Don’t let Stress Make You Overweight

By Pamela O'Connor

We all have reasons to be depressed and stressed. Work may not be going well, your relationship may be on the rocks, and things may just feel hopeless. Unfortunately, binge eating on fattening foods does not help at all in this area. We may feel satisfied temporarily, but our problems still exist and now our waistlines are expanding. When we become stressed, our brain releases adrenaline, to help with our “fight or flight” response. This chemical will help decrease our appetites, but once it wears off, cortisol will be released to replenish the food supply, making us very hungry. We don’t really need the extra food unless we are using all of our energy, but sitting around stressing doesn't happen to use much. However we still get the message, and so we eat more.

One way to fix this issue is to do lots of aerobic exercise. By doing this, it can decrease levels of cortisol and help to improve mood and relieve pain. This can also help to speed up your metabolism. Also, by learning mindful eating, it can help you to slow down and even change your outlook on food. Within learning mindful eating you learn how to meditate, which is also a big stress reliever. You can also learn how to savor food and its sight, texture, or smell. One study done of binge eaters showed fewer binges and less depression when using the mindful eating program.  

Another way to deal with stress in a healthy way is to find activities that are rewarding in other ways than through food. Spending time with loved ones, animals, or even getting a massage can help to relieve stress in more ways than you’d think. Writing down your thoughts in a journal is also very effective. Writing helps to clear the mind and is a good way of expressing yourself. It can help to keep you busy and away from unhealthy snacking. It is also important to write down your goals and progress; seeing your accomplishments can help to ease your stress.

There are many ways to deal with constant stress, although most are unhealthy. It may be easier to go with fattening foods or late night partying, but that will only hurt you in the long run. If you take the extra time to eat healthy and take care of yourself, you can greatly reduce your stress and live a better, happier life.

Inside the Mind of a Game Changer

In the spring of 2012, I was watching one of the NCAA championship's game (March Madness) with fascination. I was witnessing a 6'8" 260 pound bruiser of a forward bring the ball up the court and masterfully facilitate the offense for Iowa State. His basketball skill set is very unique, but what first attracted me to Royce White is now an after thought.

To me now, White is an outspoken, impressive individual who truly advocates for mental health awareness, legislation, and education. Not many professional athletes are as open about their mental health as White is, and never has a professional athlete risked as much as White has to advocate for his position. White was drafted with the 16th overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets. He suffers from generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, a phobia of flying, along with a bevy of other mental ailments. These conditions are detrimental, not only for an ordinary citizen, but even more so for a professional athlete who must withstand pressures to perform as well as a grueling flying schedule. It is safe to say the NBA lifestyle, or any professional sports lifestyle for that matter, is not built for a mind like White's. That may be so. The bulk of what White has heard his whole life centers around that central idea. But White is not looking to conform, he is looking to revolutionize. He frequently references the "American with Disabilities Act," a bill signed in 1990 which prohibits the discrimination of those with physical or mental impairments (as defined more specifically in the bill) in the professional world. It is his right as a victim of an "emotional or mental illness" to be accommodated to in the work place. For White, it means to work out a busing option to games to substitute for the frequent flights. It also means having a mobile mental health professional for him at the ready in order to offer prognosis and counsel. White stresses that this professional cannot be team affiliated in order to eliminate any conflict of interest and to give a neutral diagnosis. As a whole, this would be changing the way the NBA does business. According to White's self declared humanistic approach, professional athletes must be treated as individuals, as opposed to commodities solely judged by face value.

There are those who call White lazy, irresponsible, and high maintenance because he did not suit up for a single game as a Houston Rocket in the entire 2012-2013 season. Instead of contributing, White was refusing to agree to the Rockets' terms concerning his mental health and travel arrangements. From many angles, mainly the business angle, this looks bad. The Rockets have an employee who hasn't worked at for them at all and is causing conflict within the organization on how to handle his novel situation. White reflects that he wouldn't be surprised if he was let go and he wouldn't take it personally, but would continue to advocate for the awareness of mental health. This idea of a professional athlete risking all that he is risking (millions of dollars and a career that would set him up for life) to bring to light a very delicate and personal issue aimed at aiding the greater good is unheard of. There are also those who call White a hero, a role model, and a pioneer. He is a figure with publicity using it for the good of not only those who suffer from mental illness, but for society as a whole to become tolerant and educated.



