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Random thoughts and musings
Random thoughts and musings
Given the increasing evidence that self-control influences academic performance, it is important to try to increase the self-control of children. Of most interest are motivation strategies which have an immediate impact and don’t require a substantial time investment (e.g. unlike meditation). This study evaluated the impact of mental contrasting on academic performance. Mental contrasting is […]
Continue readingAre you a gambler; do you like to take unrealistic chances? I’m guessing you said ‘no’ to that question. Are you optimistic; not all the time, but on balance? If you said “yes” to this question but “no” to the first, I’m going to call you out. Optimism is a blind man’s gamble. Cultivate optimism. That’s advice […]
Continue readingThe Science of Compassion See the studies behind compassion. Why does compassion help? What can it do? Why does it matter? Discover the science of compassion and how it can make a difference in your life. Many studies are beginning to show not only the positive impact of having more compassion but the effectiveness of techniques to […]
Continue readingPositive Psychology Scales and Measurements The Brief Self-Control Scale (Tangney et al., 2004) is a 13-item questionnaire, which asks participants to endorse statements on a 5-point scale where 1 = not like me at all and 5 = very much like me (e.g., “I have a hard time breaking bad habits” and “I do certain things […]
Continue readingHave you ever seen those cartoons where a character has an devil on one shoulder telling it all the bad things it should do; and an angel on the other shoulder telling it all the good things it should do and the reasons it shouldn’t do them. I have always thought of self-control as that […]
Continue readingDid you know that how you think can actually affect your health? Pretty amazing, huh? That is one of the larger findings from the field of positive psychology. For example, those with a more optimistic perspective live longer, can recover from illness faster, and are more likely to engage in positive health behaviors (exercising, not smoking, etc…). This research […]
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