First off, happy Halloween.
Second, how do you lose a wheelchair?
In a recent post I said that my new wheelchair was supposed to be delivered to Key Medical around the 26th and then brought to me sometime that week. When I hadn't heard anything from them, I called and left a message on Friday. One of the reps that was working on the order called me Saturday morning to give me the news. She said that they ordered the wheelchair two weeks ago and it was scheduled to come in Monday. After a couple days and no wheelchair, she called Invacare, the company we ordered it from, to track it. They said that there was no record of the chair being ordered, which was odd because she remembered ordering it and had the tracking number. After a while of digging around, they figured out that the chair was sitting in some warehouse in Ohio. Somehow it had gotten shipped wrong, someone didn't know what to do with it, left it in the warehouse, and changed the tracking number. That's why it couldn't be traced.
Needless to say, it made its way to Key Medical and they're going to bring it over within the next week. I'm definitely looking forward to being in control and independent again. The last four or five months have been hard on me, and it will be nice to be in control and have independently again. I'm definitely looking forward, not back. Let's just hope nothing else happens and that it's a smooth transition into my new wheelchair.
Jenni
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Volunteering
I signed up to be a volunteer at Gillette Children's Lifetime clinic a while ago. It's not the same as the hospital (Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare) but it's where people go when they grow out of pediatrics but still want to continue with Gillette. I became a volunteer to help work with patients in occupational therapy using the speech recognition software Dragon NaturallySpeaking. They actually made a position for me because there wasn't one for that specific of a job.
I've been using Dragon for over seven years, so I know pretty much everything there is to know about it. The whole idea started when I was at an OT appointment at the clinic. I was telling them that I used Dragon with my computer and that I used to help train other people at a previous summer job working with the school district. They thought that was neat and told me that they have some patients who struggle with it. That's when they decided to make a position for me to volunteer.
I went through all the process to become a volunteer; filled out all the paperwork, went into the doctor and got a Manto test (for tuberculosis), received an ID badge with my picture on it. The funny thing is they haven't called me to work with anybody volunteering and it's been almost 2 months since I became a volunteer there. I've called them and left messages but they haven't called me back. When I talked to the volunteer coordinator she said they have to set an appointment up with a patient first. I suppose it makes sense but you would think they would've tried to get in touch with me somehow before hand.
I've been a volunteer before at the hospital. I worked with kids in outpatient and in the waiting room doing arts and crafts. It was fun, but a little challenging since I had to have my nurse show the kids how to do everything. I did get to interact with them which was fun. That was just for one summer back in 2007.
Definitely I should try to call again to see what's going on because I'm really excited to volunteer; especially since I haven't really been going many places due to my wheelchair situation. Hopefully soon.
Jenni
I've been using Dragon for over seven years, so I know pretty much everything there is to know about it. The whole idea started when I was at an OT appointment at the clinic. I was telling them that I used Dragon with my computer and that I used to help train other people at a previous summer job working with the school district. They thought that was neat and told me that they have some patients who struggle with it. That's when they decided to make a position for me to volunteer.
I went through all the process to become a volunteer; filled out all the paperwork, went into the doctor and got a Manto test (for tuberculosis), received an ID badge with my picture on it. The funny thing is they haven't called me to work with anybody volunteering and it's been almost 2 months since I became a volunteer there. I've called them and left messages but they haven't called me back. When I talked to the volunteer coordinator she said they have to set an appointment up with a patient first. I suppose it makes sense but you would think they would've tried to get in touch with me somehow before hand.
I've been a volunteer before at the hospital. I worked with kids in outpatient and in the waiting room doing arts and crafts. It was fun, but a little challenging since I had to have my nurse show the kids how to do everything. I did get to interact with them which was fun. That was just for one summer back in 2007.
Definitely I should try to call again to see what's going on because I'm really excited to volunteer; especially since I haven't really been going many places due to my wheelchair situation. Hopefully soon.
Jenni
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Another year…
Well, I should say happy birthday to me because yesterday I turned 24. I did homework for most of the day and then one of my friends came in the evening to hang out. On Sunday I'm going out to lunch for my birthday with a bunch my friends to Benihana. I went there last year for my birthday with my mom and sister. It's one of my favorite restaurants.
I have an update on my wheelchair. It was ordered on October 8 and will be in on the 26th, which is next Tuesday. By the end of the week, key medical will bring the wheelchair over and spend the day making adjustments and switching stuff from my old wheelchair onto it. After that I'll be able to freely and independently move my new wheelchair! It's been over four months since my power chair broke and I'm very anxious to have everything back to normal.
Jenni
I have an update on my wheelchair. It was ordered on October 8 and will be in on the 26th, which is next Tuesday. By the end of the week, key medical will bring the wheelchair over and spend the day making adjustments and switching stuff from my old wheelchair onto it. After that I'll be able to freely and independently move my new wheelchair! It's been over four months since my power chair broke and I'm very anxious to have everything back to normal.
Jenni
Monday, October 18, 2010
My Braces
I have many different braces that I use throughout the day and night. They are mainly for stability and to keep me aligned, or in the right position. The braces that I wear most often are my AFO's (ankle foot orthotics); I have three pairs. They help prevent foot drop.
I also wear a back brace during the day to keep my trunk supported and my spine from curving. It is very comfortable for me and I don't feel right when I don't have it on. I wear it over my T-shirt and under my sweater so it doesn't show. You'll rarely see me wearing just a T-shirt unless I'm outside when it's hot. I just prefer to have the brace covered. I also wear fuzzy socks over my AFO's so you can't see my feet. I don't know of any pair of shoes that would fit over them, unless they were specially made. However then I would probably look like I had clown shoes on.
