Beyond brands: Happy adolescents see the good in people

Abstract

How does happiness affect adolescents' stereotypes of other people? Using a collage methodology with 60 adolescents aged 12-18, we find that happier adolescents hold more positive stereotypes of others compared to those who are less happy. We also find that happier adolescents are less likely to form impressions of people based on surface level cues such as the products and brands that people own. Finally, our results show that happier adolescents have a more nuanced view of others, (e.g., some cool kids wear expensive brands, but some shop at thrift stores), compared to their less happy counterparts, who tend to oversimplify their view of others (e.g., all cool kids wear expensive brands, all doctors drive a BMW). © 2010 Taylor & Francis.