On July 5th of this past summer, Yahoo! Sports reported that the Houston Rockets traded Royce White to the Philadelphia 76ers for a draft pick and future draft considerations. Does this move mean the Rockets have tried with White and can't agree? Does it just mean they made a business decision? Can this possibly symbolize the attitude toward mental illness in America? White is extremely well read and displays incredible self assurance judging by his interviews. However, he just turned 22 years old and left college early with less than two full years under his belt. For him, there is still much to experience and learn. He will continue to grow as a person and as an advocate, making his influence down the road even more impacting.

Royce White labels himself a humanist, meaning he believes every individual holds free will and the power to make personal decisions independent from their external environment. Through unrelenting adversity, he exemplifies just that.  

-Ryan Scanlon

Recommended works:
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8890734/chuck-klosterman-royce-white

http://www.sbnation.com/longform/2013/5/9/4312406/royce-white-living-and-working-with-anxiety-disorder

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe21L3EnDdE

Referenced works:
http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=Helpline1&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=47065

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-basketball/22651671/report-royce-white-traded-to-the-76ers-for-future-pick

What Causes Narcissism?

 

Narcissists are always looking for their next “fix”, another dose of admiration and applause to keep them high on excitement and the “grandiose” image they have of themselves.  However, the need to feed off of other’s approvals for this attitude seems contradicting to what most narcissists are mostly known for, devaluing others and their opinions.  The “paradox” that narcissists exhibit “a combination of grandiosity and fragility” is described by Psychologist Mitja D. Back, of Johannes Gutenberg-University in Germany. Back’s research, noted in  Psychology Today in an article called How to Spot a Narcissist, suggests that narcissists tend to use the positive feedback from who is around them to keep their high, and devalue and avoid those who give a “harsh dose of reality.” This behavior is giving researchers insight on how the narcissist ever even became the ego driven being that he/she is.

Many debate over whether the cause of narcissism stemmed from random parental praise or a lack of any praise at all and rejection. The one thing that everyone CAN agree on is the distrust and insecurity that is forced upon the narcissist when the first impressions begin to fade and those around them are no longer admiring or applauding them. This continuous “whiplash” of emotions gives researchers Lorna Otway and Vivian Vignoles the impression that Freud’s original idea of parents giving both random praise and rejection could be the result of the child not trusting any kind of praise and growing up to be the insecure narcissist who seeks constant admiration and only maintains “weak ties” with everyone so as to not have to deal with any kind of rejection.

Susan Heitler, a PhD Clinical Psychologist, takes a more comical route in describing possible causes for narcissism in an article called Success Can Breed the Narcissism of "Tall Man Syndrome". Many of her narcissistic male patients had turned out to be very tall in height and of course had confidence that was “sky high” despite their relationship problems they could not obviously understand.  As she dropped off her kids at preschool, she noticed one very tall boy who was going around the classroom and taking other kid’s toys and books they were using for his own pleasure without asking and walking away. The tall boy was in fact going against the classroom rules that all the kids are taught, yet every child seemed to not mind as the tall boy took away their things with a “likable smile” on his face. Susan then suspected that her tall narcissistic clients had been “at risk since they were youngsters of succumbing to a narcissistic life stance.” Basically, anything that could make a child stand out more so than any other child, in this instance even height, could potentially feed the ego at an early age.

Unfortunately, trying to find definitive causes for narcissism is as difficult as it is to treat them. As I have mentioned in this blog, narcissists look for admiration and feed off of those who applaud them and avoid anyone with any kind of criticism or negative feedback. So, it’s easy to assume how difficult a therapy session would be with a narcissist. However, the silver lining can be seen as Susan tries to remedy this situation in suggesting that narcissists, who tend to want to be the best at everything, could be great patients if they look at it as a process of becoming an even better person.

So as we go about our daily lives and either have a run in with a narcissist, or must deal with one every day, hopefully we can try and approach them more strategically understanding a little from where the narcissism could have came from.

