Article on 'The Science of Happier Holidays' Cites Prof. Matt Hertenstein

November 28, 2014

wall street journal logo A Thanksgiving-related article in the Wall Street Journal notes, "The latest evidence suggests that, rather than simply being about good manners, the emotion of gratitude might have deep roots in humans’ evolutionary history, sustaining the social bonds that are key not only to our happiness but also to our survival as a species."

The piece is authored by Dacher Keltner, founding director of the Greater Good Science Center, and Jason Marsh, editor-in-chief and director of programs at the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley.

They write, "Further evidence for the evolutionary roots of gratitude comes from the study of human touch, one of the earliest modes of human communication. In a collaboration between one of us (Dacher Keltner) and Matthew Hertenstein, who is now on the faculty at DePauw University, two participants sat on opposite sides of a large barrier; when one of them stuck her or his arm through a hole in the barrier, the other person attempted to communicate emotions by briefly touching the stranger’s forearm. After each touch, the touchee guessed what emotion the toucher was trying to convey. People were remarkably accurate in identifying touches of gratitude, suggesting that we have strong instincts to communicate and understand that emotion. The language of gratitude is pre-verbal."

Read the piece -- "Thanksgiving and Gratitude: The Science of Happier Holidays" -- at the Journal's website.

Matthew J. Hertenstein, associate professor of psychology and chair of the department at DePauw University, is author of The Tell: The Little Clues That Reveal Big Truths About Who We Are and co-editor of The Handbook of Touch: Neuroscience, Behavioral, and Health Perspectives.

Dr. Hertenstein's research on communicating through touch has previously been featured onNPR and ABC, as well as in the New York Times, O, The Oprah Magazine and Psychology Today, among other media mentions.

A study on smiling in yearbook photos and whether subjects became divorced later in life, which was conducted by Professor Hertenstein and DePauw students, received worldwide attention in the Spring of 2009. The research was first published in the journal Motivation and Emotion. Coverage began in British media outlets, and spread to United Press International, Yahoo! and a piece which aired April 16, 2009 on NBC's Today. The research was included in the New York Times Magazine's "Ninth Annual Year in Ideas" and was cited by India Today, New Scientist and British Columbia's Province.

The professor was presented with the 2014 Edwin L. Minar Jr. Scholarship Award. Established in 1981, the Minar Award is presented in recognition of exceptional scholarly achievement by a faculty member.

Visit Matt Hertenstein's Emotion Lab online by clicking here.