f-p-s-a-blog

[f-p-s-a-blog]

Book Review

‘When Mr Dog Bites'

Words by Terri Arnold (3rd Year, Creative Arts (Screen and Media), Flinders University)

While 'When Mr Dog Bites' is an interesting and hilarious read, providing a unique insight into the mind of a Tourettes sufferer, it is often hard to follow the narrative due to the style of writing that was chosen to make you feel like inside the setting of the novel, much how a time piece may use Elizabethan language. Because of this, When Mr Dog Bites makes it a challenge to get truly engrossed in the plot and makes it almost an effort to read. The highlight of the novel however is the characters, especially that of Dylan Mint and Amir, they are consistently humorous, often making me laugh out loud, and are a joy to read and go on their journey with. That being said, the journey is somewhat lacking, it is almost as if the plot (honestly the most crucial part of any story) were sacrificed to accommodate the dialogue and characters. Within the novel the plot is subpar, almost as if to work around the "plot twist" which occurs later in the story. If anything this "twist" is mediocre and could have easily been a smaller plot within the story that later led up to something more exciting and with more of a climax. Having wanting to read this book for a while now because of the high regard it had, I was slightly disappointed by the story. If I could have my own way I would order countless more books, or even a sitcom TV series, of The Adventures of Dylan Mint that I could sit down to at the end of each day and laugh until my face is sore while I'm eating my dinner. Overall, this a hilarious book that even with a lacklustre plot I would still gladly recommend to anyone wanting a good laugh.

[f-p-s-a-blog]

Bachelor of Procrastination

Words by Peter Macey 

(4th Year, Psychology, Flinders University)

It is that time of year again where we, as returning or new university students must ease back off Facebook, aimless internet browsing and petting our household cat. Although most of us are able to refrain from tempting distractions (sometimes), many of us still fall victim to hesitation between intention and action – procrastination.

  Who of us then are most likely to suffer from chronic procrastination? It would seem that individuals with low self-control and high impulsivity who are faced with a challenging or unpleasant task are the most likely to delay an important one. Ultimately, people who have poor self-regulation both in terms of their time and emotional management are generally those who are plagued by frequent procrastination. This failure to manage emotions effectively could manifest from a positive state (the thrill of temptation) or a negative one (perfectionism or fear of failure) ultimately leading to guilt and self-defeat, common amongst procrastinators.

  A prominent researcher in this field, Timothy Pychyl, and his colleagues, explored the role of emotions when making the conscious decision to postpone an important task. 45 students were required to record their level of procrastination and their emotional state, eight times a day (alerted by the beep of a pager), for five days prior to the due date of an important assessment (Pychyl, Lee, Thibodeau, & Blunt, 2000). The researchers found that as the deadline approached, students who on average reported greater procrastination, also experienced greater underlying guilt. Therefore, although procrastinators gained some immediate pleasure by delaying an unpleasant task, they simultaneously identified their lack of will in attending to the primary task, resulting in guilt. This conscious recognition of their inability to control their actions indicates a failure of self-regulation which arguably underlies procrastination.

  If the issue of procrastination lies with challenges in self-regulation, then we must provide our future selves less distractions while practising positive but realistic self-talk. For example, surround your work space with minimal distractions – don’t provide your future self easy access to the things which are likely to distract you. Be clear in your intentions and purpose surrounding the unpleasant task, which could also be conveyed to someone else to provide accountability. Maintain a positive but realistic internal monologue when the temptation to procrastinate begins. Take hold and become the person you truly aspire to be.

  Reference: Pychyl, T. A., Lee, J. M., Thibodeau, R., & Blunt, A. (2000). Five days of emotion: An experience sampling study of undergraduate student procrastination (special issue). Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 15, 239-254.

[f-p-s-a-blog]

New research suggests Mindfulness and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy may be effective treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?

Words by Shannon DeSilva

(3rd Year, Psychology, Flinders University)

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a prevalent issue among soldiers returning from active service, contributing to both a significant decline in well-being as well as the development of other mental health issues. Current treatments for PTSD are centred around exposure therapy however new mindfulness based interventions have begun to show promise in treating or alleviating some aspects of the disorder.

