SCIENCE OF HAPPINESS, NPTEL

WEEK 7 ASSIGNMENT

1. ‘Reasoning with emotions’ is one of the four main components of the ‘Ability model’ of
Emotional Intelligence, proposed by Salovey and Mayer. Which of the following best
describes this attribute?
a. Interpreting emotions of others around us
b. Using emotions to promote thinking and cognitive activities
c. Reading and understanding other people’s body language or facial expressions
d. Regulating own emotions, responding appropriately and consistently

Answer: b) Using emotions to promote thinking and cognitive activities

Explanation: Please refer to Lecture 31

2. Shantanu, Pratik and Anjan are three childhood friends, who met each other after a long
gap of 12 years. Pratik said that he has been happily married to his long-time girlfriend for
the last two years and he is also doing very well in his new job, and shares a great friendly
relationship with his boss. Shantanu, on the other hand, shares that he is going through a
very rough phase both in his personal life as well as in his workplace. He doesn’t know
what his boss and his girlfriend think about him and always feels some insecurities in these
relationships. Anjan shared that he is also suffering in the office, because in spite of putting
in his maximum effort, his boss neither gives him enough credit for completing the work
on time, nor does he receive enough appreciation from his colleagues, and especially feels
extreme difficulty in interacting with his female colleagues. Hearing this, Pratik suggested
his other two friends to socialise more in the office and maintain a work-life balance. Based
on this scenario, who among the colleagues displays the strongest emotional intelligence?
a. Shantanu
b. Anjan
c. Pratik
d. It can’t be answered from the information given

Correct Answer: c) Pratik

Explanation: Relationship management is a crucial component of emotional intelligence. See the
characteristics of people with low and high EI. Please refer to Lecture 31.
 3. According to the “Mixed model” proposed by Daniel Goleman, some of the following are
key components of Emotional Intelligence. Which of them are correct?
a. Self-regulation or achieving self-control, trustworthiness and adaptability
b. Social skills or communication skills, leadership, conflict management
c. Intelligence required for mathematical problem solving or logical reasoning
d. Self-awareness or recognition of own feelings and being confident about it
e. Empathy or the ability to understand others’ feelings from their perspectives
i. Only a, b, d and e are correct
ii. Only b, c, d and e are correct
iii. Only a, b, c and d are correct
iv. All of these are correct

Answer: i) Only a, b, d and e are correct

Explanation: Mathematical problem solving or logical reasoning abilities are subcomponents of
Intelligence Quotient (IQ), not an element of emotional intelligence. IQ primarily measures
cognitive abilities such as reasoning, problem-solving, memory, and linguistic skills, rather than
the ability to recognize and manage emotions of self and others. Apart from the other four,
Motivation is the fifth component of EQ according to the Mixed model, which is missing here.
Please refer to Lecture 31

4. Which of the following statements is NOT true in the context of happiness at the workplace
in India?
a. Most people seek flexibility to maximise their happiness at the workplace
b. 59% of the workforce in India are unhappy at their workplace
c. People who leave their jobs are not just unhappy at work, they are unhappy people
themselves
d. Greater autonomy and belongingness lead to greater happiness at the workplace

Answer: c) People who leave their jobs are not just unhappy at work, they are unhappy
people themselves
Explanation: Please refer to Lecture 32

5. Some of the following are misconceptions regarding ‘motivation’ of employees at the

workplace. Which of them are true?
a. Projects fail because of demotivation of people
b. Team identity, trust can motivate people and make them work more
c. Economic reward plays a major role in motivating people at work
d. Motivation gradually decreases as the goal comes closer and looks achievable
i. Only a, b and c are true
ii. Only a, c and d are true
iii. Only b, c and d are true
iv. Only a, b and d are true
Answer: ii) Only a, c and d are true
Explanation: Team identity and trust can indeed enhance motivation and productivity, so it is not
a misconception. Please refer to Lecture 32

6. Some of the following misconceptions about a ‘team’ working towards a goal at the
workplace. Which of them are true?
a. Heterogeneity is always a strength in a team
b. Individuals make a team
c. Successful team is an outcome of individual skill varieties
d. Success is the hallmark of a good team
i. Only b, c and d are true
ii. Only a, b and c are true
iii. Only a, b and d are true
iv. All of these are true

Answer: i) Only b, c and d are true

Explanation: Heterogeneity is always a strength in a team, instead of people of similar attributes
and skill sets forming the team. So, it is not a misconception. But, a successful team is not just an
outcome of individual skill varieties, rather the success of a team depends on the interdependence
of skill at work and their ability to remain committed even in the times of adversities. Please refer
to Lecture 32

7. Messages which are intended to have hidden meanings are known as ___________. (Fill
in the blank)
a. Direct messages
b. Inclusive messages
c. Cryptic messages
d. Nudge messages

Answer: c) Cryptic messages

Explanation: Please refer to Lecture 33

8. Choices, in nudge behaviour, are made using conscious, linear and analytical thinking. Is
this statement true?
a. True
b. False

Answer: b) False
Explanation: Choices in Nudge are made by subconscious logic, covert knowledge and instinctive
or intuitive thought process, not by analytical thinking. Please refer to Lecture 33
 9.

