Why You Should Study Psychology and Why You Should Not

Being a college professor, I often am asked by students (and parents) about the employment possibilities - and salaries - for psychology majors. They are asking the wrong questions. Choosing a college major should be about interests, abilities, and passion, not money.

I am at a college that makes it very easy to have multiple majors, some combinations that you rarely see at other institutions. For example, I have encountered several double majors in Psychology and Accounting (student explanations: "I'm taking Accounting for my parents, and Psychology for me;" "I want to be sure to get a job"). While there's nothing wrong with breadth in an educational background, it makes no sense to choose a career early on based solely on employment prospects.

There have been a several news reports of studies of the income and number of job openings associated with particular college majors. Psychology typically doesn't fare wellin these because the number of psychology majors is high (it's one of the most popular college majors), and the number of openings for psychologists [and typically that title implies a graduate degree] is relatively small.

One recent report of employment prospects (link is external)of college majors put an interesting spin on it, and suggests "tweaking" your major when looking for a job. That is a very good strategy and for one primary reason: Although most students spend countless hours studying psychology, they spend almost no time exploring careers available to psychology majors after graduation. I advise students to spend at least the same number of hours exploring psychology-related careers that they would spend on attending and studying for one college course (upwards of 100 hours).

The problems with most of these studies of college major job prospects are twofold: They focus solely on numbers (income and # of jobs); they focus primarily on the prototypical careers for each major (e.g., clinical psychologist or college professor for psychology majors). But, there are lots of jobs appropriate for psychology majors that, on the surface, don't seem to have a direct relationship to that major.

Take what I teach: Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Ph.D.-level I/O psychologists are employed in a wide range of jobs, from consulting to training and development to human resources and other areas, in addition to the traditional college professor (or business school professor for I/O psychologists). Many psychology majors come into my course thinking only of clinical psychology in terms of their career prospects, and their eyes are opened. "Wow, I didn't realize that psychologists could work in business! I've always felt that I've had a good head for business, but thought that major would be dry and boring."

One reason that psychology is such a popular major is the subject matter. We all want to find out more about what makes us tick, and why people are the way they are (you're reading Psychology Today blogs, aren't you?). Another draw to psychology is the helping nature of the profession, but there are many ways to help others in careers other than clinical psychology (e.g., I/O psychologists' common mission is to make workplaces better).

So here is the lesson to college students: Choose a major that interests you, one for which you are well-suited, and one that you are passionate about, but do your "homework" and seriously explore possible career paths, and the diversity of the field, before you graduate.

Feeling Awkward? 12 Reassuring Lessons from Science

It can happen anytime. You’re in the middle of a conversation and you say exactly the wrong thing. Or something awkward happens and you don’t know what to say. Or you are by yourself, just going about your day, and out of the blue one of your most cringeworthy memories pops into your mind.

What’s up with those experiences? That’s what Melissa Dahl explains in her fascinating new book, Cringeworthy: A Theory of Awkwardness(link is external). The book is based on scientific research, and it is surprisingly reassuring.

Cringeworthy is full of great tips and insights. Here are twelve of them.

1. Have you just embarrassed yourself? What would you say to your closest friends if the same experience happened to them? That’s what you should say to yourself.

2. Are you feeling especially self-conscious because you are having a bad hair day, or you stumbled in your presentation at work, or you are out to dinner by yourself? Don’t worry. Your sense of who is noticing you is greatly inflated. Sure, some people do notice, but, on the average, only about half as many as you think.

3. Even among those people who do notice you, their judgment is probably not what you fear. More often than we realize, other people are understanding. After all, they’ve all had bad hair days and screw-ups in their presentations, too. And instead of thinking you are loser for dining alone they may be impressed.(link is external), they may be impressed.

4. Are you in one of those situations that makes you worry about saying the wrong thing? For example, are you talking to another person who is different from you in a way that feels fraught, such as their race or ability or status? Instead of obsessing about exactly what you are saying or how you are saying it, focus on a goal, such as learning something interesting about the person. That’s probably something you know how to do.

5. Do you have some embarrassing memories that seem to pop into your mind from out of the blue? You can blunt the emotional impact of those memories. Focus on details of the memory that are neutral – what someone else was wearing, perhaps, or what the weather was like. If you do this, your mind is likely to wander onto some other topic.

6. That nervousness you feel during those cringeworthy experiences? You can work with it. Try to think of it as excitement. Research shows that if you do that, you will probably have a better experience than if you just tell yourself to calm down.

