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Spirituality May Help Buffer Some New Mothers Against Postpartum Depression
While the birth of a new baby is usually an exciting time for parents, for half a million American mothers each year, childbirth is followed by the onset of postpartum depression (PPD). Along with potential long-term harm to newborns, PPD makes adjustment to life with a new baby more challenging for mothers, who may experience difficulty at work and in relationships. Previous research suggests that women who are members of racial minority groups are especially at risk for PPD -- psychological scientist Alyssa C. D.
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Elaborate Classroom Displays ‘Harm Children’s Education’
The Telegraph: Teachers should consider taking down over-elaborate classroom displays amid concerns maps, artwork and photographs damage children’s education, according to research. Researchers said highly-decorated walls in primary schools undermined pupils’ ability to concentrate during lessons and absorb teachers’ instructions. The study, published in the journal Psychological Science, found that children educated in “sparse” classrooms spent more time "on-task" and gained higher test scores. Read the whole story: The Telegraph
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Will Facebook Make You Sad? Depends How You Use It
Science Magazine: Using Facebook makes people sadder, at least according to some research. But just what is it about the social network that takes a hit on our mood? A study of the different ways of interacting with the site now offers an answer: Grazing on the content of other people’s idealized lives may make reality painful. Scientists have long debated Facebook’s impact on users’ in-the-moment mood as well as their deeper satisfaction with life. Some studies have found that the site makes us happier; others, sadder. Read the whole story: Science Magazine
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Fears and Beliefs About Pain and Dentistry Predict Treatment-Seeking Behavior
Health behaviors are complex, and individual differences appear to be explained by variation in a host of psychosocial variables. With regard to oral health, treatment-seeking behavior and associated health outcomes are related to fear, anxiety, pain perception, and cognitions about controllability and the value of dental health. Avoidance of dental care resulting from fear has major implications for oral and overall health. For instance, untreated oral disease may exacerbate cardiovascular disease and diabetes, among other systemic health concerns.
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Keeping Up With the Joneses
We examined the influence of friends’ and family members’ perfectionism on students’ life aspirations, as well as the role of life aspirations in students’ well-being and self-regulation across the year as they pursued three personal goals. In a longitudinal study of 340 students and their friends and family members, we found that participants’ friends’ other-oriented perfectionism and self-oriented perfectionism was significantly positively related to participants’ prioritization of extrinsic over intrinsic aspirations, while family members’ perfectionism was not related to participants’ aspirations.
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Let’s Skype! Video Chat Use Among Infants and Toddlers
Even though the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under two avoid all media exposure, there is evidence that many of these infants and toddlers are using electronic media regularly. Furthermore, while strong, nationally representative childhood media usage surveys exist (e.g., Common Sense Media’s 2013 survey), they do not address the use of video chat in early childhood. To remedy this lack of information, we conducted our own online survey, sent to 113 families with children between 6 and 24 months of age. We found that nearly 90% of these families use video chat with their infants, and 43% use it at least once a week.
