Sleep well – remember better
How do emotion and sleep taken together affect our memory? What is their say in how our brain distorts or fabricates our recollections?
📎To gain a glimpse of truth that lies underneath, scholars from South China Normal University Ruchen Deng and Aitao Lu carried out two experiments using DRM false memory associative word lists.
Emotion provides a rich soil for memory distortions. When we consume emotional content or experience sentiments, such as sadness or cheer, we tend to focus more on the triggered emotion to the neglect of the objective reality. In the experiments of this study, emotion strengthened the connection among words, misleading the participants about which words they learned earlier.
Quite astoundingly, sleep helps mitigate this effect. Participants who had a good night’s sleep performed much better in remembering the specific words they had learned. Sleep improves our ability to consolidate the details and remember the objective origins of our recollections. Moreover, sleep might decrease our vulnerability to emotion, thus neutralizing a major interference.
While it is common for the human mind to falsely memorize the events, there is an extremely simple tool to nurture our memory function. Sleep well and shall you be rewarded with better learning ability!
How do emotion and sleep taken together affect our memory? What is their say in how our brain distorts or fabricates our recollections?
📎To gain a glimpse of truth that lies underneath, scholars from South China Normal University Ruchen Deng and Aitao Lu carried out two experiments using DRM false memory associative word lists.
Emotion provides a rich soil for memory distortions. When we consume emotional content or experience sentiments, such as sadness or cheer, we tend to focus more on the triggered emotion to the neglect of the objective reality. In the experiments of this study, emotion strengthened the connection among words, misleading the participants about which words they learned earlier.
Quite astoundingly, sleep helps mitigate this effect. Participants who had a good night’s sleep performed much better in remembering the specific words they had learned. Sleep improves our ability to consolidate the details and remember the objective origins of our recollections. Moreover, sleep might decrease our vulnerability to emotion, thus neutralizing a major interference.
While it is common for the human mind to falsely memorize the events, there is an extremely simple tool to nurture our memory function. Sleep well and shall you be rewarded with better learning ability!
👍7❤2👏2
Piaget vs. Vygotsky: The age-old debate is back
Two approaches are paving their way into the modern educational system. Both find grounding in the idea that children are active learners rather than passive receivers, and both value interaction as a crucial condition for learning.
📎There are differences at the heart of the two though, and these affect how they are taught to the educators, as found out by the scholars from the Netherlands.
Companion or guide? Following Jean Piaget, children should be encouraged to act and speak freely, gently stimulated for experiments and reflection by the teachers. Lev Vygotsky’s theory suggests that teachers should actively help children to learn the use of cultural tools, engaging in activities as full-fledged participants.
Interestingly enough, the core difference is clearly mirrored in the way teachers are trained to adopt these principles in school education.
Realigning teachers’ practices with Piaget’s strategy, assistants work with groups of teachers by observing their interaction and subtly steering them into the area where they develop understanding. Whereas Vygotsky’s strategy is adopted by teachers through a more pre-planned manner, with assistants providing a more clear-cut, theory-backed guidance.
Two approaches are paving their way into the modern educational system. Both find grounding in the idea that children are active learners rather than passive receivers, and both value interaction as a crucial condition for learning.
📎There are differences at the heart of the two though, and these affect how they are taught to the educators, as found out by the scholars from the Netherlands.
Companion or guide? Following Jean Piaget, children should be encouraged to act and speak freely, gently stimulated for experiments and reflection by the teachers. Lev Vygotsky’s theory suggests that teachers should actively help children to learn the use of cultural tools, engaging in activities as full-fledged participants.
Interestingly enough, the core difference is clearly mirrored in the way teachers are trained to adopt these principles in school education.
Realigning teachers’ practices with Piaget’s strategy, assistants work with groups of teachers by observing their interaction and subtly steering them into the area where they develop understanding. Whereas Vygotsky’s strategy is adopted by teachers through a more pre-planned manner, with assistants providing a more clear-cut, theory-backed guidance.
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Jealousy: a sign of love or, rather, a symptom of anxiety?
📎One of the remarkable attempts to unpack the nature of jealousy is based on linking its patterns to the type of romantic attachment.
Jealousy has different faces: painful feelings may at times go along with intrusive thoughts, sometimes followed by action to verify partner’s loyalty. Depending on how people evaluate themselves and their significant others, there are four types of romantic attachment that impact people’s jealousy patterns.
Clearly, actual threat of infidelity brings negative emotions to everyone, even to those with secure attachment. Yet, people with high anxiety and fear of abandonment, as in ambivalent attachment, also obsess over the potential infidelity of their partner and, moreover, are much more likely to test their partner and actively prevent possible threats.
