In a recent study, a group of males was sent out to purchase items on London's busiest shopping street. Psychologist David Lewis, who conducted the study, made a video of the experience.
"We wired them up, measured things like blood pressure, heart rate," Lewis said. "We looked at stress hormones but we also gave them a very special pair of glasses." The frames contained tiny video cameras. This way, scientists were able to see which parts of the shopping trips made the men feel most stressed.
"Every single man in our study became very stressed in the experiment," Lewis said. "In some cases we saw blood pressure that you might associate with a combat pilot flying into action or a riot police officer facing an angry mob. It was not a pleasant experience. It was a kind of shopping nightmare, a day in hell so far as they were concerned."
The study contained one interesting footnote. When the men involved were shopping for themselves, for things like cars, there was no stress at all. It was only when shopping for family and friends that their blood pressures and heartbeats skyrocketed.
Share Tools
Top News Headlines
- Syria massacre prompts UN Security Council meeting
- The UN Security Council is holding an emergency meeting Sunday to discuss the recent massacre in the Syrian town of Houla, in which more than 90 people died, many of them children under the age of 10. more »
- Montreal protesters march in peaceful defiance
- The clanging of pots and pans sounded throughout Montreal's downtown core Saturday night and into early Sunday morning, as thousands of protesters marched on in peaceful — but loud — defiance of Bill 78. more »
- Quebec actress captures Cannes prize
- Canadian Suzanne Clement has been awarded the Best Actress prize in the Cannes Film Festival's sidebar competition, Un Certain Regard. more »
- Lady Gaga nixes Indonesia show after threats
- Lady Gaga cancelled her sold-out show in Indonesia after Islamist hard-liners threatened violence, claiming her sexy clothes and provocative dance moves would corrupt the youth. more »
Latest Health News Headlines
- Alcohol addiction team wants higher energy drink prices
- Mixing alcohol with caffeine-rich energy beverages is a trend that is continuing to rise in Canada, despite repeated warnings that the combination is unsafe, a new report warns. more »
- How curry spice helps the immune system kill bacteria
- A spice used in curry dishes helps to prevent infection and now scientists think they've got a lead on how. more »
- Calgary EMS station opens to the public
- Curious Calgarians got a look at a northwest EMS station this morning. more »
- Yellowknife toddlers catching hand, foot and mouth virus
- An outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease in Yellowknife is causing many toddlers and their parents some major discomfort. more »
FEATURED HEALTH
- Teen struck by lightning in Ottawa dies
- Missing Winnipeg children found in Mexico
- Quebec tornadoes cause millions in damage
- Montreal protesters march in peaceful defiance
- Woman's remains found in hockey bag on Cape Breton river
- Syria massacre prompts UN Security Council meeting
- Everest team unable to bring down Toronto woman's body
- WWE apologizes to Brazil over Canadian's flag stomp
- Pope's butler arrested in Vatican leaks scandal

