Psychology of Shopping

Psychology is used in many ways. Here's something that I came across and thought I'd share. It's a short quiz on the psychology of shopping provided by the entertainment site, Queendom.com.


Which of the following fields determines if a retail store "works" or "doesn't work"?

_ Retail anthropology
_ Retail Psychology
_ Marketing
_ Market Research


What color has market research found makes customers feel like spending money?

_ Red
_ Dark green
_ Light purple
_ Neutrals


Upon entering a store, most shoppers head in what direction?
_ Left
_ Right
_ Straight ahead
_ It depends on the store.



Get your answers by taking the rest of the test here


My grade?
A gigantic F.
I only got 3 answers correct....but I learned so much!

Reference
Queendom.com/

Genetics and Sexuality: The Gay Gene

In a new study, researchers looked at 97 mothers of gay sons and 103 mothers without gay sons to see if there was any difference in how they handled their X chromosomes. The findings appear in the February 2006 issue of the journal Human Genetics. The research "confirms that there is a strong genetic basis for sexual orientation, and that for some gay men, genes on the X chromosome are involved," said study co-author Sven Bocklandt, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California at Los Angeles.

"When we looked at women who have gay kids, in those with more than one gay son, we saw a quarter of them inactivate the same X in virtually every cell we checked," Bocklandt said. "That's extremely unusual." Forty-four of the women had more than one gay son. In contrast, 4 percent of mothers with no gay sons activated the chromosome and 13 percent of those with just one gay son did. The phenomenon of being more likely to inactivate one X chromosome -- known as "extreme skewing" -- is typically seen only in families that have major genetic irregularities, Bocklandt said.

What does this all mean? The researchers aren't sure, but Bocklandt thinks he and his colleagues are moving closer to understanding the origins of sexual orientation.

Dr. Ionel Sandovici, a genetics researcher at The Babraham Institute in Cambridge, England said, "We're trying to understand one of the most critical human traits: the ability to love and be attracted to others. Without sexual reproduction we would not exist, and sexual selection played an essential role in evolution," he said. "Yet, we have no idea how it works, and that's what we're trying to find out. "

This research suggests that genetics may play a part in sexual orientation. This is a vast difference than decades ago, where earlier versions of the DSM regarded homosexuality as a mental disorder. Genetic research rocks.


Resources:

Bocklandt, S. ; Horvath, S.; Vilain, E.; Hamer. D.H. ; Sandovici, I. (2006) Extreme skewing of X chromosome inactivation in mothers of homosexual men. Human Genetics, 118(6): 691-694.

The Gay Gene @ Frontline.

Mother's Day: Easy or Queasy?

Mother's Day is a holiday that is marked world-wide. Countries such as the United States, Canada, The UK, Australia, China and Japan, just to name a few, highlight the day on their yearly calendar.

Historically, Mother's Day has been a day where children and other family members honor mothers or individuals who are nurturing and caretaking in maternal ways. For some, it is a day of celebration, of expressing one's love and appreciation for a mothering figure. The day is met with happiness and the sharing of joyous memories of times past and the anticipation of good times to come.

However, for others, Mother's Day is not so easy. It can bring forth sadness, loss and yearning if one's mother has died. Or if a mother has lost a child, it can become an excruciating day filled with grief. Anger and resentment can be felt by those who've never had a good relationship a mother.

In my work, anniversary dates or holidays can be especially difficult for anyone who's experienced loss, death or the recognition of toxicity in a relationship. Of all the days in the calendar year, Mother's Day and Father's Day evoke the most profound emotional responses.

To those of you who struggle with Mother's Day, know that you're not alone. Give yourself permission to feel and think whatever comes from within. On this day, it's important for your to mother yourself.

Alexithymia: What the Heck *Is* That?

Many believe that recognizing emotions is an automatic thing.

An instinct.

A given.

But, actually, there are many people who have trouble identifying their own feelings.

The clinical name for this is "Alexithymia" ~pronounced (Alex-ee-time-eeya) .

People who experience Alexithymia are unable to recognize their own emotions and their subtleties, to understand or describe these emotions, and they sometimes misunderstand the emotional experience of others.

Alexithymia was coined from the Greek word LEXIS, ("word") and THYMOS ("feelings"), and literally means "a lack of words for feelings".

Alexithymia has not been a well publicized issue and most professionals as well as non-professionals know little or nothing about it.

