Affective Forecasting

Abstract

All students, from college freshmen to advanced graduate students, have asked themselves, “Will this decision make me happy?” The vast majority of them have been wrong. Affective forecasting, the process of predicting future feelings, is a topic of great interest to students due to its applicable and highly relatable nature. This article discusses the basic principles behind affective forecasting, explains common errors in forecasting, describes some specific applications derived from the forecasting literature, discusses and explains the connections between forecasting and happiness. It also discussed areas of application across the curriculum, particularly in the context of research methods, and considers the benefits and challenges of teaching this topic.