7. Do you sometimes hold back from doing something you’d really like to do, because you are worried about coming across as awkward? Do it anyway. People are more likely to regret what they did not do than what they did.

8. Want to reduce your chances of feeling awkward in the first place? Get out of your own head and pay attention to other people. Ask them questions. Listen to their answers. Then ask follow-up questions. They will like you more than if you only talked about yourself.

9. Still worried about feeling awkward? Lean in to it. Think about the experiences that are most likely to make you cringe and go ahead and put yourself in those situations. It’s like exposure therapy, and it can work.

10. Awkward situations can be painful. But stepping back a bit, they can also be kind of funny. Look for the humor in them. Then tell the amusing stories of your cringeworthy experiences. Your listeners may just love you for that. They have had their own cringeworthy experiences, and now they feel less badly about them because of you.

11. Know that you are never going to be perfect. Embarrassment will be part of your life. Accept that. Be curious about what it means and what you can do differently next time. Don’t take yourself too seriously.

12. Finally, consider what Melissa Dahl learned about herself from the years she spent researching and writing Cringeworthy(link is external): “I’m not that weird, and anyway, being weird is not that bad.”

Neural Basis of Why We Fail to Control Unwanted Thoughts

Think of a time where you just couldn’t stop something from popping up in your head. Whether it was a song lyric to that Katy Perry song you didn’t even like, or a cringe-worthy memory of your failed punch-line during that date you went on six years ago. As it happens, it’s often the negative things that like to remain on mental repeat without our conscious permission.

Intrusive and unsolicited memories are something we all experience every once in a while. For some, they’re mostly innocuous - annoying little quirks of the mind. But for others, like those with anxiety and OCD, the uncontrollable thoughts can wreak havoc on basic mental functioning. 

Unwelcome thoughts, especially those related to one's sense of self, can hinder optimal functioning(link is external).

The question is, who has control over their (negative) thoughts? And why? Researchers are now coming to understand that we have designated neural defense mechanisms preventing intrusive thoughts from completely hijacking our brains. In particular, it’s a neurological control system in the prefrontal cortex, a brain area involved in executive control and, in this case, in the inhibition of intrusive thoughts.

The system, however, isn’t perfect all the time. And it’s this dysregulation that could perhaps explain the basis of many different psychiatric disorders including PTSC, GAD, OCD, and schizophrenia.  

Now, researchers are learning that it could be related to another candidate brain region beyond the prefrontal cortex – the hippocampus. Hippocampal activation, we’re coming to understand, seems to be involved in pathological cases of intrusive thoughts.
 

The Hippocampus and thought intrusion: What do we know?

The neurotransmitter, GABA, which is known for its inhibitory properties, has been linked to dysregulated hippocampal activation and pathological instances of intrusive thoughts. But the actual mechanisms underlying hippocampal-related GABA activity and the control over intrusive thoughts remains a mystery.

How exactly does GABA in the hippocampus contribute to preventing unwanted thoughts? Dr. Taylor W. Schmitz and colleagues, a group of neuroscientists out of Cambridge University, hypothesized a link between GABA’s activity in the hippocampus and the brain’s pathway to the prefrontal cortex(link is external). It’s this system together, the researchers predicted, that helps keep our intrusive thoughts in check.

 The experiment

The researchers used a task called the ‘Think/No-Think’ procedure where participants learned to associate pairs of words that were unconnected in their meaning. For example, apple/motorcycle or telephone/cucumber. Participants were asked to recall the associated word when they were shown a green cue, or to suppress it when they were shown a red cue. If they were shown ‘apple’ in green, they were asked to think about the associated word ‘motorcycle’ and vice versa.

The researchers observed participants’ brain activity using a combination of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The fMRI allowed them to observe activity level in the key brain regions of interest while the spectroscopy helped them measure the underlying brain chemistry.

Dr. Schmitz and colleagues found that participants with less hippocampal GABA had impaired function in the suppression of hippocampal activation (i.e., greater levels of activation were found in the hippocampus during the task). The impaired hippocampal activity, in turn, led to compromised prefrontal control, which then reduced one’s ability to suppress thoughts during the ‘Think/No Think’ task.

What this means and future directions

The research successfully uncovers a link between proposed control mechanisms in the prefrontal cortex and GABA activity in the hippocampus. Traditional theorizing saw the prefrontal cortex as the primary gateway for the control of unwanted, negative thoughts. But here we’re seeing that hippocampal activation, and reduced GABA in particular, forms the basis of this thought control pathway in the brain.

