Am I being objective in my evaluation of this matter?

This is a very difficult question to answer since it is arguable that no one is really objective. The answer to this question requires consultation with others, and not only those in the mental health field but also in related fields, like law. Personal needs are not things with which we are always in touch and given the inherent high level of risk that is associated with this type of conduct, one must not only answer the above questions by oneself, but should go through them with another individual to assure that the answers are as objective as they could be.

Once a therapist has addressed the above questions, he or she is now forced to move into what could be termed "risk management mode." Since the decision to enter into a dual relationship has risk not only for the client, but also for the therapist, the therapist who chooses to enter into a dual relationship must engage in a risk management strategy that provides protection if charges of unprofessional conduct surface as a result of the choice to enter into the relationship. In that spirit, the mental health professional that has addressed the previous questions and has obtained a positive outcome, must now address the following.

Have I adequately documented the decision making process in the treatment records?

Since the spirit of the law is, "If it is not written down, it did not happen," inadequate documentation can negate the existence and value of the whole decision making process. That is, if, while addressing all of the above questions, the mental health professional failed to document the process, then the protection afforded by having done so, becomes lost. Good record keeping can become a significant defense to allegations of professional misconduct and negligence on the part of a psychologist who chooses to engage in a dual relationship. If the record reflects a carefully thought out decision making process that led to the choice to engage in a dual relationship, it can lend great strength to the psychologist's defense in these types of matters.

The records in these types of cases should reflect the process by which the choice was made to engage in the dual relationship and should, hopefully, lead the reader to the same conclusions. It should reflect all consultations made about the issue and logically explain to the reader why the mental health professional chose to engage in the secondary relationship. If the record fails to do this, it may leave the psychologist in a rather self serving position of possibly being the only witness who supports the choice that is in question - a rather self-serving and unenviable position in which to be. A good record, when a choice is called into question, lives almost like a second witness to what actually occurred and if this witness supports the psychologist's choice, then in lends great strength to the argument that the choice was the right one.

Did the client give informed consent regarding the risks to engaging in the dual relationship?

While the patient or client is never in charge of choosing what a therapist does, when confronted by risky clinical situations, a professional is well advised to make sure that the client understands the issues at hand. That is, has the psychologists addressed all of the possible dilemmas and risks with the client and does the client understand them? If the answer to these questions is, yes, then the next question closely follows. Does the documentation reflect that the patients has been informed and consents to the relationship? This documentation could take the form of a signed document reflecting the agreement or could consist of a note in the patient's chart. While a note is weaker evidence of informed consent, it still becomes strong evidence that something did, in fact, occur.

16. It is important to point out, however, that patients can never give informed consent to something that poses severe risk to them and is a violation of an existing standard of care. A good example of this would be a consent to engage in a sexual relationship with a patient. Even if one chose to try to use informed consent as a defense is these types of cases the correctness of the choice, if you will, would be negated by the previous questions raised in this discussion.

Having addressed all of the issues addressed in this paper and having come up with positive answers to all of the question it raise still does not remove the psychologist from risk. There is still risk in choosing to engage in dual relationship with clients since they clearly can complicate therapy. However, everything a professional chooses to do has some degree of risk in it and the goal of the professional is to make the right choices for a patient and with a patient while always trying to minimize that risk.

The decision to enter into a dual relationship with a client is not one that should be made casually or easily. Great risk exists in this area and, consequently, the professional who is confronted with this decision must take great care to protect all parties from risk. The previous questions and suggestions outline a risk management/decision-making model that should go a long way toward accomplishing this goal. It is only fair to say, however, that the psychologist who chooses to only answer some of the questions raised in this paper may still find him or herself making a good choice but, considering the risks to both parties, caution and care logically outweigh brevity and efficiency.

 

Low Self Esteem

by Saul McLeod

Self-esteem should be viewed as a continuum, and can be high, medium or low, and is often quantified as a number in empirical research.

When considering self-esteem it is important to note that both high and low levels can be emotionally and socially harmful for the individual. Indeed it is thought an optimum level of self-esteem lies in the middle of the continuum. Individuals operating within this range are thought to be more socially dominant within relationships.

