The teaching of mindfulness skills is a central component of a number of therapies and has been successful in improving the functioning of individuals suffering from a range of clinical problems. Despite the apparent benefits of mindfulness skills training, most studies to date have targeted clinical samples with the aim of reducing specific symptomatology or general psychological distress. We evaluated a brief (three-session) group-based mindfulness training intervention with a community sample with the aim of enhancing life satisfaction or decreasing psychological distress. In addition, we aimed to determine whether any benefits would be associated with increases on a measure of mindfulness. Results showed that the intervention was successful in decreasing psychological distress and improving life satisfaction and that these benefits were observed in individuals who reported an increase on a measure of mindfulness. Overall, the results suggested that a brief mindfulness intervention can be beneficial for individuals in the community who may not be suffering serious symptoms of psychological distress but are aiming to derive a greater sense of life satisfaction.
In einer Zeit, in der der Prozess der Globalisierung die Besonderheiten kleiner Städte und ihre Vitalität bedroht und in der sich die meisten stadtplanerischen Diskussionen um Themen wie Metropolregionen oder Mega-Regionen und Weltstädte drehen, betonen die Autoren die Notwendigkeit, das Potenzial kleiner Ortschaften kritisch zu reflektieren. Sie veranschaulichen wie Kleinstädte die Herausforderung einer schnelllebigen und globalisierten Welt annehmen können und stellen anhand von Fallbeispielen Bewegungen, Programme und Strategien vor, die örtliche Kulturen, Traditionen und Identitäten effektiv und nachhaltig zu fördern wissen. Kleinstädte spielen oftmals eine entscheidende Rolle innerhalb regionaler Wirtschaftssysteme. Wenn Kleinstädte sich auf ihre spezifischen Eigenschaften konzentrieren und ihre Möglichkeiten nutzen, können sie zu stabilen Nischen in regionalen, nationalen und globalen Ökonomien werden und so wesentlich dazu beitragen, ihre Zukunft zu gestalten. Die zweite Auflage setzt einen weiteren Fokus auf die intensive Entwicklung von Kleinstädten in China und Korea. Daneben untersuchen die Autoren die Auswirkungen der Wirtschaftskrise auf Kleinstädte und die jüngste Entwicklung der Slow City Bewegung.
All of us at some point have—or will—come into contact with psychopathic individuals. The danger they present may not be readily apparent because of their ability to charm, deceive, and manipulate. Although not necessarily criminal, their self-serving nature frequently is destructive to the organizations that employ them. So how can we protect ourselves and our organizations in a business climate that offers the perfect conditions for psychopaths to thrive?In Snakes in Suits, Hare, an expert on the scientific study of psychopathy, and Babiak, an industrial and organizational psychologist and a leading authority on the corporate psychopath, examine the role of psychopaths in modern corporations and provide the tools employers can use to avoid and deal with them. Together, they have developed the B-Scan 360, a research tool designed specifically for business professionals.
Dr. Babiak and Dr. Hare reveal the secret lives of psychopaths, explain the ways in which they manipulate and deceive, and help you to see through their games. The rapid pace of today’s corporate environment provides the perfect breeding ground for these "snakes in suits" and this newly revised and updated classic gives you the insight, information, and power to protect yourself and your company before it’s too late.
