book reviews
Book reviews by and for those seeking to understand the human mind for all its strengths, quirks and shortcomings.
The Psychological Underpinnings of Benevolent Sexism: A Comprehensive Exploration
A recent study by Clever Girl found that "benevolent sexism" (BS) can hurt women in the short and long term. Benevolent sexism is when someone (usually a man) says something that seems supportive and upbeat but is based on traditional gender stereotypes. Unlike hostile sexism or other overt forms of discrimination, it is unique in that it is often used with intentionally positive intentions and is usually interpreted as such by the recipient. For example, Carla and Alex have been anticipating their manager's annual performance reviews.
By Hridya Sharma11 months ago in Psyche
The Paraphrasing of Personal Development
Self-help books are usually defined as a genre of literature that provides advice, strategies, and techniques to help individuals improve aspects of their personal lives. These books typically focus on topics like mental health, personal growth, productivity, relationships, career development, and overall well-being. According to trends in literature, personal development books (a subset of the self-help genre) have seen a resurgence, making up a large portion of books being bought in the 2010s onwards (Nielsen Book, 2023).
By Annie Kapur11 months ago in Psyche
From Compliance to Collaboration: Redefining Teacher-Student Relationships
A classroom is commonly considered to be a setting in which the teacher should lead and the students should follow. But why does it have to be this way? What if this idea was flipped on its head? What if the relationship between teachers and students was based on collaboration rather than dominance and subservience? From this perspective, educators could create a partnership approach using Perceptual Control Theory (PCT) as a foundation to change the emphasis from compliance to cooperation, allowing both teachers and students to thrive and flourish.
By Aaron Alleyneabout a year ago in Psyche
Understanding The Relationship Between Psychoneuroimmunology and Childhood Trauma : Why It Matters
Childhood psychosocial stressors can impact the development of the immune system, which can then affect the development of the brain and its long-term functioning due to the two-way relationship between the immune system and the brain. Psychoneuroimmunology of early-life stress can provide a novel framework for comprehending and treating psychopathology associated with childhood trauma, based on observational human studies and experimental animal models. Remarkably, several incidents involved once-healthy people who became mentally ill despite not having any physical injuries—the so-called "railway spine."
By Hridya Sharmaabout a year ago in Psyche
What Happens When You Die? The Mystery of Life’s Final Moments Unveiled
The Mystery of Dying Every living person will eventually face the reality of death, a phenomenon that is both universal and mysterious. Despite its inevitability, we still know very little about what it truly feels like to die. Throughout history, humans have grappled with this question, and modern science continues to explore the process in greater depth. But what really happens when we die?
By Fred Oliverabout a year ago in Psyche
What happens when we die?
What happens when we finally bite the dust, so to speak? Currently, a largely science-based view of life and death holds sway over many of us, but many of us still seem to believe in an afterlife. In 2014, The Telegraph surveyed the British public, and nearly 60% of those surveyed said they believed some part of us continues to live.
By Fred Oliverabout a year ago in Psyche
"The Denial of Death", by Ernest Becker
This is just one person's understanding of the Pulitzer Prize winning book "The Denial of Death", by Professor Ernest Becker. It is not meant to be authoritative, and nor is it meant to be a review of the book of any kind. The author is not a specialist in fields touched on by this book, but merely wishes to record a personal impression for later reference.
By Andrew Scottabout a year ago in Psyche