The findings provide insight into why we tend to observe increased hippocampal activity in psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia. The unwanted thoughts and images resulting from hyperactive hippocampi could explain, for example, why patients of schizophrenia often suffer from hallucinations, among many other anxiety-related symptoms.  

Future directions could consider the hippocampal GABA activity of psychiatric patients and might pave the way for treatment of pathological thought intrusion. Alterations in pharmacological interventions could be of interest for future researchers and practitioners.

A Moment in Time for Teens

We often rely on the righteous indignation of youth to move forward as a society. We always have. Young people possess the inherent capacity to see what is wrong and to call for change.

The mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, as with too many similar events, takes an emotional toll. As a parent, it’s almost impossible to watch the news. Who among us can bear to stand witness yet again as other parents and students replay their pain? We are left feeling raw. Sometimes feeling numb. Even powerless.

But I am feeling genuinely hopeful now.  

Source: Pixabay

A Moment for Teens

Our young people are not growing numb. They are finding and seizing their voices.  As we grow weary, they are gaining strength. They are leading the charge. We must look closely at this moment in time – at what is happening -- and listen to our own children as well as the children in our communities. Our youth are idealistic. They are passionate. They are compassionate. 

Our children are speaking their truth. Shame on us adults who passively let inequities persist and preventable catastrophes recur. I wish everybody could meet the young people my colleagues and I care for and about every day. How lucky we are to be spectators to their overflowing compassion! 

Source: Julian Howard/Unsplash

A Call to Action

This is an important moment for adolescents. Our young people want to shape the future they will inherit.They say this is it – the time is now. They refuse to be bystanders. Even amidst tragedy, they find the energy to stand for change. They demand solutions to solvable problems. 

This is a moment in time for parents and youth advocates as well. We can help others to take notice. To all who falsely believe youth think they are invincible -- we can suggest they hear adolescents' pain and passion as they demonstrate they hold no such thoughts. Have you ever thought young people are self-centered? If so, we can suggest looking and listening to young peoples’ deeply held ideals for a better world. We can notice how they support each other in the worst of times, knowing that it's the human connection from which we all draw strength.

Our teens have given us adults a call to action. We must respond to them by listening to and hearing them, and by giving them the love, support, and encouragement they need to stand up, stay strong, and be the figures of change our society so desperately needs. We must let our youth have this moment and support their push to build a better -- shared -- future. 

We mustn't let this moment pass and return to misguided views of youth. We must not disempower them with the low expectations too many adults hold of young people. What we are seeing today is the truth about young people. Youth includes struggling to make sense of the senseless and imagining a saner reality. We rely on them to do so. We must shelve the worn and incorrect view that most adolescents are impulsive, thoughtless, or selfish.

We must see adolescents in our homes and our communities as they deserve to be seen. The true face of youth -- with its idealism, passion, and strength. We must prepare them with the knowledge and tools to build us a better world. 

My PlayStation to Let You Access PlayStation Network From a Web Browser

Sony has revealed My PlayStation. It’s a site or ‘social destination’ as the company describes it, that lets you access key PlayStation Network (PSN) features from a web browser on your smartphone, tablet, Windows PC, or Mac.

While Sony has an app to let you access PSN on the go and another to let you message your friends on PSN, My PlayStation appears to be yet another way to interact with PSN on a wider variety of devices over and above the PS4, PS3, and PS Vita.

My PlayStation PSN features

Through My PlayStation you can do the following things on PSN.

• Find Friends
• Edit your PSN Profile
• View you and your Friends’ Trophies
• Send and manage Friend requests
• Send Messages

How to use My PlayStation

Sony has outlined three ways you can access My PlayStation:

• Click on the My PlayStation link in the navigation bar at the top right of playstation.com
• Sign In to playstation.com, click on your profile image in the navigation bar, and click on your name in the dropdown menu
• Go directly to My PlayStation by visiting my.playstation.com

According to Sony, My PlayStation works with most major web browsers on Windows 10, MacOS 10, iOS 10 or above, Android 5 or above. What’s more is, it claims that more features are on the way for My PlayStation too. Could this could mean the end of the PS Messages and PlayStation apps for Android and iOS? We sure hope not.

Priya Prakash Varrier moves Supreme Court, seeks stay on criminal proceedings against her in two States

Oru Adaar Love case: FIRs have been registered against Priya Prakash Varrier and the makers of the Malayalam film in Telangana and Maharashtra for allegedly hurting the sentiments of a community.

Seeking a stay on criminal proceedings against her and the team of upcoming Malayalam movie Oru Adaar Love, actor Priya Prakash Varrier moved the Supreme Court on Monday. In a plea submitted before the apex court, her counsel requested the court to list the matter for urgent hearing. The petition is expected to be taken up tomorrow by the bench headed by the Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra.

