25
Apr 18

Careful Your Children Are Watching: Observational Learning

As adults, we’ve all slipped up and said a bad word in front of child. A car cuts us off during traffic, we forget something at home or we simply drop something and out comes the explicit language. Unfortunately for some, the next day the child also drops something and out comes the F- bomb! This is a basic example of observational learning. Children may not only repeat bad language, but can also learn other negative behaviors, such as aggression, from watching adults.

American psychologist, Albert Bandura, chose to focus on the how these aggressive behaviors are learned. During the 1960’s he completed several studies, collectively known as the Bobo Doll Experiments. (Bandura 1977) Bandura established 3 groups of children ages 3 to 6 years old. The groups were distinct in which model they were to be shown, aggressive, non-aggressive, or no model (control group). Each group was placed in a room that contained several toys including the BoBo doll. The aggressive model hit, kicked & shouted at the doll. The non-aggressive model did not engage with doll at all. The control group was not exposed to a model at all. Bandura’s experiment also measured aggression arousal and delayed imitation.

Image result for bobo doll experiment(photo: https://thedirtpsychology.org/bobo-doll-experiments/)

As predicted, the children who had been shown the aggressive model also acted aggressively towards the Bobo doll when left alone to play. The experiment supported Bandura’s social learning theory. That is that children learn through watching the behaviors of others. (McLeod 2014)

So before you lose your cool in front of a child, remember you serve as a teacher. Children are constantly watching and learning behaviors, both positive and negative, from adults.

Sources

Bandura, A. (1977). Social Learning Theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

McLeod, S. A. (2014). Bobo doll experiment. Retrieved from www.simplypsychology.org/bobo-doll.html

 


25
Apr 18

Law Enforcement and Coping Strategies

Recently law enforcement has been on the news often for various situations. Many people are questioning the law enforcement and the way their behaviors. However having a position in law enforcement can better very stressful. Therefore I was interested in the coping strategies of law enforcement officers.

An article from the American Journal of Criminal Justice examined the coping strategies of officers after the deadly police shootings in Dallas and Baton Rouge in 2016. It was determined that there were three most commonly used coping strategies(lifton, Torres, & Hawdon, 2018). These included support networks, self-help, and self-medication(lifton, Torres, & Hawdon, 2018). The study also examined the impact of coping strategies on motivation(lifton, Torres, & Hawdon, 2018). It was determined that officers using support networks,self-help, and self-medication had a decrease in motivation over the 6 months after the police shootings(lifton, Torres, & Hawdon, 2018).  Self-help and self-medication were expected to decrease motivation but support networks were not(lifton, Torres, & Hawdon, 2018). Using self-help and self-medication are not effective ways of coping and can lead to stress disorders and high rates of alcohol use(lifton, Torres, & Hawdon, 2018).

Overall it appears that law enforcement officers need to implement a program to help with coping strategies. This may be difficult because of the tough persona that officers may feel they have to act on. Helping officers with their stress may lead to more motivated officers and less mistakes on the job(lifton, Torres, & Hawdon, 2018).

 

References

Clifton, S., Torres, J., & Hawdon, J. (2018). Whatever Gets you Through the Night: Officer Coping Strategies after the High-Profile Line of Duty Deaths in Dallas and Baton Rouge. American Journal of Criminal Justice. doi:10.1007/s12103-018-9437-7


25
Apr 18

Is Bottled Water Actual Better?

For the past decade, the use of bottled water has sky rocketed. It has become the fastest growing segment of non-alcoholic beverages, pulling in an estimated $22 billion. (Ferrier 2001) The reasons consumers choose bottled water over tap water vary from country to country and can be influenced by several factors. However, a study completed in 1993 showed nearly half of U.S citizens prefer bottled water due to perceived health benefits/risks. (Ferrier 2001) Many Americans simply believe bottled water is healthier than tap. With a society obsessed with health and weight loss, people are willing to pay up to ten thousand times more for bottled water. (Olsen 1999)

However, 40-60% of bottled water produced globally is simple packaged tap water. (Canadean 2004) In countries with less strict water standards, the advantages of bottled water may be clear. This is not the case in America. The increase usage in bottle water is actually harming our environment. Nearly 85% of all bottles are not recycled and end up in a landfill.

Image result for drinking water

As society pushes the benefits of drinking more water, it is important to understand that bottled water is typically no better/worse for the body than tap water. Americans concerned with the safety of their water can purchase a filter for added protection. So save your dollars and drink tap water. Cheers!

 

Sources

Canadean 2004 Global Bottled Water (Packaged Water) Report
2003. Canadean, Hants.

Olson, E. 1999 Bottled Water: Pure Drink or Pure Hype? Natural
Resources Defense Council (NRDC), New York.

Ferrier, C. 2001 Bottled Water: Understanding a Social
Phenomenon. Report commissioned by the World Wide Fund
for Nature (WWF).

Photo Cred: http://www.emmasdiary.co.uk/pregnancy-and-birth/pregnancy/pregnancy-health/food-exercise-and-care/drinking-water-while-you-are-pregnant

 


24
Apr 18

Social media and GPA

It seems like social media is everywhere now and people spend a substantial amount of time using it. However we are still understanding the impact that social media can have on our lives and mental health. One area that it may have an impact on is school and grades. Many students use technology for their studies but it can also be distracting. A study was conducted by the University of Trento in Italy to examine the impact social media has on students’ grades.

This study was unique for it used an app on the participants phones to record data. The data that was collected was time and the apps that were used(Giunchiglia, Zeni, Gobbi, Bignotti, & Bison, 2018). The study lasted two weeks and included 72 students(). The student’s GPAs were provided by the University (Giunchiglia, Zeni, Gobbi, Bignotti, & Bison, 2018). It was determined that using social media does has a negative impact on GPA(Giunchiglia, Zeni, Gobbi, Bignotti, & Bison, 2018).

In conclusion it appears that using social media can be a distraction, and can have negative consequences on a students GPA(Giunchiglia, Zeni, Gobbi, Bignotti, & Bison, 2018). Students can turn off their phones or use apps to help them focus on studying without any distractions from there social media accounts.

References

Giunchiglia, F., Zeni, M., Gobbi, E., Bignotti, E., & Bison, I. (2018). Mobile social media usage and academic performance. Computers in Human Behavior, 82. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2017.12.041

 


24
Apr 18

Depression and Social Media

Depression is a mental illness that can affect the way one feels,acts and thinks(“What Is Depression?,” n.d.). Depression can cause sadness and a loss of interest in activities that were once enjoyable(“What Is Depression?,” n.d.). Depression has factors that may play role in the disorder(“What Is Depression?,” n.d.). These risk factors include biochemistry, genetics, personality and environmental factors(“What Is Depression?,” n.d.). After learning about depression I was interested to learn if social media may be a risk factor(“What Is Depression?,” n.d.).

One study set out to examine the relationship between social networking sites addiction and depression(Wang et al., 2018). The sample size was 365 Chinese adolescents, and they were tested on self-esteem,depression, rumination, and SNS addiction(Wang et al., 2018). It was determined that there was a positive association between SNS and depression(Wang et al., 2018). An adolescents self-esteem appeared to be the intermediary between rumination and depression(Wang et al., 2018). The effect of rumination and depression was higher in adolescents that had lower self esteem(Wang et al., 2018).

Overall it appears that social media can have an impact on an adolescents depression. It is important to regulate time spent on social media for the mental health. Especially for adolescents with low self-esteem for time on social media may lead to depression(Wang et al., 2018).

References

What Is Depression? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression

Wang, P., Wang, X., Wu, Y., Xie, X., Wang, X., Zhao, F., … Lei, L. (2018). Social networking sites addiction and adolescent depression: A moderated mediation model of rumination and self-esteem. Personality and Individual Differences, 127. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2018.02.008


23
Apr 18

Influence of Motivation on Behavior

Lesson 10: Educational Blog: Theory of Planned Behavior

Motivation is one of the most powerful and detrimental internal processes that affect the decision making process, and over all mental health. Although motivation is not a direct observation, it is the driving force behind any one individuals’ ability to make decisions that provides a reason for the persons’ action or behavior. These driving forces happen from birth to well in adulthood. Individuals are taught the differences between good behavior and bad behavior, rules and expectations from parents, caregivers, and teachers; everyone individuals interact with can affect motivation through self-concept. Hence the proverb, “it takes a village to raise a child”. Although there are many aspects to self-concept, I will focus on social psychologist, Baumeister (1999) definition:

“The individual’s belief about himself or herself,

including person’s attributes and who and what the self is.”

This is especially critical when an individual starts school; they develop an academic self-concept. Academic self-concept is the “feelings, attitudes, and perceptions that a student holds about their academic ability.” (Schnieder. p.194). When a student is performing not as expected, it is up to the community to help get the student back on track. However, this can be tricky if the student learns coping mechanisms such as self-serving strategies and self-handicapping and it has gone unidentified. The individual will carry these methods of coping with negative behaviors well into adulthood in college life and the employment field. There will always be a performance area of struggle with the individual until the behavior is changed.  In order to change the behavior one must have the knowledge of concept of motivation, in order identify and understand the “why” behind the behavior. By utilizing the Theory of Planned Behavior to seek the “Why” behind the behavior and it will bring the individual’s attention to the unwanted behavior. This will allow professors and teachers to use Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory to hold the individual accountable. Under the self-determination theory an individual is autonomous in the degree in which they feel they have a choice in their actions and behaviors (Schnieder. p.198). If an individual feels they can see they are the driving force behind their choices then the person is motivated to do what is needed.


18
Apr 18

Does optimism change as we age and can this impact our mental health?

An interesting topic in social psychology is optimism and pessimism. After reading this section I thought about how these can change over time considering that optimism is future thinking. Optimism can be described as being mindful of future events or goals. Does optimism change as we age and can this impact our mental health?

A study that examined data from the Berlin Aging study, the purpose was to look at changes in older adults and their future perception. It was found that men had more positive future perceptions than women (Kotter-Grühn & Smith, 2011).Also having high cognitive functioning and good health helped to contribute to a more positive outlook in old age(Kotter-Grühn & Smith, 2011).

A second study examined the association between optimism and cognitive impairment in the elderly.(Gawronski, Kim, Langa, & Kubzansky, 2016)This study was unique to other geriatric optimism studies as it examined cognitive impairment over a four year period. This study had a great sample size at 4624 participants. The results were “Inverse associations between optimism and likelihood of becoming cognitively impaired were evident across all five models” meaning that there was an association between optimism and a decreased likelihood of cognitive impairment(Gawronski, Kim, Langa, & Kubzansky, 2016). A variable in this study was depression and anxiety symptoms, these were adjusted and the association remained the same.

