International Study Will Expand Upon Groundbreaking Research, Dr. Richard
Wiseman Also Adds Expertise
DALLAS, Nov. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- The holidays can certainly bring fun times
and joy, but they are also a time filled with constant reminders of what it
means to not have a special someone to share key moments of the season.
Social scientists have known for years about the added stress the holidays
bring to the single population. The holiday blues phenomenon is identified as
a series of symptoms ranging from mild depression to emotional anxiety caused
by the pressure of not having a significant other with whom to share the
season.
In a nationwide survey conducted among single adults this fall by
TRUE(TM), a leading online relationship service, 55.8 percent of respondents
said if they could ask for only one thing this holiday season, it would be
"that special someone." More than 56 percent of singles also believe that
having someone by your side for that midnight kiss on New Year's Eve is a very
important way to start the new year.
TRUE is building upon informal surveys and research conducted this past
Valentine's Day, which found that single men and women experience heightened
feelings of psychological distress in connection with significant holidays.
Now TRUE joins forces with the popular publication, Psychology Today, and
renowned professor and author Dr. Richard Wiseman, to further understand the
psychological impact of the holidays on today's single adult population.
"Careful examination of the scientific data collected by our initial test
concluded that adults who reportedly did not participate in or receive gifts
or other tokens of affection in connection with certain holidays, exhibited
signs of emotional stress," said Dr. James Houran, TRUE's chief psychologist.
"Given this, we feel it's important to expand our knowledge across all major
holidays so we can learn how to offer solutions that will help those who are
suffering from the blues phenomenon."
Starting today and continuing through Valentine's Day 2005, the holiday
blues study, which can be found at http://tests.psychtests.com/true/ is
designed to answer an extremely important question: Do commercial and
societal norms surrounding major holidays in Westernized societies have a
detrimental impact on the psychological well-being of adult singles who are
not involved in romantic relationships?
To reach its conclusions, the test asks participants approximately
50 questions about the emotions, thoughts and behaviors they experience around
the holidays, in addition to asking some non-intrusive background questions
about the status of their present romantic relationships. Participants can
choose to take the test just once, or they can opt to take the test
periodically over the course of the next four months, tracking their moods
around Thanksgiving, Chanukah, Christmas, New Year's and Valentine's Day.
"Through Psychology Today's Online Therapy Directory and our own research,
we estimate that 85 percent of people seek therapy to treat anxiety,
depression or relationship issues. We're interested to learn whether these
issues are primary concerns during the holidays as well," said Lawrence Rose,
president of Psychology Today. "TRUE has established itself as an online
dating service with unique integrity, and we see this as the first of many
joint research opportunities to learn more about the 'mindstyle' of America."
"This is an opportunity for thousands of people to take part in a genuine
scientific study that may help uncover more about the impact of national
holidays on our psychological well-being," said Dr. Richard Wiseman, a
psychologist at the University of Hertfordshire in the UK. "Who knows,
perhaps we may even be able to use the data to create new public holidays that
make people feel much better about their lives!"
Anyone is invited to take the test at http://tests.psychtests.com/true/ .
Results will be analyzed and submitted for scientific publication after the
test concludes.
About Psychology Today
Psychology Today is the leading consumer magazine dedicated to emotional
well-being. Every issue explores life events, social trends and the latest in
behavioral health. http://www.psychologytoday.com offers the nation's largest online
Therapy Directory with over 3,000 licensed therapists listed. The Therapy
Directory provides a free and unique resource for those seeking therapy.
About Richard Wiseman
Prof. Richard Wiseman is a psychologist at the University of Hertfordshire
in the UK. He is the author of several bestselling books, including "The Luck
Factor" and "Did You Spot The Gorilla." He has also published over
60 academic articles in some of the world's leading psychology journals.
Prof. Wiseman regularly appears in the media. For more information, please
visit http://www.richardwiseman.net .
About TRUE(TM)
TRUE is safer, savvy, and the only scientifically-based online
relationship service whose mission is to help singles find long lasting and
fulfilling relationships. Founded on an advanced, scientific compatibility
test uniquely endorsed by Psychology Today and independently certified by one
of the leading experts in tests and measurements -- Integrated Knowledge
Systems, Inc. -- to meet the Standards for Educational and Psychological
Testing, TRUE is the only online relationship service that actively seeks to
further protect the safety of its communicating members by conducting
extensive criminal background screenings. Moreover, TRUE is the only site to
conduct single verification screening. With the help of proprietary research
and the industry's most extensive team of scientists, relationship experts and
psychologists, TRUE also guides its members step-by-step through all stages of
the relationship-building process.
SOURCE TRUE
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Related links:
http://www.true.com
http://tests.psychtests.com/true
http://www.psychologytoday.com
http://www.richardwiseman.net
Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/919610.html
CONTACT:
Taylor L. Cole, APR of TRUE, +1-972-402-4813,
or Taylor.Cole@true.com ; or Olivia Horoshko of Ogilvy Public
Relations Worldwide, +1-310-248-6183, or
Olivia.Horoshko@ogilvypr.com , for TRUE
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