Pangaea Ultima

Pangaea Ultima, a vision grand and fair,
A world that’s come together once again.
A place where land and sea do not compare,

Where mountains tall and rivers wide and rare
Are bridges to the past, to age-old friend.
Pangaea Ultima, a vision grand and fair,

Where creatures roam and flourish without care,
Where diversity is celebrated end to end.
A place where land and sea do not compare,

A world that’s healed, where nature takes repair,
A future bright, a hope that will not bend.
Pangaea Ultima, a vision grand and fair,

And though it’s not a dream, it’s vision rare,
A world that’s possible, just wait and tend.
A place where land and sea do not compare,
Pangaea Ultima, a vision grand and fair.

Need for Sleep

Why sometimes we have trouble getting a good night sleep? What accounts for differences in how much we sleep? By the way, why do we sleep? As you will, see this article will give you a few needed information to the given questions including recommendation of sleep experts on how to improve the quality of your sleep. However this article is limited in its scope, as it only addresses the general or basic information available. Though, some of them might be mentioned, they are beyond the specific interest of this work: sleep stages, environmental factors that affect sleep duration and quality, dreams; nightmares, daydreams, sleep apnea, sleepwalking, narcolepsy, and sleep behavior disorder.

Someone who falls asleep easily can still have insomnia: true or false? The statement is true because insomnia is defined as chronic difficulty in falling asleep, staying asleep, or experiencing restful sleep. If I occasionally have trouble getting a good night sleep, I’ll not worry. Why? Almost everyone does. Because people with true insomnia have frequent and persistent sleep troubles (Milner & Belicki, 2010). So why is that occasionally we have trouble getting a good night sleep? Circadian rhythms influence our alertness and sleepiness. Our daily biological cycles are called circadian rhythm—which every 24hrs our body temperature, certain hormonal secretions, and other bodily fluids undergo a rhythmic change that tells our body when to sleep. This internal body clock is affected by environment cues, like sunlight and temperature (Monk. et al., 1996; Hut & Beersma, 2011). Also, circadian rhythms influence our tendency to be either a morning person or a night person but cultural factors may also play a role.

What accounts for differences in how much we sleep? Environmental disruptions of circadian rhythms like low-key versus high-pressure lifestyle, night-shift work versus working days, and sleeping in quiet versus noisy environment are among the many factors contributing to the variability in people’s sleep. Additionally, age differences, genetic, cultural, environmental, and behavioral factors influence when and how much we sleep (Bronzaft et al., 1998; Iwawaki & Sarmany-Schuller, 2001; Kribbs, 1993).

Why do we sleep? Depriving someone of sleep is a torture to the mind and the body, because sleep recharged our run-down bodies and allows us to recover from physical and mental fatigue (Hess, 1965). Consider the case of 17-year-old Randy Gardner. Gardner spent a staggering 11 days without sleep. In his first few days, at times he became irritable, forgetful, and nauseated. By the fifth he had periods of disorientation and hallucination. Over the last four days he develops finger tremors and slurred speech. But the record says although he suffers many negative effects in the process, still in his final day without sleep he beat one of the researchers 100 consecutive times at a pinball-type game, and in his press conference he spoke in a ‘flawless’ manner that there were no obvious sign of sleep deprivation. Randy Gardner sleeps 14 hours and 40 minutes when he finally went to bed. He returned to his normal amount of sleep within a week. Yet the studies into sleep deprivation clearly show that humans can suffer serious side effects from the lack of it (WIKIPEDIA. Randy Gardner; The story of Peter Tripp and Randy Garner/pdf).

HOW TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF YOUR
SLEEP

Sleep experts is recommending somevariety of techniques to improve quality of
sleep and reduce insomnia. Such are:

•Maintain a regular sleep/wake schedule to stablish a stable circadian rhythm.

•Get the amount of sleep you need during the week. Avoid sleeping in on weekends, as doing so will disrupt your sleep rhythm.

•Avoid evening naps especially if you have trouble falling asleep at night, as doing so will make you less happy

if you go to bed. Make the bedroom free from light and noise, and set a comfortable
temperature.

•Avoid stimulants. This includes: coffee, tobacco products, caffeinated products such as soft drinks and chocolates.

•Avoid sleeping pills. Sleeping pills impair REM sleep. And their constant use can lead to dependence and insomnia. Try to go to bed in a relaxed state.

•Plan time for worrying well before bedtime. Meditation can reduce tension, remove worrisome thoughts, and induce sleep.

•Do not try to wear yourself out. Avoid physical exercise before bedtime. If you’re having sleep difficulties, avoid performing non sleep activities in your bedroom.

MORE INFORMATION
REM sleep is a sleep stage characterized by rapid eye movement (REM), high arousal, and frequent dreaming. Physiological arousal may increase to day time levels during REM sleep. Studies shows that during REM sleep the hearth rate quickens, breathing comes more rapid and irregular, and brain-wave activity resembles that of active wakefulness. Sexual arousal is also common during REM sleep; men have penile erections and women experience vaginal lubrications, regardless of whether or not any dreams in progress are of an erotic nature.