However, another pattern of insecure attachment – avoidance – leads to less jealous behaviour. People, who simultaneously crave and fear intimacy, as in avoidant attachment combining anxiety and avoidance, do have intrusive thoughts and urges to act out on their suspicion but less so than people with ambivalent attachment. Whereas people with dismissing attachment, who are wary of closeness but have low anxiety, are very much like people with secure attachment – with no jealousy-driven compulsive thoughts and behaviours to trouble them.
📎One of the remarkable attempts to unpack the nature of jealousy is based on linking its patterns to the type of romantic attachment.
Jealousy has different faces: painful feelings may at times go along with intrusive thoughts, sometimes followed by action to verify partner’s loyalty. Depending on how people evaluate themselves and their significant others, there are four types of romantic attachment that impact people’s jealousy patterns.
Clearly, actual threat of infidelity brings negative emotions to everyone, even to those with secure attachment. Yet, people with high anxiety and fear of abandonment, as in ambivalent attachment, also obsess over the potential infidelity of their partner and, moreover, are much more likely to test their partner and actively prevent possible threats.
However, another pattern of insecure attachment – avoidance – leads to less jealous behaviour. People, who simultaneously crave and fear intimacy, as in avoidant attachment combining anxiety and avoidance, do have intrusive thoughts and urges to act out on their suspicion but less so than people with ambivalent attachment. Whereas people with dismissing attachment, who are wary of closeness but have low anxiety, are very much like people with secure attachment – with no jealousy-driven compulsive thoughts and behaviours to trouble them.
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Online work chats: A curse for anxious people
Work chats in Whatsapp can encourage free flow of ideas and help tap into collective wisdom of team members, yet some employees show little enthusiasm for participating.
📎A group of scholars from Indonesia sought to uncover the motives that drive people to silence.
The most widespread reason seems to be fear of criticism or any other form of negative feedback that could make people feel worthless and unprofessional. More or less known to all of us, this negative anticipation is particularly unbearable for emotionally unstable people with high anxiety. This is why online work-related conversations in groups may bring extreme discomfort to neurotic people, who distrust their fellow workers and themselves. The presence of job superiors further magnifies their anxiety and, to avoid any chance of pressure, they choose to refrain from voicing their opinion altogether.
What is remarkable, people are still generally interested in sharing their knowledge and expertise with the team. It is oftentimes the distrust in the environment, perceived lack of interactive space and supportive climate, as well as rigid workplace hierarchy that prevents them from doing so. Thus, to capitalize on the strength of each and every team member, it is crucial to build harmonious relationships in the spirit of mutual trust.
Work chats in Whatsapp can encourage free flow of ideas and help tap into collective wisdom of team members, yet some employees show little enthusiasm for participating.
📎A group of scholars from Indonesia sought to uncover the motives that drive people to silence.
The most widespread reason seems to be fear of criticism or any other form of negative feedback that could make people feel worthless and unprofessional. More or less known to all of us, this negative anticipation is particularly unbearable for emotionally unstable people with high anxiety. This is why online work-related conversations in groups may bring extreme discomfort to neurotic people, who distrust their fellow workers and themselves. The presence of job superiors further magnifies their anxiety and, to avoid any chance of pressure, they choose to refrain from voicing their opinion altogether.
What is remarkable, people are still generally interested in sharing their knowledge and expertise with the team. It is oftentimes the distrust in the environment, perceived lack of interactive space and supportive climate, as well as rigid workplace hierarchy that prevents them from doing so. Thus, to capitalize on the strength of each and every team member, it is crucial to build harmonious relationships in the spirit of mutual trust.
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Impostor syndrome - perfectionism’s evil twin brother?
Why do people severely doubt their talents even when the reality of their accomplishments proves otherwise? Unattainably high standards, fear of failure, absence of satisfaction with good performance - sounds very much like perfectionism, but not quite so. In fact, these are strong indicators of impostor syndrome – a strong belief that one’s high performance is not genuinely deserved. And indeed, this appears to be linked to perfectionism but only to a particular form.
Oftentimes self-controlling, open-minded and socially flexible, adaptive perfectionists tend to set high personal standards and goals while able to be satisfied with their performance. Meanwhile maladaptive perfectionists focus more on their failures and pay particular attention to how far they are from their standards.
📎 A group of Russian scholars found that it is the maladaptive perfectionists, who are likely to fall down the spiral of impostorism. This type of perfectionism is more typical for neurotic people with poor self-regulation and self-discipline.
