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Who is that gentleman with his head divided into compartments? He’s a 19th-century phrenology chart, and deserves a closer look. Phrenology held that all mental faculties occupied specific parts of the brain. A well-developed faculty made the skull bulge, a weak one did the opposite. Phrenologists would read people’s character by studying their heads, and…
Several of my patients commented on a recent article in the New York Times that dealt with perfectionism (“Unhappy? Self-critical? Maybe You’re Just a Perfectionist”). It touched on a disturbing trait they recognized in themselves. These people suffered from a variety of symptoms – anxiety, depression, problems in careers and relationships – that appeared to…
Couples enter into marriage full of hope. They may be aware that problems will inevitably arise, but they usually feel confident they’ll be able to keep their relationships on track. There’s reason to be optimistic. Decades of research into the dynamics of relationships have finally established solid principles for helping marriages work – as opposed…
Life goes along in a manageable way much of the time. We’re able to handle problems when they arise, and that feels good. Inevitably, though, there are stretches of rough water where the problems are unfamiliar, the stress is great, and even a well-adjusted person can benefit from professional help. If you’re at such a…
Stress is a normal part of life in general and work in particular. Any perceived challenge puts your body into a state of physiological alert, ready for action. This is productive in moderate doses. Stress keeps you focused and solution-oriented. It’s a key factor in success. Prolonged stress, on the other hand, is unhealthy –…
Do girls play with dolls and boys play with trucks merely because society imposes such behavior? Or is it genetics at work? Experiments by psychologist Gerianne Alexander of Texas A&M put nature before nurture. Dr. Alexander presented 44 young male vervets and 44 young female vervets with a range of playthings including cars, balls, dolls,…
It’s often thought that people who are “geniuses” in their fields are born with superior genetic material, i.e., high-IQ brains. Not so, says psychologist K. Anders Ericcson. “You can be an international chess master with an IQ of 85,” or 15 points below normal. Superior performers in all fields—surgeons, chess masters, athletes, musicians—typically have the…
Society is far less tolerant of weight gain in women than men, according to a report from the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at Yale University published this past March. Overall, the study showed that weight discrimination, particularly against women, is as common as racial discrimination. And women appear to be at risk…
Smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee can both trigger those sudden, intense bursts of anxiety known as panic attacks. One key reason: nicotine and caffeine are both stimulants that activate the sympathetic nervous system, making the body more responsive to stress or perceived danger. In addition, cigarette smoke contains carbon dioxide, which induces the shortness of…
People who do serious running and other exercise often report higher spirits and lower anxiety. This “runner’s high” is usually attributed to an increased production of endorphins — the body’s own natural opioids. Many scientists have doubted whether runner’s high exists, however; they couldn’t reproduce it reliably in the lab, or confirm the endorphin hypothesis….