Empirical Research

Research has shown key differences between individuals with high and low self-esteem. For example, people with high self-esteem focus on growth and improvement, whereas people with low self-esteem focus on not making mistakes in life.

Low self-esteem has been shown to be correlated with a number of negative outcomes, such as depression (Silverstone and Salsali, 2003).

Rosenberg and Owen (2001) offer the following description of low self-esteem people based on empirical research. People with low self-esteem are more troubled by failure and tend to exaggerate events as being negative. For example, they often interpret non critical comments as critical. They are more likely to experience social anxiety and low levels of interpersonal confidence. This in turn makes social interaction with others difficult as they feel awkward, shy, conspicuous, and unable to adequately express themselves when interacting with others (p. 409). Furthermore, low self-esteem individuals tend to be pessimistic towards people and groups within society.

Research has also shown that low self-esteem has to linked to an increased risk of teenage pregnancy.

Guindon (1996) asked school counsellors to list five characteristics that best describe students with low self-esteem. Over 1000 words were used and the most common are listed below:

1. Withdrawn/shy/quiet

2. Insecure

3. Underachieving

4. Negative (attitude)

5. Unhappy

6. Socially inept

7. Angry/hostile

8. Unmotivated

9. Depressed

10. Dependent/follower

11. Poor self-image

12. Non-risk-taker

13. Lacks elf-confidence

14. Poor communication

15. Acts out

Low Self-Esteem in Children

It should be noted that on average self-esteem during childhood is found to be relatively high. However, there are individual differences and some children are unfortunate to experience feelings of low self-esteem.

Low self-esteem in children tends to be related to physical punishment and withholding of love and affection by parents. Carl Rogers would describe this as conditional positive regard, whereby individuals only receive positive attention from significant others (such as parents) when they act in a certain way. This reinforces to the child that they are only a person of value when they act a certain way (e.g. achieving A grades on a test).

Children with low self-esteem rely on coping strategies that are counterproductive such as bullying, quitting, cheating, avoiding etc. Although all children will display some of these behaviors at times, low self-esteem is strongly indicated when these behaviors appear with regularity.

Socially children with low self-esteem can be withdrawn or shy, and find it difficult to have fun. Although they may have a wide circle of friends they are more likely to yield to group pressure and more vulnerable to being bullied. At school they avoid trying new things (for fear of failure) and will give up easily.

 

 

17. Low Self-Esteem in Teenagers

Self-esteem continues to decline during adolescence (particularly for girls). Researchers have explained this decline to body image and other problems associated with puberty.

Although boys and girls report similar levels of self-esteem during childhood, a gender gap emerges by adolescence, in that adolescent boys have higher self-esteem than adolescent girls (Robins et al., 2002).

Girls with low self-esteem appear to be more vulnerable to perceptions of the ideal body image perpetuated in western media (through methods such as airbrushing models on magazine covers).

Leisure Sickness Syndrome

There are certain conditions which medical experts refuse to associate with mainstream medical science. One such condition is what we are about to discuss here; it is known as the leisure sickness syndrome. Know more on the subject from the following. After a tough week at work, the only thing we long impatiently for is a weekend; a time to unwind, and relax. Needless to say, vacation or even a day off welcomes relief from the load and pressure of everyday life at work. However, for some people, such opportunities of leisure may spell trouble; enough to make them sick. I am talking about a condition, which is purported to be psychological in nature, known as leisure sickness syndrome. Although, the condition has not been given recognition by psychologists, reportedly, there have been many cases which may vouch for its existence.