By

Shayra Serrano

References:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201106/how-spot-narcissist
http://www.psychologytoday.com/collections/201308/how-spot-narcissist/success-can-breed-the-narcissism-tall-man-syndrome

Blurred Lines [of Personality]

There is a reason why black and white television has been eliminated. Not because of the programming ("I Love Lucy" and "The Honeymooners" are American classics no doubt), but because depicting a program as black and white is not realistic. In the real world, there is color. The world offers different vibrant shades of red and lesser dull shades of yellow all completing the reality a television hopes to bring you. According to Mary Loftus at Psychology Today, the analysis of personality traits should be colorful, not black and white. There is no such thing as "lumping" a person into either the introverted or extroverted pile. There are degrees to which these traits can be carried out and, as Loftus sheds light to, it can be possible to have too much of a good trait. Being categorized as "driven to succeed" is normally good, however too much of this can lead being categorized as "perfectionistic." "There really is a fine line between striving for excellence and striving excessively for perfection," says Toronto York University professor Gordon Flett. This fine line also exists for people who are classified as "agreeable." Those who are generally accommodating are softhearted, trusting, and helpful. However, says Loftus, conflict in life is inevitable, and in these conflicting instances, assertiveness is a necessary trait. Being willing to appease all the time has its obvious down sides, then again so does challenging every thought and asserting yourself at every juncture. Is there no middle? Loftus concludes by saying every individual must find balance. Every situation holds an appropriate action in the eyes of the individual, and it is up to him to act. And how others interpret his actions is how personality is formed, leaving a large degree of variability.

My Reflection:
To say "Tom is kind" is completely subjective. This claim is based on a number of different factors that lie with the person making the judgement. First, what is his definition of kind? Kind is a broad word normally with a wide range of other words used to define it; no two people are going to have the identical definition of kind. Second, on what body of evidence does he have to conclude that Tom is kind? How many examples of Tom's kindness does he have in mind? Maybe he caught Tom on a good day, maybe Tom is rarely kind, but to him, this kind act defines Tom. To my point: kindness and other personality traits are not objective. What Loftus is saying that every trait  has another side to it, and what I take away from that is since there are always two sides, there can never be one conclusion.

-Ryan Scanlon

Reference: Psychology Today magazine: October 2013; psychologytoday.com; "When Vice Becomes Virtue"

Can Evil Be Sexy?

By Pamela O'Connor

As many movies will tell us, more specifically Disney, evil and the “bad guys” are always unattractive, unpleasant looking people. They have weird accents and are not “society’s” idea of beautiful. It is shown many times that people with white features are normally seen as more beautiful than people with darker skin. But it scares us even more when we see an evil person can be beautiful, it makes us less trusting of people in general. We want to trust good- looking people, so we believe that goodness is found in beauty. In the recent Boston bombing scandal, a rolling stone cover was put out with one of the bombers face across it, and surprisingly, he didn’t look evil. He, in fact, looked sexy. It outraged most people and this is because the media has portrayed other terrorists or people involved in terrorism as ugly, fat and dark.

The picture was taken from the bomber’s (Dzhokhar Tsarnaev) social media site. He starts to resemble many teen pop stars, with the young, clean and “white looking” face, complete with big eyes and long dark locks surrounding his face. All these classic tales of good vs. evil show the hero being a big, strong, good-looking man that you could trust and put your faith in; he is easy to love. The villains are always even larger, but mean looking and it is very easy to hate them. Tsarnaev looks easy to trust and like, which is extremely scary to society considering the damage he and his brother have done to America.

Hollywood has changed our view of sexy countless times, and it can mean many different things to many different people. Tsarnaev is considered sexy now because of his resemblance to celebrities and even more alarming, Disney characters. He has been compared to Aladdin on many accounts, with his dark hair and shape of his face. Since Aladdin is a good guy, it is hard to accept that someone so horrible could resemble a beloved character. It forces society to question everything we have grown up on, and changes our view of evil from ugly to beautiful.

Source: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/love-inc/201307/is-rolling-stones-cover-dzhokhar-tsarnaev-sexy

Your Thoughts are Not as Real as You Think

By Pamela O'Connor

It can be easy to panic when we have negative thoughts, but we never realize that these thoughts are not actually real. We may look around to see if others can tell what is going on in our minds, but of course no one can. The key to getting rid of unpleasant thoughts is to not pay them any attention- it’s that simple.

If we entertain a thought or play out a conversation in our heads between us and another person, that other person will never know about it. We may look at them differently because of this, but it is our own private world inside our minds. Our thoughts speak loudly to ourselves, but no one else can hear them, and that is forgotten quickly when we over think situations. These thoughts are in a sense real, because we are real people having our own thoughts. But these thoughts do not exist outside of our awareness, so they are only real to the people thinking.

