Live Your Best Life

2010-05-07T07:49:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Live Your Best Life blog,
brought to you by the researchers at PersonalityNet.

It's about:

The newest findings in psychological research
Questions for self-analysis
Links for curious minds

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To find out how the newest findings relate to you, take our personality test at: http://www.personality100.com/

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Today's topic: Are you a good napper?














10-minute power naps have been shown to provide big
benefits in reducing fatigue and increasing concentration.

But would-be nappers face some tough strategic decisions,
including - does it matter whether I nap in my chair or
should I try to find somewhere to lie down? And then ...
if remaining seated, is it better to lean forward
and rest my head on a desk, or to just close my eyes and
stay upright?

The results are now in:

First place: Lying down. When it comes to napping while
leaning back in a chair or car seat, the further you can
lean back, the better, at least in terms of people's post-nap
reaction times and subjective feeling of refreshment.

Second place: leaning forward option. Leaning forward leads to
greater results compared to no nap at all.

We hope this post leads to sweet dreams!
Your PersonalityNet Team

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To read more napping research:

Zhao, D. et al.(2010). Effects of physical positions on sleep architectures
and post-nap functions among habitual nappers. Biological Psychology,
83 (3), 207-213 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2009.12.008

2009-03-30T15:26:00.000-07:00

How Observant are You?

This month's blog entry is all about awareness...... and a psychological principle called 'inattention blindness'.

This kind of blindness happens when your brain is so busy paying attention to one thing that it overlooks very big 'other' things. Want to see if it can happen to you?

Our friends at Transport for London have come up with some fun ads in which to test it...

TEST #1 : Count the number of passes....

TEST #2: What you notice....

TEST #3: By now you might be getting better....

* Why does it matter?

We think these tests are a fun reminder that there's always more to a story than we might realize. When we see something 'with our own eyes' it is always filtered through a lens of what we were or were not paying attention to, what does and doesn't interest us, and how focused or distracted we might be at the moment. Here it's funny to notice that we don't just overlook things when we are distracted -- in fact, we might just overlook things equally well when we are very focused.

* Today's assignment:

When someone has a different opinion than you, use this as an opportunity to take the role of an experimenter. Try to figure out what kind of 'lens' the person is looking through, which features are standing out to him or her, and if its possible that either of you may have overlooked things apparently obvious to the other.

To learn more about attention blindness, or to try a few more tests, follow these links:

Explanation: Wikipedia
New course at ImpressionScience: Reboot, 5-sense training for full-life living
Chinese + Americans see things differently: Article

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To find out how the newest findings relate to you, take our personality test at: http://www.personality100.com/

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Happiness Exercises (Continued....)

2008-11-08T04:49:00.000-08:00

It’s time for some more Happiness exercises!

In this month’s blog entry you can test another one of the questions we’re working on for a new happiness tool at Personality100. After each exercise you'll read a scientific explanation.

Exercise # 17: What's your Affect?

To do this exercise you'll need to grab paper and a pen. Number the paper 1- 20. After the quiz, you'll add up your score.

At each quesion, mark a number for the extent to which you feel this way right now.

1 (NOT MUCH) 2 (A LITTLE) 3 (MODERATELY) 4 (QUITE A BIT) 5 (EXTREMElY)

Interested
distressed
excited
upset
strong
guilty
enthusiastic
hostile
proud
irritable
alert
ashamed
inspired
nervous
determined
scared
attentive
jittery
active
afraid

Now, add up your score for all the odd numbers, which measures 'positive affect'. Then, seperately, add up your score for all the even numbers, which stand for 'negative affect'.

You will end up with two scores ranging from 10 to 50. Compare these two scores.

The average person in the USA scores 26 in Positive affect and 15 in negative affect.

Your scores will change slightly depending on what is happening on the day you take the test.

* We think the interesting part is:
Some people score highly in both areas. Other people score low in both, while others score in the middle range in both. How high or low your score reveals your emotionality level.

* What's it got to do with happiness?
The main message is that it's possible to feel both good and bad at the same exact time. Are you someone who feels alot? Or are you someone whose feelings (both good and bad) are buffered, instead replaced by tranquility?

Both are different approaches to happiness. What matters most is only that your expectations for happiness match your body's natural approach -- a passionate approach, or a tranquil approach. To find out more, check out the Emotionality Section of your personality report.

Happiness Exercises (Part 1)

2008-08-01T15:29:00.000-07:00

In this month’s blog entry you can test some of the questions we’re working on for a new happiness tool at Personality100. After each exercise you'll read a scientific explanation.

What do you think of these exercises? Do some work better for you than others? Feel free to write and let us know….

Exercise #12: Look up, Look down

Throughout the day we often feel the urge to make comparisons. This exercise invites you to try a skill called 'flip-siding''.

First, fill in the blank with 3 answers:

I wish I …..
1. _______________________
2. _______________________
3. _______________________

For example, one of our students answered:

I wish I:
1. made more money
2. had more vacation days
3. had a bigger apartment

How would you answer? Be sure to think of 3 answers before reading further.

