Positive Psychology
How to Write a Good Rejection Letter
Finally you get the long-awaited envelope! You tear it open and read the first sentence. We regret to inform you… No one likes getting a rejection letter. And few people like writing them either, possibly with some sadistic exceptions. Is it even possible to write a good rejection letter? Actually, a new study from researchers…
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When Does Comfort Food Really Comfort?
Of the different ways we might deal with negative emotions, eating isn’t necessarily the healthiest. Sure, we might want to reach for a candy bar when we’re feeling down, but eating too many candy bars can bring its own problems! Still, that doesn’t answer the question: does cheering ourselves up with food actually work? Or,…
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Optimists Live Longer. Why?
There’s a new study out that’s been getting some media attention. In the study, researchers found that people who are more optimistic are more likely to make it to the age of 85, adding more evidence for a link between optimism and longevity. One thing that sets this study apart is its scale. The researchers…
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When Do Children Learn to Influence Others With Gifts?
Adults give gifts for different reasons, some of which are altruistic, and some of which are less so. One of the less altruistic reasons adults give gifts is when they want something in return. So when do children learn that they can influence other people with gifts? A team of psychologists explored this question in…
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Optimism and Life Satisfaction Go Together in Schizophrenia
Psychologists have been optimistic about the power of optimism, and a new study provides more evidence consistent with the idea that optimism might have far-reaching mental health effects. In the study, researchers in Korea found that adults with schizophrenia tended to have higher life satisfaction when they had higher levels of optimism. It may be,…
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Anticipating Future Nostalgia
We’ve all had the experience of looking back and feeling nostalgic about a particular time in our lives. A slightly more complicated feeling is looking forward to the future to imagine how we’ll one day look back on the present with nostalgia. Psychologists call this experience anticipated nostalgia. Another way to describe it, as in…
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A Gallery of Psychologically Soothing Images
Some pictures have the power to evoke a sense of peace and relaxation in us. Seeking out that feeling is what’s behind Project Soothe, in which psychology researchers at University of Edinburgh are compiling a database of soothing pictures. The researchers have been accepting soothing images from the general public, then adding those images to…
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Distinguishing Narcissism and Self-Esteem
Everyone wants to feel good about themselves. But when does feeling good about yourself cross the line into feeling better than other people? There are different ways of thinking about the difference between narcissism and high-self esteem. We can say that self-esteem is about valuing yourself while narcissism is about feeling superior. Or that self-esteem…
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Praising Hard Work Can Make Infants More Persistent
When you were a kid, maybe you read The Little Engine That Could, a story about a modest train locomotive whose persistence pays off. One possible reason for this story’s popularity is that many parents see persistence as a core ingredient for life success to pass on to their children. This emphasis on hard work…
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A Tip to Find Meaning in Stressful Situations
When we encounter stressful situations in life, sometimes we’re able to turn them into something more than stressful situations. They can become stressful situations that add something to our life and that have meaning. How to actually do this is the challenge, of course. Generally, it requires finding a new perspective on the stressful situation…
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