The Why and How of Behavior

I think everyone reading this blog would agree that human behavior is both complex and fascinating. The “why” of behavior is, in fact, one of the four goals of psychology.  Is there some specific behavior that’s baffling to you? Does your significant other “drive you nuts?” Do your children act in an unruly and disobedient way? Do you find yourself pouting or sulking for no obvious reason? These are just a few of the questions that psychologists seek to answer.

Psychologists are so interested in behavior that they have designated this decade as the Decade of Behavior, and the APA has launched an “initiative to focus attention on how the behavioral and social sciences can help address many of society’s daunting challenges.” (Psychology,  Lefton and Brannon, 2008,  27).  In this endeavor, they hope to educate people to think more critically, become more effective employees, gain sensitivity to cultural diversity, and become healthier and better educated.

Think about this Decade of Behavior and some of the questions you’d like to see researched and share them with us. To get you started, below are a few I’ve been thinking about as they relate to students that I know. Please add your own, and let’s get a discussion going.

How can you get along with an impossible boss?
How can you get on a health plan (stop smoking, exercise more, lose weight, etc.) and stick to it?
What attracts people to each other?
What are some ways of handling stress?
What’s the best way to resolve conflict?
Is there a tried and proven way to toilet train an infant?
What are some ways to get people to overcome their fear of change?

Britton’s Burning Question

As the semester comes to an end, recurring topics have been surfacing in Human Growth and Development, one of which is that choices people make when they’re young affect their later years. Examples discussed in class include exercise (or lack of it), smoking, drinking, proper diet, stress management, and so forth.

To supplement and reinforce text information, I added some tidbits from a new book entitled 127 Things You Need to Know. Information included the importance of exercise (at least 30 minutes five times a week), the harmful effects of smoking, and the perils of a diet high in fat. Smoking is the number one cause of preventable premature death, and yet people continue to light up. Obesity has almost reached epidemic proportions in the United States, and yet old and young alike continue to drink sugar-loaded soft drinks and eat double cheeseburgers. AIDS is the #2 killer (after accidents) of young adults, but somehow young people aren’t heeding the message.

 Britton spoke up and asked a question that probably most of her classmates were thinking (paraphrase): “So how do we change? We know what’s good for us and what isn’t, but how can we get more motivated?”

I once read an article entitled “Change or Die” in which the author spoke of how scaring people into safe health practices didn’t seem to be that effective. He proposed that the message be changed to “Change and Live.” Saying, “If you stop smoking, you’ll add seven years to your life” could be more effective than, “If you don’t stop smoking, you’ll going to decrease your longevity and increase the odds of dying a slow painful death.”

What do you think? Would that work? Answer Britton’s question and tell us how to get young people to take heed to what the experts are saying

SC’s Obesity Rate

In Human Growth and Development, obesity is a topic that surfaces in every unit from babyhood to adulthood. It seems that America has a “growing” problem in weight control, one that affects many dimensions of a person, including his physical, emotional, and social well-being. That said, I read this morning that South Carolina ranks #5 in the nation in obesity. Why can’t we be # 5 in education and # 45 in obesity????

Seriously, why do you think SC is the fifth-fattest state in the country? In fact, a new study by two public health organizations determined that eight of the 10 most obese states are in the South.  By the way, our neighbors to the north and west, North Carolina and Georgia, aren’t even on the list.  What’s going on? Is it our buttered biscuits and fried chicken? Does it have to do with poverty and the food available to the state’s impoverished population?

Whatever the reasons, we have a problem in SC, and I’m curious about your thoughts as to its cause(s). I’m also wondering if you have some ideas about combating it. With 30 percent of our residents classified as obese, we must do something.

All Talk, No Action

A week or so ago I posted something about losing weight, mainly because I was becoming increasingly annoyed at the promises of this or that product to make one into a svelte person (for a price, of course).  Several students jumped on the bandwagon and posted some honest and “true –life” responses. 

Today it occurred to me that while I stand by my original premise that there are no secret formulas or shortcuts to losing weight, I’d like to add a little postscript, a comment I’ve heard so many times that I’ve committed it to memory. So have many of the rest of you. The problem is that I haven’t committed it to lifestyle, to personal decisions and behaviors. Here it is: “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always got.”

I’m an average sized gal who’s never worried that much about weight except when “with child.” Even then, I knew that it was a temporary state and that sooner or later, I’d resemble the me of yesteryear. That said, I’m carrying around 3 – 5 more pounds than I did five years ago, and while it’s true that I’m older and that my metabolism has slowed, there are things I must change IF I want to shed those few pounds. Some who know me will argue that I look fine, but the truth is that once you gain 3 or 4 pounds, it’s easier to gain 8 or 9 or 10 or 12.

What have I been doing about it? Mainly talking. All talk, no action. Sure, I still walk about 20 miles a week, and I’m pretty good about not eating fatty foods or red meat. I don’t even drink soft drinks, not even the diet variety.  However, if I’m serious about losing those four annoying pounds, then I’ve got to do something more than I have been doing. I must develop a new strategy.

So here’s the plan. Tomorrow I’m going to walk 15 minutes more AND eat one less granola bar or cookie. And I’ll do it the next day too. In fact, I’ll follow some version of the above until I’ve reached my desired weight. That said, I’m going to floss and brush right now, thus removing the temptation to waltz back into the kitchen where the goodies are.

Remember: If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always got.  What are you doing to bring about the change(s) you want? Are you still doing what you’ve always done, or are you sincerely making an effort to do things a little differently?

Secrets to Losing Weight

When I logged on to the MSN homepage the other day, I saw a link to an article entitled “Ten Secrets of Skinny People.” I didn’t click it. In fact, I wasn’t even tempted. Why? Because there are no secrets to weight loss. I’m not a skinny person, just an average sized gal who’s learned from experience that there are no shortcuts to being thin. Eat a little less and move a little more. That’s my strategy, the only one that works.

