Positive emotions build resilience, boost life satisfaction

September 9th, 2009 LONDON - Taller people are much happier with their lives than shorter peers, says a new study by U.S. academics. The research published in science journal Elsevier's Economics and Human Biology claimed people of greater height 'live better lives' on average, as they are better equipped to deal with life's problems compared to their vertically challenged counterparts and they possess more of a positive outlook.

September 3rd, 2009 WASHINGTON - Folk wisdom says "seeing is believing", but new research suggests that "believing is seeing" too, at least when it comes to perceiving other people's emotions. A team of psychologists from the US, New Zealand and France has found that the way we initially think about the emotions of others biases our subsequent perception (and memory) of their facial expressions.

August 7th, 2009 LONDON - Love hormone oxytocin, also known as "cuddle chemical", intensifies feelings of envy and gloating, a new study suggests. In the study, which was led by Simone Shamay-Tsoory, a cognitive scientist at the University of Haifa, Israel, it was found that participants who played a game involving monetary gains and losses felt more envy after an imaginary opponent's wins if they had received a dose of oxytocin, compared with a placebo.

July 9th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study by researchers from a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has revealed that people who seed their life with frequent moments of positive emotions increase their resilience against challenges. "This study shows that if happiness is something you want out of life, then focusing daily on the small moments and cultivating positive emotions is the way to go," said Barbara Fredrickson, Ph.D., Kenan Distinguished Professor of Psychology in UNC's College of Arts and Sciences and the principal investigator of the Positive Emotions and Psychophysiology Laboratory.

June 16th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study has shown that advertisements that feature positive emotions, like happiness, are not always effective. For the study, Loraine Lau-Gesk (University of California, Irvine) and Joan Meyers-Levy (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis) examined consumer attitudes toward emotional ads.

June 10th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study has examined life satisfaction before and after the fall of the iron curtain, determining whether people are happy in countries where communism has given way to democracy. The study was carried out by researchers at the University of Southern California (USC).

May 15th, 2009 WASHINGTON - So you think that achieving loads of money, good looks and others' admiration would make you happy? Well, then think again, for a new study has shown that such achievements can actually make a person less happy. n fact, the study by three University of Rochester researchers has found that growing as an individual, having loving relationships, and contributing to the community are what make a person happy in the true sense.

May 8th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Children who stay focussed and are even-tempered have a better shot at good health in adulthood, a fact even truer of girls, according to a new study. 'Certain characteristics already evident early in life are likely to spark positive or negative emotions, and also influence biological and behavioural responses to stress,' said study co-author Laura D.

April 23rd, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study on radiologists has suggested that playing baroque classical music in the reading room can help improve mood and productivity. The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Maryland in Baltimore, MD, Harbor Hospital in Baltimore, MD, and the University of Pennsylvania Health System in Philadelphia, PA.

April 23rd, 2009 WASHINGTON - Will the man or woman you are dating be equally supportive after marriage? The answer to that could make the difference in how satisfied you are after tying the knot. Believing a partner is there to help you grow into the person you aspire to be predicted higher relationship satisfaction for both dating and married couples, a study conducted by Daniel Molden, assistant professor of psychology at Northwestern University, showed.

April 23rd, 2009 WASHINGTON - If you're planning to make your relationship eternal by getting married, then you should sit down for a moment and give the idea a second thought, suggests a new study. Northwestern University study is based on the question: Will the partner who supports your hopes and aspirations while you are dating also help you fulfill important responsibilities and obligations that come with marriage? The answer to that question could make a difference in how satisfied you are after tying the knot.

March 19th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Depression is often associated with negative thoughts and emotions, but a new study has suggested that the real trouble with depressed people is the failure to appreciate positive experiences. Researchers at Ohio State University found that depressed and non-depressed people were about equal in their ability to learn negative information that was presented to them.

March 14th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A feeling of gratefulness is the best way to achieve happiness and good life, according to a slew of new studies. Gratitude, the feeling of thankfulness and joy in response to receiving a gift, is one of the essential ingredients for living a good life, says Todd Kashdan, associate professor of psychology at the George Mason University.

March 14th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Don't run here and there in search of good life, for just being grateful to the people around you may fill your life with happiness. Associate Professor, who teaches Psychology at George Mason University, has found that gratitude-the emotion of thankfulness and joy in response to receiving a gift-is the best way to achieve happiness.

March 9th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Older people are better able to manage emotions than their younger counterparts, according to a study. The research study found that reducing negative emotions or inhibiting unwanted thoughts is a resource-demanding process that disrupts the ability of young adults to simultaneously or subsequently perform tasks.