinic Press Editors. (2023). “The intersection of art and health: How art can help promote‬ ‭well-being.”‬‭Mayo Clinic.‬ ‭https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/living-well/the-intersection-of-art-and-health-how-art-can‬ ‭-help-promote-well-being/‬ ‭Narvez, D. (2013, April 2). Playing at school: More important than we thought?. Psychology‬ ‭Today.‬ ‭https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/moral-landscapes/201404/playing-at-school-‬ ‭more-important-than-we-thought‬‭.‬

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‭Effects of Socializing on Happiness‬ ‭Chetan Trudell and Collin Raney‬ ‭Introduction‬ ‭Socialization plays a critical role in fostering happiness and overall well-being within‬ ‭communities. This section aims to explore the hypothesis that the more you socialize, the happier‬ ‭you become. This is significant because we’re in a school, a highly social setting, and we felt it‬ ‭was important to know how well the students/staff feel a sense of belonging or how happy they‬ ‭are as part of this community. This section will further discuss our methods, provide an analysis‬ ‭of our data, and discuss what these results mean. Based on that discussion, we will conclude with‬ ‭recommendations for our community.‬ ‭Summary of Findings‬ ‭The survey results revealed that the more social you are, the happier you will be in most‬ ‭cases. There were, however, some outliers who didn’t conform to this trend. As shown in Figure‬ ‭6, some people were very happy but not as social and some people were more social and not as‬ ‭happy. Despite these outliers, our results still showed a strong connection between social activity‬ ‭and happiness.‬ ‭Methods‬ ‭We hypothesized that the more individuals socialize, the happier they will be. To test our‬ ‭hypothesis, we used Part 3: Social Measures and Part 1: Watershed Happiness Survey. The‬ ‭independent variable in this study was Social Measures, while the dependent variable was the‬ ‭Watershed Happiness Survey. The Social Measure section of the survey gave respondents a‬ ‭variety of statements designed to measure how connected they feel to others. Some sample‬ ‭statements include:‬ ‭Part 3‬ ‭●‬ ‭“I can rely on my friends for help with something.”‬ ‭●‬ ‭“People include me in social events or activities.”‬

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‭The Watershed Happiness Survey gave respondents a variety of statements designed to‬ ‭measure feelings and beliefs. Some sample statements include:‬ ‭Part 1‬ ‭●‬ ‭I believe that my future is bright.‬ ‭●‬ ‭I do not have much energy.‬ ‭Analysis‬ ‭When examining the data, we noticed that the graph (Fig. 6) shows that the people‬ ‭reporting higher participation in social activities also reported higher levels of happiness. More‬ ‭are indeed happier. But there were some outliers. There was one outlier who was not socializing‬ ‭but was still very happy. So overall, it depends on the person, but the graph shows that for most‬ ‭people, the more social they are, the happier they are.‬

‭Figure 6‬ ‭Discussion‬ ‭These results indicate that many people in the Watershed community are happy and social‬ ‭overall. This is important for our community because it will help us know to what degree people‬ ‭in our community feel a sense of belonging and connection with others. It shows us how we're‬ ‭doing as a community and how we are creating a good environment in which people feel‬ ‭40‬

‭connected. However, the outliers show that there are still opportunities to improve, as will be‬ ‭discussed in our recommendations.‬ ‭When people don't feel happy or are depressed they are less social and more isolated. A‬ ‭study from the National Library of Medicine (2019) found patterns of social interactions that‬ ‭people engage in that are happiness-enhancing and are based on close social relationships.‬ ‭Another finding comes from Harvard Medical School (Godman, 2023). This study looked at the‬ ‭differences in daily social experiences with strangers, friends, or family members that survey‬ ‭respondents don't see every day. The researchers found that “the more diverse your ‘portfolio’ of‬ ‭social interactions, the happier you’ll be.” Overall, our survey results showed that individuals‬ ‭who are more socially engaged are more likely to be happy.‬ ‭Recommendations‬ ‭Based on our findings, we recommend socializing to support happiness. Our findings are‬ ‭in line with a preponderance of research, which suggests that socializing more will make you‬ ‭happier (Schrader, 2019). Strategies for improvement could include joining a club, as this aligns‬ ‭with happiness. In conclusion, our research shows a clear connection between socializing and‬ ‭happiness and supports improving existing conditions for socializing to foster great happiness in‬ ‭the Watershed community. We think moving forward we could have a calendar with all the‬ ‭events listed so if you ever feel lonely you could go to an event and enjoy other people's‬ ‭company. Another question that could be considered in the future is:‬ ‭●‬ ‭Would you like more events where you go to a different school and get to know more‬ ‭people?‬