“The present petition has been filed as a result of multiple criminal proceedings which have been instituted against the petitioners in the States of Telangana and Maharashtra.

“The complaint filed is against the song titled ‘Manikya Malaraya Poovi’ which was released on Youtube as a song of the film. In Telangana, an FIR has already been registered against the Petitioner no.2. (director of the movie).

“The criminal complaints have been instituted by various fringe groups based on a distorted and incorrect interpretation of the song in the states of Telangana, Maharashtra and similar complaints are likely from other non-Malayalam speaking states as well,” she said in her plea filed through advocate Pallavi Pratap.

FIRs have been registered against Varrier and the makers of the Malayalam film in Telangana and Maharashtra for allegedly hurting the sentiments of a community.

The first complaint was registered in Hyderabad by a student against the film’s director, Omar Lulu, alleging that a song from the film showed Prophet Mohammad in poor light. It is being alleged that the lyrics of the song, Manikya Malaraya Poovi, carry derogatory references to the Prophet and his wife.

“The song describes and praises the love between Prophet Mohamed and his first wife Khadeeja. It should be important to note that the song is originally from an old folk song from Kerala which was written in 1978 by PMA Jabbar and first sung by Thalassery Rafeeq, in the praise of the Prophet and his wife Beevi Khadija,” she said.

The plea said the claims that it hurt religious sentiments of the Muslim community are “without any basis and what is hard to fathom is that a song which has been in existence for the past 40 years, which was written, sung and cherished by the Muslim community in Kerala is now being treated as an insult to the Prophet and his wife.”

“It is submitted that a song, which …. has been cherished by more than one crore Muslim population of Kerala, cannot suddenly offend the religious sentiment of the Muslim community,” the plea said.

It stated that criminal complaints and registration of FIRs in multiple states on the basis of complaints by “fringe elements who have misunderstood the lyrics of the song which they claim allegedly offended their religious sentiments and that of their community has adversely affected the petitioners right to life, liberty and freedom of expression under the Constitution.”

Last week, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan defended the song and stated that the complaint against it is “not accidental”, and shows the growing intolerance towards freedom of art and free thought. Intolerance will not be allowed, be it from any quarter, he posted on Facebook.

Varrier’s popularity soared in recent weeks after a clip from her upcoming debut film went viral over the internet. Memes inspired by Varrier have been trending across India on social media.  Her popularity had also quickly translated into hundreds and thousands of followers on Instagram.

First Golden Globes and now BAFTA, why is Priyanka missing from all the major international events this year?

Priyanka Chopra was crowned the Miss World back in 2000, but looks like her mission of conquering the world hasn’t stopped yet. After having a super successful stint in Bollywood, the actress has now shifted her focus on various international projects. Needless to say, the former beauty queen is enjoying a successful reign globally too. With her famous American TV series Quanticoentering its third season and upcoming Hollywood films Isn’t It Romantic and A Kid Like Jake, Priyanka has her kitty full of international projects. The actress has also put India on a global map by putting her best fashion foot forward whenever she sashayed down the red carpet.  However, we can’t help but wonder  what made PeeCee miss many major award shows this year

Priyanka looked her sexiest in an elaborate golden gown at the Golden Globes last year that featured a plunging neckline. We also couldn’t get enough of Priyanka and Sofia’s camaraderie from the red carpet. However, PeeCee did attend Golden Globes 2018 and we definitely missed her. Though she wasn’t present, the actress shared a post on her Instagram showing solidarity towards the ‘Me Too’ and ‘Time’s Up’ campaign. She shared, ‘Today we wear black. Wherever you are, whoever you are, whatever you're doing...join us’.  In the light of sexual harassment revelations, celebs were seen wearing all-black looks as a sign of protest.

The actress was busy as a bee shooting for Quantico season 3 in New York City and couldn’t attend the much-talked about award function. Therefore, she supported the movement through social media. 

Priyanka also missed the The 71st British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) awards last evening. While last year, she walked with Hollywood A-listers on the red carpet, the actress opted to spend the weekend away from her busy work life and soak in some sun by the pool. She took to Instagram to share a picture and update her fans about the same. Her caption read, ‘So..#ChopraOut #LongWeekend’.

Well, we love the fact that the actress has taken some time out from her busy life to relax and rejuvenate; but we miss seeing her on the red carpet events. To be honest, we are very excited to see her sashay down the red carpet soon.