Comments for Psychology and More

Comment on He’s Baaack by stryker

stryker — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 04:24:24 +0000

Congrats and good luck with the phd. Just incase you were wondering, I am a random student that is taking abnormal psychology and I searched and found your podcast lectures. Thanks for posting them and allowing them to be available to the public, I find them very useful. Keep up the good work!

Comment on He’s Baaack by Dana Leighton

Dana Leighton — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 15:24:56 +0000

Thanks you, Ed, for your kind words. I will be focusing on social dilemmas — social conflict situations where there is often no way for both parties to win. I am going to be initially looking at what might influence people to choose compensatory justice (getting recompense for actual damages), restorative justice (getting recompense for actual and punitive damages), and retributive justice (getting “even” and hurting another, perhaps out of proportion to the initial offense). It will be very interesting I think.

Comment on He’s Baaack by ed

ed — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 09:11:37 +0000

Ohhh i guess your future student should miss you. I listen to your lectures through podcast and think you seem to be a very good teacher, both pedagogical and knowlegable. Good luck with your Phd. What is your focus there?

Comment on NY Times on “Mindfulness Meditation” therapy by Elaine

Elaine — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 23:32:42 +0000

Hi Dana. I wasn’t sure the best way to get in touch with you so figured I’d try this route.
I wanted to share this article I just found in Diabetes Forecast
The article is titled “Dropping Insulin to Drop Pound” by Terri D’Arrigo.
And the catch phrase is “The practice of with holding insulin as a way to lose weight is a serious eating disorder with devastating consequences.”

I think that sums the article fairly well. The rest of it consists of emotional examples, and general information about the need for insulin and eating disorders.

I just found it a rather horrifying new eating disorder that I had not heard of before. Any type of eating disorder is very dangerous but in this particular one there is a whole new level of risk.

Just wanted to share it. Take care.

Comment on Happiness Q & A with Daniel Gilbert by pseudonym

pseudonym — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 00:24:56 +0000

Human happiness is simply losing oneself on the intoxication of possibility. I had a great time doing so and so because I wasn’t thinking how uncertain everything is at this particular time. Also it can be losing oneself in thought. Remember the time so and so, I was so happy. Unfortunately there is one thing better, being so self conscious that you forget yourself at all times and are giving yourself in all directions indiscriminately. This, this really is the highest and comes at a bit of a price, too much for most.

Comment on Reduced sensory stimulation in the BBC by Dana Leighton

Dana Leighton — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 00:22:26 +0000

Thanks for your comments, Frank. Peter had a floatation tank in the lab that I used to great effect in relaxation. He also had the square isolation chambers with a bed and chair, which he also used in experiments on the effects of 24-hour isolation on smoking cessation and other behavioral and cognitive changes. The isolation chambers were useful for naps and quiet studying!

Comment on Reduced sensory stimulation in the BBC by Frank Rodriguez

Frank Rodriguez — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 20:51:39 +0000

Thanks for your post. You're right that the terminology and attitude of the BBC article are dated. Most people don't understand the important difference between sensory deprivation of the type that exists in prisons and the type of sensory deprivation that occurs with Restricted Environmental Stimulation Technique (REST) whereby gravity, temperature, light and sound are attenuated by means of a shallow enclosed pool of skin-temperature water that contains a dense Epsom salt solution which creates a low gravity environment similar to what the Dead Sea in Israel provides. The former type of sensory deprivation has negative mental effects, but the latter (REST) has many proven beneficial effects for the mind as well as the body. The sensory deprivation tank is a misleading term because for many it still holds negative connotations. A more accurate term that is commonly used is floatation tank.

Comment on Long Term Depression in New Orleans by David C Schupbach

David C Schupbach — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 10:17:04 +0000

Absolutely, this is why the Holidays are a rough time for me. For years, the holidays meant Grandma’s house, and Mother’s large family gathered togather.
Now many of them are gone, and I live in another state.
After the deaths of my Mother, Grandfather, and Grandmother, the depression I had been harboring since I was nine, spiralled out of control. I felt I had lost everything, and all I wanted was to have it all back….. I still do!

Comment on A new eating disorder classification? by Sarah

Sarah — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 07:26:26 +0000

Wow. Fascinating. I’ve always seen in classified as EDNOS because it fits under no other category – or simple bulimia, because, in some senses, binges are relative. But the fact that there may be new clarification coming out is wonderful. I have been diagnosed as bulimic, but this has never felt… the same as a true bulimic. Personally, psychologically, rather, I never binged, but used the purging as a coping mechanism – another way to hurt myself. I was also a severe self mutilator. But I would eat something, not a binge, but something, just because I wanted to purge – wanting the pain and the release. And it never felt like bulimia. But yeah. I just think it’s good to have a bit of distinction. The differences between them, in the psychology of the behavior at least, well, it seems, are quite different. Anyway, thanks.

Comment on Long Term Depression in New Orleans by doctorj

doctorj — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 01:57:08 +0000

You might be on to something there, because besides frustration and the devastation before your eyes everyday, one of the hardest things to deal with is the ever present sense of loss. Lost friends and family, lost homes, lost communities, lost possessions, lost faith in government, lost faith in America. The pain is real. I am heartbroken. But I am also strong, because I know, no matter what, my culture is worth the sacrifice and worth the pain. The culture of New Orleans MUST survive or this nation has lost its very soul.