Factors Responsible for Inducing Leisure Sickness Syndrome In People?
It was Dutch psychologists Ad Vingerhoets and Maaike van Huijgevoort who came up with the possible existence of this condition. As the name suggests, this syndrome is characterized by a person falling ill or feeling so only or mostly when he/she is on a vacation or a weekend than when working. Having said that, it can be understood that workaholics may be the group of people who may exhibit the typical trait of this syndrome we are discussing here. According to some people, this condition somehow mimics the condition called Paradise Syndrome. While not officially attributed to be a real psychological condition, here the affected person bears a sense of dissatisfaction despite having accomplished all that he/she desired in life. Apparently, Ad Vingerhoets conducted a survey on about 2000 men and women who carried large workloads and felt very responsible for their work. He found that 3.2% of these people reported to have been suffering from this illness, when they had little to do.
Reported Symptoms
People who were reported to be suffering from this syndrome, exhibited symptoms such as feeling nauseous, experiencing headache, fatigue, migraines, muscular aches and pain, and even common infections such as cold and flu. Research indicates that this condition can have two manifestations. In one type, these symptoms immediately appear when the person shifts from a working environment to a leisure one which could be on a weekend, or may be before a vacation. In another type, this syndrome onsets in people who after giving up a busy life, decide to adopt a slow and quiet one. What may happen is, when a person is overloaded with work, his/her body adapts itself to the stress. But the moment, the same person tries to make a transition to a relaxed setting such as a weekend, the body thinks that it is a let-down response thus, triggering stress and the symptoms mentioned above.
It has been reported that about 3% of both men and women seem to be affected by the syndrome. And this 3% consist of people bearing characteristics such as perfectionism, eagerness to always stay ahead in the race, over-developed sense of responsibility; in short, driven personalities. It may be said that, the immune system of such people works better when they are coping with stress in their work environment.

What Could be Done?
Leisure sickness syndrome is a newly coined term in medical science, and since its reputation is not recognized as medically relevant, any specific treatment is out of expectation. But one logical solution, or let's say treatment for this condition is returning to the job a person enjoys or getting himself/herself more involved. And nothing beats the benefits of exercise. If someone feels that he/she is not at ease or getting ill when on a vacation, then what best can be done is to indulge in exercise. This would not only keep the person engaged but also help in reducing negative stress.
In conclusion, there is a subtle difference between being a workaholic and a perfectionist. So if you make a conscious effort in determining which one of these two you are, then it might also provide a great deal of help in managing problems such as the leisure sickness syndrome.
By Rajib Singha
Published: 12/5/2011

 

18. Types of Psychology
Psychology is a discipline that studies mental behavior and reactions, scientifically. It incorporates symbolic interpretations for the analysis of social conduct. There are many types of psychology that are studied by their respective experts. An overview on the same is mentioned in this article.
Human behavior has intrigued psychologists for years. The phenomena of perception, personality, cognition, behavior, reaction and emotion not only display immense diversity of the mental faculty, but also affect our relationships. The study involves analysis of the processes within the conscious and unconscious mind. Psychology is applied to every aspect of activity. Our reactions to everyday issues at home or work reflect the health of the 'mind'.
Branches of Psychology
Psychology is a science and an art that attempts to study the individual, family and society to understand mental functions and triggers for certain, otherwise unexplainable social behavior. The different types of psychology explore neurological processes for human development. Psychology depends on the natural sciences for research. The branches of psychology include the following faculties:
Clinical Psychology
In this type of psychology, the study is aimed at relieving stress or dysfunction that is triggered due to various psychological reasons. This results in personal development and emotional and physical well-being. Psychologists pursuing this stream of research, study the depths of forensic testimony and clinical neuropsychology. The professionals use specially designed and adapted therapy models to generate therapeutic alliance. The subsequent exploration of psychological problems helps to identify and apply new thought and behavior modes.
Abnormal Psychology
As the name suggests, this branch of psychology studies abnormal behavior. The aim is to understand the shift in nature and abnormal interactive patterns adopted by an individual. It uses psychopathology and clinical psychology to research on the causes behind psychological disorders. This branch of psychology studies maladaptive features of the condition, in the presence of disability, stress and/or dysfunction.
Cognitive Psychology
This type of psychology studies the mental processes that dictate behavioral traits. It experiments with learning, perception, memory and attention, to apply information processing to mental reasoning and normal functions. It is for this reason that it is also called experimental psychology. Cognitive psychology is the result of input from various neurobiologists, logicians and linguists, who emphasize not only on theory, but also formalization.
Comparative Psychology
In this type of psychology, the behavior patterns of animals are studied. This branch of science is vital to psychological research. It provides comparisons to ascertain traits and prove evolutionary links. Studying animal behavior also enables the psychologists to gain a better understanding of human psychology. Animal models are experimented with, to study emotion and behavior.
Counseling psychology
Counseling psychology, as the name suggests, refers to the study of interpersonal relationships across a span of time. The focus, in this branch of psychology is on social, emotional, educational, developmental and vocational issues that bring about major changes in behavior. The Counseling Psychologist uses psychotherapy to experiment on sensitive relationship-based issues.
Developmental Psychology
This science mainly focuses on the development of the human mind. All the endeavors are directed towards a better understanding of perception and change. Intellectual, as well as moral development is targeted at the end of every session. Research involves a closer look at behavior triggers present in natural settings and physical change.
Educational psychology
This branch of psychology studies educational setting and interventions. Psychologists experiment with the dimensions of teaching and social psychology applied within schools and colleges. Educational psychology influences teaching methods and general practices in and around the campus.
Biological psychology
Biological psychology studies the mental frame as a biological substrate. This branch of psychology investigates behavior that springs from reactions within the nervous system. Most of the research is conducted via experiments with behavioral and cognitive neuroscience. The aim is to understand the function of the brain with regards to different psychological triggers and processes. Biological psychology links human behavior with the brain to study the areas within the brain connected with certain reactions.
Evolutionary Psychology
A relatively new dice played on the psychology board, evolutionary psychology, simply put, attempts to understand how and why human beings evolved with set perspectives and behavioral modes that define an inherited algorithm of deep-seeded defense mechanism applications. The manner in which our ancestors endured dilemmas and their plans inducing response and actions are areas that are studied. These situations with their respective solutions are treated, in order to comprehend how some spontaneous and some thought-over responses became stereotypically innate within prevailing cultures all over the globe.

