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Take Part in a Study on Body Image Perception

2012-05-16T11:55:45Z

Have you checked out the Request for Research Participants section of the About.com Psychology Forums? It's a great place to find opportunities to participate in psychology research or to post your own requests for participants.

One recent poster writes:

"I am currently looking for participants for my research into body image perceptions and the media influences, I am studying age ranges, 18-30 and 40-55. I would most appreciate if you could take the time out to complete my survey, it is only a few questions and should take no more than 5 minutes."

If it sounds like something that might interest you, be sure to visit the forum to find a link to the survey.

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Take Part in a Study on Body Image Perception originally appeared on About.com Psychology on Wednesday, May 16th, 2012 at 11:55:45.

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Overcoming Test Anxiety

2012-05-15T09:20:56Z

Are you fretting over your final exams or standardized tests? Do you ever feel so nervous during a test that you can't concentrate on the material or even forget the answers to questions? Test anxiety is quite common among students. For some, this might mean dealing with a bad case of "butterflies in the stomach," while other students might even have a full-blown anxiety attack.

Kelly Roell, About.com's Guide to Test Prep, has some great ideas for how you can overcome test anxiety. She suggests that setting realistic expectations and using positive imagery are two possible ways to deal with the symptoms of test anxiety. Learn more about what you can do in her article on overcoming test anxiety and share your own tips for dealing with test-related stress.

Learn more about test anxiety:

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Overcoming Test Anxiety originally appeared on About.com Psychology on Tuesday, May 15th, 2012 at 09:20:56.

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What Can You Do With a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology?

2012-05-14T09:15:03Z

While earning a graduate degree is required for many psychology jobs, the fact is that approximately 75% of students who earn a bachelor's degree in psychology do not go to graduate school. According to one study, only about 25% of psychology undergraduates end up working in a field that is closely related to their major.

Despite these numbers, it is important to remember that having a bachelor's degree in psychology is great preparation for careers in a wide variety of fields. Psychology undergraduate programs can vary considerably in terms of goals, but there are some very useful skills that these programs tend to focus on including:

Communication skills: In addition to gaining a solid understanding of how people communicate, psychology majors also learn how to read, write and present information to others.

Research skills: Psychology undergraduate spend a great deal of type researching, analyzing and synthesizing complex information.

Interpersonal skills: Understanding the needs of other people, solving problems in a group and interacting well with others are skills valued by virtually all employers.

As you plan for your future career, start by making yourself aware of the many different options that are available. By carefully planning your future and being aware of the different opportunities that are out there, you can find a career that is perfectly suited to your educational background, skills and personality. Learn more about ten different entry-level career options in this article on what you can do with a bachelor's degree in psychology.

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What Can You Do With a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology? originally appeared on About.com Psychology on Monday, May 14th, 2012 at 09:15:03.

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INTJ - Psychology Definition of the Week

2012-05-11T09:05:43Z

Definition: Do people often describe you as quiet, creative, and analytical? Then you might be an INTJ, one of the 16 different personality types identified by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) The MBTI was developed by Isabel Myers and Katherine Briggs based on Carl Jung's theory of personality types. The Myers-Briggs categorizes personality based on preferences in four key areas.

People with an INTJ personality type tend to be introverted and organized. They enjoy theoretical concepts and strongly prefer to work alone. People with this type of personality also tend to have very high standards and can be perfectionists. According to psychologist David Keirsey, an estimated one to four percent of the population have the INTJ personality type.

Learn more about the characteristics of this type in this overview of the INTJ personality.

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INTJ - Psychology Definition of the Week originally appeared on About.com Psychology on Friday, May 11th, 2012 at 09:05:43.

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Important Dates in Psychology History

2012-05-10T08:59:45Z

Hermann Ebbinghaus once said, "Psychology has a long past, but a short history." While the foundations of psychology are influenced by both philosophy and physiology, the scientific field of psychology is a relatively quite young. You can learn more about some of the important historical events, including the foundation of the first psychology lab and the birth dates of eminent psychologists, in this timeline of modern psychology.

Important Dates in Psychology History originally appeared on About.com Psychology on Thursday, May 10th, 2012 at 08:59:45.

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Does a Sweet Tooth Equal a Sweeter Personality?

2012-05-09T09:02:02Z

Would you rather eat your dessert before dinner or maybe even instead of dinner? According to a series of studies published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, people with a "sweet tooth" were rated as more agreeable and willing to help others. While consuming sweets might not be good for your waistline, lead author Brian Meier suggests that positive social behavior and sugary foods might activate the same areas of the brain.

"It is striking that helpful and friendly people are considered 'sweet' because taste would seem to have little in common with personality or behavior. Yet, recent psychological theories of embodied metaphor led us to hypothesize that seemingly innocuous metaphors can be used to derive novel insights about personality and behavior," Meier explains. "Importantly, our taste studies controlled for positive mood so the effects we found are not due to the happy or rewarding feeling one may have after eating a sweet food."

