Family Life

11.10.11 | Jeremy Miller

People who fill the pews at church on a regular basis are more likely to have a sunny outlook on life. Still, researchers behind a new study caution that simply going to church is no guarantee of a better outlook on life.  The study published in the "Journal of Religion and Health" concluded that people who went to services more than once a week are much more likely to score high on a test that measures optimism.  A professor of psychology at Yeshiva University in New York says the study might simply show that more optimistic people are attracted to religious services.  He also noted that the study looked at older women and said past research has shown that they get the biggest benefit from their social interactions at services.