Researchers Kearney, McDermott, Malte, Martinez and Simpson (2012) are at the forefront of mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) research in their attempt to improve the lives of war veterans with PTSD. Their study involved weekly meetings where the participants practised mindfulness meditation, yoga and received instructions for mindfulness activities they could complete at home. Encouragingly the research finds that 6 months later almost 50% of veterans had shown significant improvement in their PTSD symptoms, highlighting the effectiveness of this treatment in reducing the negative effect of the disorder.

Additionally a relatively new technique based on mindfulness known as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) has shown efficacy in the treatment of PTSD and is expected to be supported in numerous future studies. Currently exposure therapies in combination with each other are currently the most effective treatments of PTSD being around 70% effective provided the individual completes the treatment (Lynn, Malakataris, Condon, Maxwell, & Cleere, 2012). Significantly ACT which includes elements of exposure therapy was recently shown to be equally effective to cognitive processing therapy in the treatment of PTSD (Walser & Hayes, 2006). Furthermore, ACT adds the positive psychological focus on not just alleviating the disorder but also increasing the individual’s quality of life beyond a ‘cured’ state. The increase in life quality, motivation and goal setting techniques through the use of ACT may eventually lead to this therapy becoming more common in the treatment of this disorder.

While recent research is very promising in this area of positive psychology we must be careful not to over emphasise the benefits at the expense of the weaknesses of a therapy – as well as not to ignore any potential issues in its efficacy. In spite of this, the current research does suggest that these techniques are beneficial in the treatment of PTSD. As a result these and other mindfulness based therapies should be more widely researched and funded in order to increase the likelihood of these interventions being utilised in the future treatment of the disorder.

  References:

Kearney, D., McDermott, K., Malte, C., Martinez, M., & Simpson, T. (2012). Association of Participation in a Mindfulness Program With Measures of PTSD, Depression and Quality of Life in a Veteran Sample. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 68, 101–116

Lynn, S., Malakataris, A., Condon, L., Maxwell, R., & Cleere, C. (2012) Post-traumatic stress disorder: Cognitive Hypnotherapy, mindfulness. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis. 54, 4

Walser, R. D., & Hayes, S. (2006) Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. Cognitive Behavioural therapies and Trauma. TBA

[f-p-s-a-blog]

Facebook

Words by Vanessa Maurici (2nd Year, Psychology, Flinders University)

 After spending some time procrastinating on Facebook (shock horror) I came across an article dispelling another of the negative concerns of using Facebook. Although it was not about procrastination (that would have been too ironic) it was about the decline of one’s affective and cognitive well-being with Facebook use. The fine details of the method can be found in the article, but the main idea is these researchers measured Facebook use, affective well-being (how you feel in the moment) and cognitive well-being (how satisfied you are with your life).

They found that both types of subjective well-being declined with Facebook use. There was no support for alternative explanations – talking to people in general decreases well-being (surprise, surprise they found the opposite – your well-being increases with real-life social interaction) or people use Facebook when they have low well-being. However, they did find that people who felt lonely used Facebook to a greater degree, but there was still a significant decline in well-being when controlling for loneliness. Finally, after controlling for some moderators (e.g. depressive symptoms, Facebook friends, perceptions of Facebook network support etc.)  Facebook use still predicted a decline in both forms of subjective well-being. In summary, try to cut down on Facebook and increase live interaction. Although the research was correlational, there was a relationship found between Facebook use and well-being immune to their suggested alternative explanations and moderators.

As a “fun” take on the research article I wrote a poem. I found the findings interesting, especially that lonely people increased their Facebook use. These findings are something my friends and I have speculated for a while. The poem depicts these findings with experiences my friends and I have discussed. Although the poem includes loneliness, just remember the study found no support for loneliness causing the decline in well-being.

Kross, E., Verduyn, P., Demiralp, E., Park, J., Lee, D. S., Lin, N., ... & Ybarra, O. (2013). Facebook use predicts declines in subjective well-being in young adults. PloS one, 8(8), e69841

  Read original article for free:

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0069841

Laptop open, loneliness injected again As pianists’ fingers are possessed by music, mine take on a life of their own Instead of producing melodies and chords, “facebook” is typed with the empty echo of a keyboard A blue welcoming screen appears, irony spells “connect and share” Like the lower-class man addicted to buying lotto tickets, conversations begin – Perhaps this will be the conversation to dull the loneliness? Or this one? A membrane forms equivalent to a snare luring its victim This snare’s purpose is to capture and hold hostage, not merely detain until the hunter returns Time becomes insignificant and I remain in shallow conversations like a gambler pressing the lever ‘just one more time’ Gaining sense, the laptop is abruptly shut and this hostage is freed – that is for another 2 minutes until the cycle begins again.

