AARP The Magazine - February/March 2012

CONNECTIONS
Embrace Embarrassment
Blushing can make you a better buddy—and may even attract friends
F YOU GET EMBARRASSED
at the drop of a hat—or
your fork—it’s not a bad
thing. A series of new stud-
ies from the University of
California, Berkeley, finds
that easily abashed people
tend to be more generous;

got embarrassed when complimented
(versus people who displayed pride
or no emotion). Participants did not,
however, consider embarrassed peo-
ple to be weaker or more vulnerable.
“We think of embarrassment as
a negative thing—something to be

avoided,” explains coauthor Matthew
Feinberg. “Yet it is actually posi-
tive, helping us navigate our social
worlds.” So what should you do the
next time you feel awkward? “Just be
yourself,” Feinberg says. “It’s the best
option.” —Tina Adler
FROM TOP: ILLUSTRATION BY SHAW NIELSEN; PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DAVID COWLES
Did you lose big bucks to your cousin in a football bet? Did you
lose even more watching horse racing with friends? It’s pretty
common: We tend to take bigger risks around others, finds a
new multinational study. Researchers set up a series of Final
Jeopardy!–style choices, each with different risks and rewards
(like winning $5 versus $50). They then measured participants’
brain activity and found that people focus more on winning
when in groups—and those in the study who risked a lot to win
continued to bet even bigger. Blame your ego, says Giorgio
Coricelli, Ph. D., a study coauthor. Throughout most of history, betting big when in groups (such as
while pursuing big game) was a good idea because we had support if we failed. But when we seek
rewards in groups today, he says, we typically bet big to convey a higher status. So be cautious
about going all in at your next poker game. “We’re more prone to taking risks when with company,”
Coricelli says, and we should keep ourselves in check before we get into trouble. —Helen Thompson

Too Hot
to Gamble
Why betting in
groups can be riskier
than betting alone

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