 People who are feeling blue are more likely to seek the familiar while a happy mood makes novelty more attractive, according to new research.
The study by scientists at the Leiden University Medical Center and University of California, San Diego has followed up on the theories of British psychologist Edward Titchener, who described people's desire for everyday things and activities as the "warm glow of familiarity."
Led by Piotr Winkielman and Marieke de Vries, the study examined if the pleasure derived from the familiar depended on mood.
Participants were shown dot patterns, which were made familiar through repeated exposure, by the researchers as part of the study.
The subjects were then put in a bad or good mood, when researchers asked them to either recall happy or sad events in their lives.
Finally, participants were shown the dot patterns again, with the researchers measuring their emotional and memory responses.
According to the scientists, the sad participants showed a preference for the familiar, while those in a good mood demonstrated the opposite.
"When you're happy," Mr Winkielman said, "known things, familiar things lose their appeal. Novelty, on the other hand, becomes more attractive."
Earlier this week, Austrian businessman Karl Rabeder said being rich does not make you happier. The millionaire is giving away his entire fortune, it has been reported.
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Posted by Carla Spuri. |
