How Tearjerkers Make People Happier
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. …
- 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)