This text on the social and emotional development of gifted children includes the following 24 papers: (1) "Effects of Acceleration on Gifted Learners" (Karen Rogers); (2) "Peer Pressures and Social Acceptance of Gifted Students" (Sylvia Rimm); (3) "Social and Emotional Issues for Exceptional Intellectually Gifted Students" (Miraca Gross); (4) "Asynchronous Development" (Linda Silverman); (5) "Affect Regulation and the Gifted" (Margaret Keiley); (6) "The Application of Dabrowski's Theory to the Gifted" (Kevin O'Connor); (7) "Individual Differences in Gifted Students' Attributions for Academic Performances" (Nancy Robinson); (8) "Perfectionism in Gifted Children and Adolescents" (Patricia Schuler); (9) "Underachievement in Gifted Students" (Sally Reis and D. Betsy McCoach); (10)"Gifted Children and Depression" (Maureen Neihart); (11) "Delinquency and Gifted Children" (Maureen Neihart); (12) "Risk and Resilience in Gifted Children: A Conceptual Framework" (Maureen Neihart);(13) "Gifted Females in Elementary and Secondary School" (Sally Reis); (14) "Gifted Males" (Thomas Hebert); (15) "Gifted Students Who Are Gay, Lesbian, or Bisexual" (Sanford Cohn); (16) "Racial Identity among Gifted African American Students" (Donna Ford); (17) "Creatively Gifted Children" (Maureen Neihart and F. Richard Olenchak); (18) "Gifted Students with Learning Disabilities" (F. Richard Olenchak and Sally Reis); (19) "Gifted Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder" (Sidney Moon); (20) "Parenting Practices That Promote Talent Development, Creativity, and Optimal Adjustment" (Paula Olszewski-Kubilius); (21) "Counseling Needs and Strategies" (Sidney Moon); (22) "Career Counseling for Gifted and Talented Students" (Meredith Greene); (23) "Promoting a Positive Achievement Attitude with Gifted and Talented Students" (Del Siegle and D. Betsy McCoach); and (24) "Models and Strategies for Counseling, Guidance, and Social and Emotional Support of Gifted and Talented Students" (Sally Reis and Sidney Moon). A final chapter by the book's editors is "Social and Emotional Issues: What Have We Learned and What Should We Do Now?" (Individual chapters contain references.) (DB)
Importance: Social-emotional competence in early childhood influences long-term mental health and well-being. Interest in the potential to improve child health and educational outcomes through social and emotional learning (SEL) programs in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings is increasing.Objective: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies examining the social, emotional, and early learning outcomes associated with universal curriculum-based SEL programs delivered to children aged 2 to 6 years in center-based ECEC settings.
Data Sources: Keyword searches of Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), MEDLINE Complete, PsycINFO, and Proquest Dissertations and Theses Global databases were conducted to identify all relevant studies published from January 1, 1995, through December 31, 2017.
Study Selection: Studies included in this review examined universal curriculum-based SEL intervention delivered to children aged 2 to 6 years in a center-based ECEC setting. All assessed individual-level social and/or emotional skill after the SEL intervention and used an experimental or quasi-experimental design (ie, studies that did not or were not able to randomly allocate participants to intervention and control groups) with a control group.
Data Extraction and Synthesis: A total of 13 035 records were screened, of which 362 were identified for full-text review. A systematic literature review was conducted on 79 studies. Multilevel random-effects meta-analyses were conducted on 63 eligible studies from October 2 through 18, 2018.
Main Outcomes and Measures: Social competence, emotional competence, behavioral self-regulation, behavior and emotional challenges, and early learning outcomes.
Results: This review identified 79 unique experimental or quasi-experimental studies evaluating the effect of SEL interventions on preschooler outcomes, including a total of 18 292 unique participants. Sixty-three studies were included in this meta-analysis. Compared with control participants, children in intervention conditions showed significant improvement in social competence (Cohen d [SE], 0.30; [0.06]; 95% CI, 0.18-0.42; P < .001), emotional competence (Cohen d [SE], 0.54 [0.16]; 95% CI, 0.22-0.86; P < .001), behavioral self-regulation (Cohen d [SE], 0.28 [0.09]; 95% CI, 0.11-0.46; P < .001), and early learning skills (Cohen d [SE], 0.18 [0.08]; 95% CI, 0.02-0.33; P = .03) and reduced behavioral and emotional challenges (Cohen d [SE], 0.19 [0.04]; 95% CI, 0.11-0.28; P < .001). Several variables appeared to moderate program outcomes, including intervention leader, type of assessment, informant, child age, and study quality.
Conclusions and Relevance: According to results of this study, social and emotional learning programs appeared to deliver at a relatively low intensity may be an effective way to increase social competence, emotional competence, behavioral self-regulation, and early learning outcomes and reduce behavioral and emotional difficulties in children aged 2 to 6 years. Social and emotional learning programs appear to be particularly successful at increasing emotional knowledge, understanding, and regulation.
