John Grohol sums up the positive psychology basics in 5 Reliable Findings from Happiness Research. Here they are, minus the explanations, which await you at PsychCentral: 1. You control about half your happiness level. 2. Money doesn’t buy happiness. 3. Lottery winnings create only temporary, short-term happiness. 4. Relationships are a key factor in long-term […]
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A study looks at the difference between depression and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD): “We found the greatest weight of evidence that PMDD and major depression are really two distinct entities in terms of biological response to stress and with respect to pain sensitivity and pain mechanisms.” More, including a description of PMDD’s intensity, in the
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PsyBlog profiles a study about increasing self-control by thinking abstractly–thinking about the why of a goal, instead of the how. [I]t seems you can bolster resistance to temptation by thinking abstractly about the goal you want to obtain because it causes your mind to automatically associate temptations with negativity. Hey presto, more self-control and thank
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A study finds the molecular connection between stress, anxiety, and depression. It’s the corticotropin releasing factor receptors! Should’ve known.
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A study measures the association between death and suicide to try to understand and predict suicidal behavior: [P]articipants presenting to the emergency room after a suicide attempt had a stronger implicit association between death/ suicide and self than did participants presenting with other psychiatric emergencies. In addition, participants with strong associations between death/ suicide and
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From ScienceDaily.com, Researchers Identify Secrets to Happiness, Depression Among Oldest of Old. Quick summary: To be happy later, try more happiness now. While there was no indication that resources affect happiness, past life satisfaction — even individual achievements — was found to have a direct association. Because of their results, the researchers urge caregivers of the
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A brain imaging study shows empathy and violence share circuitry in the brain. “We all know that encouraging empathy has an inhibiting effect on violence, but this may not only be a social question but also a biological one — stimulation of these neuronal circuits in one direction reduces their activity in the other.”
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It may not have taken a psych study to figure out that there’s a gender split regarding feelings about hooking up among college students. But of interest: all still prefer dating to hooking up–or at least say they do to a psych researcher.
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A pair of studies about self-control spotlit at PsyBlog: Self-Control Instantly Replenished by Self-Affirmation How to Increase Your Self-Control Without Really Trying See if you can keep yourself from clicking through.
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PsychCentral has news about two studies showing that Transcendental Meditation (TM) helps reduce depression…at least for African-Americans and Hawaiians over 55. Participants in both studies who practiced the Transcendental Meditation program showed significant reductions in depressive symptoms compared to health education controls. The largest decreases were found in those participants who had indications of clinically
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