19. Health Psychology
Health psychology is a sub-field of psychology that focuses on the overall aspect of health maintenance. Psychological, physiological, behavioral and social dimensions of an individual are taken into consideration where health psychology is concerned. Elaborating on the concept of health psychology further, the stream also concentrates on providing preventive measures and treatments, serving as a virtual aide to keep fit and healthy. Health psychology also aims at understanding the reactions of people who are enduring certain health ailments and how they cope with the same.
Psychology and the Law: Legal psychology, alternately known as forensic psychology, however marginally yet significantly different, together, are regarded as psychology and the law. Study of reasoning behind jury decisions, evidence and eyewitness testimonies is regarded as legal psychology and study of clinical reports and systematic evaluation and analysis pertaining to courtroom testimony is regarded as forensic psychology.
Personality Psychology
Our personality inherently defines who we are today and what is the essential behavioral mode we apply to cope and react to situations. The manner in which we function, make decisions and modulate our moods is unique to each one of us. The study of the various personality types is known as personality psychology.
Quantitative Psychology: Quantitative psychology is an indispensable concept in the field of education, science and public interest. Quantitative psychology deals with methods and techniques employed to analyze information gathered through research and design for the purpose of comprehending typical human traits and response producing strategies.
Social Psychology
Social psychology concentrates on behaviors exhibited by individuals in various social settings. It also studies other aspects of social interaction and forms of behavior that mold an individual's reactions, conforming to constructing a set of responses for social situations.
Global Psychology
An upcoming stream of psychology, Global or International psychology deals with the interrogatory examination of human perspectives and phenomena on a global basis. The extent of mental health problems, inter-racial conflicts and disturbances, environmental concerns are some issues addressed on the global platform.
Psychology is a vast field where human perspectives, thoughts, behaviors and even eccentricities are studied in order to achieve a paradigm of evaluation and analysis of the mentioned variables.
Types of Social Influence
Whether we realize it or not, our behavior and habits are influenced by other individuals in society. The way in which they influence us can be studied under the different types of social influence. In this following article, we will try to shed light on the various types of social influence, the way they work and their distinguishing factors.
Given that man is a social animal and lives as a part of this society, it is safe to assume that there are certain behavioral patterns, habits, feelings and attitudes that come about, or are influenced in either a small or a major way due to other human beings in society (words, actions or the mere presence). Simply put, this concept is known as social influence. Think about it for a minute - from something as simple as learning manners, or the things we buy, to something more complicated like the opinions we form about others; or something like the way we behave in certain social settings, it is all influenced by other individuals (whether we do it consciously or unconsciously). All these habits and behavioral patterns come about due to social influence, and that is exactly what we will be studying in the following sections.
Types of Social Influence on Behavior
The concept of social influence can be broadly classified under three major types. These being:
1) Conformity
2) Compliance
3) Obedience
These concepts will give us a clear idea about why we are influenced by others and the way in which it happens.
Conformity
Conformity is the need to conform or fit in. Individuals bring about a change in their thoughts, feelings, behavior and habits in order to conform, belong or fit in with a group or a person whom they look upon as a superior. The need to conform stems from two basic needs - One, we want to be right (Informational Social Influence) and two, we want others to like us (Normative Social Influence).
Informational Social Influence
It has been seen that in a given situation, when we aren't sure about the right course of action to take, we usually turn to others for help with the assumption that they know what is the right thing to do. They may or may not be right, but we tend to follow them. This concept is also known as social proof. Thus we follow others because we think that they possess more knowledge than us and following them will mean that we are doing the right thing. An example of this is herd behavior.
Normative Social Influence
This form of influence stems from our need to be liked by others. That is why we will follow certain behavioral patterns in order to conform to others' expectations. Depending on how influential or popular a person or group is and how important their approval is for one, they will follow suit just so that they are liked by them. An example of this is peer pressure.

