Spotlight Post #3 – Overcoming Peer Pressure

--Original published at Site Title

Facing peer pressure is an inevitable thing that we all surely have some experience with. Although peer pressure can sometimes be a positive thing, more often than not it is negative. Considering the fact that the majority of the students in this class are underclassmen, peer pressure is probably more prevalent in our lives than it is in most other categories of people. The following link is to a website that offers suggestions as to how college students can avoid giving in to the peer pressures that they face.

https://www.mazzittiandsullivan.com/preparing-student-resist-peer-pressure-college/

As we all probably know, one of the most common pressures we face as college students is the temptation to drink alcohol. In a lot of college settings, drinking has become a norm even though it is illegal for a large percentage of the students who participate in it. According to the article above, there are several things a college student can do to help them resist engaging in these behaviors. One strategy is to become involved in as many activities as you can. These activities can include sports teams, clubs, and pretty much any other thing that takes time out of your day. When someone has less time, they are less likely to party because they just don’t have the time to. Being involved in clubs like this is also a great way to create relationships with people. A lot of times you will hear college students say one of the main reasons they attend parties is to be social and meet new people. If you already have established relationships, you will be less likely to succumb to peer pressures. Additionally, you will have more of a sense of belonging, causing you to feel more secure. Based upon what we have discussed in class, I feel as if this is a valid suggestion that could prove to be a successful strategy. At one point we learned that it is in human nature to want to be seen as “cool” or just to be liked in the eyes of others. This is exactly why people give into peer pressures so frequently. However, it is less likely if you already have a good group of people who you know are in your corner regardless of the choices you make.

While college students and young adults face a lot of peer pressure, there are many other groups of people that struggle with the same issues. Specifically, athletes. Athletes often have this reputation of being “cool” and “the life of the party”. The following article consists of strategies that are geared specifically towards what athletes can do to avoid peer pressure.

https://www.positiveperformancetraining.com/blog/female-athletes-and-peer-pressure

This article gave five tips as to what an athlete can do in peer pressure situations. One is to be aware of your feelings. As I have previously mentioned, we discussed in class that it is normal to want to be liked and you can be aware of the fact that you want to be liked. Being aware of this can remind you that sometimes the impulses that you’re facing are not things that you really want to do in the long run, even though it may seem like a good idea at the time. The second tip is to ask yourself questions such as “would I be proud of this in ten years?”. Next, gather a support system. Having people in your corner will remind you that you do not need to try to impress others in order to be liked. The next tip is to remind yourself of why you decided to not make a certain decision. Just because you overcame peer pressure once doesn’t mean that it will always be easy. Remind yourself why you are making the sacrifice that you are, and what your goal is. Finally, do something that will help you to build up your inner strength. Doing things like meditating, keeping a journal, and working on your self-talk will help you to become more secure in yourself. Similarly to the first article, I believe that the tips in this article could help someone to successfully avoid giving into peer pressure. Again, we discussed in class that it is on our human nature to want people to like us. If you were to follow these tips, it is likely that you will become more secure in yourself, decreasing the need for others approval. Therefore, peer pressure will be easier to overcome.

A third group of people that struggle with facing peer pressure are teens. Middle school and high school can be pretty rough for many kids. Fitting in is super important for most kids, and often times kids will do things that they don’t actually want to do in order to seem cool. This article is targeted specifically at what parents can do to help their children avoid peer pressure.

http://paofdurango.com/helping-kids-avoid-peer-pressure/

This article gives parents five suggestions of strategies they can use to help their children avoid peer pressure. The first suggestion is to teach their children how to say no to things like cigarettes, alcohol, etc. The second suggestion is talking to their children about how to avoid situations where they know rules will be broken. Next is to remind children that there is strength in numbers, and having support will make resisting peer pressure easier. It is also important to let teens know that it is okay to to seek the advice of adults. Finally, parents should do their best to raise their kids to have a high self-esteem. I believe all of these strategies are likely to successfully help teens avoid peer pressure for the same reasons as the previous two articles. Human beings want to be accepted, and we want to feel as if everyone likes us. However, when we are informed, secure, and strong-willed, the desire for others to determine our worth is lessened. Therefore, succumbing to peer pressure is less likely.

Spotlight Blog 3: Psychotherapy vs Medication

--Original published at Manda's College Blog

Mental health in general has changed dramatically I believe since the 1960’s. Before John F. Kennedy’s presidency, mental health treatment was overlooked, ignored and unknown. For example, PTSD wasn’t an actual diagnosis until 1980, and a lot of people, even General George Patton (WW2) believed PTSD wasn’t a real disease. The only solution for people suffering anywhere from depression, bipolar, to schizophrenia was sending that person to a psychiatric hospital; where they will most likely be abused and/or their disorder goes untreated. JFK’s sister, Rosemary suffered from mental disabilities—mostly intellectual. Kennedy and his administration proposed The Community Mental Health Act, the purpose of the bill was to build mental health centers to provide for community-based care, as an alternative to institutionalization. At the centers, patients could be treated while working and living at home (wiki). Though this bill can be argued that it wasn’t a turning point, to myself and others, it shows that people even in high power want to not just help their loved ones, but for the rest of the countries mentally disabled. Moving forward, we have been fortunate enough to have understood mental health disorders much more. There are many ways to treat a specific illness, even multiple mental illnesses discovered in one person. Though we have come very far in treatment, there are controversal measures where it’s argued whether medication or psychotherapy treats mental illness effectively.