[f-p-s-a-blog]

The Secret to Success

Words by Hannah Brimstone 

(3rd Year, Behavioural Science and Law, Flinders University)

It is almost certain that at one point in your life, you or someone around you, has said that what they want most (out of anything in this world)  is to be successful. Once this dream is articulated, the problem now faced is- how? How do you be successful?

After seven long years of research and over 500 interviews, Richard St. John believes he  has finally found the answer, and has conveniently summed it all up in a three minute video available on YouTube.

 The secret to success, according to St John is an eight part concept, and this concept can be applied to achieving success in any area of your life- including the study of Psychology. 

Passion.

St John’s first golden eighth is passion; to do something for love, not for money. Do it because you care about it. Psychology is a very broad field, with endless possibilities to inspire passion within you. Find your passion!

Work.

It isn’t always easy, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun. Embrace the challenge, and find creative ways to solve the problem at hand. Reading can be painful, engage with the materials, or if that doesn’t work, put an M&M at the end of each paragraph to motivate you!

Good.

Whatever you choose to do, be sure you are good at it. Of course you may not be good straight away, but as you were told as a child, practice makes perfect.

Focus.

Unless you are an immortal god, you will never have enough time to perfect everything that exists. Instead, concentrate on one thing. Quality is better than quantity after all.

Push.

Push yourself through shyness and self doubt. Good things do not come easily, and things that come easily are likely to be no good.

Serve.

St John tells us that it is extremely rewarding to serve others. If you do something that benefits someone else you are much more likely to consider yourself successful.

Ideas.

Be creative, be inventive. This is the beauty of psychology, because even if someone has done or studied something before, there is always future research that needs to be done, or some kind of factor or relationship yet to be discovered.

Persist.

Persist through failure and ‘CRAP’- which, according to St John is criticism, rejection, assholes, and pressure. Don’t think of a failed grade as evidence that you have gone wrong, it is simply an illustration of where you can improve.

Although it may not be as easy as you might have hoped, the secret to success is that it is completely up to you!

  Watch the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6bbMQXQ180

[f-p-s-a-blog]

Mental Illnesses

BY CHLOE DAVIS

Graduate Diploma in Psychology at Flinders University

“I have always had a fascination with objects and the human mind. All objects summon unique emotions and memories for different people, depending on their life experiences involving the objects. Often we overlook the power that a single object can have in our life.

In this body of work I have examined the link between mental illnesses and common objects. I found objects which characterised the different illnesses. In the same way that mental illnesses are not always so easily identifiable in a person to begin with, the objects I have chosen are subtle symbols of what they portray. Being a compassionate person, I presented the illnesses in a gentle way, using a soft palette and familiar objects which everyone can comfortably relate with to express my dislike for the stigmas associated with mental disorders.”

"Obsessive Compulsive Disorder"

Interview conducted by Farid Anwari

  What inspired you to paint these?

Personal encounters I've had with mental illness, both my own issues and within people that are close to me.

Other than expressing your dislike of the stigma of mental disorders, is there a message you wanted to put out through these paintings?

I really just wanted to promote the disorders in a positive light and show that they're not as uncommon as some may think. That's why I chose fairly common objects.

And each disorder is so subtly alluded to. I had to think about them very carefully to recognise what each painting represented. You obviously intended that. What exactly is the meaning behind such subtlety?

Disorders usually are quite subtle and hidden within a person. It goes with the saying, never judge a book by its cover. You can never truly know what a person is going through unless they tell you.

Just like you had to tell us about what each of the paintings represented. What are some of the other things you have painted?

A lot of the time I like to just paint objects that are constantly around me. I think of my paintings more as self portraits than still life because I think you can tell a lot more about a person from what they own than from just looking at their face.

I like how you think. What are you favourite paintings, lately, and why?

Are you asking what my favourite of my own are or other artists?

Of your own.

It may sound like I've gone mad, but I've actually spent the last year or so working on the same series of mushroom paintings. 

I just love that each and every one of them is so different and unique and beautiful in it's own way. I guess you could say the same for people!