What is more, negative self-esteem makes things worse, triggering maladaptive perfectionists to experience even more anxiety and self-doubt. Thus, building healthy self-esteem might be key to cure severe psychological distress brought about by the impostor syndrome.
Why do people severely doubt their talents even when the reality of their accomplishments proves otherwise? Unattainably high standards, fear of failure, absence of satisfaction with good performance - sounds very much like perfectionism, but not quite so. In fact, these are strong indicators of impostor syndrome – a strong belief that one’s high performance is not genuinely deserved. And indeed, this appears to be linked to perfectionism but only to a particular form.
Oftentimes self-controlling, open-minded and socially flexible, adaptive perfectionists tend to set high personal standards and goals while able to be satisfied with their performance. Meanwhile maladaptive perfectionists focus more on their failures and pay particular attention to how far they are from their standards.
📎 A group of Russian scholars found that it is the maladaptive perfectionists, who are likely to fall down the spiral of impostorism. This type of perfectionism is more typical for neurotic people with poor self-regulation and self-discipline.
What is more, negative self-esteem makes things worse, triggering maladaptive perfectionists to experience even more anxiety and self-doubt. Thus, building healthy self-esteem might be key to cure severe psychological distress brought about by the impostor syndrome.
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Home sweet home
Search for dizzying career opportunities and better-paying jobs, pursuit of a more harmonious social and political setting, lust for new and exciting life experiences – by and large, there is a dazzling array of reasons why youngsters might be overrun by the idea to escape their hometown or their motherland altogether.
📎 Does this mean that those who opt to stay are simply succumbing to paralyzing fears and insecurities? Having looked into the reasons behind the high schoolers’ decision to stay in their native region, Russian scholars can definitively say that this is not the case.
In fact, one of the central motives to abstain from migration is the urge to contribute to the prosperity of the local community. What is more, quality relationships with family and school largely determine young people’s intention to stay as well. Which is only natural - the desire to see their hometown thrive is often found among people, who are deeply satisfied with the social environment they are in and wish to put their effort into building better surroundings for the people they love.
Thus, the idea of serving the local cause per se is not the only motivating force, but coupled with the warm and supportive relationships within the community, it forms powerful grounds for the decision to grow personally and professionally in one’s native lands. The bottom line is that those who choose to stay are generally marked by a more harmonious and contented attitude to life.
Search for dizzying career opportunities and better-paying jobs, pursuit of a more harmonious social and political setting, lust for new and exciting life experiences – by and large, there is a dazzling array of reasons why youngsters might be overrun by the idea to escape their hometown or their motherland altogether.
📎 Does this mean that those who opt to stay are simply succumbing to paralyzing fears and insecurities? Having looked into the reasons behind the high schoolers’ decision to stay in their native region, Russian scholars can definitively say that this is not the case.
In fact, one of the central motives to abstain from migration is the urge to contribute to the prosperity of the local community. What is more, quality relationships with family and school largely determine young people’s intention to stay as well. Which is only natural - the desire to see their hometown thrive is often found among people, who are deeply satisfied with the social environment they are in and wish to put their effort into building better surroundings for the people they love.
Thus, the idea of serving the local cause per se is not the only motivating force, but coupled with the warm and supportive relationships within the community, it forms powerful grounds for the decision to grow personally and professionally in one’s native lands. The bottom line is that those who choose to stay are generally marked by a more harmonious and contented attitude to life.
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Today a reader, tomorrow a leader?
Some people say, Internet duly replaces books, becoming a new source of knowledge. If so, is there any good in trying to build children’s love for reading? And should parents be anxious if their child prefers surfing the net instead of diving into the written word?
📎A resounding yes is given for an answer by a Russian scholar, following his research on how leisure activities impact teenagers’ psychological well-being.
School plays a pivotal role in shaping teenagers' lives, and its climate clearly affects their mental wellness. A major discovery is that book lovers are more satisfied with their relationships with teachers and, unlike their Internet-loving peers, generally appreciate the respectful atmosphere in classroom.
More dramatically, huge fans of online activities appear to have more potential for aggression and hostility, a finding that goes in line with the previous studies.
Nevertheless, there is no need to demonize the Internet. For instance, the highest quality of relationships with teachers was reported by those who are keen on both reading and online activity. One thing is clear though: there is a good chance that taking breaks from the screen to enjoy some good reads might positively impact teenagers’ mental well-being.
Some people say, Internet duly replaces books, becoming a new source of knowledge. If so, is there any good in trying to build children’s love for reading? And should parents be anxious if their child prefers surfing the net instead of diving into the written word?
