Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

What Your Xmas Lights Say About You

They say you're a pretty princess

By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff

Posted Dec 20, 2008 10:16 AM CST

(Newser) – Your neighbor’s yard is strewn with lit-up Santas, blinking stars, and a waving snowman. Think he’s trying to tell you something? It turns out he is, psychologists tell the Chicago Tribune. They consider decorations a manifestation of our need to communicate. “It’s a very basic tendency to know others and to need to be known by others,” says one psychologist. “We jump on these sanctioned opportunities to do that.”

One evolutionary biologist had students survey 3,600 homes, and generated a map placing the most flamboyantly decorated. He then compared that to a map showing which neighborhoods had the most social capital. “It turns out that this urge to decorate your house is an expression of neighborliness,” he says. “Some of the best neighborhoods literally glow more brightly.”

[Images (2)]

[Videos (1)]

[Quotes (1)]

The snow covered Saint-Louis Street, decorated with Christmas lights Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2008 in Quebec City. (AP Photo/Jacques Boissinot, The Canadian Press)

The "Unter den Linden" boulevard is illuminated with fairy lights as Christmas approaches in Berlin on Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2008. The background shows the landmark Brandenburg Gate. (AP Photo/Miguel Villagran)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

What do you think this display says about its owner? (theweber300)

View larger videos >>

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next »

I think it's a very basic tendency to know others and to need to be known by others. We jump on these sanctioned opportunities to do that. - Sam Gosling, psychology professor

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Go Green on Christmas, Tree Huggers Say

Greenies call real trees more eco-friendly than plastic variety

(NEWSER) - You can be eco-friendly this holiday season without turning into Scrooge, the Smithsonian reports. For those considering Christmas trees, environmentalists claim real trees are actually better for the environment than the plastic variety, which emit harmful dioxins when created or when on fire. More»

Scientists Spot Trouble With Online Dating

'Supermarkets of love' no better than bars for meeting people: Study

(NEWSER) - Online dating could help you find your perfect match—but your chances aren't any better than they'd be at a bar, a study suggests. You can't tell much about the people listed on sites like Match.com. Browsing such lists "overloads people and they end up shutting down," the psychology professor behind the study tells Reuters . It amounts to shopping at "supermarkets of love": When you have too many choices, you make bad decisions. More»

Exercising Makes Bosses Nicer

Those who hit the gym don't take stress out on subordinates: study

(NEWSER) - Got a crabby boss? Maybe you should get your office to chip in on a gym membership. Bosses who work out are less likely to mistreat their employees, according to a recent study in the Journal of Business and Psychology , spotted by Scientific American . Researchers had 98 MBA students fill out surveys on their bosses' behaviors, and had bosses fill out a separate survey about their stress levels and exercise habits. More»

Low IQ Linked to Racism, Conservatism, Study Claims

'Sense of order' appeals to those with lower intelligence, researchers say

(NEWSER) - Children with low IQs are more likely to embrace conservative ideologies and to be prejudiced against gays and people of other races as they get older, according to research certain to spark a few heated conversations. The researchers say people with lower intelligence tend to be attracted to the structure and authoritarianism of right-wing ideologies, LiveScience reports. Social conservatives were defined as people who agreed with statements like "Give law breakers stiffer sentences" and "Schools should teach children to obey authority." More»

Key to 'Gaydar': Facial Symmetry?

Guesses at sexual orientation tied to face shape: study

(NEWSER) - Wondering why you instinctively consider someone gay or straight? Try looking at the shape of the person's face. A new study says that people who identify as straight have a more symmetrical face than those who identify as gay. Researchers found this out by having 40 subjects identify the sexuality of 60 people after looking at their photographs, ScienceDaily reports. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

What Your Xmas Lights Say About You