Jenni
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This is how my foot usually is, in a dropped position. The AFO's help stretch my foot out to a 90° angle. The socks on my feet are called Ted socks. I have ones that go all the way up to my thigh that I wear during the day and ones that just go up to my knees that I wear at night. They help with blood circulation. |
 |
| I wear these AFO's during the day when I'm up in my wheelchair. |
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I wear these braces at night when I'm sleeping. They are padded to keep me from getting pressure sores on my feet when I lay on them. |
 |
These are called dynamic AFO's. They have straps on the sides to adjust the foot part more than 90° to give me a bigger stretch. I wear these twice a day (in my wheelchair) for one hour at a time. |
 |
| These are called WHO's (wrist hand orthotics). I wear them at night when I'm sleeping to keep my hands stretched. |
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These are my elbow braces that I wear at night when I'm sleeping to keep my elbows straight. |
Jenni
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Inspirational Poem
Always Believe
You have the ability
to attain whatever you seek;
within you is every potential
you can imagine.
Always aim higher than
you believe you can reach.
So often, you'll discover
that when your talents
are set free
by your imagination,
you can achieve any goal.
If people offer their
help or wisdom
as you go through life,
accept it gratefully.
You can learn much from those
who have gone before you.
But never be afraid or hesitant
to step off the accepted path
and head off in your own direction
if your heart tells you
that it's the right way for you.
Always believe that you will
ultimately succeed
at whatever you do,
and never forget the value
of persistence, discipline,
and determination.
You are meant to be
whatever you dream
of becoming.
Always Believe in Yourself
Get to know yourself -
what you can do
and what you cannot do -
for only you can make your
life happy
Believe that by working
learning and achieving
you can reach your goals
and be successful
Believe in your own creativity
as a means of expressing
your true feelings
Believe in appreciating life
Be sure to have fun every day
and to enjoy
the beauty in the world
Believe in love
Love your friends
your family
yourself
and your life
Believe in your dreams
and your dreams can become
a reality
Click here to read more inspirational poems.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
10.10.10
It is autumn in Minnesota and the weather is unusually warm. Today the temperature was close to 80°F and yesterday it was at least 85°F. On this day last year we had our first snowfall. Crazy isn't it, how the weather can change so quickly and be so different from year to year.
I was outside Thursday and took pictures of our backyard. Yesterday and today I went out to enjoy the weather. The leaves are beautiful shades of orange and red now, and many have fallen to the ground. My sister is enjoying palm trees in California; I think she's missing out. She left Thursday to be in AmeriCorps for 10 months. I'm missing her already, even though it's only been a few days. I know she's having a good time though and will be a great service to others.
Jenni
Psychology
Recognizing emotions
Research Institute for Advanced Study at Waseda University in Tokyo, published in Psychological Science, compared the other emotions that the Japanese judges and the Netherlands. The study found that Japanese people pay more attention to tone facial expressions. The opposite occurs for the Dutch participants.
The researchers noted a Japanese actor and the Netherlands revealed a neutral phrase 'it? "I am angry and happy this video is edited to set the tone with angry facial expressions happy and vice versa .. Japanese and Dutch volunteers watch a video in both languages and asked to judge whether someone is happy or angry. The study found that Japanese participants more attention to tone of voice, even when asked to focus on facial expressions. The researchers showed that this reflects different modes of communication that can lead to misunderstandings.
Akihiro Tanaka, a researcher said:
"I think the Japanese tend to hide their negative emotions with a smile, but more difficult to hide negative emotions in sound."
The Japanese can be used to listen to emotional cues. The Dutch used to match the voice and face can be seen Japanese people smile and ignore angry tone in order to reach the wrong conclusion about the state of one's mind.Detecting a fake smile
The study by Masaki Yuki (Hokkaido University), William Maddux (INSEAD) and Takahiko Masuda (University of Alberta) was published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology in 2007 from Japan and the United States interpretation of human computer icons and images have shown a variety of emotions.
The results showed that where emotional control is the cultural norm (eg Japan) eyes are the key to interpretation. In a culture where there is no free expression of emotion (eg USA), the mouth is the main focus.
Takahiko Masuda said:
"We think this is very interesting and appropriate that a culture that tends to mask emotions, such as Japan, will focus on a person's eyes when determining emotion, eyes tend to be very smooth. In the U.S., where the real excitement is very common, it makes sense to focus on the mouth, which is the most expressive feature on a person's face. "
The researchers also found differences in the interpretation of computer emoticons, which are used in emails and text messages. Japanese emoticons distinguish happiness and sadness in the depiction of the eye, while American emoticons that use the mouth. The results showed that Japan is better at detecting 'false smiles. "
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
My Big Adventure
For my environmental biology class one of the assignments due is a community study. It involves going out into the community to a park or reserve and identifying the different species involved, or explain why I believe they are present in the community. My species list is to include at least 20 species which could include woody plants, mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians. Herbaceous plants and invertebrates can be listed using the most appropriate name/term that can be employed, in conjunction with a brief description (eg., Red and black beetle).
On Monday I went to Theodore Wirth Parkway to do my study. I met with, Michelle, our class advisory. When I first got there, we started looking at plants on the side of the road. I wanted to go deep into the forest and search high and low, but Michelle said it wasn't accessible. I said I wanted to try anyways, which she was hesitant but said okay. I had to hop a curb to get onto the unpaved path. It was bumpy and there were lots of hills and it was hard for my nurse to push me.