There has been increasing interest in the promotion of social and emotional learning in schools, and research has shown positive outcomes. However, relatively few studies have been conducted in kindergarten classrooms or considered the feasibility of kindergarten implementation. This study examined the effects of "Strong Start" on the social and emotional competence of 67 kindergarten students, using a time-series design. Four kindergarten teachers taught the ten "Strong Start" lessons in their classrooms. Results indicated gains in students' prosocial behaviors and decreases in internalizing behaviors, as rated by teachers and parents. Implementation integrity and teachers' ratings of social validity were high, suggesting the program's feasibility and potential effectiveness in natural classroom settings. Limitations and implications are discussed.
There is a current push to broaden the educational agenda by integrating social and emotional learning (SEL) competencies into the academic curriculum. This article describes how physical education (PE) provides a strong platform for integrating SEL standards into the curriculum. The alignment between SEL and the affective learning objectives of PE can be leveraged to advocate for the importance of PE within the broader curriculum.
Social class reflects more than the material conditions of people’s lives. Objective resources (e.g., income) shape cultural practices and behaviors that signal social class. These signals create cultural identities among upper- and lower-class individuals—identities that are rooted in subjective perceptions of social-class rank vis-à-vis others. Empirical studies find that perceptions of social-class rank influence patterns of contextual versus dispositional cognition and other- versus self-oriented affect and behavior that are consistent with objective resource-based measures of social class. Our theoretical conceptualization emphasizes the utility of measuring and manipulating perceptions of social-class rank to better understand how social class influences thought and action across diverse social domains.
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Social class is shaped by an individual's material resources as well as perceptions of rank vis-à-vis others in society, and in this article, we examine how class influences behavior. Diminished resources and lower rank create contexts that constrain social outcomes for lower-class individuals and enhance contextualist tendencies--that is, a focus on external, uncontrollable social forces and other individuals who influence one's life outcomes. In contrast, abundant resources and elevated rank create contexts that enhance the personal freedoms of upper-class individuals and give rise to solipsistic social cognitive tendencies--that is, an individualistic focus on one's own internal states, goals, motivations, and emotions. Guided by this framework, we detail 9 hypotheses and relevant empirical evidence concerning how class-based contextualist and solipsistic tendencies shape the self, perceptions of the social environment, and relationships to other individuals. Novel predictions and implications for research in other socio-political contexts are considered.
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The purpose of this study is to examine the experiences of teachers in the Rock and Roll Academy (RRA), a music program designed to meet social emotional learning (SEL) objectives. This endeavor was undertaken to fill the existing research gap related to understanding the unique challenges and dynamics experienced by teachers within a commonly designed SEL environment. It employed a qualitative case study approach, providing individual and cross case analyses based on the analysis of text collected through field observations and multiple interviews of five teacher participants who trained for and teach within a Rock and Roll Academy program. Findings indicate that prior to teaching RRA, participants possessed a bias for traditional, teacher-centered educational practices. Additionally, findings identified value related to teacher preparation and training. Within the area of teacher activity, RRA evidence shows teachers engage in student-centered pedagogy, and promote social engagement within the classroom. Last, in the area of teacher outlook, research findings show teachers demonstrate program commitment and commonly identify developing SEL focus. Information contained within this study may be helpful to those who teach a classroom-based SEL program. This research may also be useful to school administrators interested in implementing an SEL program of design similar to RRA and would offer a greater understanding of qualities helpful to the facilitation of SEL in the classroom and important information about potential challenges related to its implementation.