Overall it appears that optimism can have an impact on cognitive functioning.Also having good health can contribute to optimism is old age. Optimism does still occur in the elderly however there are factors like gender and health that may have an impact.

 

References
Gawronski, K. A., Kim, E. S., Langa, K. M., & Kubzansky, L. D. (2016). Dispositional Optimism and Incidence of Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults. Psychosomatic Medicine, 78(7), 819-828. doi:10.1097/psy.0000000000000345

Kotter-Grühn, D., & Smith, J. (2011). When time is running out: Changes in positive future perception and their relationships to changes in well-being in old age. Psychology and Aging, 26(2), 381-387. doi:10.1037/a0022223


17
Apr 18

Evolution and social changes

Evolution has been such a great gift to mankind. Evolution guarantees social change. The social changes experienced by each generation makes the different from generation to generation. The more knowledge we seem to have about the world around us, the more radical the changes become in our society. Based on the social changes I have experienced in my generation, I believe that this generation is one of the most freeing generation to date. In saying that I mean that we have a lot more freedom and acceptance to do, say, and act as we please. Of course there are judgments but that rarely stops the social change that has taken place.

“Human culture is information transmitted from person to person via teaching and imitation, much as genes are information transmitted from person to person in the course of reproduction. Like genes, sociocultural evolution has a pattern of descent with modification. Of course, the evolution of culture and social institutions differs in many ways from the evolution of genes. Perhaps most important, culture is a system for the inheritance of acquired variation. What individuals learn for themselves by hard effort others often imitate, typically at much less cost (Evolution).”

If you speak to an older person, they tend to recall a very different society than the one we have now. In most cases they recall a more conservative society, people were not as open. The changes over the years are astonishing, it is fun to look back and compare our social changes to that of the past!

“Evolution. Figure 2f from: Irimia R, Gottschling M (2016) Taxonomic Revision of Rochefortia Sw. (Ehretiaceae, Boraginales). Biodiversity Data Journal 4: e7720. Https://Doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.4.e7720.” doi:10.3897/bdj.4.e7720.figure2f.


17
Apr 18

The Bystander Effect and Sexual Assault

The Bystander effect is when a crowd of people view an emergency situation but do not intervene (Schnieder, 2012.) The bystander effect became well known after an incident occured in New York City. In 1964 a woman named Kitty Genovese was stabbed to death while many bystanders did not help her or call the police(“Psychology Today”). Unfortunately this still occurs over 50 years later. College campuses are creating programs to inform students of the bystander effect in sexual assault situations. Also researchers are discovering the best ways to inform students of this information.

Sexual assault is one of the many incidents that can have a bystander effect. Sexual assault continues to be a problem on college campuses. The statistics of sexual assault on college campuses is shocking, “ as many as 88% of women report at least one incident of sexual or physical victimization by the time they graduate” (DeMaria et al., 2015).College campuses are making an effort to help combat these incidents. Penn State has implemented workshops, videos,and many other activities to make the campus aware of sexual assault. These resources can be found at the Office of Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response. The website is http://titleix.psu.edu/prevention/ and the 24 hour hotline is 1-800-560-1637.

A study conducted in 2015 evaluated a way to design a bystander intervention campaign directed at sexual assault(DeMaria et al., 2015). The study consisted of 69 men and women between the ages of 18 and 24. Six themes were found from this study, “ (a) female participants’ experiences of sexism and misogyny, (b) the myth that rape is falsely reported, (c complex understanding of consent and entitlement, (d) the reluctance to stop some from having a ‘good time’, (e) the role of alcohol as a moderating factor in sexual misconduct and bystander intervention and (f) preference for direct and impactful messaging”(DeMaria et al., 2015).Gathering this data from participants has helped researchers create a campaign that is based on the perceptions and experiences of college students. Furthermore this type of study can be used in multiple areas to help create an awareness of the bystander effect.

 

Schneider, F. W. (2012). Applied Social Psychology: Second Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.

Bystander Effect. (n.d.). Retrieved April 14, 2018, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/bystander-effect

Prevention. (2017, October 11). Retrieved from http://titleix.psu.edu/prevention/

DeMaria, A. L., Sundstrom, B., Grzejdziak, M., Booth, K., Adams, H., Gabel, C., & Cabot, J. (2015). It’s Not My Place: Formative Evaluation Research to Design a Bystander Intervention Campaign. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 33(3), 468-490. doi:10.1177/0886260515608804


16
Apr 18

The impact of stigma on mental health care seeking behavior

One topic of discussion that has become salient recently is mental health. Whether it is in the discussion of the opiod crisis or the plague of mass shootings we, as a country, have faced – many politicians bring up the culprit of poor mental health. Many citizens agree that the mental health of our country is suffering. So, if so many are in agreement with this issue why are more people not seeking mental health care?

In a word – stigma. Generally speaking when we think therapy we think crazy, nuts, off our rocker and unstable. We look at people who we deem mentally ill as unreliable, immoral in the case of addiction and in some extreme cases as just bad people. These prejudices are just as oppressive as any others such as racism. We see someone in treatment and we would not want to hire them, rent them an apartment or give them the same opportunities that we would offer to someone we view as “normal”. As a society we see these prejudices and stigmas and we internalize them when considering mental health care. For fear of being found out, we choose not to seek treatment for what could be a debilitating mental issue. We do not equate depression to a broken leg due to the physicality but both are just as incapacitating.

In the work of Corrigan and his team, they set out to find a solution to the issue of stigma toward mental health. They found that three key elements are crucial to individuals seeking care and maintaining it. These are culture, knowledge and network. Knowledge is a key factor in changing minds on a variety of topics. The more a person knows about the topic, the greater their understanding is of those suffering. This in turn builds the encouragement and acceptance that is needed for individuals to seek treatment. Culture and community are another big factor. For some, their family can be an obstacle in seeking mental health and they would turn to other leaders in their community such as pastors, teachers and community leaders. Depending on the culture in their area, they may face the same stigma. Changing this could mean the difference between seeking mental health care or not. This also ties into networks. Networks can be friends, family or community members one is close with. Shaping the minds of those who are not seeking mental health care can indirectly but significantly impact the minds of those who are seeking treatment.

Figure

One potential solution brought up by many is forced, or coercive treatment. While this might seem like the best way, especially in criminal situations, it can drastically undermine the therapeutic process and create reactivity during treatment. The most effective way to implement change in regard to stigma and mental health is to educate and provide compassion for those who need to seek care.

Reference

Corrigan, P. W., Druss, B. G., & Perlick, D. A. (2014). The Impact of Mental Illness Stigma on Seeking and Participating in Mental Health Care. Psychological Science in the Public Interest,15(2), 37-70.


16
Apr 18

Social Media for Social Change

UNC Chapel Hill November 3, 2008. This is a special picture as my mother and grandmother are located in the bottom right of it in the second row.

As a sophomore in high school, I was able to witness the last campaign rally of then Senator Barack Obama on the eve of the 2008 election. This trip was spur of the moment after seeing a Tweet about the rally two days prior. This rally was held in North Carolina and was a four-hour drive for those of us in East Tennessee. His message was able to reach three hundred miles away from his target group in NC. This was nearly ten years ago, while Twitter was only two years old. Imagine the potential reach now with millions of more users on the platform. I look back on this event and realize I was lucky to have been an early member of Twitter, or I may have missed out on a very special memory that I share with my family.

Obama’s campaign focused heavily on the use of social media as a way to provide the message of hope and change to millions of Americans was the first of its kind (Miladi, 2016). In hindsight of the 2016 election, Donald Trump’s campaign usage social media was just a product of this type of advancement of conveying messages through social media platforms, in my opinion. These types of campaigns and messages can change the culture of our country. We, however, are not the only country that can be affected by social change through the use of social media.

In the African country of Tunisia, a political uprising of social change established on social media platforms such as Twitter, and Facebook helped rid the country of a dictator that had ruled for twenty-three years (Miladi, 2016). This social change accumulated into protest movements that were backed by the sharing of videos, awareness campaigns, and discussions among citizens on social media. I could not help but to compare the use of social media in starting social movements in the USA. This has increased over the last two years and can be seen with the students in Parkland mobilizing very quickly for gun control, or and the Women’s March in 2017.

Social media has connected billions of people worldwide, and is an excellent source to spread social change, hopefully positive social change. Through the recent new cycles, we have also seen that it can and will be manipulated. We must diligently seek the truth and protect ourselves while engaging on social media. We, as Penn State students, have the benefit of knowing how to seek reliable sources. We must use these skills and seek reliable sources when interacting on social media, and bring attention to those sources that do not check out on posts, pictures, etc.

Reference:
Miladi, N. (2016). Social media and social change: Social media and social change. Digest of Middle East Studies, 25(1), 36-51. doi:10.1111/dome.12082


16
Apr 18

Social Marketing and its Effects

Can general marketing models and methods be effective when applied to promoting positive social change? This question has been researched since the early 50s. The theoretical answer to this question has generally been, yes, but the discussion continues to this day, to figure out the specific power and limitations of social marketing in application. In 1951, G.D. Wiebe researched four different social campaigns and discussed the limitations and success of each. “He found that that more the conditions of the social campaign resembled those of a product campaign, the more successful the social campaign (Kotler & Zaltman, 1971).” However, Wiebe also noted that since most social campaigns are not structured as a marketable campaign due to the “un-market-like circumstances” of most social topics, clear limitations exist in the “practice of social marketing (Kotler & Zaltman, 1971).” In this day and age, social marketing agencies have been able to promote social change campaigns to various organizations that share a common vision, as Rescue has been able to do since 2001 (rescueagency.com). This paper will discuss and define social marketing, define the barriers present, and finally how to promote its advancements.

Social marketing is defined as “a design, implementation, and control of programs calculated to influence the acceptability of social ideas and involving considerations of product planning, pricing, communication, distribution, and marketing research (Kotler & Zaltman, 1971).” So, in other words, social marketing is a lot more than just social advertising as it includes many different marketing techniques that drive the knowledge needed for social change to occur with implementation of the particular social change in the community (Kotler & Zaltman, 1971). “Social marketers, both scholars, and practitioners, have come to accept that the fundamental objective of social marketing is not promoting ideas but influencing behavior (Andreasen, 2002).” Social marketers understand the need to engender more than just smart social advertising like, Smokey the Bear’s famous slogan, “Remember Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires”, but also need to also engender social change in communities, which will take a lot more that smart, catchy advertisement. The balance between the two are difficult to attain as it takes work and dedication to execute both.