We stopped when we got to the nature center to look around. I saw lots of different species of plants and animals. Michelle had a field guide that we could look at to identify things. We decided to go forward instead of back thinking the train would be better. We were wrong. There were even more hills and at one point I was rolling pretty fast down one and it had me scared. Then we thought we had a dead-end when we came up to a huge, muddy puddle across the path. I ended up having to go around almost into the woods after Michelle piled leaves over the water and mud. After a couple of hours of trekking through the forest, we finally made it out.
Needless to say we had a big but great adventure, and I learned some things as well. Next time I'll choose somewhere that has a paved path and is handicapped accessible. Either that or it won't be so bold.
Jenni
On Monday I went to Theodore Wirth Parkway to do my study. I met with, Michelle, our class advisory. When I first got there, we started looking at plants on the side of the road. I wanted to go deep into the forest and search high and low, but Michelle said it wasn't accessible. I said I wanted to try anyways, which she was hesitant but said okay. I had to hop a curb to get onto the unpaved path. It was bumpy and there were lots of hills and it was hard for my nurse to push me.
We stopped when we got to the nature center to look around. I saw lots of different species of plants and animals. Michelle had a field guide that we could look at to identify things. We decided to go forward instead of back thinking the train would be better. We were wrong. There were even more hills and at one point I was rolling pretty fast down one and it had me scared. Then we thought we had a dead-end when we came up to a huge, muddy puddle across the path. I ended up having to go around almost into the woods after Michelle piled leaves over the water and mud. After a couple of hours of trekking through the forest, we finally made it out.
Needless to say we had a big but great adventure, and I learned some things as well. Next time I'll choose somewhere that has a paved path and is handicapped accessible. Either that or it won't be so bold.
Jenni
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Regulating Body Temperature
Many people with spinal cord injuries, as a result, have trouble regulating their body temperature. Here's what it says about it on Apparelyzed.com
"A normal, healthy human is able to maintain a constant body temperature &of approximately 98.6F despite the temperature of the environment. In a hot environment, the body sends a signal to the brain via the spinal cord to say the body is overheating, the brain then sends a signal back down the spinal cord and tells the body to cool itself by perspiration which evaporates and cools the skin. In cold weather, the body senses the lower temperature and our brain tells us to put more clothes on to warm ourselves up.
Most people with complete spinal cord injuries do not sweat below the level of the injury and many quadriplegics cannot even sweat above the injury (even though they may sweat due to autonomic dysreflexia). With loss of the ability to sweat or vasoconstrict within affected dermatomes the patient becomes poikilothermic and needs careful control of their environmental conditions. Therefore, if a high paraplegic or quadriplegic is in an outside temperature over 90 F, especially when the humidity is high, the body temperature will begin to rise (Poikilothermia). Likewise in a cold environment, the body may not be able to get the messages through to the brain that the body is cooling down, and if left untreated, the person will soon become hypothermic."
My body used to have a hard time regulating its temperature. When the environment around me was cold, I would be cold; when it was warm, I would be warm.
One time, about six or seven years ago, I was just watching TV out in the living room. My mom came up to me and touched me and found that I was freezing cold. I took my temperature and it was just below 92°F. I was shocked because I couldn't tell that I was that cold. They heated up towels and blankets and piled them on me to try to warm me up. It took quite a while but I finally warmed up. It was a very scary experience because my temperature was very low.
Despite my past, I don't have problems with regulating my body temperature anymore; it is usually stable at or around 97.6°F. I also sweat below and above my injury, which is one reason I believe that my spinal cord is incomplete. These are definitely good things. I couldn't imagine having to worry about my temperature dropping or rising so suddenly and unexpectedly.
Jenni
"A normal, healthy human is able to maintain a constant body temperature &of approximately 98.6F despite the temperature of the environment. In a hot environment, the body sends a signal to the brain via the spinal cord to say the body is overheating, the brain then sends a signal back down the spinal cord and tells the body to cool itself by perspiration which evaporates and cools the skin. In cold weather, the body senses the lower temperature and our brain tells us to put more clothes on to warm ourselves up.
Most people with complete spinal cord injuries do not sweat below the level of the injury and many quadriplegics cannot even sweat above the injury (even though they may sweat due to autonomic dysreflexia). With loss of the ability to sweat or vasoconstrict within affected dermatomes the patient becomes poikilothermic and needs careful control of their environmental conditions. Therefore, if a high paraplegic or quadriplegic is in an outside temperature over 90 F, especially when the humidity is high, the body temperature will begin to rise (Poikilothermia). Likewise in a cold environment, the body may not be able to get the messages through to the brain that the body is cooling down, and if left untreated, the person will soon become hypothermic."
My body used to have a hard time regulating its temperature. When the environment around me was cold, I would be cold; when it was warm, I would be warm.
One time, about six or seven years ago, I was just watching TV out in the living room. My mom came up to me and touched me and found that I was freezing cold. I took my temperature and it was just below 92°F. I was shocked because I couldn't tell that I was that cold. They heated up towels and blankets and piled them on me to try to warm me up. It took quite a while but I finally warmed up. It was a very scary experience because my temperature was very low.
Despite my past, I don't have problems with regulating my body temperature anymore; it is usually stable at or around 97.6°F. I also sweat below and above my injury, which is one reason I believe that my spinal cord is incomplete. These are definitely good things. I couldn't imagine having to worry about my temperature dropping or rising so suddenly and unexpectedly.
