BOOK REVIEW

The Long Search For a Quick Fix
Can the findings of behavioral science make life better?

By FRANK GANNON
For all those who are tired, or simply wary, of the usual self-help formula—homespun anecdotes, upbeat platitudes, over-the-top promises—Richard Wiseman's "59 Seconds" would seem to be just what the Ph.D. ordered. The idea is appealing: survey the field of academic psychology and mine its research for ways of actually achieving goals, winning friends and finding happiness. Mr. Wiseman, a British professor of "the public understanding of psychology," read hundreds of studies from every area of the behavioral sciences. He found a promising pattern in many aspects of life, "from mood to memory, persuasion to procrastination, resilience to relationships." Indeed, he found "a new science of rapid change" able to produce results "in minutes instead of months."
A University of California study, involving more than a quarter-million participants, "discovered impressive benefits of being happy." OK, fair enough. But how to arrive at this blissful condition? Mr. Wiseman's reading of the research suggests a range of strategies, such as "wearing more colorful clothing" and "talking in a more relaxed way." When others are speaking, nod your head often, he says, and when it's your turn use "positively charged emotional words" (like love and fond) and vary the pitch of your voice. When you walk, swing your arms slightly and put some spring in your step. It all sounds rather simple, if not simplistic, but Mr. Wiseman assures us that "incorporating these behaviors into your everyday actions will enhance your happiness." The studies don't say what others might think of such a perky, perambulating person—but the word pesky comes to mind.
But maybe we worry too much about what others think. A Cornell study of the psychology of embarrassment—which I like to think of as the Barry Manilow T-shirt experiment—suggests as much. Subjects were required to enter a room wearing a T-shirt featuring a large picture of Mr. Manilow, the crooner whose hits may induce as much wincing as swooning. Although 50% of the T-shirted subjects were self-conscious about what they were wearing, only 20% of the people in the room even noticed it. This experiment yielded the reassuring result that individuals are more aware of their gaffes—from flubbing an answer at an interview to having a bad hair day—than most of the people observing or talking to them.
As for increasing "attraction" and improving relationships, it turns out that sincerity may not always be the best strategy. Pointing to academic studies, Mr. Wiseman suggests that one way to be found more attractive is to "fake a genuine smile." He explains: "Initial work suggests that smiles that take longer to spread over a person's face (more than half a second) are seen as very attractive, especially when accompanied with a slight head tilt toward a partner." The briefest touch on someone's upper arm, accompanied by a request or compliment, is likely to make the touchee want to help you and even find you attractive. Of course this is a technique, as Mr. Wiseman warns, best used cautiously; there could be a fine line between the briefest of touches and a restraining order.
According to Mr. Wiseman, research shows that the benefits of writing about one's feelings far outweigh those of merely talking to caring friends or even to professionals—because the solitary discipline of writing facilitates "getting in touch with your inner perfect self." He recommends, in addition to the obvious task of keeping a diary, several other writing exercises, including the composition of your own eulogy—exactly what you hope your best friend would choose to say about you when the occasion eventually arises.
One of the odder findings in Mr. Wiseman's survey involves the usefulness of the placebo effect. He cites experiments in which "people exposed to fake poison ivy developed genuine rashes, those given caffeine-free coffee became more alert, and patients who underwent a fake knee operation reported reduced pain from their 'healed' tendons." (Say again—"fake knee operation"?) And how is this of any help?
Mr. Wiseman points to an experiment that monitored the health and activity of two groups of hotel attendants (that is, housekeepers) with roughly equal workloads and lifestyle habits. One group was made constantly aware of how many calories it burned by simply doing its labor-intensive work—implanting the idea that "wow, your job involves lots of exercise." Over time that group (and not the other) saw improvements in its body mass index and blood pressure even though it was doing nothing differently. Mr. Wiseman concludes: "By reminding the attendants of the amount of exercise that they were getting on a daily basis, the researchers altered the attendants' beliefs about themselves, and their bodies responded to make these beliefs a reality." The larger lesson is that being aware of an effort may help to bring about its effect.
It's easy to make fun even of a self-help book with such academic credentials: The understanding of human relations and happiness—not to say of humanity itself—can seem so shallow and the limits of social science to achieve quick cures so manifest. Yet who ever went wrong by smiling too much? Or adopting a jaunty stride? Besides, if "59 Seconds" fails to change its readers' lives, it may at least improve their cocktail-party conversation. We learn, for example, that the top-rated speed-dating line for men is: "If you were on a hit show, who would you be?" For women: "If you were a pizza topping, what would you be?" Just remember to smile and tilt your head when you say it.