Happy? Stay Away From Others, Say Experts

This may sound very strange but a new study says people protect their good moods to stay safe.

 What's that again?

"Once happy, steer clear of choices that could invite in negative feelings," says newswise.com, quoting Heath Demaree, professor and chair of the Department of Psychological Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences at Case Western Reserve.
“They wonder: How much better does it get? If you’re already happy, why risk making your mood worse?” says Demaree, co-author of the study, published in the journal Frontiers of Psychology. “Essentially, it’s quitting while you’re ahead.”
"The findings differ from some previous research, which has shown that a person’s risk-taking increases after they’ve become successful—known as the 'house money' theory. Still, other studies suggest that people risk more when they’re losing, hoping to break even," newswise writes.
I don't know about you but when I'm happy, I want to share it!
Demaree designed an experiment using a modified slot machine that produced winnings half of the time, according to newswise. "Each participant was given $50 to begin, and were allowed to take home a portion of their winnings at the end of the experiment. Players were asked about their emotions after each pull of the slot machine in order to decide how much of their decision-making was due to their finances and how much was due to their emotional state."
After winning a trial, and controlling for other variables (like the amount of money just won), researchers saw that people risked the least when they were in the were in the most positive emotional state.
“We see that choices are increasingly explained with a better appreciation of the role of emotion,” notes Demaree. “While these results differ from some previous studies, they do further confirm that life outcomes affect mood and then mood influences subsequent behavior. 
"Increasing positive feelings may help reduce risky behavior,” he adds. “These results suggest that people could consider the positive and stable aspects of their lives—thinking of their family, job, spouse—to see their risk-taking behaviors in a more positive context.”





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