Jenni
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If you require any more information or have any questions about our privacy policy, please feel free to contact us by email at ct.bina.lukcy@gmail.com.
At http://psychology-binabl.blogspot.com/, the privacy of our visitors is of extreme importance to us. This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information is received and collected by http://psychology-binabl.blogspot.com/ and how it is used.
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Like many other Web sites, http://psychology-binabl.blogspot.com/ makes use of log files. The information inside the log files includes internet protocol ( IP ) addresses, type of browser, Internet Service Provider ( ISP ), date/time stamp, referring/exit pages, and number of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track user’s movement around the site, and gather demographic information. IP addresses, and other such information are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable.
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http://psychology-binabl.blogspot.com/ does use cookies to store information about visitors preferences, record user-specific information on which pages the user access or visit, customize Web page content based on visitors browser type or other information that the visitor sends via their browser.
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.:: Google, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on http://psychology-binabl.blogspot.com/.
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Children Who Snore Are More Moody
Children Who Snore Are More Moody
Snoring in young kids is associated with a higher risk of mood disorders and depression, as well as problems with language and attention, claims a new study.
The researchers at Helsinki University Central Hospital, in Finland, studied 43 pre-school aged children who snored at least once or twice per week, according to their parents, and compared them with 46 other kids who did not snore. The children, with the average age of 5 years, were tested by means of standard tasks that looked at behavior problems, cognitive, or intellectual function, and development. All the youngsters were assessed by their parents or caregivers with the help of a Child Behavior Checklist, and additionally by the scientists with the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, Revised, and few other tests.
After the completion of all tests, the experts found that children who snored, seemed to have a higher rate of problems with mood, and they also showed noticeable symptoms of anxiety and depression. Overall, 22 per cent of kids who snored, had symptoms of mood disorders, which were severe enough to require clinical evaluation. On the other hand, in the group of kids that did not have snoring problems, only 11 per cent of young participants were found to have similar mood disorders.
"The results of our study bring out snoring as a possible risk factor for mood problems and cognitive impairment in children," said lead researcher Eeva T. Aronen, M.D., Ph.D., of Helsinki University Central Hospital. According to the researchers, children who snore also experience very often some other problems, such as seeing bad dreams and nightmares, talking in their sleep, or problems to be put to bed. Cognitive tests also showed that there were some significant differences, including lack of attention and language skills among the kids who snored. However, other kinds of problems, such as aggressive behavior in youngsters, did not seem to have any relationship with the SDB (sleep-disordered breathing), the experts wrote.
Previous investigations have shown that the sleep disorders may have negative impact on the mental health of a person, but those studies were conducting their research only involving adult participants. This is the first study that associated sleep disorders with behavioral and cognitive problems in such young children. The experts believe that when their findings will become well-known to the physicians and other professionals, they will have the opportunity to better understand the mental health and developmental impact of SDB (sleep-disordered breathing) in preschool-aged kids. Therefore, they could take necessary therapeutic measures in time, before complicated emotional or behavioral symptoms and poor school performance begin to appear and develop in the child.
The researchers suggest that more research and investigation on this matter will be needed in order to assess effective treatments for snoring problems in young kids, and determine whether these treatments will help to alleviate the impact on the children's mood and intellectual functioning.
Snoring in young kids is associated with a higher risk of mood disorders and depression, as well as problems with language and attention, claims a new study.
The researchers at Helsinki University Central Hospital, in Finland, studied 43 pre-school aged children who snored at least once or twice per week, according to their parents, and compared them with 46 other kids who did not snore. The children, with the average age of 5 years, were tested by means of standard tasks that looked at behavior problems, cognitive, or intellectual function, and development. All the youngsters were assessed by their parents or caregivers with the help of a Child Behavior Checklist, and additionally by the scientists with the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, Revised, and few other tests.
After the completion of all tests, the experts found that children who snored, seemed to have a higher rate of problems with mood, and they also showed noticeable symptoms of anxiety and depression. Overall, 22 per cent of kids who snored, had symptoms of mood disorders, which were severe enough to require clinical evaluation. On the other hand, in the group of kids that did not have snoring problems, only 11 per cent of young participants were found to have similar mood disorders.
"The results of our study bring out snoring as a possible risk factor for mood problems and cognitive impairment in children," said lead researcher Eeva T. Aronen, M.D., Ph.D., of Helsinki University Central Hospital. According to the researchers, children who snore also experience very often some other problems, such as seeing bad dreams and nightmares, talking in their sleep, or problems to be put to bed. Cognitive tests also showed that there were some significant differences, including lack of attention and language skills among the kids who snored. However, other kinds of problems, such as aggressive behavior in youngsters, did not seem to have any relationship with the SDB (sleep-disordered breathing), the experts wrote.
Previous investigations have shown that the sleep disorders may have negative impact on the mental health of a person, but those studies were conducting their research only involving adult participants. This is the first study that associated sleep disorders with behavioral and cognitive problems in such young children. The experts believe that when their findings will become well-known to the physicians and other professionals, they will have the opportunity to better understand the mental health and developmental impact of SDB (sleep-disordered breathing) in preschool-aged kids. Therefore, they could take necessary therapeutic measures in time, before complicated emotional or behavioral symptoms and poor school performance begin to appear and develop in the child.
The researchers suggest that more research and investigation on this matter will be needed in order to assess effective treatments for snoring problems in young kids, and determine whether these treatments will help to alleviate the impact on the children's mood and intellectual functioning.
