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Psychology
Higher Working Memory Ability;More Brain Freeze
April 10, 2017
Some fortunate people have more “working memory” than others. It’s as if they have an extra pair of hands available for mental juggling; extremely useful for doing arithmetic and similar tasks in your head. These folk with abundant working memory capacity also tend to fare well academically and in their careers. Little surprise that “brain training” games like Lumosity and Cogmed target working memory in pursuit of these knock-on benefits (though the evidence that the training brings such...
April 10, 2017
Some fortunate people have more “working memory” than others. It’s as if they have an extra pair of hands available for mental juggling; extremely useful for doing arithmetic and similar tasks in your head. These folk with abundant working memory capacity also tend to fare well academically and in their careers. Little surprise that “brain training” games like Lumosity and Cogmed target working memory in pursuit of these knock-on benefits (though the evidence that the training brings such...
Is Laughter the Best Medicine?
April 9, 2017
Laughter truly is the best medicine, so it is no surprise that one-third of Brits want to be remembered for their humor when they die. Specifically, 36% of Brits prioritized humor over every other trait, while 41% said their most enduring memories with loved ones included their jokes, smiles, and laughs. As for how they want to be defined in death, most Brits claimed that levity and amusement were the most-desired characteristics. Further, the study looked at how memories impact coping with death....
April 9, 2017
Laughter truly is the best medicine, so it is no surprise that one-third of Brits want to be remembered for their humor when they die. Specifically, 36% of Brits prioritized humor over every other trait, while 41% said their most enduring memories with loved ones included their jokes, smiles, and laughs. As for how they want to be defined in death, most Brits claimed that levity and amusement were the most-desired characteristics. Further, the study looked at how memories impact coping with death....
The Busier You Are, the More You Need Quiet Time
March 30, 2017
Recent studies are showing that taking time for silence restores the nervous system, helps sustain energy, and conditions our minds to be more adaptive and responsive to the complex environments in which so many of us now live, work, and lead. Duke Medical School’s Imke Kirste recently found that silence is associated with the development of new cells in the hippocampus, the key brain region associated with learning and memory. Physician Luciano Bernardi found that two-minutes of silence inserted...
March 30, 2017
Recent studies are showing that taking time for silence restores the nervous system, helps sustain energy, and conditions our minds to be more adaptive and responsive to the complex environments in which so many of us now live, work, and lead. Duke Medical School’s Imke Kirste recently found that silence is associated with the development of new cells in the hippocampus, the key brain region associated with learning and memory. Physician Luciano Bernardi found that two-minutes of silence inserted...
Circle time rituals help children beat the Marshmallow Test of Self Control
March 26, 2017
Sweet, old-fashioned circle time rituals involve young children sitting in a circle with a teacher and copying his or her specific actions as closely as possible. These rituals can seem a bit out of place in today’s culture with its emphasis on the importance of independent thinking, and the ubiquity of interactive educational games employing the latest beeps and whistles of technology. But a new study in Child Development says there is something about the conformity and attention to detail in ritualistic...
March 26, 2017
Sweet, old-fashioned circle time rituals involve young children sitting in a circle with a teacher and copying his or her specific actions as closely as possible. These rituals can seem a bit out of place in today’s culture with its emphasis on the importance of independent thinking, and the ubiquity of interactive educational games employing the latest beeps and whistles of technology. But a new study in Child Development says there is something about the conformity and attention to detail in ritualistic...
The Psychology of Mediation: Issues of Self and Identity and the IDR Cycle
March 23, 2017
Issues of self-identity and self-esteem play an important role in mediation. They may be described in different ways. Sometimes...
March 23, 2017
Issues of self-identity and self-esteem play an important role in mediation. They may be described in different ways. Sometimes...
Mindfulness Meditation Training Lowers Biomarkers Of Stress Response In Anxiety Disorder
March 11, 2017
Mindfulness meditation is an increasingly popular treatment for anxiety, but testing its effectiveness in a convincing way has been difficult. Now a rigorously designed, NIH-sponsored clinical trial led by a Georgetown University Medical Center researcher has found objective physiological evidence that mindfulness meditation combats anxiety. The researchers found that anxiety disorder patients had sharply reduced stress-hormone and inflammatory responses to a stressful situation after taking a mindfulness...
