Research paper Essays (2592 words) - Social Psychology, Emotions

Research paper Gary Judkins Mr. Lindley English A1 1 May 2015 The importance of being social People often overlook how important it is to be social. If someone is shy or antisocial its often written off because its just the way they are. However, there are many health benefits of being social. Many studies have been conducted on the health benefits of being social and most will agree that social isolation is associated with poor health. A study conducted in 2003 found in Perspectives in Biology and Medicine claims that people who are socially isolated possess a less efficient system to repair and maintain physiological functioning. Those who are socially isolated are more prone to loneliness. Loneliness is often an indicator in the beginning stages of depression. But when people get out in their communities and become active with their friends and others, the loneliness disappears. It is important to have that social support in order to stay away from feelings of loneliness. And with that support system comes more opportunities to be active and the accountability to actually follow through. "We take relationships for granted as humans," said Julianne Holt-Lunstad, a psychologist at Brigham Young University in Utah. "That constant interaction is not only beneficial psychologically but directly to our physical health." It is important to be social. being socially isolated is not good for your mental, physical, and social health. by isolating yourself and not being social with people you harm your body in different ways. social people are proven to be healthier and happier than people who are socially isolated. when you isolate yourself from the world you lose touch on what's important in life. you don't have as many friends. you dont have friends to make you feel better when you're down, this makes you depressed and saddened. when you are social you have friends, you're not alone. you have friends to support you during depressing times. when you isolate yourself, you feel alone. as if you don't have any friends. by isolating yourself you are making yourself lonely. Being social and taking the time to laugh with friends is good for your health, And the more friends you have, the healthier you will be. A study from Carnegie Mellon University said that people with large social networks had more flu-fighting antibodies, while those who reported feeling lonely had fewer antibodies. The Journal of the American Medical Association researchers reported that the incidence of infection among people who knew many different kinds of people was nearly half that among those who were relatively isolated.The study included 276 healthy adults from 18 to 55 years old. First, they were asked to name the types of relationships in their social circle from a list of 12. The categories included spouse, children, other relatives, neighbors, friends, colleagues at work, members of social or recreational organizations and members of religious groups. Each category was counted if a participant spoke, either in person or on the phone, with someone from it at least once every two weeks. the volunteers were then given nose drops containing one of two cold viruses. They were put in a hotel for five days and allowed to interact, but at a distance of three or more feet so they would not infect each other. they were tested daily for signs of the virus in their nasal secretions and observed for cold symptoms like runny nose and congestion. they researched the people with the most categories of social relationships had the lowest susceptibility to colds. the report stated that 35 percent of the people had six or more types of relationships. 43 percent of those had four to five types. and about 62 percent of those had three or fewer. When they did get colds, the people with the most social ties had the mildest symptoms. A study Conducted by the Centre for Ageing Studies at Flinders University followed nearly 1,500 older people for 10 years. It found that those who had a large network of friends outlived those with the fewest friends by 22%. "I think we make a compelling case that social relationships should also be taken quite seriously in terms of reducing risk of mortality," said study researcher Julianne Holt-Lunstad, a