Nap Reduces Hyperactivity And Depression In Kids
Nap Reduces Hyperactivity And Depression In Kids
A new study by the scientists at Pennsylvania State University, finds that children who take a nap when they are 4 and 5 years old, are less likely to be hyperactive or experience depression and anxiety.
The results of the study revealed that parents or caregivers of kids between the ages of 4 and 5 years, who discontinued to take daytime naps, reported that their offspring showed higher levels of hyperactivity, anxiety and depression, compared to their counterparts who still continued to nap at this point of their lives. In their research, the investigators were happy to demonstrate the potential importance of taking naps for optimal daytime functioning in young kids, as napping is often overlooked in favor of nighttime or total sleep.
It all depends on every individual case and variability in when children are ready not to take naps anymore, said a principal author of the study, Dr. Brian Crosby, postdoctoral fellow of psychology at Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Crosby added that he would suggest that parents included a quiet 'rest' time in the daily schedule of their children, that, in turn, would allow kids to nap if needed.
For the study purposes, the experts gathered data from 62 children between the ages of 4 and 5 years. All the kids were classified as either ones who took naps - 77 per cent, or the ones who did not take naps - 23 per cent, based on actigraphy data.
Actigraphy data for each child who took part in the study, was collected continuously for 7 days to 14 days. Children who took naps did so an average of 3.4 days on a weekle basis. Of all the participants, 55 per cent were white-non-Hispanic children and 53 per cent were boys. Parents and caregivers were asked to provide information on their child's typical weekday and weekend bedtime and rise time, as well as their napping patterns, family demographics, and also had to complete a behavioral assessment of the child.
Dr. Crosby is hopeful that the new findings will encourage caregivers and other investigators to examine the ways in which napping influences daytime functioning in children, as an optimal age to stop taking naps has not yet been determined.
The findings of the study were presented June 8, at the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, in Seattle.
A new study by the scientists at Pennsylvania State University, finds that children who take a nap when they are 4 and 5 years old, are less likely to be hyperactive or experience depression and anxiety.
The results of the study revealed that parents or caregivers of kids between the ages of 4 and 5 years, who discontinued to take daytime naps, reported that their offspring showed higher levels of hyperactivity, anxiety and depression, compared to their counterparts who still continued to nap at this point of their lives. In their research, the investigators were happy to demonstrate the potential importance of taking naps for optimal daytime functioning in young kids, as napping is often overlooked in favor of nighttime or total sleep.
It all depends on every individual case and variability in when children are ready not to take naps anymore, said a principal author of the study, Dr. Brian Crosby, postdoctoral fellow of psychology at Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Crosby added that he would suggest that parents included a quiet 'rest' time in the daily schedule of their children, that, in turn, would allow kids to nap if needed.
For the study purposes, the experts gathered data from 62 children between the ages of 4 and 5 years. All the kids were classified as either ones who took naps - 77 per cent, or the ones who did not take naps - 23 per cent, based on actigraphy data.
Actigraphy data for each child who took part in the study, was collected continuously for 7 days to 14 days. Children who took naps did so an average of 3.4 days on a weekle basis. Of all the participants, 55 per cent were white-non-Hispanic children and 53 per cent were boys. Parents and caregivers were asked to provide information on their child's typical weekday and weekend bedtime and rise time, as well as their napping patterns, family demographics, and also had to complete a behavioral assessment of the child.
Dr. Crosby is hopeful that the new findings will encourage caregivers and other investigators to examine the ways in which napping influences daytime functioning in children, as an optimal age to stop taking naps has not yet been determined.
The findings of the study were presented June 8, at the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, in Seattle.
Psychology"Beauty Treatment: Friendly Faces"BBL
Beauty Treatment: Friendly Faces
When you walk into a room and scan people's faces, the beautiful ones are likely to seem the most welcoming. This is the beautiful-is-good effect: We tend to perceive attractive people as having desirable interpersonal qualities—sociability, warmth, trustworthiness, and kindness. Research indicates the source of the effect: A desire to form close bonds with beautiful people makes us overly optimistic about their receptivity.
"It can give you the courage you need to initiate a relationship," says study coauthor Edward Lemay Jr., of the University of New Hampshire. Perceiving beautiful people as having positive social traits increases confidence that they'll reciprocate a desire to get to know you better. But, he says, studies have shown there is actually not much difference in the socialqualities of attractive and unattractive individuals.
So at your next party, try to be an equal-opportunity chatter.
When you walk into a room and scan people's faces, the beautiful ones are likely to seem the most welcoming. This is the beautiful-is-good effect: We tend to perceive attractive people as having desirable interpersonal qualities—sociability, warmth, trustworthiness, and kindness. Research indicates the source of the effect: A desire to form close bonds with beautiful people makes us overly optimistic about their receptivity.
"It can give you the courage you need to initiate a relationship," says study coauthor Edward Lemay Jr., of the University of New Hampshire. Perceiving beautiful people as having positive social traits increases confidence that they'll reciprocate a desire to get to know you better. But, he says, studies have shown there is actually not much difference in the socialqualities of attractive and unattractive individuals.
So at your next party, try to be an equal-opportunity chatter.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Revenge of the Introvert
There are as many introverts as extraverts, but you'd never know it by looking around. Introverts would rather be entertained by what's going on in their heads than in seeking happiness. Their big challenge is not to feel like outsiders in their own culture.
