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(https://www.psypost.org/niceness-is-a-distinct-psychological-trait-and-linked-to-heightened-happiness/) Niceness is a distinct psychological trait and linked to heightened happiness
Jan 26th 2025, 12:00

A study conducted in Turkey provided evidence that niceness can be considered a distinct psychological trait within the Turkish population. Niceness was found to be negatively associated with depressive symptoms and positively associated with subjective happiness—i.e., nice people tend to be happier. The paper was published in (https://doi.org/10.1177/00332941241278335) Psychological Reports.
Prosocial behaviors are voluntary actions aimed at benefiting others. These include helping others, sharing resources, comforting people, cooperating, or showing courtesy. Prosocial behaviors have evolutionary roots, as they enhance group survival and cohesion. They build trust, reduce conflict, and promote harmonious relationships among individuals and groups. Additionally, they improve emotional well-being, as helping others can increase happiness, life satisfaction, and a sense of purpose.
Niceness is one type of prosocial behavior. It is defined as treating others in a warm and friendly manner, ensuring their well-being, and fostering compassionate and cooperative relationships. Being nice—for example, smiling at others, approaching them gently, and offering kind words—doesn’t cost anything but can significantly enhance another person’s well-being. Other examples of niceness include speaking with a warm tone of voice, sincerely expressing gratitude, and using polite language. Importantly, for behavior to be considered “niceness,” it must not be motivated by the expectation of gaining something in return.
Study author Sinan Okur and his colleagues aimed to determine whether a psychological assessment scale for niceness, proposed by previous researchers, functions equivalently in the Turkish population. They sought to establish whether niceness can be regarded as a single psychological trait among Turkish people and whether the Turkish version of the scale functions as intended. They also explored the relationships between niceness, depression, and subjective happiness.
The researchers conducted two studies. The first study involved 404 Turkish adults, 210 of whom were women. Their average age was 32 years, ranging from 18 to 71. The second study included 372 adults, 184 of whom were women, with an average age of 23 years.
In the first study, participants completed the Niceness Scale as well as assessments of personality traits (using the Big Five Inventory) and subjective vitality (measured by the Subjective Vitality Scale, e.g., “I am an energetic and lively person”). In the second study, participants completed the Niceness Scale along with assessments of depression (using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales – 21) and subjective happiness (measured by the Subjective Happiness Scale).
The results of the first study indicated that the Niceness Scale works as intended in the Turkish population and that niceness can indeed be considered a distinct psychological trait. While niceness was associated with certain personality traits, the associations were very weak, supporting the notion that niceness is a unique psychological characteristic. Similarly, niceness was only weakly associated with subjective vitality.
The second study revealed that individuals with higher levels of niceness tended to have slightly lower levels of depressive symptoms and higher levels of subjective happiness. The researchers tested a statistical model suggesting that niceness reduces depressive symptoms, which, in turn, increases subjective happiness. The findings supported this model, suggesting that nicer people tend to be happier and less depressed.
“In conclusion, this study revealed that the one factor and six-item Niceness Scale are valid and reliable in the Turkish sample. Moreover, boosting niceness has been determined to reduce negative situations such as depression and therefore enhance subjective happiness,” the study authors concluded.
The study adds a useful tool for psychological studies in the Turkish population – an assessment of niceness. However, it should be noted that the design of the study does not allow any causal inferences to be derived about the relationships between niceness, depression, and happiness.
The paper, “(https://doi.org/10.1177/00332941241278335) How Does More Niceness Bring More Happiness? The Association Between Niceness, Depression, and Subjective Happiness,” was authored by Sinan Okur, Yusuf Akyıl, M. Engin Deniz, and Seydi Ahmet Satıcı.

(https://www.psypost.org/dominance-benefits-men-and-prestige-benefits-women-in-social-influence-but-time-equalizes-these-effects-study-finds/) Dominance benefits men and prestige benefits women in social influence, but time equalizes these effects, study finds
Jan 26th 2025, 10:00

A study published in (https://doi.org/10.1037/pspa0000380) Journal of Personality & Social Psychology examined how dominance and prestige influence social standing across men and women over time.
The dominance-prestige framework, widely studied in social and evolutionary psychology, identifies dominance (assertiveness and control) and prestige (competence and cooperation) as two distinct paths to achieving influence and status.
However, this framework has largely overlooked the role of gender stereotypes and how they may shape the effectiveness of these strategies. Gender norms often dictate that dominance aligns with stereotypically masculine traits, while prestige aligns with communal traits which are considered more feminine. As a result, individuals who defy these expectations often face backlash, raising questions about the universal applicability of these strategies.
Hemant Kakkar investigated whether the effectiveness of dominance and prestige as strategies for gaining social influence depends on an individual’s gender, and whether these dynamics shift over time.
Three pilot studies provided context for interpreting the results of the main study. Pilot Study 1 (100 participants) confirmed that Twitter was an appropriate stereotype-neutral platform for examining gendered social influence. Pilot Study 2 (397 participants) established that dominance and prestige aligned with masculine and feminine traits, respectively. Pilot Study 3 (389 participants) clarified that dominance was linked to behaviors likely to elicit backlash for women, whereas prestige involved traits more socially acceptable for both genders.
Building on these findings, the main study involved a sample of 188 participants (99 men and 89 women) who provided self-reports on their tendencies toward dominance and prestige using a 17-item scale. Participants also shared their public Twitter handles, allowing the researcher to analyze their online social networks and behavior. The study included a total of 229,884 tweets, scraping up to 3,200 tweets per participant, which included their entire Twitter history for 61.7% of the sample. Only original tweets authored by participants were included, while retweets and celebrity content were excluded to focus on participants’ direct influence within their networks.
Kakkar operationalized social influence by measuring the number of times a participant’s tweets were retweeted. Network centrality, or how often participants were directly mentioned, tagged, or replied to by their followers, was calculated as a proxy for likability and social standing within the network. Additional factors such as emotional tone of tweets, reciprocity in retweeting, and temporal trends in retweet activity were controlled to isolate the effects of dominance and prestige.
Kakkar found that dominance and prestige interact with gender to influence social standing on Twitter. Men benefited from dominance, with higher dominance associated with more retweets and network centrality, as it aligned with masculine stereotypes of assertiveness. In contrast, women experienced reduced social influence when using dominance, as it violated communal gender norms, leading to lower retweets and network centrality. Prestige, however, was more effective for women, boosting their influence by aligning with societal expectations of competence and cooperation. For men, prestige had a weaker effect on social influence, as its communal aspects clashed with traditional masculine stereotypes.
Over time, the effectiveness of dominance declined for both men and women, as its coercive nature led to diminished likability and influence. Prestige, on the other hand, became more viable for both genders over time, as its attributes of competence and collaboration resonated with network members who grew more familiar with the individuals.
These findings demonstrate that gender stereotypes and time dynamically shape the viability of dominance and prestige as strategies for achieving social influence.
One limitation was the reliance on Twitter as a study context, which may not generalize to offline interactions.
The study, “(https://doi.org/10.1037/pspa0000380) Achieving social influence across gender and time: Are dominance and prestige equally viable for men and women?” was authored by Hemant Kakkar.

Forwarded by:
Michael Reeder LCPC
Baltimore, MD

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