In 1999, the Social Marketing Institute was founded and they were able to identify barriers that hinder the growth of the social marketing movement (Andreasen, 2002). These barriers include: 1) lack of appreciation of top management officials, 2) meager “brand positioning due to social marketing’s lack of clear goals, 3) nonexistent publicity of various social marketing successes, and finally 4) the field’s lack of academic prominence (Andreasen, 2002). All of these barriers affect the field’s ability to grow and implement change to improve its appearance in the media and academia but the major issue is actually how all of these barriers feed into each other influencing one another and hindering the field’s potential (Andreasen, 2002).

All barriers aside, social marketing can be applied successfully “in any situation in which a socially critical individual behavior needs to be addressed for a target audience (Andreasen, 2002). As Rescue explained, their program can be used to reduce teen smoking or help improve community healthcare (rescueagency.com). However, it is important to realize that social marketing can also influence behavioral changes in the media, policymakers, funders, and legislators (Andreasen, 2002). Social marketers need to know how to actually market social marketing to organizations and agencies in the best way possible.

The best way to market the social marketing campaign is in stages. First stage is pre-contemplation, where the “decision maker do not consider social marketing because they have never heard of it” (Andreasen, 2002).  At this stage, it is the job of the social marketer to influence and educate the decision maker that social marketing is not “too expensive” and this style of marketing is not “manipulative” (Andreasen, 2002). Second stage, is the contemplation stage, whereby the decision maker is considering social marketing (Andreasen, 2002). Here it is extremely important to focus on social marketing benefits, costs, support received from others, and self-efficacy skills executed by social marketers (Andreasen, 2002). Thirdly is the action stage, whereby decision makers are ready to implement social marketing (Andreasen, 2002). In this stage, it is extremely important to help re-inforce the decision makers decision to use social marketing (Andreasen, 2002). The final stage is maintenance, whereby social marketing was implemented by the company but they are not yet regulars (Andreasen, 2002). Here, like the third stage, reinforcement is key (Andreasen, 2002). The social marketer should reinforce the decision maker “about the wisdom of their actions” (Andreasen, 2002).

Social marketing is a tool that can be used to influence positive changes in individuals and communities around the nation. Since this is a new discipline it is of the utmost importance to have social marketers like Rescue that are implementing their strategies and continue to grow yearly. “There is a chance to help [social marking] grow and to position marketing as a benevolent force in society, doing good in ways that are beyond filling people’s homes and lives with new products and services” (Andreasen, 2002). It would be a disservice if the barriers stated in this paper block the field’s growth.

 

References:

Rescue, The Behavioral Change Agency. Retrieved From:  http://rescueagency.com

Andreasen, Alan,  Marketing Social Marketing in the Social Change Marketplace, Ebsco Publishing, 2003. Retrieved From: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/f258/fc1aaf0d0a95cdc2832e606f5fab3694ffaf.pdf

Kotler, Philip; Zaltman, Gerald, Social Marketing: An Approach to Planned Social Change, Journal of Marketing Vol. 35, No. 3, pp. 3-12, 1971. Retrieved From: https://www.jstor.org/stable/1249783?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents


15
Apr 18

Changing Addiction

In today’s society, more than ever, so many different groups are targeted for different purposes with the intention to grasp the attention of the group for participation.  This is especially true for youth.  In many ways, political stances, drug use, social media, and other influences can alter an otherwise steady course for teens and manipulate the impressionable minds of youth.  Even today, mass media is manipulating the minds of young adults by altering their thought processes regarding everyday events.  But, even more than the media, peers and social pressures for teens to engage in activities they probably wouldn’t have considered before, is destroying the youth of not just tomorrow, but of today as well.

Too often in the news we hear about teens and young adults who have succumbed to their addictions, be it drugs, alcohol or even sex. What’s more, even though the detrimental effects of drug use are widely known, overdose deaths and drug use is still on the rise. What is causing this vast epidemic? Why are teens turning more and more to drug use even though awareness is everywhere? Could it be lack of parental involvement? Peer pressure? Environmental upbringing? Exposure to the brief and intriguing effects that drug use brings? Is it all of these things? In an article published by Unity Behavioral Reform, a reason for this growing problem may be parental absence and mental pressures: “Other researchers have theorized about the impact of “rich kids syndrome,” where parental, social and professional obligations lead to a reduction of family-centered interactions. Psychotherapists have suggested that these affluent youths often spend more time with hired help than with their parents and lead overscheduled lives that creates mental distress and a lack of family closeness.”(www.unityrehab.com). Addiction is real.  It’s roaring its ugly head, baring its teeth, and spearing its twisted euphoria into the minds of the impressionable youth leaving behind a messy trail of death and heartbroken families.  So, what’s to be done?

Social change is difficult to achieve without proper research and participation from groups that are intended for the implemented changes to affect. “Rather than just focusing on efforts to change or support individuals so that they can better adapt to the problems they are confronted with, community psychologists seek to create positive change at a community level and a societal level in order to create a better world and prevent problems in the future” (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, p. 288).  Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts (2012, p. 288) refer to six different strategies for achieving social change: mass mobilization, social action, citizen participation, public advocacy, popular education, and local services development.  There are many rehab and support centers around the country but there are not enough advocates spearheading the reform that needs to take place at a social level.  There are many attempts to change laws and create harsher punishment for drug offenders but this may not create the motivation needed to not begin drugs at all.  Too many teens are watching their own parents suffer from the effects of drug use and rather than turn from the problem, many are finding themselves following the example they have in front of them.  Unfortunately, what is happening now is trying to control the problem instead of change the problem at a social level.  Creating new programs that would motivate youth to stay away from drugs through the use of motivation, leadership opportunities, scholarship programs, clean record incentives etc might be the way to do it.  Using empirical grounding in research, that is the idea that research is an important component in community psychology and that research and action are seen as strongly interconnected (Schneider, Gruman & Coutts, p. 289), to help create new programs is a great starting point to bring about the social change needed.

Regardless of how it is done, it is through social change at the community and social level that more work can be done to reduce addiction.  Be it more education, parenting groups, support for youth, involvement in the community, or whatever, addiction must be addressed in order to save the generations for the world’s tomorrow.

References:

Schneider, Frank. Gruman, Jaime. Coutts, Larry. Applied Social Psychology. Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems. 2012.

American Drug Use is on the Rise. Unity Behavioral Health. 15 April 2018. Retrieved from <https://www.unityrehab.com/blog/american-drug-use-trend-on-the-rise/>


15
Apr 18

Pushing social change in the age of alternative facts

During a debate session of one of my other classes this semester, we talked about the crime rate of undocumented immigrants. One of my classmates presented us with a long list of data, illustrating how undocumented immigrants commit a lot more violent crimes. I was very suspicious of the numbers, because New York City is one of the safest cities in the country with one of the lowest crime rate, and yet New York City has a lot of undocumented immigrants. So I looked into the source of her data, it is from a right wing think tank. So I can’t help but wonder how credible these data are. This think tank claims to be a non-partisan non-profit organization. But all of the researches published on its websites are anti-immigration. So I would not trust data published by an organization that is so one sided.

I think in this age of alternative facts, we can either choose to be lazy and be a passive information receiver, or we can take initiatives to fact check every data and every social research result presented to us. The choice is ours and the democracy of this country depends on us taking the initiatives.

I grew up in China where every piece of news is censored. State media organizations control the news people read and listen to, they also fabricate data to brainwash Chinese citizens into thinking China is the best country in the world, while the rest of the world is suffering. There is no such thing as freedom of speech in China where expressing anything anti-government publicly means jail time or even death. So when I moved to the United States, freedom of speech to me is a very precious thing. It saddens me to see the democracy of the U.S has been compromised by fake news spread by trolls on social media platforms. I think social researchers have a responsibility in this critical time to regain the trust of the public through fact-based research.

In a perfect world, there should be more funding for social research so that researchers don’t have to heavily rely on funding from interest groups with hidden agendas. But we live in a capitalist world where money can not only buy votes, it can also buy data, scientists, researchers and their results. Hate to end this blog on such a bleak note, but this is the reality we live in.


15
Apr 18

Control Freaks

If asked, most people could tell you whether they believe they are an optimist, or a pessimist. I was first told that I was a pessimist when I was around seven years old, after a tearful tantrum about how the tigers would all be dead by the time I grew up. The adult who told me this spoke about my pessimism as if it were something concrete and immutable, and so I believed it was. As it turns out, the very fact that I believed that my pessimism could not be controlled made it much less likely that I would bother trying to become more optimistic.

Pessimism can be defined as holding negative expectations for the outcomes of current and future endeavors (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012). While an optimist may believe that expanded conservation efforts will cause tiger populations to rebound and thrive, a pessimist doubts that anything can be done about the matter. Because the pessimist doubts that anything can or will be done to save the tigers, it is more likely that they will become de-motivated and not even bother trying to find workable solutions.

While research is always in flight to determine how people become pessimists or optimists, it stands to reason that a person who repeatedly has their expectations dashed may become less than hopeful for positive future outcomes. This circumstance, I believe, bears a great deal of resemblance to “learned helplessness”. The term “learned helplessness” was first coined when researchers subjected dogs to repeated electrical shocks that the dogs had no way of controlling or stopping (Dingfelder, 2009). Eventually, these dogs stopped trying to end the shocks, and instead just laid there. Even when the dogs were given the means to stop the shocks, they didn’t make an effort to do so. The dogs had, presumably, learned that their efforts to stop the shocks were futile, and therefore stopped making any effort. In this way, the researchers created something resembling doggie pessimists.

The common thread between my belief that my pessimism was a concrete quality and the dogs receiving shocks is that we didn’t believe that we had any control over our outcomes. When we believe we have appropriate control over a situation, we feel hope that we can create better results. Two patterns of thought can cause hope to arise within people, and those who score above average in these patterns of thinking are more likely to also engage in optimistic thinking (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012). The first pattern is called “pathway thinking” and is seen in people who know the ways in which they can reach their goals. They are flexible in their methods, in such that if one solution fails they can pivot to another solution. The second type of thinking is “agency thinking” and can be seen in people who truly believe that they will be able to attain their goals and believe that they have the willpower to do so. Both types of thinking reflect a strong sense of individual control over circumstances and outcomes. In other words, when we believe we are in control, we tend to expect better outcomes.

My favorite part of this revelation is that research indicates that actually being in control hardly matters at all, so long as we believe we are. When people were put in a room and subjected to random loud noises, those that had a button they could push that they believed controlled the frequency of the noise were much less stressed out than those who had no button (Sapolsky, 2004). This is important because if we can find ways to help people feel more in control of their circumstances, it would likely lead to higher rates of pathway and agency thinking, and from there hope would arise (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012). One such way psychologists are trying to improve levels of optimism in society is through “attribution retraining interventions”, which focus on discrediting pessimistic beliefs or attributions, and increasing optimistic ones. This type of intervention has shown a great deal of success with improving various aspects of its subjects’ lives, and holds great future promise.

