Will Baum, LCSW

From Why All Indiscretions Appear Youthful (NYT):

In recent years psychologists have exposed the many ways that people subconsciously maintain and massage their moral self-image. They rate themselves as morally superior to the next person; overestimate the likelihood that they will act virtuously in the future; see their own good intentions as praiseworthy while dismissing others’ as inconsequential…Now, scientists are beginning to learn how memory assists and even amplifies this righteous self-messaging. In piecing together a life story, the mind nudges moral lapses back in time and shunts good deeds forward, these new studies suggest — creating, in effect, a doctored autobiography.

A unsurprising study says that where you live affects your mood.

“One of the things we tried to assess was essentially community support — to what extent people in that neighborhood turned to others for child care, other forms of assistance — and whether they socialize and know each other. And it’s clear that in these negative neighborhoods there’s this inverse relationship in terms of their various problems and lack of strong ties.”

False negatives in assessing depression occur with the outgoing and bubbly, a study says.

“When a person who has enjoyed socializing and whose mood normally is positive becomes depressed, friends and family often don’t recognize it. Depression is inconsistent with the expectations that people have…”

Science Daily reports about a psychologist’s research into how and why people choke under pressure.

“My research team and I have found that highly skilled golfers are more likely to hole a simple 3-foot putt when we give them the tools to stop analyzing their shot, to stop thinking,” Beilock said. “Highly practiced putts run better when you don’t try to control every aspect of performance.” Even a simple trick of singing helps prevent portions of the brain that might interfere with performance from taking over, Beilock’s research shows.

Scientific American relays research that finds a reason that may explain why Women Apologize More Frequently Than Men:

Researchers analyzed the number of self-reported offences and apologies made by 66 subjects over a 12-day period. And yes, they confirmed women consistently apologized more times than men did. But they also found that women report more offenses than men. So the issue is not female over-apology. Instead, there may be a gender difference in what is considered offensive in the first place.

WebMD reports on a new study: Anger Increases Pain in Women.  Treatment–in this case CBT–shown to help.

Treatment effects were significant, showing positive differences in pain, fatigue, and functional disability, and in anxiety and negative mood, the researchers say. “Our results demonstrate that offering high-risk [fibromyalgia] patients a treatment tailored to their cognitive behavioral patterns at an early stage after the diagnosis is effective in improving both short- and long-term physical and psychological outcomes,”

Getting a massage does more than put your muscles at ease.

[Recent research has f]ound that a single session of massage caused biological changes. Volunteers who received Swedish massage experienced significant decreases in levels of the stress hormone cortisol in blood and saliva, and in arginine vasopressin, a hormone that can lead to increases in cortisol. They also had increases in the number of lymphocytes, white blood cells that are part of the immune system.

PsychCentral: In Cyber Bullying, Depression Hits Victims Hardest

Young victims of electronic or cyber bullying – which occurs online or by cell phone – are more likely to suffer from depression than their tormentors are, a new study finds. Traditional bullying, the kind that occurs in the school building or face-to-face, is different. Victims and bully-victims – those who both dish it out and take it – are more likely to suffer from depression than are those who are bullies, but not victims.

Here’s a TechSavvyMama post profiling a bunch of cyber bullying resources.

The high price of trying to be accepted: Social Exclusion Drives Bad Choices (PsychCentral).

A new study reveals people who feel excluded will go to any length to try to become part of a group. The desire to be accepted or be a member of an “in” group can include spending large sums of cash, eating something dicey, or doing illicit drugs.

A study posted at PsychCentral:  Simple Methods Heighten Women’s Sexual Satisfaction

New psychological research finds that many women with low sex drives reported greater sexual satisfaction after taking a placebo and participating in a clinical trial…Expectations to improve sex and a willingness to work on sexual problems appear to be key toward obtaining greater sexual satisfaction.