📎A resounding yes is given for an answer by a Russian scholar, following his research on how leisure activities impact teenagers’ psychological well-being.
School plays a pivotal role in shaping teenagers' lives, and its climate clearly affects their mental wellness. A major discovery is that book lovers are more satisfied with their relationships with teachers and, unlike their Internet-loving peers, generally appreciate the respectful atmosphere in classroom.
More dramatically, huge fans of online activities appear to have more potential for aggression and hostility, a finding that goes in line with the previous studies.
Nevertheless, there is no need to demonize the Internet. For instance, the highest quality of relationships with teachers was reported by those who are keen on both reading and online activity. One thing is clear though: there is a good chance that taking breaks from the screen to enjoy some good reads might positively impact teenagers’ mental well-being.
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Play to win!
Play is a way to discover, learn and create, as it sparks children’s curiosity, ignites creativity and lays foundation for all kinds of skills to thrive in the future.
In particular, play is crucial for preschooler development: it enhances working memory, flexible thinking and self-control – that is, trains the so-called “management system of the brain”.
📎Yet, not all types of play bring equal benefits to our little ones, as discovered by a Russian research team.
Digital play, for instance, earlier proved to have positive short-term impact on multiple task-management and self-regulation, but the long-term picture is clearly not so bright.
As it turns out, mobile games do interact with management skills, however, better control over impulsive reactions might be the only long-term benefit, if any. The abilities to remember instructions and to switch between types of thinking also see positive effects, but those are highly unstable and leave no trace after a couple of months.
Such abilities, instead, are perfectly trained through role-playing and board games. Seems like active engagement with peers, co-creation of imaginary situations and flexible interaction with rules are key to ensuring the lasting benefits of play for children.
Play is a way to discover, learn and create, as it sparks children’s curiosity, ignites creativity and lays foundation for all kinds of skills to thrive in the future.
In particular, play is crucial for preschooler development: it enhances working memory, flexible thinking and self-control – that is, trains the so-called “management system of the brain”.
📎Yet, not all types of play bring equal benefits to our little ones, as discovered by a Russian research team.
Digital play, for instance, earlier proved to have positive short-term impact on multiple task-management and self-regulation, but the long-term picture is clearly not so bright.
As it turns out, mobile games do interact with management skills, however, better control over impulsive reactions might be the only long-term benefit, if any. The abilities to remember instructions and to switch between types of thinking also see positive effects, but those are highly unstable and leave no trace after a couple of months.
Such abilities, instead, are perfectly trained through role-playing and board games. Seems like active engagement with peers, co-creation of imaginary situations and flexible interaction with rules are key to ensuring the lasting benefits of play for children.
❤3✍2🙏2🔥1
Eyes wide open
How do children get to recognize geometric shapes where they previously saw nothing but peculiar lines and colourful forms?
We master the majority of concepts by creating a generalized image in our mind’s eye. A so-called “forward model”, such image is conjured up every time a similar shape appears in our field of view, and it is being refined through constant comparison of what we see with the idea we have.
The better we know the shape, the less comparison we need: we get extremely good at predicting what the shape means. As a result, adults oftentimes don’t need to glance at the image, let alone fix their gaze on it, and can easily identify the shape with mere side vision.
Back to geometry: eye movements can be a tell-tale sign of how well children have mastered geometric concepts. So, how do first-graders explore such concepts, and what can teachers do to better guide them?
📎As shown by a cross-country research team, seven-year-old children’s abilities vary greatly. Some have to keenly examine the entire image, while others, just like adults, limit themselves to brief glimpses in the area, and a whole range of variations lies in-between.
Their strategies differ as well – some explore different parts of the shape, others try to view the shape in different positions, still others have to re-fixate their gaze multiple times to confirm what they see.
In each case, learners share the common goal to fine tune the “forward model” – the generalized image that allows them to predict what they see.
Given the importance of rapid eye movements, dynamic interaction with figures – rotation, origami, etc – can help children explore the shapes more easily and let the knowledge sink in faster.
How do children get to recognize geometric shapes where they previously saw nothing but peculiar lines and colourful forms?
We master the majority of concepts by creating a generalized image in our mind’s eye. A so-called “forward model”, such image is conjured up every time a similar shape appears in our field of view, and it is being refined through constant comparison of what we see with the idea we have.
The better we know the shape, the less comparison we need: we get extremely good at predicting what the shape means. As a result, adults oftentimes don’t need to glance at the image, let alone fix their gaze on it, and can easily identify the shape with mere side vision.
Back to geometry: eye movements can be a tell-tale sign of how well children have mastered geometric concepts. So, how do first-graders explore such concepts, and what can teachers do to better guide them?
