Research into the functioning of our brain, interpersonal relationships and happiness is certainly among the most interesting. Because they concern us all, we love to read what scientists have come up with. We have collected interesting psychological facts that will change your behavior in many areas.
If you are a fan of psychological research, the following psychological facts will undoubtedly make you think and maybe open your eyes in many ways.
1. We are much happier if we invest money in experiences.
Nowadays, material goods play a big, too big role in our lives. Do they also make us happy? Studies have shown that people all too often sacrifice experiences that make us happy for material things. We are ready to give up events and vacations for more possessions, even though it is precisely these experiences that fill us with feelings of happiness and often give us meaning in life.
2. Happiness is contagious.
Sound funny? No way. If we surround ourselves with happy and positive people, we are happier and more positive ourselves. What's more, research has shown that stress and dissatisfaction are also contagious. That is why it is wise to surround yourself with happy people in life if you want to find happiness, inner peace and balance within yourself.
READ MORE: Psychological tricks that will come in handy in your everyday life
3. Children today are as anxious as the average mental patient was in the 1950s.
Scary data, isn't it? The fast pace of life, thousands of (negative) information, decreasing connection with the community, rapid job changes, job insecurity, rapid changes of environment and partners are just some of the reasons why in our society as many as 49 percent of people struggle with a certain measure anxiety, depression or addiction. Research have shown that with every decade we humans are more tense and we are becoming a society with more and more anxiety.
4. It is not necessarily good to disclose your goals to others. Why?
Many books on success teach us to clearly set our goals and present them to those close to us. This gives weight to our goals and makes us even more motivated to achieve them. Well, interesting study from 1933 showed that it becomes less likely to achieve goals once they are announced. When we announce them, we already reach a certain level of self-affirmation, which prevents us from doing the hard work to realize our goals.
5. Playing video games for a long time has a strong effect on dreams.
Research has shown that an individual who plays video games frequently has more lucid dreams. It is a dream that can be very difficult for an individual, because we are aware of it and with consciousness we influence the events and the unfolding of the dream. Like directing or playing a character in a video game, that is. Even if an individual opens their eyes during a lucid dream, they cannot move their body, and they are still dreaming under control, even with their eyes open.
6. How does the photograph of the eyes affect us?
One of the more interesting studies was conducted by the University of Newcastle. They proved that just a photo in our staring eyes triples the amount in the donation box. Interesting, isn't it?
7. Why is it not good to tell children that they are smart or very capable?
Researchers from the American Columbia University came to the conclusion that a child who is often told that he is smart tries to maintain this impression about himself in every way and therefore does not remain in line with himself. They suggest the following words: "Well done. You really had to work hard for that." The same probably applies to telling children that they are very beautiful.
