Research

“Conventional wisdom tells us that we can feel a little happier if we simply smile. Or that we can get ourselves in a more serious mood if we scowl,” says Nicholas Coles, a Ph.D. student in social psychology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UT). “But psychologists have actually disagreed about this idea for over …read more.

Picture yourself in 10 years. What will you be doing? Will you be better off? How might you change? You might assume that if you make optimistic predictions about your future, you will end up being happier than you are now. New research from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) found that assumption to …read more.

In large groups, leaders typically rise through majority rule. But, how does a leader emerge from a smaller group? To find out, researchers at the New York University (NYU) Tandon School of Engineering explored small-group dynamics and how those in the group interacted to make decisions. The researchers formed groups of five volunteer participants; each …read more.

Some life transitions feel more positive and less challenging than others. A group of researchers looked at why this might be in an effort to help people find a good start to new transitions, such as a new job, relationship or home. They found that we’re more likely to have positive feelings about a new …read more.

Have you noticed the older people get, the less sensitive they are to social cues? Well, there’s a scientific reason for that. A new paper, titled “Emotion Sensitivity Across the Lifespan: Mapping Clinical Risk Periods to Sensitivity to Facial Emotion Intensity,” details a groundbreaking study examining how people of all ages detect subtle changes in …read more.

Effective goal setting is a key factor in coaching. It could also be a play a role in an individual’s overall well-being. Research from the University of Basel found that people who set realistic goals are more satisfied with their lives. It also found that another contributing factor, to a lesser extent, is what the …read more.

To savor, is to experience and enjoy, usually in the context of food. But we can also savor experiences, moments, visually compelling events and even types of communication—which is the focus of new research from the University of Arizona. This research builds on previous positive psychology work showing that people’s ability to “savor” or, recognize …read more.

With so much information accessible at our fingertips, it’s difficult to think that we aren’t using it to make more informed decisions. Yet, recent research from the University of Chicago has found that, more often than not, people are making snap decisions without taking in the excess information at their disposal. “Sometimes people need a …read more.

Women: Develop and keep close ties to other women! Science shows that women who have a close, regular group of female contacts are more likely to obtain high-ranking leadership positions. According to a new study by the University of Notre Dame and Northwestern University, more than 75 percent of women who are in high-ranking roles …read more.

If you notice a client’s mood is a little low, try getting up and moving around during your coaching session. According to research findings from Johns Hopkins University, the physical movement could help boost their mood and energy later on, which could be beneficial for coaching clients who want to get to work on their …read more.