Description: Have you ever heard of prosopagnosia? It is the term for something called face blindness or the inability to recognize people based on looking at their faces. It can be found among individuals on the Autism Spectrum, who may not process social cues as others do, or it can arise following a stroke. The… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Health and Prevention In Aging
The Psychology of Covid-19: Schooling and Cognitive Health
Description: I do not have a fully developed professional Psychological opinion as yet on the question of whether or how schools should re-open in the (soon) coming fall. Some aspects if such an opinion will, of course, involve vital matters of health-related safety; will students get sick, if so, how sick, and will they infect… Read more »
Psychology and Covid-19: Mind Control and Identity Development Opportunities
Description: There has been much media discussion and a lot of individual reflection on how to endure the restrictions and losses of access, social contact, and even employment associated with the Covid-19 pandemic. Of course, we need to process our new current reality. On the other hand, many people are saying they are trying to… Read more »
Psychology and Covid-19: Impacts of Isolation
Description: The requests and demands for social distancing in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic are new and novel for almost everyone. In addition, the novelty of this experience and the serious uncertainty about how long it will last and what it will involve is adding to our anxiety and potentially eroding our wellbeing. While… Read more »
Psychology of COVID-19 Part 1: Some Psychological Facts
Description: As of today (March 15, 2020) the COVID-19 has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization and there is a LOT going on at the international, national, community and individual level. The university where I am currently teaching a couple of courses has decided to finish this term with all our courses… Read more »
Pets and Seniors’ Wellness: Are they Causally Related?
Description: I suspect you’ve probably heard that having pets is good for us. You probably have also heard the pets are particularly beneficial for seniors. However, how much do you know about how those benefits actually play out? That is, what does research tell us about the benefits that pets provide to seniors? Think a… Read more »
The Health Value of Optimism: Can We Get Past Correlation?
Description: What do you think and what have your read or heard about the possibly contrasting life circumstances and futures of optimists and pessimists? The idea that it matters has been around forever (you know that some line, “grey skies are gonna clear up, put on a happy face”). Ah but what I hope you… Read more »
Do You Know Enough About the Vagus Nerve?
Description: Do you know what the Vagus nerve is and what it does? Well, to begin with, it is not a single nerve cell but rather a complex nerve network with connections throughout the body. In terms of what it does, we are still working on that one, but it could be loosely described as… Read more »
Uh Oh! Here Comes New Year’s!
Description: OK so, I hate to be the one to bring it up but hiding just on the other side of exams and the holiday break is a new year, yes a new year, complete with the opportunity to yet again make a few New Year’s resolutions. Ah New Year’s resolutions! How do they work… Read more »
Literacy and Dementia: Think About It!
Description: Here is a somewhat backhanded test of your current understanding of factors relating to rates of dementia in elder individuals. What would you predict about the comparable rates of depression among otherwise similar groups of literate and illiterate elderly individuals? If you think there will be a rate difference between these two groups what… Read more »
Books for Success!
