It's True, Giving is Better than Receiving

I can be kind of a downer about Christmas gifts, but here's some research that shows there is real value in the act of giving gifts:

Whatever your gift philosophy, you may be thinking that you would be happier if you could just spend the money on yourself – but according to a three-part study by Elizabeth Dunn, Lara Aknin, and Michael Norton, givers can get more happiness than people who send the money on themselves.

Liz, Lara and Mike approached the study from the perspective that happiness is less dependent on stable circumstances (income) and more on the day-to-day activities in which a person chooses to engage (gift-giving vs. personal purchases).

To that end, they surveyed a representative sample of 632 Americans on their spending choices and happiness levels and found that while the amount of personal spending (bills included) was unrelated to reported happiness, prosocial spending was associated with significantly higher happiness.

I got that from the blog Barking up the wrong tree. Though I don't totally get the name, I do find the blog very thought provoking. Here are some other great posts I've come across recently:

• Apparently pro athletes don't break the law more than average citizens
• Study shows peer pressure is a good thing
• SAT accurately predicts college academic performance
• A Brilliant Stock Market Scam
• Detective powers of crowdsourcing