📎As shown by a cross-country research team, seven-year-old children’s abilities vary greatly. Some have to keenly examine the entire image, while others, just like adults, limit themselves to brief glimpses in the area, and a whole range of variations lies in-between.
Their strategies differ as well – some explore different parts of the shape, others try to view the shape in different positions, still others have to re-fixate their gaze multiple times to confirm what they see.
In each case, learners share the common goal to fine tune the “forward model” – the generalized image that allows them to predict what they see.
Given the importance of rapid eye movements, dynamic interaction with figures – rotation, origami, etc – can help children explore the shapes more easily and let the knowledge sink in faster.
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If they’re happy and you know it, clap your hands…
In Russia, at least 20% of children grow up bilingual. Not only they get to switch between languages but they have two sets of cultural values and expressive norms to wrap their heads around.
📎This double palette, however, does not make them more sensitive to emotions of others, as shown by the recent study. On the contrary, bilingual kids find it harder to recognize hidden emotions and understand how personal beliefs and memories impact people’s reactions.
It makes all the sense in the world when we consider that bilingual kids have to master two cultural attitudes to emotions, oftentimes contradictory to each other. No wonder, they need extra time to figure out how to decode emotions in each separate case. And the lack of direct analogues between emotion words in different languages isn’t helping, to say the least.
More than that, language skills of bilingual children often lag behind, as they need to put twice as much effort to achieve fluency. This does not only limit their chances to engage with others but also hampers their ability to express and understand complex emotions.
Nevertheless, bilingual children are perfectly fine at recognizing core emotions and situations they are felt in. What is more, they are well aware that emotional states can be contradictory, and are just as good as non-bilinguals at seeing how emotions can be regulated through reasoning.
Seems like the key challenge for them lies in understanding deep-seated, sometimes irrational causes for emotions, as well as seeing true sentiments behind the displayed reactions, something that requires a fairly good knowledge of how emotions are formed at a deeper level.
In Russia, at least 20% of children grow up bilingual. Not only they get to switch between languages but they have two sets of cultural values and expressive norms to wrap their heads around.
📎This double palette, however, does not make them more sensitive to emotions of others, as shown by the recent study. On the contrary, bilingual kids find it harder to recognize hidden emotions and understand how personal beliefs and memories impact people’s reactions.
It makes all the sense in the world when we consider that bilingual kids have to master two cultural attitudes to emotions, oftentimes contradictory to each other. No wonder, they need extra time to figure out how to decode emotions in each separate case. And the lack of direct analogues between emotion words in different languages isn’t helping, to say the least.
More than that, language skills of bilingual children often lag behind, as they need to put twice as much effort to achieve fluency. This does not only limit their chances to engage with others but also hampers their ability to express and understand complex emotions.
Nevertheless, bilingual children are perfectly fine at recognizing core emotions and situations they are felt in. What is more, they are well aware that emotional states can be contradictory, and are just as good as non-bilinguals at seeing how emotions can be regulated through reasoning.
Seems like the key challenge for them lies in understanding deep-seated, sometimes irrational causes for emotions, as well as seeing true sentiments behind the displayed reactions, something that requires a fairly good knowledge of how emotions are formed at a deeper level.
❤6👏4👀2
Listen to your heart – when it’s calling for you…
There is a common belief that people who pick life goals based on their deep interests are happier than those who don’t. And it certainly is so. But is the underlying magic as simple as it seems?
There are a million reasons why we should follow our inner voice when choosing the next height to conquer: this way, we are more motivated, able to put more effort over longer periods of time, better at coping with tasks… Moreover, planning comes with ease, less pressure is hanging upon us, less burnout and social comparison gets in the way, and on and on.
Yet, there is a large missing piece of the puzzle that can explain much of why fulfilling goals really bring us harmony and happiness.
🖇Recent cross-country research among Russian and US students has shown: those who align their career goals with who they are get to feel optimistic about the future, and their career efforts in particular. They believe that small victories on their way are not an accident but rather a rule that will ultimately lead them to success.
Interestingly enough, optimistic thinking around fulfilling goals is much stronger in Russia. Unlike their American peers, Russians not only draw inspiration from small victories but also are immune to minor failures and setbacks when pursuing the goal they really dream of.
Nevertheless, seems like all people feel more positive and confident about their life path in case it leads to desired targets, this is why setting the right goals might be key to peaceful and balanced life.
There is a common belief that people who pick life goals based on their deep interests are happier than those who don’t. And it certainly is so. But is the underlying magic as simple as it seems?