20. Experiment
The first person to study conformity in a lab setting was Solomon E. Asch. He put forth a theory which stated that people tend to conform to a group even when the group might be wrong. In order to prove this, he set up an experiment whereby he introduced a line of a particular length and then placed 3 lines against it asking the subjects to choose one that was of the same length as the standard line. They had to undergo 18 trials of the same, and one of the subjects was deliberately asked to give the wrong answer in 12 trials. It was observed that 76% of the people conformed to the wrong answer even when it seemed that the choice was clear.
Compliance
In a social setting, we comply or follow others in order to be more like them. This comes about as a form of submission where we either follow their request (implicit or explicit) out of our own free will or we are coerced into submission due to the fear of social rejection or punishment. Therefore, compliance could bring about a change in behavior, but not necessarily in the attitude. Getting others to comply to our request requires persuasion. Based on this theory, there are 8 techniques or tactics of persuasion that have been observed. Let's take a brief look at these in the following section.
Ingratiation
This persuasion technique follows the principle of becoming more likable to the subject. In order to do this, 3 basic forms are used: One - flattery and compliments, two - agreeing with and accepting others' opinions, and three - emphasizing the positive attributes and values of one's own self.
Foot-in-the-Door
In this technique, a smaller request is followed up by a bigger request and the subject usually complies because of the bond that is created. The way in which this works is that the first request is not very significant and therefore the subject goes along willingly, therefore when the bigger request is made, the subject feels obligated to go along as well.

 

Low-Ball
In this persuasion technique, the initial offer is presented in a very attractive way such that the subject agrees to buy it or go along with it. Only when the subject has fully bought into the idea does the persuader tell him/her about the downside of the product or increase the price (for example). By then, the subject has already agreed and goes along with it.
Door-in-the-Face
In this technique, the persuader will make a very large request, which is very excessive and will most likely be turned down by the subject. Immediately after this, the person will make a request that is smaller and more reasonable in comparison. This works on the principle that the subject will be guilty at having turned down the persuader and will want to make up for it. Add to that the fact that in comparison to the initial request, the second request is much more reasonable and therefore, more easily followed.
That's-Not-All
In this method of persuasion, the persuader will present the things in a 'build up' format. He will offer a product and then slowly add the increments/discounts, free products and the like. This works on the principle that the subject feels obligated to buy the product because the persuader is making so many concessions.
Playing hard to get
In this technique, the persuader will put forth a product as something that is very valuable and hard to get. Thus, the general mood is created that if the subject does not go in for the product or scheme, then he is losing out on something very valuable.
Fast approaching deadline
This form of persuasion works because it has a sense of urgency to it. The product or scheme is made valuable because the subject is given the impression that this is the last time that he/she can avail of this scheme. If they don't, they can never get such a great scheme again.

