Happy Living
Seeking Beauty and Finding Health: How Choosing Beautiful Food Promotes Healthy Eating
Eda Erensoy et al.
Journal of Consumer Research, forthcoming
Abstract:
Consumers frequently perceive a tradeoff between health and taste, leading to poor dietary choices. This research identifies a novel pathway to healthier eating: seeking beauty in food. Across seven pre-registered field and lab studies, pursuing beautiful food systematically increased healthy choices without diminishing perceived taste. This effect arises because beauty is positively associated with both health and taste, effectively resolving the commonly perceived health-taste conflict. Individuals who sought beauty in food consistently selected healthier options across diverse consumption contexts -- including cafeteria meals, self-generated food ideas, grocery lists, and varied menus (with and without images) -- and across populations, spanning both adults and children. Notably, the effect was stronger among individuals who more strongly associate beauty with health, and weaker in choice sets where the beauty–health association was less pronounced (e.g., morning cereals). These findings advance motivation theory by positioning beauty as a goal in itself, rather than merely a perceptual cue. We discuss theoretical and managerial implications for consumer behavior, food marketing, and public policy initiatives aimed at promoting healthier eating habits.
Peer Victimization in Childhood and Timing of Substance Use Initiation: Evidence from a Twin Study
Li Hazel Yu et al.
Behavior Genetics, July 2025, Pages 270-288
Abstract:
Previous studies robustly link childhood peer victimization experience to the timing of substance use initiation. However, no study has investigated the contributions of genetic and environmental factors to this link. The current study focused on a sample of 779 twin pairs followed from age 9–10 to 19–20, which is racially/ethnically and socioeconomically representative of the greater Los Angeles area. The aims were to investigate (1) the associations between childhood victimization, including physical (e.g., kicking, pushing), verbal (e.g., taunting), and relational victimization (e.g., spreading rumors), and timing of substance use initiation, and (2) the contributions of genetic/environmental factors to these associations. Multinomial logistic regressions revealed several small associations, but none of these survived corrections for multiple testing. Univariate genetic models suggested genetic (A) and nonshared environmental influences (E) on verbal victimization (VA = .43, VE = .57), shared environmental (C) and nonshared environmental factors on relational victimization (VC = .22, VE = .78), and ambiguous familial influences and E on physical victimization (VA = .34, VE = .66; VC = .26, VE = .74). Timing of cigarette initiation were explained by A, C, and E (VA = .48, VC = .31, VE = .21). Quantitative sex differences in contributions of A, C, and E were detected for alcohol (VAM = .90, VEM = .10; VCF = .86, VEF = .14) and marijuana initiation (VAM = .89, VEM = .11; VCF = .79, VEF = .21); however, A could be dropped for females and C could be dropped for males across both variables. Multivariate twin analyses were not feasible, due to the low cross-trait correlations. These findings call into question the robustness of links between self-reported victimization in childhood and prospectively measured timing of substance initiation across adolescence.
Rising Young Worker Despair in the United States
David Blanchflower & Alex Bryson
NBER Working Paper, July 2025
Abstract:
Between the early 1990s and 2015 the relationship between mental despair and age was hump-shaped in the United States: it rose to middle-age, then declined later in life. That relationship has now changed: mental despair declines monotonically with age due to a rise in despair among the young. However, the relationship between age and mental despair differs by labor market status. The hump-shape in age still exists for those who are unable to work and the unemployed. The relation between mental despair and age is broadly flat, and has remained so, for homemakers, students and the retired. The change in the age-despair profile over time is due to increasing despair among young workers. Whilst the relationship between mental despair and age has always been downward sloping among workers, this relationship has become more pronounced due to a rise in mental despair among young workers. We find broad-based evidence for this finding in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) of 1993-2023, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 2008-2023, and in surveys by Pew, the Conference Board and Johns Hopkins University.
