Psychology Blog

Quick links from the past week in mind and brain news:

The University of California has an interview with space psychiatrist Nick Kanas

There’s a thoughtful consideration of the recent New York Times article on whether depression has evolutionary benefits over at Neuron Culture.

Time magazine discusses research finding that deaths from cocaine overdoses rise even when the weather warms up only slightly.

We’re slower at processing touch-related words than words related to the other senses, according to new research covered by the BPS Research Digest.

Wired UK discusses a new study on how electrical brain activity recorded from the scalp’s surface is enough to support the (rough) reconstruction of 3D hand movements on a computer.

The bizarre double life of Dr. William Stewart Halsted is discussed in a book review over at The Neuro Times.

The Neurocritic welcomes yet another attempt to resurrect Freudian ideas about the brain with a new paper taking the ‘but looks at the similarities!’ approach.

Male batterers consistently overestimate rates of domestic violence, according to a study covered in e! Science News

Not Exactly Rocket Science on how cooperative behaviour spreads through social networks, but so does cheating.

Asking an experienced stranger predicts our future happiness better than we can ourselves. A nugget from a piece on the work of Daniel Gilbert over at Harvard Magazine.

Neurophilosophy discusses some new lab research suggesting that the immune system response to brain infection may trigger Alzheimer’s disease.

The somewhat chilling piece on the rise of ‘human flesh search engines’ in China is discussed by The New York Times.

Deric Bownd’s Mind Blog covers a fascinating study that found thinking about randomness enhanced belief in the supernatural.

The UK’s programme to detain and treat people with ‘Dangerous and Severe Personality Disorder’ is heavily criticised in a government report. New Scientist covers the story.

Seed Magazine asks ‘is there an evolutionary basis for our religious beliefs?’ I for one know that my belief in Thor makes me more attractive to the ladies.

Bigger men are more aggressive when drunk, according to research covered by Science News.

Neuroanthropology discusses why students drink before even leaving the door to party, a practice known as ‘pre-gaming‘. The site also has an excellent essay on how obesity is discussed as a medical problem.

A variant of gene SCN9A has been linked to pain perception, according to a new study covered by Science News.

The Loom discusses how bacteria could change our behaviour. I expect to see ‘the bacteria made me do it’ defence in court cases some time soon.

Fat may be detectable as a ’sixth taste‘ suggest a new study covered by Wired UK.

Newsweek thinks fMRI “proves” addiction is a brain disease (hello neuroessentialism fallacy!) while making an otherwise important point on the need for psychological treatment for addiction.

A long but interesting piece on how to train teachers with simple effective classroom techniques appeared in The New York Times.

RadioLab discusses “a rare but disturbing delusional disorder called Capgras” in one of its excellent short broadcasts. Although it’s not actually that rare in people with psychosis and dementia.

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2010-03-12 Spike activity

There have been alarming increases in the number of brides who are finding it difficult to make a transition to their married life. The excitement and enthusiasm of getting married quickly gives way to feeling of desperation and feeling unhappy about their newly married lives. This condition called the Post Wedding Blues is being seen among a good percentage of brides these days. However, instead feeling all gloomy and miserable, you can take some of the following tips that would help you in getting over the Post Wedding Blues.

The important thing for you to beat the Post-Nuptial Depression is to adopt a healthy approach and create a balance to the changes that you would be coming across. You should not only focus on your wedding day as this may create a hollow once the event gets over. Instead, you can also look forward and make plans about the year after your marriage as well. You must spend some quality to feel relaxed and make efforts to acknowledge your feelings.

Discussions about any negatives or uncomfortable feelings would definitely help you in the long run. You should be absolutely clear in your head about tying the knot. A calm and clear mind boosts inner confidence. The attitude of getting married takes some time to grow and develop. So you must get in the groove of your new life and set your pace accordingly. Dinner parties, vacations and being together would certainly help you fight the blues that you may feel after your marriage.

Excerpt from:
Ways to avoid post-wedding blues

It is quite natural for both men as well as women to feel possessive about the other in a relationship. The situation though can be quite a taxing one and may spell doom for the relationship. A possessive partner makes the situation very uncomfortable for the other partner who may find it difficult to handle the situation.

Insecurity is apparently the main reason for possessiveness in people. A self-confident person has full faith in his partner and does not feel the need to control her or their relationship. On the contrary, an insecure person doubts the dedication of the partner and tries to control their relationship. Their action is aimed at preventing their vulnerability and making sure they do not hurt.

The feeling of possessiveness and a little jealousy exist in all relationship, however you should watch out and ensure that the situation does not get out of your control. The reasons that make you possessive may entirely be your own and you must make an effort to identify them and resolve them to ensure a healthy relationship.

If you feel possessive for your partner, you should get rid of any fear or insecurity that you may have and work on building your self-esteem. It is important for both partners to avoid any negative feelings and make a genuine effort towards securing their relationship with love and devotion. The feelings of possessiveness in your partner can be overcome by just reassuring your love to him or her. So, let go of this feeling and reignite the love and care in your relationship.

Source:
Are you too possessive about your partner?

There have been various instances in life when we allow negativity to take the better of us. A good number of people have lived in negativity for some part of their life or still continue to do so. There is an inherent feeling of negativity among all human beings which makes them afraid of expressing themselves for the fear of getting negative response.

The way you feel inside shows in the people around you and you would find the world happier only if you are happy yourself. The outcome of every situation in your life is dependent on you and affects you in some way or the other. So you must make a special effort to turn all your negative thoughts in a positive direction.

You should be able to alter your behavior to seek happiness and get rid of something that does bother you. Another way of keeping the negative feelings out of bay is to set goals and put in your best effort to achieve those goals. This would not only help you realize your dreams but would also make you happier.

Being open to others and taking their advice which may be helpful to you will also hold you in good stead in your life. Positive thinking is the key to a happier life and you must seize the moment and look to maximize the situation which makes you feel happy. It may seem important to please others but you must make sure that you are not doing that at the expense of your own happiness.

Read more here:
Ways to save yourself from negative influences and live positively