Why Grumpy People Make Better Decisions

WHY GRUMPY PEOPLE MAKE BETTER DECISIONS



A grumpy disposition can help you make better decisions.   A new Australian study suggests sad people are less gullible than happy people who’re likely to believe anything they’re told!

Study author, Psychology professor Joseph Forgas at the University of New South Wales, found that people in a negative mood were more critical of, and paid more attention to, their surroundings.  Their ability to judge others and memory recall were also enhanced.

Says Prof. Forgas:

"Whereas positive mood seems to promote creativity, flexibility, cooperation, and reliance on mental shortcuts, negative moods trigger more attentive, careful thinking paying greater attention to the external world.   Our research suggests that sadness ... promotes information processing strategies best suited to dealing with more demanding situations."

Grumpy people were also less likely to make quick judgements based on racial or religious prejudice and less likely to make errors when asked to recall an event they’d witnessed.  They made a better case through written arguments too.

In conclusion, Prof. Forgas said:

"Positive mood is not universally desirable: people in negative mood are less prone to judgmental errors, are more resistant to eyewitness distortions and are better at producing high-quality, effective persuasive messages,"

Source:  Australasian Science Journal