Putting others in a good mood
This technique is also known as 'the wining and dining technique'. In this, the subject is put in a good mood by employing different methods (like treating him to a meal) and only when the subject is ensured of being in a good mood is the product or scheme put forth. When a person is in a good mood, he/she will not usually refuse a request.
Obedience
Obedience is the quality of bringing about a change in one's behavior and habits by obeying a command that has been put forth by an authority figure. It is different from compliance and conformity in the way that in both these forms of influence, there is a choice that is available. A person may or may not agree to the terms; however, in obedience, a person feels like he/she has no choice and that he/she has to agree. There are two forms of obedience - Constructive and Destructive.
Constructive Obedience
For any society to function well enough, there have to be certain authority figures who will yield the power to bring about a positive change in society. When an authority figure commands a person/a group of people and obeying him is going to benefit the society, then that is known as constructive obedience. An example of this form of obedience is military training camps or the legal system.

21. Destructive Obedience
This form of obedience is called so because, it leads to the harm of individuals and the society. It has been seen that people who obey authority figures, even while being aware that it could harm people, do so only because there is an innate need to follow and obey authority figures in command. An example of this form of obedience is the Holocaust where innocent Jews were killed by the Nazis.
Experiment
The concept of destructive obedience was first brought forth by an experiment conducted by Stanley Milgram. In the Milgram experiment, volunteers were invited to take part in a study/survey on learning and memory. One of them was asked to be the learner and the other, the teacher. The teacher was asked to administer electric shocks and increase the intensity of the same with every wrong answer that the student gave. The teacher was asked to strap the student onto an electric chair and a mild shock was given to the teacher himself so that he would know how it felt (you can read about the experiment in more detail with the help of the above link).
It was observed that the teacher continued to administer shocks, increasing the intensity of them for every wrong answer that the student gave (taking it to the highest level). This was done even when he knew that the subject was in pain. He did this only because he was ordered to do so by an authority figure who was present there. This experiment showed that the need to obey authority figures was so high that people were willing to hurt innocent people without considering the consequences or feeling guilty about the same, and neither did they do anything to oppose it.
Types of social influence on behavior is a very interesting and an important topic in social psychology. It goes on to show us that even though individuals might consider themselves to possess qualities of uniqueness, when studied, their behavioral patterns are not very different from other individuals.
By Rujuta Borkar
Published: 11/16/2011
How Do Emotions Affect Memory
The human brain is a fascinating organ where its labyrinthine structure has secret passages that scientists are still trying to uncover. We find out in particular how memory influences the way we store, dismiss and retrieve information based on how we feel.
The brain is an organ which is forever developing, processing and collecting information as time lapses, forming memories both good and bad, and those out of habitual routines that we enact everyday. Research shows that what we feel when experiencing an event, has more to do with remembering it, even if it was insignificant or worth remembering. We may not realize it, but everyday we are forming new memories, discarding old ones and recollecting those that we thought we'd never see so clearly in our mind's eye. To gain a better perspective of the link between emotion and memory and their dependence on each other, we dig deeper into how these two correlate.
How Emotions Affect Our Memories
There are varied factors that come into play when considering the case of how emotions affect our memories. Let's first draw an outline on how an emotion controls our memory, as and when a scenario presents itself.
The age of a person greatly influences how we treat our memory intake, where adolescents and the young tend to remember negative memories, more than the positive ones. As one ages, he / she has a better understanding of how to latch on to information, therefore releasing negative memory intake, and storing that which is positive. The conclusion drawn here is that older people have a better way of controlling their emotions, therefore taking in negative data in smaller doses as compared to the young.
Depending on how you feel during the time when the situation presents itself, the better your chances of saving the memory that is being created.
Good memories, or those with feelings of a frequency that runs on a positive high note, are better remembered when it comes to retrieving the nitty-gritty details.
Even events where emotions are running high on negative vibes, are better remembered because of the intensity of the situation when it occurred. The details may be fuzzy later on, but if the impact was major (death of a loved one / near-death experience / sexual or substance abuse etcetera), the details are either stored in its entirety, or buried in one's suppressed memory vault.
Different memory areas are influenced depending on one's mood, which is another major instigator when it comes to an event before it is saved as a memory. When one is in the same mood as when the event was experienced, when it comes to recalling it - the details are recaptured better.