These thoughts feel so real to us because we relate each thought to a solid, real object. In doing this, our mind perceives this as something that is actually happening, and so our body reacts to that depending on whether the thought is negative or positive. Our thoughts do not actually affect the object unless we believe that it does.

It can be upsetting to know that these thoughts and feelings we have are unreal and the shared connections we make in our minds do not exist in real life. However we cannot choose which thoughts will appear and then disappear from our minds, and we can never know where these thoughts really come from. If we choose to ignore them and give these thoughts no time or energy, they will disappear in an instant.

Source: http://www.psychologytoday.com/collections/201308/weeks-top-posts-2/why-our-thoughts-are-not-real

Today's Technology May Be Able to Help Children with Autism Learn and Communicate

    Children with autism may be able to benefit from using smart technologies like iPads and iPods in order to communicate and engage with others. Rhonda McEwen and her team at University of Toronto Mississauga in Ontario have been researching these devices and how they can help autistic children express themselves. The researchers as well as teachers that participated in the study were very surprised by how receptive the children's communication skills were after beginning to use the iPads and iPods. Because children are very likely to enjoy using all of the new technology, it makes it quite easy for them to utilize these devices for learning and still having fun while doing so.

    In 2010, Rhonda McEwen and her team began their research in a Toronto elementary school. There were twelve children in the study in six different classrooms and all were labeled as non verbal. In the six month that the study lasted for, the children became very familiar with using Apple's iPod touch and iPad. The results show that nine out of the twelve children showed improvements ranging from mild to significant in their communication abilities.

    According to Brenda Smith Myles, an autism consultant, these devices might be so effective because they allow those children who are nonverbal, low verbal, or have high anxiety from interacting with others to be comfortable and therefore free to show just how much they know. Some may worry that having autistic children rely on technology for learning and communicating may prevent them from speaking but many professionals say that what matters is that the child is communicating and it could be a possible bridge to actually speaking.

   Although this research is still preliminary, it looks very promising and might just be a new technique to begin incorporating in future treatments. 

By: Stephanie Lopez

Source: http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2013/08/02/smart-technology-may-help-kids-with-autism-learn-communicate

Lifestyle and Environment Changes May Help Treat Insomnia

When coping with insomnia the most effective way to improve the length and quality of sleep is to make committed environmental changes in order to see long lasting effects. Insomnia is brought on by a variety of factors found in the individuals daily life and routine. The first step to self-treatment is finding what it is in the individuals life that may be causing lack of sleep. Environmental factors that may cause insomnia include loud noises, varied sleeping schedules, naps, consuming caffeine, smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, bright lights, arguments shortly before bed, strenuous work shortly before bed, and sleeping next to or near someone who snores or is restless. There are different ways to tackle these issues, but most if not all can be dealt with and solved independently if the individual is committed to making the appropriate changes. 

Suggestions for inducing sleep and improving your sleep environment include:

1. Reduce surrounding noise by isolating yourself or using earplugs
2. Reduce any visible light with dark curtains, eye masks, etc.
3. Exercise regularly, but not before bed
4. Take a warm bath before bed
5. Drink warm milk before bed
6. Begin a relaxing activity if insomnia continues for more than 20 minutes, do not lie in bed
7. Perform relaxation or tension release exercises
8. Return to bed only when you feel tired
9. Gradually set your sleeping pattern so you are falling asleep and waking up at the same time each day
10. If insomnia persists, contact your local mental health specialist

By Kellie McClain

SOURCE: http://uhs.berkeley.edu/home/healthtopics/PDF%20Handouts/Insomnia.pdf

Diabetes in Young Children linked to Antipsychotic Drugs

By Pamela O'Connor

In recent studies, it has been shown that children taking antipsychotic medications are three times more likely to develop type II diabetes, compared to children taking other psychotropic medications. This has also been seen in adults quite frequently. Although this is an alarming discovery, it is expected due to the side effect causing excess weight gain and insulin resistance. Adults taking these medications are likely to gain 20 to 40 pounds, and proportionally to their body sizes, so are children. Wayne A. Ray of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine took part in this study and advises that these medications be used more cautiously with younger children.

Antipsychotics are becoming more and more frequent among the youth. They are being used for bipolar disorders, affective disorders and many behavior problems. These medications can also help with lowering aggressiveness because they are potent tranquilizers, helping to fix conduct and attention disorders.