REFERENCE

Bronzaft, A. L., Ahern, K. D., McGinn, R., O’Connor, J., & Savino, B. (1998). Aircraft noise: A potential health hazard. Environment

Hess, W.R. (1965). Sleep as phenomenon of the integral organism. In K. Akert, C. Bally, & J.P. Schade (Eds), Sleep mecahanism.

Hut R.A. &Beersma D. G. M (2011) Evolution of time-keeping mechanisms: early emergence and adaptation to photoperiod

Parents are Teachers

As a basic standard, the child’s first teachers are his parents.  Home is his first school.  Even after school begins she will still learn the most important and lasting lesson of his life at home.  No one is born to be a good parent, but parents are always looking forward to ideas that make them good teachers to their siblings.  Someone told me that to be a good parent is a matter of ‘patience, study and love, but it’s also a matter of information’.  There has been a great deal of information about parenting, or child discipline, and successful teaching method accumulated through scientific research wherein some of them will be included in this article.  A good parent needs a working knowledge of this information.

It has been widely claimed that ‘discipline is a teaching process on the part of the parent, and learning process on the part of the child.’  There are many available help to evaluate which methods are best for a parent to use.  That help comes from proven psychological experiments on how children learn. I have included some of them in this study, and I’m sure you will learn from them.  But before we go to them, let us  have first a brief discussion why parents are teachers too.

When disciplining your child you are basically functioning as his teacher that is why you need information about teaching methods that will enable you to accomplish your job satisfactory.   According to the book of Parenting  “the first thing every good teacher does is build an effective rapport and good emotional relationship with his students.”… “If the students despise and hate the teacher, he is not going to teach them much…  It is the same with the parent and child.”   So it is apparent that there is no innate instinct in a child to love or obey their parents.  Psychology studies claim that you have to build them: the feeling of love, respect and trust by spending time with your child. It’s true and same as of the old adage in which love, trust, acceptance, and deep emotional relationship has to be built in your child’s early years or you won’t be able to teach him in his later years.

Here I have included some helpful information about parenting and psychology.  First is the style of parenting.  Diana Baumrind (1967) identified two key of dimensions of parental behavior: warmth versus hostility, and restrictiveness versus permissiveness.  According to this study warm parents communicate love and caring for the child, while hostile parents express rejection and behave as if they do not care about the child. The second dimension, the restrictiveness versus permissiveness, parents differ in the extent to which they make and enforce rules.  Linver et.al (2002) combined these dimensions yields four parenting styles that are associated with different patterns of child development:

• Authoritative parents are controlling but warm. These parents establish clear rules, consistently enforce them, and reward children’s compliance with warmth and affection. They communicate high expectations, caring, and support.  This style is associated with the most positive childhood outcomes: higher self-esteem, higher achievers in school, and have fewer conduct problems.
• Authoritarian parents also exert control but do so within a cold, unresponsive, or rejecting relationship. Their children tend to have lower self-esteem, be less popular with peers, and perform more poorly in school than children with authoritative parents.
• Indulgent parents have warm, caring relationship with their children but do not provide the guidance and discipline that help children learn responsibility and concern for others. Their children tend to be more immature and self-centered.
• Neglectful parents provide neither warmth nor rules nor guidance. Their children are most likely to be insecurely attached, to have low achievement motivation and disturbed peer relationships, and to be impulsive and aggressive.  This style of parenting is associated with the most negative development outcomes.

Now that you have read the idea about the combined dimensions of parental behavior, it is possible that your mind is containing option which of them is the best for you and your child.  Those styles of parenting are really been practiced globally, though, some of the parents may not be aware of the kind of parenting they are practicing.  Of course, many parents do strive to teach their children proper values by setting good example and by giving firm but loving correction when needed.  Nevertheless, parent who recognize they are loving, warm, caring, and providing guidance to their children have forgot how to properly use discipline.  The book The Narcissism Epidemic says: “It is increasingly common to see parents relinquishing authority to young children.  Not long ago, kids knew who the boss was—and it wasn’t them.”  Now in some households it seems to be the other way around.  What happened to discipline?

Indulgent parenting is a kind of “relaxed parenting”.  For example: ‘Be a friend, not an authority figure.’ ‘Praise is better than discipline.’ ‘Rather than correct the bad, catch your children in the act of doing good.’  This kind of child rearing has had negative effects.  It has not only weakened parental authority but also left children without the guidance they need to make good choices and approach life with high self-esteem.  In the preceding paragraph discusses more information about the development of high self-esteem.  Furthermore, I have included some information about self-actualization, the highest realization of human potential according to humanist Carl Roger.  Humanistic approach is also being applied in psychotherapy whose concepts have been measured and its laws tested.  I believe that when added to your best choice of parenting will add improvement not only to your child but also to yourself.

Positive regard, People need for positive regard—for acceptance, sympathy, and love from others.  Rogers viewed positive regard as essential for healthy development.  Ideally, positive regard received from the parents is unconditional—that is, independent of how the child behaves.  This positive regard has been classified into two: unconditional positive regard, and conditional positive regard.

