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Joel Katz

Scientists Say We Perform Better in a Bad Mood

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Author Joel Katz
A flustered college student grabs his hair as he looks at his notes in the Reading Room of the Brody Learning Commons, a study space and library on the Homewood campus of the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, 2015. Courtesy Eric Chen. (Photo by JHU Sheridan Libraries/Gado/Getty Images).

Maybe you need to proofread something or follow directions to build some furniture, scientists say you’ll do a much better job if you’re in a bad mood. Having to build that dining set or shelving unit may help to put you in that bad mood, which would be beneficial.

Researchers at the University of Arizona have found a link between a person’s mood and their ability to excel at detail-oriented tasks. Their study has discovered that the worse the mood you’re in, the better off you’ll be in accomplishing that task most effectively.

Vicky Lai, an assistant professor of psychology and cognitive science at the University of Arizona, and scientists in the Netherlands studied how the brain processes information depending on what emotional state a person is in.

A group of test subjects was asked to watch clips of upbeat material specifically, the TV show “Friends,” and then they watch something sad and depressing, the movie “Sophie’s Choice.” They were then asked to analyze specifics in a spoken word story. They found that those who were negatively impacted by the Meryl Streep flick did a better job in the analytical test.

Lai says, “We show that when people are in a negative mood, they are more careful and analytical. They scrutinize what’s actually stated in a text, and they don’t just fall back on their default world knowledge.” She also shared, “Mood and language seem to be supported by different brain networks. But we have one brain, and the two are processed in the same brain, so there is a lot of interaction going on,”

Researcher Jos van Berkum of the Netherlands’ Utrecht University, co-authored the study and shared, “When thinking about how mood affects them, many people just consider things like being grumpy, eating more ice cream, or, at best interpreting somebody else’s talk in a biased way.”

So the next time you have to do something that you feel may require a lot of brain power, get sad or angry before you attempt to take on that task.

 

7 Gameshows I Wish Were Still Around

Gameshows have been a part of the entertainment industry for decades though they’ve transformed in the past century since 1938 which was when one of the first gameshows was televised.

It’s always been a goal of mine to be on some sort of game or reality tv show, not that I think I would or could win, but just for the experience of it. So if I had a choice what gameshows that are long gone would I actually want to be on?

Well, I have a fondness for the early ’90s to late 2000s gameshows go figure seeing as I was born in 98′. So here are some of my favorite gameshows that I wish were still around.

  • 1. Silent Library

    Silent Library was a late 2000s show where groups of people or on some occasions celebrities would take turns participating in quick and sometimes brutal challenges for money, though it took place in a library so if the contestant or the others watching were too loud. They would get nothing for that challenge! Knowing my group of friends we would win and grand total of $0

  • 2. MXC

    Most Extreme Elimination Challenge also known as “MXC” is the curve ball on this list as the American version actually used repurposed footage of an Asian game show called Takashi’s Castle. To me, it looks like an alternate version of Wipeout. Though instead of falling in water you are crashing through doors or getting run over by giant fake boulders. So Extreme is certainly right!

  • 3. Legends Of The Hidden Temple

    Who doesn’t know this classic game show? Despite it only having 3 seasons, Legends of the Hidden Temple is recognized as one of the greatest game shows of the time period. Action adventure and puzzles all in one. The theme was based on the wildly popular Indiana Jones where you had to use brain and brawn to win. I think it would be amazing to be on the set of such an iconic piece of entertainment history.

  • 4. Cha$e

    Some may or may not remember this hide-and-seek-based gameshow where players had to run from seekers who resembled the stereotypical men in black. All while completing challenges to find and unlock the escape route. I loved being hider when I was young, so telling me I can play while getting paid?! Sign me up.

  • 5. The Newlywed Game

    This 90’s era is one of the oldest on the list, but it’s still a hit as it had as you can guess newlyweds seeing just how much they really know each other. I wouldn’t be as good at this one as my answers would change on the flip of a dime. But the answers would still be funny.

  • 6. American Gladiators

    David vs Goliath or in this case an an amateur athlete vs a gladiator! I’ve only seen a handful of episodes of this late 80’s game show, but it tested the average or amateur athlete against a pro to see who would come out on top. I love underdog stories so I would give it my best effort and hope for the best.

  • 7. Where In the World Is Carmen Sandiego

    This show does beg the question Where In the World Is Carmen Sandiego? I love to travel and wish I could do more of it, so being on a game show about geography wouldn’t be the worst thing and it’s such a classic that even today in 2023 if you see someone with a red hat and long red coat. You may think to yourself is that Carmen Sandiego?

 

Joel Katz is the Morning Show Personality, Assistant Program Director, Podcast Host, Voiceover artist, audio producer, and Digital Content Writer for Magic 98.3. Joel has been working in New Jersey radio since college and started at Magic in 2002 as the Morning Show Host, “I can’t think of another place where I’d fit more perfectly; it’s just a great company with awesome people.” Joel is married to Kathleen, his elementary school sweetheart (they were each other’s first dates at age 9), shares a birthday with his oldest son, Ty, and has twins, Kiera and Liam. Joel runs at least 3.1 miles every day and enjoys playing basketball, doing laundry, saving his turn signal for when he really needs it, kissing dogs through a fence, using coasters, making that cool noise by rubbing his fingers on balloons, and chasing after ping pong balls on a windy cruise ship.

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