IF YOU want to stay healthy and happy, keep a wide circle of friends and acquaintances about you. We do much better when part of a group than alone.
The closing day of the British Festival of Science heard an intriguing talk about how being part of a wider social group can be beneficial, both in terms of health but also improving our general wellbeing. “The basic message is groups are good for us in every sense,” stated Prof Alex Haslam, professor of social and organisational psychology at the University of Exeter.
Prof Catherine Haslam, associate professor of neuropsychology, also at Exeter, presented the results of a study where people in care were assessed for wellbeing and memory before and after involvement in controlled test situations.
A group was assembled where they reminisced about the old days, individuals reminisced with a single researcher and another group played skittles.
Those playing skittles showed a 12 per cent increase in wellbeing, a measure based on the use of established psychological testing, she said. Those involved in talking over the old days on the other hand showed a remarkable 10 per cent improvement in standard memory tests.
“We found it was only the group interventions that had an effect,” she said.
The one-to-one interventions provided no benefit.
Prof Alex Haslam suggested any drug that could deliver a 10 per cent gain in memory would have an immediate market, but the research showed that this could be delivered at effectively no cost simply by encouraging group activities and discussion among those in care.
“The solution is us,” he said. “I think it is a positive message.”