• Unconditional positive regard communicates that the person is inherently worthy of love, regardless of accomplishments or behavior. In contrast,
• Conditional positive regard is dependent on how the child behaves. In the extreme case, love and acceptance are given to the child only when the child behaves as the parent want.  A study of this child rearing approach suggests long term negative consequence.  College students who reported that their mothers and fathers used conditional regard in four domains, in emotion control, pro-social behavior, academics, and sports performance, also experienced up-and-down fluctuations in their self-esteem and perceived parental disapproval, and resented their parents as young adults (Assor et. al 2004).  This conditional regard seems to be the reason why children have lower self-esteem even in their adulthood, and maybe a reason why they are more prone to psychological problems such as anxiety and depression, to physical illness, and to poor social relationships and underachievement (Brown, 1998).  What then conditions foster the development of high self-esteem?  Study suggest that children develop higher self-esteem when their parents communicate unconditional acceptance and love, establish clear guidelines for behavior, and reinforce compliance while giving the child freedom to make decisions and express opinions within those guideline (Brown, 1998; Coopersmith, 1967).

Apparently, lack of unconditional positive regard from parents (and other significant people in the past) teaches people that they are worthy of approval and love only when they meet certain standards.  Furthermore, according to Roger’s theory, lack of unconditional positive regard fosters the development of conditions of worth that dictates the circumstances under which we approve or disapprove of our selves.  For example, a child who experiences parental approval when behaving in a friendly fashion but disapproval whenever she (or he) becomes angry or aggressive may come to disapprove of her own angry feelings, even when they are justified.  As an adult, she may deny in herself all feeling of anger and struggle to preserve a self-image of being totally loving.  Carl Rogers believed that conditions of worth can tyrannize people and cause major incongruence between self and experience, as well as a need to deny or distort important aspect of experience.

Surely, there are many comprehensive studies for better parent-child relationship.  I suggest you to get more information to them.  Nevertheless, despite being brief of this article I believed it has vital information for a parent to possess.  We have learned that as a parent your child is worthy of love and acceptance regardless of accomplishments or behaviors.  Also, by adding unconditional positive regard to your best choice of parenting, you are not only teaching your child proper values but also to develop her self-concept and helping him to understand her relationship to the world around her.  Truly, it is not easy to become a parent.  Though no one is perfect, but when a child is properly nurtured in every aspect of life the result is a high quality human being, and I believe that every parent can do that—that is, parents are teachers.

For more information about self-concept, search for Carl Roger’s theory of the self; also visit www.jw.org for many helpful ideas on better parenting, child discipline, and many more.

REFERENCE

Assor, A., Roth, G., & Deci, E.L. (2004). The emotional costs of parents’ conditional regard: A self-determination theory analysis. Journal of Personality, 72, 47-88.

Brown, J.D. (1998) The self.

Coopersmith, S. (1967). The antecedents of self-esteem.

Linver, M.R., Brooks-Gunn, J., & Kohen, D.E. (2002) Family process as pathways from income to young children’s development. Developmental Psychology, 38, 719-734.

REVELATION

I had enough I couldn’t take it anymore,
I found a place it opened a new door.
How eager they grasp yet they couldn’t understand,
They hated and oppressed me grabbed me by hand.
Cast this world behind me, safe here with my kind
God’s gift is my life I’ll decide not you!

Withdrawn I look there never thinks of you,
Daydreaming of life, wonders in my mind.
All the love and life always at God’s hand
So blind with hate they never understand.
Stumbled, they hate to walk in that door
They blocked so no one can go anymore.

This world is not triumphant anymore
Descending, fainting light of the door.
Like an imprudent fails to understand,
Love of pleasures always at their hand.
Almighty creator not in their mind,
I am no one don’t think of me like you.

I’ll start again leave this world to you,
I effaced it already in my mind.
I’ll endure whatever God holds my hand,
This knowledge you will never understand.
Even narrow and cramped I’ll reach that door,
This world is not fit for me anymore.

Enough, it’s not about you anymore;
You are not going to reach for that door.
I have tried yet you fail to understand,
You hated me you refused to hold my hand.
Look, I’m free to speak with my own kind;
All my strength is for God’s love not you.

The good news is nothing to do with you,
Ridiculers of God’s love is your kind.
Jealousy; contentiousness holds your hand
God’s wisdom you will never understand.
It’s too late for you to enter the door,
You will not be remembered anymore.

Keep the world with all its sin it fits you,
Ungodly things fits you all of your kind.
Revelation—It’s grand climax at hand.

TYPE A

Do you know a person maybe a family member, relatives, or a friend who live under great pressure and demand much of themselves and others? In a working place, perhaps in office, have you seen your friend constantly sitting on the edge of his seat and moving about? If your answer to the questions above is yes, you are witnessing a particular behavior seen in people with Type A behavior pattern. Many Type A people are workaholics, continually striving to get more done in less time. Research suggest that people with Type A behavior are also characterized by high level of competitiveness and ambition, which can foster aggressiveness and hostility when things get in their way. In contrast, people labeled Type B shows the opposite pattern of patience, serenity, and lack of time urgency.

Many large-scale studies suggest that Type A persons are doubled the vulnerability to heart disease, and other physical risk factors such as obesity and smoking. However, Type A person’s fast-paced, time conscious lifestyle and high ambition are not the culprits in their being vulnerable to heart disease. Ruther, studies suggest that the crucial component is the negative emotions, particularly anger. Type A people are cynical hostile marked by suspiciousness, resentment, distrust, frequent anger, and antagonism. These type of behaviors are likely to alienate others, produce interpersonal stress and conflict, and reduce the amount of social support the person receives. Obviously, the Type A behavior pattern virtually guarantees that they will encounter many stressful situations, such as time pressures of their own making and frustration that anger them.

