Thursday, May 6, 2010

“Are sociable, friendly people also more attractive? Gettysburg College psychology prof finds out” plus 3 more

“Are sociable, friendly people also more attractive? Gettysburg College psychology prof finds out” plus 3 more

Are sociable, friendly people also more attractive? Gettysburg College psychology prof finds out

Posted: 05 May 2010 02:20 PM PDT

Newswise — Are friendly or outgoing people also more attractive? One Gettysburg College psychology professor says yes.

In a recent paper published in the Journal of Research in Personality, "Are sociable people more beautiful?," Gettysburg College psychology professor Brian Meier and his research team discovered that this stereotype has merit. They found that people who were high in the personality traits of agreeableness or extraversion were rated by strangers as being more attractive.

"The results suggest that there is some truth to the 'beautiful is good' stereotype or the 'halo effect.' People have a tendency to think that attractive people also possess 'attractive' qualities - such as being friendly, outgoing, and smart," Meier said.

Meier's team first assessed the personality of 217 men and women. Then photos of these men and women were shown to unacquainted strangers who rated their physical attractiveness. Researchers found that the men and women who had higher levels of agreeableness or extraversion were also rated as more physically attractive even though raters did not know or interact with the individuals.

But why?

"Interestingly, it appears that grooming is a key mechanism," Meier said. "Friendly or outgoing people were also better groomed in the photographs, which made them appear more attractive to others. Because the photographs were taken unexpectedly, friendly or outgoing individuals seem to be better groomed on a daily basis, which likely helps them receive the social interaction they desire."

Meier states that "grooming is a strong predictor of attractiveness that can be easily controlled by the individual unlike more physical characteristics such as weight or skin blemishes. Thus, sociable people seem to already know that a neat appearance goes a long way in drawing others' attention."


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Appleton High School Psychology Club to host sixth annual Exceptional Abilities Prom Friday

Posted: 05 May 2010 02:25 AM PDT

APPLETON — Appleton North High School's Psychology Club will hold its sixth annual Fox Cities Exceptional Abilities Prom from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Friday in the school commons.

The event, which is free, will feature games, prizes, food, music and dancing, with everything from prom dresses and sport coats to casual wear acceptable.

It is open to Appleton middle and high school students in special education programs as well as special needs students from other high schools.

Among the high schools receiving invitations so far are Menasha, Kaukauna, Kimberly, Neenah, Oshkosh West, Oshkosh North, Seymour, Chilton, Freedom, Little Chute, New London, Hortonville and Wrightstown.

Eric Eastman, North teacher and club adviser, said past proms have been a big success and he expects more than 200 people to attend, including past prom participants.

"I think it says a lot about how big of an impact this has on all of the young adults in this area," he said. "To think we have been doing this for six years already shows how proactive and accepting the Appleton area and the Fox Cities are to people with differences. To see the amount of interest continue to rise is amazing."

Psychology Club students will serve as social coordinators, dance partners, and friends throughout the night.

Eastman said the prom is a great way for parents of middle school students in special education who might be worried about sending their child to North.

This is a chance, he said, to get a "great look at the number of advocates and protectors that their children will have."

Those with questions should contact Eastman at 920-205-5865, or 920-832-4300 or eastmaneric@ aasd.k12.wi.us.

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Did God Cause the Oil Spill? The Psychology of the Blame Game

Posted: 06 May 2010 10:38 AM PDT

Fingerpoint Is God to blame for the recent oil spill? Texas governor Rick Perry thinks that might be the case. But a Carnegie Mellon researcher says there's a science behind how people assign blame.

Baseball fans will always remember 2004 as the season that the Red Sox won the World Series for the first time since 1916 and finally broke "The Curse of the Bambino." What they won't think about so much, says researcher Carey Morewedge, is why they blamed Babe Ruth in the first place, as opposed to blessing the spirit of Sox legend Ted Williams.

It's the same reason you're more likely to think your computer is out to get you when it crashes or that your karma made it rain on your wedding day than attributing those same agents if your computer functions great or the sun is shining, Morewedge said. His paper was published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology.

In an experiment last year, Morewedge found that people are more likely to assign blame for negative outcomes than praise for positive ones. His participants played a game that had either a really positive, a neutral or a really negative outcome based on how $3 was divided between them and a "partner."

The participants had to guess whether their partner - the one dishing out the cash - was a human or a computer. In the majority of cases where people lost money, they were much more likely to blame their bad luck on another human.

Why is blame our default setting? Morewedge said there could be several reasons, but a big one is that unexpected events are difficult to predict. And unpredictable things can be scary. That's why it can feel safer to assume that negative events are due to some external thing so you can avoid being harmed again. Morewedge said more awareness of this phenomenon could lead to better human relations.

