Are we more -- or less -- moral than we think? If asked whether we'd steal, most of us would say no. Would we try to save a drowning person? That depends—perhaps on our fear of big waves. A study by Rimma Teper, Michael Inzlicht, and Elizabeth Page-Gould of the University of Toronto Scarborough tested the difference between moral forecasting and moral action—and the reasons behind any mismatch. But lest we get sentimental about that result, lead author and psychology PhD candidate Teper offers this: "There has been other work that has shown the opposite effect—that people are acting less morally" than they forecast. What's the missing link between moral reasoning and moral action? For this study, three groups of students were given a math test of 15 questions. During the trial, electrodes measured the strength of participants' heart contractions, their heart and breathing rates, and the sweat in their palms—all of which increase with heightened emotion. But emotions conflict, and that figures in decision making too.
Holy Sh*t: A Brief History of Swearing by Melissa Mohr – review It's wonderful stuff, swearing. It stiffens the sinews and summons up the blood, and not just metaphorically. Obscenities actually do act on us physiologically. Swearing increases electrical conductance across the skin, pushes the heart rate higher and measurably increases resistance to pain. Obscenities are also linguistically interesting in themselves: the more currency they have, the more their emotional colouring and the associations they trigger overwhelms what they actually mean. Swearing doesn't just mean what we now understand by "dirty words". Melissa Mohr's title, then, is more than just an attention-grabber: the history of swearing is one of a movement back and forth between the holy and the shit. Though Mohr is mainly interested in English, she is generous in roping in examples from outside it. In medieval times, though, the emphasis was all on the holy. Christianity was founded on oaths and covenants – as was the whole dispensation of feudal society. How things change.
How to Change the Way You Process Negative Memories The way we think of past events in our lives is very flexible and subject to change. Whenever we look back at our life story, it can change based on our perspective and what information about our lives we choose to pay attention to and find important. We can take this flexible nature of our minds and use it to process negative memories in different ways that benefit us instead of holding us back. Memories are flexible Memories are never as picture perfect as we think they are. In fact, every time we recall an event it changes from the last time we remembered it. A recent study published in The Journal of Neuroscience illustrates this phenomenon quite well. Interestingly, researchers found that on the third day, participants placed the object closer to the incorrect location they chose on the second day rather than the correct location. This shows that our past retrieval of memories can influence how we think of memories in the future. “Memories aren’t static.
FORMS OF ABUSE Domestic violence is any of the forms of abuse listed below. All types are unacceptable some are criminal offences. Creating fear Fear is a key element in domestic violence and is often the most powerful way a perpetrator controls his victim. Intimidation Includes smashing things, destroying her possessions, putting a fist through the wall, handling of guns or other weapons, using intimidating body language (angry looks, raised voice), hostile questioning of the victim or reckless driving of vehicle with the victim in the car. Verbal abuse Using words as a weapon to cause significant damage. Physical abuse Behaviour such as pushing, shoving, hitting, slapping, attempted strangulation, hair-pulling, punching etc. and may or may not involve the use of weapons. Emotional abuse Behaviour that deliberately undermines her confidence leading her to believe she is stupid or that she is 'a bad mother' or useless or even to believe she is going crazy or is insane. Social abuse Financial abuse Stalking
Psychotherapists: Mechanics, Surgeons, or Rehab Workers? Have you ever noticed that people often think that psychotherapists are like car mechanics? It reminds me of an old boyfriend of mine who used to give nicknames to the women he was dating. My nickname was “crazy mechanic girl.” This idea is a misconception at so many levels! The mechanic model doesn’t quite capture real psychotherapists, though. As an alternative to the mechanic model, many of my patients think of me as a kind of psychological surgeon. I don’t blame them. The model that I like the best is that a psychotherapist is like a mental health rehabilitation worker. I like the rehab model because it does justice to the key elements of psychotherapy and the work that psychotherapists actually do. Physical rehab is about developing the body—bit by bit, step by step, slowly over time. While I like the rehab model, there are probably lots of good ways of thinking about the work of psychotherapists and the process of psychotherapy. Copyright 2012 Jennifer Kunst, Ph.D. Like it!
