STUDY: THOSE WHO GREW UP WITH A SISTER ARE HAPPIER

A recent study says that those who grew up with a sister are more likely to be happier than those who didn’t. Researchers from Leicester, England’s De Montfort University and Ulster University in Northern Ireland studied 570 people aged between 17 and 25. They asked them a number of psychological questions about numerous topics, including mental health. The data collected showed that the participants who grew up with sisters were encouraged to communicate more openly about their feelings, which ultimately gave them a more positive outlook on life. Professor Tony Cassidy, leading of the study, said that “sisters appear to encourage more open communication and cohesion in families. However, brothers seem to have the alternative effect. It could be that boys have a natural tendency not to talk about things. With boys together it is about a conspiracy of silence not to talk. Girls tend to break that down.”
* Thanks for reinforcing that stereotype, professor.
* Also, having a sister gives boys a head start on the important life skill of pretending to be listening.
* This study may be true, but I bet it’s the older sister who’s happier. The kid sister always gets dumped on, and has to wear hand-me downs.
* I’ll bet having a sister would be fun ’cause you’d get to try on her bras and stuff. Wait – was that out loud?
* PHONE TOPIC: My “Crazy Sister” story.