DID YOU KNOW?

Studies of the hard-driving Type A behavior pattern have shown that the most damaging aspect is the negative emotions, particularly anger and hostility, that these people experience.

BE WARNED!

Being astute or at least having knowledge in person’s behavior (esp. psychological disorders) requires skills on how to handle their difficult behavior. For example, consider how you might react if you were told that your boss is a narcissistic or a Type A person or a pedophile. This would influence indeed your perceptions and interactions with that person, whether or not the label was accurate. Therefore, it is helpful to suggest you research how to manage difficult conversation or handle difficult people.

OTHERS

Many people with psychological disorders do not seek treatment because of the stigma attached to “mental illness.” Even though people with psychological disorders typically distressing to the person or to others and are maladaptive, yet they are not “crazy” as you probably thinking. They are also humans that need the most help. So in this case, I am so happy to suggest this website www.jw.org and it is free. This site is not only successful in discussing and proving what does the Bible really teach but also in helping people to cope in today’s problems and stress using the Bible. For example, an article that tackles burnout and other related physical and emotional problem. So search and enjoy. See also my article Blood and Catastrophe: A short story of my life in relation to psychology and Scripture

Is Spiritual Reasoning Illogical?

One aspect of intelligent thinking is the ability to reason and think logically. Such thinking helps us acquire knowledge, make sound decisions, and solve problem. We see that people solve problems by developing solutions in their minds before applying them to external world. This particular topic will discuss the soundness and how logical spiritual reasoning is. This message may not totally a “two sided refutational approach” (Allen, 1991). However, I was able to present my side of the issue. I was also able to present opposition’s issue and then refute them. According to Richard Petty and John Cacioppo (1986), one basic route to persuasion is the central route to persuasion—when people think carefully about the message and are influenced because they find the arguments compelling. Since our topic is about God and the Bible, our message should be loaded with logical arguments and facts to be highly persuasive even though many don’t believe to God and the Bible to be inspired of God. In spite of that, our topic is about God and the Bible.

There are many arguments about God. Some claims that Jesus is the Almighty God, some claims that God is a Trinity, others do not believe that God’s name should be used etc. But when questioned and can’t prove it to be a Bible teaching, e.g. the Trinity, they start to reason that God is a mystery or that we can never fully understand God’s thought. Is that sounds logical? Then let’s look at this particular entrenched defensiveness: “we are imperfect and lower life form. We are mere human. God’s way is not our ways neither his thoughts our thoughts.” What do you think? Is that statement is true? Is it really we can never understand God’s thoughts so it is illogical in trying to do so. So it raises critical questions: does that make God’s thoughts illogical because He is Almighty God? Or does it mean that God is illogical to human understanding? If so, that should be the Bible telling about God. What does the Bible really teach? Let us look at the Bible (NWT, 1984):

• Amos 3:7 “For the Sovereign Lord Jehovah will not do a thing Unless he has revealed his confidential matter to his servants the prophets”
• Proverbs 2:5,6 “Then you will understand the fear of Jehovah, And you will find the knowledge of God. 6 For Jehovah himself gives wisdom; From his mouth come knowledge and discernment.”

The Bible clearly shows that God reveals his thoughts to us humans, and He also gives understanding and wisdom to his human servants. So having higher thoughts and ways does not equal illogical just because we are imperfect and lower life form. Furthermore, the Bible tells us that we were created in God’s image, we have the ability to reason and use logic, and that also let us know that God is reasonable and logical.

Moreover, God knows how to make his will known to us humans so we can fully understand it. For example, the Bible says in 2 Timothy chapter three verse sixteen and seventeen: “All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, so that man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work.” If spiritual understanding is illogical, then why the Bible says the very opposite?

What is then the ‘illogical and not reasonable’? Let us again look in the Bible (ERV):

• James 3:13-15 “Who is wise and understanding among you? let him shew by his good life his works in meekness of wisdom.But if ye have bitter jealousy and faction in your heart, glory not and lie not against the truth. This wisdom is not a wisdom that cometh down from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.” NWT : Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him by his fine conduct demonstrate works performed with a mildness that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and contentiousness in your hearts, do not be bragging and lying against the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above; it is earthly, animalistic, demonic.“
• James 3: 17 “But thewisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, reasonable, ready to obey, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, not hypocritical” (NWT).

These Scriptures shatters the theory that spiritual understanding is illogical. Wisdom that is from above is spiritual wisdom; it’s from God. The Bible clearly says it is reasonable, which is the opposite of illogical. And the wisdom that is not from above says the Bible is earthly, animalistic, and demonic. To recapitulate, the Bible says humans were created in God’s image (not like unreasoning animals which act on instinct), thus whoever reject the wisdom from above which is logical and reasonable are referred to as ‘unreasoning, animals, demonic.’ And logical reasoning shows that by saying spiritual understanding is illogical, he or she actually says that God’s wisdom is lower than even humans.

