News Release
July 9, 2003
For Immediate Release
Contact: Brian Weaver
(202) 783.2077 ext. 3022
bweaver@psychologicalscience.org
Positive Psychology Asserts 'Character is Malleable'
A September 11 Study
Immediately following the events of September 11 the popular media reported that Americans became kinder, more loving and more religious following the attacks on New York and Washington, DC. Research reported in the July 2003 issue of Psychological Science suggests that not only did attitudes and values of many Americans change, but those changes also had staying power.
"In the immediate aftermath of September 11, people behaved differently by turning to others, which in turn changed their social worlds so that the relevant behaviors were rewarded and thus maintained," wrote Christopher Peterson, University of Michigan.
This research study found a great increase in positive traits among Americans immediately following September 11 including gratitude, hope, kindness, leadership, love, spirituality and teamwork. These traits were tested again three weeks after September 11. While the second sample showed a decline in these positive traits, they were still higher than before September 11. Most importantly, Peterson states, this research proves that "character is malleable" and that some traits, when changed, have staying power.
Although one might suspect that the traits would diminish as time passed, three weeks later, the traits were still higher than before the attacks. Further research is needed to unravel how such changes are sustained.
For more information contact Peterson at chrispet@umich.edu or visit the APS Media Center at www.psychologicalscience.org/media for a complete copy of this article.
Psychological Science is ranked among the top 10 general psychology journals, for impact on the field, by the Institute of Scientific Information. The American Psychological Society represents psychologists advocating science-based psychological research in the public's interest.