A blog about human brains and behavior for students of psychology.
A new study adds weight to the idea that happiness and physical health go hand-in-hand. The study, by researchers in Singapore, looks at two groups of people who have been previously underrepresented in research on the health effects of happiness:
Does the brain of someone who’s satisfied with the way their life is going look obviously different than the brain of someone who’s not? Possibly so. A new study by researchers in China has found different patterns of brain connectivity
Some things in life, like building genuine connections with other people or having a job you love, can lead to an ongoing sense of happiness. Other things, like chasing power and money, can make you feel good in the short-term
Money can’t buy happiness, but not having enough money can sure get in the way of it. Which raises the possibility: maybe you can improve people’s mental health simply by handing them some cash. In a recent study, researchers in
If you’re looking for a scientifically tested, step-by-step formula for becoming happier, this is probably as close as you’re going to get. That makes me sound like I’m hawking copies of a self-help book. But I’m actually just talking about
Money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy interesting experiences. Psychologists have shown that purchases of experiences tend to make people happier than purchases of material goods. To do or to have? is how researchers from University of Colorado at
Some people seem to be unfailingly upbeat, no matter what life throws their way. Ever wonder what the outlook on life is that all these people have in common? One answer that’s been proposed is what psychologists call the positive
How British teenagers feel about young people seeking asylum depends in part on how happy they currently feel, according to a new study from researchers at University of Surrey, University of Birmingham and Oxford University. In the study, researchers divided
The outcome of the 2016 election was a shock for many. And apparently, some Clinton voters still haven’t gotten over that shock psychologically. If you don’t believe me, just check out a recent study published in the journal Emotion. In
Have you noticed that some people seem to be unfailingly positive about everything that happens to them? If you’re like me, you can’t help but be a little jealous of these people. As you should be! Psychology research indicates that