This study was conducted on patients ages 6-24 with 28,858 participants recently taking antipsychotic drugs and 14,429 participants taking a different psychotropic medication. The risk of diabetes found was in patients ages 6-17, compared with the group taking other psychotropic drugs. This was observed within one year of follow-up. Diabetes is normally thought of as a disease that takes a long time to develop, Ray said. However, it was shown that even short term use can be unsafe with the risk of diabetes. It was shown that the higher the cumulative dose, the higher the risk of diabetes was. For up to a year after the participants stopped taking the dosage, the risk remained heightened.

Ray’s advice on this pressing matter would be to try alternatives to this medication and only after those have not worked should patients try these antipsychotic drugs.  

Source: http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2013/08/21/antipsychotics-linked-to-diabetes-in-kids/?hpt=he_c2

PTSD's Toll On Family Relationships

 

The disorder related to anxiety known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) brings upon many severe symptoms and side effects that can be vexing towards the individual and overwhelming towards their family and friends. The effects of PTSD include avoidance symptoms such as feeling emotionally numb, guilty, depressed, or worried or avoiding people, places, and objects that remind them of the traumatic event, re-experiencing symptoms such as flashbacks, night terrors, and frightening thoughts, and hyper-arousal symptoms such as insomnia, tension, or anger. Symptoms of avoidance can be damaging to close relationships with children and spouses because it may lead to the individual avoiding many family and social affairs in fear of flashbacks or becoming indifferent or depressed in situations where individual once found interest and happiness. The re-experiencing symptoms make it difficult for the individual to perform daily tasks and can lead to difficulty in maintaining intimate relationships. Symptoms of hyper-arousal can negatively effect family relationships by causing frequent conflicts between the individual and their spouse or children that are often provoked by the individuals bursts of anger and constant feeling of tension. Domestic violence is another way that PTSD can be detrimental to family relationships, since the likelihood of such family violence increases threefold with spouses who have PTSD in comparison with those who do not.

Studies are recently being performed to help the relationships of those with PTSD by sending randomly chosen couples to domestic-violence prevention programs or to a supportive-therapy condition. Other studies are being done using intervention or wait-list control. Many psychologists have agreed that in addition to these treatments, it in crucial for families to be psycho-educated in the condition and how to cope with its affects.

By Kellie McClain

SOURCE: http://www.apa.org/monitor/jan08/helping.aspx

Social Giving: A Charitable Way to Make Yourself even Happier

By Pamela O'Connor

Recent studies show that giving charitable donations directly to a friend or loved one gives more satisfaction than an anonymous donation to a worthy charity. If charity is given in a way that builds social connection, people feel happier and have a greater sense of positive feelings. 

Three studies were carried out by Lara Aknin of Simon Fraser University and colleagues from Vancouver and Harvard business school. These studies found that pro-social spending, or spending money on others either directly or in a charitable way provoked the greatest level of happiness when a social connection is made during this. Donors feel more accomplished knowing they have succeeded from the source itself. Receiving credit from this can be seen as positive reinforcement; therefore the chance is greater that they will donate again. 

Not-for-profit organizations are hoping to expand on this to receive bigger donations, suggesting that recruiting advocates and helping to create more social connections could help donors and those in need. This can also help bring about “word of mouth” marketing if the donors are happier about advocating for a certain charity because they also feel benefited from it. 

These findings complement an earlier research showing a positive effect from social interactions and voluntary work. This team concludes that “putting the social in pro-social is one way to transform good deeds into good feelings”

Source: Science Daily

7 Great Tips to Manage Your Depression When it is at It's Worst

by Kristi Caporoso

Getting through the worst of clinical depression can be what feels like an impossible battle for some people. However, writer Therese Borchard gives useful, tried and true advice for those who aren't quite sure how to cope. The seven tips include:

1. Just Keep Going: Keep moving forward even when you cannot think of a logical reason to do so.
2. Breathe: Coherent breathing can help to calm down your nervous system when it is overworking.
3. Go Gentle: Don't be so hard on yourself.
4. Stop Trying: Overworking on improving yourself can sometimes have the opposite effect on people who suffer from depression.
5. Read Styron: The author of "Darkness Visible," which Borchard found helpful and reads excerpts from when she is feeling dark and down.
6. Distract Yourself: Distraction is key for anxiety and depression. Many people use distraction when they are feeling overwhelmingly sad or stressed--clean your house, exercise, etc.
7. Revisit Your Strengths: Think of all the tough situations that you have gone through--and made it through. Give yourself the credit you deserve.

