"Study: Meditation Reduces Depression Symptoms" The Herald - April 11, 2010
Summary: A new study suggests that Transcendental Meditation can be an effective way to decrease the symptoms of depression. Two studies were done to compare months of Transcendental Meditation practice with health education(used as the control). Transcendental Meditation helps people to achieve a relaxed state through use of a mantra done for 15 to 20 minutes twice a day. Depression was measured at the start, 3 months, 9 months, and 12 months later. In both studies the groups who did Transcendental Meditation had a greater reduction in symptoms of depression than the control groups. Researchers think that meditation may trigger a change in the body's chemistry affecting levels of serotonin, resulting in better reactions to environmental stress.
Application: This article relates to chapter 14: mood disorders. Major Depression is a severe depression that comes on suddenly and seems to have no external cause. People suffering from this are depressed for most of every day, feel tired, have trouble sleeping, experience changes in appetite and weight, have trouble concentrating and may have thoughts of death or suicide. It also relates to chapter 11: meditation as a coping mechanism. Meditation is a mental series of exercises meant to refocus attention and achieve a trancelike state of consciousness.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Classical Conditioning
"Scientist Teach Australian Animal to Aid in it's Own Survival" Gaston Gazetter April 18, 2010
Summary: Scientists are trying to save the endangered quoll by saving it from itself. They eat cane toads which kill them when they eat them. The scientists are putting nausea inducing chemicals on the cane toads.. So the quoll will get sick instead of trying to eat them and dying.\
Application: This article relates to chapter 5: classical conditioning. Classical conditioning is learning to make an involuntary response to a stimulus other than the original, natural stimulus that normally produces the reflex. The quoll is being conditioned to be sick whenever it gets near the cane toad. The unconditioned stimulus is the nausea inducing chemical, which produces the unconditioned response of being nauseous. So the quoll will not want to eat the cane toad anymore.
Summary: Scientists are trying to save the endangered quoll by saving it from itself. They eat cane toads which kill them when they eat them. The scientists are putting nausea inducing chemicals on the cane toads.. So the quoll will get sick instead of trying to eat them and dying.\
Application: This article relates to chapter 5: classical conditioning. Classical conditioning is learning to make an involuntary response to a stimulus other than the original, natural stimulus that normally produces the reflex. The quoll is being conditioned to be sick whenever it gets near the cane toad. The unconditioned stimulus is the nausea inducing chemical, which produces the unconditioned response of being nauseous. So the quoll will not want to eat the cane toad anymore.
Operant Conditioning
"Should We Bribe Kids?" Time Magazine - April 19, 2010
Summary: In the fall of 2007, Roland Fryer Jr. ran a randomized experiment in hundreds of classrooms in multiple cities to answer one question, can paying kids to well in school really work? He ended up paying 18,000 kids a total of $6.3 million to do the right thing. The experiment was conducted in Dallas, Chicago, Washington, and New York City. With each city having a different model of incentive. In Dallas 2nd graders were paid $2 for every book they read and completed a computerized quiz on. In Chicago 9th graders were paid $50 for an A, $35 for a B, $20 for a C, up to $2,000 a year. In Washington middleschoolers were paid for 5 different actions including attendance and behavior, perfect marks in every category could make $100 every 2 weeks. In New York City 4th graders could earn up to $25 per test, and 7th graders could earn up to $50 per test. In Dallas 2nd graders reading-comprehension scores went up significantly. In Chicago the kids who got money for grades attended more classes and got better grades but didn't do better on standardized testing. In Washington the kids did better on standardized testing. In New York City there was no effect.
Application: This article relates to chapter 5: operant conditioning. Operant conditioning is the learning of voluntary behaviors throught the effects of pleasant and unpleasant consequences to responses. In this experiment they were trying to get the kids to do better in school, get better grades, do better on standardized testing by giving them money as an incentive. The money being the pleasant response, and the studying more, attending class, reading a book, etc. being the voluntary behavior.
Summary: In the fall of 2007, Roland Fryer Jr. ran a randomized experiment in hundreds of classrooms in multiple cities to answer one question, can paying kids to well in school really work? He ended up paying 18,000 kids a total of $6.3 million to do the right thing. The experiment was conducted in Dallas, Chicago, Washington, and New York City. With each city having a different model of incentive. In Dallas 2nd graders were paid $2 for every book they read and completed a computerized quiz on. In Chicago 9th graders were paid $50 for an A, $35 for a B, $20 for a C, up to $2,000 a year. In Washington middleschoolers were paid for 5 different actions including attendance and behavior, perfect marks in every category could make $100 every 2 weeks. In New York City 4th graders could earn up to $25 per test, and 7th graders could earn up to $50 per test. In Dallas 2nd graders reading-comprehension scores went up significantly. In Chicago the kids who got money for grades attended more classes and got better grades but didn't do better on standardized testing. In Washington the kids did better on standardized testing. In New York City there was no effect.
