Will Baum, LCSW » Reading

Anchoring Effect

wb — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:14:23 +0000

The Misconception: You rationally analyze all factors before making a choice or determining value.

The Truth: Your first perception lingers in your mind, affecting later perceptions and decisions.

The Just World Fallacy

wb — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:20:39 +0000

From the YANSS vaults, a look at the Just World Fallacy:

The Misconception: People who are losing at the game of life must have done something to deserve it.

The Truth: The benefactors of good fortune often did nothing to deserve it, and bad people often get away with their actions without consequences.

CBT for Insomnia

wb — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 14:02:36 +0000

CBT for insomnia (CBT-I) quickly outlined in an NYT interview. Simple and straightforward enough to invite DIY CBT-I–do it yourself:

Self-help books offering CBT-I are also available. Two that I really like are“The Insomnia Answer,” by Paul Glovinsky and Art Spielman, and “Quiet Your Mind and Get to Sleep,” by Colleen E. Carney and Rachel Manber.

Misconception/Truth

wb — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 14:09:46 +0000

Blog to check out: Journalist David McRaney takes in-depth looks at lots of psych-related questions on You Are Not So Smart. Each long post begins with a common misconception and a corrective truth, with research to back it up. From a post about hindsight bias:

The Misconception: After you learn something new, you remember how you were once ignorant or wrong.

The Truth: You often look back on the things you’ve just learned and assume you knew them or believed them all along.

Many details follow. Enjoy.

About Alcoholics Anonymous

wb — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 04:43:06 +0000

A.A., then and now: After 75 Years, We Don’t Know How It Works. David Brooks weighs in here.

In a culture that thinks of itself as individualistic, A.A. relies on fellowship. The general idea is that people aren’t really captains of their own ship. Successful members become deeply intertwined with one another — learning, sharing, suffering and mentoring one another. Individual repair is a social effort.

Also on this site, a list of 12-step programs in L.A. Whether you’re aiming at recovery or not, if you’ve never been to a 12-step meeting, they’re well worth checking out. (Make sure it’s an open meeting–outsiders welcome.)

Near-Immortality

wb — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 14:24:53 +0000

Long for this World, by Jonathan Weiner, looks at the possibility of science conquering disease and people living much longer lives.

[One scientist] predicts that when life expectancy reaches multiple centuries, humans may become extraordinarily risk-averse, unwilling to ride in a car or ski because they’ll have too much time ahead, too much to lose.

“When.”

Dysregulation Nation

wb — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 14:17:11 +0000

Judith Warner coins a phrase and paints a grim portrait of our culture and its consequences:

[I]n the anything-goes atmosphere of our recent past, it wasn’t just external controls that went awry; inwardly, people lost constraint and common sense, too. Now there is a case to be made that problems of self-regulation — of appetite, emotion, impulse and cupidity — may well be the defining social pathology of our time.

Pain Anger Memory (Three Articles)

wb — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 16:26:59 +0000

Three clicks to three articles on three topics:

Pain, Depression Linked (PsychCentral)

Exercise May Ward Off Anger (WebMD)

Memory Improved By Saying Words Aloud (PsyBlog)

Hooked on Gadgets

wb — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 13:02:13 +0000

In case you missed it, from the NYT: Hooked on Gadgets, and Paying a Mental Price about addiction to computers, cell phones, etc.

Scientists say juggling e-mail, phone calls and other incoming information can change how people think and behave. They say our ability to focus is being undermined by bursts of information…While many people say multitasking makes them more productive, research shows otherwise. Heavy multitaskers actually have more trouble focusing and shutting out irrelevant information, scientists say, and they experience more stress.

Daily Mindfulness

wb — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 12:58:47 +0000

From Elisha Goldstein: 10 Ways to Live Mindfulness Today. Here are the first three:

When awaking in the morning, before checking your cell phone for messages, take a few deep breaths and check in with the sensations of your body.

Think of one genuinely kind thing to say to one person in your house before leaving the home. If you live alone, wish well for someone in your life.

When driving, use red lights as signals to check in with our breath and body. Choose to take a few deep breaths and soften your muscles if they’re tense. Wish others on the road safe driving.