Professor of Psychological Science and Department Chair Miriam Liss

Professor of Psychological Science Miriam Liss was quoted in a New York Post article about happiness titled “10 unhappiest states list reveals some surprises.” “It is important to live where you can afford housing without being financially stressed and where you can build some sort of community and develop strong friendship networks,” Liss said. “Research suggests that other variables such as weather are considerably less important than most people think.” Read more.

Liss’s comments have been published by other media, as well, including NewsPub, Oakdale Leader, and Newsweek.

Professor of Psychological Science and Department Chair Miriam Liss

The state of Indiana falls in the bottom 20th percentile on a new ranking for the happiest states to live in by personal financial website WalletHub.

The results released Tuesday cite that more than 75% of Americans who have experienced price increases where they live report feeling “very” or “moderately” stressed.

In addition, only 50% of Americans feel “very satisfied” with the way their personal life is going.

University of Mary Washington Professor of Psychology Dr. Miriam Liss said she considers one’s autonomy to be the leading indicator in being happy where you live. Liss pointed to affordable housing for what policymakers can do to attact and retain new residents. Read more.