As TIME reported in a recent cover story, clinical depression affects about 16 million people in the U.S. and is estimated to cost the U.S. In the most recent study done (2011) 13% of people from ages 12 and up have said to take antidepressants.; it’s said that the amount of people taking antidepressants will continue to grow. A large problem is most people seek prescription drugs rather than psychotherapy. An intake of a patient who gets prescribed medication most of the time isn’t even recommended any kind of therapy; most of the antidepressants have dangerous side affects that can typically make your mental illness worse.

Television and the internet are constantly advertising ads for depression, bipolar disorder and anxiety. The ads make it sound that these medications are the key to picking up or lowering your mood as needed as long as you don’t pay attention to the many side effects they quickly read out and have in the smallest print on the bottom of the screen. It’s pretty clear that there is no alternative options shared on the commercials to seek some sort of psychotherapy. So most people interpret that taking medicine is the way to get better. Kathryn McHugh from McLean Hospital investigated that the vast majority of people seeking treatment for depression and anxiety disorders prefer pharmacological to psychological interventions by a ratio of 3 to 1 (Psychotherapy).

Few few know this but psychotherapy can do just about what medication can do though it may take longer than a fast acting medicine. Therapy should be recommended if you have a non psychotic disorder or a minor disorder than can be quickly resolved. Though medication works faster, it can be addictive; the best type of treatment would be a combination of both.

A study was done in the 70’s by psychiatrist named Klerman, finding that a combined treatment of psychotherapy and medication is superior to either treatment alone. The study founded that psychotherapy can enhance the effectiveness of medication. Concurrent treatment may also improve the therapeutic alliance and enhance patient satisfaction with treatment. The therapeutic alliance, in turn, has a profound effect on antidepressant efficacy (Klerman, 2). It’s also founded that the side effects of the medication will be less likely due to being preoccupied with whatever type of therapy the person is on.

It’s also said a person with a psychotic disorder such as schizophrenia will benefit and cope much more with medication and psychotherapy.

Nowadays with the increase of adolescents quickly getting diagnosed with bipolar, ADHD and even depression, doctors are too quick to give medication out to them, which in of it’s self should be known that they are still developing and growing; doctors and their parents need to exhaust every single option before considering the child to take medication. Psychotherapy would be the absolute best option for adolescents especially, since they are easily impressionable and can get professional help to outgrow the issue. Yes, there has been significant improvement from both doctors and the person that is ill; knowing which illness they have and the patient actually seeking to get help. But just like the way the opioid epidemic is headed, where they exhaust all options before prescribing pain medication, the same needs to be looked at with mental illness.

Sources
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201507/psychotherapy-vs-medications-the-verdict-is-in

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201108/13-qualities-look-in-effective-psychotherapist

http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/depression/combining-drug-therapy-and-psychotherapy-depression/page/0/1

http://www.abct.org/Help/?m=mFindHelp&fa=CBT_Or_Medication#a1

Spotlight #3

--Original published at Nadia's Blog

When an individual has a mental health condition it is possible to be treated effectively through the use of medication or by pursuing psychotherapy. Some may believe that one is more effective than the other, or that one option is the correct option. Major Depressive Disorder has become the most common mental illness and the methods of treatment are becoming controversial.

The first article by Dave Asprey, “How to fight depression without medication”, focuses on how previously the chemical imbalance theory, where the individuals neurotransmitters were not balanced. This is why they believed prescribing medication could resolve the problem, however the drug prescribed did not alter the serotonin levels and did not work and that the benefits of these drugs is actually the placebo effect. He also explained how prescription drugs are overprescribed, and the amount of prescriptions written has increased annually. The risks of antidepressants that are most common are anxiety, agitation, insomnia, weight gain and an upset stomach. After listing all the symptoms of the antibiotics he states “I think we can do better”. His belief is that there are 5 science based hacks for a stronger brain. The first being meditation and mindfulness which have shown results of alleviating pain, stress, anxiety and depression. He also explains that getting outside more can rapidly lower stress hormones. Along with this he explains exercise and nutrition is more effective and safer for individuals with a more mild depression. Lastly he explains how to reduce oxidative stress by eliminating fats and increasing vegetables. Along with this talking to another individual can greatly benefit and aid an individual through a tough time. Although this article has a strong view point on fighting depression without medication, the source is not the most credible because it was posted on a blog and is heavily opinionated. However, he does get most of his information from reliable online sources.

