Association for Psychological Science 22nd Annual Convention: Boston, MA

APS David Myers Lecture on Teaching Psychology

How Do We Measure Pleasure?

Linda Bartoshuk Chair: Linda Bartoshuk
University of Florida

Pleasure is at the core of our lives, yet comparisons of pleasure across groups is still very primitive. Do obese or thin individuals experience more pleasure from food? Do addicts get more pleasure from cocaine than an undergraduate gets from a Big Mac? Does happiness vary in different parts of the world? Although hedonic comparisons like these are made with abandon, they are trickier than they look and current methods can lead to devastating errors. Psychologists have an important role in showing the rest of the world how to measure pleasure.


2010 Program Committee
Tyler S. Lorig, Washington and Lee University (Chair); Nalini Ambady, Tufts University; Abigail Baird, Vassar College; Sian Beilock, University of Chicago; Daniel Klein, State University of New York, Stony Brook; Richard Lewis, Pomona College; Kris Preacher, University of Kansas; Deidra Schleicher, Purdue University; Timothy Strauman, Duke University; Tracy Zinn, James Madison University