The Science behind Feeling Good

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

13 May 2008 08:05 PM

It's hard to qualify feeling good. Maybe you feel sort of okay, maybe you feel awesomely great. Maybe you fall somewhere in between. A few studies lately have taken a look at emotions -- here are the results.

A study from the University of Chicago looked at why people tend to enjoy movies more when watching them with a friend -- as opposed to watching them alone. Researchers talked to participants who either watched a movie with a stranger or alone. People who had company (even if it was a total stranger) gave the movie better reviews than people who saw it alone.

Why? Researchers think that we subconsciously feed off the reactions of our companions. If the person you're with is laughing, engrossed in the plot, or on the edge of her seat... chances are you will be too!

Ready for a self-esteem boost? Just look for the smiling faces in the crowd. A team from McGill University developed an online game that can help lower stress levels and boost your mood. It's easy to play -- just click on the smiling faces hidden in a whole mess of frowns.

And if you don't always have the words to say how you feel, research has shown that you can communicate emotions just as effectively with touch. A study from DePauw University asked volunteers to communicate their emotions to a stranger using only touch -- participants could not see each other's faces or hear each other's voices.

Study participants could understand six touches as accurately as vocal tones and/or facial expressions. For example, a squeeze of the hand or shoulder serves as a gesture of appreciation. Putting your hand on someone's back is a gesture of support. So you don't need words or even your face to show how you feel -- or share the good feelings. A touch works just as well.

Learn more about Aimee Amodio

Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover...

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