There are a million reasons why we should follow our inner voice when choosing the next height to conquer: this way, we are more motivated, able to put more effort over longer periods of time, better at coping with tasks… Moreover, planning comes with ease, less pressure is hanging upon us, less burnout and social comparison gets in the way, and on and on.
Yet, there is a large missing piece of the puzzle that can explain much of why fulfilling goals really bring us harmony and happiness.
🖇Recent cross-country research among Russian and US students has shown: those who align their career goals with who they are get to feel optimistic about the future, and their career efforts in particular. They believe that small victories on their way are not an accident but rather a rule that will ultimately lead them to success.
Interestingly enough, optimistic thinking around fulfilling goals is much stronger in Russia. Unlike their American peers, Russians not only draw inspiration from small victories but also are immune to minor failures and setbacks when pursuing the goal they really dream of.
Nevertheless, seems like all people feel more positive and confident about their life path in case it leads to desired targets, this is why setting the right goals might be key to peaceful and balanced life.
🔥6✍3❤2
Addicted to love or loving the addict
Close relationship with an alcoholic, drug addict or gambler often comes hand in hand with co-dependency. Women who find themselves in such a bind are overwhelmed by the need to control and rescue the loved one. At the same time, crippling fear of separation drives them to go at great lengths to avoid conflict and make excuses for the unlucky family member. A truly vicious cycle that sends both down the spiral of self-destruction.
🖇Chaotic climate of such relationships overshadows women’s life causing next-to-irreversible damage to their psyche. Research team from Rostov-on-Don sheds light on what happens closer to the point of no return.
Women who are unfortunate enough to have an addict among their loved ones undergo severe personality changes: their self-confidence goes on a downward slide, they puzzle over their own feelings and behaviours, yet are extremely quick to criticize and blame themselves. They often get caught up in their own heads, obsessing over inner struggles and escaping reality through idle dreams.
Surprisingly enough, unhealthy dependency on the partner with no addiction can be almost as destructive as life with an addict, cultivating similar feelings of self-loathing and helplessness. Seems like the root of evil lies in the inability to separate oneself from the partner.
Good news is, there is a cure: setting healthy boundaries and focusing more on personal needs might be an apt place to start.
Close relationship with an alcoholic, drug addict or gambler often comes hand in hand with co-dependency. Women who find themselves in such a bind are overwhelmed by the need to control and rescue the loved one. At the same time, crippling fear of separation drives them to go at great lengths to avoid conflict and make excuses for the unlucky family member. A truly vicious cycle that sends both down the spiral of self-destruction.
🖇Chaotic climate of such relationships overshadows women’s life causing next-to-irreversible damage to their psyche. Research team from Rostov-on-Don sheds light on what happens closer to the point of no return.
Women who are unfortunate enough to have an addict among their loved ones undergo severe personality changes: their self-confidence goes on a downward slide, they puzzle over their own feelings and behaviours, yet are extremely quick to criticize and blame themselves. They often get caught up in their own heads, obsessing over inner struggles and escaping reality through idle dreams.
Surprisingly enough, unhealthy dependency on the partner with no addiction can be almost as destructive as life with an addict, cultivating similar feelings of self-loathing and helplessness. Seems like the root of evil lies in the inability to separate oneself from the partner.
Good news is, there is a cure: setting healthy boundaries and focusing more on personal needs might be an apt place to start.
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Break stigma – arm yourself against depression!
– these and other depreciating words are being told to people with diagnosed depression or anxiety on a regular basis. Things may get worse with other mental health problems – schizophrenia being, perhaps, the most striking example: schizophrenics are often avoided by the public, whose helping hand turned the name of this illness into a scary metaphor for raving madness.
Mental health stigma is alive and kicking, in some societies more than the others. In Russia, the scale is rather massive.
🖇According to the research by a group of Russian scholars and clinicians, over two-thirds of participants under study are biased against people with mental issues. Many of them are convinced that mental condition could have been prevented, which makes it a patient’s fault. But then, they are sceptical about the opportunity for mentally ill people to cure, deeming them unreliable for the rest of their lives.
Study shows, mental health sceptics are digging their own graves: people who treat mental illness with disbelief or neglect run higher risk of falling into the clutches of depression and anxiety. Due to their destructive beliefs, they can ignore or suppress their own symptoms, making things far worse.
Sad though it may be, Russian culture feeds into the tendency to stigmatize mentally ill people. The more important it is to share knowledge about ways to handle mental issues and empower those struggling to seek help!
Pull yourself together! Snap out of it! You just need some fresh air and exercise!