<p>The study of prosocial behavior--altruism, cooperation, trust, and the related moral emotions--has matured enough to produce general scholarly consensus that prosociality is widespread, intuitive, and rooted deeply within our biological makeup. Several evolutionary frameworks model the conditions under which prosocial behavior is evolutionarily viable, yet no unifying treatment exists of the psychological decision-making processes that result in prosociality. Here, we provide such a perspective in the form of the sociocultural appraisals, values, and emotions (SAVE) framework of prosociality. We review evidence for the components of our framework at four levels of analysis: intrapsychic, dyadic, group, and cultural. Within these levels, we consider how phenomena such as altruistic punishment, prosocial contagion, self-other similarity, and numerous others give rise to prosocial behavior. We then extend our reasoning to chart the biological underpinnings of prosociality and apply our framework to understand the role of social class in prosociality.</p>
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We used fMRI to examine amygdala activation in response to fearful facial expressions, measured over multiple scanning sessions. 15 human subjects underwent three scanning sessions, at 0, 2 and 8 weeks. During each session, functional brain images centered about the amygdala were acquired continuously while participants were shown alternating blocks of fearful, neutral and happy facial expressions. Intraclass correlation coefficients calculated across the sessions indicated stability of response in left amygdala to fearful faces (as a change from baseline), but considerably less left amygdala stability in responses to neutral expressions and for fear versus neutral contrasts. The results demonstrate that the measurement of fMRI BOLD responses in amygdala to fearful facial expressions might be usefully employed as an index of amygdala reactivity over extended periods. While signal change to fearful facial expressions appears robust, the experimental design employed here has yielded variable responsivity within baseline or comparison conditions. Future studies might manipulate the experimental design to either amplify or attenuate this variability, according to the goals of the research.
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In this case study, we examined how a school, committed to emotional intelligence (EQ) as a central pillar, used assessment data to build positive school climate and strengthen the EQ of students and all community members. School leaders used multiple EQ and school climate assessments, over several years, to acquire data to enhance individual success, enrich classroom practice, and provide a strategy for schoolwide improvement. Teachers used data to help both youth and adults increase self-awareness, make better choices, and create a more supportive learning community. Assessment results guided curriculum development and classroom management. Administrators examined their own effectiveness individually and as a team and planned teacher professional development and parent workshops. A three-part benchmarks framework for schoolwide implementation of social emotional learning is used to analyze (a) student and adult competencies, (b) classroom practices, and (c) whole school approaches, including school climate and administrative team leadership.
BACKGROUND:The current study investigated the efficacy of two brief intervention programs—biofeedback and mindfulness meditation—on levels of state anxiety and perceived stress in second-year Thai nursing students as they began clinical training.
METHOD:
Eighty-nine participants from a public nursing college in Thailand were randomly assigned to one of three groups: biofeedback group, mindfulness meditation group, or a control group. All participants were given pre- and postintervention surveys, which included demographic information; the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (State Anxiety Scale); and the Perceived Stress Scale.
RESULTS:
Findings indicated that biofeedback significantly reduced anxiety and maintained stress levels in nursing students. Mindfulness meditation similarly decreased anxiety levels, while also significantly lowering stress levels. The biofeedback group exhibited significant reduction in anxiety levels among the three groups at postintervention.
CONCLUSION:
Despite stressors and demands nursing students experience as they begin clinical practice, study findings support the use of biofeedback and mindfulness meditation interventions to assist nursing students in managing stress and anxiety.
Between 60 and 90% of patients consult their family doctor for stress-associated complaints. Not infrequently, a considerable number of these patients already have elevated blood pressure. The positive effect on high blood pressure of relaxation techniques has been confirmed in various studies. Accordingly, stress management should now have a permanent place in effective antihypertensive treatment. Appropriate relaxation techniques include, for example, autogenic training, progressive muscle relaxation, visualization and breathing exercises, chi gong and yoga. These practices are incorporated in various lifestyle programs. They act in different ways, and can be offered to the patient in accordance with his/her individual wishes.
Between 60 and 90% of patients consult their family doctor for stress-associated complaints. Not infrequently, a considerable number of these patients already have elevated blood pressure. The positive effect on high blood pressure of relaxation techniques has been confirmed in various studies. Accordingly, stress management should now have a permanent place in effective antihypertensive treatment. Appropriate relaxation techniques include, for example, autogenic training, progressive muscle relaxation, visualization and breathing exercises, chi gong and yoga. These practices are incorporated in various lifestyle programs. They act in different ways, and can be offered to the patient in accordance with his/her individual wishes.
BackgroundDepression is a common and distressing mental health problem that is responsible for significant individual disability and cost to society. Medication and psychological therapies are effective for treating depression and maintenance anti-depressants (m-ADM) can prevent relapse. However, individuals with depression often express a wish for psychological help that can help them recover from depression in the long-term. We need to develop psychological therapies that prevent depressive relapse/recurrence. A recently developed treatment, Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT, see http://www.mbct.co.uk) shows potential as a brief group programme for people with recurring depression. In two studies it has been shown to halve the rates of depression recurring compared to usual care.
