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Shop For A Psychotherapist To Avoid The Lemons
NPR: Turn on a TV talk show and you'll think that everyone in America is in need of mental health counseling. But there are hundreds of different kinds of therapy out there, and it's hard to know which ones work. Researchers have put a lot of effort into testing different forms of psychotherapy, and they have solid evidence of what works, particularly for common mental problems like depression and anxiety. But despite that, people can't presume they're going to get the right psychotherapy, according to Alan Kazdin, a clinical psychologist who directs the Yale Parent Center and Child Conduct Clinic. Read the whole story: NPR
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Friday the 13th superstitions? Not me, knock on wood
MSNBC: We humans are a superstitious lot, believing that Friday the 13th is bad luck and finding a penny is good luck. Many superstitions stem from the same human trait that causes us to believe in monsters and ghosts: When our brains can't explain something, we make stuff up. In fact, a study last year found that superstitions can sometimes work, because believing in something can improve performance on a task. Here, then, are 13 of the most common superstitions. Read the whole story: MSNBC
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Friday the 13th: somewhere between religion and superstition
The Washington Post: Of all the traditional Western superstitions, Friday the 13th has the strongest connection to religion and the Christian faith in particular. Over the years, there have been a variety of theories of the origin the Friday the 13th superstition, but like many explanations of folk practices and beliefs, these accounts often have the flavor of post-hoc, just-so stories with little to back them up. Some commentators point to Norse mythology and the killing of the benevolent god Baldur by the evil Loki, who crashed a gathering of twelve gods in Valhalla to form an unlucky grouping of thirteen.
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The Ties that Bind: Grandparents and their Grandchildren
Close your eyes for a moment, open your treasure trove of memories and take a step back in time to your childhood. Do you remember your grandfather gently scooping you up into his warm and comforting embrace? Or sitting by your grandmother’s side as she lovingly baked pies chock full of delicious, juicy warm apples sprinkled with crumbly cinnamon bits?
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U.S. Immigrants Get Supersized
Live Science: Immigrants to the United States may be packing on the pounds, in part, because of a desire to fit in with the citizens of their new country, a new study suggests. Immigrants and their children are known to put on weight after moving to the United States, with some approaching levels of obesity within 15 years. While the abundance of junk food in the American diet no doubt plays a role in their weight gain, immigrants and their families may choose typical American dishes as a way to show that they belong and to prove themselves as Americans, the new study finds. Read the whole story: Live Science
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Kids and Money: 5 Ways to Instill Good Habits
CBS: Try it. You’ll like it. It’s a lie that parents tell their kids all the time, and it’s usually about food. But now there is evidence that even if kids don’t like, say, an icky vegetable, if you can get them to keep sampling the food eventually they will grow to enjoy it. And if it works with Brussels sprouts, why not with other distasteful things like budgets, saving and investing? First, a word on vegetables. British scientist Jane Wardle found that kids ages 4-6 were willing to eat veggies they did not like if they were paid (in stickers) to do so. No real surprise there. Who wouldn’t choke down their spinach for a Super Sticker Assortment?
