Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen's Blog

Dec 16, 2008

Men Are Happier Than Women

Posted by Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen

“Men come closer to fulfilling their aspirations, are more satisfied with their family lives and financial situations, and are the happier of the two,” says Anke Plagnol, a teaching associate at the University of Cambridge.

Plagnol and University of Southern California economist Richard Easterlin studied how unfulfilled desires affect feelings of well-being. These researchers analyzed nationally representative U.S. surveys from 1978 to 2003, which summarized how people define “the good life”, current feelings of well-being, and future aspirations. Plagnol and Easterlin then computed the “shortfall.” That is, they studied whether men’s and women’s aspirations exceed actual achievements – which directly affect happiness levels.
The results? In early adulthood, women are happier than men because they’re reaching their goals. They achieve their material goods and family life aspirations. But, as life goes on, “the glow wears off.” One possible reason is that older women are more likely to be in broken unions – divorce and widowhood – than men, which decreases their happiness levels. People in relationships tend to be more secure financially, which also affects their feelings of well-being.
“Of course, one doesn't have to be married to be happy, but if that's something you really want – and it is for most people – then the failure to attain it can have an impact on your overall happiness,” says Plagnol.
Men are least happy in their 20’s (when they’re more likely to be single). After the age of 41, men’s financial happiness exceeds women’s financial happiness. After age 48, men’s overall happiness exceeds women’s happiness. After age 64, men’s satisfaction with family life exceeds women’s satisfaction with family life.
This research was published in the Journal of Happiness Studies, July 2008.


Dec 15, 2008

Top 10 Christmas & Holiday Season Articles

Posted by Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen

Over the past two years, I've written at several holiday season Christmas articles, with topics ranging from keeping Christmas affordable to surviving Christmas stress for introverts. Here are the most popular ones....

Top 10 Christmas & Holiday Season Articles

  1. The Introvert's Guide to Surviving Christmas Parties
  2. 9 Ways to Keep Your Christmas Affordable
  3. Practical Christmas Gifts for Him or Her
  4. How to Decrease Holiday Stress
  5. Romantic Stocking Stuffers
  6. Grieving at Christmas
  7. How to Build a Better Marriage Over the Holidays
  8. Creating New Christmas Traditions
  9. 10 Ways to Simplify Christmas
  10. Christmas and Divorce for Kids

If you're looking for a specific Christmas article, idea, or topic, please feel free to mention it below! I'd be happy to research and write it.....

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!



Jul 23, 2008

Women Regret Their Tattoos

Posted by Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen

Recent research from Texas Tech University reveals that women are more likely to regret getting tattoos than men. Why?

For a variety of reasons: embarrassment, body image concerns, professional image concerns, social stigma, problems with clothes, and ties to the past. Men with tattoos do report some of the same regrets, but these reasons to remove tattoos are more pronounced for women.

I've always wanted a tattoo -- say, a small dolphin on my ankle. That tattoo would be small and discreet enough that it probably wouldn't cause me the same body image problems or professional image concerns as a larger one on my bicep or calf. But, I never did get around to getting tattooed....and it's not one of my big life regrets.

To learn about the link between tattoos and antisocial personality disorder, read What Tattoos Say About Who You Are.

If you're a woman with a tattoo -- or a man with a tattoo -- feel free to comment! I'd love to hear your opinion on regretting getting a tattoo.



Jun 30, 2008

Disciplining a Child in the Womb?

Posted by Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen

Dr Grace Kelly of the Northern Caribbean University says that discipline begins long before the birth of the child, with the parents. She says parents should realize that discipline is critical to the pre-natal and early development of the children, and can impact children in a positive or negative way. Kelly advises parents to discipline the unborn child by reading, talking, and playing appropriate music during pregnancy.

On the other hand, Dr Garth Lipps of the University of the West Indies says no child can be disciplined in the womb. He does say that there is some evidence that personality is genetically based, and can be transmitted from mother to the child. Marleen McCalla, who works at the Early Stimulation Plus Basic School, also believes that discipline starts in the womb. She says that the unborn child recognises the voice of his/her parents. "Even though the unborn child cannot talk, it can hear the parents, so discipline is very essential at this stage," says McCalla.

If you can indeed discipline your child in the womb, then it's never to early to teaching them to mind their P’s and Q’s!

Related Articles:



May 28, 2008

Breakfast Improves Your Mental Health

Posted by Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen

You may know that eating breakfast helps you lose weight (you're theoretically less hungry during the day if you eat breakfast, leading you to eat less all day) -- but did you know that breakfast can improve your mental health?

The Dieticians Association of Australia report that a high quality breakfast, with foods from at least three food groups, is linked with better mental health in teens. If it works for kids, it can be beneficial for adults too! I've also read that sniffing different scents every morning improves cognitive functioning. So, eating different breakfasts from different food groups may make you smarter, happier, and more pleasant to be around.

To kickstart your brain, try blue cheese on toast with a banana on the side, or the more traditional granola, blueberries, and yoghurt. The key is variety - just like the spice of life.

For more psychology articles about brain health, read: