XClose

UCL News

Home
Menu

Pocket Smile: new happiness app experiment

30 October 2013

Pocket Smile is the latest project by the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, exploring if looking at smiling faces throughout the day can increase happiness.

Have you ever noticed how many smiles are started by other smiles? Just like yawning, smiling is contagious. Pocket Smile is an iOS app that shows you smiling faces throughout the day and tracks mood changes with monthly questionnaires. 

You can join the experiment by downloading the free Pocket Smile app from iTunes today.

How it works:

- After a quick sign up, you choose how many faces to see per day and the app will send you a notification when the smiles are ready for viewing.

- You give the faces a quick glance and go about your day normally.

- Once a month, you answer the mood questions again to track any changes and the data is securely and anonymously sent to UCL servers as long as you keep participating.

Find out more:

Visit www.pocketsmile.icn.ucl.ac.uk for more information on this experiment supported by University College London and the Wellcome Trust, including news and updates.

If you can't participate because you don't have an iOS device, you can still support the experiment by liking and sharing Pocket Smile on Facebook and following us on Twitter #PocketSmileApp.

Javier Elkin, PhD fellow in Translational Cognitive Neuroscience