Years ago, I read that there are three elements to one’s weight: input (food and beverage and the fat grams, sugar, and calories therein), output (as in energy expenditure), and genetics. The first two can be controlled, but alas, the third factor is one we’re granted by Mother Nature. If you’ve subsisted on salads and water and exercised faithfully for years but still seem a bit overweight, blame your genes. Note that I didn’t say “your parents” because genes are funny. It’s sort of the luck of the draw which ones you get, and we can be affected by genes from ancestors of prior generations…by people we never knew or perhaps never heard tell of.

So put your money back in your pocket. Don’t spend it on any expensive diet food or magic pill.

·         For starters, just eat apples instead of candy, chicken (broiled or baked) instead of steak, and bagels instead of doughnuts. And while I’m on the subject, do you really need that soft drink or sugary fruit flavored drink? Why not drink water instead? It’s better for your system and is calorie-free.

·         Next, find some sort of exercise that you can enjoy and spend five minutes doing it today. Tomorrow add a few more minutes, and by next week, devote 30 minutes or so to walking, dancing, or yoga-whatever your choice of exercise is.  Just move!

·         Finally, keep it up. Seriously, to have any long range change, you need to make lifestyle changes. Otherwise, you’re going to slip and slide until one day your pants are too tight again.

In case you’re wondering what this has to do with psychology, a brief scan of topics in your text will show you. Hunger is addressed in the motivation chapter, and eating disorders are mentioned in several places throughout the text. Anyone with even a slight awareness of health issues today knows that obesity is a concern that begins in childhood and follows one throughout life. When poor eating habits are combined with a sedentary lifestyle, the stage is set for many health related problems.

My husband and I bought half a dozen doughnuts last night, and while I’m halfway tempted to eat one, the brief sweetness isn’t worth the empty calories and sugar. Okay, maybe I’ll eat half of one. But first, I’m going to tackle an orange. What about you?

Decade of Behavior

I think everyone reading this blog would agree that human behavior is both complex and fascinating. The “why” of behavior is, in fact, one of the four goals of psychology.  Is there some specific behavior that’s baffling to you? Does your significant other “drive you nuts?” Do your children act in an unruly and disobedient way? Do you find yourself pouting or sulking for no obvious reason? These are just a few of the questions that psychologists seek to answer.

Psychologists are so interested in behavior that they have designated this decade as the Decade of Behavior, and the APA has launched an “initiative to focus attention on how the behavioral and social sciences can help address many of society’s daunting challenges.” (Psychology,  Lefton and Brannon, 2008,  27).  In this endeavor, they hope to educate people to think more critically, become more effective employees, gain sensitivity to cultural diversity, and become healthier and better educated.

Think about this Decade of Behavior and some of the questions you’d like to see researched and share them with us. To get you started, below are a few I’ve been thinking about as they relate to students that I know. Please add your own, and let’s get a discussion going.

How can you get along with an impossible boss?
How can you get on a health plan (stop smoking, exercise more, lose weight, etc.) and stick to it?
What attracts people to each other?
What are some ways of handling stress?
What’s the best way to resolve conflict?

Is there a tried and proven way to toilet train an infant?

Britton’s Question

As the semester comes to an end, recurring topics have been surfacing in Human Growth and Development, one of which is that choices people make when they’re young affect their later years. Examples discussed in class include exercise (or lack of it), smoking, drinking, proper diet, stress management, and so forth.

 

To supplement and reinforce text information, I added some tidbits from a new book entitled 127 Things You Need to Know. Information included the importance of exercise (at least 30 minutes five times a week), the harmful effects of smoking, and the perils of a diet high in fat. Smoking is the number one cause of preventable premature death, and yet people continue to light up. Obesity has almost reached epidemic proportions in the United States, and yet old and young alike continue to drink sugar-loaded soft drinks and eat double cheeseburgers. AIDS is the #2 killer (after accidents) of young adults, but somehow young people aren’t heeding the message.

 

Britton spoke up and asked a question that probably most of her classmates were thinking (paraphrase): “So how do we change? We know what’s good for us and what isn’t, but how can we get more motivated?”

 

I once read an article entitled “Change or Die” in which the author spoke of how scaring people into safe health practices didn’t seem to be that effective. He proposed that the message be changed to “Change and Live.” Saying, “If you stop smoking, you’ll add seven years to your life” could be more effective than, “If you don’t stop smoking, you’ll going to decrease your longevity and increase the odds of dying a slow painful death.”

 

What do you think? Would that work? Answer Britton’s question and tell us how to get young people to take heed to what the experts are saying.

American Women & Health Issues

In General Psychology, we’ve been discussing the exciting field of health psychology, a subfield concerned with the use of psychological principles to help enhance health, prevent illness, diagnose and treat disease, and improve rehabilitation. How can psychologists get people to do the things they need to do to prevent illness? How can they get them to understand that health is much more than the absence of disease? And how can psychologists get people to realize that THEY can engage in behaviors that can either enhance or hurt health?

 

I was pondering those and other issues as I listened to an interview on NPR about health issues in America, especially those affecting women. More specifically, women in disadvantaged positions. The two “problems” under discussion were smoking and obesity, both of which negatively affect overall health and longevity. With smoking, there’s lung cancer and chronic pulmonary disease. With obesity, there’s diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and a myriad of other ailments. Interestingly, two groups have a higher percentage than any other of these two health challenges: the undereducated and those in a lower socioeconomic stratus.  The thought hit me that much of the time, these two groups are one and the same.

 

What can be done about this? Could the diseases be prevented if these women had access to information? Just tell me what you think by reacting to this interview with your observations and experiences.