Another article “Coping with Depression”, encourages individuals to handle stress on their own and emphasizes a more natural method and urges to talk to other people. Authors Melinda Smith, Lawrence Robinson, Jenn Shubin and Jeanne Segal collaboratively came up with simple steps to take in order to better help individuals with depression. The main idea they stress is reach out and stay connected in order to get support because it is difficult to overcome depression on your own. They make it aware that an individual may feel guilty of not sustaining relationships, but that is just the depression talking. In order to stay connected they recommend looking for people that make them feel safe, face time, keep up with social activities, care for a pet, or join a support group for depression. They also recommend doing things that make you feel good, exercise, eat healthy and get a daily dose of sunlight. If these self-help steps do not improve an individual’s state of being, then it is the best option to seek professional help. They emphasize not feeling guilty for not being able to handle it on their own, rather be proud of the fact you are trying to get better and are not giving up. I believe that this article was not the most credible because although the information seems accurate and logical the reference sited was from a “.com” rather than supported by medical research.

On the other hand an article written for Psychology Today, “The blues is depression. Should you treat it with pills?”, interprets the benefits of using medication to treat depression. No doubt the article explains that there are downsides to using medication, similarly with all medications there will be side effects. There is a 60% effectiveness of the people who use antibiotics for depression. They also explain that these medications do help people and people experience relatively few side effects. It is also noted that medication is a short term fix and should be used until you feel better, but be sure to wean off slowly and not all at once. It is most heavily noted that medication and psychotherapy both have very similar effectiveness rates, but medication has a direct impact more quickly. This article is more reliable because the author herself, Susan Heitler, has a Ph.D and is more educated on this topic and included reliable sources.

Another article titled “Depression: How effective are antidepressants?”. The author explains how antidepressants are a key part of treating depression. They are effective for moderate, severe and chronic depression. It is beneficial to relieve symptoms such as sadness and exhaustion, but most importantly prohibits them from coming back. The medicine is aimed to restore emotional balance, and increases the ability of certain chemicals. The more severe the depression is, the more effective the medication will be, but it varies within each individual. I found this source very credible because the article was posted on PubMed and contained factual information as well as obtained their information from a great amount of credible references.

In my opinion, I believe that psychotherapy is the better option and should be the first method for an individual who is dealing with depression. Most of the individuals who sided with medication argued that it was more effective quicker but does not have a lasting impact. On the other hand, psychotherapy is a slow continuous process, that will have a much larger impact on the individual and allow themselves to be cured properly. I also think that psychotherapy is much safer and there are no known side effects like there are with antidepressants. Overall, psychotherapy is the same effectiveness as antidepressants, but does not create additional symptoms.

https://blog.bulletproof.com/how-to-fight-depression-medication/

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/depression/coping-with-depression.htm

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/resolution-not-conflict/201110/the-blues-is-depression-should-you-treat-it-pills

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0087089/

Spotlight Blog Post #3

--Original published at KatiesPerspectives

Shows like True Life, My Strange Addiction, and Hoarding: Buried Alive are shows that the viewer can watch casually and comfortably in their homes at the touch of a button – but do we ever think about the story behind the person? In some of these shows, the person that is being followed can seem “crazy,” but have you ever stopped to think that maybe their being exploited by the ones holding the camera? In my opinion, these are people who need professional help, not the magnification of society watching their every move – their every mistake. Some might question the ethics of the situation as a whole. Is it okay to document a person who is mentally ill’s life (regardless of consent) and broadcast it on national television? This is something that I think should be reconsidered when creating shows like My 600-lbs Life and 16 and Pregnant. There seems to be some sort of societal disconnect between what is okay to put on tv based on the consent by someone who is labeled as “mentally ill.” I think it should be rethought that a person who is labeled as “mentally ill” is eligible to give consent for themselves. In my opinion, shows like this are quite harmful to the people that are in them and should be taken off air. People who are mentally ill must not be used for our entertainment, rather treated with compassion and acknowledged as the part of society that needs help in their every day life.

Through research findings and articles that I found online, I quickly learned that there were many more people who agreed with me in saying that these shows are harmful to the people in them. According to the British Psychological Society, people should “desist from using mental health problems to entertain and shock the public.” Clinical Psychologist Sophie Holmes says, “we have a responsibility to consider the mental health needs of the people on the shows.” Many people who watch the shows, see this sort of exploitation as an act of bullying and how it is much different than tv shows that promote human transformation. Although there are normally great changes in people’s lives by the ends of the show, it is clear to see that much trauma had to happen in order for these changes to happen.

Some people argue that shows like this help people finally realize that they have a problem. The BPS report cites one anonymous source who wrote, “Before the programs, I didn’t realize there was help out there. It would have helped me to have this information years ago.” Another anonymous source added, “It was only when the programs were on television that I thought it’s actually a mental health problem. Before that I just thought I’m creating clutter.” When we open our minds to the different perspective of people on both sides of the equation, we realize that these shows can be more than harmful to society.

