How Tearjerkers Make People Happier
From the 29 March 2012 Medical News Today article
People enjoy watching tragedy movies like “Titanic” because they deliver what may seem to be an unlikely benefit: tragedies actually make people happier in the short-term.
Researchers found that watching a tragedy movie caused people to think about their own close relationships, which in turn boosted their life happiness. The result was that what seems like a negative experience – watching a sad story – made people happier by bringing attention to some positive aspects in their own lives.
“Tragic stories often focus on themes of eternal love, and this leads viewers to think about their loved ones and count their blessings,” said Silvia Knobloch-Westerwick, lead author of the study and associate professor of communication at Ohio State University. …
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- Do tragedies make you happier ? Study shows how tearjerkers make people happier (talesfromthelou.wordpress.com)
- Study Shows How Tearjerkers Make People Happier (yubanet.com)
- Smiling through the tears: Study shows how tearjerkers make people happier (eurekalert.org)
- Can Watching Sad Movies Make You Happier? (newsfeed.time.com)
- Why watching tragedy films actually makes you HAPPIER (dailymail.co.uk)
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This blog presents a sampling of health and medical news and resources for all. Selected articles and resources will hopefully be of general interest but will also encourage further reading through posted references and other links. Currently I am focusing on public health, basic and applied research and very broadly on disease and healthy lifestyle topics.
Several times a month I will post items on international and global health issues. My Peace Corps Liberia experience (1980-81) has formed me as a global citizen in many ways and has challenged me to think of health and other topics in a more holistic manner.
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Interesting. Of course, we already know people gain something they find valuable from tragedies, as well as horror: otherwise the popularity of both genres would be awkward to explain.