Benefits of idealism

A study showed that people with lucky charms achieved higher results in motor skills and thinking tests because they felt more confident when having charms.

Artwork: hardwaresphere.com.

Idealistic actions that hope to bring goodness are present in cultures around the world because to some extent they really work. A recent study has shown that trusting in the power of some idealistic things can bring good luck in some specific cases.

AOL said it was the result of a study by a group of scientists at the University of Cologne in Germany. In a series of experiments involving memory and motor skills, scientists studied behavior and idealism about students' luck.

The first experiment observed the impact of the concept of luck when playing golf. Scientists give a golf ball to the participants. Those who know it are lucky balls tend to play better than others.

In one final experiment, each participant was given a lucky charm. In the memory and anagram test, those who are allowed to bring good luck charms also do better.

People are often idealistic when faced with stressful situations or how to resolve them. That may explain why athletes or students are often idealistic because this reduces their psychological pressure.

Research shows that idealism also creates confidence in one's ability. 'Believing in idealists can be a way to help a person develop his or her ability to fulfill tasks', the researchers concluded.

Barbara Stoberock, a member of the research team, said: ' Idealistic action does not help us win the lottery, but it can help win a sports match or pass the test.'

Scientists intend to continue to study the effects of negative idealistic notions.

The study is published in the journal Psychological Science.