– these and other depreciating words are being told to people with diagnosed depression or anxiety on a regular basis. Things may get worse with other mental health problems – schizophrenia being, perhaps, the most striking example: schizophrenics are often avoided by the public, whose helping hand turned the name of this illness into a scary metaphor for raving madness.
Mental health stigma is alive and kicking, in some societies more than the others. In Russia, the scale is rather massive.
🖇According to the research by a group of Russian scholars and clinicians, over two-thirds of participants under study are biased against people with mental issues. Many of them are convinced that mental condition could have been prevented, which makes it a patient’s fault. But then, they are sceptical about the opportunity for mentally ill people to cure, deeming them unreliable for the rest of their lives.
Study shows, mental health sceptics are digging their own graves: people who treat mental illness with disbelief or neglect run higher risk of falling into the clutches of depression and anxiety. Due to their destructive beliefs, they can ignore or suppress their own symptoms, making things far worse.
Sad though it may be, Russian culture feeds into the tendency to stigmatize mentally ill people. The more important it is to share knowledge about ways to handle mental issues and empower those struggling to seek help!
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The Four Horsemen of Happiness
Happiness has been the compass needle for philosophers since the times of Epicurus. While we won’t invade the philosophical realm, we can break down some of the psychological mechanisms behind this elusive and sought-for feeling.
🖇What shapes our happiness? And why are there people who have everything, yet fail to find pleasure in life? A recent cross-regional study conducted in Russia leaves no doubt that happiness is not so much about the positive events that happen to us as about how we perceive them.
The recipe for well-being is quite simple: we should see the joys and blessings we find along the way as well-deserved gifts that will never cease to occur on our path of life – something psychologists call “Optimistic Attributional Style”. But what are the ingredients that spark such positive attitude?
Known for their remarkable effects on well-being, positive expectations about future outcomes and high self-esteem play a key role here, among other things, driving people to try more in life and put more effort into completing their goals. There are more elements to that potion though.
Abilities to value and cherish the joys of life appear to be of no less importance. This boils down to whether we feel grateful for the positive in the world, and whether we can take the time to appreciate the beauty around us.
Interestingly, the power to handle negative events does not go hand in hand with the ability to appreciate the good: it is a skill to be learned quite separately.
All in all, the road to happiness is paved with a positive mindset. And with a little help from its faithful companions – gratitude, self-confidence, ability to savour the moment, and optimism – our life is sure to be harmonious and colourful, to the delight of the great Epicurus!
Happiness has been the compass needle for philosophers since the times of Epicurus. While we won’t invade the philosophical realm, we can break down some of the psychological mechanisms behind this elusive and sought-for feeling.
🖇What shapes our happiness? And why are there people who have everything, yet fail to find pleasure in life? A recent cross-regional study conducted in Russia leaves no doubt that happiness is not so much about the positive events that happen to us as about how we perceive them.
The recipe for well-being is quite simple: we should see the joys and blessings we find along the way as well-deserved gifts that will never cease to occur on our path of life – something psychologists call “Optimistic Attributional Style”. But what are the ingredients that spark such positive attitude?
Known for their remarkable effects on well-being, positive expectations about future outcomes and high self-esteem play a key role here, among other things, driving people to try more in life and put more effort into completing their goals. There are more elements to that potion though.
Abilities to value and cherish the joys of life appear to be of no less importance. This boils down to whether we feel grateful for the positive in the world, and whether we can take the time to appreciate the beauty around us.
Interestingly, the power to handle negative events does not go hand in hand with the ability to appreciate the good: it is a skill to be learned quite separately.
All in all, the road to happiness is paved with a positive mindset. And with a little help from its faithful companions – gratitude, self-confidence, ability to savour the moment, and optimism – our life is sure to be harmonious and colourful, to the delight of the great Epicurus!
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Can’t buy me love!
Consumeristic rush hardly leads to happiness – fact both well-known and scientifically proven. Yet, some people – and quite many of them – still place money at the core of their well-being. Even more intriguingly, building up money is something materialists are oftentimes bad at. Let’s dig out the roots of this paradox!
🖇While united by their love for material possessions, materialists differ in the reasons for such love, and in their life strategies too. A team of Russian scholars found that they can be grouped based on how far above social norms they can place themselves to achieve success.
Manipulative and cold-blooded, the so-called Dark Materialists are more passionate about material goods than the Bright Materialists, people of more self-control and civility. While the latter seek stability and comfort through money earned by honest means, Dark Materialists strive to raise their status through luxurious lifestyle and do not shun exploiting other people for personal benefit.