22. The Science of How Emotions Influence Memory
The brain, in spite of all its intricacies, is subdivided into different areas that influence the way we behave, act out in a situation, and apply logic / reason. The area of the brain that deals with our emotional selves is the amygdala, which governs the way our emotions control us, even if we aren't aware of how this works, given the situation both big and small. Long-term memory is when bits of events in the past are stored away in our brain, because they influence us to keep those memories in a permanent pocket in our memory vaults.
The frontal cortex is what transforms simple memory strands, into those that are long-term, simply because the event was substantial enough to store away. The hippocampus, which also teams up with the frontal cortex and even the cerebellum, is what determines how we store memory from the past and present, based on our emotions.
The hippocampus is an important part of the brain that behaves like an organizer that separates the memory into different areas of the brain meant for permanent storage, while also being able to tap into these memories upon recollection. This part of the brain associates one's emotions by connecting it to other senses like smell, sound, touch and how we perceive these visually. It is responsible for creating new memories and acting as the brain's governing factor when it comes to how these are stored and retrieved.

How Memories are Created as a Result of Our Emotions
There are elements involved when it comes to storing memory, namely - chemicals and electricity. Nerve cells are connected to other cells, with the meeting point known as a synapse. When actions are played out, they occur within this interconnected wiring, carrying electrical impulses between the cells. Neurotransmitters which are chemical-based elements, are sent off as a part of the electrical pulse that cover areas between cells, spreading the same to cells present in the surrounding area. Dendrites receive these electrical impulses, which connect themselves to other cells like a mesh, thus spreading the information uniformly.
The memory chamber branches out into various sections, where different areas that we focus on in our lives are determined by how often we do something, or how unexpectedly they occur. For example, driving a car or working out a routine on how you start your day, is all packed into a memory niche that is permanent and unchanging. Routine is usually stored away as concrete information, because we play these acts out on a regular basis.
Things like education can be recollected later, depending on how we stored the information that was learned, although unless we repeatedly touch upon it, this can be lost and remembered in bits and pieces only. Things like music are also short-term where repetitive exposure to the same determines how we store the information. Practicing a skill, or undergoing training in a field is what keeps our brains constantly tuned in to the same sources, therefore making our synapses stronger when recognizably similar signals are repeatedly sent through the cells.
Therefore the higher the frequency of information entering the brain cells, the stronger is the connection that is formed. As new information is fed into our brains, new connections are brought to life, where the brain has its way of grouping and filing away all these incoming data. This is how the brain forms memories, where exterior factors like training, practice and regular exposure, determine how we perfect them. Researchers have also pinpointed that how we pay attention to the information that is presented to us, is a huge role player. The more attention is paid to detail, the higher the chances of recording the minutest fragments of a memory.
It has also been noted that women are more emotionally drawn to a situation than men, therefore they can sustain their memory banks longer when it comes to retrieving information. The brain hasn't been figured out completely, where scientists will not deny that there is still so much more about this organ that hasn't been looked into yet. Our emotions are something that can affect our memories in more ways than one, where we will understand the association when we take note of how varied instances are remembered.
Think about the last time you had your heart broken or when a friend betrayed you, or even when you were jubilated on getting that much-awaited promotion - it is your emotions that fueled your brain to retain that strong memory strand that has in turn converted into permanent data. The best way to increase one's memory is to constantly expose it to things that will keep it fired up - like reading, playing mind games, being physically active and practicing memorization techniques to help strengthen one's memory - not letting it remain stagnant is the key.
By Naomi Sarah
Last Updated: 5/17/2012

 