By giving people a greater sense of control over their lives, we can increase social optimism and hope in the likelihood of positive future outcomes. A more hopeful and optimistic population is a population that is more likely to take action to help themselves, their circumstances, and maybe even the tigers.

References

Dingfelder, S. F. (2009). Old Problems, New Tools. Monitor On Psychology,40(9), 40.

Sapolsky, R. M. (2004). Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers (3rd ed.).  New York: Henry Holt and Company

Schneider, F. W., Gruman, J. A., & Coutts, L. M. (2012). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.


15
Apr 18

Social movements drive social change

In 2014, Joe Biden remarked, “No fundamental social change occurs merely because government acts. It’s because civil society the conscience of a country begins to rise up and demand -demand-demand-change” (obamawhitehouse.gov, 2014) When I think about social change, I’m automatically drifted to the 1950’s and 1960’s when the United States was arguably transformed through social movements.

During this period, we saw the rising up of social groups and movements that have lasting impacts on our current society. Some of those impactful social movements includes the women’s rights movements, the civil rights movements, the gay liberation movements, etc. These movements and most importantly the people behind them are the reasons the liberty that is promised in our constitution is somewhat upheld in present society.

People who were born in the early 1900’s can attest to the fact that women were often considered “silent partners” in their relationship and in society. The discrimination women faced were related to low wages in comparison to men, they weren’t allowed certain jobs that were considered too masculine and they were often told that their jobs were to be in the kitchen and to make babies. They were thought of and treated inferior to men. Another major issue around this time was the woman’s inability to access birth control remedies. After decades of fighting, a lot has changed. Contraception and abortion is now available to women in most states. Most professions that were male only, now employ women. Gender roles have actually switched in some households.  Though little, there has been progress made, and hopefully more to come.

Another change that is attributed to social movements is the inclusion of African Americans into the U.S society. Before the Civil Rights Act, African Americans weren’t even recognized as citizens of the United States. They were excluded from events such as voting, banned from certain white areas and only allowed certain jobs. This has somewhat changed over the years as we see more inclusion of African Americans into certain activities, jobs and neighborhoods. Also, there is less open discrimination than there was years ago. One notable progression was the fact that our 44th President was African American, which is something that would have been impossible during the 50’s and 60’s.

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-movement

https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2014/06/20/remarks-press-qa-vice-president-joe-biden-guatemala


15
Apr 18

Beware What You Tweet For

I’ve mentioned before how social media and technology has connected us all as a one giant community.  This connection has not only changed how we interact as a group but also creates a new method for social change.  Taking a look at recent “viral” causes such as the recent debate on the second amendment and firearms, people such as David Hogg are utilizing social media in order to enact social change.  Through just a few taps of a finger it is possible for a regular, normal, person to get in touch with thousands of others who potentially view the situation in question in a similar light (Gomez & Zdanowicz, 2018).  This new ability almost seems to bypass the need for trained social intervention activists, allowing the layman to become one all by themselves and in essence creating the perfect example of a participatory researcher, one who is involved in the work the are researching themselves.

However, this ability to reach out and capture a large group’s attention almost creates a “beware what you wish for” approach in that you may not like the results that are created.  In the wake of the Parkland School Shooting a group of students took to social media demanding a change in school safety and firearm control.  In a controversial response the schools enacted new policies of mandatory clear backpacks and tighter security measures.  The new policy, while arguably creating a safer environment, wasn’t exactly the change that the student’s were striving for, leading to a largely angry response on their part (González-Ramírez, 2018).

My point in all of this is that while technology is great, it is important to fully understand the concepts that you are proposing be changed.  In this instance the activists suffered from the flaw of having an unclear message.  Most would agree that the real change that the activists were trying to achieve was a change in firearm control, legislation, and regulation.  However, in an effort to make it more engaging, appealing, and to tie it to an emotional event they re-branded the message as a social change movement demanding change in school safety.  This allowed the school systems to respond in a way that was beyond their desired outcome, in a way they did not wish, and are most definitely not happy about (González-Ramírez, 2018).  While I am not looking to debate the merits on either said of this social change movement, the point that I am wishing to make is that while it may be easy and quick for any of us to initiate a social change movement in our own community it is also crucial that the desired goals of the movement be clearly expressed so the desired outcomes can be achieved.

 

González-Ramírez, A. (2018). Here’s How the Parkland Students Feel About Their New Clear Backpacks.  Retrieved From:  https://www.refinery29.com/2018/04/195395/marjory-stoneman-douglas-students-clear-backpacks-reaction?bucketed=true&bucketing_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F

Gomez, I., & Zdanowicz, C. (2018). A Brief History of how Parkland Survivor David Hogg Keeps Schooling Lawmakers on Social Media.  Retrieved From:  https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/28/us/david-hogg-social-media-trnd/index.html


12
Apr 18

Even Optimists Can Feel Pessimistic!

I love the fact that Positive Social Psychology is an area of study. What does it mean to have positive-well being? Schneider, Grouman, and Coutts define it as “optimal adjustment to life and positive mental health.” How do we determine what these mean if we do not study those who have it? How do we know how to help a person who is having mental health challenges if we do not understand those who do not? What are the differences and why? These are just a few key questions I feel need to be answered if we want to understand how to help those who feel they are struggling in life.

For me personally I feel I am naturally an optimist. I suspect this may have something to do with being lucky enough to have had a few advantages in my life growing up to include a secure attachment, a moderate socio-economic lifestyle, and no serious traumatic events. Is that enough to provide me with an optimistic outlook on life? I do not really know, but I think it certainly helps. Yet we all know people who have not had a good start in life and experienced terrible things and are still optimistic people. So much so we are in awe of them and movies are made about them. We have all heard people say “it is a state of mind” and I believe what you put out there is what you will get in return whether it is good or bad makes no difference. This goes hand-in-hand with the self-fulfilling prophecy, which states if you imagine what will happen you will behave accordingly to ensure it happens even if that means you take no action, (Schneider, et.al., 2012).

Having said that, I do not perceive it as meaning negative or bad things never happen to individuals who are optimistic. Trust me they happen to everyone. I do, however, believe it is more about how an individual thinks and perceives those events or what Schneider, et.al., refers to as attribution. Attribution is part of Seligman’s (2011) learned optimism theory, which is the classification of attributions along with three dimensions, (as cited by Schneider, et.al., 2012). As an optimist I do tend to attribute good events to the self-related causes (internal), as something that will not change (stable), and has a far-reaching impact into other aspects of my life (global). While I see bad events as caused by something other than myself (external), a one-time occurrence with no expectation of it happening again (unstable), and will only affect this one area of my life temporarily (specific). For pessimists, the opposite attribution is inferred. For instance, if I received a bonus at work I would attribute it to my abilities (internal), good work, (stable) and the bonus as a contributor to other aspects of my life (e.g., being able to pay off a bill, buy something, take a vacation, etc.) (global). A pessimist might view a bonus as due to the help of the team (external), on a group project they participated in (unstable), and believe they would never see another bonus besides this one time (specific), (Schneider, et.al., 2014).

So why is it that even for someone who is naturally an optimist to sometimes behave like a pessimist? As a problem-focused coping individual what crashes my party the hardest? When I feel I have to resign myself to the fact there is not a solution I can implement to solve the problem. When my emotions start to run high and I feel I have no control in the event. This is usually due to true external factors because it may really not be mine to solve. While not true pessimism because I do not necessarily attribute this to internal factors, I do view it as a negative stable and global event. For example, when I find an ineffective policy or process at work and it goes unchanged despite efforts (stable) and yet it does affect my work as well as many other people and departments (global). So a pessimistic attitude ensues and perhaps even an emotion-focused coping style, as I try to avoid the situation or the process. This is where I can use attribution retraining interventions to help me out. By reassessing my thought process for this event to ensure I am not internalizing–nothing I did caused the event, recognizing that while it might not be changing now it is possible at some point it will change—it really is unstable versus stable albeit currently frustrating to me, and recognizing it is only one aspect to my overall work—meaning it really is specific to me. This can help me regain some optimism about the event and not allow it to affect me globally and perhaps even give me hope.

Hope was defined as another positive personality type and sister to optimism according to Snyder (2002) and requires one to think in two ways, (as cited by Schneider, et.al, 2012). The first is pathway thinking, where I would think of alternative solutions not previously considered to achieve the desired changes to the policy or process. The second is agency thinking, where I put my energy and motivation into implementing those solutions to change the policy or process, (Schneider, et.al, 2012).

So, yes, even optimists have events that cause them to feel pessimistic. Positive Social Psychology research provided the knowledge about optimism as being beneficial to one’s health and well being that also allowed for the development of beneficial strategies to assist not only pessimists, but also everyone, (Schneider, et.al., 2012). Which brings me back to my initial point of the importance of Positive Social Psychology.

Reference

Schneider, F., Gruman, J., & Couts, L. (2012). Applying Social Psychology to Positive Well-Being: Focus on Optimism. Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (2nd ed.). Thousands Islands, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.


11
Apr 18

Classifying Ourselves into Seclusion

Social Categorization, a mechanism that all humans have, is a built in file cabinet deep within the social cognitive process of the brain. Social categorization allows humans the ability to understand relationships and make sense of other people and the world we live in. This social cognitive mechanism allows our brains to classify people into groups (PSUWC, Lesson 6). This natural process helps our brains to identify what is safe and what is a threat to our survival. What is survival? The Oxford Dictionary defines survival as “the continued existence of organisms, which are best adapted to their environment, with the extinction of others…”(Survival. n.d.). It is also defined in the Oxford dictionary as, “the state or fact of continuing to live or exist, typically in spite of an accident, ordeal, or difficult circumstances.”(Survival. n.d.). For this purpose, I am going to incorporate Darwins’ Theory of Evolution as defined as, is the process by which organisms change over time as a result of changes in heritable physical or behavioral traits. Changes that allow an organism to better adapt to its environment will help it survive and have more offspring.”(Than. 2018) As you can see the Oxford definition of “Survival” and Darwin’s “Theory of Evolution” go hand in hand and are very similar. It is safe to state that in order to survive; One’s brain must adapt social cognitive mechanisms, by processing the every change world in to processes to survive. This social cognitive categorization not only affects people physically, but also cognitive processes. By experiences, people are subjected to help define their social identity and social dominance to survive. Social Identity Theory incorporates both personal identity and social identity. Personal identity can be a combination of objective biosocial personal markers and subjective personal experiences (PSUWC. Lesson 6.). Social identity comes from self-concept. What defines self-concept? Well self-concept come from self-categorization based on the knowledge, acceptance, connection and commitment to a group (PSUWC, Lesson 6). Humans have built a file cabinet that defines who they are, which can influence survival. If a person has high self-concept and feel apart of a group then the possibility of mental illness also lowers. Leaving less deaths to things such as suicide. I hope your still following me, I know I am touch on these topics, but it all relevant. For example, in Today’s society it is acceptable to have what we classify as appropriate groups and not appropriate groups. Everyone’s perception of this differs in certain ways. Children is the easiest way to see this. If you look a one class, you have students that are skinny, short, pudgy, tall, athletic, smarter than others…ect. These are all categories, that are socially acceptable.

