Mental Attitude
Eating Together?
Eating Together? Family dinners are associated with lower incidences of teen depression, substance use, and delinquency. Family meals may afford a regular and positive context for parents to connect with kids emotionally, to monitor their social and academic activities, and to convey values and expectations. Journal of Marriage and Family, June 2012
Read MoreImpressionable Youth
Impressionable Youth. Alcohol is responsible for 4,700 deaths per year among young people under the age of 21. At least 14 studies have found that the more young people are exposed to alcohol advertising and marketing, the more likely they are to drink, or if they are already drinking, to drink more. Center on Alcohol…
Read MoreDepression and High-Fat Diets
Depression and High-Fat Diets. In addition to causing obesity, rich foods can actually cause chemical reactions in the brain that ultimately lead to depression. Researchers observed that mice that received a higher-fat diet showed signs of being anxious by avoiding open areas, as well as signs of depression. International Journal of Obesity, April 2012
Read MorePositive Emotion
Positive Emotion. Older adults display more positive emotions and are quicker to regulate out of negative emotional states than younger adults. Older adults may be better at regulating emotion because they tend to direct their eyes away from negative material or toward positive material. Current Directions in Psychological Science, August 2012
Read MoreLearning and Stress
Learning and Stress. Stressed and non-stressed persons use different brain regions and different strategies when learning. Non-stressed individuals applied a deliberate learning strategy, while stressed subjects relied more on their gut feelings. Journal of Neuroscience, August 2012
Read MoreViolent Images?
Violent Images? People who watched more than four hours of TV a day relating to the 9/11 attacks and Iraq War coverage were more likely to report both acute and post-traumatic stress symptoms over time. According to study author Roxane Cohen Silver, PhD, “[It’s] important for people to be aware that there is no psychological…
Read MoreBright Lights?
Bright Lights? A new study shows that light therapy is beneficial to everyone, not just individuals who suffer from seasonal depression. When bright light therapy is administered through the ear canal directly to the photosensitive brain tissue, it improved cognitive performance and mood in all subjects. Students who received a daily, 12 minute bright light…
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