Buying Life Experiences? Make Sure You're Doing it for the Right Reasons
Image: Lewy Ryan
June 28, 2012 ? Earlier research has indicated that when it comes to making purchases, spending money on life experiences usually leads to greater satisfaction and happiness than buying possessions. New research indicates that the reasons behind buying those experiences play an important role. When money is spent on an experience simply to impress other people, the "happiness boost" tends not to happen.
Parenting Style the Key to Whether Kids Get Enough Exercise
Image: Lauren Lank
July 16, 2012 ? Parenting styles can have a big influence on children, and one study published in the journal Early Child Development and Care indicates that these styles can also have a big impact on how physically active children are. Kids raised by parents with an uninvolved or neglectful style were the least active and were sedentary for 30 minutes more each day than kids raised by parents with other styles.
The Role of Psychology at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Image: Phil Walter / Getty Images
August 1, 2012 ? While many were focused on the athletes and events at the London Olympics, the people behind the scenes sometimes get overlooked. For example, sports psychology frequently plays an vital role in the games, yet it isn't something you often hear about in popular media. Sports psychologists often work with Olympians to help them improve their concentration, motivation, and performance.
Kids Who Can Pay Attention More Likely to Finish College
Image: Weliton Slima
August 13, 2012 ? A longitudinal study from researchers at Oregon State University has found that kids who are better able to pay attention and stay on track in preschool are more likely to go on to finish college. Most surprisingly, things such as reading and math skills were not found to predict whether kids would later complete college.
Becoming a Morning Person Might Be Better for Your Health
Image: Carin Araujo
October 2, 2012 ? According to new research, the old adage of "early to bed, early to rise" might have some truth to it, at least when it comes to your health and happiness. The results of a new study published in the journal Emotion found that people who consider themselves to be "morning people" tend to be both healthier and happier than people who tend to sleep in late.
Could You Break the Technology Habit?
Image: Florin Ungureanu
October 4, 2012 ? Smart phones and mobile tablets seem to be everywhere, so it might come as no surprise to learn that many people experience significant distress when separated from their tech devices. Researchers found that when they asked a group of college students to go 24-hours without their mobile phones, 70 percent of the participants found the experience so intolerable that they actually dropped out of the experiment.
Sad or Angry? Depressed People Struggle to Tell the Difference
Image: Gail Rau
October 17, 2012 ? A study published in the journal Psychological Science revealed that people suffering from depression have a difficult time distinguishing between negative emotions. Fortunately, researchers found that they were able to distinguish between positive emotions, which may help serve as a sort of protection against negative feelings.
Need to Find More Time? Try Giving Some Away
Image: Rosie O'Beirne (CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0)
December 3, 2012 ? It's easy to feel pressed for time during the busy holiday season thanks to all the preparation and obligations that seem to come along with Christmas and the upcoming New Year. Researchers have found, however, that giving time to helping other people actually increases our perception of how much free time we have.