This information was just some that I derived from the links listed below combined with my personal thoughts and feelings. Overall, I think there is some good information out there to help and argue against the broadcasting of these potentially harmful reality shows. I think it’s important to look at the facts and combine those with people’s opinions and try your best to see things through the eyes of others. The sources I used to get facts were mostly The Huffington Post and Psychology Today. Both of these sources had references and quotations from people giving their opinions on the subject at hand. These sources provided perspectives that I never thought of and many that I also agreed with. All in all, I learned a lot of things from reading through all of these sources.

From the outside looking in, these shows might seem harmless and helpful but when you realize that these people are mentally ill and are possibly being exploited for it, you might rethink turning on some of your favorite shows.

Harmful:

Helpful:

Spotlight Blog 3 Prompts

Regardless of which option you choose, make sure to use the tag “Spotlight” on your post. Also include the tag listed for the option you choose below. The spotlight post is due at noon on Sunday, 5/6.

Option 1 – Use the tag “Social”

People are often told to resist peer pressure and think for themselves, but as we’ve learned, this is more easily said than done. Too often, especially for teens, this advice is not followed with concrete recommendation about ways to resist pressure from others. I want you to identify three websites that provide methods for resisting peer pressure and discuss how likely you think the strategies they provide are to be successful. Make sure to explain your rationale using what we’ve learned in class and your textbook. Each of the three websites need to be targeted at a different audience but you may select the audiences you want to use (e.g., college students, athletes, parents, artists). Make sure to include links to the websites as part of your post.

Option 2 – Use the tag “Mental Illness”

Television shows like My Strange Addiction, Intervention, True Life, and others have turned some mental illnesses into entertainment. In particular, the shows Hoarders and Hoarding: Buried Alive showcase people with hoarding disorder trying to get their lives, homes, and relationships back in order. What do you think about this type of show? Is it ethical to do? Does it exploit people with mental illnesses? Here is a sample clip from Hoarding: Buried Alive in case you’re not familiar with how these shows work. Find at least two sources that argue these shows are helpful for the people on the show and/or the general public and at least two sources that argue these shows are harmful. Discuss the evidence each source provides, assess the credibility of the sources, and explain your own perspective on shows like this. Make sure to include links and/or citations for your sources.

Option 3 – Use the tag “Mental Health Treatment”

One of the biggest questions when deciding to seek treatment for a mental health condition is to pick between seeking psychotherapy (e.g., counseling, therapy) and medication. Major depressive disorder is the most common mental illness in the US, and can be treated effectively using either method. Find at least two sources that argue psychotherapy is a better treatment option and at least two sources that argue medication is a better treatment option. Discuss the evidence each source provides, assess the credibility of the sources, and explain your own perspective. Make sure to include links and/or citations for your sources.

Option 4 – Use the tag “Intelligence”

There has been a lot of controversy around the way our educational system works to improve learning outcomes for our children. For this post, you are going to investigate one of these issues and present your conclusions based on the evidence you review. You may select either year-round education (i.e., whether or not there should be a long summer break) or single-gender education (i.e., should boys and girls have separate classrooms). You will need to find two sources arguing for year-round education/single-gender education and two sources arguing against it, review the evidence in each source, and present your conclusion on the issue. Make sure to cite your sources.

I look forward to seeing what you write!

Header image: CC by Flickr user Thomas Hawk

Stress

--Original published at CurtisCollegeBlog

Stress is said to be a state of mental or emotional strain or tension from certain adversity or circumstances. Everyone on earth goes through stress at times, some more than others. How people deal with stress is a whole other different animal. In essence, dealing with and managing stress is generally the same across different cultures and things like that. I’m going to discuss the tips in detail for college students, athletes and teachers.

As a college student, the amount of stress you deal with daily can be pretty overwhelming. You have to plan out your time with some sort of schedule to stay on top of things. If you have a job, you have plan things around your work schedule. The 1^st tip is to prioritize your own health over other unnecessary things in your life. Staying healthy will keep you lively and energetic and with that your mind will also become sharper and able to gain and retain information better. Things like sleep, healthy food, and exercise all keep your health at a maximum level. Meditation is another way to deal with stress as a college student. Even if you don’t want to meditate like a monk, just simply relaxing and breathing will help your cortisol lower along with your stress. Planning helps a lot with stress, because it avoids the possibility of procrastination, which is a killer among students. There’s no need to be stressed about a deadline, if you have all your work done before then. Lastly, they say to be grateful for the life you live, because you’ll never know what could happen. Make sure you’re grounded as a person and maintaining homeostasis. As a student, you have to take care of yourself, so your performance in the classroom rises as well as your own health.

