Searching for happiness: What makes life meaningful?

Recently I’ve been contemplating giving up on the modern world and moving to a cabin in the woods. I mean – what is with all of this techno...

SWAG: Video Games and Violence

wikipedia.org Every Wednesday afternoon, I gather with a bunch of faculty and graduate students at the University of Illinois to discuss a j...

5 Ways Gratitude Can Backfire

Gratitude is good. Good for your health and well-being. Good for your relationships. In fact, I've written about the benefits of gratitu...

4 Ways to Boost Gratitude on Valentine's Day

Today's post is the second in a two-part series on Gratitude. Yesterday I discussed research I've done on how gratitude helps us ho...

To Have and To Thank: Gratitude Helps us Hold onto our Relationships

I n honor of St. Valentine, today's post is the first in a two-part series on why gratitude may be a key ingredient in successful relati...

SWAG: The Aversion to Harm Others

Every Wednesday afternoon, I gather with a bunch of faculty and graduate students at the University of Illinois to discuss a journal article...

Sour in the Sun? 3 Unexpected Ways the Weather May Affect Your Mood

Warm Weather = Happy Amie Last weekend I returned from the tropics to find myself outside the San Francisco airport basically barefoot in su...

Do I have the least stressful job in 2013?

About a week ago, Forbes magazine published a list of the least stressful jobs in 2013 ( here ). At the very top of the list was the college...

Seasonal affective disorder: An extreme case of the winter blues

source Though the shortest day of the winter is behind us, in many areas of the United States, the days continue to be painfully s...

PYM: Holiday Edition

Looking for your perfect holiday? The holidays are upon us, which can mean family, fun, food, and cheer. But also, stress, anxiety, conflict...

The secret to flourishing? Science says it's in the numbers

Flourishing is in the numbers When it comes to human flourishing, science is getting pretty specific. Over the course of our daily lives, we...

An Emotional Election

Politics and emotions are deeply intertwined. Think of the last political conversation you had and how you reacted to it emotionally. Was yo...

Friday Fun: Oxytocin and the Zombie Apocalypse

I got your oxytocin right here! ( source ) If you've been watching AMC's riveting series about zombie apocalypse, the Walking Dead ...

Writing your way to better health

source Try to recall the last time you were angry, depressed, or anxious. What did you want to do with those feelings? There is a ...

Status Hierarchies: Do We Need Them?

Emile Durkheim ( source ) I have been studying the topic of social status ever since I started my graduate training. That was in 2004 when G...

Don't stand so close to me: Why morality divides us.

Source Have you ever discovered that a friend has a dramatically different position than you on a moral matter? Perhaps you found yourself o...

How the Rich are Different from the Poor II: Empathy

In the many conversations that  F. Scott Fitzgerald  had with his friend  Ernest Hemingway , Fitzgerald was believed to have said  "The...

Wedding Bell Blues: Dealing with Post-Wedding Depression

First comes marriage. Then what? You’ve been planning your wedding for months, possibly even years. The big day came, it was magical, and no...

The Dangers of Self-Forgiveness

Source The ability to forgive oneself for mistakes, large and small, is critical to psychological well-being. Difficulties with self-forgive...

The Happiness Chronicles III: Does Status Increase Happiness?

"Beggars do not envy millionaires, but of course, they do envy other beggars who are more successful." -- Bertram  Bertrand Russel...