Health: Mood News.

Active, Attractive

People assume that regular exercisers are sexy and confident, research has shown. Now it turns out that this positive image extends to women who are simply active in general -- the type who take the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator and walk or bike short distances rather than driving. Health and exercise psychologist Kathleen Martin Ginis and her colleagues at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, asked 456 people to reveal their assumptions about a hypothetical woman based on various descriptions in which her exercise habits ranged from nonexistent to excessive. Like the regular exerciser, the stair-taking, "active living" woman scored favorably on traits such as confidence, sociability, and intelligence. The findings confirm that exercise makes people seem healthier and thus more attractive, at least in most cases. The excessive exerciser -- who might be associated with unhealthy "injury, psychological burnout, mood disturbance, and eating disorders" -- derived no "self-presentational benefits," the researchers comment.

Buying Happiness

A thing of beauty may elicit joy, but a beautiful experience will produce more long-term happiness. That's what psychologist Leaf Van Boven from the University of Colorado at Boulder and Thomas Gilovich from Cornell University found in studies involving 1,572 people ranging from college age to 69. In one study, 97 people rated a recent purchase costing more than $100 that was meant to bring them enjoyment in life. Half of them were asked to choose a life experience that they had paid for, while the other half were told to reflect on a material purchase. Clothing, jewelry, and beauty products made up most of the tangible acquisitions (64 percent). Dominating the experience side were events such as plays and concerts (43 percent), travel (32 percent), and dining (17 percent). When the subjects rated their purchase -- determining how happy it made them and whether they felt the money was well spent -- experiences got more favorable reviews than possessions. In another study, 57 percent of adults reported that paying for an experience ...