For the full article, visit http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2013/08/14/7-ways-to-manage-clinical-depression/

Postpartum Depression More of a Risk in Bigger Cities

by Kristi Caporoso

Recent studies have shown that women who give birth and spend their postpartum period in highly urban areas are more at risk for postpartum depression than those who live in rural areas. There are several reasons why this could be. To start, some of the risk factors for postpartum depression are social isolation and immigrant status. In urban areas, many women are more likely to be socially isolated than they would be in a suburban or rural setting. Also, cities have a greater population of immigrants, who are more at risk. Because of this and other unknown reasons, cities have been found to have more women with postpartum depression than rural towns.

http://psychcentral.com/news/2013/08/07/big-cities-tied-to-higher-risk-of-postpartum-depression/58142.html

Facebook Use Can Adversely Affect Romantic Relationships, Recent Studies Show

By Sierra Shumate

 For many, social networking sites are used daily, aiding in communication with both our friends and our romantic partners.  However, a new study finds that Facebook use could actually damage users’ romantic relationships.
University of Missouri's recent findings have shown that the higher levels of Facebook involvement correlate positively with higher levels of relationship stress and conflict.
These conflicts can then cause or may lead to emotional or physical cheating, in some cases.
In the study performed, Russel Clayton and colleagues researched and surveyed a population of Facebook users ages 18-82 years of age, in which participants were asked questions regarding the frequency of their Facebook use as well as any conflicts that may resulted as part of their Facebook use.
The study found that high levels of Facebook use positively correlated with conflict in couples, which then corresponded with future negative affect in relationships as well as possible negative outcomes such as breakups, separations, or cheating.
“Previous research has shown that the more a person in a romantic relationship uses Facebook, the more likely they are to monitor their partner’s Facebook activity more stringently, which can lead to feelings of jealousy,” Clayton said. This type of 'facebook-induced jealousy' as it has been called, can sometimes lead to arguments regarding past partners or relationships.
 Facebook-induced jealousy may lead to arguments concerning past partners, as partners may reconnect with past relationships, rekindling flames that may have otherwise been left alone. These types of interactions may lead to the types of negative outcomes that were previously mentioned, such as emotional cheating.
These types of trends were particularly obvious in new relationships, where the trust may not be as solid as in a longer relationship, more fully matured relationship, which usually occurs around three years. Therefore, this research seems to show that increased Facebook use may only affect or threaten new relationships of less than three years in length. Clayton recommends that in order to prevent the "Facebook threat," that new couples may want to limit their own Facebook use for the betterment of the relationship. Although Facebook is a great tool to learn about other people in great detail, this may be best done in person, particularly in romantic relationships, Clayton suggests.

Source: Psychology Today

Is Your Messy Desk Actually Helping You?

by Kristi Caporoso

 

All of us have been told by someone--our mom, our boss, our significant other--to keep ourselves organized. While being organized is certainly important, new studies are showing that there are benefits of having both a neat and a messy desk area at work. The two are beneficial in the workplace in different ways. Having a neat and orderly desk encourages positive behaviors like healthy eating and generosity. On the other hand, having a slightly unkempt or messy desk promotes creativity and new ideas. Several studies were done during which people who sat in a neat, organized desk area chose an apple for a snack over chocolate; and people who sat in messy desk areas came up with newer, creative ideas. More studies are being done to investigate whether or not this carries over into the virtual world--do tidy-looking websites encourage the same type of behavior as tidy desk areas? The preliminary studies indicate this, but only time will tell. In the meantime, keep in mind that depending on where you work, you may not need to keep your desk so neat and tidy.

 

http://psychcentral.com/news/2013/08/07/does-a-spotless-or-messy-desk-influence-behavior/58136.html

Interacting with parents on social media sites may have positive effects

By Irada Yunusova

Once the initial fear of seeing parents on Facebook subsides, more positive feelings may arise. A recent study has shown that social networking with parents may strengthen the parent-child bond, positively impacting teens. Although excessive internet use can be harmful, it's opportunity for increased parent-child interaction can help teens.

