Mon, February 08, 2010 - 10:54:27

The Power of Paying it Forward

Can seeing someone else do a good deed actually influence your own behavior?  While cynics might scoff at such an idea, we’ve long believed that the power of nice can work wonders and now science is proving us right. According to a new study released yesterday by the Association for Psychological Science, that “warm and fuzzy” feeling that results from seeing one person do something nice for someone else, known among psychologists as “elevation,” really can help shape your subsequent actions for the better.

Researchers from the University of Cambridge, University of Plymouth, and UCLA examined the effects of “elevation” by exposing volunteers to one of three television clips, one of which featured an inspiring moment on Oprah, another which simply showed neutral scenes from a nature documentary, and a third that showed a clip from a British comedy series, intended to induce feelings of mirth rather than good will.
After each of the groups viewed the clips, the research assistant leading the group pretended to have computer trouble and depending on the footage the participants had viewed, their responses were notably different.  In fact, viewers of the altruistic Oprah clip spent twice as long providing aid to the researcher as viewers of the other clips, even though they expected nothing in return.
But, the scientific concept of elevation isn’t just something seen behind the sterile walls of a research lab.  In fact, as these news reports from around the nation show, the power of paying it forward is just one of the small ways everyday people are helping to create a nicer universe.

So, if you discount the power that even your smallest actions can have, you may want to reevaluate your thinking.  Because even when you think no one is watching, thanks to the power of elevation, your kind acts can keep on giving. 

 

Posted by Linda and Robin