Now, let’s try the flipside.

Fill in the blank with 3 answers:
I’m glad I’m not…
1._______________________
2. ______________________
3.________________________

For example, our student answered:
I’m glad I’m not:
1. Sick today or having a headache
2. Having any problems with my car
3. Having any arguments with my girlfriend this week

How would you answer? And: Which kind of comparison feels better?

* Researchers have found that ..........
Happy people tend to regularly do more of the second type of comparison, called ‘downward’ comparisons. Instead of ‘looking up’ at what they are missing, they ‘look down’ at what they can be grateful for. This is an applied version of ‘looking at the sunny side of life’, or ‘finding the glass half full’ rather than half empty. And, it’s a habit that you can easily train.

* Your assignment this week:
Every evening, before going to sleep, go through a list of 3 things “you are glad you’re not”. If possible, try to come up with something new each night.

What do you think about this exercise? Is it helpful to you? Let us know!

April/ May 2008: New Research & Findings

2008-04-16T04:38:00.000-07:00

In this month's entry we'll start with some unusual findings regarding height:

* Having an older brother makes you shorter

Researchers at the University of Glasgow published a paper this month showing that people who have an older brother tend to be born lighter and remain shorter in adulthood. Why? The researchers speculate that being pregnant with a boy requires a greater energy investment from a mother, which decreases her reserves for the next child. Read more...

* Looking for a partner who isn't the jealous type?

A new study in the Journal of Evolution and Human Behavior found that tall men and 'average size' women tend to be the least jealous, while short men and women and 'taller than average' women tend to be the most jealous. Read more....

*What's the average height?

Men in the USA: 5' 9"

Women in the USA: 5' 4"

Men in the Netherlands: 6' 0"

Women in the Netherlands: 5' 7"

Men in China: 5' 5"

Women in China: 5' 2"

To see a listing of average heights around the world: List

* What does your finger length say about you?....

Take a look at your right hand. Is your ring finger longer than your index finger? If so, you are likely to better at what are called typically 'masculine' activities, like sports, math, and spatial judgement, and less skilled in typically 'feminine' abilities such as multi-tasking.

Want to learn more? Here is an article in the New York Times that tells more about research on finger length and testosterone, and an explanation in Wikipedia.

February/ March 2008: Interesting findings

2008-02-27T03:30:00.000-08:00

* Walking speed: what's your pace?

A new study by Richard Wiseman, professor of psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, revealed that people all around the world are starting to walk faster.

People from 32 countries were secretly timed while walking over a 60 foot stretch of uncrowded sidewalk. The results were then compared to a study on walking speeds conducted in the 1994. Wiseman found that people in cities around the world are walking an average of 10% faster than they did in 1994.

Who cares? To psychologists this is an important finding, since walking speed is a good indicator of a society's pace of life. Our pace may by closely tied to advances in technology such as internet and mobile phones, which lead people to become more inpatient and eager to cram more into each day.

Which cities do you think move at the fastest pace? Take a guess before reading the list below.

The world's top 10 fast-pace cities:

Singapore (Singapore); 10.55 seconds

Copenhagen (Denmark); 10.82

Madrid (Spain); 10.89

Guangzhou (China): 10.94

Dublin (Ireland); 11.03

Curitiba (Brazil); 11.13

Berlin (Germany); 11.16

New York (United States of America); 12.00

Utrecht (Netherlands); 12.04

Vienna (Austria); 12.06

According to an informal poll at personality100, most people expected New York city to be at the top of the list. We wonder: Is it that New Yorkers DO tend to move very quickly on average, but in a rebellious fashion (darting in and out of traffic) that actually slows them down more over time? And, maybe even more curious: why is it important to us (americans) that new york 'wins' the race to be the fastest?

Previous research has shown that walking speeds are closely linked to other indicators of behaviour and even health. As people move faster they become less likely to help others, and also tend to have higher rates of stress, sickness, and heart disease.

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*Personality100.com Analysis

- Your assignment today is to take notice of your friends', family members' and colleagues' walking speeds. Do some walk fast faster than others? Do you notice any connections with their walking speed and personality?

- What's your walking speed? Do you walk faster or slower depending on your mood? Today, try deliberately walking faster or slower than normal to see how it impacts your emotions.

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December/ January 2008: New Links & Questions

2007-10-22T04:14:00.001-07:00

NEWS

*Bravery: How courageous are you?

What is courage? Do other people define courage the same way you do? Click here to read recent article at Psyblog on the nature of courage: http://www.spring.org.uk/2007/08/what-is-courage.php

*Figuring out someone's intentions

Visit Cogweb to see some demonstrations of how we use simple movement cues to make big inferences about intentions: http://cogweb.ucla.edu/Discourse/Narrative/Heider_45.html

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Personality100.com 1-Minute Assignment

Whenever you are in a public place, take a moment to observe your reactions to people. Do you get a feeling for who is nice or not nice, courageous or timid, extroverted or introverted? What cues you are using to base your opinions?