By Laurie Helgoe, published on September 01, 2010 - last reviewed on September 07, 2010
After ten years as a psychologist practicing psychodynamic psychotherapy, I reclined on the couch of my own analyst feeling burdened by my chosen work. After a day of seeing patients, I was drained. I had been trained to listen at many levels—words, emotions, unconscious disclosures—and I took all of that in and sorted it out in my mind. I was good at helping others discover and pursue what they wanted out of life. But at day's end I had no resources left to do it for myself.
Then I heard myself say: "I don't like being a therapist." Pause. "I never have." I loved the study of psychology. I didn't love seeing patient after patient. I was perpetually overstimulated, busy decoding everything I took in. Plus, I wondered why I couldn't tolerate the large caseloads my colleagues took on willingly.
Suddenly I felt free, loosed from expectations that never fit. And just as suddenly, I felt I could say no to the demands of others. I could even say no to being a therapist.
As a card-carrying introvert, I am one of the many people whose personality confers on them a preference for the inner world of their own mind rather than the outer world of sociability. Depleted by too much external stimulation, we thrive on reflection and solitude. Our psychic opposites, extraverts, prefer schmoozing and social life because such activities boost their mood. They get bored by too much solitude.
Over the past two decades, scientists have whittled down to five those clusters of cognitions, emotions, motivations, and behaviors that we mean by "personality" factors. Extraversion, and by inference introversion, is chief among them, along with neuroticism, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness—psychology's so-called Big Five. Although introverts and extraverts may seem like they come from different planets, introversion and extraversion exist on a continuous dimension that is normally distributed. There are a few extremely extraverted folk, and a few extreme introverts, while most of us share some extravert and some introvert traits.
Although there is no precise dividing line, there are plenty of introverts around. It's just that perceptual biases lead us all to overestimate the number of extraverts among us (they are noisier and hog the spotlight). Often confused with shyness, introversion does not imply social reticence or discomfort. Rather than being averse to social engagement, introverts become overwhelmed by too much of it, which explains why the introvert is ready to leave a party after an hour and the extravert gains steam as the night goes on.
Scientists now know that, while introverts have no special advantage in intelligence, they do seem to process more information than others in any given situation. To digest it, they do best in quiet environments, interacting one on one. Further, their brains are less dependent on external stimuli and rewards to feel good.
As a result, introverts are not driven to seek big hits of positive emotional arousal—they'd rather find meaning than bliss—making them relatively immune to the search for happiness that permeates contemporary American culture. In fact, the cultural emphasis on happiness may actually threaten their mental health. As American life becomes increasingly competitive and aggressive, to say nothing of blindingly fast, the pressures to produce on demand, be a team player, and make snap decisions cut introverts off from their inner power source, leaving them stressed and depleted. Introverts today face one overarching challenge—not to feel like misfits in their own culture.
Introversion in Action
On the surface, introversion looks a lot like shyness. Both limit social interaction, but for differing reasons. The shy want desperately to connect but find socializing difficult, says Bernardo J. Carducci, professor of psychology and director of the Shyness Research Institute at Indiana University Southeast. Introverts seek time alone because they want time alone. An introvert and a shy person might be standing against the wall at a party, but the introvert prefers to be there, while the shy individual feels she has no choice.
Introverts don't necessarily hide. Beth Wheatley is very much in the public eye as director of public relations for The Nature Conservancy. Yet she scores squarely as an introvert on personality tests. She was led to her work by her love of nature. She runs daily, not just for the physical exercise but because running allows her time to think through the events of her day. She prefers talking with one person at a time. She usually opts out of after-work social events.
"My number-one strategy is to stay under the radar screen. I stand next to a wall and put an invisible barrier around me so that I'm not bombarded and can think about my next move," she confides.
It's often possible to spot introverts by their conversational style. They're the ones doing the listening. Extraverts are more likely to pepper people with questions. Introverts like to think before responding—many prefer to think out what they want to say in advance—and seek facts before expressing opinions. Extraverts are comfortable thinking as they speak. Introverts prefer slow-paced interactions that allow room for thought. Brainstorming does not work for them.
Introverts are collectors of thoughts, and solitude is where the collection is curated and rearranged to make sense of the present and future. Introverts can tolerate—and enjoy—projects that require long stretches of solitary activity. Extraverts often have to discipline themselves for bouts of solitary work, and then they prefer frequent social breaks.
By Laurie Helgoe, published on September 01, 2010 - last reviewed on September 07, 2010
After ten years as a psychologist practicing psychodynamic psychotherapy, I reclined on the couch of my own analyst feeling burdened by my chosen work. After a day of seeing patients, I was drained. I had been trained to listen at many levels—words, emotions, unconscious disclosures—and I took all of that in and sorted it out in my mind. I was good at helping others discover and pursue what they wanted out of life. But at day's end I had no resources left to do it for myself.
Then I heard myself say: "I don't like being a therapist." Pause. "I never have." I loved the study of psychology. I didn't love seeing patient after patient. I was perpetually overstimulated, busy decoding everything I took in. Plus, I wondered why I couldn't tolerate the large caseloads my colleagues took on willingly.
Suddenly I felt free, loosed from expectations that never fit. And just as suddenly, I felt I could say no to the demands of others. I could even say no to being a therapist.
As a card-carrying introvert, I am one of the many people whose personality confers on them a preference for the inner world of their own mind rather than the outer world of sociability. Depleted by too much external stimulation, we thrive on reflection and solitude. Our psychic opposites, extraverts, prefer schmoozing and social life because such activities boost their mood. They get bored by too much solitude.
