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“It Matters How We Treat One Another” is the social science show - now in its third season! Here, host Matthew David Vasko discusses all the various ways that we can improve our relationships with others - partners, children, parents, extended family, friends, coworkers, and all the different types of people with whom we share our beautiful and diverse world. Features include Inspiring News and The Quote of the Week. Find our premium content on our Patreon, including The Takeaway.

Season 3, Episode 9, Topic: Deepening Relationships

In this episode, Matthew does a deep dive into deepening relationships. He shares a variety of science-based strategies for increasing connection, decreasing loneliness, and performing acts of kindness, which are proven to increase happiness.

Key Research Links

Here are the direct links to the studies mentioned in our Feature Segment:

1. Harvard Study of Adult Development

1. Official website: https://www.adultdevelopmentstudy.org
2. Dr. Robert Waldinger's TED Talk "What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness": https://www.ted.com/talks/robert_waldinger_the_secret_to_a_happy_life_lessons_from_8_decades_of_research
3. Harvard Gazette article on the study: https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2017/04/over-nearly-80-years-harvard-study-has-been-showing-how-to-live-a-healthy-and-happy-life/

2. Holt-Lunstad Meta-Analysis on Social Relationships and Mortality

1. Full study (open access): https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1000316
2. PubMed link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20668659/

3. Shelly Gable's Research on Active-Constructive Responding

1. Key article: Gable, S. L., Reis, H. T., Impett, E. A., & Asher, E. R. (2004). "What do you do when things go right? The intrapersonal and interpersonal benefits of sharing positive events." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 87(2), 228-245.
2. Dr. Gable's faculty page: https://www.psych.ucsb.edu/people/faculty/gable
3. Educational overview: https://positivepsychology.com/active-constructive-communication/

4. Sonja Lyubomirsky's Research on Kindness and Happiness

1. Dr. Lyubomirsky's research page: https://sonjalyubomirsky.com/
2. Her faculty profile with publications: https://lyubomirsky.socialpsychology.org/
3. Key article: Lyubomirsky, S., Sheldon, K. M., & Schkade, D. (2005). "Pursuing happiness: The architecture of sustainable change." Review of General Psychology, 9, 111-131.

Resources for Additional Learning

If you'd like to dive deeper into these topics, here are some excellent resources:

Books:

1. "The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness" by Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz
2. "Social: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Connect" by Matthew Lieberman
3. "The How of Happiness" by Sonja Lyubomirsky
4. "Happy Money: The Science of Happier Spending" by Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton

Key Research:

1. The Harvard Study of Adult Development website features Dr. Robert Waldinger's popular TED Talk "What Makes a Good Life"
2. Holt-Lunstad and colleagues' meta-analysis on social relationships and mortality, published in PLOS Medicine in 2010
3. Shelly Gable's research on active-constructive responding in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
4. Sonja Lyubomirsky's work on the architecture of sustainable happiness in the Review of General Psychology

Online Resources:

1. Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley offers free, science-based practices at greatergood.berkeley.edu
2. The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation provides inspiration and ideas at randomactsofkindness.org

Show links:

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/ItMattersHowWeTreatOneAnother/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ItMattersHowWeTreatOneAnother/

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Patreon: http://patreon.com/ItMattersPatrons

Podcast website: https://it-matters.captivate.fm/

Host Matthew David Vasko’s website: https://matthewvasko.com/

Intro/Outro/Interstitial music by Z19: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvfnVgE2H20vJQN4Yl7gbtA

“It Matters How We Treat One Another” is a production of Meta Key Productions, all rights reserved.

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The information shared on this show is meant for general educational purposes only. Please consult with a licensed professional before making any life-altering decisions. Listener/viewer assumes all responsibility for any actions taken as a result of consuming this content. Any application of suggestions made on this show is taken at the listener/viewer's sole risk.