Often, you'll find that it isn't just the way a person looks that makes an impression on you - it's also the speed of their movements and amount of motion a person has. Your assigmnent today is to pay close attention to the people's motion cues to see what kind of impact they have on you.

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*In this month's blog we decided to include some inspiring video clips!

What do your children learn from you? Here is a nice little video on utube, reminding parents about role-modelling: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JfHB2cruJU

Would you dare to stand up? This is a clip from the movie 'to kill a mockingbird', in which Scout, a small girl, inadvertently diffuses a mob by using the pscyhological principle called 'individuation': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWdeE3wq5cI

How observant are you? Sherlock Holmes shows some obeservation 'magic' in this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVi0bbJsIwg&feature=related

October/ November 2007: New Findings, Research & Analyses

2007-10-22T03:15:00.000-07:00

NEW FOR OCTOBER/ NOVEMBER

This month's entries focus on the topic of laughter.

*What's so funny? The world's funniest joke

According to researchers from Britian, people from around the world gave the following joke the best rating:

"A couple of New Jersey hunters are out in the woods when one of them falls to the ground. He doesn’t seem to be breathing; his eyes are rolled back in his head. The other guy whips out his cell phone and calls the emergency service. He gasps to the operator: “My friend is dead! What can I do?” The operator says: “Take it easy. I can help. First, let’s make sure he’s dead.” There is silence, then a shot is heard. The guy’s voice comes back on the line. He says, “OK, now what?”

Do you find it funny? This joke illustrates an aspect that tickles many people's funny bone: "Controlled incongruity", which means 'You’re expecting x, and you get y'. This leads us into this month's self-analysis assignment:
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*Personality 100.com 1-minute analysis

What do you find funny? Take note this week of the type of things that make you laugh. See if you can find a common thread among your laughs.

What do your friends find funny? It's interesting to compare the kinds of things you find funny with the kinds of things that make your friends and colleagues laugh. For some people, watching other people's mistakes creates the biggest laughs (tripping, falling, dropping something). For others, word plays, unexpected twists, or taboos (such as talk about sex, excrement, or bodily functions) create the biggest laughs.
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* Why is laughter so important?

Here, you can read an article about the social bonding function of laughter. Laughter instinctually connects us with other people.

http://discovermagazine.com/2007/brain/laughter

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* Share a laugh:

The first “World Laughter Day” gathering took place in Mumbai, India, on 11th of January 1998. 12,000 members from local and international Laughter Clubs joined together in a mega laughing session. To find a laughter club near you: http://www.laughteryoga.org/searchCentre.php

One of Utube's most popular videos is a laughing baby:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P6UU6m3cqk

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Are you new to Personality100? You can find out about how the newest findings in pscyhological research relate to you by taking our 10-minute personality test at http://www.personality100.com/

September 2007: Recommended Reading

2007-09-23T10:05:00.000-07:00

August: New Findings, Readings & Self-analysis

2007-08-15T15:57:00.000-07:00

Brought to you by the researchers at http://www.personality100.com/.

This is a blog about:

The newest findings in psychological research
Questions for self-analysis
Recommeded readings for inquisitive minds

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To find out how the newest findings relate to you, take our 10 minute personality test at: http://www.personality100.com/

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NEW FOR AUGUST

* The eyes or the mouth? Americans and Japanese read faces differently.

When you want to know what your friends are feeling, do you focus on their eyes or their mouth? A new study by Japanese researchers found that Americans focus first on the mouth, while people who grew up in Japan focus on the eyes.

"This could be because people in Japan, when in the presence of others, try to suppress their emotions more than Americans do", said Masaki Yuki, a behavioral scientist at Hokkaido University. "The eyes are more difficult to control than the mouth, so they probably provide better clues about a person's emotional state even if he or she is trying to hide it".

To read more about facial expressions: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facial_expression ______________________________

* Personality100 1-Minute Self analysis:

When listening to an emotional story, notice what part of the face you pay attention to most. The Mouth? Eyes? Head movements? Take a moment today to notice your 'person perception' habits....
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* Are you easily persuaded?

A new study reveals that if a single person repeats something to us often, we presume that many other people share that person’s opinion. This is a brain-trick that we need to be careful about, since it affects us the way we make decisions.

More info at: http://www.apa.org/journals/releases/psp925821.pdf

Recommended reading: To read more about brain shortcuts and their potential advantages and disadvantages, we recommend: “Simple Heuristics that Make us Smart, by Gigerenzer, Todd, and the ABC Research Group : http://www-abc.mpib-berlin.mpg.de/shtmus/
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* Yoga instead of anti-depressants?

Boston University Researchers have found that practicing yoga may elevate brain GABA levels, the brain's primary inhibitory neurotransmitter. This suggests that it Yoga can be a good, natural treatment for depression. No wonder those yogis always look so happy! More info at: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070521145516.htm

Learn more about Yoga at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga

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Are you new to Personality100? You can find out about how the newest findings in pscyhological research relate to you by taking our 10-minute personality test at http://www.personality100.com/