Over the past two decades, scientists have whittled down to five those clusters of cognitions, emotions, motivations, and behaviors that we mean by "personality" factors. Extraversion, and by inference introversion, is chief among them, along with neuroticism, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness—psychology's so-called Big Five. Although introverts and extraverts may seem like they come from different planets, introversion and extraversion exist on a continuous dimension that is normally distributed. There are a few extremely extraverted folk, and a few extreme introverts, while most of us share some extravert and some introvert traits.
Although there is no precise dividing line, there are plenty of introverts around. It's just that perceptual biases lead us all to overestimate the number of extraverts among us (they are noisier and hog the spotlight). Often confused with shyness, introversion does not imply social reticence or discomfort. Rather than being averse to social engagement, introverts become overwhelmed by too much of it, which explains why the introvert is ready to leave a party after an hour and the extravert gains steam as the night goes on.
Scientists now know that, while introverts have no special advantage in intelligence, they do seem to process more information than others in any given situation. To digest it, they do best in quiet environments, interacting one on one. Further, their brains are less dependent on external stimuli and rewards to feel good.
As a result, introverts are not driven to seek big hits of positive emotional arousal—they'd rather find meaning than bliss—making them relatively immune to the search for happiness that permeates contemporary American culture. In fact, the cultural emphasis on happiness may actually threaten their mental health. As American life becomes increasingly competitive and aggressive, to say nothing of blindingly fast, the pressures to produce on demand, be a team player, and make snap decisions cut introverts off from their inner power source, leaving them stressed and depleted. Introverts today face one overarching challenge—not to feel like misfits in their own culture.
Introversion in Action
On the surface, introversion looks a lot like shyness. Both limit social interaction, but for differing reasons. The shy want desperately to connect but find socializing difficult, says Bernardo J. Carducci, professor of psychology and director of the Shyness Research Institute at Indiana University Southeast. Introverts seek time alone because they want time alone. An introvert and a shy person might be standing against the wall at a party, but the introvert prefers to be there, while the shy individual feels she has no choice.
Introverts don't necessarily hide. Beth Wheatley is very much in the public eye as director of public relations for The Nature Conservancy. Yet she scores squarely as an introvert on personality tests. She was led to her work by her love of nature. She runs daily, not just for the physical exercise but because running allows her time to think through the events of her day. She prefers talking with one person at a time. She usually opts out of after-work social events.
"My number-one strategy is to stay under the radar screen. I stand next to a wall and put an invisible barrier around me so that I'm not bombarded and can think about my next move," she confides.
It's often possible to spot introverts by their conversational style. They're the ones doing the listening. Extraverts are more likely to pepper people with questions. Introverts like to think before responding—many prefer to think out what they want to say in advance—and seek facts before expressing opinions. Extraverts are comfortable thinking as they speak. Introverts prefer slow-paced interactions that allow room for thought. Brainstorming does not work for them.
Introverts are collectors of thoughts, and solitude is where the collection is curated and rearranged to make sense of the present and future. Introverts can tolerate—and enjoy—projects that require long stretches of solitary activity. Extraverts often have to discipline themselves for bouts of solitary work, and then they prefer frequent social breaks.
Children And Video Games
Children And Video Games
Many children and teenagers spend large amounts of time playing them. Most of the games have become very sophisticated and realistic. And while some of them have educational content and promote learning, problem solving and help with the development of motor skills and coordination, others emphasize negative themes and promote killing, fighting, foul language, criminal behavior and violence in general.
There is growing research on the effects of video games on children. Numerous studies show that video games, especially ones with violent content, make teens more aggressive. Children exposed to violence can become addicted to the horror of violence by imitating the violence they see, and showing more aggressive behavior themselves. Some children accept violence as a way to cope with their own problems. Studies have also shown that the more realistic is the exposure to violence, the more impressed children are. Also, children with emotional, behavioral and learning problems may be more influenced by violent images. Playing video games may increase aggressive behavior because violent acts are continually repeated throughout the video game. This method of repetition has long been considered an effective teaching method in reinforcing learning patterns.
Part of the increase in aggressive behavior is linked to the amount of time children are allowed to play video games. According to a U.S. national survey conducted by the National Institute on Media and the Family (NIMF), 92 per cent of children and teens ages 2 to 17 play video games, more than two-thirds of all children ages 2 to 18 live in a home with a video game system, a third of all children 2 to 18 have video game players in their bedrooms. By comparison, half have TV, 29 per cent have a VCR and 16 per cent have a computer in their room.
There is a big difference between passive TV or movie viewing and an interactive quality of video and computer games which allows players to experience amazing special effects, and become active participants in the game's script. Players enjoy being engaged in acts of violence and are then extremely excited to be able to move to the game's next level.
Children and teens who become overly involved and obsessed with video games, and, therefore, spend large amounts of time playing these games, can create problems, such as poor social skills, time absent from home, lower grades at school, less reading, less exercising and becoming overweight, aggressive thoughts, behaviors and so on.
One study suggested that children's physical health also may be affected by playing video games. Effects can range from triggering epileptic seizures to causing heart rate and blood pressure jumping. However, serious physical health problems are transient or limited to a small number of players. Research has also pointed to benefits associated with creative and pro-social uses of video games, as in physical rehabilitation and oncology. Proponents of video games suggest that games may be a friendly way of introducing children to computers, and may increase children's coordination and concentration on details.