Alexithymia is not a disorder, but is seen as a trait. Some characteristics noted are:

*Difficulty identifying different types of feelings

*Difficulty distinguishing between emotional feelings and bodily feelings

* Limited understanding of what caused the feelings

* Difficulty verbalizing feelings

* Limited imagination

* Functional, constricted style of thinking

* Physical complaints

* Lack of enjoyment and pleasure-seeking

* Stiffened posture and/or facial expressions

Many individuals who have Alexithymia can sometimes find themselves doing counterproductive non-verbal activities to communicate their feelings. Activities like cutting, or breaking things, engaging in drinking or dabbling in drug use, for example. Learning to recognize feelings to productively verbalize and communicate is the goal here. And the goal is also to find productive non-verbal activities like art, exercise, and sports to allow for more meaningful experiences in life.

Alexithymia is not something to be afraid of. If you experience this, or know someone who does, there are ways to learn how to strengthen skills. Often a speech language therapist and/or a mental health professional can help to show you the way.



References:
Taylor, G. J., & Bagby, R. M. (2000) An overview of the alexithymia construct, in ed. R. Bar-On & J. D. A. Parker, The Handbook of Emotional Intelligence, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Inc., Ch.3, pp.41-67.

Carnival of Healing: Week 40

I am delighted to be hosting week 40 of the The Carnival of Healing. I've submitted links to various carnivals, and thought it was time for me to throw my hat in as a host.

The Carnival of Healing is a weekly blog made up of collective sites and blogs on the topics of holistic health, wellness, spirituality and self empowerment. This week's theme is "Healing the Psyche".

I find that the best way for me to tend to my psyche is through my senses. Sight, Sound, Smell, Touch and Taste refuel me in wonderful ways. I revive myself with viewing nature, and when I can't get outside, looking at beautiful photographs and art always soothes me. Soundscape music or soft jazz can often be heard in the background in my home or office, filling the space with lush sounds. Fresh flowers or scented oils fill the air, and I surround myself with textures that feel so wonderful to touch and taste. Nothing like a velvet blanket and a cup of tea, I tell you. So for me, filling my senses replenishes my psyche.

Here are some other ways bloggers from the carnival tend to their psyche:


Balance
Pam Slims over at Escape From Cubicle Nation blogs about the book by Chris Pearson, "How to Kiss Corporate Life Goodbye" and writes here
an open letter to corporate America. The balance that can come from finding satisfaction with career and personal needs is invaluable. I couldn't agree more.




Nourishment
Bread and Money highlight the importance of good health and nutrition, and that the best way for parents to instill good overall health habits is for to be the example for their children. I couldn't agree more. Kenneth Lim over at Fun PC Games details his juicing experience, and finds that the process , though at first he questioned, was a positive one in the end for him. And Natural Remedies touts the medical and curative benefits of bananas. I thought they were just nutritious, but wow, the things they can do are amazing!


Spirituality
Batya from Blog Free , has found meaningful healing from Hannah's prayer. And Christine Kane agrees that prayer is powerful, and talks about how she overcame bulimia with an honest and open account of her experience. Kenneth Lim chimes in and reminds us that finding a sense of peace can come from Dwelling in the Kingdom Of God . And over at Frugal Wisdom, Wenchypoo poses the issue of frugality as secular religion.




Risking
Amit over at The Power of Choice, believes that embracing creativity is key. He says, "Everytime an idea pops into your head, utter to yourself: "What a great idea!!" Christine Kane echoes this as well, suggesting that we need to be bold and hear the inner voice within us in her post, "Who Do You Think You Are?"



Next Weeks' Carnival is May 13 , 2006, and will be hosted by Crossroads Dispatches. If you would like to submit a post for consideration in an upcoming edition, please visit the Carnival of Healing home page.

To visit last week's carnival, link to Spiral Visions

Shapes, Emotions and Perception

Take a look at these two shapes.
Which appears more "joyful"?
Which appears "fearful"?

If you're like most people, the oval that is more vertical seems more joyful. And the one that is tilted on its side, less stable, is the shape that you would assign as being more fearful.

How about these shapes? Which appears to be suffering more?

Again, if you're like most people, the triangle that is rotated more from the vertical position is the one that is suffering more. The triangle that is vertical, standing on point is stronger.

Interesting, huh?

In a recent study, Pavlova and her colleagues[1] found that imbalance or instability in a picture of static objects is what leads individuals to attribute emotion to them. In a psychological sense, it is as if we see ourselves as the object. Being vertical and grounded is a state that is pleasing and empowering to us. The shapes that feel off-center evoke an off-centered feeling for us. For more on this check out Cognitive Daily, where I first saw this.

The way we perceive things influences how we think and how are mind processes thoughts. Try this next one... Do you see a face or a word?

I love this stuff!

Footnotes:
[1]Pavlova, M., Sokolov, A.A., & Sokolov, A. (2005). Perceived dynamics of static images enables emotional attribution. Perception, 34, 1107-1116.

Pictures
accessed at Scientific Psychic