The authors note that this might not be true across all cultures, so further cross-cultural studies would be helpful in shedding more light on the link between having a sweet tooth and a sweet disposition.

_{Reference: Meier, B. P., Moeller, S. K., Riemer-Peltz, M., & Robinson, M. D. (2011). Sweet taste preferences and experiences predict prosocial inferences, personalities, and behaviors. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, DOI: 10.1037/a0025253

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Does a Sweet Tooth Equal a Sweeter Personality? originally appeared on About.com Psychology on Wednesday, May 9th, 2012 at 09:02:02.

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APA Report on Stress in America Reveals Generational Differences

2012-05-08T08:59:25Z

The APA's latest "Stress in America" report revealed some interesting tidbits about how stress impacts generations differently. The survey found that Millennials reported the greatest increase in stress levels, with 52 percent stating that their stress levels have increased over the past five years. Older adults reported the lowest increase in stress levels; 32 percent reported that their stress levels have stayed the same and 31 percent stated that their stress levels have actually decreased over the past five years.

Not surprisingly, the sources of stress also varied based on age. Money, work, and housing costs were the three greatest sources of stress for Millennials, Gen Xers, and Boomers. Among older adults, health problems were one of the greatest sources of stress. The poll indicated that the ability to manage stress levels tends to improve with age. Older generations reported being more open about discussing their feelings and were more flexible about compromising and adjusting their expectations. Younger generations, on the other hand, were twice as likely to report that they did not use any stress coping strategies.

"America has a choice. We can continue down a well-worn path where stress significantly impacts our physical and mental health, causes undue suffering and drives up health care costs. Or we can get serious about this major public health issue and provide better access to behavioral health care services to help people more effectively manage their stress and prevent and manage chronic disease," suggested psychologist Norman B. Anderson, PhD, the APA's CEO and executive vice president in a press release about the report. "Various studies have shown that chronic stress is a major driver of chronic illness, which in turn is a major driver of escalating health care costs in this country. It is critical that the entire health community and policymakers recognize the role of stress and unhealthy behaviors in causing and exacerbating chronic health conditions, and support models of care that help people make positive changes."

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APA Report on Stress in America Reveals Generational Differences originally appeared on About.com Psychology on Tuesday, May 8th, 2012 at 08:59:25.

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5 Common Characteristics of Dreams

2012-05-07T08:59:35Z

Are your dreams vivid, bizarre, or difficult to remember? According to dream researcher J. Allan Hobson, those are just a few of the key characteristics of dreams. In many cases our dreams can be completely illogical and yet during the dream, we accept such inconsistencies without question. If you do happen to remember your dream upon waking, you might reflect back on the oddity of it and even regale your friends and family with tales your "really weird dream." Hobson suggests, however, that we forget as many as 95 percent of all our dreams. Discover more in this overview of the common characteristics of dreams.

More: Why Do We Dream? | Interpreting Dreams | 10 Facts About Dreams

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5 Common Characteristics of Dreams originally appeared on About.com Psychology on Monday, May 7th, 2012 at 08:59:35.

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Fixed-Interval Schedule - Psychology Definition of the Week

2012-05-04T08:56:24Z

Definition: A fixed-interval schedule of reinforcement involves delivering reinforcement for the first response after a specific period of time has elapsed. Imagine that you are training a lab rat to press a lever. However, the rat can only be rewarded for its first response following a one-minute interval. As you might imagine, there is often a pause in responding after the reinforcement is delivered, which gradually increases as the reinforcement time draws closer. Learn more in this definition of fixed-interval schedules.

More Schedules of Reinforcement

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Fixed-Interval Schedule - Psychology Definition of the Week originally appeared on About.com Psychology on Friday, May 4th, 2012 at 08:56:24.

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Help! I Don't Understand My Assignment!

2012-05-03T08:59:09Z

Cynthia writes: "My psychology teacher has told us to write a paper, but I don't understand the topic or what she wants us to write about. I'm so confused and I'm scared that I'll mess up and get a bad grade! What should I do? Can you explain this assignment to me?"

Thanks for writing, Cynthia! Your problem is actually a very common problem for many students. I often receive requests from high school and college students asking me to interpret their teacher's instructions and tell them how to complete an assignment.

The problem, obviously, is that the only person who really knows what your instructor wants on a particular assignment is your instructor.

My advice? Talk to your teacher.

Call her, email her or go visit her during her posted office hours. No matter what method you choose, get in touch with her as quickly as possible so you can get answers to your questions and get started on your assignment.

While students sometimes worry that their instructors will think that such questions are stupid, your teachers not only want to hear about your questions, they need to hear them. If you are confused about a certain aspect of an assignment, chances are good that other students in the class are also having problems. By voicing your questions, you can get the answers you need to complete the assignment correctly and on time.

Are you not quite sure how to approach your instructor with your questions? About.com's Guide to Homework / Study Tips, Grace Fleming, has some great advice that might help in her article on how to talk to teachers.

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Help! I Don't Understand My Assignment! originally appeared on About.com Psychology on Thursday, May 3rd, 2012 at 08:59:09.

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