Tear-jerker movies make us happy.

• Position: Cinema - Brief article

People enjoy watching heartbreaking movies like "Titanic" because they deliver what may seem to be an unlikely benefit: tragedies actually make people happier in the short term. Researchers at Ohio State University, Columbus, have found that watching such a film can cause people to think about their own close relationships, which, in turn, boosts their life happiness. The result is that, what seems like a negative experience--watching a really sad story--makes people happier by bringing attention to some positive aspects in their own lives.

"Tragic stories often focus on themes of eternal love, and this leads viewers to think about their loved ones and count their blessings," notes Silvia Knobloch-Westerwick, lead author of the study and associate professor of communication. However, viewers who have self-centered thoughts concerning the picture--such as "my life isn't as bad as the characters in this movie"--usually do not see an increase in their happiness.

"People...