skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, March 29, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Expert: Give the Gift of Experience This Year

play audio
Play

Friday, December 2, 2016   

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - If your weekend plans include crossing gifts off the holiday shopping list, new research suggests some of the best gifts can't be wrapped or placed under a tree.

Psychology professor Thomas Gilovich, a co-author of the Cornell University report, said people make positive comments about the stuff they bought or received - but they don't express gratitude as often as they do for gifts of experiences, such as concerts, dance lessons or dining out at a good restaurant.

"So, if you want to give a gift that really makes someone happy, there's a lot of things to choose from," he said. "But again, think twice about maybe doing an experiential gift over a material one. It might pay off even more."

The feeling of gratitude has been linked to increased happiness and social cohesion, better health outcomes and even improved sleep quality, Gilovich said. Researchers studied 1,200 online customer reviews and found the vast majority of people who used the word "grateful" purchased experiences, not material items such as electronics, furniture or clothing.

The study suggested that experiences tend to help people appreciate their own situations and trigger fewer social comparisons. Gilovich said the urge to "keep up with the Joneses" if a neighbor buys a better car or computer than yours can be hard to resist.

"We do that with experiences, too," he said. "If you went on some sensational vacation, I wonder a bit about mine. But I wonder less than I do for material things."

He said experiential gifts also can create a positive ripple effect. In a study involving an economic game, players thinking about a meaningful experience were more generous toward others than when they thought about a material purchase.

The study is online at cornell.app.box.com.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments this week about the popular abortion pill Mifepristone and will weigh in on whether the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was correct in how it can be dosed and prescribed. (Ascannio/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Missouri residents are worried about future access to birth control. The latest survey from The Right Time, an initiative based in Missouri…


Social Issues

play sound

Wisconsin children from low-income families are now on track to get nutritious foods over the summer. Federal officials have approved the Badger …

Social Issues

play sound

Almost 2,900 people are unsheltered on any given night in the Beehive State. Gov. Spencer Cox is celebrating signing nine bills he says are geared …


The U.S. teaching workforce remains primarily white while the percentage of Black teachers has declined. However, the percentage of Asian and Latinx teachers is rising.(WavebreakMediaMicro/Adobestock)

Social Issues

play sound

Education advocates are calling on lawmakers to increase funding for programs to combat the teacher shortage. Around 37% of schools nationwide …

Environment

play sound

New York's Legislature is considering a bill to get clean-energy projects connected to the grid faster. It's called the RAPID Act, for "Renewable …

Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021