The Marshmallow Test, “Willpower” and ADHD, Part 1 Oscar Wilde famously said: “I can resist anything but temptation.” In his recent book, The Marshmallow Test: Mastering Self-Control, psychologist Walter Mischel argues that children can be taught to resist temptation—that the ability to delay immediate gratification for the sake of getting something better in the future—is a skill that can be learned. As a psychologist who specializes in working with children and adults who often struggle with motivation and excessive impulsivity, I am writing to suggest that the capacity to resist temptations is not so easily taught nor easily sustained by any of us. Mischel’s famous studies of preschoolers in the 1960s showed that some kids were quite able to resist the temptation to gobble up immediately one marshmallow placed in front of them. They delayed that pleasure so they could get a double portion of the treat simply by waiting a short time until the adult returned to the room. Brain Foundations for Self-Control Part 1 of 2 Image: iStock
40 Quotes that Will Quiet Your Mind post written by: Angel Chernoff Peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart. You know how you always turn down the volume on the radio when you need to think clearly about something complicated or confusing? The same is true for your life in general. The noise you need to cut out to concentrate? Turning down the radio refocuses your mind and offers you clarity when you need it most. Now it’s time to apply this same strategy to all the other noise in your life, starting with the noise in your head. Here are 40 quotes gathered from our blog archive that can be used as reminders to help tweak your thoughts and quiet your anxious mind: Reminder: Have you checked out our book? Everything is created twice, first in the mind and then in reality. Your turn… If you enjoyed this article, check out our new best-selling book.
Why Behavior Change Apps Fail to Change Behavior Imagine walking into a busy mall when someone approaches you with an open hand. “Would you have some coins to take the bus, please?” he asks. But in this case, the person is not a panhandler. As part of a French study, researchers wanted to know if they could influence how much money people handed to a total stranger using just a few specially encoded words. The turn of phrase has been shown to not only increase how much bus fare people give, but was also effective in boosting charitable donations and participation in voluntary surveys. What were the magic words the researchers discovered? The “but you are free” technique demonstrates how we are more likely to be persuaded when our ability to choose is reaffirmed. Wanna and Hafta Dr. At this year’s D.I.C.E Summit, Schell said the difference comes down to whether the behavior is a “wanna” versus a “hafta.” Furthermore, Schell believes maintaining a sense of autonomy is critical to enjoying an experience. Why Choice Works Counting Calories
How to Beat Procrastination This is Part 2. You won’t get Part 2 if you haven’t read Part 1 yet. Here’s Part 1. PDF: We made a fancy PDF of this post for printing and offline viewing. pro-cras-ti-na-tion |prəˌkrastəˈnāSHən, prō-| nounthe action of ruining your own life for no apparent reason Let me start by saying that I’ve had just about enough of the irony of battling through crippling procrastination while trying to write posts on procrastination and how to beat it. A couple notes before we begin: I’m not a professional at any of this, just a lifelong procrastinator who thinks about this topic all the time. Alright, so last week we dove into the everyday inner struggle of the procrastinator to examine the underlying psychology going on. We know about the Instant Gratification Monkey (the part of your brain that makes you procrastinate) and his dominion over the Rational Decision Maker, but what’s really happening there? The procrastinator is in the bad habit, bordering on addiction, of letting the monkey win.
Why Behavior Change Apps Fail to Change Behavior On the other hand Fitocracy, another health app, approaches behavior change very differently. The goal of the app is similar to its competitors – to help people establish better diet and exercise routines. However, the app leverages familiar “wanna” behaviors instead of “haftas” to keep people on track. At first, the Fitocracy experience is similar to other health apps, encouraging new members to track their food consumption and exercise. But where Fitocracy differentiates itself is in its recognition that most users will quickly fall off the wagon, just as I had with MyFitnessPal, unless the app taps into an existing behavior. Before my reactance alarm went off, I started receiving kudos from other members of the site after entering-in my very first run. I haven’t used Fitocracy for long, but it’s easy to see how someone could get hooked.
7 Critical Skills That Predict Success What skills do you really need to succeed? In school, they taught us history and algebra and if we got good SAT scores they said we'd succeed. But are those the skills we really need? Developmental psychologist Susan Engel researched the skills that actually predicted success. I'll give you a hint--differential calculus isn't on the list. Here are the 7 skills that are critical for success. 1. Of course, you can read. I'd like to ask a different question: Do you read? 2. If you're running a startup, you probably already have this skill down. Are ideas encouraged? 3. Sometimes we get focused on the solution we think is right, and we forget that there are many different angles for looking at each problem. Have you really looked at your decisions from all sides? 4. Engel identifies conversation as a way that children gain not only the ability to communicate, but also pegs it as a way that children actually learn. 5. Are you working together with others, or simply directing their work? 6.
10 Signs You're A Critical Thinker Critical thinkers are able to analyze issues from a wide variety of angles, resulting in more success in business and life. Discover your ability to think critically today with these ten signs you’re a critical thinker. 1. You get your news from a wide variety of sources. Critical thinkers know that partisan politics come into play at any mainstream media outlet, so they strive to learn about the world from a variety of sources that offer different journalistic voices. 2. Critical thinkers are not afraid of a healthy debate. 3. Critical thinkers know that it is impossible to be right about everything all the time. 4. Critical thinkers are often frustrated at the total lack of rationality that surrounds them on the Internet. 5. Critical thinkers wake up every day, excited to have another opportunity to sharpen their thinking ability. 6. Critical thinkers have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. 7. Critical thinkers would rather innovate than regurgitate. 8. 9. 10.
Teaching Guide: Dealing with Feelings - Character Education - Social Emotional Learning - Life Skills - Lesson Plans & Curriculum This material is from the teaching guidefor the video “Dealing with Feelings“in the 10-part DVD series You Can Choose! HOW TO COPEWith An Unpleasant Feeling Sometimes we feel good, and sometimes we feel bad. Both kinds of feelings are normal. 1. 2. 3. 4. * The above material is borrowed from the book “Dealing With Feelings,” by Dr. (If you wish to copy or use any material from this website, please click here for Terms of Use.) If you are using the DVD, ask the first three questions before viewing. 1. 2. 3. Questions to ask after showing the DVD. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 1. 2. 3. Other teaching guides in this series: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. To enlist the involvement of parents, make copies of the “For Parents” block (see below) and send them home with the children. 1. 2. 3. Note to the teacher or group leader: It might be a good idea to think of some way for the children to share the outcomes of these activities with each other. (Copy this block and send it home to the parents.) Dear Parent,
6 Steps to Mindfully Deal With Difficult Emotions Let’s get real here. For most of us – myself included – life is fast-paced and chock full of family, relationship, and work stressors. This reality, along with the ever-increasing pressures of technology and society at large, can really take a toll on your marriage. As a result, difficult emotions like anger, confusion, fear, loneliness, and sadness, just to name a few, can arise. Emotions like these are often the most present and powerful forces in your life. The key to overcoming these difficult emotions is mindfulness! Following these six steps will help you to understand and deal with your difficult emotions in a mindful way: Purchase a PDF version of this poster here. Step One: Turn toward your emotions with acceptance Once you become aware of the emotion you are feeling, notice where it is in your body. The key here is to not push the emotion away. Step Two: Identify and label the emotion Instead of saying, “I am angry”, say, “This is anger” or, “This is anxiety.” “What triggered me?”