Athletes are some of the most stressed out people in the world, especially student athletes because they have to deal with all the pressures above and even more. Now, you have the pressure to perform day in and day out because of your coaches and teammates. They say athletes need a lot of rest because of the toll that they put on their body. As you sleep, the body naturally starts to restore itself, so you’re replenishing your health physiologically and mentally while gaining energy. Time management is a big issue for student athletes as well, you have balance all your sports stuff, with your day-to-day life. A positive attitude is something that is good to have as mentioned in the article. This is sort of in line with something called the Facial feedback theory. This theory leads you to believe a forced emotion, will lean you more towards actually being in the state of that emotion. If you’re smiling, you will be happier more likely than not. It’s recommended that athletes find some recreational activities. Something that can help you blow off some steam. This way you have more options to keep you sane or level-headed when you get stressed out. The last tip is to develop a support system. This could be any group of people you are around that are there for you and your well-being. This could be your family or a group of friends that you have that have your back no matter what. No matter how bad you play, these people are right by your side. It proves to you there is more to life than just sports.

Teachers get a bad reputation for having an “easy” job, but no job is easy all the time. Even though most teachers have summers off, it’s not always like this. Some teachers teach during summer school, but a lot of them just make lesson plans for the year and prepare. A lot of times, teachers are also coaches (usually at the high school level) which is a huge added stress. Breathing was a big option for teachers, meditated breathing can improve your life in a couple ways. Breathing will lower physical stress and helps you to regain control. A quirky method is to just embrace the stress, view it as something positive. Looking at stress constructively will cause your body to respond differently to it and prevents long-lasting internal physical damage. Teachers are supposed to remind themselves that they are not perfect, and perfection isn’t expected of them. Mistakes often happen, and they’re generally not a big deal. Teachers should try practicing emotional first aid on themselves, which sounds crazy at first. Essentially, it’s just repairing yourself from any mental and emotional strain that you are currently dealing with. Another thing is to work smarter not harder which will help you prevent straining yourself or spreading yourself too thin. When in doubt, ask for help, getting help from others doesn’t make you stupid or look weak, it helps get the job done properly. Teachers are told to develop some sort of close connection as well, whether it’s a deep friendship or love. I feel as though most teachers are married, but in that case it doesn’t hurt to make the bond you have stronger.

These three sources seemed as if they were credible. Most of the tips they gave were in the book’s stress management tips as well. For the most part, the tips seemed to be around the same too. Confirming that four different places lead you to the same couple of tips, seems to make them look credible. All 3 told their audience to connect with other people. Having genuine bonds with other people puts less pressure on you in certain situations. Positivity showed up in a bunch of them as well. That is partially backed up by the facial feedback theory. Pretending to be happy will make you happier. I thought that exercise was going to be put in for all 3 like it was in the book. I assume they didn’t have it in for athletes because they generally are getting enough exercise between their practices and games.

https://eduadvisor.my/articles/avoid-stress-college-7-stress-management-tips-students/ (College)

https://www.recruitingrealities.com/2012/09/25/5-stress-management-tips-for-student-athletes (athletes)

https://www.wgu.edu/heyteach/article/9-stress-management-strategies-every-teacher-needs-know(teachers)

Spotlight Blog 2

--Original published at Caleb C's College Blog

Based on studies done on DARE, conducted by the U.S. General Accounting Office, the U.S. Surgeon General, the National Academy of Sciences, and the U.S. Department of Education, they have consistently shown that DARE is ineffective in reducing the use of alcohol and drugs and can even be considered counterproductive. The whole DARE organization sounds like a good idea, and I grew up and went through middle school when the whole program was expanding to schools nationwide. The Drug Abuse Resistance Education Program is used in close to 80% of school districts in the US, and 54 other countries around the world, overall reaching 36 million students each year. Therefore, knowing its effectiveness is important when considering the massive footprint it brings every year.

DARE leaders, when criticized with empirical evidence, say that the DARE Program shouldn’t be judged similar to other organizations based on evidence, because they prefer to rely on feelings, impressions, and hopes. The DARE program and their leadership continually dismiss evidence which questions DARE’s effectiveness, they argue the program has no need to be evaluated because it’s based on educational theories and techniques. Even though this is the case, the research they are founded on include world renown psychologists, Carl Rogers, Maslow, etc., though these same researchers later admitted that the specific research done which is what DARE is based on was wrong and off-base. Bill Coulson, another well-known psychologist states that the program “is rooted in trash psychology.” It can be difficult to get DARE out of schools, even with empirical evidence to back up the criticisms, due to how parents simply like the efforts made to tell their kids to not do drugs. For example, MADD leadership points to surveys which asks students, parents, and teachers whether they like the program, and overall most people report satisfaction with DARE. The DARE organization then uses these feelings and surveys to avoid evidence based criticisms, even though the surveys don’t shed light on how the program is truly impacting the children.

