Albert Bandura, Leading Psychologist of Aggression, Dies at 95
Albert Bandura was a very important figure in psychology. Although some people, like the writer of this article, seem to give a lot of attention to his work with the Bobo doll, I think he was even more important in showing how modeling, rather than strict behaviorism or Freudianism, is important in understanding how human behavior and personality develops. His theorizing laid the groundwork for cognitive behaviorism, and helped psychologists realize that we do have the ability to make choices, unlike the determinism of both Freudianism and classical behaviorism. And, as one of the incidents in this article shows, he kept his sense of humor well into his 90s. Click here to read full article.
Simone Biles reveals depths of ‘dangerous’ twisties problem that’s destroying her Olympics
There have been a lot of discussion pro and con Simone Biles removing herself from the Olympic competition for mental health reasons. This article explains that it wasn’t a mental health problem in the usual sense. I believe it is more related to something I spoke about a couple weeks ago, coming from Bill Bryson’s book The Body. As you might remember, he asserts that we have many more than 5 senses: he says we have at least 33. One of those is proprioception—our sense of where we are in space. If our sense of proprioception is off (and what Simone Biles describes seems related to that), then the gymnastic feats she does could be very dangerous. I encourage you all to read this article: I think you will find it gives you a deep appreciation and respect for the decision she made. And fortunately, she was able to come back into the Olympics and win a bronze in an activity that was less dangerous as she is recovering. Click here to read full article.
What’s Ripping American Families Apart?
David Brooks, the writer of this article, is not a psychologist, but he cites a number of sources that make this article worthwhile reading. Click here to read full article.
Hope from the Global Church
When our minds only view Christianity in America and Canada and Europe, we may believe that Christianity is dying. That is certainly not true, and this article acquaints us with the global picture, where believers in the Christian faith are rapidly increasing. Click here to read full article.
Cost-effectiveness of Internet-Delivered vs In-Person Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Children and Adolescents with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
This study compared internet-delivered versus in-person CBT with both children and adolescents who had OCD. Those who were non-responders to the internet-delivered treatment were given in-person CBT. The remission rate was the same for both groups (about 68%), and there was a cost-savings of about $2100.00 per child when using the stepped-group approach. Click here to read full article.
Multiple Risk Factors Tied to Childhood Suicide
Unfortunately, even children are committing suicide today. This study describes the risk factors most often associated with childhood suicide. If you counsel with children, you probably should read this article. Click here to read full article.
What Does Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) Look Like in Children?
Children with ADHD are more likely than the average child to have ODD. This is one of the best articles I have read at explaining what ODD is likely to look like in boys versus girls, and also how it is likely to manifest both at home and at school. If you work with children and parents, this might be a very helpful article to share with them. Click here to read full article.
“The Treasure Hunts That Captivated My Energetic Kid.”
This mother did not want to inhibit the energy of her ADHD child, so she developed a creative way to use that energy. Not every parent would have the available time to do this, but for those who do, I think this could be a positive way to harness all that energy. Click here to read full article.
Driving Patterns Pinpoint Early Alzheimer's Disease
This is a small study, but points to the possibility that mechanical driving monitors (e.g., GPS systems) may in the future be an early-warning sign of impending Alzheimers. This will be especially helpful when effective treatments for Alzheimers become available. Click here to read full article.
8 Best Quotes from Kay Redfield Jamison about Bipolar Disorder
Kay Redfield Jamison is a a professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine who also has bipolar disorder. Here is a sampling of her writings, which also gives all of us some inkling of what it means to live with bipolar disorder. Click here to read full article.
Spouses suffering abuse find empowerment to leave destructive marriages in secret online groups
I was not aware of this movement, but for those of you who work with women, this article might be of interest to you and them. Click here to read full article.
The Delta Variant in Schools: What to Know
School is about to open, and the Delta variant has added new challenges. Here is an article that has some data about how to safely open schools based on experiences last year. Click here to read full article.
The Misguided Effort to Tame Pornography
There are now high school and college courses in “porn literacy” that allegedly attempt to help students become more academically-sophisticated consumers of porn. This article, with which I agree, makes a case that there is no healthy and literate way of consuming porn. Click here to read full article.
Effect of Graphic Warning Labels on Cigarette Packs on US Smokers’ Cognitions and Smoking Behavior After 3 Months: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Do graphic warning labels on cigarettes reduce smoking behavior? This randomized trial showed that it increased negative cognitions about smoking, but did not, by itself, reduce smoking behavior. Apparently some clinical intervention in addition to graphic warnings is necessary to reduce actual smoking behavior. Click here to read full article.
I hope you all have a nice weekend!
Henry Virkler
