Here is just a quick update on the status of minorities in psychology. John Chaney, PhD, the Regents Research Professor of Psychology at Oklahoma State University, and Director of the American Indians Into Psychology program at OSU, shared these yesterday in his lecture at the annual conference of the Oklahoma Network of Teachers of Psychology.
2,119 PhD's in psychology were awarded by universities in 2006 (the latest date that statistics are available).
Of those 2,119...
176 were awarded to African Americans.
210 were awarded to Hispanics.
15 were awarded to Native Americans.
Sadly, psychology still appears to remain primarily a white discipline.
This was of particular interest to me because of my current research on the source and level of self-esteem among Native American students. Preliminary data on my research is available on my web site. A link to it is at the upper right part of this page.
BTW - I am about 25 lbs Cherokee from my maternal grandfather side. (My wife keeps asking me to word it, "I'm 1/8th Cherokee.")
FYI - I am going to be teaching an on-line General Psychology class through Connors State College next spring. It is a 16-week class and you can go to http://connorsstate.edu/ for more information.
September 26, 2009
September 23, 2009
Genetics Is Not Destiny
Genes do not work in a vaccuum. A person's environment affects their impact. Behavior does not has to manifest itself just because a person has the gene for it.
Evidence for this is seen in research at the University of Georgia and reported in the May/June issue of Child Development.
Half of the research participants were adolescents who were enrolled in a family-centered prevention program and half were not.
Those participants in the prevention program who had a common genetic condition "associated with impulsivity, low self-control, binge drinking and substance use were no more likely than their counterparts without the gene to have engaged in drinking, marijuans smoking and sexual activity."
The genetic propensity did not result in behavior. The prevention program worked.
Contrasted with that, adolescents with the gene who were NOT in the program "were twice as likely to have engaged in these risky behaviors as those in the prevention group."
It is not nature VERSUS nurture. It is nature AND nurture, genes AND environment.
Evidence for this is seen in research at the University of Georgia and reported in the May/June issue of Child Development.
Half of the research participants were adolescents who were enrolled in a family-centered prevention program and half were not.
Those participants in the prevention program who had a common genetic condition "associated with impulsivity, low self-control, binge drinking and substance use were no more likely than their counterparts without the gene to have engaged in drinking, marijuans smoking and sexual activity."
The genetic propensity did not result in behavior. The prevention program worked.
Contrasted with that, adolescents with the gene who were NOT in the program "were twice as likely to have engaged in these risky behaviors as those in the prevention group."
It is not nature VERSUS nurture. It is nature AND nurture, genes AND environment.
September 22, 2009
How to Feel Good About Yourself
Something the philosopher John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) said is pretty good advice about something you can do to feel good about yourself:
Follow the "Greatest Happiness Principle."
That principle basically means make choices that bring the maximum enjoyment to the maximum number of people.
For example, Brendan Koerner in an article in the October, 2009 Wired, suggested "If you [allow your son to take apart your old laptop] you'll thrill him for a few hours and teach him a bit about circuitry... But if you donate it, you could provide months or years of happiness to someone else's child."
I would add, "And, you and your child would BOTH feel good about yourselves."
Making the most people happy could make you happiest.
Renowned psychiatrist Karl Menninger was once asked what one should do if they feel depressed and discouraged. He responded, "Go find someone less fortunate than yourself and help them."
Follow the "Greatest Happiness Principle."
That principle basically means make choices that bring the maximum enjoyment to the maximum number of people.
For example, Brendan Koerner in an article in the October, 2009 Wired, suggested "If you [allow your son to take apart your old laptop] you'll thrill him for a few hours and teach him a bit about circuitry... But if you donate it, you could provide months or years of happiness to someone else's child."
I would add, "And, you and your child would BOTH feel good about yourselves."
Making the most people happy could make you happiest.
Renowned psychiatrist Karl Menninger was once asked what one should do if they feel depressed and discouraged. He responded, "Go find someone less fortunate than yourself and help them."
September 21, 2009
"Give Me A Cup of Bug Killer, Please"
After reading Patrick Di Justo's article in the October 2009 issue of Wired, I may never look at a cup of coffee the same way. What, exactly, is in that cup of Joe?
Here's just a "taste" of what is in coffee: Niacin, Trigonelline, Putrescine, Acetylmethylcarbinol, and Dimethyl Disulfide.
Yes, Patrick explained what each is and what they do. It has nothing to do with psychology, so I won't pass that info on.
Now, the caffeine in coffee? That's another matter. The caffeine works like drug therapy works.
Drug therapy is the most common kind of biological therapy for psychological disorders. There are anti-anxiety drugs for anxiety disorders, antidepressants for mood disorders, and anti-psychotic drugs for disorders with hallucinations. All of the above drugs work at the neurotransmitter level of our nervous system.
Neurotrasmitters are chemicals produced by the neurons to bridge the synaptic gap between a neuron's axon and the dendrites of other neurons. One neuron's neurotransmitters hook up with another neuron's neuro-receptors.
There are about 150 naturally produced neurotransmitters in the brain. We know what about 50 of them do. Some of them produce a sensation of pleasure (dopamine). Some produce drowsiness (melatonin). Some of them are pain killers (endorphins). Some of them get us ready to "fight or flight" (norepinephrine).