Nevertheless, people who define their success by how much they can afford are all quite alike in their ego-centrism. Thus, narcissism is a powerful driver of the materialistic “rat race”. People’s attachment to material possessions is intensified by an additional tinge of psychopathic traits, as in Dark Materialists, but it is narcissism that is the fundamental personality trait of materialistically-oriented people.
Perhaps the most astounding finding is that non-materialists appear to be the most financially responsible and controlling. Lust for money makes it more difficult for us to correctly assess and manage our finances, hampers our ability for long-term planning, and may at times nurture a soft spot for risky ventures. Seems like, in order to ensure financial stability, we should stop placing money at the centre of our lives.
Consumeristic rush hardly leads to happiness – fact both well-known and scientifically proven. Yet, some people – and quite many of them – still place money at the core of their well-being. Even more intriguingly, building up money is something materialists are oftentimes bad at. Let’s dig out the roots of this paradox!
🖇While united by their love for material possessions, materialists differ in the reasons for such love, and in their life strategies too. A team of Russian scholars found that they can be grouped based on how far above social norms they can place themselves to achieve success.
Manipulative and cold-blooded, the so-called Dark Materialists are more passionate about material goods than the Bright Materialists, people of more self-control and civility. While the latter seek stability and comfort through money earned by honest means, Dark Materialists strive to raise their status through luxurious lifestyle and do not shun exploiting other people for personal benefit.
Nevertheless, people who define their success by how much they can afford are all quite alike in their ego-centrism. Thus, narcissism is a powerful driver of the materialistic “rat race”. People’s attachment to material possessions is intensified by an additional tinge of psychopathic traits, as in Dark Materialists, but it is narcissism that is the fundamental personality trait of materialistically-oriented people.
Perhaps the most astounding finding is that non-materialists appear to be the most financially responsible and controlling. Lust for money makes it more difficult for us to correctly assess and manage our finances, hampers our ability for long-term planning, and may at times nurture a soft spot for risky ventures. Seems like, in order to ensure financial stability, we should stop placing money at the centre of our lives.
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More than just fun and games
Ever wondered what toys are the best for your little one’s development? Should you buy them a big plush dinosaur straight from the dreamland or a cute device for playing grocery store? And what will be the kid’s most likely pick?
🖇 It is through play that children learn to understand life experiences and recreate real-life situations. With that in mind, a group of Russian researchers singled out three toy characteristics that help children create life-inspired fantasies more easily and make their playtime more educational.
Turns out, ideal toys should be realistic, human-like and detailed. High realism, like in miniature furniture or doctor’s kit, helps children act out familiar scenes and through that understand social relationships more clearly. Same holds true with human-like features that allow kids to play out and explore human interactions. And the more details a toy has the better: different parts can hint as to what kids can do with the toy, making the whole action more engaging.
Now, what do three- and four-year olds have to say about this? Remarkably, children act as if they knew what is best for them. The study found that most kids prefer realistic and detailed toys, such as toy cash register and hospital play set. The story around human-like features is not so clear, as children preferred Peppa Pig family set over human one — yet, that may be due to the series’ popularity.
True, toy preferences can vary — for example, the study showed that boys prefer detailed toys more than girls, and kids with more siblings chose realistic toys more often — but the overall trend is quite clear. So next time you're in the toy aisle, remember: the more realistic and detailed, the better!
Ever wondered what toys are the best for your little one’s development? Should you buy them a big plush dinosaur straight from the dreamland or a cute device for playing grocery store? And what will be the kid’s most likely pick?
🖇 It is through play that children learn to understand life experiences and recreate real-life situations. With that in mind, a group of Russian researchers singled out three toy characteristics that help children create life-inspired fantasies more easily and make their playtime more educational.
Turns out, ideal toys should be realistic, human-like and detailed. High realism, like in miniature furniture or doctor’s kit, helps children act out familiar scenes and through that understand social relationships more clearly. Same holds true with human-like features that allow kids to play out and explore human interactions. And the more details a toy has the better: different parts can hint as to what kids can do with the toy, making the whole action more engaging.
Now, what do three- and four-year olds have to say about this? Remarkably, children act as if they knew what is best for them. The study found that most kids prefer realistic and detailed toys, such as toy cash register and hospital play set. The story around human-like features is not so clear, as children preferred Peppa Pig family set over human one — yet, that may be due to the series’ popularity.
True, toy preferences can vary — for example, the study showed that boys prefer detailed toys more than girls, and kids with more siblings chose realistic toys more often — but the overall trend is quite clear. So next time you're in the toy aisle, remember: the more realistic and detailed, the better!
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