Furthermore, let us tour a little bit more in the Bible (NWT):

• 2 Peter 2:12 “But these men, like unreasoning animals that act on instinct and are born to be caught and destroyed, speak abusively about things of which they are ignorant. They will suffer destruction brought on by their own destructive course, “
• Jude 10 “But these men are speaking abusively about all the things they really do not understand. And in all the things that they do understand by instinct like unreasoning animals, they go on corrupting themselves.”
• Jude 17-21 “As for you, beloved ones, call to mind the sayings that have been previously spoken by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, 18 how they used to say to you:“In the last time there will be ridiculers, following their own desires for ungodly things.” 19 These are the ones who cause divisions, animalistic men, not having spirituality. 20 But you, beloved ones, build yourselves up on your most holy faith, and pray with holy spirit, 21 in order to keep yourselves in God’s love, while you await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ with everlasting life in view.
• Romans 12:1,2 “Therefore, I appeal to you by the compassion of God, brothers, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, a sacred service with your power of reason. 2 And stop being molded by this system of things, but be transformed by making your mind over, so that you may prove to yourselves the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
• 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but one of power and of love and of soundness of mind“

IN REVIEW

What do you think?

Is there any evidence that proves that God is illogical and He made us illogical by being not able to understand his will, thoughts or wisdom, and therefore spiritual reasoning is illogical? After discussing the Bible concerning the topic, we have come into conclusion that spiritual reasoning is logical and wisdom from above—from God. We have also learn from the Bible teaching that God is logical and reasonable. Therefore it is not logical to believe that God’s knowledge/thought is illogical to humans and they will never understand it.

To recapitulate the argument “We are imperfect and lower life form, we are mere humans, God’s way is not our ways neither His thought our thoughts” is valid, but the fault in this argument is not the reasoning but the falsehood in fact of the premises thus unsound and not a good argument.

OTHERS

Nothing in the Scripture is based on theory. The Bible is from God. Therefore to deny the Scripture is to deny God.

FROM THE AUTHOR OF THIS ARTICLE

I wish you think carefully about the message and see how logical and reasonable Almighty God is. However, if you didn’t, of course there are some reasons to that. One reason is that people differ in their need for cognition. A message loaded with logical arguments and facts may prove highly persuasive to some people yet fall flat on its face with others. It is because some enjoy analyzing issues, others prefer not to spend much mental effort.

REFERENCE

New World Translation of the Holy Scripture., 1984 edition., New York., N.Y.

From OT to NT: Amos 3:7; Genesis 1:26(…in God’s image); Proverbs 2:5,6; 2 Peter 2:12; 2 Timothy 1:7; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17; James 3: 13-15; James 3: 17; Jude 10; Jude 17-21; Romans 12:12

Bible Hub: Search, Read, Study the Bible in Many Languages., © 2004 – 2014 by Biblos.com., English Revised Version: James 3:13-15

‘OTHER’ REFERENCE

Allen, M. (1991). Meta-analysis comparing the persuasiveness of one-sided and two-sided message. Western Journal of Speech Communication, 55, 390-404.

Petty, R.E., & Cacioppo, J.T. (1986). Communication and persuation: Central and peripheral routes to attitude change. New York., Springer Verlag.

Media (and Video Game) Violence: How it affects our Attitude and Behavior

Many movies and TV programs are saturated with violence. Still, hundreds of millions of people are entertained by media violence. It is healthy; however, to think carefully on this matter. And it is good to ask yourself: What effect does viewing aggressive models on TV or in movies have on our attitudes and behavior?  Social learning theorist argue that by providing numerous aggressive models—including many that reinforced—media violence is more likely to increase viewers’ aggressive behavior. For example, American children who watch greater amounts of TV violence are more likely than their peers to display physical aggression when they become young adults (Eron, 1987; Huesmann et al., 2003).  Research strongly suggests that viewing media violence

• Decreases viewers’ concerns about the suffering of victims
• Habituates us to the sight of violence;
• Provides aggressive models that increase viewers tendency to act aggressively (Eron, 2000; Huesmann et al., 2003).

This association is not simply due to the fact that children who watch the most TV violence are already more aggressive to begin with.  Moreover, boys and girls who perceive TV violence to be highly realistic and identify strongly with same-sex aggressive TV characters are most likely to act aggressively as adults (Huesmann et al., 2003). Experiments in laboratory and field settings reveal a clearer causal link between watching media violence and behaving more aggressively (Leyens et al., 1975).

Media violence appears to exert its effects through multiple avenues (Huesmann, 1997):

• Viewers learn new aggressive behaviors through modelling.
• Viewers come to believe that aggression usually is rewarded, or at least rarely punished.
• Viewers become desensitized to the sight and thought of violence and to the suffering of violence.

Beyond movies and TV, the question of whether violent video games promote aggression also has raised much public and scientific concern.  In 2005 some Washington State legislators drafted a bill to make it easier for parents to sue violent video game manufacturers in cases where playing those games could be linked to the commission of violent crimes (KING Broadcasting Company, 2005).

Do Violent Video Games Promote Aggression?

Millions of children and teens love violent video games.  Gintele et al., in their study of Midwestern junior high students: boys reported playing video games for 13 hours a week; girls, for five hours a week. Respectively, 70 percent and 50 percent of their favorite games had violent content. Do violent video games breed aggression? What does research say about this? Correlational studies find that compared to their peers, youngsters who have more exposure to violent video games get into more physical fights with other people (Gentile et al., 2004).