Back to the cup of coffee and Patrick's article about it.
Caffeine is "an alkaloid plant toxin... a bug killer that stimulates us by blocking neuro-receptors for the sleep chemical adenosine. The result: you, awake."
The caffeine in your cup of coffee interrupts the neurotransmitter that makes you sleepy, and it is addictive. Go without it a couple of days and the "caffeine headaches" will come. No wonder more than 18 billion pounds of coffee beans are produced around the world each year.
Here's just a "taste" of what is in coffee: Niacin, Trigonelline, Putrescine, Acetylmethylcarbinol, and Dimethyl Disulfide.
Yes, Patrick explained what each is and what they do. It has nothing to do with psychology, so I won't pass that info on.
Now, the caffeine in coffee? That's another matter. The caffeine works like drug therapy works.
Drug therapy is the most common kind of biological therapy for psychological disorders. There are anti-anxiety drugs for anxiety disorders, antidepressants for mood disorders, and anti-psychotic drugs for disorders with hallucinations. All of the above drugs work at the neurotransmitter level of our nervous system.
Neurotrasmitters are chemicals produced by the neurons to bridge the synaptic gap between a neuron's axon and the dendrites of other neurons. One neuron's neurotransmitters hook up with another neuron's neuro-receptors.
There are about 150 naturally produced neurotransmitters in the brain. We know what about 50 of them do. Some of them produce a sensation of pleasure (dopamine). Some produce drowsiness (melatonin). Some of them are pain killers (endorphins). Some of them get us ready to "fight or flight" (norepinephrine).
Back to the cup of coffee and Patrick's article about it.
Caffeine is "an alkaloid plant toxin... a bug killer that stimulates us by blocking neuro-receptors for the sleep chemical adenosine. The result: you, awake."
The caffeine in your cup of coffee interrupts the neurotransmitter that makes you sleepy, and it is addictive. Go without it a couple of days and the "caffeine headaches" will come. No wonder more than 18 billion pounds of coffee beans are produced around the world each year.
September 20, 2009
Skip Class Today, Suffer at Work Tomorrow
Skip collegs classes today and you will have trouble at work 10 years from now.
That's the conclusion of a new study by Katariina Salmela-Aro and colleagues that was reported recently in their Journal of Vocational Behavior article, "Achievement Strategies During University Studies Predict Early Career Burnout and Engagement."
They administered two self-report inventories to 292 college students and then followed them for 17 years to compare their work ethic and their success expectations while in college, and their work experiences once they had launched their careers.
The results? "Students who were optimistic and focused at university tended to be more engaged in their working lives and to avoid burnout."
They found two things that predict greater satisfaction in one's career: a strong work ethic in their college classes, and confidence that they can succeed.
This lends support to we college instructors who worry about our students who don't take their studies seriously, who skip classes, who do sloppy work on assignments, and who don't study for exams. Their approach to college is an early indicator of their eventual approach to work. Behavior patterns that take root in college bear fruit in their careers.
The good news is that this research also shows that "achievement strategies" learned during college, and strategies to raise students' sense of "self-efficacy" work. They can make a long-term difference, not just in college grades but in eventual work success and satisfaction.
Colleges that have intentional programs to identify at-risk students, that teach strategies for time-management, test-preparation, and study skills, that help students see themselves as having the capability to succeed if they put their minds to it, are colleges that help their students now and in the future.
But, they only benefit the students who actually take advantage of them and change poor academic attitudes and behaviors. Those are the students who will stand in their work places 17 years down the road and be glad they did.
One last observation for the benefit of my students (who are summarizing this post for a bonus point in class): the relationship between one's work ethic in college and their work ethic in the work place is why many potential employers will ask to see your college grades when you apply for a job.
That's the conclusion of a new study by Katariina Salmela-Aro and colleagues that was reported recently in their Journal of Vocational Behavior article, "Achievement Strategies During University Studies Predict Early Career Burnout and Engagement."
They administered two self-report inventories to 292 college students and then followed them for 17 years to compare their work ethic and their success expectations while in college, and their work experiences once they had launched their careers.
The results? "Students who were optimistic and focused at university tended to be more engaged in their working lives and to avoid burnout."
They found two things that predict greater satisfaction in one's career: a strong work ethic in their college classes, and confidence that they can succeed.
This lends support to we college instructors who worry about our students who don't take their studies seriously, who skip classes, who do sloppy work on assignments, and who don't study for exams. Their approach to college is an early indicator of their eventual approach to work. Behavior patterns that take root in college bear fruit in their careers.
The good news is that this research also shows that "achievement strategies" learned during college, and strategies to raise students' sense of "self-efficacy" work. They can make a long-term difference, not just in college grades but in eventual work success and satisfaction.
Colleges that have intentional programs to identify at-risk students, that teach strategies for time-management, test-preparation, and study skills, that help students see themselves as having the capability to succeed if they put their minds to it, are colleges that help their students now and in the future.
But, they only benefit the students who actually take advantage of them and change poor academic attitudes and behaviors. Those are the students who will stand in their work places 17 years down the road and be glad they did.
One last observation for the benefit of my students (who are summarizing this post for a bonus point in class): the relationship between one's work ethic in college and their work ethic in the work place is why many potential employers will ask to see your college grades when you apply for a job.
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