"Aside from an interest in understanding how people determine the cause of events and how that gives rise to superstition, I think this research is important because it describes how we ascribe blame for events," Morewedge told Discovery News. "Hopefully [this will] lead to research on how to undo these biases that may lead to the derogation of innocent parties and strife."

Image from Flickr.

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Psychology: Battle bed-wetting with knowledge, patience

Posted: 06 May 2010 10:06 AM PDT

Unknown to even his closest friends, Jimmy suffered from nocturnal enuresis, more commonly known as bed-wetting. Sadly, his hidden problem created significant stress at home and also prevented him from enjoying a normal social life with his friends. "I'm sorry," Jimmy quietly told his friend. "I can come to the party, but I won't be able to stay over."

Urinating in the bed while sleeping is a common problem that affects approximately 20 percent of 5-year-olds, 10 percent of 10-year-olds and 1 percent of 15-year-olds. Before age 5, the numbers are even higher. But usually, by around age 6, children are able to exert greater control over their bladder even when sleeping, and they are either able to hold their urine until morning or get up during the night to relieve themselves.

For those unfortunate children who suffer from bed-wetting, the negative impact on their lives can be significant. Starting each morning with soaking wet sheets can be a trying event for a family. Then there's the ritual of changing clothes, showering and cleaning up the bedding, all before starting on the normal demands of the day.

There is also an effect on social events, including reluctance to attend overnight parties, retreats, camp-outs and even family vacations where there are new surroundings or other people present. Enuresis stresses both children and parents, and can result in feelings of anxiety, depression and poor self-esteem.

Enuresis - a Greek word that means "to make water" - is considered to be either primary or secondary in origin. Primary origin refers to bed-wetting that has been present and ongoing since early childhood without any break or indication of dry toilet habits. A child diagnosed with primary enuresis has never been dry at night for any significant amount of time and is more likely to have physiological or neurological causes for the problem.

Secondary enuresis is bed-wetting that starts up after a child has been dry at night for a significant period of time (more than six months) earlier in life. There is a greater chance that secondary enuresis has underlying emotional or environmental causes.

The actual causes of bed-wetting are somewhat mysterious and speculative. The exact origin of enuresis is not known, and it appears that there may be multiple contributors to the problem.

There is evidence that the origins fall into one of three categories: structural, neurological or emotional. Structural problems refer to abnormalities in the organs, tissues or nerves related to urination, while neurological problems imply that there is an issue in the brain that interferes with the delicate "signaling" process for urination.

An emotional cause is usually based in a response to major stressors, including conflict, loss and change. Major life challenges for children such as starting a new school, having a new baby in the family, moving, death or injury of a loved one, or physical or sexual abuse can sometimes trigger bed-wetting in previously dry children. There are also indications that, in some cases, nocturnal enuresis may be caused by excessively deep sleep patterns or a lack of antidiuretic hormone that slows the production of urine at night.

The good news about enuresis is that it can be treated, even if the exact cause is unknown. In fact, according to the National Enuresis Society, most cases of nighttime bed-wetting will resolve within six months of beginning treatment.

Treatment strategies usually involve some combination of using an alarm system to alert the child when he is wetting the bed, behavioral strategies that reward dry nights, psychological support, altered parenting responses and sometimes the use of medication.

Psychological support includes raising self-esteem, stress management, anxiety reduction, and efforts to make sure the family and parents don't "blame the victim" and thereby increase the child's distress.

Cognitive-behavioral programs work to reinforce "dry" behavior while encouraging positive responses to dry nights rather than punishing bed-wetting episodes. Counseling also can work to reinforce the connection between the brain and the signals that the bladder puts out to initiate bathroom behavior.

It is important that parents not fall sway to the myth about enuresis being something a child does "on purpose" to anger parents, and instead see the problem as a treatable health issue. Children don't wet the bed on purpose, and there is usually a rational cause that is initially out of the child's control.

It is also important to make sure there are no emotional problems, abuse or trauma occurring in the child's life that may be contributing to the problem. To only consider the physical causes of the problem without looking at the emotional contributors and consequences is shortsighted.

As for Jimmy, his parents finally sought counseling and the family was rewarded with rapid progress. Jimmy's treatment combined the use of a medication that limited the flow of urine while engaging him with a behavioral system that rewarded dry nights and encouraged him to "reconnect" his brain to the signals coming from his bladder.

Before long, he successfully went on his first sleepover, which further built his confidence in his ability to listen to his body, even when sleeping. With a renewed sense of self-mastery, Jimmy is confident again in approaching the challenges in his life.

Dr. Scott E. Smith is a licensed clinical psychologist with Spectrum Behavioral Health in Annapolis and Arnold. For services or ideas regarding this column, call 410-757-2077 or write to 1509 Ritchie Highway, Suite F, Arnold, MD 21012.

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