When the National Institutes of Health/University of Kentucky found DARE to be ineffective, DARE’s leader responded with it being “academic fraud,” and claimed it was part of and anti-DARE vendetta by therapists. Furthermore, In Houston, a study showed a 29% increase in drug usage and a 34% increase in tobacco usage among students who participated in DARE. William Modzeleski, top drug education official at the Department of Education, says “research shows that, no, DARE hasn’t been effective in reducing drug use.” Overall, DARE has been proven to not work like we wanted it to, thus the program needs to be improved and continually tweaked through criticisms of studies to help establish a system which is proven to decrease drug usage in kids. DARE is “a fraud on the people of America,” says the mayor of Salt Lake City, stating that “for too long our drug-prevention policies have been driven by mindless adherence to a wasteful, ineffective, feel-good program.”

According to Scientific American, an article written by Scott Lilienfeld and Hal Arkowitz discuss why the “Just Say NO” method doesn’t work. This statement initially came from First Lady, Nancy Reagan in 1982, and following that adolescent drug prevention movements adopted this as their slogan. On the surface, these programs sound good considering how teachers and parents witness first hand how drugs and alcohol impact their children, though overall these programs have typically found to be ineffective across the board due to how they focus primarily on the educational aspect instead of emphasizing social interaction work. According to the article, a meta-analysis in 2009 of 20 controlled studies conducted by statistician Wei Pan, and Haiyan Bai of University of Central Florida, revealed that teens enrolled in the program were just as likely to use drugs as those who received no intervention.

I believe, based on my research done, that these abstinence programs should be removed from schools. Research shows they are ineffective and typically do not decrease the use of drugs or alcohol, and sometimes negatively impact children, enforcing behavior. On the surface, all these programs seem to be good and adults like that the “just say no” technique enforces an idea to kids that it is socially acceptable to say no to things such as drugs and sex, but in the end research shows that this does not work and ultimately could be enforcing the bad behaviors which we as a society are trying to mitigate.

Sources:

Hanson, D. J. (n.d.). Alcohol Abuse Prevention. Retrieved April 16, 2018, from https://www.alcoholproblemsandsolutions.org/alcoholfacts.org/DARE.html

Lilienfeld, S. O. (2014, January 01). Why “Just Say No” Doesn’t Work. Retrieved April 16, 2018, from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-just-say-no-doesnt-work/

Spotlight Blog post #2

--Original published at MaddiesCollegeBlog

Various individuals undergo the feeling of stress, It can affect all ages, cultures, and genders in many different environments. Stress is caused by a term called “a Stressor”, stressors are defined as an event or feeling that can activate a stress response. A stressor can vary from individual to individual, it all depends on how that person feels about events. It can be anything from an exam, to a big game, mental health concerns, or major medical issues. Stress usually does not have a time expiration, again it all depends on the person. Some people feel immediate relief once the cause of stress is over, or the stress can linger for the person for a long time. No matter how long the stress lasts, it is very detrimental to ones physical, emotional and mental health. Since stress can affect many different groups of people, for example, student-athletes, parents, celebrities, etc. there can be many coping mechanisms for those people to help them learn how to handle their stress better and not let it succumb them.

The first audience that I decided to focus on first, was one that I felt that I could relate to the most which is college student-athletes. Being a college student athlete is not easy at all, and the transition from high school to college was not easy for me personally. Here at college, I found that my high school did not prepare me at all for what college was going to be like academically wise. College is a lot of work, and especially being a biology major it is not easy, and very stressful at times. On top of having a lot of schoolwork and expectations from professors, having 2 hour practice 6 out of the 7 days a week added even more stress to my plate. After reading an article that provided ways that student athletes could de-stress, I found that I could relate to a lot of what he said to do. According to Jason Perry, A track and field athlete from University of North Carolina Asheville, He discusses how student athletes are more susceptible to anxiety and depression because of all the pressure they are put under by coaches, academics, and socially. He then provided 5 positive ways to manage stress, and reasonings as to why you should follow through with them. For example, one of them was talking it out. In class we discussed that this option is always good no matter what. Perry expressed that by talking it out, it allows the person it let out steam and for some cases, a good rant is all you need to make you feel a lot better. Another reason he said was to accept that bad things are going to happen, which I also found myself relating too. In the second week of preseason, I had hurt my knee extremely resulting to me being on crutches for a long time. It was very discouraging and at times I felt that there was no going back from here and that I should just give up, but I found that my teammates, coaches, trainers, and even professors told me that its one of those things that’s inevitable, I couldn’t control it, and I had to accept it and move on, in order to get better and back on the field. Perry exclaimed that nobody is perfect, everyone makes mistakes, but that is how you learn. As an athlete, sometimes you need to take a second to soak it in, and then let it go. After I read that, I immediately felt a connection because I often found myself doing that quite frequently. Another strategy he provided was getting a hobby. He stated after that sometimes it is very good to get away from your athletic life, and that it is good for you to find something where it can just be for fun and to allow you to get your mind off things that cause stress for you. Getting a hobby can also be good because there is no pressure that comes with it, and when you are a student athlete, sometimes it feels like pressure is all you know. So, it is good to get away from that feeling and focus on something more relaxing and enjoyable. I think that the five strategies that he stated are very beneficial and can be adaptive because they strictly target student athletes themselves, not just college students in general. Also, the article was written by a student athlete himself. So odds are what he is saying is factual, and at times I am sure that he sued these strategies to cope with his stress.

