Book Description

27. Nurturing Empathy, Julia Glass, Parenting, June/July 2001 Empathy (or experiencing anothers feelings) is an important human attribute. How and why empathy unfolds in young children is explained. Tips for parents who want to encourage empathetic behavior in their children are also included. 28. Reading Faces, Richard Conniff, Smithsonian, January 2004 The face is a particularly important method for nonverbal communication between humans. Facial expressions may be as important as the spoken word. Richard Conniff explores research that demonstrates how simple and subtle facial expressions can be detected and interpreted by humans. 29. How to Spot a Liar, James Geary, Time Europe, March 13, 2000 Humans and animals regularly deceive others. Nature, however, provides clues to help others decipher deceit. In humans, the face is a particularly revealing feature, so much so that computers are being programmed to detect liars. 30. Shy Squared, Karen Goldberg Goff, Insight, June 11, 2001 Shyness is more common than once thought. Both learning and heredity play parts in producing shy children. What shyness is, how shy people respond to others, and how to overcome shyness are showcased in this article. 31. Calling It Off, Pamela Paul, Time (Bonus Section Connections), October 2003 The divorce rate is high, but so too is the break-up rate of romantic relationships. One in five singles say they have broken off an engagement. The reasons are myriad. 32. American Families Are Drifting Apart, Barbara LeBey, USA Today Magazine (Society for the Advancement of Education), September 2001 Social scientists are examining the decline of the American family. From mobile family members living far from their relatives to those engaged in out and out family conflict, fewer American families remain intact. This article provides both anecdotal and statistical evidence to explore this issue and its myriad causes. 33. Forgiveness: Who Does It and How Do They Do It?, Michael E. McCullough, Current Directions in Psychological Science, December 2001 When someone transgresses against us, normal responses are to seek revenge or to avoid the transgressor. Forgiveness may be the healthiest response and research has revealed which people are the most likely to forgive. UNIT 5. Dynamics of Personal Adjustment: The Individual and Society 34. The Betrayal of the American Man, Susan Faludi, Newsweek, September 13, 1999 After the feminist revolution, American men were left wondering what the ideal man is. Susan Faludi traces the evolving masculine gender role. 35. Suspicious Minds: Too Much Trust Can Actually Be a Bad Thing A Polity of Suckers Is No Better Than a Nation of Cynics, Jedediah Purdy, The Atlantic Monthly, January/February 2003 This article discusses the decline of trust in America. Faith in others and in certain institutions has been declining for several decades. Purdy details the declines in trust in business and government. Along with decreases in these two types of trust, interpersonal trust has also diminished. The author also discusses some of the reasons for this deterioration. 36. Nobody Left to Hate, Elliot Aronson, The Humanist, May/June 2000 Negative school climate can alienate students and foster racial and ethnic prejudice. Elliot Aronson discusses his method, known as the jigsaw classroom, as a means to reduce such alienation and to promote racial harmony. 37. Fiftieth Anniversary: Brown vs. Board of Education, Brian Willoughby, Teaching Tolerance, Spring 2004 The year 2004 is the 50th anniversary of the historic Supreme Court ruling that ended segregation in public schools. This insightful article chronicles this historic event and examines whether racial prejudice and discrimination indeed have ended in the United States. 38. The Social Net, Bruce Bower, Science News, May 4, 2002 Almost half of all American households now possess internet access. This new means for finding information and communicating creates one large, unpredictable experiment in social interaction. Some scientists regard the internet as an opportunity to make and keep new friends; others view the internet as a means to pull people away from real-world interactions and make them less concerned about their real communities. 39. How to Multitask, Catherine Bush, New York Times Magazine, April 8, 2001 We are asked to complete many tasks in our daily lives often several tasks at the same time. How we can motivate ourselves to be better at multitasking and not to feel disappointed when we fail are topics covered in this article. The role of the brain in such complex situations is also explained. 40. Work, Work, Work, Work!, Mark Hunter, AARP Modern Maturity, May/June 1999 The biggest part of adult time is spent at work because the lines between our private lives and our working lives are blurring. Survival tips for coping with the increased pressure to work, work, work are part of this informative article. 41. The Difficult Task of Defining and Understanding Terrorism, Naji Abi-Hashem, International Psychology Reporter, Fall/Winter 2002 Terrorism is not an easy concept to define, yet it is essential that we understand what terrorism is. Terrorism is a behavior, but what makes a terrorist a terrorist remains highly controversial. 42. The Collateral Psychological Damage of War, Ralph Hyatt, USA Today Magazine (Society for the Advancement of Education), September 2003 Fatigue, battle wounds, death all around, and fear envelope war zone soldiers and cause psychological disorders. A common war-related disorder is post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD. Civilians who witness war can also be casualties of PTSD and other disorders. UNIT 6. Enhancing Human Adjustment: Learning to Cope Effectively 43. Are We Becoming a Nation of Depressives?, Kevin Turnquist, The Humanist, September/October 2002 Is depression a Western disorder? Why is depression on the rise despite new teatments and better diagnostic methods? This essay investigates the answer to these and other important questions. 44. Dear Reader: Get a Life, Pamela Paul, Psychology Today, August 2003 Talk show therapists and advice columnists are more popular than ever. They are also bolder and therefore perhaps more effective than talk show therapists and columnists of old. Why this may be true is explored in this article. 45. The 10 Rules of Change, Stan Goldberg, Psychology Today, September/October 2002 Many individuals prefer to attempt self-change rather than formal therapy. There are tried and true methods for reinventing yourself. Ten such rules are presented in this article for example, being is easier than becoming.