Laughter prompts better decisions

By Romana King on May 16, 2011
Estimated reading time: 1 minute

Buying or selling your home can be stressful, but two economists from Santa Clara University are challenging convention. They propose we laugh a bit more if we want to make better financial decisions.

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Buying or selling your home this spring? Then be prepared to laugh. A new study by two Santa Clara University economists shows that a good dose of laughter helps boost your mood and prompts more sensible decisions about your financial future. The study, which had students contemplating future financial gains after watching highlights from stand-up performances by Robin Williams, showed that those in a better mood valued the future more highly than those in a neutral mood. The study authors, John Ifcher and Homa Zarghamee, believe the findings can have significant impact in developing techniques for helping people make better real-world financial decisions. So before you decide to put in an offer on a house, or list your home for sale, perhaps you should spend a night chuckling to yourself.