Psychologists: people feel happier being with friends than with family

Having a close relationship is one of the basic needs of a person, associated with an inner sense of well-being. Therefore, many scientists believe that it is very important to start a family, because it can make a person happier. American psychologists from St. Mary's University conducted an experiment in which they evaluated with whom a person feels happier: with family members or with friends. It turned out to be the second one. An article about it was published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

Over 400 people took part in the study. They were asked to remember their feelings while communicating with family and friends, and to evaluate this emotional experience on a six-point scale. It turned out that people felt happier not when they talked to their spouses or children, but when they spent time with friends.

The authors of the study point out that spending time with friends is often associated with leisure and entertainment, while in the company of friends people may be engaged in unpleasant work, for example, related to everyday life. This could affect the results obtained.

In confirmation of their reflections, scientists provided data from the same study: 65% of the time spent with friends was associated with communication, and in the case of family members this figure was much lower - only 28%. At the same time, participants were positive about communicating with their spouses and children if it was not about household responsibilities.

Photo: poster for the series "Friends", 1994-2004 / maincream.com