Shine OnMovies with heartbreak make us happy, science tells us
You might lament a break-up with that bucket of ice cream and box of Kleenex, but once you're in the throes of that sappy romantic tragedy, you'll probably be feeling better about your life. If not — why else would you have watched "Titanic", "Beaches", or maybe "The Lion King", over and over again?
According to a new study out of Ohio State University, which will be published in the journal Communication Research, sad love movies make us think about our close relationships, and as a result, they improve our outlook on life.
"People seem to use tragedies as a way to reflect on the important relationships in their own life, to count their blessings," says Silvia Knobloch-Westerwick, the study's lead author and an associate professor of communication at Ohio State University.
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The researchers studied responses from 361 college students before, during and after they viewed the 2007 film "Atonement", in which Keira Knightley's character is separated from James McAvoy's through a toxic blend of deceit and war. The students were asked questions that measured their levels of happiness with life, as well as their current emotions.
Those who thought about their loved ones felt the most sadness during the movie, but then came out of the film with the brightest outlook on life.
This doesn't surprise Roger Buehler, a psychology professor at Wilfred Laurier University. Buehler studies how people can get out of bad moods by reflecting on their lives.
"When the initial reaction is sadness, all these psychological processes kick in that can improve or boost your mood. The end result may be that you're actually feeling better than you would have been without the sad movie," he explains.
Buehler's research shows that sadness doesn't have to beget sadness. If instead of mere rumination — which he describes as dwelling passively on negative feelings — the sadness results in reflection, it can lead to a more cheerful state of mind.
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Knobloch-Westerwick agrees. "Positive emotions are generally a signal that everything is fine," she argues, "you don't have to worry, you don't have to think about issues in your life."
"But negative emotions, like sadness, make you think more critically about your situation. So seeing a tragic movie about star-crossed lovers may make you sad, but that will cause you to think more about your own close relationships and appreciate them more," she says.
It's important to note that this study cannot simply be explained by the idea that people derive pleasure from the misfortune of others, a term known as Schadenfreude. The people who felt happier after the movie were only those who reflected on their close relationships.
So, if you're in for some sad-movie therapy, try the 1979 boxing film "The Champ." Two American psychology professors recently decided it's the saddest movie, after searching for the saddest clip to use in experiments.
Not interested in the science behind sad movies? What about the science behind sleep? Check out the this ABC news video about how too much sleep may be harmful to your heart.