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‭References‬ ‭Godman, H. (2023, April 1). Can varied social interactions boost well-being? Harvard Health.‬ ‭https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/can-varied-social-interactions-boost-well‬ ‭-being‬ ‭National Library of Medicine - National Institutes of Health. (2019). Nih.gov; U.S. National‬ ‭Library of Medicine.‬‭https://www.nlm.nih.gov‬‭.‬ ‭Schrader, J. (2019, December 31). “Does Being More Social Make Us Happier?”‬‭Psychology‬ ‭Today.‬ ‭https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-mindful-self-express/201912/does-being-‬ ‭more-social-make-us-happier?msockid=09bd7b95b54a65653dda6f4db4b26445.‬

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‭What Ages are the Happiest?‬ ‭Evynne Ondatje and Eli Rose‬ ‭Introduction‬ ‭Have you ever wondered about what ages are the happiest? For this section of the report,‬ ‭we cross-referenced age and happiness to see if there was a correlation between the two,‬ ‭attempting to find which ages within Watershed School were the happiest. We hypothesized that‬ ‭students aged 11 or 12 would have the highest scores on the happiness scale. We believed the 16,‬ ‭17, and 18-year-olds would also have high happiness scores. Finally, we thought 13, 14, and‬ ‭15-year-olds would be the least happy group. We hypothesized this because at this age students'‬ ‭minds and bodies are going through significant changes with hormones affecting their mood,‬ ‭causing them to be less happy and moodier (‬‭Pfeifer and Allen, 2020)‬‭.‬ ‭Summary of Findings‬ ‭We have found that the results did not show a significant difference between the two age‬ ‭groups. The 11, 12, 16, 17, and 18-year-old participants scored slightly higher in happiness than‬ ‭the 13, 14, and 15-year-old participants. The scatter plot illustrated various happiness reports‬ ‭from each age category. We had a P-value of .627, which means the results have a 62.7 percent‬ ‭chance of happening again. To summarize, these results represented the insignificance of the role‬ ‭that age plays in Watershed community happiness.‬ ‭Methods‬ ‭We measured happiness using the Subjective Happiness Scale, a validated scale created‬ ‭by Sonja Lyobomisky and Heidi Lepper in 1999 to measure a person's happiness. A validated‬ ‭scale means that the scale has been proven to correlate with its given topic and can be reliably‬ ‭used to measure it.‬ ‭We found we could observe our data by looking at a scatter plot with the Y axis being a‬ ‭person's happiness score from 0-25 and on the X axis the person's age from 11-18. Each point on‬

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‭the graph represents an individual's happiness score and age. Researchers from CU Boulder took‬ ‭the data from each participant's score and placed the data on a graph (fig. 7a).‬

‭Analysis‬ ‭We found very little correlation between our two measures: age and the Subjective‬ ‭Happiness Scale. We saw practically no positive or negative correlation. This could mean that‬ ‭our hypothesis was incorrect and that puberty does not affect happiness at our school. This could‬ ‭also mean that our survey is flawed or that our small population at Watershed undermines our‬ ‭ability to find differences. Perhaps if we had more respondents, we would have more power to‬ ‭detect a difference. Maybe our result would have been different at a separate school.‬ ‭The average happiness score of the non-hormonal grades (6/7/11/12) was 20.5. The‬ ‭average happiness score of the hormonal grades (8/9/10) was 19.9. This shows that there is a‬ ‭fractional difference between these two demographics, proving a weak relationship. Another‬ ‭measurement given to us by our partners at CU Boulder is called a P-value. A P-value represents‬

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‭the chance that our result could have been achieved randomly and does not prove anything.‬ ‭P-value is measured on a scale of 0-1. Our P value was 0.627, meaning that there was a 62%‬ ‭chance that these findings were completely random.‬