Sounds amazing! I'd love to see them sometime. I have one last question for you. Why did you choose painting to convey your feelings and thoughts?

Painting is the best way I know of expressing myself! It's what feels natural and it makes me happy. Simple as that really.

Well in that case I think you should keep doing it. Thanks so much for your time, words and for sharing your paintings with us. Have a good night.

 No problems the majority of them are on my artist Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chloe-Davis-Visual-Artist/281120501938403?ref=hl

"Asbergers Syndrome"

[f-p-s-a-blog]

Where can I find the best coffee on campus?

You can’t.. No I’m kidding. The wholefoods store now does fairtrade coffee which is super delicious. Also keep an eye out for the food vans when they come!!

[f-p-s-a-blog]

LAST DAY TO NOMINATE FOR 2014 BY-ELECTION

Positions available are: - Executive Vice President - Vice President (Finance) - Activities Coordinator - Marketing & Publications Officer - Equity Officer NOMINATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY 5:00PM TODAY!!

[f-p-s-a-blog]

I am interested in having a hardcopy of Analyse This. Where can I find one?

Issue 1 of AT can be found in multiple locations including NTH3, the School of Psychology office, or the notice board next to SSN333.

[f-p-s-a-blog]

Psychology StudENTs?

Words by Lauris Buckley 

(3rd Year, Behavioural Science and Law, Flinders University)

  The commentary surrounding the use of cannabis has never been higher, largely due to the recent legal reviews in the US. Colorado and Washington have become the first US states to legalise the drug, following in the footsteps of Uruguay and the Netherlands. Here in Australia, cannabis is illegal, but has been decriminalised in SA and NT. Whilst there is a strong support for the use of medical marijuana there are studies that connect regular cannabis use to ‘adverse outcomes of human brain structure’. (Lorenzetti, 2013)

So what are some medical benefits of cannabis? The Cancer Council of NSW states that cannabis can be used effectively to reduce symptoms of nausea in patients undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. They also agree that it can be used as a painkiller for sufferers, and as an appetite stimulant for those patients suffering weight loss. Although the Council disagrees with the smoking of cannabis due to the ill effects of THC and the carcinogenic smoke, they are in support of research surrounding synthetic cannabis.* Cannabis is also recognised as helping with muscle spasms, chronic pain and even pain due to glaucoma.

However a review of many research studies conducted by Degenhardt,, Halland Lynskey (2003) found that there was a link between heavy cannabis use and depression. They did note that a causal link was not found however, and determined that if a link was found then cannabis use would “make, at most, a modest contribution to the population prevalence of depression”.

There are many pros and cons to the cannabis debate, but will Australia be the next country to consider lifting the ban on cannabis prohibition?

*If you want to know more about the Cancer Council’s position on Cannabis use, please visit their website www.cancercouncil.com.au

Lorenzetti, V. L. (2013). The impact of regular cannabis use on the human brain: A review of structural neuroimaging studies. In P. M. (Eds.), Biological Research on Addiction (pp. 711-728). San Diego : United States: Academic Press.

Louisa Degenhardt, W. H. (2003). Exploring the association between cannabis use and depression. Addiction, 98(11), 1493–1504.

[f-p-s-a-blog]

Feeling discriminated? Not me, I have positive ideologies

Words by Sinead Hollingworth-Hughes

(3rd Year, Psychology, Flinders University)

It is a common belief, well at least one I hold, that people belonging to a low status group would often endure stigma and discrimination from those ‘above’ them. More important than an outsider’s observation, is how interactions are in fact interpreted by people belonging to such groups. Do they attribute certain interactions or behaviour of others as a type of discrimination based on their group membership?  

One study would argue it is not a simple answer of yes or no but instead dependent on a few factors. One of these factors is what ideologies are held by the member of a stigmatised or low status group. One study looked at the ideology of social mobilization, that is, the belief that social status is transient and an individual can improve their own standing in society. This ideology was thought to mediate the perception of discrimination in intergroup interactions. I imagine those who believe they can move up in society may be less likely to think that others are being discriminatory towards them based on their group.

The first part of the study used an ethnic group considered disadvantaged (American African Americans’ and Latino’s) and a dominant ethnic group operationalised as a high status group (European Americans).  They found that the high status ethnic group reported experiencing significantly less discrimination than the disadvantaged ethnic group (this is hardly surprising). Also findings suggested that those who more strongly identify with their ethnic group perceive more discrimination. As predicted those in the disadvantaged ethnic group who believed in individual mobility perceived less personal discrimination based on their ethnicity. Interestingly those in the high social group felt more personally discriminated when they believed in personal mobility.

