A study conducted in Turkey provided evidence that niceness can be considered a distinct psychological trait within the Turkish population. Niceness was found to be negatively associated with depressive symptoms and positively associated with subjective happiness—i.e., nice people tend to be happier. The paper was published in Psychological Reports.
Prosocial behaviors are voluntary actions aimed at benefiting others. These include helping others, sharing resources, comforting people, cooperating, or showing courtesy. Prosocial behaviors have evolutionary roots, as they enhance group survival and cohesion. They build trust, reduce conflict, and promote harmonious relationships among individuals and groups. Additionally, they improve emotional well-being, as helping others can increase happiness, life satisfaction, and a sense of purpose.
Niceness is one type of prosocial behavior. It is defined as treating others in a warm and friendly manner, ensuring their well-being, and fostering compassionate and cooperative relationships. Being nice—for example, smiling at others, approaching them gently, and offering kind words—doesn’t cost anything but can significantly enhance another person’s well-being. Other examples of niceness include speaking with a warm tone of voice, sincerely expressing gratitude, and using polite language. Importantly, for behavior to be considered “niceness,” it must not be motivated by the expectation of gaining something in return.
Study author Sinan Okur and his colleagues aimed to determine whether a psychological assessment scale for niceness, proposed by previous researchers, functions equivalently in the Turkish population. They sought to establish whether niceness can be regarded as a single psychological trait among Turkish people and whether the Turkish version of the scale functions as intended. They also explored the relationships between niceness, depression, and subjective happiness.
The researchers conducted two studies. The first study involved 404 Turkish adults, 210 of whom were women. Their average age was 32 years, ranging from 18 to 71. The second study included 372 adults, 184 of whom were women, with an average age of 23 years.
In the first study, participants completed the Niceness Scale as well as assessments of personality traits (using the Big Five Inventory) and subjective vitality (measured by the Subjective Vitality Scale, e.g., “I am an energetic and lively person”). In the second study, participants completed the Niceness Scale along with assessments of depression (using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales – 21) and subjective happiness (measured by the Subjective Happiness Scale).
The results of the first study indicated that the Niceness Scale works as intended in the Turkish population and that niceness can indeed be considered a distinct psychological trait. While niceness was associated with certain personality traits, the associations were very weak, supporting the notion that niceness is a unique psychological characteristic. Similarly, niceness was only weakly associated with subjective vitality.
The second study revealed that individuals with higher levels of niceness tended to have slightly lower levels of depressive symptoms and higher levels of subjective happiness. The researchers tested a statistical model suggesting that niceness reduces depressive symptoms, which, in turn, increases subjective happiness. The findings supported this model, suggesting that nicer people tend to be happier and less depressed.
“In conclusion, this study revealed that the one factor and six-item Niceness Scale are valid and reliable in the Turkish sample. Moreover, boosting niceness has been determined to reduce negative situations such as depression and therefore enhance subjective happiness,” the study authors concluded.
The study adds a useful tool for psychological studies in the Turkish population – an assessment of niceness. However, it should be noted that the design of the study does not allow any causal inferences to be derived about the relationships between niceness, depression, and happiness.
The paper, “How Does More Niceness Bring More Happiness? The Association Between Niceness, Depression, and Subjective Happiness,” was authored by Sinan Okur, Yusuf Akyıl, M. Engin Deniz, and Seydi Ahmet Satıcı.