The second audience that I decided to focus on was the stress of parenting, I felt that parenting was just a common one that is a universal stressor. Many parents, especially with their first child stress about everything and anything, and feel that everything must be perfect. I remember my mom told me that she was the same way with me, she wanted to always be watching me and holding me to make sure I was safe and nothing could go wrong. I also learned this concept in my high school AP psych class, we talked about how this type of stressor is more biological and natural to stress over having a child because it is so new and life changing. After reading this website that provided 4 tips to help parents who are trying to balance a lot of new feelings and hectic schedules, I felt that the tips were very logical and seemed like it would be beneficial to parents. For example, the first tip was to seek professional help, psychologists have the best understanding of these things and can provide you with resources on how to help with specific concerns. In my opinion, that seems pretty reasonable to seek professional help. Another tip that they suggested was to increase quality time with family, but to also you need to make time for yourself. By doing fun activities with your child, it improves the parent-child relationship, but sometimes, you may just need some time to yourself as for most parents you are around your child 24/7 and some alone time is just what you need. I thought that this article did an exceptional job at providing tips for parents to take some stress away, though some of the tips were pretty obvious, I feel that it is still good to hear that some of the tips are just what you need to do to feel better. The author of this article is a professor of psychology at the University of Houston-Downtown, he is also a clinical psychologist. So I feel that the information that he is providing is professional and very evidence-based.

For my third audience that I decided to focus on was the stress that comes from being a teacher. I can relate to this type of stress because I encountered it everyday, not only did I observe it from some of my high school teachers that I was really close with, but also my mother. My mom is a 1st grade elementary school teacher, and some things that I have heard her have to do and endure over the past 27 years seems honestly brutal. I feel that many people do not realize the kind of passion and drive you need to be a teacher, and from what I can tell it is one of the most challenging occupations. From my personal opinion, saying that being a teacher is stressful is an understatement, and we do not give them the credit that they deserve. After coming across and article titled “5 proven stress management tips for teachers (backed by science)”, I found that the tips provided were actually legitimate and seemed like it would actually be beneficial to a teacher undergoing a lot of stress. One tip that I felt had the biggest impact on me was “Focus on What You Can do Something About”. I felt that this tip especially really affects teachers because their job is to solely make sure the classroom runs smoothly, and a lot of the time they spend time focusing on what went wrong more than what went well, and usually whatever didn’t go their way was out of their control. Especially with elementary school teachers. The other tips that were suggested are exercise regularly, set realistic goals, share experiences with your colleagues and practice mindfulness. I felt that all these suggestions and their reasonings behind them, all seemed like they would be beneficial to a teacher who is very stressed. I also feel this way because the article referred to academic studies that were conducted to provide evidence for their tips, which I found to be very impressive. I also felt that the tips were more focused on an individual’s health too, which I think is even more favorable for teachers who are stressing.

https://www.athletenetwork.com/blog/dealing-with-stress-as-a-college-athlete

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-race-good-health/201306/4-tips-managing-parenting-stress

https://truestressmanagement.com/stress-management-for-teachers/

Spotlight Post #2

--Original published at JD's Blog

Upon searching for different study tips I was definitely surprised at what results came up. Looking at the tips designed and guided towards each of the different academic levels, it was cool to see how certain points lined up and others were totally different due to the age gaps. The study tips designed for students attending college seemed to cover multiple aspects of college life as well as general study tips geared towards memory (https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/08/study-tips-for-college-_n_709096.html?slideshow=true#gallery/10344/0).

The first tip they suggested was to alternate ones study spaces. This can have both positive and negative effects. There are many factors that could influence your study location. The first is the resources available. Is there a place to plug in your devices, how many different types of distractions are there, what the overall atmosphere of the area is and most importantly the other people who are there with you (http://www.takeyoursuccess.com/study-environments-affect-on-study-habits). It is very important to be in a good mindset while studying. State dependent learning suggest that you remember information much better if you study in an area that is similar to the place where you first learned the information (Gen Psych 105, Dr. MacFarlane). The website also suggests studying in groups. When it comes to studying, students can help one another understand confusing material and lighten the workload for one another by sharing it. Together, they can help each other develop retrieval ques to remember information better. Another suggestion is to take practice tests. This will help the student prepare for the actual test by answering similar questions and getting themselves into the proper mindset while relieving stress. An important one mentioned on this website was to refrain from studying one specific topic to in deeply. Instead, one should learn a little bit about all of the topics covered on the text or whatever needs to be studied for. In a study posted by the Journal of Applied Psychology, it was determined that kids who learn a small amount of many different subjects almost always perform much better those who only study one method or topic in depth (http://web.williams.edu/Psychology/Faculty/Kornell/Publications/Kornell.Castel.Eich.Bjork.2010.pdf) I think these are all great tips and actually implement most of them myself when studying.

