It is almost a cliché, even among Russian-Americans, to joke about how little Russians smile. But does that reflect differing happiness levels? There is some evidence that Russians are less happy than Americans, but current research suggests that this is not due to huge underling differences. Instead, it can be better explained by differing cultural…
Read MoreHow can smiling boost one’s mood?
In the video below, Dr. Matsumoto chose to address a question submitted to us for National Smile Month: How can smiling boost one’s mood? This is actually true, and smiling helps boost our mood by interfacing with central physical and emotional processes in our brain. Dr. Matsumoto describes these emotional processes as sort of a…
Read MoreDoes A Smile Mean The Same Thing In All Cultures?
How People Express and Perceive Smiles We know that expressions differ across cultures, but an exploration of how we recognize smiles brings that observation to the forefront! In a major 1993 study, Humintell’s own Dr. David Matsumoto and Tsutomu Kudoh sought to explore the differences between how Americans and Japanese express and perceive smiles. This…
Read MoreStriving for Happy and Loving Relationships
We all strive for happy and loving relationships, but these also might lead to longer, healthier lives! A recent study by Dr. Olga Stavrova of Tilburg University found that when one’s spouse reports high levels of life satisfaction, there is a significant and substantive decrease in mortality risk. This builds from past research finding that…
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