March 11, 2017
Mindfulness meditation is an increasingly popular treatment for anxiety, but testing its effectiveness in a convincing way has been difficult. Now a rigorously designed, NIH-sponsored clinical trial led by a Georgetown University Medical Center researcher has found objective physiological evidence that mindfulness meditation combats anxiety. The researchers found that anxiety disorder patients had sharply reduced stress-hormone and inflammatory responses to a stressful situation after taking a mindfulness...
Claude Monet and the Theory of Your Case
February 23, 2017
In 1874, Claude Monet exhibited a painting in Paris, an unconventional depiction of sunrise at Le Havre. "What shall we call it?" his brother asked. "Mettez 'impression'"—call it an impression—Monet replied. Impressionism got its name. Monet rented rooms across from the Rouen cathedral façade and painted it 30 times. Each painting, with different effects of light, shade, weather, and time of day, gives one a different impression. His paintings of the seashore direct us to consider...
February 23, 2017
In 1874, Claude Monet exhibited a painting in Paris, an unconventional depiction of sunrise at Le Havre. "What shall we call it?" his brother asked. "Mettez 'impression'"—call it an impression—Monet replied. Impressionism got its name. Monet rented rooms across from the Rouen cathedral façade and painted it 30 times. Each painting, with different effects of light, shade, weather, and time of day, gives one a different impression. His paintings of the seashore direct us to consider...
Radiate Charisma With a Technique Everyone Should Know
February 17, 2017
People who are mentally quick on their feet are seen as more charismatic by friends, a new study finds. Speed is of the essence, though, the researchers found, while IQ and mental agility were not as vital as they expected. Professor Hippel said: “Although we expected mental speed to predict charisma, we thought that it would be less important than IQ. Instead, we found that how smart people were was less important than how quick they were. So knowing the right answer to a tough...
February 17, 2017
People who are mentally quick on their feet are seen as more charismatic by friends, a new study finds. Speed is of the essence, though, the researchers found, while IQ and mental agility were not as vital as they expected. Professor Hippel said: “Although we expected mental speed to predict charisma, we thought that it would be less important than IQ. Instead, we found that how smart people were was less important than how quick they were. So knowing the right answer to a tough...
How to Boost Your (and Others’) Emotional Intelligence
February 12, 2017
Among the various core ingredients of talent and career success, few personal qualities have received more attention in the past decade than emotional intelligence (EQ), the ability to identify and manage your own and others’ emotions. Importantly, unlike most of the competencies that make it into the HR zeitgeist of buzzwords, EQ is no fad. In fact, thousands of academic studies have demonstrated the predictive power of scientific EQ assessments vis-à-vis job performance, leadership potential,...
February 12, 2017
Among the various core ingredients of talent and career success, few personal qualities have received more attention in the past decade than emotional intelligence (EQ), the ability to identify and manage your own and others’ emotions. Importantly, unlike most of the competencies that make it into the HR zeitgeist of buzzwords, EQ is no fad. In fact, thousands of academic studies have demonstrated the predictive power of scientific EQ assessments vis-à-vis job performance, leadership potential,...
Running Has These Unbelievable Effects On The Brain
February 11, 2017
Runners show greater connectivity between vital parts of the brain than non-runners, new research finds. Stronger connections are seen in areas important for decision-making, planning and controlling attention. It is one of the first studies to show the benefits of running on younger brains in this way. Fewer studies, though, have looked at repetitive activities like running or cycling. Dr Raichlen said: “These activities that people consider repetitive actually involve many...
February 11, 2017
Runners show greater connectivity between vital parts of the brain than non-runners, new research finds. Stronger connections are seen in areas important for decision-making, planning and controlling attention. It is one of the first studies to show the benefits of running on younger brains in this way. Fewer studies, though, have looked at repetitive activities like running or cycling. Dr Raichlen said: “These activities that people consider repetitive actually involve many...
