My angelic youth
We generally think of childhood as a time of innocence, and, according to new research, just thinking about childhood actually makes us more angelic. After people wrote essays about childhood memories--whether good or bad--they reported feeling more innocent and morally pure, had more thoughts related to moral purity, were more interested in receiving a white lamb instead of a black bear, judged another’s unethical behavior more harshly, and were much more willing to be helpful or donate to charity. Thinking about high school memories did not have the same effect.
Gino, F. & Desai, S., “Memory Lane and Morality: How Childhood Memories Promote Prosocial Behavior,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (forthcoming).
Why Tea Partiers are smiling
Surveys have shown that conservatives tend to be more satisfied with their lives--including their relationships, jobs, finances, health, and neighborhoods--than liberals, controlling for age, gender, income, and education. Conservatives also report better mental health. Some have argued that this happiness advantage is due to a greater willingness to accept inequality. A new study questions this view. Analyzing several large surveys, the authors find that conservatives’ happiness advantage is explained by greater belief in personal control and responsibility, more optimism and self-worth, and stronger religious and moral views. Meanwhile, liberals have become less happy over the past several decades, ostensibly because of their more secular beliefs and lifestyles.
Schlenker, B. et al., “Conservatives Are Happier Than Liberals, But Why? Political Ideology, Personality, and Life Satisfaction,” Journal of Research in Personality (forthcoming).
Baseball: too long?