‭Discussion‬ ‭To summarize the data, we found that there wasn't a serious increase in a person's‬ ‭happiness depending on their age. We were surprised by the results because we believed that 8th,‬ ‭9th, and 10th graders had a bigger workload and higher levels of stress versus 6th, 7th, 11th, and‬ ‭12th graders, who we believed had an easier workload and less stress. Now, we realize that there‬ ‭could be many reasons for the similar happiness scores between ages. For example, we believed‬ ‭that 11 and 12-year-olds would be happier than the rest of the school because of their lower‬ ‭workload, but other stressors could be contributing. Beginning middle school, especially at a‬ ‭school with seniors and 18-year-olds in the same building, could be very stressful for incoming‬

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‭sixth and seventh graders. Additionally, we believed that 13, 14, and 15-year-olds would be less‬ ‭happy because of changes in their bodies and minds, but also they could be happier because at‬ ‭these ages, students are experiencing more freedom inside and outside of school, allowing them‬ ‭to be happier. We predicted that 16, 17, and 18-year-olds would be happier, but on second‬ ‭thought, they could also be less happy because of the extreme stress of college applications and‬ ‭worrying about future life after school.‬ ‭Recommendations‬ ‭For future surveys, we would test happiness based on a person's gender. We think this‬ ‭would provide better data because we live in a society where people have different expectations‬ ‭and stereotypes based on perceived gender. For example, young females are expected to behave‬ ‭in specific ways and that could impact happiness in a person. David Blanchflower (2023) studied‬ ‭the happiness gap between men and women. He found that in 167 countries, women had lower‬ ‭mental health scores than men.‬ ‭Alternatively, we could take the data points with the same survey but at different points in‬ ‭the year. We could see Watershed students' happiness throughout the year. We would take‬ ‭different measurements at different times of the year and make conclusions from there. We could‬ ‭also measure how Watershed happiness compares to public school happiness. Watershed could‬ ‭partner with another Boulder County school to take data on the difference in happiness levels‬ ‭between schools. This would give us a wider variety of results and allow us to make better‬ ‭conclusions based on the results.‬

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‭References‬ ‭Blanchflower, D. (2023).‬‭The Gender Wellbeing Gap‬‭| CEPR‬‭. The gender wellbeing gap.‬ ‭https://cepr.org/voxeu/columns/gender-wellbeing-gap‬‭.‬ ‭Pfeifer, J. H., & Allen, N. B. (2020). Puberty initiates cascading relationships between‬ ‭neurodevelopmental, social, and internalizing processes across adolescence.‬‭Biological‬ ‭Psychiatry‬‭,‬‭89‬‭(2), 99.‬‭https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.09.002‬‭.‬

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‭Happiness in Students vs. Staff‬ ‭Trea McDonald and Gray Jospe‬ ‭Introduction‬ ‭When you think of a school, who do you think is a more happy population: the students,‬ ‭or the adults?‬‭This part of the report will look into‬‭that question.‬‭We hypothesized that staff were‬ ‭less happy than students. This section evaluates the strength of the relationship between age and‬ ‭happiness, discusses its implications, and provides recommendations for cultivating greater‬ ‭happiness in students within the Watershed community. Although the whole 8th-grade group‬ ‭generated this hypothesis, the authors of this section predicted that it would be false, and it was.‬ ‭This hypothesis is an important one to ask because, in the United States, there is a general‬ ‭perception that teachers are much less happy with their work lives (Toropova et al., 2020). We‬ ‭wanted to find out how that relates to our school and see if it differs.‬ ‭Summary‬ ‭Overall, staff respondents scored higher on the Watershed Happiness Survey.‬ ‭Additionally, it is worth noting that the average student’s score and the average adult’s score are‬ ‭not much different, but the range for the students is much lower than the adults. This may be a‬ ‭result of having more student than adult responses.‬ ‭Methods‬ ‭This section explores how happiness varies between two age groups of the studied‬ ‭population: students and adults. The data was gathered using the Watershed Happiness Scale‬ ‭developed by Watershed School 8th-grade students and CU Boulder research partners.‬