Because of the popularity of video games, completely eliminating them from a child's life might be very hard. Therefore, parents should consider several important issues when providing guidance to their children and teens regarding the use of video games. They can help their kids enjoy these games and avoid problems by: checking the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) ratings, to learn about the game's content; selecting appropriate games-both in content and level of development; setting clear rules about game content and playing time, both in and outside of your home; strongly warning children about potential serious dangers of Internet contacts and relationships while playing games online; talking with other parents about your family's video game rules; not installing video game equipment in your child's bedroom, and remembering that you are a role model for your children - including video games you play as an adult.
Parents are responsible for helping their children in choosing books to read, toys to play with, TV programs and movies to watch, that are appropriate for each particular child. Entertainment materials should be fun, engaging, exciting and educating. Parents should have a good knowledge and understanding of each child so that they can assist them in selecting appropriate learning materials. Parents should invest more of their time playing the games with their children, as well as talking with them about their impressions, thoughts, feelings and perceptions related to the playing game. They can also engage in a discussion of great values that may guide the child down a safe road and lead to the development of a moral character.
PSYCHOLOGY "Big Moments"
Big Moments
Life can drone along at a hum for years—then break into a short but glorious chorus that changes us forever. It's impossible to predict such peak experiences; in fact, that's part of their charm. But it is possible to prepare for them.
By Rebecca Webber, published on September 01, 2010 - last reviewed on September 05, 2010
Dagney McKinley had just finished her Master's degree in creative writing and decided to reward herself with an experience she'd been dreaming of for 10 years: traveling to see a Kermode bear, also called a spirit bear. "I'd read about it and always wanted to see it," she says. "It was my graduation treat to myself." A black bear that grows white fur (although it is not an albino), the Kermode bear lives on only two islands in northern Canada. McKinley booked a trip on a small boat holding a dozen adventurers and headed north.
After kayaking and visiting native Inuit hot springs, her group was guided to an area where the bears were often seen. "After about an hour and a half, the first spirit bear came up and fished just 20 feet from us," recalls McKinley. "It was a huge adrenaline rush. We were almost shaking, we were so excited to see this animal that most people in the world will never see. I had a light feeling and an energy rush like euphoria. And I was sharing it with all the others."McKinley says that seeing the Kermode bear has been one of the best moments of her life. "Even talking about it now, I feel a little bit of the high," she says. Besides the memories, it left her with an expanded idea of herself. "I've always been shy and had a low sense of self-worth," she confides. But researching, planning, and arranging all the details of the trip boosted her sense of self-efficacy. And getting to know 12 strangers demonstrated that she could conquer her shyness. "That experience built up my sense of who I am and what I can accomplish."
Everyone's life has superlative moments—times when we feel extraordinary and our experiences are recorded in Technicolor. "It's part of the human condition," says Roland Griffiths, a neuroscientist at Johns Hopkins University. "We're wired to have such experiences."
Psychologist Abraham Maslow famously coined the term "peak experience" in 1964 to denote sudden feelings of intense well-being that fill us with wonder and awe. Psychologically healthy people tend to have more of them, and such experiences can also bring feelings of interconnectedness and create a sharper sense of life purpose. "It's that quality of the experience that makes it so memorable," says Griffiths. "People feel that it informs life going forward." As a result, peak experiences may cause a cascade of changes in our lives, as we accommodate our newly expanded sense of self.
Life can drone along at a hum for years—then break into a short but glorious chorus that changes us forever. It's impossible to predict such peak experiences; in fact, that's part of their charm. But it is possible to prepare for them.
By Rebecca Webber, published on September 01, 2010 - last reviewed on September 05, 2010
Dagney McKinley had just finished her Master's degree in creative writing and decided to reward herself with an experience she'd been dreaming of for 10 years: traveling to see a Kermode bear, also called a spirit bear. "I'd read about it and always wanted to see it," she says. "It was my graduation treat to myself." A black bear that grows white fur (although it is not an albino), the Kermode bear lives on only two islands in northern Canada. McKinley booked a trip on a small boat holding a dozen adventurers and headed north.
After kayaking and visiting native Inuit hot springs, her group was guided to an area where the bears were often seen. "After about an hour and a half, the first spirit bear came up and fished just 20 feet from us," recalls McKinley. "It was a huge adrenaline rush. We were almost shaking, we were so excited to see this animal that most people in the world will never see. I had a light feeling and an energy rush like euphoria. And I was sharing it with all the others."McKinley says that seeing the Kermode bear has been one of the best moments of her life. "Even talking about it now, I feel a little bit of the high," she says. Besides the memories, it left her with an expanded idea of herself. "I've always been shy and had a low sense of self-worth," she confides. But researching, planning, and arranging all the details of the trip boosted her sense of self-efficacy. And getting to know 12 strangers demonstrated that she could conquer her shyness. "That experience built up my sense of who I am and what I can accomplish."
Everyone's life has superlative moments—times when we feel extraordinary and our experiences are recorded in Technicolor. "It's part of the human condition," says Roland Griffiths, a neuroscientist at Johns Hopkins University. "We're wired to have such experiences."
Psychologist Abraham Maslow famously coined the term "peak experience" in 1964 to denote sudden feelings of intense well-being that fill us with wonder and awe. Psychologically healthy people tend to have more of them, and such experiences can also bring feelings of interconnectedness and create a sharper sense of life purpose. "It's that quality of the experience that makes it so memorable," says Griffiths. "People feel that it informs life going forward." As a result, peak experiences may cause a cascade of changes in our lives, as we accommodate our newly expanded sense of self.
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