Psychology - Page 48 of 54

Beliefs about alcohol predict binge drinking

With changes proposed to the licensing laws in the UK there’s been lots of talk about binge drinking. The suggestion is that opening the pubs and bars at all hours will encourage binge drinking.

This is the same as saying that increasing the number of gyms will make us more healthy, or lowering the price of sofas will make us more lazy, or paying lawyers the same as binmen will decrease their number and make us less litigious and argumentative.

The answer to all these: it might but it won’t necessarily.

Research carried out on students into binge drinking – and after all these guys are professionals – suggests that it has much more to do with our expectations for drinking. The student’s belief that it made them more attractive, socially inviting and articulate, was directly predicting how much they drank.

Remember, reality is often not as important as our beliefs in affecting our behaviour.

> The abstract from the Journal of Addictive Behaviours

> You can check whether you’re a binge drinker on the BBC site

Scrap ‘unethical’ mental health bill, doctors urge

“A controversial bill to reform mental health law is so draconian, unethical and impractical that ministers should scrap it and start afresh, doctors’ leaders said today.”

> From The Guardian

The new Volkswagen ad

My Dad is occasionally heard to mutter that TV programmes nowadays can’t compete with the adverts. In this case, he’s right.

> From The Guardian, you can download the ad here.

Heightism applies to women as well as men

“Both men and women judge a tall female on first sight as more intelligent, assertive, independent and ambitious. For good measure, they are also judged richer and more successful, whatever the reality.”

> From The Independent

Graphology has zero validity (it’s rubbish)

According to this report on BBC News there are 3,000 businesses in the UK that use graphology (handwriting analysis) as part of the recruitment process. I am astounded.

Back when I was at school, I had an English teacher who was learning graphology. She took a look at my scrawling and told me that I was becoming more outgoing. I was astounded, how could she tell that just from handwriting? Then she stopped, looked at it again and corrected herself. Or, she said, perhaps it’s the opposite.

Obviously this is only anecdotal evidence, but what else is there? Well, after reviewing the research, the British Psychological Society has ranked all the procedures used in personnel selection in order of validity. Graphology shares its ranking position with astrology: zero validity.

So if your organisation uses this as a method of selecting new recruits, and you don’t work for the British Institute of Graphologists, then it’s time to think again.

» Read on about the connections between handwriting and personality.

Removing barriers to safe motoring

It’s a kind of back to basics approach for motorists. In these experimental stretches of road, gone are road markings, curbs, traffic islands, barriers and even traffic lights. Instead we encourage drivers, pedestrians and cyclists to interact and be more aware of each other.

The idea is so attractive, I hope it works – evidence is encouraging from the UK village where it has been trialled.

> Article and video from BBC News

Computer use good for literacy skills

This study tested what effect computer use by students had on reading and writing skills. Surprisingly student’s use of a computer during the school year improved their scores in the final test. That was despite it not involving a computer.

A more entertaining finding was buried in the middle. The researchers found that the use of Powerpoint to create presentations actually lowered the student’s marks in the final test. So Powerpoint is as bad for presenter as it is for the audience – something I had always suspected.

> From Science Daily

Crazy in love

A US company is selling this bear in a straight-jacket ahead of Valentine’s Day. Naturally some priggish Americans have claimed it stigmatises mental illness. Fortunately executives at The Vermont Teddy Bear Co. have taken, and I quote, “the difficult decision,” to continue selling the bear despite the outraged complaints. A triumph of capitalism over political correctness, I’m sure you’ll agree.

> From BBC News

Follow-up Friday

How many times do you read an article in the newspaper on a fascinating subject and then never hear about it again? I don’t want my blog to be a home for such fickle reporting, and so I bring you follow-up Friday!

There’s an ongoing debate about the factors affecting sexuality. Gene research brings more evidence for the strength of biological factors in homosexuality.

> From The University of Illinois

OK, the papers do occasionally follow-up their own interesting stories. A new columnist in the Guardian invited readers to meet him in a restaurant. Incredibly 20 of them showed up.

> The original column, the follow-up

Health messages in dodgy new proverbs

The plan was good, it was the execution that let him down. A Toronto researcher came up with the idea of spreading positive health messages by creating new proverbs. Unfortunately the ones he came up with are mostly a bit dodgy.

One was: “A tri-colour meal is a good deal.” Call me a cynic but I just can’t see it catching on. I’m sticking with Seneca’s dictum: “To wish to be well is a part of becoming well.” But I’m not claiming the kids will be chanting it by next week.

> From Science Daily