Passer & Smith (2007) in their study in correlation approach said those youngsters who play violent video games may cause them to get into more fights; secondly, perhaps getting into fights produces consequences (e.g, stress, anger, frustration) that prompt youngsters to play violent video games and lastly, perhaps these youngsters have a more hostile, aggressive personality to begin with, which causes them to play more violent video games and also to get into more fights. Indeed, Gentile and coworkers (2004) found that among young adolescents, those exposed to more violent video games also scored higher on psychological test of hostility. So, to take this possible confounding factor into account, researchers Roland Irwin and Allan Gross (1995) conducted some special analyses that statistically adjusted for the hostility differences among adolescents.

Experiments in which researchers directly manipulates people’s exposure to violent video games provide a clearer casual picture. Roland Irwin and Allan Gross randomly assigned sixty 7- and 8-years old boys to play either a violent or nonviolent video game for 20 minutes.  In the violent video game, Double Dragon, the player assumed the role of a martial arts hero who kicks, punches, and uses a rope or chain to whip and defeat ruthless street gang members. In the on violent game, Excitebike, the player raced a motorcycle against the clock.

After playing one of the games, each child engaged in a 10-minute “free-play” period with another boy (an accomplice). Next, as each participant competed against this boy on a task for a prize, the boy (according to plan) cheated. Compared with participants who had played Excitebike, those who had played Double Dragon displayed more physical and verbal aggression toward inanimate objects (e.g., toys), more verbal aggression toward the other boy during the free play period, and more physical aggression toward the other boy during the frustrating competition.

What do you think? Did Double Dragon’s violent content increase participants’ aggression, or was it simply a more exciting game?  If so, perhaps it was only greater arousal that led to more aggression? If you were the experimenter, what could you do to rule out this possible confounding factor?  Irwin and Gross measured participants’ heart rate both before and during the video game play. The result: no heart rate differences between the two video game conditions, strengthening the conclusion that the content of the violent game was the key factor.

Most studies employing this procedure have found that children’s aggression toward peers increases after playing violent video gamesFurthermore, even among college students, briefly playing a violent video game (Mortal Combat, DOTA, Counter Strike, and the like) increased women’s and especially men’s aggressive behavior toward a confederate who had earlier aggressed against them (Bartholow & Anderson, 2002).

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Psychodynamic theorist agrees that by performing an act of aggression discharges aggressive energy and temporarily reduces our impulse to aggress. However, a recent meta-analysis of over 30 experiment and real-world correlational studies on violent video games indicates that:

• The evidence clearly does not support the catharsis hypothesis (see what is Catharsis vs. Social Learning) that playing violent video games decreases people’s aggression by letting them blow off steam; and, to the contrary,
• Playing violent video games is linked to increased aggressive behavior, thoughts, and emotions (Anderson, 2004).

Certainly, the overwhelming majority of children, teens, and adults who play violent video games do not go out and assault or kill people. But aggression comes in many forms, physical and verbal, obvious and subtle. Still, continued research focusing on long term effects is needed to pinpoint how strongly children and adults are affected by a world full of DOTA, Counter Strike and other violent (bloody) video games.

IN REVIEW

Most research supports that watching movie and TV violence and playing violent video games increase the risk that children and adults will act aggressively.

OTHER POINTS

                For parents, this is the time to make an action whether you let your children be influenced by media violence or violent video games.  This is also the best time to examine yourself whether you are doing your best to your child. In my next article, I’ll discuss the correlation of a parent and a teacher. Thanks for reading.

References

Anderson, C.A. (2004). An update on the effects of playing violent video games. Journal of   Adolescence, 27, 113-122.

Bartholow, B.D., & Anderson, C.A. (2002). Effects of violent video games on aggressive behavior: Potential sex differences. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 38, 283-290.

Eron, L.D. (1987). The development of aggressive behavior from the perspective of a developing behaviorism. American Psychologist, 42, 435-442.

Eron L.D. (2000). A psychological perspective. In V.B. Van Hasselt & M. Hersen (Eds.), Aggression and violence: An introductory text. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Gentile, D.A., Lynch, P.J., Linder, J.R., & Walsh, D.A. (2004). The effects of violent video game habits on adolescent hostility, aggressive behaviors, and school performance. Journal of Adolescence, 27, 5-22.

Huesmann, L.R. (1997). Observational learning of violent behavior: Social and biosocial processes. In A. Raine, P.A. Brennan, D.P. Farrington, & S.A. Mednick (Eds.), Biosocial bases of violence. New York: Plenum Press.

Huesmann, L.R. Moise-Titus, J., Podolski, C.L., & Eron, L.D. (2003). Longitudinal relations between children’s exposure to TV violence and their aggressive and violent behavior in young adulthood: 1997-1992. Developmental Psychology, 39, 201-221.

Leyens, J.P., Camino, L., Parke, R.D., & Berkowitz, L. (1975). Effects of movie violence on aggression in a field setting as a function of group dominance and cohesion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 32, 346-360.

