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Category Archives: Mental health
What does being agreeable have to do with over-confidence?
Did you ever wonder how researchers determine levels of confidence? Typically this research is perform using a population of college students volunteer to take part in psychological tests (sometimes a requirement for a psychology course). To measure confidence, students take … Continue reading
Posted in Mental health, Psychology, Self confidence
Tagged extroversion, Five factor analysis, Motivation
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Kind and harsh
Two research studies on the nature or empathy have caught my attention recently. One has found a genetic basis for empathy or at least the appearance of being kind and friendly. In this experience people watched the interaction of couples … Continue reading
Posted in Group psychology, Manipulation, Mental health
Tagged anger, empathy, harshness, kindness, oxytocin
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Empathetic words
The use of pronouns and other functional words may provide a clue about our social status, our tendency to tell the truth, or how well we perform in academics. However in many circles today the desired characteristic is “emotional intelligence.” … Continue reading
The “I”s do not have it.
People assume that others who often talk about themselves are egotistical. But, if you really want to find out how people view their own status, pay attention to pronouns that they use. There is a reason that kings, queens and various … Continue reading
Posted in Group psychology, Mental health
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Tinkering with the mind of man
The idea of the left brain being logical while the right is creative has been disproved in studies which show that during creative activity people are more likely use both half of their brains. According to Dr. Jeff Anderson, director … Continue reading
Posted in Education trends, Manipulation, Mental health, Optimism and Pessimism
Tagged Brain based learning
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How well do you know yourself?
High self awareness may not be a pleasant characteristic to have. There are other names given to this trait, such as private self-consciousness. Stephen Franzoi of the University of California at Davis has studied the effects of private self-consciousness and found … Continue reading
Posted in Mental health, Optimism and Pessimism
Tagged intrapersonal intelligence, persistence, Self-esteem
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The problem with positive pep talks
After centuries of philosophers, and in more recent times psychologists, coming up their own set of personality factors a symposium in the 1980s settled on what are called the “big five” which are commonly found in most summaries of personality traits. Four of the … Continue reading
Posted in Mental health, Optimism and Pessimism, Psychology
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The origins of optimism
Optimism and pessimism are not two distinct styles but rather ends of a continuum. At the optimistic end people expect only good events to happen to them. They concentrate on stimuli that indicates a rosy outlook and ignore warning signs … Continue reading
Posted in Creativity, Mental health, Optimism and Pessimism
Tagged parenting, social economic status
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Destined for optimism?
There has been an academic debate going on between psychologists since Shelly Taylor published Positive Illusions asserting that the normal mentally healthy person holds on to optimistic illusions. Are most humans not realistic in their view of themselves and the their … Continue reading