The findings mentioned above were a result of a survey, the researchers then conducted a laboratory experiment. The participants of low and high status ethnic groups were put in a situation where they experienced rejection and a member of the other ethnic group was successful. This rejection was either delivered by someone belonging to their in-group or out-group. The experiment mimicked a job selection protocol. Discrimination was only perceived when the rejection was received by an out-group member.

That is, African American’s and Latino’s only perceived discrimination if they were rejected by a European American and vice versa, European Americans only believed they were a subject of prejudice when it was an African American or Latino responsible for the decision. Also those in the low status ethnic group who believe in individual mobility were less likely to attribute the out-group member’s decision to be based on discrimination. It could be these participants believe that people aren’t restricted in society by the group they belong to that they do not legitimize the negative stereotypes associated with them and therefore reasons of rejection are based on other attributes. Those in the high status group who believed in this ideology thought that their rejection from an out-group member was more likely a function of discrimination than those who didn’t hold this ideology in the higher status group.

It is interesting that the same situation can be perceived very differently because of the ideology one holds.

Major,B., Gramzow, H. R., McCoy, K. S., Levin, S., Schmader, T., Sidanius, J. (2002). Perceiving Personal Discrimination: The Role of Group Status and Legitimizing Ideology. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82, pp. 69-82.

[f-p-s-a-blog]

A controversial study on obedience: how far will an ordinary person go in response to commands from authority?

Words by Farid Anwari 

We are all brought up to obey authority. It begins when we are told to obey our parents and then our teachers. We grow older and learn to obey our employers. It gets to the point where we no longer take responsibility for our own actions. “I’m just doing my job” is a statement that has been used or heard by most of us. Seemingly benign, such mentality can be a precursor to horrendous acts of violence.

  It was in 1961 that Stanley Milgram, a Yale University Psychologist, conducted an experiment to determine how far individuals would go when “ordered”. This was one year after the trials of Nazi holocaust perpetrators where a common defense for their actions was, “I was just following orders”.

  Disguised as a study of memory and learning, participants were recruited and assigned the role of “teacher”. They were told to administer a shock to the “learner”, who was in fact an accomplice of the experimenter, for every wrong answer. Shock levels were to increase in increments of 15V to the maximum of 450V.

  At a specified point the learner was told, without the knowledge of the participant, to scream as though in agony and ask for the experiment to be stopped. At 300V the victim kicked the wall and no longer made a sound.

  When participants protested against continuing with the experiment they would be urged, up to 4 times with increasing insistence, to continue. The experimenter in a white lab coat would first say, “Please continue”. The fourth prod was a more forceful “you have no choice, you must go on”. Would anybody continue the electrocutions while the person is unconscious and unable to answer the questions?

  Of the 40 participants, 5 stopped shocking the victim at 300V and another 9 stopped later. A total of 14 participants defied the experimenter. No one stopped before 300V. Twenty-six people (65% or two thirds of participants) continued all the way to the full 450V shock. Were they insane to continue so far?

  There were some notable observations of participant behaviours. Many were observed to sweat, tremble, stutter, bite their lips, groan, and dig fingernails into their flesh. Some even begged the experimenter to let them stop; as though they had no control over their own actions. Of the 40 participants, 14 experienced nervous laughing fits, 3 of which had uncontrollable seizures of laughter. Laughter!!! What type of person would do such a thing?

  The participants were from a variety of backgrounds. They were high school teachers, salesmen, engineers and labourers. They had varying degrees of education. One participant had not completed elementary school. Others were doctorates and professionals. It could be you.

  Notwithstanding the disturbing nature of the experiment, the results revealed a shocking reality with respect to how far individuals will go when they are ordered by authority. To me personally, it is a wake up call to take ownership of my own actions.

  Watch 2-minute video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr5cjyokVUs

  Read more:

http://www.simplypsychology.org/milgram.html

  Full report:

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/psychology/terrace/w1001/readings/milgram.pdf

  Reference:

Milgram, S. (1963). Behavioral study of obedience. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 67(4), 371.

[f-p-s-a-blog]

FPSA FIRST YEAR DINNER TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE!