Ebenezer Scrooge's transformation from curmudgeon to Christmas cheerleader might seem contrived to modern readers, but Charles Dickens' characterization actually aligns with real life-changing events, according to two Brigham Young University researchers. 

BYU psychology professor Sam Hardy and graduate student Jon Skalski interviewed 14 people that professed to having a sudden, life-changing experience. Their study is forthcoming in the January volume of The Humanistic Psychologist.