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‭Survey Design and Content‬ ‭1.‬ ‭The Watershed Happiness Scale consists of 16 questions to measure happiness rates and‬ ‭includes statements such as:‬ ‭●‬ ‭“My thoughts are negative.‬‭” (Reverse Scored)‬ ‭●‬ ‭“I like who I am.‬‭”‬ ‭●‬ ‭The questions were measured from 1 (strongly disagree) to 10 (strongly agree).‬ ‭●‬ ‭Numeric values on the scale were not visible to respondents.‬ ‭The questions went through a review process for language simplicity and to remove bias.‬ ‭Thought and care were put into making some questions reverse-coded so the respondent has to‬ ‭read the entire question. Reverse-coded questions also help researchers identify “click-through”‬ ‭responses.‬ ‭2.‬ ‭Age‬ ‭●‬ ‭Age was self-reported at the end of the survey.‬ ‭●‬ ‭Two age groups were identified:‬ ‭○‬ ‭Students: ages 11-19‬ ‭○‬ ‭Staff/Adults: ages 20+‬ ‭Variables‬ ‭●‬ ‭The independent variable was age.‬ ‭●‬ ‭The dependent variable was happiness.‬ ‭Analysis‬ ‭Examining the data reveals that students are more unhappy than the staff (age 20+).‬ ‭Figure 8 shows that the mean (the average value of a set of numbers) happiness score of students‬ ‭was‬‭75.768‬‭and then the mean of staff was‬‭82.601‬‭. This concludes that the teachers are, on‬ ‭average, happier. The P-value indicates the likelihood of the results randomly occurring. In this‬ ‭study, the P-value was‬‭.038‬‭, confirming the relationship was significant with a very low‬

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‭likelihood of occurring randomly.‬

‭Fig. 8: Comparison of Happiness in Students and Teachers.‬ ‭Discussion‬ ‭One potential explanation for this finding is that the students are going through changes‬ ‭and their brains are developing and evolving, creating higher levels of anxiety. On the other‬ ‭hand, staff have more freedom and have more experience due to their age. This might reduce‬ ‭their anxiety and lead to greater feelings of trust, safety, and connection—important for‬ ‭psychological happiness. Also, the number of student responses was 61, while 15 adults reported‬ ‭their age. 25 people did not report their ages. The reason for this is potentially due to the long‬ ‭length of the survey. As Jamie Ducharme (2023) reports, a variety of studies show attention‬

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‭spans are shrinking and focusing is getting more difficult‬‭. Overall, this information is important‬ ‭to improve the community and provide insights.‬ ‭Recommendations‬ ‭Based on only these findings, there may not be a concrete action that can be taken to raise‬ ‭the happiness of the students. We recommend that more research on the topic is gathered before‬ ‭making any sort of claim to fix it. We also recommend doing a qualitative study, where we ask‬ ‭adults what makes them happy, and students what could make them happier. Additionally, there‬ ‭is an abundance of research that suggests people overall get happier as they get older, and that‬ ‭happiness drops during teenage years, rises in the 20s, dips again in the 30s, and then steadily‬ ‭increases after 40 (Onque, 2024).‬

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‭References‬ ‭Ducharme J. (2023, August 10). Why Everyone’s Worried About Their Attention Span — And‬ ‭How to Improve Yours.‬‭Time‬‭.‬ ‭https://time.com/6302294/why-you-cant-focus-anymore-and-what-to-do-about-it/‬ ‭Toropova, A. et al. (2020). “Teacher job satisfaction: the importance of school working‬ ‭conditions and teacher characteristics.”‬‭Educational Review.‬ ‭https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00131911.2019.1705247‬‭.‬ ‭Onque, Renee. (2024, July 23). “Young people today are stressed, depressed—and changing the‬ ‭fundamental pattern of happiness, new research shows.”‬‭CNBC.‬ ‭https://www.cnbc.com/2024/07/23/new-research-young-people-are-reshaping-the-happin‬ ‭ess-curve.html‬‭.‬

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‭ ppendix A‬ A ‭Watershed Happiness Survey‬ ‭Part 1: Happiness Survey (Watershed)‬ (‭ 1) I am unsatisfied with my life.‬ ‭(2) I like who I am.‬ ‭(3) My thoughts are negative.‬ ‭(4) I am motivated in daily life.‬ ‭(5) I feel connected to people who care about me.‬ ‭(6) I am appreciated for who I am.‬ ‭(7) I lack confidence in myself.‬ ‭(8) I enjoy life even when hardship happens.‬ ‭(9) I am happy most of the time.‬ ‭(10) I feel safe.‬ ‭(11) I believe my future is bright.‬ ‭(12) My attention is on what is happening at the moment.‬ ‭(13) I see the world as full of opportunities.‬ ‭(14) I do not have much energy.‬ ‭(15) I am active.‬ ‭(16) When life hassles happen, they roll off me.‬

