Cash Counting for the Blues?

I’m unsure what to think of a new study on the effects of counting money. Psychologists from Sun Yat-Sen University, University of Minnesota and Florida State University recently conducted experiments to study the psychological, physical and social impact of cash.

According to researchers, the participants felt less physical pain and had altered reactions to social exclusion when money was involved. In other words, counting money, as opposed to just counting plain paper, helped participants experience less pain (when dipping fingers in hot water) and lower social distress (when playing Cyperball).

You can read more on the specifics of the experiments at the Association for Psychological Science. The study was published in Psychological Science.

What is your reaction to this study?

I believe that most people associate money with positive outcomes and that feeling may lead them to report lower levels of pain and more comfort in social situations. However, should you count money when you’re feeling blue? That seems a bit odd to me. And the psychologists weren’t suggesting you count money for sadness, but one can’t help wondering…

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