23. Why are Women so Emotional?
This article is for all those men, who are bewildered about how emotional women are, and for all those women who haven't been able to understand their overemotional behavior lately.
"Run your fingers through my soul. For once, just once, feel exactly what I feel, believe what I believe, perceive as I perceive, look, experience, examine, and for once; just once, understand." - Anonymous
Understand the above mentioned quote and that's all you will need to understand why women are so emotional. We women are like that, not just one, but most of us. Don't take it as a disorder, rather accept it as a fact. That's how we are meant to be and like us for what we are and not for what you want us to be. Men express themselves in fewer words but we women need detailing. There are many such differences between us which we all should respect and not try to change. This article will help you in understanding why women are very emotional, expressive and garrulous.
A Scientific Explanation
The Left and the Right Brain
Men and women are structured differently, and so are the ways in which their brains function. Women tend to use the left and the right side of their brain, whereas men tend to use the left side more. The left side of our brain is responsible for logical reasoning and problem solving skills, and the right side is responsible for performing prosodic language functions, creativity, facial perception, and for generating emotions. So, the left side of our brain takes care of our IQ and the right side takes care of our EQ. Therefore, as men use the left side of their brain more, they are more efficient in dealing with situations by applying logical reasoning, and rationality. Whereas women use both sides of their brain and therefore deal with problems and issues with creativity and being aware about the feelings associated with it. Also the right side of our brain is responsible for our ability to express our feelings, thoughts, and language grasping. Therefore, women are also known for being better at picking up new languages and for being creative.

Women are Better at Expressing
Women have a more developed limbic system. The limbic system deals with such human aspects as behavior, emotions and memory. It allows them to feel and express their feelings in a better way and to bond with others easily. Though the problem with this is that, it opens the doors of depression, specifically when undergoing the phase of hormonal shifts during their menstrual cycle and pregnancy. So, during such stages, a woman can seem to be overly emotional and moody.
Dealing with Stress
Also, the way women handle stress is different from men. A hormone called Oxytocin is released when someone's in stress. These hormones work in a different way in men and in women. When men are in stress, the testosterone in them reduces the effect of oxytocin, which ends up making men aggressive and angry. Women on the other hand have estrogen which enhances the oxytocin hormone, the effects of which result in feelings of calmness and nurturing. Men are not good at expressing their feelings and thoughts and instead react angrily or aggressively. More than sorting out things by talking they are always ready for a fight. Women on the other end, tend to deal with stress using the 'Tend to befriend' strategy. In this, women when in stress tend to talk it out or discuss it with others and feel better once they have expressed themselves.
Women Feel More Pain
Amygdala is an area in the brain which is activated when a person undergoes pain. Amygdala is also a part of the limbic system, but deals more with emotions related to pain. Amygdala is present in both men and women. However, men and women perceive pain differently. Women feel more pain than men. This can be explained by the fact that when in physical pain, men are given less morphine than women to achieve the same amount of pain reduction. As women feel pain more intensely than men, they are more vocal about their pain and seek treatment.

Men and Women are Different
So, the fact is that, women feel more and feel differently compared to men. They cry and grieve over flipping things especially when they are going through their PMS or when pregnant. There is so much change going on in a woman's body every month that at times dealing with normal issues also seems like a task. That is why when they express themselves when in pain or stress, they appear to be more emotional. Men undergo changes with comparatively less intensity, and they don't get emotionally moved easily. That's the way they are made. So, if you look from a man's perspective, women appear to be more emotional.
Women are emotional, agreed but they are 'so emotional' only when you compare them with men. Not just that, a lot of women are also overly emotional, and the reasons for that could be either the hormonal changes going on inside them or because of a bad past. A few people, be it men or women find it difficult to get over a situation or forget what happened in the past and move on. Such people tend to hold on to their past and are very emotional about small things.
"Men are Supposed to be Tough"
Another factor is that men are supposed to be tough, and this perception has been drilled into their minds since they were kids. Now, even if a man feels like crying or expressing himself over a bad incident, he will be compelled to not do so. This is because of the society's perception of how men should be and behave. Men are emotional too, but it's just that they don't express it that often.
Even after men and women are constantly compared and judged, the fact is that they are created differently and have different tendencies. Understanding the fact that we men and women are different from each other and yet inseparable, will help you understand that issues or differences between the two genders can only be resolved by mutual understanding. We need to respect each other for what we are.
There is great advantage in understanding why women are so emotional, for both genders. It will help women overcome depression and emotional turbulence easily out of self realization. And, it will help men in understating that it is very normal and natural for women to be as emotional as they are. Know what women really want and you will surely live a happy life.
Ann Kring a Psychologist from Vanderbilt University, has answered the question of why women are so emotional in the shortest and the simplest way possible. She said, "It is incorrect to make a blanket statement that women are more emotional than men, it is correct to say that women show their emotions more than men."
By Foram Mehta
Published: 10/7/2011