This trial asks the policy research question, is MBCT superior to m-ADM in terms of: a primary outcome of preventing depressive relapse/recurrence over 24 months; and, secondary outcomes of (a) depression free days, (b) residual depressive symptoms, (c) antidepressant (ADM) usage, (d) psychiatric and medical co-morbidity, (e) quality of life, and (f) cost effectiveness? An explanatory research question asks is an increase in mindfulness skills the key mechanism of change?
Methods/Design
The design is a single blind, parallel RCT examining MBCT vs. m-ADM with an embedded process study. To answer the main policy research question the proposed trial compares MBCT plus ADM-tapering with m-ADM for patients with recurrent depression. Four hundred and twenty patients with recurrent major depressive disorder in full or partial remission will be recruited through primary care. Depressive relapse/recurrence over two years is the primary outcome variable. The explanatory question will be addressed in two mutually informative ways: quantitative measurement of potential mediating variables pre/post-treatment and a qualitative study of service users' views and experiences.
Discussion
If the results of our exploratory trial are extended to this definitive trial, MBCT will be established as an alternative approach to maintenance anti-depressants for people with a history of recurrent depression. The process studies will provide evidence about the effective components which can be used to improve MBCT and inform theory as well as other therapeutic approaches.
<p>Contains an index of terms (Tibetan-English) on painting terminology. (Michael Walter and Manfred Taube 2006-05-15, revised by Bill McGrath 2008-01-03)</p>
This pictorial guide with supporting text is the first of its kind, illuminating the fundamentals of the arts of tai chi and qi gong through metaphor and visuals that are easy to understand.Beginning students will learn basic principles in a simple format, while experienced stylists will discover nuances that shed light on the secrets of deep, internal, and energetic training that powers the well-documented health and healing benefits of the arts.
<p>The purpose of this article is to show how meditation can be used to help a student to become an ethical person. Discursive and non-discursive meditation give the student an awareness of ethical issues and lead to the discovery and application of models of ethical conduct. In part one, the student is led through non-discursive meditation to discover him/her self as an ethical person. The student is also given the tools to explore ethical issues. Part two discusses a transition stage from non-discursive to discursive meditation. The student is led to use non-discursive meditation to construct an ethical value system and apply it to his/her own life. An art medium is especially helpful at this stage. Discursive meditation gives the chance for the student to compare who he/she is with what he/she should be. Part three discusses four elements in the construction of an ethical vision with discursive meditaton: First, a picture of reality; second, models of ethical rules; third, models of ethical conduct; fourth, current personal and social values. The conclusion contains a description of the ethical person.</p>
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This volume brings together papers dedicated to issues of territory as it relates to culture, language, and history. The volume is divided into sections by region, covering the cultural areas of central Tibet, eastern Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, and north-west India. This is the ninth publication of papers presented at the ninth seminar of the International Association for Tibetan Studies. It is dedicated to Anne-Marie Blondeau and features two short pieces on her life and work. (Ben Deitle 2006-03-28)
Since the early 1980s there has been a surge of interest in the cognitive basis of our common sense ‘theory of mind’ and how it develops. According to our common sense, other people act because they have mental states of various kinds, for example, intentions, desires, beliefs, hopes, etc.; furthermore, such states have contents, for example, the belief that it is raining has the content ‘it is raining’ and the desire to avoid paying taxes has the content ‘avoid paying taxes.’ Contents individuate mental states (for example, determine which belief or which desire a person has) and play a critical role in causing behavior. Even preschool children have been found to attribute these sorts of mental states to other people and to treat these states-with-contents as causes of behavior. Children who are learning disabled can also employ such a theory of mind, suggesting that it is not the result of a general intellectual ability. Children with autistic disorder are selectively impaired in theory of mind ability even though their general intellectual abilities may be normal. Theory of mind is a key cognitive ability comprising the human social instinct. The psychological mechanisms underlying this ability are of intense current interest but their nature remains controversial.
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