THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Christmas trees should be removed from public places to avoid making non-Christians feel “excluded”, scientists have suggested.
Researchers at Simon Fraser University in Canada, found non-Christians feel less self-assured and have fewer positive feelings if a Christmas tree was in the room.
The scientists conducted the study using 77 Christians and 57 non-believers, including Buddhists and Sikhs.
The participants did not know the survey was about Christmas, and were asked to fill in questions about themselves both when a 12-inch Christmas tree was in the room and when it was not.
"Non-celebrators" reported fewer positive feelings and less self-assurance in the Christmas room. Christians were mostly cheered by the tree.
Christians, however, did report feeling more guilt when a tree was in the room, which, claim the researchers, suggests the holidays can be stressful. >>> Andy Bloxham | Monday, December 20, 2010
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY: Christmas displays can undermine the psychological well-being of people who do not celebrate the holiday, according to a new Simon Fraser University study.
“This research demonstrates that the pervasive presence of Christmas displays in December makes people who do not celebrate Christmas feel like they don’t belong, and it harms their emotional well-being,” said SFU associate psychology professor Michael Schmitt.
The study was conducted by Schmitt, SFU psychology professor Stephen Wright, and SFU grads Kelly Davies and Mandy Hung. Their research was published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology in an article called, “Identity moderates the effects of Christmas displays on mood, self-esteem, and inclusion.”
Two experiments were conducted to examine the emotional consequences of being in the presence of a Christmas tree. SFU students were brought to a lab and randomly assigned to work in one of two rooms – one that had a 12-inch Christmas tree on a desk and one that didn’t. The participants, who were not aware they were part of a study about the effects of Christmas trees, then completed a questionnaire about their mood. >>> | Friday, December 17, 2010
This study is a load of nonsense! Christmas trees are part of our heritage. If non-Christians (you are probably referring here to Muslims) feel they don’t belong, then probably they don’t; and there’s a simple solution to this: Find the nearest airport and look for greener pastures!
I think I speak for the many when I say that I am sick to death of politically-correct do-gooders undermining our civilization. Take a trip to Saudi Arabia, or some other Muslim country, and see if they care whether we feel we don’t belong when they display their own Islamic ornaments for Eid, etc. They couldn’t give a fig. So lay off our Christmas! Get back to real science, guys, and see if you can do some good in this troubled world! – © Mark
Contact:
Michael Schmitt, SFU psychology, 778.898.0464, mschmitt@sfu.ca
Dixon Tam, SFU media relations, 778.782.8742; dixon_tam@sfu.ca
