Flowers And Mood

Everyone knows that flowers affect our emotional state. A recent study by a professor of psychology at the University of New Jersey showed exactly how.

Nature has provided us with an easy way to improve our emotional health - these are fresh flowers. The presence of flowers evokes positive emotions, enhances feelings of life satisfaction and affects social behavior, that is, it has a much greater effect than we are used to thinking.

Jeannette Jones, professor of psychology at the University of New Jersey and head of the study, admits that she was initially very skeptical, predicting in advance the result of the experiment: people like flowers because they are associated with happy moments in life. “I thought this phenomenon had nothing to do with psychology at all,” she says. - "But how wrong I was!" According to research, the mere presence of flowers has an impact on a person's emotional status.

During the experiment, Jones and his staff sent gifts and bouquets of flowers to a large number of women. Both gifts and flowers were delivered by courier, with cameras recording the expression on each woman's face when she received a surprise. Analyzing the recording, they found that without exception, the women who received the flowers smiled completely sincerely and genuinely. They really became happy when they saw flowers!

How did psychologists manage to recognize that women are sincere in expressing their feelings? According to scientists, "crow's feet" in the corners of the eyes when smiling is just such an indicator. The happy facial expression that crow's feet create is also known in the medical environment as the Duchenne smile (named after the 18th century anatomist Duchenne de Boulogne, who made this observation). With artificial smiles (as well as after plastic surgeries), these small wrinkles around the eyes are not formed, which can mean insincerity.

The emotional response to receiving flowers was not limited to Duchenne's smile. It turned out that the flower arrangements received as a gift, as a rule, are placed in places open to people's eyes: in the foyer, living rooms and dining rooms, presenting flowers as a sign of hospitality and generosity. "Flowers evoke a positive emotional attitude in people entering the room," says Dr. Jones. "They make the living space more welcoming and create an atmosphere of goodwill."

The presence of flowers promotes deeper contact with family and friends. Now science has proven that flowers not only make us happier, they have a powerful positive effect on our emotional well-being,”said Dr. Haviland-Jones.

In Jones' study, 150 women were presented with bouquets of flowers, and all of them, without exception, smiled with a Duchenne smile when presenting the gift! “100% response is incredible!” Exclaims Jones. "There are few other influences that cause such an unequivocal emotional reaction - except that if suddenly a bomb explodes under your feet, you will definitely be frightened!" It should be noted that men behaved in exactly the same way as women, which means that the influence of colors on our emotions is universal.

Flowers are really capable of making us and our loved ones happy. Grab a bunch of bright flowers on your way home, or decorate your workspace with a few dainty flowers, or surprise your friends with a bouquet of fresh flowers for no particular reason. Why wait for a special occasion to enjoy moments of joy?

Based on materials from Fleishman-Hillard Vanguard Agency