‭Part 2: Activities Measure (Watershed)‬ (‭ 1) Spend time in nature or outdoors.‬ ‭(2) Play sports or games or spend time doing a hobby.‬ ‭(3) Engage in physical activities or exercise.‬ ‭(4) Support or help someone or volunteer for the community.‬ ‭(5) Spend time with family or friends.‬

‭Part 3: Social Measure (Watershed)‬ (‭ 1) I feel a sense of trust at Watershed.‬ ‭(2) I can rely on my friends for help.‬ ‭(3) My mentors and/or teachers at Watershed support me.‬ ‭(4) I am comfortable being myself with friends.‬ ‭(5) People at Watershed know me well.‬ ‭(6) People include me in social events or activities.‬ ‭(7) I feel a sense of belonging at Watershed.‬

‭Part 4: Subjective Happiness Scale (validated)‬ (‭ 1) In general, I consider myself a very happy person.‬ ‭(2) Compared to most of my peers, I consider myself more happy.‬ ‭(3) Some people are generally very happy. They enjoy life‬ ‭regardless of what is going on, getting the most out of everything.‬ ‭To what extent does this characterization describe you?‬

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(‭ 4) Some people are generally not very happy. Although they are‬ ‭not depressed, they never seem as happy as they might be.‬ ‭To what extent does this characterization describe you?‬

‭Part 5: Short Depression Scale (validated)‬ (‭ 1) I was bothered by things that usually don't bother me.‬ ‭(2) I had trouble keeping my mind on what I was doing.‬ ‭(3) I felt depressed.‬ ‭(4) I felt that everything I did was an effort.‬ ‭(5) I felt hopeful about the future.‬ ‭(6) I felt fearful.‬ ‭(7) My sleep was restless.‬ ‭(8) I was happy.‬ ‭(9) I was lonely.‬ ‭(10) I could not 'get going.'‬

‭Part 6: Life Events Scale (validated)‬ ‭(1) Did poorly on or failed an exam, major paper, or project in an important class.‬ ‭●‬ ‭How stressful or emotionally intense was the above event for you, at the most stressful or‬ ‭intense, in the past year?‬‭(asked for every question‬‭in this scale, if participant said 1+‬ ‭events)‬ ‭(2) Failed to achieve an important school-related goal that does not involve grades (for example, did‬ ‭not get into an orchestra or athletic team; did not get the lead part in play).‬ ‭(3) Significant negative change in financial situation for self or family.‬ ‭(4) Significant fight or argument with someone.‬ ‭(5) Pressure from someone to do what they wanted you to do, to agree with them, or to achieve‬ ‭things you weren't capable of or weren't interested in.‬ ‭(6) Someone invading your privacy or being too nosy or infringing on your freedom.‬ ‭(7) Put down or made fun of by someone.‬ ‭(8) Betrayed or emotionally hurt by someone.‬ ‭(9) Not accepted into a desired social group or excluded from an important social event.‬ ‭(10) Dated less often than would have liked or wanted a boyfriend/girlfriend/romantic partner but‬ ‭did not have one.‬ ‭(11) Were teased, criticized, or put down for appearance or others pressured you to change your‬ ‭appearance in a major way.‬ ‭(12) Received an excellent grade on an exam or major project in an important class.‬ ‭(13) Achieved an important school-related goal that does not involve grade point average (for‬ ‭example, got into an orchestra or athletic team; got lead part in a play).‬ ‭(14) Significant positive change in financial situation for self or family.‬ ‭(15) Accepted into a desired social group or included in an important social event.‬ ‭(16) Met a new friend, and started a new friendship.‬ ‭(17) Attended or hosted a social event with new people.‬ ‭(18) Went on a first date or started a new romantic relationship.‬ ‭(19) Finished an important project, task, or venture that is related to school, work, hobby, etc.‬

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(‭ 20) Started a new project or hobby.‬ ‭(21) Succeeded in meeting an important deadline.‬ ‭(22) Took on a new challenge or opportunity of some kind (for example, taking a difficult class at‬ ‭school; or entering a competition).‬

‭Demographic Questions‬ ‭ hat is your age?‬ W ‭What was your sex assigned at birth?‬ ‭Gender/ Gender Identity‬

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‭ ppendix B‬ A ‭Subjective Happiness Scale‬

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