College Students Love Compliments More than Drinking Or Sex...Right

Healthland- It's hard to imagine anything young people might value more than food, getting an extra paycheck or even having sex, but according to the results of a recent study in the Journal of Personality there is one thing prized most among college students: a boost to their self-esteem. In two consecutive studies of a total 282 students, researchers at Ohio State University showed that the majority of students chose kudos over more primal rewards like food, alcohol and sex as well as more sentimental rewards, like seeing a close friend. They even chose accolades over cold, hard cash. But why?

 http://healthland.time.com/2011/01/12/young-adults-choose-self-esteem-boost-over-sex-and-money/#ixzz1BDwSqvML


First of all, let's be sure to note that it was researchers at none other than tOSU that carried out this groundbreaking study. Putting in extra hours at the lab while everyone else is out at O Patio. That's the Columbus difference. 


Secondly, I think the most important part of this article is the very last quote. Any college student could explain this phenomenon to you, much as Carol Landau does: "Sex and alcohol are readily available on many college campuses and within students' reach. Their accessibility could explain why students are more motivated to get good grades and positive feedback, which may be harder to come by."


I would put down money that the data for this survey was collected on a Sunday or Monday, when a whole weekend full of horrible food, alcohol, and sexual choices has just passed. Between Sunday and Thursday, there is no way you're convincing me that I want Natty Light or Raising Cane's at all, much less more so than a good grade or some sort of compliment. 2 or 3 nights of beating the hell out of my body with the aforementioned substances (note: Keystone and Flying Pizza can be substituted for Natty and Cane's) doesn't exactly make me yearn for them during the week. But hey, come Friday, we all seem to forget these side effects and do it all over again, no matter what the consequence. Scientists refer to this as a "lack of permanence", or "being 20".