Social Science

Freeway sound barriers are one of those good-ideas-gone-bad.  I live near a freeway which is being rebuilt with sound barriers. The traffic noise isn’t reduced, as much as it just shifts to a different level of noise. Instead of hearing vehicles…
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Stanley Milgram (1974) conducted a study to find out if people would obey an authority figure if it meant physically harming another person. Milgram paid 40 men to take part in his study. Each participant was a ‘teacher’, whilst the…
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Being angry is a sign of weakness and of not being in control. It is certainly  not a sign of power or authority or control. Imagine, you are driving a vehicle and on seeing an obstacle appear unexpectedly ahead on the road,…
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Defense mechanisms are simply ways of coping with a given circumstance in your life.  Different people react differently, of course, but it’s always for the same basic cause.   Defense of self.   When you fear for yourself, mentally and…
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Every single human on the planet is different. The term we were taught in first grade is “unique.” People have the tendency to act the same or similar to others at times, but they are still different. We all have different…
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Tis the season. As many of you know, I am a Hospice volunteer, so I am no stranger to the process of death and dying. It is something all of us must do, and it can be a beautiful and…
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Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t. Life can be trying. Who doesn’t feel a bit crazy at times? If they’re really out to get you, then you should be paranoid! That is normal. If your mate for…
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A classic experiment in psychology which illustrates the mechanism and effect of learned helplessness is that of the dog in the cage with an electrified floor. At first there is a safe area of floor which is not electrified, then…
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I think the first thing you should consider is: what is pushing you to seek outside help? Are you depressed? Is a family member depressed? Do you think you need medication? Is your marriage on the rocks? Are you in…
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Inviting an unknown person, even a “doctor,” to tinker around in your psyche is often an anxiety-producing thought in itself. For most people, any reasonable alternative to spending dozens of hours and thousands of dollars with a therapist would be…
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