The second website I looked up was geared more towards middle schoolers and focused on a much broader spectrum to aid with their study habits (https://studyskills.com/educators/middle-school/). This site stated that students should develop priorities prior to studying. They should determine which fields they have the most trouble in and devote more time to studying them. After this step is taken the student should set goals for themselves based on what they want to study. Both of these steps can be associated with priming. By exposing the student to a stimulus early and having them practice it, their ability to recall that information when confronted by the specific stimulus will most likely increase (Gen Psych 105, Dr. MacFarlane). It also recommended going to extra help sessions to be sure that the student understands the textbook or reading that are assigned to them. This would help them have the background knowledge needed to study. These tips may be helpful, but they do not focus a as much on memory and recall as the first article did.

The third article focused on tips for parents to help their kids study more efficiently. Many of the tips highly recommended cutting out as many possible distractions as possible. This will allow the student to focus completely on their task at hand. One thing they recommended that I was unsure about was to have them listen to music while they study. After several studies on little kids were conducted. It was found that they performed and remembered to the best of their ability when listening to soft and relaxed music while doing work. This was compared to listening to nothing at all and aggressive music. (http://www.learningscientists.org/blog/2016/11/10-1).

They recommended designating a certain space for doing homework and studying as well as keeping a schedule and giving your child rewards for completing their work. This will motivate the child to perform better and result in an increase in their memory’s recall when it comes to tests or assignments (https://childdevelopmentinfo.com/learning/tips-for-helping-kids-and-teens-with-homework-and-study-habits/#.WtOxUGbMyfU). It also recommended that parents help them study and come up with retrieval ques such as key words or stimuli that will trigger their memory.

Throughout all three articles two ideas were common. Staying organized and taking good notes. You can remember things better where you first learned them (Psych 105, Dr. MacFarlane). By taking thorough notes the first time you learn new fact or concept it will aid in future recall by allowing you to refer back to the original ideas. Staying organized ensures that all of the necessary information will be available and helps prevent distraction from studying when looking for something. It will also ensure that no unnecessary information is learned that can draw away from the information needed. Organization also keeps students on track (https://www.unomaha.edu/news/2018/01/why-organization-is-important-in-college.php). This helps them know what and when they need to study and can relieve stress associated with academic challenges.

References

https://childdevelopmentinfo.com/learning/tips-for-helping-kids-and-teens-with-homework-and-study-habits/#.WtOxUGbMyfU

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/08/study-tips-for-college-_n_709096.html?slideshow=true#gallery/10344/0

http://www.learningscientists.org/blog/2016/11/10-1

https://studyskills.com/educators/middle-school/

https://www.unomaha.edu/news/2018/01/why-organization-is-important-in-college.php

http://web.williams.edu/Psychology/Faculty/Kornell/Publications/Kornell.Castel.Eich.Bjork.2010.pdf

Spotlight Blog #2

--Original published at Hope's PSY105 Blog

“Now that we’ve discussed how memory works and you’ve had a chance to think about your own study skills, I want you to critically evaluate websites that give students advice about how to study. If you select this option, I want you to find three different websites that provide advice for studying: one targeted toward college students, one targeted toward middle or high school students, and one targeted toward parents. Evaluate the advice provided on each and compare it to what you know about how memory works (include sources), making sure to correct anything you think is bad advice. Be sure to include links to the websites you are evaluating.”

Some time management and study skills for those in college that are found on this website include making a weekly or daily to-do list, rewarding yourself when you complete all of the tasks, and setting aside study hours each day. There are also skills for note taking, reading, and test prep. I believe that a lot of this advice is very helpful. For note taking, it says to rewrite your notes after class, which I have found very helpful. By repeating the information, recopying it, and making flashcards, it allows you to continue to see the information and encode it into your long term memory.

https://www.lynchburg.edu/academics/tutoring-academic-support/top-10-study-skills/

Some of the skills used for high school allows for teachers to assist their students in setting goals, establishing priorities, speaking and listening effectively, and studying for tests. I don’t know that this website allows for effective study skills for high school students, but it shows how teachers can help the students in their classrooms.

https://studyskills.com/educators/high-school/

Skills to help parents ensure good study habits with their children include a regular time, place, and procedure. Things like making sure your child comes home and does their homework from 4 to 5:30 with five minute snack breaks in between each subject helps them want to study and remember what they are studying. They will enjoy it more, remember more, want to complete their work, and want you to help them with their work.

https://www.nd.gov/dpi/uploads/1311/guide.pdf

General Psychology with Dr. MacFarlane

PSY 105 at Elizabethtown College

Tag Archives: Spotlight