Category: Live The Good Life

Live The Good Life

How to keep your mind strong as you age:

arn another language: In this study, the authors examined whether the number of languages a person speaks predicts performance on 2 cognitive-screening tests. Data were drawn from a representative sample of the oldest Israeli Jewish population (N = 814, M age = 83.0 years; SD = 5.4) that was interviewed first in 1989 and then twice more within the following 12 years. Cognitive state differed significantly among groups of self-reported bilingual, trilingual, and multilingual individuals at each of the 3…


2 minutes
Live The Good Life

When is crying cathartic?

e idea that crying is a cathartic experience, leading to relief from distress, has deep roots. However, empirical evidence for catharsis after crying is mixed. One explanation for the inconsistent results is that variations in the social context of the crying situation determine whether or not crying-related catharsis occurs. To evaluate the role of social context and other contextual features in crying-related catharsis, self-report data were collected on characteristics of the most recent crying episode and its effects on mood…


1 min read
Be Happier

Should you use time management with your free time?

might increase quality of life: This study was designed to identify the relationship between free time management and quality of life, exploring whether the amount of free time or the way people using their free time relates to their quality of life. Data were collected from National Pingtung University of Science and Technology in Taiwan. Of the 500 questionnaires distribute, 403 usable questionnaires were received with an 81% response rate. The result has found a positive relationship between free…


1 min read
Live The Good Life

These methods are most effective in reducing anxiety:

appraising your feelings is a better solution for reducing anxiety: It has been suggested that reappraisal strategies are more effective than suppression strategies for regulating emotions. Recently, proponents of the acceptance-based behavior therapy movement have further emphasized the importance of acceptance-based emotion regulation techniques. In order to directly compare these different emotion regulation strategies, 202 volunteers were asked to give an impromptu speech in front of a video camera. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups. The Reappraisal…


1 min read
Live The Good Life

How to quickly and easily get much stronger:

nd a good placebo: This study used false information about a placebo (milk-sugar tablet) to induce expectancies regarding force production. Forty-two college students were assigned to a placebo/placebo (PP), placebo/no-placebo (PN), or control group, and underwent baseline testing and two trials assessing one-repetition maximum (1 RM) strength on a bench press and seated leg press. The PP and PN groups improved significantly compared to the control at Trial 1 for the bench press (p ≤ .01) and leg press (p…


1 min read
Be Happier

Do nice guys really finish last?

pular culture often describes being nice as a social disadvantage. However, research repeatedly finds that being agreeable is associated with a number of advantages. Literature noting the positive benefits of being agreeable is reviewed. The paper also addresses how agreeableness, one of the Big Five personality dimensions, is linked with higher-quality friendships, successful parenting, better academic and career performance, and health. The case is made that being agreeable is not equated to being easily influenced nor is it an artifact…


1 min read
Live The Good Life

How long do you benefit from a vacation? What does it take to increase the duration?

is study adds to research on the beneficial effects of vacation to employees' well-being and on the fade-out of these effects. One hundred and thirty-one teachers completed questionnaires one time before and three times after vacationing. Results indicated that teachers' work engagement significantly increased and teachers' burnout significantly decreased after vacation. However, these beneficial effects faded out within one month. Applying hierarchical regression analyses, we investigated the fade-out of vacation effects in detail. In line with the Job Demands-Resources model,…


1 min read
Be Happier

Here’s what happens when you evaluate students by gratefulness and materialism:

terialistic youth seem to be languishing while grateful youth seem to be flourishing. High school students (N = 1,035) completed measures of materialism, gratitude, academic functioning, envy, depression, life satisfaction, social integration, and absorption. Using structural equation modeling, we found that gratitude, controlling for materialism, uniquely predicts all outcomes considered: higher grade point average, life satisfaction, social integration, and absorption, as well as lower envy and depression. In contrast, materialism, controlling for gratitude, uniquely predicts three of the six outcomes: lower grade…


1 min read

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