Engagement: A Source of Value, Quality of Life, or Both?
keywords:
workaholic / engagement / time management / harmony
Engagement: A Source of Value, Quality of Life, or Both?
When Romy was a child, her daily schedule was almost as busy as that of many adults. Just like all the other children, she woke up early to go to school, came home for lunch, and took a little break before doing her homework. Afterwards, however, she would not go and play with her friends or watch TV: Romy usually had plans for the rest of the day, ranging from weekly ballet classes and music lessons to tennis. Later, in high school, she worked in a bookshop one afternoon per week and on Saturdays. During the winter, Sundays were reserved for the ski club, which meant getting up at five a.m. to catch the coach that took the whole group to a ski resort nearby. Oftentimes, dance performances or tennis games were scheduled for the weekend, too, and still Romy found time for her friends, for school, and other activities like reading. / more
Not Again! I’m Looking for a Job but I Don’t Know Why It Is Taking So Long!
keywords:
apply / employment / job hunt / job search
Not Again! I’m Looking for a Job but I Don’t Know Why It Is Taking So Long!
Job hunting is probably the type of experience we all have to face more than once in our life time. Intuitively we can think of the things that influence getting a job; we can blame our communicative skills, self-esteem, job skills, etc. We can also intuitively guess which of our characteristics will influence our job search behavior, while we can tell by our own experience what "post-feelings" occur after receiving a rejection. / more
On Scaffolds and Sweet Potatoes
keywords:
culture / evolution / macaques / scaffolding
On Scaffolds and Sweet Potatoes
One of the most simplest things ever made was the scaffold. Thinking about its consequences however has recently opened up a world of possibilities for scientists that might lead to new ways of thinking about culture, the human mind, and their development. / more
The Night of Nancy: Social Psychology and Football
The Night of Nancy: Social Psychology and Football
November 30, Nancy, France: a dark day for European football. What should have been an exciting night of UEFA Cup football, ended in a disaster. The first news reached the Netherlands during the day that certain Dutch folks related to the football club Feyenoord had caused severe riots in the city of Nancy. Feyenoord had warned the French police in advance that problems could occur, and had requested of its own fans to not cause problems because of prior warnings... / more
High Maintenance Interaction
keywords:
exam / interaction / nerd / procrastinate / studying
High Maintenance Interaction
Throughout my academic career, I've come across a variety of nerve-racking pre-exam moments. I remember vividly the various ways my classmates and I handled the last minutes before our final examinations: while some tried to relax and laugh away the tension, others studied until the last second, driving everyone crazy with stressed-out questioning. I'd have to admit to always being part of that latter group. My strategy was to harass the biggest nerd on the subject with all of my uncertainties and loads of questions. I always needed to find answers, but since the matter was crystal-clear to the poor guy I was stalking and he didn't understand any of my vaguely formulated questions, I only got more frustrated and insecure. / more
Implementing New Year’s Resolutions
keywords:
anxiety / Goals / motivation / New Year resolutions
Implementing New Year’s Resolutions
Each New Year has something magical about it. At the first of January a brand new year lies ahead of us, it is always a bit like “starting all over”. Almost everybody has made their New Year resolutions, planning to do everything this new year better than in the previous years. This time, we promised ourselves to quit smoking or nail biting, to lose weight, to finally start the renovation of our bathroom, to visit our family more often, etc. Funny enough, the plans we make are quite similar to the plans we made the years before. This is because at New Year’s Eve we realize that we did not manage to reach all the goals we set for ourselves at the beginning of the year. / more
Same Same? Moral Development across Continents
keywords:
Buddhsim / development / morality / norms / Singapore
Same Same? Moral Development across Continents
My first extended stay in Southeast Asia in Singapore nearly five years ago served as a true eye opener. Yes, I was fully aware that I was about to enter a country that was different from what I had known so far. I was eager and curious to learn and broaden my horizons to whatever might come. However, the first days were rather disappointing: nothing much different from what I knew. Sometimes it was hard to comprehend 'Singlish' (as Singaporean... / more
Evolution of Religion
keywords:
religion / deities / mythical explanations / causal agents
Evolution of Religion
Religion. "Praise be to God." "Awakening the Buddha within." "Allāhu akbar." Just phrases at first sight.. But what comes to mind? Depending on your background or your personal situation, each of these might prime you with anxiety, or with comfort. Equally so, wars have been (and are) fought over whose way is ‘The Way’. / more
Are Blonds Really Dumb?
keywords:
stereotypes / group / attitude / implicit
Are Blonds Really Dumb?
Blonds are dumb, foreigners lazy, women can't do math. We continuously encounter such statements in our every-day lives – even if most people obviously wouldn’t take them seriously. Nevertheless, we often act towards others as if they were members of a particular group and nothing more. The bases for such behaviors are stereotypes and prejudices. Stereotypes are subjective views about the characteristics, attitudes, and behaviors of the members of a particular group.... / more
Five Social Psychology Essentials
keywords:
empirical assumptions / psychology / multiple interacting causes
Five Social Psychology Essentials
Social psychology teaches critical thinking about social behavior, or at least that's what we teachers like to think. It's comforting to believe that the field we've spent years studying will help our students see the world anew. We're glad when students show signs of internalizing a social psychological perspective. More often than we like to admit, though, students have trouble seeing the point. Sometimes they tell us the subject matter is obvious. Sometimes they think it's... / more