Happy New Year

Is it better to be right or be happy? A British Medical Journal report investigates this research question in their lighthearted Christmas issue. The research sample consisted of one married couple (n=2). The female was blind to the null hypothesis being tested: it is better to be right than happy. The female was assigned the "right" condition. The male was assigned the condition of agreeing with the female's "every opinion and request without complaint." Happiness was measured on a 10 point Likert scale labeled Quality of Life. Unfortunately this study was terminated early because of "severe adverse outcomes." The males Quality of Life fell 4 points in 12 days, whereas the female's Quality of Life increased slightly from 8 to 8.5. The researcher's findings: "The results of this trial show that the availability of unbridled power adversely affects the quality of life of those on the receiving end."

Be nice in the new year and be happy.