Culture - Why do Brits and Americans swear so differently? Warning: This article contains very strong language that may offend some readers. When Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street was released in 2014, it had the questionable distinction of containing more F-bombs than any other drama — 2.83 per minute, a total of 506. Only a documentary about the word itself exceeds it in cinematic history, with 857 instances. But this is far from unusual for American films, in which profane words frequently number in the hundreds. Television tends to have stricter standards. Back in 1972, the comedian George Carlin released an album including a monologue called Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television. The influence of American films and television on British culture is strong. For example, Americans consider it a big deal when a public figure is caught swearing. It is not unusual, in the real America, to meet a graduate of the Ned Flanders School of Swearing. STEPHEN: Prunk. HUGH: Shote. STEPHEN: Cucking. HUGH: Skank. STEPHEN: Fusk. HUGH: Pempslider.
Gay Or Straight? Body Language Reveals Sexual Orientation « intellectual vanities… about close to everything An individual’s body motion and body type can offer subtle cues about their sexual orientation, but casual observers seem better able to read those cues in gay men than in lesbians, according to a new study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Good data, biased interpretation. As probably the researchers have been straight, they missed the term “gay-dar” used for this sensing ability within the community. As such, this study shows much less about allegedly treacherous body language but about perception stereotypes: “gender-atypical combinations were perceived generally to be homosexual”, as the authors put it. Volunteers were filmed and analyzed as they walked on a treadmill for two minutes. “We already know that men and women are built differently and walk differently from each other and that casual observers use this information as clues in making a range of social judgments,” said lead author Kerri Johnson, UCLA assistant professor of communication studies.
Swearing is emotional and creative language say researchers who claim it is GOOD for you Theory presented to British Psychological Society conference in BirminghamParticipants played aggressive video game and held ice-cold glass of waterDr Richard Stephens of Keele University added it explains why we swear'We want to use more taboo words when we're emotional', he said By Dan Bloom Published: 14:55 GMT, 11 May 2014 | Updated: 09:56 GMT, 12 May 2014 Scroll down for an audio interview Swearing is a harmless emotional release which could make you feel stronger, researchers have claimed - though only in moderation. Participants were made to play aggressive computer games and could recall a wider variety of swear words after their session, as well as turning the air blue much more often. Rather than just proving we swear more when we're angry, the psychologists insisted, the study showed profanity can be an emotional coping mechanism which makes us feel more resilient. Letting off steam: Swearing could be a harmless emotional release, at least in moderation, researchers claim 3. 6. 9.
How to Detect Lies - body language, reactions, speech patterns Interesting Info -> Lying Index -> How to Detect Lies Become a Human Lie Detector (Part 1) Warning: sometimes ignorance is bliss. After gaining this knowledge, you may be hurt when it is obvious that someone is lying to you. Introduction to Detecting Lies: This knowledge is also useful for managers, employers, and for anyone to use in everyday situations where telling the truth from a lie can help prevent you from being a victim of fraud/scams and other deceptions. This is just a basic run down of physical (body language) gestures and verbal cues that may indicate someone is being untruthful. If you got here from somewhere else, be sure to check out our Lie Detection index page for more info including new research in the field of forensic psychology. Signs of Deception: Body Language of Lies: • Physical expression will be limited and stiff, with few arm and hand movements. • A person who is lying to you will avoid making eye contact. • Hands touching their face, throat & mouth. Final Notes:
The Science of Swearing: A look into the human MIND and other less socially acceptable four-letter words | Harvard Science Review by Michelle Drews Disclaimer: This article covers the psychological, neurobiological, linguistic, and legal aspects of the use of profanity. Readers are advised that it does contain words that some individuals my find offensive or inappropriate for young children. What’s in a word? Becoming Taboo When asked to define profanity in 1964, former Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart famously stated that he could not describe it and added, “But I know it when I see it” (Jacobellis v. How then does a word become taboo? Furthermore, as culture changes, so does what is taboo (Pinker, 2007). Why Swear? So, if taboo phrases are cultural “no-no”s, why do they persist? Swear words are also useful and effective ways of conveying that you feel very strongly about something or of inciting strong feelings in someone else, even when used outside of their traditional definitions (Jay, 2009a; Pinker, 2007). On Your Mind: Swearing in the Brain Swearing in the Clinic Yet, are offensive words actually harmful?