One day you are eating lunch with your child and another child from the classroom has an outburst. The staff try to console them, in your mind you are trying to make sense of why this child all of a sudden had an outburst. Some may think they are not disciplined, that they must have problems at home, that they have anger issues ect… This is how our brains are processing the unexpected action of another child. Then your child mentions that this child is different and it happens all the time, so now your brain, put this child into a special needs category and your concerned for the safety of children. This example is pretty short and sweet. However it does happen. That child is what is categorized as autistic. The outburst was from a heighten sensory issue due to the noise of the lunchroom. This child will most likely not eat for the rest of the day, much less function a productive scale. You have no knowledge or experience with autistic children, you may advise your child to stay away from this child for fear of being different or safety of your child. What this does is start a vicious process to exclude this child for acting typical to their needs. If you have a headache, you go to a quiet space. Sensory processing issues are heighten typical issues that the brain can not process. The end of this situation is that Social categorization happened and started the process of seclusion, because their reaction is not what society deems typical. However, what is not well known that in the past ten years people identified with autism has increased 119% (Autism Society. 2015.). Darwin’s theory states evolution is the process by which organisms change over time as a result of changes in heritable physical or behavioral traits. Changes that allow an organism to better adapt to its environment will help it survive and have more offspring.”(Than.2018) This rise in people being identified with autism could be a natural change in evolution. Based on the Oxford Dictionary is child survives,  based on the state or fact of continuing to live or exist, typically in spite of an accident, ordeal, or difficult circumstances.”(Survival. n.d.) However, because this child is categorized by society and is excluded from social groups, they suffer from lack of self-concept. They are seen as the less dominate within their peer groups. What society doesn’t know about these children is they are the pros at categorizing information, they can synthesis greater concepts beyond our understanding. They are just missing their voice, their self-concept. Unfortunately, in Today’s society we have adults that are excluded based on “disability”. A Categorization for society to make sense of the world. However, our dated evolution has everything in our lives categorized, to the extent of seclusion that is influencing survival.

 

References:

Autism Society.Facts and Statistics. (2015, August 26). Retrieved April 02, 2018, from http://www.autism-society.org/what-is/facts-and-statistics/

PSU World Campus. (2018). PSYCH 424:Social Psychology. Lesson 6: Intergroup Relations/Diversity. https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1924488/assignments/9628601?module_item_id=23682597

Survival | Definition of survival in English by Oxford Dictionaries. (n.d.). Retrieved April 11, 2018, from https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/survival

Than, K. (2018, February 26). What is Darwin’s Theory of Evolution? Retrieved April 11, 2018, from https://www.livescience.com/474-controversy-evolution-works.html


09
Apr 18

Optimism in Romantic Relationships

Positive social psychologyis known by social psychologists as the understanding of constructive processes like altruism which is acting in concern more so for the well-being of others than yourself. It is rather selfless as there is little regard for your own interest in comparison to your empathy and solicitude for others. Positive psychologyteaches such constructs in respect to ourselves as our own well-being should not be cared for any less. This falls in line with positive well-beingwhich according to Frank Schneider, Jamie Gruman, and Larry Coutts (2012) is the making of any adjustments or changes in one’s life to achieve positive mental health (p. 381). What makes social psychologists stand out is that they appear to be more in tune with the negative and positive sides of human nature.

There are many places in our lives where we can apply the techniques from positive social psychology; I’d like to focus on romantic relationships. Coutts et al. (2012) define optimistsas those who “believe that good thinks are very likely to happen” (p. 381), no matter what the situation. Optimists have what are known as positive outcome expectancies, or the belief that all things are attainable through persistence. These positive expectancies allow for actions and steps that are consistent in achieving one’s goal without giving up or being discouraged due to other internal or external factors.

In regard to romantic relationships, being optimistic well has positive effects on the overall health of the couple. The results of a study conducted by Kimberly Assad, Brent Donnellan, and Rand Conger show that optimism amongst couples is correlated with cooperation and positive outcomes in comparison to couples who are pessimistic (as cited in Applied Social Psychology, 2012, p. 387). Having the same positive outcome expectancies amongst couples allows the two to work as a team to achieve similar goals.

A longitudinal study of romantic couples tested whether or not optimists and their romantic partners were more satisfied in their relationship. Sanjay Srivastava, Kelly McGonigal, Jane Richards, Emily Butler, and James Gross found that there were three parts where optimism was linked to positive outcomes. Srivastava et al. (2006) found that in part one “optimists and their partners both experienced greater overall relationship satisfaction”, in part two “optimists and their partners saw themselves and each other as engaging more positively in a conflict”, and part three “the relationships of male optimists lasted longer than the relationships of male pessimists” (p. 151). So not only does optimism effect the outcomes and goals in romantic relationships, but their length and resilience.

Schneider, F., Gruman, J., & Couts, L. (2012). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (2nd ed.). Thousands Islands, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.

Srivastava, S., McGonigal, K., Richards, J., Butler, E., & Gross, L. (2006). Optimism in Close Relationships: How Seeing Things in a Positive Light Makes Them So. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 91, 143-153. Doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.91.1.143


09
Apr 18

The True Power of Mindfulness

The mere mention of meditation or therapy often brings vivid imagery of stifling rooms with psychiatrists, or hippie yoga camps to mind.  In reality, mindfulness is one of the most accessible and empirically studied coping mechanisms available. At its core, mindfulness is “the act of being intensely aware of what you’re sensing and feeling at every moment, without interpretation or judgement” (Mayo Clinic, 2015).

The American Psychological Association details several benefits of practiced mindfulness including reduced rumination, stress reduction, working memory boosts, increased focus, less emotional reactivity, increased cognitive flexibility and increased relationship satisfaction (APA, 2012). The benefits of practicing mindfulness are so convincing that thousands of companies across the United States regularly participate in mindfulness. Tech giants like Google and Facebook and the General Mills Corporation are all heavily invested in mindfulness as a tenant of a person’s work life (Times, 2014). Many of these companies offer meditation rooms, and mindfulness boot camps. Many public schools are also incorporating mindfulness techniques in the classroom, allowing for both better teaching and better learning.

So, how can we harness the power of mindfulness and apply it to our daily life? There are several techniques and they all require a little time and a lot of attention. One of the most common mindfulness exercises is focus on breathing. This technique is heavily utilized in yoga and meditation classes, but its benefits extend far beyond the yoga studio. Ideally, you should take some time out of every day and meditate on your own breathing, remembering what it’s like, and how it feels to physically breathe. This intense focus is at the core of mindfulness. We essentially become so focused on breathing that we start to relax. It is recommended that mindfulness be practiced every day for at least 15-20 minutes a day, for at least six months (Mayo Clinic, 2015). The ultimate end-goal of a mindfulness practice is to train our brain to react better, remember more, and keep the internal peace; which are things we all need in today’s world.

References:

Davis, D. M., & Hayes, J. A. (2012, July/August). What are the benefits of mindfulness. Retrieved April 09, 2018, from http://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/07-08/ce-corner.aspx

How to practice mindfulness. (2015, November 10). Retrieved April 09, 2018, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/in-depth/mindfulness-exercises/art-20046356?pg=2

Pickert, K. (2014, January 23). The Mindful Revolution. Retrieved April 09, 2018, from http://time.com/1556/the-mindful-revolution/


08
Apr 18

Everything Psychological is Biological

Our mental health and physical health are considered to be transactional. Stomach issues can lead to anxiety and anxiety can lead to stomach issues. This exchange can exist in all aspects of our lives on scales we are not even fully cognizant of. One key element of human development is the parent-child relationship during the first 2 years of life outside the womb. We call these the formative years and they truly are just that. The first relationships we form are by far the most important ones that have implications for the rest of our existence.

Building secure relationships with our caregivers is key to becoming healthy, emotionally and socially functional adults later on in life. What can result from maltreatment in those formative years is referred to as reactive attachment disorder. Reactive attachment disorder is characterized by children who appear irritable, lack emotion toward others, have trouble being calmed down when upset and are generally unhappy. What happens when we are infants is our brains are organizing data fed to us by our primary caregivers. We learn to adapt to the environment in which we are brought up and that regulation is what carries us the rest of the way through life and relationships. If healthy development is interrupted by maltreatment this leads to eventual maladaptive behaviors.

What research is showing through the implementation of high processing fMRI and brain imaging, is that neural processing for the reward sensitivity is severely impaired for children suffering from reactive attachment disorder. In a study conducted by Mizuno et. al., they found that “that development of the dopaminergic function involved in reward processing is affected, causing insufficient brain activity”. What is also shown is that “maltreatment such as harsh corporal punishment is considered to exert enduring effects on the dopamine system”, (Mizuno et. al., 2015). What was even more impressive is that researchers found a dramatic change in the of grey matter volume in children who were maltreated which warrants more research.

These findings are remarkable in that parenting can prove to be a key factor in creating a more empathic and less agressive society. Parents should be taught early on the full implications of their interactions with their infants. I, as a mother of three, can honestly say that when I first became a mother I was not aware of all the effects of building a relationship with my infant from day one. Education in key to implementing changes. This type of knowledge could be integrated into prenatal and pediatric visits to help guide parents through these formative years.

References

Mizuno, K., Takiguchi, S., Yamazaki, M., Asano, M., Kato, S., Kuriyama, K., . . . Tomoda, A. (2015). Impaired neural reward processing in children and adolescents with reactive attachment disorder: A pilot study. Asian Journal of Psychiatry,17, 89-93. doi:10.1016/j.ajp.2015.08.002

Schore, A. N. (2001). Effects of a secure attachment relationship on right brain development, affect regulation, and infant mental health. Infant Mental Health Journal,22(1-2), 7-66.