Chandra asked his friends, Bhuvan and Dev, to go shopping at a sports store for his
upcoming trek. It was a large store with a variety of products. Dev noticed a poster hanging
at the entrance stating “Whatever sports you choose, we provide the essentials''. Dev
decided to get a pair of waterproof trekking shoes for their upcoming snow trek. The
ambience of the store was very good with a proper place for every category. Bhuvan liked
the amount of burnt calories written on the stairs to the trial room. Aditya, a salesman, saw
Chandra struggling to select a snow jacket and said “Hello sir, I saw you facing issues with
this product, I would love to suggest you to select one from the bottom shelf. It also has a
discount of 40 percent”. Looking at the range of products Chandra was very tempted and
selected two pairs of shoes, a snow jacket, a backpack and two pairs of waterproof gloves.
Dev while approaching the checkout counter said, teasing Chandra, “Use your brain and
not your drain” and all of them started laughing together.

Match the following messages or actions on the left column with their respective category
of persuasion message in the right column:
i. The sentence written on the poster, which Dev noticed 1.Cryptic message
ii. The sticker on the staircase showing the amount of 2. Direct message
burnt calories for each step upwards
iii. The message delivered by Aditya to Chandra 3. Inclusive message
iv. Dev’s remark about Chandra’s shopping 4. Nudge message

a. i-2, ii-1, iii-3, iv-4

b. i-3, ii- 1, iii-4, iv-2
c. i-2, ii-1, iii-4, iv-3
d. i-3, ii-4, iii-2, iv-1
Answer: d) i-3, ii-4, iii-2, iv-1
Explanation: Please refer to Lecture 33

10. ___________ and ___________ are NOT two parameters of the World Happiness Index.
(Fill in the blanks)
a. Education and Good governance
b. Social support and Freedom to make life choices
c. GDP and Generosity
d. Perception of corruption and Healthy life expectancy

Answer: a) Education and Good governance

Explanation: Education and Good governance are given high priority in Gross National
Happiness, but not in World Happiness Index. Please refer to Lecture 34
 11.

If a researcher is asked to measure the economic aspects of well-being among any urban
population, which of the following models/happiness indexing methods can be used by the
researcher?
a. Gross National Happiness (GNH)
b. World Happiness Index
c. OECD Better Life Index
d. Social Progress Index (SPI)
i. Only a, b and d can be used
ii. Only a, b and c can be used
iii. Only b, c and d can be used
iv. All of these can be used
Answer: b) Only a, b and c can be used
Explanation: Please refer to Lecture 34

12.

Which of the following is NOT considered as one of the pillars of Gross National
Happiness proposed by Bhutan?
a. Sustainable development
b. Good governance
c. Environmental conservation
d. Technology advancement

Answer: d) Technology advancement

Explanation: In Bhutan's Gross National Happiness framework, technology advancement is not
considered a pillar. The pillars include sustainable development, good governance, environmental
conservation, and preservation of culture. Please refer to Lecture 34

13. Some of the following are NOT the habits of an effective leader. Which of them are true?
a. Procrastination
b. Decidophobia
c. Discretion
d. Adaptability
e. Time management
i. Only a, b and c are true
ii. Only b, d and e are true
iii. Only a, d and d are true
iv. Only b, c and e are true

Answer: a) Only a, b and c are true

Explanation: Effective leaders don’t indulge in procrastination, instead they prioritise tasks and
work on them promptly. They are also not afraid of taking crucial decisions at the time of need
and generally, make good communications without any discretion. Please refer to Lecture 35.

14. Which among the following are some traits of good leaders?
a. They are able to take responsibilities both at good and bad times
b. They help others to grow along with themselves
c. They are afraid of failures and pessimistic in nature
d. They are team spirited and encourage divergence of abilities within the group
i. Only a, b and c are true
ii. Only b, c and d are true
iii. Only a, b and d are true
iv. All of these are true

Answer: iii) Only a, b and d are true

Explanation: Please refer to Lecture 35

15. In a young start-up, Arnab, the founder, has not imposed any major office policies around
work hours or deadlines. He puts complete trust in his employees while he focuses on the
overall workings of running the company and tries to develop it from the feedback of
common people as well as business tycoons. Because of this high level of trust, employees
working for their leader feel valued. They get the guidance they need from Arnab upon
asking and use their own resources and experience to meet their business goals. This is an
example of __________________. (Fill in the blank)
a. Transactional leadership
b. Transformational leadership
c. Authoritarian Leadership
d. Laissez-Faire leadership

Answer: d) Laissez-Faire leadership

Explanation: Laissez-Faire is the most passive and flexible leadership approach where the
followers have a high degree of autonomy and the leader offers them help and guidance only at
the time and place of need. Please refer to Lecture 35.