Types of Personality Disorders

Personality Disorders and their Major Features:

1. Paranoid Personality. This is characterized by suspiciousness, hypersensitivity, rigidity, envy, excessive self-importance, and argumentativeness plus a tendency to blame others for one’s own mistakes and failures and to ascribe evil motives to others.
2. Schizoid Personality. Individuals with this personality disorder neither deserve nor enjoy close relationship. They live a solitary life with a little interest in developing friendships. They exhibit emotional coldness, detachment, or a constricted affect. Because patients with schizoid personality disorder may feel threatened if the physician attempts to become close, these patients should be treated in a formal manner.
3. Schizotypal Personality. Individuals with this type of personality disorder exhibit odd behavior, thoughts, appearance, and extreme discomfort to social situations.
4. Histrionic Personality. This is characterized by attempt to be the center of attention through theatrical and self-dramatizing behavior. Sexual adjustment is poor and interpersonal relationships are stormy. The physician should treat these patients in a professional manner because they tend to eroticize any relationship.
5. Narcissistic Personality. Individuals with this type of personality have a pervasive sense of self importance. They are preoccupied by fantasies of unlimited success, power, and they often demand excessive admiration and attention. Concurrently, they lack empathy and are unwilling to recognize or identify with the needs of others. They appear arrogant and haughty. These patients may threaten the physician and devaluate her competence. It is useful for physician to recognize this style and not become threatened or angry.
6. Antisocial Personality. This is characterized by a lifelong history of inability to conform to social norms. They are irritable and aggressive; impulsive need gratification and lack of empathy for others; often highly manipulative and seem to lack conscience.
7. Borderline Personality. Borderline personality disorder refers to a collection of symptoms characterized primarily by serious instability in behavior, emotion, identity, and interpersonal relationships. Borderline individuals have intense and unstable personal relationships and experience chronic feeling of extreme anger, loneliness, and emptiness, as well as momentary losses of personal identity. They are inclined to engage in impulsive behavior such as running away, promiscuity, binge eating, and drug abuse, and their lives are often marked by repetitive self-destructive behaviors, such as self-mutilation and suicide attempts that seem designed to call forth a “saving” response from other people in their lives.
8. Avoidant Personality. Individuals with this personality are fearful of becoming involved with people because of excessive fear of criticism or rejection. Although these individuals wish to be in social situations, they become intensely anxious and believe that they are socially inept and inferior to others. Extreme avoidant behaviors lead to social phobias. These patients may use health complaints as a way of socializing; especially if the physician is emphatic and understanding.
9. Dependent Personality. This is characterized by inability to make daily decisions without excessive advice and reassurance. These patients need others to assume responsibility for them. Dependent patients can make inordinate demands by means of repeated telephone calls and they may be unwilling to comply with treatment. These patients also have trouble relinquishing the sick role and living the hospital setting when appropriate.
10. Compulsive personality. This is characterized with excessive concern with rules, order efficiency, and work coupled with insistence that everyone do things their way and inability to express warm feelings. Such individuals tend to be over-inhibited, over-conscientious, over-dutiful and rigid, and to have difficulty relaxing or doing anything just for fun. There is usually a preoccupation with crucial details and poor allocation of time.

SOURCE: Based on DSM-IV-TR, American Psychiatric Association, 2000; BELTRAN, ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY.(2007)

Treatment and Outcomes of Personality Disorders

People with PERSONALITY DISORDERS are usually considered to be ESPECIALLY RESISTANT TO THERAPY.  In many cases persons with personality disorders who are seen clinically are there as part of another person’s treatment.  As for example, in couple counseling, where the partner identified as the “patient” has a spouse with personality disorder or a child refer to a child guidance center may have a parent with personality disorder.  Because they usually enter treatment only at someone else’s insistence and do not believe that there is a need for them to change, individuals with personality disorders typically put the responsibility for treatment on others and are adept at avoiding the focus of therapy themselves.  The difficulty they have in forming and maintaining good relationships generally tends to make the therapeutic relationship a stormy one.  The pattern of acting out, typical in their other relationships, is carried into the therapy situation, and instead of dealing with their problem at the verbal level, they may become angry with the therapist and loudly disrupt the sessions.  They may behave in socially inappropriate ways to show the therapist that the therapy is not working.

When questioned about such behavior, these individuals often drop out of treatment or become even more entrenched in their defensiveness.  In some cases confrontation can be quite effective.  For individuals who become identified with a therapy group who are sufficiently “hooked” into couple therapy not to flee the session when their behavior comes under scrutiny, the intense feedback from peers or spouse often is more acceptable than confrontation by a therapist in individual treatments.  In some cases, the therapeutic technique must be modified.  In general therapy for individuals with personality disorders is much more likely to be effective in situations like prisons, where acting out behavior can be constrained and the individuals cannot leave the situation. Outpatient treatment is not promising in many cases.

What Do You Think?

“DO I HAVE THAT DISORDER?”

Wondering if you have a psychological disorder when reading about their features is quite understandable. We all experience problems in living at various times, and we may react in ways that bear similarities to the disorder described above. Logically, seeing such a similarity does not necessarily mean that you have the disorder at a clinically level.  On the other hand, if you find that maladaptive behaviors such as those describe above are interfering with your happiness or personal effectiveness, then you should not hesitate to seek professional assistance in changing these behaviors. In addition, you will want to consider the frequency with which the particular behaviors (behavior that is personally distressing, personally dysfunctional, and/or so culturally deviant that was defined as ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR (W. Passer, E. Smith, 2007) or experiences occur, as well as the intensity and their duration.  When Problem behaviors occur frequently, are intense, and/or last for a long time, they are more likely to be clinically significant.  In such case, it is important not to let any stigma you might attach to having a psychological problem keep you from acting in your best and discussing your problem with a mental health professional.