Dr. Sarah Coyne of the School of Family Life and other researchers studied 491 adolescents and their parents. The study's participants responded to questions about social networking use, feelings of connection, and behavioral effects. Half of the teens in the study engaged with their parents on social networking sites. They found that kids who engaged with their parents through social media felt more connected, had higher prosocial behavior, and lower incidence of aggression and depression.

Researchers wondered what the cause and effect interaction between healthy parent-child relationships and social media entails. Parents who are more connected to their children in general are more likely to interact with them on social media. Social media also allows parents and children to interact and foster more positive, supportive relationships. Researchers concluded that the relationship is bi-directional, where positive relationships increase social media interaction, which in turn promotes positive relationships.

Although individuals are often warned about the dangers of internet use, the results of this study clearly depict positive aspects of social media. Excessive internet use, where adolescents access social networking for over 8 hours per day, can be dangerous and may lead to feelings of alienation, aggression, and depression. However, engaging with parents through social networking sites may strengthen the parent-child relationship, and may help boost prosocial behavior and positive mood.

Reference: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/263429.php

Chocolate is in the air, and apparently boosting book sales

By Irada Yunusova

Walking into a bookstore, you can usually expect to see a coffee shop. From the perspective of the store's owners, this seems like a worthwhile investment to boost sales. However, investing in a chocolate shop may also be useful.

A recent study by researchers from Belgium's Hasselt University suggests that chocolate aromas may boost book sales. Over a period of 10 days, researchers monitored customers' behavior in a Belgian bookstore. For a portion of each day, a subtle chocolate scent was released into the air. Researchers found that customers were 40 percent more likely to buy romance novels and cookbooks, and 22 percent more likely to buy books in other genres. It was also noted that customers spent more time browsing.

Pleasant smells are known to trigger spending. In addition to providing an enjoyable environment, chocolate scents can help stores profit from a sales boost.

Reference: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/08/01/207805012/book-news-the-smell-of-chocolate-boosts-book-sales-study-says

Cross-cultural understanding of non-speech emotional cues

By Irada Yunusova

People consider love to be universal. But what else is? A smile? A laugh? A recent study suggests that certain positive and negative emotional non-speech cues are understood by multiple cultures. It is possible to infer another person's emotional state of mind from his expressed non-speech sounds, such as crying, hums, laughter, and sighs.

A recent international study by Petri Laukka analyzed the recognition of listeners from various cultures of emotional non-speech vocalizations. The Swedish subjects in this study were able to accurately identify various emotional sounds produced by individuals from other countries, including India, Kenya, Singapore, and USA. The highest recognition ratings for positive emotions were noted for relief, sexual lust, interest, serenity, and positive surprise. For negative emotions, subjects exceled at identifying anger, disgust, fear, sadness, and negative surprise.

Regardless of if an emotion is negative or positive, it is possible for an individual to recognize it in a person from a different country. In addition to facial expressions, emotional information provided by voices can help foster cross-cultural understanding.

References: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/264191.php

Can Asperger's be classified on the Autism Spectrum?

By Irada Yunusova

Recent debate over classifying Asperger's as an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has brought about many complications. Individuals with Asperger's syndrome have social difficulties and display restricted and repetitive behavioral patterns and interests. Asperger's Syndrome and disorders from the Autism Spectrum share certain symptoms. Researchers continue to study the differences between individuals with Asperger's and those with Autism. Are the two disorders too different to be combined or are they really one and the same?

In the past, Asperger's Syndrome was classified as a separate disorder from Autism.  However, this past year, the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) grouped Asperger's in the Autism Spectrum Disorders. This way, Asperger's is no longer a condition of its own, having widespread effects on all afflicted individuals.

In a recent study at Boston's Children Hospital, researchers examined electrical recordings from the scalp of children with Asperger's Syndrome and children with ASD. They found that although the disorders were closely related, the two groups had differing electroencephalography (EEG) patterns. The neurophysiological differences indicate that the two disorders can be distinguished by electrical activity in the brain.

Researchers, doctors, and families of afflicted individuals continue to question the decision to group Asperger's and ASD. Some believe that it is effective to define Asperger's as a distinct entity within the higher functioning end of the autism distribution curve. Regardless of differing views on this issue, most people agree that the outcome of this debate will effect individuals on a clinical, educational, and emotional level.

References: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/07/130730235642.htm