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LONDON, England / Sky.com / News / July 31, 2009
Scientists are hoping to bring happiness to Britain next week with
an online psychological experiment.
Researchers will do a national poll to see if the
experiment was successful
From Monday, August 3, for five days, people will be invited to visit a website and take part in four mood-boosting techniques.
It is hoped that once the participants are cheered up by the site, their happiness will spread to others across the UK.
Happiness Video:
Where's Happiest Place on Earth?
The researchers behind the experiment will conduct a national poll before and after, to see whether or not it has had an effect.
After logging on to the site visitors will be asked to rate their mood and will be randomly assigned to one of four groups.
======================================================
No-one's ever tried cheering up a whole country before, and it's
the right time to do it with everyone feeling gloomy from the recession.
- Professor Richard Wiseman
======================================================
They will then be shown a video which describes one of four techniques associated with increasing happiness.
Professor Richard Wiseman from the University of Hertfordshire, who is running the study, feels it can make a difference if enough people take part.
Come on, it's not that bad
"No-one's ever tried cheering up a whole country before, and it's the right time to do it with everyone feeling gloomy from the recession," he said.
He added: "Potentially somewhere like London, which is densely populated, you might find people smiling a lot more. It's a mad idea, but it might just work."
Professor Wiseman feels that at least 10,000 people need to be involved for the experiment to have an effect.
Anyone who wants to join the study can do so by visiting
www.scienceofhappiness.co.uk.
Techniques For Enhancing Happiness
1. Forcing a smile on the face in response to everyday cues, like making a cup of tea
2. Small acts of kindness, such as paying someone a compliment or donating to the homeless
3. Expressing gratitude for some lucky aspect of a person's life, for example being healthy
4. Thinking about one thing that went well the previous day [
rc]
Copyright ©2009 BskyB
Researchers will do a national poll to see if the
experiment was successful
From Monday, August 3, for five days, people will be invited to visit a website and take part in four mood-boosting techniques.
It is hoped that once the participants are cheered up by the site, their happiness will spread to others across the UK.
Happiness Video: Where's Happiest Place on Earth?
The researchers behind the experiment will conduct a national poll before and after, to see whether or not it has had an effect.
After logging on to the site visitors will be asked to rate their mood and will be randomly assigned to one of four groups.
======================================================
Come on, it's not that bad
"No-one's ever tried cheering up a whole country before, and it's the right time to do it with everyone feeling gloomy from the recession," he said.
He added: "Potentially somewhere like London, which is densely populated, you might find people smiling a lot more. It's a mad idea, but it might just work."
Professor Wiseman feels that at least 10,000 people need to be involved for the experiment to have an effect.
Anyone who wants to join the study can do so by visiting www.scienceofhappiness.co.uk.
Techniques For Enhancing Happiness
1. Forcing a smile on the face in response to everyday cues, like making a cup of tea
2. Small acts of kindness, such as paying someone a compliment or donating to the homeless
3. Expressing gratitude for some lucky aspect of a person's life, for example being healthy
4. Thinking about one thing that went well the previous day [rc]
Copyright ©2009 BskyB