 

 

 


08
Apr 18

The Power of Positivity

A few years ago I felt like I was in a real funk. I wasn’t very happy with my job or my career outlook. I was not very satisfied with some of my important relationships and felt like I was behind in life compared to most friends my age. I’m not much of a reader, but my sister is. She is very driven, and has many qualities that I have always wanted for myself. I asked her what book she was reading then and told her how I had been feeling. She gave me a few titles of books that she re-reads or continuously reads, but she said that I really needed to download an audio book called The Secret. She shared that she listens to this when she is feeling down, and that her husband also listens. When they are both on The Secret, their relationship is at its peak and they communicate really well. Now, I really trust her as we share a lot of the same beliefs, so I downloaded the book and started listening. At first I was very skeptical. The claims that they were making in this book seemed a little outrageous and completely unrealistic. I got through the book in a few days and just kept thinking to myself…is she for real? Am I being punked? I listened to the book again hoping to see what she was seeing – but only to the chapters that were applicable to my specific situation. This time around I tried not to get hung up on the grand claims, but to focus on the core message.

If you haven’t seen the movie or read or listened to the book, The Secret is all about the power of attraction and positive thinking. Even though, at first, I was very skeptical the book did help me turn a corner in my outlook. Just as they say that misery loves company, positivity is also contagious. I recognized that I end up being what I think I am, and I really needed that to change.

Even though parts of the book may seem hokey, The Secret follows the same premise as optimism, pessimism and the self-fulfilling prophecy. Optimists live with a positive outlook and believe that good things will happen. Pessimists live with doubt and fear, and believe that bad things will happen to them. The self-fulfilling prophecy is the idea that however you envision the future will control your behaviors in a way that makes that envisioned future come true (Schneider, Gruman and Coutts, 2012). This is basically what The Secret is trying to convey. The social psychology of optimism and theory of learned optimism is determined by a trio of attributions (Seligman, 2011). These attributions are classified as: internal/external, stable/unstable and global/specific. A person who is optimistic would internalize good things that happen to them and contribute bad things to external factors (temporary and out of their control). A person that is pessimistic would contribute good things to external factors and internalize bad things that happen to them (permanent characteristics that cause the result, responsibility). An optimist is also going to associate good things with permanent (stable) characteristics or situations, and bad things with temporary (unstable) situations. The optimist will believe that the good outcomes are a result of something stable and will continue happening, and poor outcomes are only temporary and will not continue.  Pessimists on the other hand will believe the opposite – good outcomes will be unstable and poor outcomes will be attributed to stable characteristics or situations. Finally, optimists attribute positive events with global or wide-ranging effects and negative events with specific effects that will not impact other areas of their life. Pessimists on the other hand believe that negative events are impactful to their life globally, and good things are specific.

The positive impact of optimism is obvious and there is still hope for the pessimists if they are willing to practice optimism. Coaching can be done to practice reversing the thought process of good things being external, temporary and specific and focus more on them being internal, stable and global.

Even though The Secret claims can seem a bit far-fetched, the core message and strategy is effective. Now, I still don’t believe that I can improve my eyesight overnight simply by believing it, but I can change my attitude around to increase motivation and chances for great outcomes.

“I am so happy and grateful now that…” (Byrne, 2006).

 

References

Byrne, R. (2006). The Secret. Atria Books/Beyond Words.

Pennsylvania State University World Campus (2018). PSYCH 424 Lesson 12: Relationships/Everyday Life. Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1924488/modules/items/23682639

Schneider, F., Gruman, J., Coutts, L. (2012). Applied Social Psychology. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.

Seligman, M. E. P. (2011). Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being. New York: Free Press.


08
Apr 18

Multiple Personalities or Just Different Sides of the Same Person?

I sometimes wonder, if modern technology such as social media, has triggered us to all develop multiple personality disorders. Because we can sometimes have a completely different persona online. According to Psychology Today, dissociative identity disorder (multiple personality disorder), “is a condition wherein a person’s identity is fragmented into two or more distinct personality states. ” Of course, this idea is quite extreme and severe mental illnesses like multiple personality disorder is no joking matter. But I wonder, if it is a good thing that we get to explore and express different sides of ourselves through social media platforms, or the fact that people who are close to us have to deal with different personas of ours, have made our relationships with each other less sincere, and more difficult to maintain.

Countless studies have been done to investigate the effects of social media on our relationships. Some argue that social media helps us better connect with the world around us, hence we can develop relationships more easily.  An Atlantic article (Tufekci, 2012) argues that social media is especially helpful for people whose voice is not heard and who are living on the fringe of the society to find their communities online. While the Huffington Post article, titled, How Social Media Can Destroy Your Relationship, is basically screaming “Delete your facebook account before your spouse divorce you!”. It mentioned that “one in seven divorces result from spouses becoming occupied in ‘sketchy’ social media behavior”

So what’s the verdict? Personally, I don’t think social media is evil and that it can destroy our relationships. But as cliche as it might sound, moderation is key for everything, the usage of social media is no exception. One of my friends posts instagram story all day every day. There was this one week that she stopped posting it. We got really concerned, we feared something bad happened to her. But it turned out she was just having a digital detox during that weak. What can I say, I think we all need a digital detox every once in a while before the virtual world takes over our real life and becomes too overwhelming for us.

I think social media provides us a window into the lives of people we would probably never meet in real life. For example, I follow Bill Gate’s daughter on instagram because I read this article about her, and out of curiosity, I want to find out what kind of life someone like her leads. She is quite active on instagram, just like any girl her age. But I bet it is quite difficult for someone like her to establish genuine relationships in real life. Because of social media, the 99 percent get to see how the 1 percent live, or at least what they want us to see. Twenty years ago, that was something hard to imagine. So social media can derail our relationships, but it can also open our minds and maybe be help us be more open to make new connections and build new bridges.

References:

Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder). (n.d.). Retrieved April 09, 2018, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/conditions/dissociative-identity-disorder-multiple-personality-disorder

Tufekci, Z. (2012, April 25). Social Media’s Small, Positive Role in Human Relationships. Retrieved April 09, 2018, from https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/04/social-medias-small-positive-role-in-human-relationships/256346/

Charleston, L. C. (2017, August 13). How Social Media Can Destroy Your Relationship. Retrieved April 09, 2018, from https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2017/08/10/how-social-media-can-destroy-your-relationship_a_23074105/

 


08
Apr 18

Showing Relationships Through Attachment

Relationships are a major part of everyones every day life whether we want to believe it or not. We start making relationships before we even know we are doing so. For instance, infants create relationships with their parents which are known as attachments. Infants create bonds with their parents at a very young age, which in turn usually last a life time.

In an infant attachment, the child is reacting to separation. This reminded me of when babies cry when they are not in the presence of their parents. They are facing a separation of the only relationship they know. Separation is the action or state of moving or being moved apart. In this case, if an infant is in a different room than their parent and they are unable to see them, they gain a source of separation and begin to worry and cry. This is because they have made a special attachment with their parents. Attachment is an affectionate relationship between two people. An infant attaches themselves to their parents because they are the first people they come in contact with after their birth. Their parents spend the most time with them so they gain an attachment to them that when they are separated they become hysterical.

There are three different types of attachment that an infant can obtain. One type of attachment is secure attachment. This is when “most infants were unhappy while the attachment figure was away, but were quickly soothed when she returned.” (book) The second type of attachment is insecure attachment, anxious/ambivalent. This type is when the infant reacted by crying when the attachment site was taken away from them, but still was crying when the attachment returned. Lastly, there is an attachment style referred to as insecure attachment, avoidant. This style is when infants show no emotion when the people they are attached to are not there. The infant is not concerned whether they are in their presence or not. These particular styles are interesting to me because I have personally witnessed each style. Infants acquire attachments in different ways, but all of them show some form of attachment with the people who care for them.

Relationships are every where, and cannot be avoided even if we try. Attachments are a form of relationships that happen in many different forms. Infants carry our these attachments as it is a way to grow closer to their loved ones from a young age. I think that it is very interesting that we are able to create such relationships with our family before we can ever speak a word. This just goes to show how much our brains and psychology play an important role in our lives.


08
Apr 18

Workplace relationships

Anyone who is able to grasp the idea of “no man is an island,” will be able to understand the importance of relationships. Human beings are both independent and interdependent. Whether it is an intimate, familial, social or work relationship, it is clear that we all need someone to depend on at some time for whatever reason.

In the United States,” approximately a third of the population work longer than the standard 40 hours week and the higher you move up the career ladder, the more you are expected to work” (justlanded.com). The Bureau of labor statistics confirm that “the average American works 44 hrs per week, or 8.8 hrs. per day” (cnbc.com). Considering the amount of time people spend at work and travelling to work it is understandable that their ability to form social and intimate relationships outside of work diminishes. Nevertheless, many employers are still against intimate workplace relationships, some even terminate their employee(s) if they find out he/she is involved in such a relationship. There are many pros and cons to workplace dating that make it difficult to conclude whether it is unethical or not.

In an article that discussed workplace romance, CBS news noted that one thing Bill Gates, Barack Obama and Julia Roberts have in common is the fact they met their spouses at work. It is also noteworthy that the former president’s wife was at one point his boss. Even with this enchanting news, and the increase in work hours, there are still an alarming amount of companies that do not allow fraternization in the workplace. Some of those against it argue that it can lead to sexual harassment lawsuits if the relationship goes bad. They also say that it would allow some managers to abuse their authority and take advantage of their subordinates. Also, other employees may cite favoritism if a manager is dating his subordinate.

Given the pros and cons of workplace fraternization, the debate for or against it lies in one’s preference rather than facts. Both sides of the discussion are practical but, in my opinion, fraternization should be allowed in the workplace with precise guidelines that are stated to each person upon employment.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/office-romance-3-rules-for-a-workplace-relationship/

https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/workhours

https://www.justlanded.com/english/United-States/USA-Guide/Jobs/Work-environment

 


08
Apr 18

Too Similar, is That a Thing?

For the blog this week I wanted to talk a little bit more on the idea that “birds of a feather flock together” so to speak. We learned in our lesson this week that for long term relationships it does prove to be better if you and your partner are alike in certain ways. These ways being having similar values, beliefs, ideals, and interests. This obviously makes good common sense as if you have similar interests with someone then it will be easy to hold conversations with them as well as find fun activities that you both enjoy. The question is though; can you be too similar with someone for them to make a good partner?

Our lesson from this week does mention this briefly saying that if someone is very bossy then they may not do well with a partner who is also bossy, but what about other traits? To answer this question for myself I did a little bit of research. I found a study where psychologists used surveys to find out if the closeness of people in a relationship related to their happiness in the relationship (“People Who Are Too Similar to Each Other Are Not Likely to Last”). They found that the happiest and longest lasting couples were ones that weren’t too distant but also weren’t too similar. This confirms my own suspicions that there is such a thing as being too similar to your partner. For example, if you and your partner are both very stubborn, then it may be difficult for you to come to compromises when arguing which could end up being very detrimental for your relationship. On the other hand like was said before, couples should share certain beliefs and interests in order to be able to be happy and have a successful relationship together (“People Who Are Too Similar to Each Other Are Not Likely to Last”).