The Association Between Frequency of Social Media Use, Wellbeing, and Depressive Symptoms: Disentangling Genetic and Environmental Factors
Selim Sametoğlu, Dirk Pelt & Meike Bartels
Behavior Genetics, July 2025, Pages 255-269
Abstract:
Meta-analyses report small to moderate effect sizes or inconsistent associations (usually around r = -0.10) between wellbeing (WB) and social media use (SMU) and between anxious-depressive symptoms (ADS) and SMU (also around r = 0.10). This study employs the classical twin design, utilizing data from 6492 individuals from the Netherlands Twin Register, including 3369 MZ twins (893 complete twin pairs, 1583 incomplete twin pairs) and 3123 DZ twins (445 complete, 2233 incomplete) to provide insights into the sources of overlap between WB/ADS and SMU. Both hedonic and eudaimonic WB scales were used. SMU was measured by (1) the time spent on different social media platforms (SMUt), (2) the frequency of posting on social media (SMUf), and (3) the number of social media accounts individuals have (SMUn). Our results confirmed the low phenotypic correlations between WB and SMU (between r = -0.09 and 0.04) as well as between ADS and SMU (between r = 0.07 and 0.10). For SMU, heritability estimates between 32 and 72% were obtained. The small but significant phenotypic correlations between WB/ADS and the SMU phenotypes were mainly determined by genetic factors (in the range of 80-90%). For WB and SMU, genetic correlations were between -0.10 and -0.0, and for ADS and SMU genetic correlations were between 0.10 and 0.23. Genetic correlations implied limited but statistically significant sets of genes that affect WB/ADS and SMU levels. Overall, the results indicate that there is evidence that the small associations between WB/ADS and SMU are partly driven by overlapping genetic influences. We encourage researchers and experts to consider more personalized approaches when considering the association between WB and SMU, as well as understanding the reasons for individuals’ observed SMU levels.
Terminal Increases in Depressive Symptoms in a Multinational Twin Consortium
Andrew Petkus et al.
Psychological Science, August 2025, Pages 637-655
Abstract:
In later older adulthood, individuals report increased depressive symptoms, whereas gender differences in depressive symptoms narrow. We evaluated whether terminal decline (i.e., accelerated worsening in proximity to death) explained these patterns. We examined the longitudinal trajectories of depressive symptoms in 2,411 participants (baseline age: 29–95 years) from the Interplay of Genes and Environments Across Multiple Studies consortium representing three countries (Sweden, Denmark, and Australia). Joint modeling revealed that individuals reporting larger annual increases in depressive symptoms after age 70 were at increased risk of death. Piecewise linear multilevel models with random changepoints revealed accelerated increases in depressive symptoms approximately 4 years before death. Co-twin control analyses with 98 twin pairs found that the deceased twin had significantly larger accelerations in depressive symptoms compared with the surviving twin. Men experienced more severe mortality-related increases compared with women. Terminal decline partially explains the increase in depressive symptoms in later older adulthood.
Adherence to Personal Resolutions Across Time, Culture, and Goal Domains
Kaitlin Woolley, Laura Giurge & Ayelet Fishbach
Psychological Science, August 2025, Pages 607-621
Abstract:
Goal setting is only somewhat more common than the failure to follow through on one’s goals. Recognizing the challenge of long-term behavior change, we asked what best predicts long-term goal adherence: extrinsic motivation (the extent to which goal pursuit is experienced as a means to an end) or intrinsic motivation (the extent to which the same goal pursuit is experienced as an end in itself). In a year-long longitudinal study, U.S. adults set extrinsic New Year’s resolutions, but intrinsic motivation predicted adherence to these goals more than extrinsic motivation (Study 1). These findings emerged among adults in China (Study 2) and when measuring goal adherence objectively using the number of steps U.S. adults walked over 2 weeks (Study 3). Understanding how intrinsic motivation affects long-term persistence critically informs interventions that promote goal pursuit. Indeed, increasing intrinsic (vs. extrinsic) motivation increased U.S. adults’ goal adherence (Study 4). Overall, intrinsic motivation both predicted and causally increased goal adherence.