Author Archives: Stephanie R Subedi

Family Problem Solving

Have you ever thought of how you cognitively solve a problem? Most of us don’t really think about the background fundamentals of cognitive functioning to solving a problem. Problems are defined as “an obstacle between where we currently are and a goal.” (PSU World Campus, 2013, L 13).  Everything we set to accomplish in a day, can be seen as a problem. Cognitively we go through a series of processes to accomplish every task at hand. Depending on the type of problem, the way our minds process the situation, and the obstacles in the way of solving the problems; will determine the type of strategies used to solve the problem at hand. To help illustrate this process let’s start by defining a problem I have on an everyday basis; family scheduling.

I define family scheduling the way I arrange for everyone to meet week to week obligations. Every week I have to set a schedule for the entire family to make sure everyone gets their commitments. There is definitely more than one way this ill-defined problem is solved. There are 3 people, 2 of them are children residing in my home and everyone has an obligation each week that I have to ensure they meet. The obligations I have to make sure everyone meets weekly is one of the children is school aged and has a certain time they must meet the bus to arrive to school and a certain time I must be available to pick them up from the bus stop. This person also have extracurricular activities and functions that are a part of their life. My other child is special needs and has eight therapies in a 5 day period and a rigorous feeding schedule, as well as just being a child. I also have at least one doctor’s appointment, household duties and four college classes I am committed too. So as you can imagine some creative thinking or innovative thinking is needed to manage all these duties with one vehicle (PSU World Campus, 2016, L8). If I become fixated on all the tasks that needed to be done every week it could possibly divert me from achieving a solution and getting overwhelmed. So I lay everything out from mandatory tasks to minor tasks and schedule accordingly. Since some of the tasks are dependent on others. I must first find the problematic areas, then set the expectation that everything needs to be spread out of the week, as I go through this process I evaluate as each task is assigned to a slot to see if any revisions need to be made. I think out loud and take notes on paper to restructure tasks on paper until the final revisions are sought. I may have to reorganize the structure several times until it all fits.

 

References:

Goldstein, B. (2011). Cognitive psychology: Connecting mind, research and everyday experience (3rd ed.). Wadsworth, Inc. ISBN: 978-0840033499.

PSU World Campus. (2016). Problem Solving, Lesson 13. Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1804143/modules/items/21169401

Using Neuro-imaging to Reduce Stress

Neuroscience is making its way in to the work environment. Researchers are discovering new ways to utilize neuroscience to benefit human behavior in the workplace. The use of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to help researchers demonstrate the level and degree emotions and thought when put in stressful activities.

The Scandinavian Psychological Association published a research study about the use of fMRI to study the treatment of chronic stress in employees (Bergdahl. J., Larsson, A., Nilsson, L., Åhlström, K. R, 2005). fMRI allow more accurate and less radioactive results, with the use of hemoglobin molecules. “fMRI indicates the present of brain activity because the hemoglobin molecules in high brain activity lose some oxygen they are transporting, which makes the more magnetic and respond strongly to the magnetic field.” (Goldstien, 2011). It uses the iron properties in hemoglobin molecules as magnets. The use of the fMRI allowed researchers in the study to track the brain activity in one of the areas of the brain for perception called the prefrontal cortex.

The prefrontal cortex is located in the frontal lobes of the brain. This cortex job is to regulate cogitative emotion and social behavior. Dr. Richard Davidson used fMRI to conclude that the left prefrontal cortex activity shows happiness and the right prefrontal cortex shows sadness (Breazeale, 2013). The more a person is happy or content the more active the left side is. The unhappier a person is, the more activity shows up on the right side. Researchers have also refer to this as part of the brain as the decision-making function. Some considered aspects of executive functioning humans plan, make decisions and express certain behaviors (Goldstien, 2011). Emotions play a key role in the way a person reacts to certain situations and makes certain decisions. This also means that the prefrontal cortex can also be affected by the emotions and decision making when a person is under stressful situations. In the research study, where the fMRI was used to treat chronic stress in important to decisions and effects of decisions in the work place environment.

In the study the researchers used FMRI to track activity in subjects prior to the treatment, short term affect focus groups. Then also after the treatment was given. It was reported that all subjects had high stress levels and the psychological effects of stress prior to the treatment (Bergdahl, J., Larsson, A., Nilsson, L., Åhlström, K. R., 2005). It is also conclusive with the research from Dr. Davision that there were lower levels of activity in the left prefrontal cortex. After the treatment concluded, researchers noted that the reported levels of stress were reduced. Researchers also noted the side effects of stress were lowered as well. The signal intensities in the left side was higher, resulting in lower left side activity.

These advancements in neuroscience can be used to make generalizations about stress reduction and performance in the workplace. The use of neuroimaging tool like the fMRI has help not only researchers connect the prefrontal cortex with the complexities of its executive functioning. It helps industrial organizational psychologist create and modify plans based on reduction of stress, which has an outstanding effect on behaviors and decision making in the work place. The high costs and limited access of the fMRI technology, limits research for this purpose.

References

 

Bergdahl, J., Larsson, A., Nilsson, L., Åhlström, K. R., & Nyberg, L. (2005). Treatment of chronic stress in employees: Subjective, cognitive and neural correlates.Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 46(5), 395-402. Retrieved from http://ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/docview/620901632?accountid=13158

Breazeale, R. (2013). The Role of the Brain in Happiness: Advances in neuroscience reveal fascinating details about how the brain works. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/in-the-face-adversity/201302/the-role-the-brain-in-happiness

Goldstein, B. (2011). Cognitive psychology: Connecting mind, research and everyday experience (3rd ed.). Wadsworth, Inc.

PSU. (2016). Cognitive Neuroscience, Lesson 2. Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1804143/modules/items/21169293