UW-Madison happiness research featured in NOVA documentary

A PBS/NOVA documentary on the nature of human happiness, premiering this week, features UW–Madison professors Seth Pollak and Richard Davidson, and was produced with guidance from professor Roseanne Clark. This Emotional Life will air on PBS in three episodes to be aired on Wisconsin Public Television at 9 p.m. CST on Jan. 4, 11 and 18.

Pollak’s research on the importance of early childhood experience in brain development and establishing relationships is featured in the first episode, “Family, Friends & Lovers,” which will air today (Jan. 4).

“Children’s early social experiences help them learn about emotions. Forming relationships with other people isn’t something that happens automatically; it’s something they have to work at,” says Pollak.

In the show, a child adopted from a Russian orphanage by a Wisconsin couple talks candidly about his troubles bonding with his new family and why he chose to participate in Pollak’s research at UW–Madison.

The episode also features the influential work of Harry Harlow, a UW–Madison psychology professor from 1930-74 who demonstrated the importance of companionship and family bonding for social development in rhesus macaques.

Davidson appears in the third episode, “Rethinking Happiness,” which will air in Wisconsin on Monday, Jan. 18. The show highlights his research into the neural basis of happiness, studying patterns of brain activation in people who describe themselves as happy.

Clark helped develop the series’ rich Web site, which includes articles delving deeper into the topics covered in the episodes — including Clark’s specialties, attachment and postpartum mood disorders. The site can also point readers to local support networks catering to particular issues from addiction to grief to stress and more.

Pollak describes some of his work in a blog entry posted on the Huffington Post.

CONTACTS: Pollak can be reached at spollak@wisc.edu, 608-890-2525 (office). Clark can be reached at 608-213.1544 and rclark@wisc.edu.

Davidson is traveling and unavailable for comment until Friday, Jan. 8, after which he can be reached at rjdavids@wisc.edu or through Susan Jensen at 608-265-9053 or sjensen@waisman.wisc.edu.