Description: The debates and the research focused upon the impacts of video gaming and social media use on developing children and youth are heated and ongoing. The primary difficulty in sorting out the effects of video gaming and social media use is tied up in the comprehensive nature of their uptake in the population. As… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Depression
Psychology of COVID-19: Suicide
Description: When we look back on the year or two (or whatever it finally turns out to be) of the Covid-19 pandemic what do you think we will find happened to the suicide rate during the pandemic? If the rate increased significantly why might that have occurred? What factors were (are) involved? The study of… Read more »
Psychology of Covid-19: Loneliness Epidemic
Description: How long could you live without air? How long without food? How long without companionship (social contact with someone you know)? Minutes, days, months? As we head in to what may be the worst weeks of Covid-19 impacts and lockdowns that stand between us and vaccine driven relief (and winter here in the Northern… Read more »
Psychology of Covid: Embrace Winter!
Description: As we head into winter with the Coronavirus reasserting itself, we are asking ourselves, Psychologically, how are we going to get thought the winter? I live in the North and we have a real winter and, I admit, I like to get away from it at least once and for more than a few… Read more »
Focussed Ultrasound Does an End-Run on the BBB and that is a Good Thing!
Description: If you have had an introductory Psychology course, and perhaps even if you have not yet, you are likely aware of the challenges faced when researchers and clinicians want to introduce drugs in to specific brain regions or to influence specific neurotransmitter systems within the brain. Trying to increase the functional levels of a… Read more »
The Bright Side of Narcissism?
Description: As we roll towards November even those of us who are NOT American or living in the United States are anticipating the upcoming election with a wide range of thoughts and emotions. Before he, possibly, moves on we can yet again consider a much-discussed possible aspect of Donald Trump’s personality, specifically narcissism. The trait… Read more »
The Psychology of Covid-19: Psychological Reactions to the Pandemic
Description: As you may or may not have noticed, I (Mike Boyes) have been posting discussions of and links to articles on the Psychology of Covid-19 since March 2020 (search Covid on this site to see the results). Recently we are starting to see posted, peer-reviewed research articles presenting studies that wee conceived, conducted, and… Read more »
Baby’s Heart Rate and Mother’s Mental Health
Description: If you have even a passing interest in infant development you have likely previously run across concerns about post-partum depression. If so (or if not) consider this question. What is it about material anxiety and depression that potentially results in negative developmental outcomes for the infants of those mothers? Yes, of course it likely… Read more »
The Psychology of Covid-19: Depression or Boredom?
Description: Think about this distinction for a moment in relation to your own experiences within and related to our time with the Covid-19 pandemic. How much of our negative emotional, social and cognitive experiences could or should we attribute to bad things that have happened to us (e.g., health challenges, job losses, life disruptions) and… Read more »
Psychology and Covid-19: Isolation Insights from Solitary Confinement
Description: How are you doing with social isolation? Perhaps you are too busy juggling work and children and relationships gone virtual or perhaps you are bored to tears with no new Netflix options and no live sports to watch. Have you thought about the similarities between your current situation and solitary confinement (well, with family… Read more »