The effectiveness of commonly recommended strategies for boosting mood, such as expressing gratitude, spending time in nature, and practicing mindfulness, may be overhyped, according to a new review. The review found that most of the research papers supporting these strategies are based on small, poorly designed trials, which could make their conclusions unreliable.
Elizabeth Dunn, a researcher at the University of British Columbia, emphasizes that this does not mean these interventions don't work, but rather that more solid scientific research is needed to prove their effectiveness. Over the past decade, the field of psychology research has undergone a "renaissance" in which scientists have realized that their standard ways of conducting experiments can lead to false results. Researchers are now expected to pre-register their studies, defining their statistical analysis plans before starting the experiment. This helps reduce the risk of false positives.
In order to understand how pre-renaissance trials may have influenced happiness research, Dunn and her colleague conducted Google searches for phrases like "how to be happy" and "scientifically proven ways to be happier." The top five strategies that emerged from these searches were expressing gratitude, being more sociable, exercising, practicing mindfulness or meditation, and increasing exposure to nature.
However, when the researchers searched scientific journals for studies on these strategies, they found that only four out of 532 studies met today's standards of robustness. These four studies focused on expressing gratitude and the benefits of social interactions. None of the studies related to mindfulness or meditation, exercise, or exposure to nature had enough participants and involved pre-registration.
Dunn concludes that while these strategies could potentially improve happiness, there is not enough good evidence to support their effectiveness for everyone. She advises against interpreting this study as a reason to stop engaging in practices that make individuals happy, but rather to recognize the need for more rigorous research in this area.
In summary, the review suggests that the current body of research supporting commonly recommended mood-boosting strategies is limited and unreliable. More robust scientific studies are needed to establish the effectiveness of these strategies.