The Whereabouts of the True Happiness

Life is often compared to a journey. Just when a person may begin a trip with no final destination in mind, he or she could live his life without identifying its real purpose. In the well-known writing “the busy-ness of life” by Stephen R. Covey, he wrote about those who “find themselves achieving victories that are empty, successes that have come at the expense of things they suddenly realize were far more valuable to them.” Would we not agree that making a trip not heading in the right direction or with no final destination in mind would be pointless? Likewise, looking for meaning in life by simply increasing our “busy-ness” will bring only emptiness, not true fulfillment.

Happiness is necessity for humans. They need to enjoy good health and long life as well as peace and security even the world today is full of misery: disasters, calamities, diseases, wars, crime, and injustices are constantly on the increase. For instance, others claim to be practical and realistic, where they argue that meaningful life is through wealth and riches. They claim that the way to a meaningful life is when a person is wealthy and rich. However, history tells us that devastating experiences like business failures, economic depressions, crime, violence, wars, and disasters have ruined the fortunes of many in an instant. Experience like those is the everyday content of news whether on TV or in newspapers; to count them would be countless. So it is not reliable to put your trust or to look for true happiness through wealth and riches. Psychology says that the more they look happiness into money, the less they find it there. King Solomon of the Bible put it this way: “The man who loves money can never have enough, and the man who is in love with great wealth enjoys no return from it.” Guy Wright in San Francisco Examiner wrote: “…if the choice is between happy poor and unhappy rich, the children of a laughing pauper are the ones to envy. For they will grow up with the expectation that life is good, that the world is a sunny and friendly place, that other people are as human and decent as they are, that is fun to be alive.” Neither wealth nor richness is the way to true happiness, a meaningful life.

Others pursue fame, power and position. They feel that if they become prominent, they can dominate and tower over others and be admired by them. However, no matter how successful a person may be, circumstances can change quickly and he can lose his position overnight; fame and glory brings only a temporary satisfaction. Because when a person’s life comes to an end, the fame and glory he enjoyed pass away with him. At the same time, many also feel that life is so short. So they do whatever they want in order to enjoy life pleasures and have a good time while they still can. Yes, entertainment and recreation do have place in life. But they can’t provide lasting happiness and satisfaction. How does a person feel when the excitement is over? Indeed, after all those who indulge in feasting and the merrymaking are often left feeling empty and exhausted; and it all exacerbates the life devoid of meaning.

Furthermore, we hear about anecdotal reports about persons who grow-up very poor in a troubled home but fought against all odds and become very wealthy. A report on happiness in the San Francisco Chronicle explains: “Such stories are sometimes cited as evidence that they made the best of a bad thing, turning out well despite or because of their unhappy childhoods,” says the report, “The problem with this interpretation, according to research, is that they may not have turned out so well after all. They just turned out wealthy.”

Wealth, fame, power, prominence, pleasures, revelry—none of them can bring lasting happiness and contentment. It is because those who seek happiness through these means have aimed in the wrong direction and followed the wrong path. They are concerned only with gratifying their physical or material desires. And they are left with the same spiritual void, longing, and frustration that they started with when all is said and done. They have found no real contentment and the victory they consider is nothing but—empty.

For our life to be meaningful, we must first understand why we are here. We see that birds and beasts are satisfied when their physical needs—eating and sleeping—are met. However, humans have needs far beyond these basic necessities. That is because we are endowed with a conscience which animals did not. Do wild beasts have a capacity for spiritual things? Humans do. Animals have never been concerned with the purpose of living, but we humans yearn to know the meaning of life. So to live with real happiness, we must fulfill the needs of the heart and the mind.

The question we are now facing is: how such needs can be satisfied? Specifically, the answers rely on these questions: ‘Where did man come from? What is the purpose of life? Is there a Sovereign Lord of the universe? If so, does he care about mankind? What is his purpose for us?’ All of these are very important questions, and you need the satisfying and correct answers. And when you eagerly look for an answer, satisfying and correct answer, you will be granted of hope to live a life with the true happiness—a meaningful life.

Don’t Be Smitten Into That Soft Talk

Don’t be smitten into that soft talk,
Gentle Stories shall pervert your mind;
Mellow, mellow in twisting of the light.

Wise talk but in the end shows it’s a folk,
Because gentle and mild so lies are kind
Don’t be smitten into that soft talk.

Nice talk with lies is in and they’re in bulk
Distortion behind mild words is to find
Mellow, mellow in twisting of the light.

Vice talk who fought sowed darkness and stalk,
Dourness behind the sight molded and bind
Don’t be smitten into that soft talk.

Decorous talk is showing to be balk,
Seems prudent but at worst proves to be blind
Mellow, mellow in twisting of the light.

Hear it my good friend, there on the out-talk
I can see through, I saw a mastermind.
Don’t be smitten into that soft talk.
Mellow, mellow in twisting of the light.