Gap Years, Overseas Experience, Identity and Transitions to Post-Secondary Life

Posted by & filed under Child Development, Cultural Variation, Development of the Self, Emerging Adulthood, Human Development, Industrial Organizational Psychlology, Industrial Organizational Psychology, Intergroup Relations, Motivation-Emotion, Social Cognition.

Description: When I started university (a looong time ago) I had decided I was going to go into physics. By the end of my first year I had failed physics and math and was beginning to realize I would need to rethink my direction of study. Being somewhat perseverant though, I took the non-honors versions… Read more »

What is Digital Self-Harm?

Posted by & filed under Aggression, Anxiety OC PTSD, Child Development, Clinical Psychology, Emerging Adulthood, Human Development, Psychological Disorders, Social Psychology, Stress Coping - Health, Stress: Coping Reducing.

Description: Have you heard discussion of rising concerns over the rates of self-harm among early teens? Some teens who feel trapped in life situations that cause them significant stress and anxiety may engage in self-harm behaviors such as cutting as a means of managing their troubling emotions. There is some additional questions regarding how recent… Read more »

Perfectionism: A Growing Problem That Needs A Wider Perspective

Posted by & filed under Anxiety OC PTSD, Child Development, Clinical Psychology, Cultural Variation, Emerging Adulthood, Families and Peers, Health Psychology, Motivation-Emotion, Prevention, Stress: Coping Reducing, The Self.

Description: Are you aware of the consistent finding that the rates of perfectionism among adolescents and emerging adults have increased dramatically over the past 20 to 30 years? Young people driving themselves to be perfect, holding themselves to I possibly high standards, and believing that doing so is essential to moving forward positively in life… Read more »

Smartphones, Social Media and Loneliness: Time to Act?

Posted by & filed under Abnormal Psychology, Anxiety OC PTSD, Child Development, Emerging Adulthood, Health Psychology, Human Development, Intervention: Children and Adolescents, Research Methods, Social Influence, Social Psychology, Social Psychology, Stress Coping - Health, Stress: Coping Reducing, Student Success, The Self.

Description: What comes to mind when you read or hear a statement that starts with the words “young people these days….”? There has been a lot of press over the research finding that young people (born around or since 1995) are expressing and experiencing significantly higher levels of stress, anxiety and loneliness even when compared… Read more »

Emerging Adults and Parents’ Levels of Psychological Control

Posted by & filed under Child Development, Emerging Adulthood, Families and Peers, Human Development, Interpersonal Attraction Close Relationships, Motivation-Emotion, Psychological Health, Social Psychology, Social Psychology, Stress, Stress Coping - Health, Stress: Coping Reducing, Student Success, The Self.

Description: There has been quite a bit of speculation about what is “wrong” with emerging adults (18- to 29-year-olds) these days. This typically occurs as part of reflections upon the significant rise (jump) in levels of anxiety among undergraduate student in general and first year students in particular. Putting aside non-useful hypotheses such as that… Read more »

The Psychology of Covid-19: Uncertainty about Uncertainty Itself

Posted by & filed under Abnormal Psychology, Anxiety OC PTSD, Emerging Adulthood, Health Psychology, Human Development, Motivation-Emotion, Stress, Stress Biopsychosocial Factors Illness, Stress Coping - Health, Stress: Coping Reducing, Student Success, The Self.

Description: You have heard the Roosevelt quote from a speech celebrating Human Rights Day in 1948; “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Now, without diving too deeply into what that might mean, but taking it as a metaphorical lead, think about this. Uncertainty (of outcomes, processes, and next steps) is a… Read more »

Psychology and Covid-19: Uncertainty is Certain

Posted by & filed under Anxiety OC PTSD, Development of the Self, Emerging Adulthood, Human Development, Stress Coping - Health, Stress: Coping Reducing, Student Success, The Self.

Description: Suppose you were told that a friend of yours was anxious, just generally anxious. In preparing to talk with them about how they are doing you are thinking a bit about the sorts of questions you might ask them in order to better understand their situation and their mental state. What are you anxious… Read more »

Psychology and Covid-19: Young Teen Resets

Posted by & filed under Child Development, Cognitive Development: Piagetian and Vygotskian Approaches, Emerging Adulthood, Families and Peers, Human Development, Stress Coping - Health, Student Success.

Description: No doubt you have heard about the stresses being experienced by parents as they isolate at home with their children and try to manage, entertain, and perhaps educate them until schools and other places children can go re-open. Which parents would you predict are experiencing the hardest stress hit, based on the age of… Read more »

Is Tech Dangerous or Should We Be Asking Different Questions?

Posted by & filed under Abnormal Psychology, Adult Development and Aging, Anxiety OC PTSD, Child Development, Depression, Development of the Self, Emerging Adulthood, General Psychology, Human Development, Intervention: Children Adolescents, Stress Coping - Health, Student Success.

Description: Here is a research-based claim you may have heard about recently. Jean Twenge, based on data she drew from several huge population (big sample) surveys, suggests that 5 or more hours of daily involvement with social media is having negative impacts on teenagers these days. Now, rather than thinking about whether you agree or… Read more »

Student Mental Health: What is going on here?

Posted by & filed under Abnormal Psychology, Anxiety OC PTSD, Depression, Emerging Adulthood, General Psychology, Human Development, Intervention: Identifying Key Elements of Change, mental illness, Psychological Disorders, Stress, Stress Coping - Health, Student Success, Treatment of Psychological Disorders.

Description: The article linked below is important and potentially interesting on three levels. First, if you are currently an undergraduate student somewhere then it is important because it may be directly relevant to you or to a friend close to you. Second, It is important because it shines light onto and asks important questions about… Read more »