Conventional wisdom says that if you idealize the person you marry, the disappointment is just going to be that much worse when you find out they aren’t perfect. But new research published in Psychological Science, a journal of theAssociation for Psychological Science, challenges that assumption; people who were unrealistically idealistic about their partners when they got married were more satisfied with their marriage three years later than less idealistic people. [continue reading…]
This documentary struck quite the chord with the author of this blog. Curious? When my 3rd son was born we were living in Merseyside and Dr.O was teaching Psychology 101! So it was a no brainer when the department decided they wanted to follow the development of a child from birth to the age of 3 years, that our newborn would make an ideal subject for the project. And so began the documentation of every little development, smile , tantrum… Oh and there were tantrums! And as we look back on this well documented time the memories are precious.
Babies follows a Namibian, a Mongolian, a Japanese and an American baby from birth to their early toddles. Since its release in the US ten months ago it has taken $7.5 million (£4.6 million) at the box office and another $5 million on DVD and has become a talking point on every talk show up to, and including, Oprah.
The key to dealing with some of the challenges life throws at us – including pain, suffering, illness, grief and loss – is to truly appreciate the positive aspects of our life, and not simply focus on the negative. It is important to acknowledge the setbacks, but equal attention and value need to be given to what is going well. This lesson in living, based on the teachings of Buddha, is given by Karen Hilsberg, from the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health in California in the US, in an article published online in Springer’s journal, Mindfulness.
Her moving, personal account describes how mindfulness – or a special kind of awareness that is attentive and warmly engaged with each moment of life – helped her cope with her husband’s cancer, and the impact of his illness and death on both herself and her young family. The rigorous practice of mindfulness through daily meditation, weekly Buddhist group (sangha) meetings, and daily deep relaxation helped Hilsberg to be honest and objective about what was happening in her life. [continue reading…]
Females Threatened by Social Exclusion Will Reject Others First
Many studies have suggested that males tend to be more physically and verbally aggressive than females. According to a new study, to be published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science it may not be the case that women are less competitive than men—they may just be using a different strategy to come out ahead. Specifically, women may rely more on indirect forms of aggression, such as social exclusion. [continue reading…]