Now while it does make sense that we should be with someone who is not too different yet not too similar to ourselves I did end up finding a lot of research that agreed with the idea that being more similar is better. A study done in 2003 suggests that we prefer someone who is similar to us in many ways such as wealth, level of attractiveness, and commitment (Saltz, Gail).Then a study in 2009 found that couples higher in marital satisfaction were more similar in their personality and attitudes (Saltz, Gail). So this research does suggest that if you are with someone who is very similar to you, you will have a more successful relationship.

So obviously there is still a lot of conflicting research out there in the world, so really who is to tell if it is better to be very similar to your partner, or to have a good balance of similarities and differences. In my opinion being similar in certain areas is good like I said before. But I could see how being too similar could become a problem. In the end though, I still believe that if you are meant to be with someone then you are just meant to be.

 

References

“‘People Who Are Too Similar to Each Other Are Not Likely to Last.”.” Psych2Go, 23 Oct. 2014, psych2go.net/people-similar-likely-last/.

Saltz, Gail. “Opposites Attract? Why You Should Date Someone More like You.” TODAY.com, 14 Oct. 2016, www.today.com/health/opposites-attract-why-you-should-date-someone-more-you-2D12072745.

 

 


08
Apr 18

Do Looks Really Matter?

It is easy to say that looks don’t matter, that it’s only what is on the inside that truly matters. We hear many people say this and yet we rarely see them follow through with this type of relationship. Typically we see attractive people coupled up with other attractive people. Hardly ever do we see a very attractive person paired with an unattractive person. So why do we still continue to say that cliché line, “looks don’t matter”?

Physical attractiveness theory can have effects on people in the work place as well, for example, during an interview process an employer is likely to hire an attractive applicant versus an unattractive applicant. If two exact resumes came in for an interview, same experience, and same qualifications, the employer would choose the more attractive applicant regardless of whether the other less attractive applicant is equally as qualified. Evidence has showed that less attractive people in the work place often are treated unfairly in comparison to their attractive coworkers and they may also experience greater chance of rejection when seeking promotion. (Schneider et al., 2012) The physical attractiveness theory has a negative impact on this environment because a person looks has nothing to do with how hard they work. Attractiveness does not equate to being a better employee.

Physical attractiveness theory plays a unique role in our lives when we choose to be intimate with significant others. People are more likely to date individuals who are similar to themselves and are near their same level of attractiveness. This is referenced in our text as the matching phenomenon. (Schneider et al., 2012)

After further research of this theory, I’ve come to understand that a person’s appearance does in fact matter and it has a lot of control over how a person is treated their entire life. While it is always important to present your best self in certain circumstances such as job interviews, important meetings, etc. , it is also important to remember the other saying “you can’t judge a book by looking at its cover”. A person’s appearance is not a true reflection of their character and you should always get to know a person before assuming you know who they are.

References

Schneider, F. W., Gruman, J. A., & Coutts, L. M. (2012). Applied social psychology: understanding and addressing social and practical problems. Los Angeles: Sage.


07
Apr 18

Let’s talk about Life!

Have you ever look back and thought to yourself, where did the time go? Well, lately ive been asking myself that question a lot. I feel that I’ve been walking through life blindly, thinking I’m living but actually not. I feel that most times, I’m just going through the motions, and I’m doing this whole life thing all wrong. At this very moment in my life, I often find myself wishing there was a step by step manual of how to get the most fulfillment out of life. With that being said, I feel that I’m not alone in feeling this way. This realization for me is a sort of intervention for myself, but also for others who may need it, or feel similarly. I don’t have it all figured out, but maybe this is a start, after all we have one life in this physical body we are in. We are supposed to use this body as a tool to experience beautiful moments, and make lasting memories that makes our soul smile. Instead we get caught up in other things that, really doesn’t matter in the end.

The first step that I believe is essential to truly living your best life, is figuring out what is important to you, what puts that simple smile on your face, what experiences you want out of life. To each person this part will be a bit different. The easiest way to do that is to write it down. Writing allows you to explore deeper parts of yourself, sometimes parts you didn’t realize were there to begin with. Once that is figured out, you can work on a plan of daily actions you must take in order to achieve these results. Another important thing I have been learning is that it is okay to deviate from the plan. That is apart of exploring the things life has to offer. I also would like practicing to enjoyand appreciate each moment in my life. This will really help with the overall quality of life. It is also important to me to hold myself accountable more, this will help to lead me in the right direction.

These are a few things I want to work on to begin this journey of getting it right! If you guys have any additional tips you think can help, or may have helped you in the past, I would love to hear about them in the comments below.


07
Apr 18

Complications, of Situations, in Relations

Complicated life situation might lead a person to start building relationships which are not likely to be real and sincere. Moreover, these relationships are not always real because people have already created an ideal picture in their minds in order to escape the real life situation which may not necessarily be the most ideal. Such science as social psychology can be applied in this situation in order to investigate what factors influence people’s choice of a partner. When taking a look at chapter 15 in in our book “Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems” (Schneider, Gruman & Coutts, 2012) we can see that they give one example of a relationship which I will be alluding to throughout this article. The example they give is about a student named Chris who is trying to cope with the problem of adjusting to new surroundings and at the same time is looking for support from a girl named Lee who he has recently met. The story under consideration focuses on the description of such relationships which appear on the basis of a person’s search for someone to rely on in a difficult life situation.

It should be highlighted that some psychologists advise to talk to a nice person in order to overcome depression. Depression is considered as a type of illness, and if a person does not get the right treatment on time, he/she will face stresses, frustrations, and psychological traumas in the future more often (Zetin, Hoepner & Kurth, 2010). According to this theory, the complicated life situation in which Chris was facing could have led to unhappiness and clinical depression. However, he managed to cope with this situation with the help of a new girlfriend, Lee who has already overcome the same events in her life. From the perspective of psychotherapy, these relationships with Lee seem to be a promotion of emotional health.

From the point of view of interpersonal psychotherapy, there are four types of interpersonal problems: dealing with interpersonal discussions, getting used to the loss of relationships, starting new relationships, and identifying problems with social skills that make a person avoid relationships (Durand, Barlow & Hofmann, 2018). The main character of the current story is trying to overcome all these difficulties which are connected with his girlfriend Lee. However, he is finding himself again in a depressive mood when Lee is showing that she does not even know him.

It should be emphasized that every human is a social being, and he/she needs someone to lean on despite the current life situation. When a person feels depressed, he/she may start to look for support. At the same time, he/she is creating an ideal picture in mind in which the world is full of pretty colors. However, this image doesn’t always happen to be the case in real life “so keep in mind that you and everyone else need attachments and that your life experience has taught you a distinctive style in forming them” (Schneider et al. 2012). Unfortunately, sometimes people with similar negative life situation begin to mull over that it is his/her prototype, and he/she will definitely help to avoid any current problems. It should be highlighted that most problems are born in the mind. The main point is a person’s attitude toward the situation in which he/she has been involved. An emotionally strong person will try to cope with any problem on his/her own. At the same time, people who do not already possess strong emotional health are vulnerable to potential stimuli of depression from the environment.

To sum up, any human is a social creature and he/she most of the time believes that someone else can definitely help in a difficult life situation. However, choosing a partner is not always an easy task especially if a person is baffled because of things which happen around them. It is of paramount importance in any situation to choose the right partner who is not likely to make a person suffer again. The story of Chris under consideration might be useful as it analyses the role of relationships that have appeared due to proximity, familiarity, and the complicated life situation. Social psychology is a vital tool in order to identify forces which might lead a person to depression and search for a new boyfriend or girlfriend.

 

References:

Durand, V. M., Barlow, D. H., & Hofmann, S. G. (2018). Essentials of abnormal psychology. Boston: Cengage Learning.

Schneider, F. W., Gruman, J. A., & Coutts, L. M. (2012). Applied social psychology: Understanding and addressing social and practical problems. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, Inc.

Zetin, M., Hoepner, C. T., & Kurth, J. (2010). Challenging depression: The go-to guide for clinicians and patients (go-to guides for mental health). New York: W. W. Norton & Company.

 


02
Apr 18

What happened to community?

The difference in how communities are from when I was growing up, to now is extremely different. As a child I remembered knowing the people of my community, I felt that for the most part neighbors cared about each other, and in many cases that community felt like a family. The community in which I live now feels distant, untrusting, and often feels like strangers. There are so many horrible things that takes place in our world, and I think that has ultimately killed that warm, safe feeling of community. Individuals who makes up the community no longer looks out for each other. Instead we are more concerned with self gratification. People rarely do nice things for each other anymore. Many communities are brought down by violence, lack of community activities, and lack of positive influence in the community.
“The problem with community is that it is not fostered by present-day city societal designs. In fact, compared to traditional villages, our present societal models actively discourage community. (How many of your neighbors do you know? How many are close friends, whom you have known for a long time?) Cities are no longer comprised of villages” (Kolber).
I believe what we can do to play our role is start by simply showing kindness. Being kind and show the people around you that you care and have their best interest at heart. Simple acts of kindness an go along way, also government should get involved in planning events that promotes togetherness of a community. Of course I don’t have all the answers, but I would really love for us all to experience that sense of a real community, or at least what it was meant to be!

 

 

Kolber, Jhonathan. Have We Lost Our Sense of Community and Became to Reliant on Technology . www.quora.com/Have-we-lost-our-sense-of-community-and-become-too-reliant-on-technology.

 

 


02
Apr 18

Community Awareness

Imagine.  You’re son has just been diagnosed with Autism.  You’re standing in the psychologist’s office, unable to comprehend what has been said, no idea what to do with the diagnosis and no clue where to turn. Your family lives hundreds of miles away and you and your spouse are on your own.  The psychologists gives you a list of numbers to call for intervention services, but you still have no clue what intervention services consist of.  He tells you the prognosis for your child is good, but your child will struggle in a multitude of areas.  Academics will be harder and seemingly simple tasks will take far longer for him than other typical children his age.  You hear bits and pieces of what is being said, but you’re frozen.

It can seem like all hope is lost, like life just stopped. You’ve just started a journey you know nothing about.  There is a plethora of information that can be tapped into online.  With a swift click one can find out any information they wanted to about Autism and the therapies it entails.  But, what all the research and definitions in the world can’t directly bring is the comfort and support of others who are facing the same challenges.  Well….thank goodness for community!  Whether it be online or in community support groups, the benefits of having a group (no matter how small or large) to share in the struggles and the trials of such a journey.  Maintaining a healthy support system while caring for a child with any type of special need can be challenging but it is one of the most important aspects. “ Support groups enable parents to share information with one another, such as information about therapies or new programs, stories and experiences of living with autism, and advice on how to deal with different professionals. They also allow parents to vent their frustrations, and have their feelings validated and understood.  Through these groups, parents can get to hear about training workshops, school services, and attend events that may be beneficial, including social outings. Other benefits include the opportunity to forge long-lasting friendships with other families” (special-learning.com).

