For centuries it was believed that people who have more sex live more happily. A new study confirms sex does not make you happier, according to the findings of the researchers at the Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.
Happiness has wrongfully been connected many times before to a sexually active life. Professors at the Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh have finally questioned these sayings and decided to end the mystery by carrying out a research on their own.
The study was performed on 128 married couples with heterosexual orientation, aged between 35 and 65. Scientists asked participants to increase their intercourses during the three-month interval in which the research was conducted.
Respondents were told either to double or to carry on with the usual amount of sex they have had so far, depending on the declarations they have made.
The couples were frequently asked to fill out questionnaires meant to determine their psychological condition.
Results have shown that the group who doubled the amount of sex was not at all happier than the group that maintained the same amount of intercourses.
As a matter of fact, respondents who had to practice more sex than they did before felt stressed and, consequently less happy.
Psychologists, who have viewed the results of the study, have questioned the research’s validity.
According to them, scientists at the Carnegie Mellon University were not able to accurately determine whether increased sex activity really makes you happier or not, precisely because they have stressed their respondents.
In their opinion, researchers should repeat the study and suggest respondents this time to find new methods of reducing stress. Sexy scenarios are more than welcome, according to psychologists, as they can help reduce the stress factor which perturbed CMU’s investigation.
George Loewenstein, the study’s lead investigator, is convinced that the study was biased. He strongly believes that increased sexual frequency can have numerous benefits on humans’ minds and bodies, when and if practiced properly.
According to researchers at CMU in Pittsburgh, the study was meant to improve couples’ sexual life, particularly middle-aged couples.
The latter are usually unhappy about their sexual life, so scientists thought they could find a link between the rare intercourses and the general discontent they feel about themselves and their partners.
Unfortunately the findings of the study were not very relevant. If we are to take into account what researchers have discovered, than it is clear: increased sexual activity does not make you happier.
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