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Why Learning to Write Psychology Papers Is Important The ability to write well is one of the most important skills you can gain as a psychology major. Most psychology courses require a significant amount of writing, including essays, case studies, research reports, and other papers. Learning effective communication skills will help you succeed in high school, university, graduate school, and the workforce. How can you improve your writing skills? Start by viewing each class assignment as an opportunity to learn and practice....

It’s important to remember, however, that medication does not “cure” ADHD and is only a piece of the overall treatment plan, which may also include ADHD education, parent training, behavioral management methods, organizational strategies, school/work accommodations, coaching, and counseling. Tips for Taking ADHD Medications For some individuals with ADHD, these combined treatments may even lead to a reduced need or smaller dosage of ADHD medication. If you or your child is beginning a trial of ADHD medication, here are some helpful tips....

A doctor will factor in your height, weight, and ADHD symptoms when titrating ADHD medication. However, because biology is an inexact science and every individual is unique, a doctor’s first estimate may not be ideal for you. They will need to titrate the amount for the greatest effect with the fewest side effects. Titration of Medication Titration is the process of determining the medication dose that reduces your symptoms to the greatest possible degree while minimizing side effects....

But what exactly does this legal arrangement entail for the 39-year-old pop star and others bound by the same structure? Andy Gelman, JD, an attorney in Chicago, explains that conservatorship—often called guardianship in some states—is a court appointment by a judge with the purpose of designating one or more persons or entities to be in charge of a person’s financial and personal and health-related decisions if they are deemed incapable of managing their own affairs....

Overview The cycle looks like this: diet-binge-purge-repeat. It typically repeats itself over and over, and if you are suffering from bulimia nervosa, you may feel like it’s impossible to stop. But understanding this pattern of behavior is one of the best ways to figure out how to stop it and start on the road to recovery. Triggering Events It is important to recognize that the model above, derived from cognitive-behavioral therapy, shows how a binge cycle is maintained....

Trait Theory of Leadership Rationale The trait theory of leadership is tied to the “great man” theory of leadership first proposed by Thomas Carlyle in the mid-1800s. According to Carlyle, history is shaped by extraordinary leaders. This ability to lead is something that people are simply born with, Carlyle believed, and not something that could be developed. Carlyle’s ideas inspired early research on leadership, which almost entirely focused on inheritable traits....

Traumatic events are scary, dangerous, or shocking experiences that affect us physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, or socially. Examples of traumatic events include natural disasters, wars, terrorist attacks, mass shootings, serious illnesses, car accidents, workplace accidents, rape, abuse, and other experiences that affect our sense of well-being. Trauma affects us in various ways. In the short term, it can cause emotional reactions such as terror, confusion, shock, isolation, and dissociation, whereas in the long run, it can affect our behavior, mental state, and ability to function....

History The positive psychology movement has its roots in the work of humanistic psychologists such as Abraham Maslow, who tried to focus more on the healthy human development and less on pathology, but really came into being as we know it around 1998. It was primarily founded by psychologist Martin Seligman, who made it the focus of his American Psychological Association presidency and inspired others to contribute to this growing area of study....

Biological Theories Biological causes of OCD study the circuit relay system between the orbitofrontal cortex, which is responsible for complex behaviors such as emotion regulation, evaluation, reward-based decision-making, and other goal-directed behavior, to the thalamus. The loop circuits of the orbitofrontal cortex includes other regions such as the caudate nucleus of the basal ganglia, which is associated with functions such as cognition and voluntary motor movements. When this circuit is activated, these impulses are brought to your attention and cause you to perform a particular behavior that appropriately addresses the impulse....

These are some examples of little things that may upset you: Your dog may have peed on the bed.You may have forgotten to add an attachment to an email. Your toilet may have gotten clogged. You may have gotten a run in your tights while you were at a party. While these things can be upsetting, the phrase “Don’t sweat the small stuff” encourages you to let them go and move on, rather than letting them bother you....

“Tradition 4: Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or AA as a whole.” Tradition 4 Grants AA Group Freedom With Responsibility to the Whole Each 12-step group has complete freedom to decide for itself the program content of its meetings and the topics that will be discussed. The group can decide if the meeting will be open or closed and when and where the meeting will be held....

While many individuals who work in this field start by earning an undergraduate degree in social work before moving on to graduate school, some psychology majors opt to switch to a social work master’s program after earning their degrees. What Is a Social Worker? So what exactly is a social worker? These mental health professionals help people with a broad range of issues, including psychological, financial, health, relationship, and substance abuse problems....

As an example, consider someone who has been physically abused who responds to a raised hand by cringing even though the other person’s intent was to brush away a stray thread. Abreaction can also be used to describe the process a therapist uses to desensitize or help you to stop having these automatic reactions. Within the safety of a therapy session, you may be led to experience abreaction so that you can then learn to replace the illogical, gut-instinct reaction with one that is more suited to the situation....

History of Attention Suppression The concept of attention suppression has been studied for centuries. Early philosophers like Aristotle and Plato discussed the idea that humans had the ability to control their thoughts and direct their attention. In more recent years, psychologists have conducted extensive research on attention and its role in our lives. We Can Only Pay Attention to So Much At One Time One of the most influential early studies on attention suppression was conducted by psychologist William James in the late 1800s....

AVPD is often associated with other mental health conditions like anxiety disorders, in particular, social anxiety disorder. People with the disorder show a pattern of avoidance due to fear of rejection or disapproval, which they experience as extremely painful. The disorder affects about 2.5% of the population, with roughly equal numbers of men and women being afflicted. Symptoms of Avoidant Personality Disorder The following is a list of common symptoms associated with avoidant personality disorder:...

This article explains colorism, its relationship to racism, and offers ways you can help to combat the pervasiveness of colorism. Colorism Is Rooted in Racism Colorism finds its roots in racism because, without racism, someone’s value and perceived superiority wouldn’t be based on the color of their skin. Colleen Campbell, a Ph.D. candidate in Sociology and African Studies at Princeton University noted, “When we think of racism in the U....

Symptoms Postpartum symptoms of OCD are most likely to occur within six weeks after childbirth but can begin during the pregnancy. In women who have preexisting OCD, there is some evidence that miscarriage can also act as a potent trigger of OCD symptoms. For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database. The symptoms of OCD in women who have postpartum obsessive-compulsive disorder can often be distinguished from those who already had obsessive-compulsive disorder....

Stonewalling is broadly described by the following behaviors: A general discomfort in discussing feelings Dismissing or minimizing the other person’s concerns Refusing to respond to questions Refusing to make eye contact or offer nonverbal communication cues Walking away from discussions that cause stress This article discusses how to recognize stonewalling, what causes this behavior, and the damaging effects it can have on relationships. It also covers some of the steps you can take if you are dealing with this issue....

While the term sounds unwieldy and complex, the phenomenon it explains is relatively easy to understand. This article discusses the diathesis-stress model, how it explains the onset of different mental health conditions, and how you can use this information to better moderate the stress in your life. History of the Diathesis Stress Model The model can trace its origins to the 1950s, although roots of this theory date to much earlier....

While these challenges can manifest differently in males and females, they’re no less real. If the mother was unkind or continuously critiqued the child’s appearance, for instance, it can compromise the child’s self-worth for years to come. Although mommy issues isn’t an actual clinical term, the concepts behind it can often be explained with psychological theories. This is partially because the role of a mother is still widely considered to be the most important, especially in early childhood....