Another benefit to community groups such as support groups is to help remove stigmas that are placed on children and adults with Autism or special needs.  Defined by Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts (2012), stigmatization refers to labeling someone as being deviant, different, or flawed in some way.  Unfortunately, many people label those with Autism or others special needs as flawed or less in some way.  They see the disability instead of seeing all of the wonderful aspects of those with Autism.  Community support groups can join together to take social action in order to help remove the stigmas of those with disabilities and encourage others by spreading awareness of special needs.  Social action can be summarized as the idea that by organizing you can stimulate collective action in the community that generates power to create change (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2013, p. 288).  Many organizations encourage community programs and even go as far as providing support sites and phone numbers.  Organizations such as Autism Speaks (Autismspeaks.org)  provide outside links for families to seek support and information and also provide ways to advocate in the community.

Community groups can be beneficial for those who are in need of support for whatever their situation is. They provide understanding and comfort for those who need it most, when they need it most.

 

References:

Schneider, Frank. Gruman, Jaime. Coutts, Larry. Applied Social Psychology. Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems. 2012.

The Importance of Support Groups. Special Learning, Inc. Retrieved from https://www.special-learning.com/article/the_importance_of_support_groups


02
Apr 18

Virtual Communities

In 1969, two computers, one at UCLA and one at Stanford, sent the first ever message online (History, 2018). Two letters of the word “LOGIN” were received, and the world was never the same again. In years past, communities were usually derived from geographic locations, and were often made up of family members. With the advent of the internet, the way we form communities has changed forever.

As of 2015, over 3.5 billion people around the world were using the Internet (Time, 2015). Nearly four years later, that number is sure to have expanded. This expansion only goes to show the immense power that the internet has on our daily lives, including the way we perceive and conceive communities. It is now easier than ever to find like-minded people and form a forum, social media page, or platform based solely on that shared interest. Before the internet, it was almost impossible to find people who had the same obscure interest that you did, but now it can be done in a matter of seconds.

In 2017, The Verge explored how niche corners of the internet made a comeback considering massive social media sites, like Facebook who currently sits at over 1 billion users (The Verge, 2017). This dichotomy of internet usage goes to show the true flexibility and adaptability of the internet and its users. Internet users can now form micro communities on larger apps like Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as well. Facebook, for example, has thousands of pages dedicated solely to nihilistic memes which house even more “followers”.

Over the past decade the internet has exponentially expanded, but it seems as if the internet is now going undergo a “micro expansion” in which users seek smaller and more intimate communities reminiscent of the internet past. As of 2018, this looks like smaller, more curated social media experiences instead of the flood of information we’ve been dealing with since 1999.

As the internet continues to grow, the effect it has on us, the way we consume and the way we interact with each other is bound to shift even further. From far away, it seems like niche meme accounts have their own language, one that differs widely from the average internet users’ dialect. The internet has changed the way we speak, think, and even the way our brain handles information. Perhaps as our definition of community changes, our definition/value of family will change too as we incorporate more of the “internet” into our lives.

References:

Davidson, J. (2015, May 26). 3.2 Billion People Now Using Internet Worldwide | Money. Retrieved April 02, 2018, from http://time.com/money/3896219/internet-users-worldwide/

History.com Staff. (2010). The Invention of the Internet. Retrieved April 02, 2018, from https://www.history.com/topics/inventions/invention-of-the-internet

Tiffany, K. (2017, December 28). The year we wanted the internet to be smaller. Retrieved April 02, 2018, from https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/28/16795090/internet-community-2017-post-mortem-tumblr-amino-drip-tinyletter


01
Apr 18

Our Virtual Realities

The internet is a powerful invention that has drastically changed the way that humans discover information, communicate with each other and learn. The internet’s reach is infinite, and what shows up online is discoverable forever. This vastly diverse tool can be very beneficial to many people and situations, but can also be harmful in just as many ways.

I used to think that I suffered from an extremely mild case of social anxiety. As a teenager and in my early twenties I would excitedly make plans with my friends, but would become nervous as the event approached and sometimes try to think of ways to get out of what I had agreed to attend. Most of the time I would go and enjoy myself, but always had that feeling of dread and nervousness as the social event came up. I started telling myself that I know I will have a good time if go, so why worry so much about it. I also realize that this social anxiety that was just bothersome for me is extremely debilitating for some people. I had always been a little curious about this debilitating social anxiety and the effects that the internet had on people that truly suffered from this.

The internet allows everyone access to various forms of communication: email, chat rooms, message boards, blogs, comments, social media sites, video chat, online multiplayer games  and probably more that I’m not thinking of. All of these means of communication give people numerous ways to interact with others. These options can be beneficial for those that are looking for support. Winzelberg (1997) reported the results of studies showing effectiveness of online support groups for people that struggle with eating disorders. These online groups allow the users to access the group or site at anytime – allowing for flexibility in access and working around potentially busy schedules. Winzelberg also shared that these online support groups were a low cost alternative to traditional therapy. Davidson, Pennebaker and Dickerson (2000) studied virtual and non-virtual support groups and reported that the virtual groups are an attractive option to people with disabilities that are unable to move around well, or that have embarrassing issues they are going through. These virtual support groups allow people to escape their normal environment and experience some relieve in the anxiety they suffer from when able to talk to and relate to others who experience the same thing.

It is important to note however, that though online support groups can be beneficial, the person needs to make sure that they are not immersing themselves in a virtual reality. More research needs to be done to determine the effects of virtual living but previous studies have shown that internet usage decreases communication within families and increases depression and loneliness. An extreme case of immersion in a virtual reality was in South Korea in 2010, a couple’s three month old daughter died from malnutrition as the couple left her for hours at a time raising a virtual baby at a 24 hour internet cafe.

As great of a tool as it is, the internet can also be a very dangerous community. It’s true that you can be anyone you want to be online, and it is easy to depict a certain life for yourself – one that might not be the full truth. The internet, constant access to social media and cameras has also raised the bar for bullying. It also gives hate groups a place to share their thoughts and plans and spread their message.

The internet is full of different communities, some positive and some not. It can be a community of immense support and positivity but on the opposite end, the internet is also full of trolls and hate. It is important not to immerse yourself in an online community, or virtual reality. It is important to ensure you have a strong connection to the real world and social relationships.

Even though I have not immersed myself in a virtual community and I do have strong social relationships in my life, now I find that I am still dreading plans with friends, but for a different reason. I have discovered that I am the true definition of an introvert, and where many people would be energized by socializing with friends after a long day or week at work, I find this socialization exhausting after an already exhausting day or week at the office. My workplace expects a high level of visibility and interaction with everyone, and as an introvert I recharge by not having to socialize with people. I am happy as a clam spending my weekends at home under a cozy blanket with my dog and a can of Lonely Blonde (delicious and ironic).

 I have an Introvert Hangover

I'm totally exhausted, from too
much human interaction.

References

Davidson, K., Pennebaker, J., & Dickerson, S. (2000). Who Talks? The social psychology of illness support groups. American Psychologist, 55, 205-217.

Dorene35. Cry For Help Memes. Retrieved from https://www.someecards.com/usercards/viewcard/-i-have-an-introvert-hangover-im-totally-exhausted-from-too-much-human-interaction-5749d/?tagSlug=cry-for-help

Pennsylvania State University World Campus (2018). PSYCH 424 Lesson 11: Communication. Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1924488/modules/items/23682631

Salmon, A. (2010). Couple: Internet gaming addiction led to baby’s death. CNN. Retrieved from: http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/04/01/korea.parents.starved.baby/index.html

Schneider, F., Gruman, J., Coutts, L. (2012). Applied Social Psychology. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.

Winzelberg, A. (1997). Analysis of an electronic support group for individuals with eating disorders. Computers in Human Behavior, 13, 393-407.


01
Apr 18

Online Gaming Communities

Studying online communities has resonated with me on a personal level. Over the last handful of years, I have been actively involved in an online gaming community. Online communities allow a person to customize their experience. This includes screening and choosing which people a person will be exposed to and interact with while being a member in the community (Nelson, 2018). For me, I chose to find a gaming community that played the same genre of games on the PlayStation 4. Though joining my gaming community was initially only for the specific hobby of video games, it has grown into much more than that over the years. It has developed into a complex social network with friends spread out across the United States. We maintain our community by actively playing games with one another and connecting on various social media platforms to share even more interactions outside of strictly gaming (Nelson, 2018). Our friendships have extended into meeting up in the “real” world and exploring even more hobbies we share together.

Through joining my community, I have found several benefits to it outside of gaming. The first major benefit of joining my gaming community was an instant boost in being around people that liked similar things. As mentioned previously, I was able to hand select the community I joined, and the people I was exposed to within the community. This gave me an opportunity to weed out people that do not enjoy playing the same games. I also learned how to communicate better with people, in general. Playing competitive games that require call outs, and teamwork helped me gain confidence in speaking with other people. I have noticed that this has also helped in the “real “world, as I have applied this to real life problem solving within a group setting.

In addition to this benefit, I have been able to practice my leadership skills in my online community. I enjoy gaming quite a bit and have dedicated a decent amount of my free time to it while I have been in college. It takes many leaders within an online community to ensure that it is enjoyable for everyone, and members are happy. I took on a leadership role last year for my community that revolves around monitoring our website, guiding new members, and creating community-based challenges. I volunteer to do these tasks to keep our members engaged with our community. As found in a study conducted by Shu-Hsun Ho and Chiung-Hui Huang, the more engagement by a leader within a virtual community, the higher involvement by other members (2009). These researchers also concluded that many people take on leadership roles to help increase the ability to organize, manage, and communicate (Ho & Huang, 2009). I have used all three skills during the past year, and I have even gained experience with how websites are built and maintained.

Online communities have had a positive impact in my life. I have been able to explore and enjoy the hobby of gaming with people I consider to be very good friends. I have been able to test out my leadership abilities, while also working on my communication skills. Although these skills were learned in an online community, they can and already have had an impact in the “real” world. Due to this, I will be forever grateful for my experience with online communities.

References:
Ho, S., & Huang, C. (2009). Exploring success factors of video game communities in hierarchical linear modeling: The perspectives of members and leaders. Computers in Human Behavior, 25(3), 761-769. 10.1016/j.chb.2009.02.004
Nelson, A. (2018). Lesson 11: Community. Retrieved March 31, 2018, from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1924488/modules


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