Application: This article relates to chapter 5: operant conditioning. Operant conditioning is the learning of voluntary behaviors throught the effects of pleasant and unpleasant consequences to responses. In this experiment they were trying to get the kids to do better in school, get better grades, do better on standardized testing by giving them money as an incentive. The money being the pleasant response, and the studying more, attending class, reading a book, etc. being the voluntary behavior.
Stress
"Counselors Help SC Firefighters Address Job's Stress" The Herald - April 11. 2010
Summary: In 2007 the fire at the Sofa Super Store in Charleston, SC killed 9 firefighters. Since then around 200 firefighters have sought help through a counseling program. 37 firefighters have said they have post-traumatic stress disorder since the fire. Charleston Fire Chief Thomas Carr hopes the Firefighter Support Team will continue. He believes the program helps firefighters stay mentally fit and work through problems. The Team's annual budget helps pay salaries for three clinical counselors and a part-time psychologist, also retired firefighters do peer counseling.
Application: This article relates to chapter 11: stress. The job a firefighter does can be a stressor. Post-traumatic stress disorder is a disorder resulting from exposure to a major stressor, with symptoms of anxiety, nightmares, poor sleep, reliving the event, and concentration problems lasting for more than one month. The fire that killed 9 firefighters is a major stressor and a traumatic event, causing some of the men to have PTSD.
Summary: In 2007 the fire at the Sofa Super Store in Charleston, SC killed 9 firefighters. Since then around 200 firefighters have sought help through a counseling program. 37 firefighters have said they have post-traumatic stress disorder since the fire. Charleston Fire Chief Thomas Carr hopes the Firefighter Support Team will continue. He believes the program helps firefighters stay mentally fit and work through problems. The Team's annual budget helps pay salaries for three clinical counselors and a part-time psychologist, also retired firefighters do peer counseling.
Application: This article relates to chapter 11: stress. The job a firefighter does can be a stressor. Post-traumatic stress disorder is a disorder resulting from exposure to a major stressor, with symptoms of anxiety, nightmares, poor sleep, reliving the event, and concentration problems lasting for more than one month. The fire that killed 9 firefighters is a major stressor and a traumatic event, causing some of the men to have PTSD.
REM Sleep Behavior Disorder
"Acting Out While Asleep: A strange sleep disorder" The Herald - April 11, 2010
Summary: Lawrence Neumann, a 73 year old man from Streato, Ill., spent his nights kicking, screaming, grunting, punching, and hurling himself out of bed all while he was sleeping. For 16 years Lawrence and his wife Donna had no clue as to what was causing this. About 2 years ago a neurologist from Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine diagnosed him with REM Sleep Behavior Disorder. People with the disorder act out their dreams during sleep without knowing it. The diagnosis came as a relief to them, since it is an easily treatable condition. It's estimated that 1 out of every 200 people have this rare disorder. It's caused by a dysfunction in part of the brain that suppresses muscle action during REM sleep. Symptoms can be relieved 90% of the time by clonezepam, and a large number of patients are also helped my melatonin.
Application: This article relates to the book in chapter 4: sleep disorders. REM behavior disorder is a rare disorder in which the brain mechanisms that normally stop the voluntary muscles fail, allowing the person to thrash around and get up and act out nightmares. It is usually seen in men over 60.
Summary: Lawrence Neumann, a 73 year old man from Streato, Ill., spent his nights kicking, screaming, grunting, punching, and hurling himself out of bed all while he was sleeping. For 16 years Lawrence and his wife Donna had no clue as to what was causing this. About 2 years ago a neurologist from Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine diagnosed him with REM Sleep Behavior Disorder. People with the disorder act out their dreams during sleep without knowing it. The diagnosis came as a relief to them, since it is an easily treatable condition. It's estimated that 1 out of every 200 people have this rare disorder. It's caused by a dysfunction in part of the brain that suppresses muscle action during REM sleep. Symptoms can be relieved 90% of the time by clonezepam, and a large number of patients are also helped my melatonin.
Application: This article relates to the book in chapter 4: sleep disorders. REM behavior disorder is a rare disorder in which the brain mechanisms that normally stop the voluntary muscles fail, allowing the person to thrash around and get up and act out nightmares. It is usually seen in men over 60.
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