Berkeley on Biphasic Sleep If you see a student dozing in the library or a co-worker catching 40 winks in her cubicle, don’t roll your eyes. New research from the University of California, Berkeley, shows that an hour’s nap can dramatically boost and restore your brain power. Indeed, the findings suggest that a biphasic sleep schedule not only refreshes the mind, but can make you smarter. Students who napped (green column) did markedly better in memorizing tests than their no-nap counterparts. Conversely, the more hours we spend awake, the more sluggish our minds become, according to the findings. “Sleep not only rights the wrong of prolonged wakefulness but, at a neurocognitive level, it moves you beyond where you were before you took a nap,” said Matthew Walker, an assistant professor of psychology at UC Berkeley and the lead investigator of these studies. In the recent UC Berkeley sleep study, 39 healthy young adults were divided into two groups — nap and no-nap.
Color symbolism Color symbolism in art and anthropology refers to the use of color as a symbol in various cultures. There is great diversity in the use of colors and their associations between cultures[1] and even within the same culture in different time periods.[2] In fact, the same color may have very different associations within the same culture at any time. For example, red is often used for stop signs[3] or danger.[4] At the same time, red is also frequently used in association with romance, e.g. with Valentine's Day.[5] White variously signifies purity, innocence, wisdom or death. Symbolic representations of religious concepts or articles may include a specific color with which the concept or object is associated.[6] There is evidence to suggest that colors have been used for this purpose as early as 90,000 BC.[7] Extensive associations for each color are listed in their respective articles. See also[edit] References[edit] External links[edit]
Neuroscience Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system.[1] Traditionally, neuroscience has been seen as a branch of biology. However, it is currently an interdisciplinary science that collaborates with other fields such as chemistry, computer science, engineering, linguistics, mathematics, medicine and allied disciplines, philosophy, physics, and psychology. It also exerts influence on other fields, such as neuroeducation[2] and neurolaw. The term neurobiology is usually used interchangeably with the term neuroscience, although the former refers specifically to the biology of the nervous system, whereas the latter refers to the entire science of the nervous system. Because of the increasing number of scientists who study the nervous system, several prominent neuroscience organizations have been formed to provide a forum to all neuroscientists and educators. History[edit] The study of the nervous system dates back to ancient Egypt. Modern neuroscience[edit] Human nervous system
Did You Know?: The Meaning of Colors - Color Symbolism Just imagine how this world would be without colors or better still imagine yourself living in a world that is only in black and white. Would life be as beautiful, enjoyable and splendid as how it is now with regards to color? The beautiful blue sky would lose its unique color, trees and flowers their splendid colors just to name a few. Our behavior towards a lot of things that control our present lives would not exist. Color symbolism can vary dramatically between various cultures around the world that perceive colors completely different. RedExcitement, energy, passion, desire, movement, speed, strength, health, good fortune, vigor, power, heat, love, all things intense and passionate. Negative: aggression, danger, fire, blood, war, violence, lust, stop, revolution, overwhelming and agitated. Associations:Holiday: Yule (Christmas)Planet: MarsDay: TuesdayAstrological: Scorpio Some Cultures :Asia - sacred, imperial.Western cultures - joy, happiness. Some Cultures : Negative: mourning
10 Practical Uses For Psychological Research in Everyday Life | People love to give each other advice. The web is full to bursting with all types of pseudo-psychological advice about life. The problem is, how much of this is based on real scientific evidence? Well, here on PsyBlog we’ve got the scientific evidence. So here’s my top 10 list of what you can learn practically from the psychological research discussed here recently. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Color & Meaning In Advertising COLOR & MEANING IN ADVERTISING Source: Red Red is the color of fire and blood, so it is associated with energy, war, danger, strength, power, determination as well as passion, desire, and love. Red is a very emotionally intense color. It enhances human metabolism, increases respiration rate, and raises blood pressure. It has very high visibility, which is why stop signs, stoplights, and fire equipment are usually painted red. Red brings text and images to the foreground. Light red represents joy, sexuality, passion, sensitivity, and love.Pink signifies romance, love, and friendship. Orange Orange combines the energy of red and the happiness of yellow. To the human eye, orange is a very hot color, so it gives the sensation of heat. Orange has very high visibility, so you can use it to catch attention and highlight the most important elements of your design. Yellow Yellow is the color of sunshine. Green Green is the color of nature. Blue Purple
The Ten Most Revealing Psych Experiments Psychology is the study of the human mind and mental processes in relation to human behaviors - human nature. Due to its subject matter, psychology is not considered a 'hard' science, even though psychologists do experiment and publish their findings in respected journals. Some of the experiments psychologists have conducted over the years reveal things about the way we humans think and behave that we might not want to embrace, but which can at least help keep us humble. 1. The Robbers Cave Experiment is a classic social psychology experiment conducted with two groups of 11-year old boys at a state park in Oklahoma, and demonstrates just how easily an exclusive group identity is adopted and how quickly the group can degenerate into prejudice and antagonism toward outsiders. Researcher Muzafer Sherif actually conducted a series of 3 experiments. 2. This infamous experiment to plumb the depths of evil in human hearts ended up affecting its lead researcher as much as its subjects. 3. 4.
Color Symbolism Theories (Article source: Color Logic for PowerPoint) Color conveys meanings in two primary ways - natural associations and psychological symbolism. No, it’s not mind control. The truth of the matter is that people are comfortable when colors remind them of similar things. For example, a soft shade of blue triggers associations with the sky and a psychological sense of calm. Successful design requires an awareness of how and why colors communicate meaning. As a starting point, the communicative properties of a color can be defined by two categories: natural associations and psychological (or cultural) associations. Natural Associations Occurrences of colors in nature are universal and timeless. Psychological or Cultural Associations Color may generate another level of meaning in the mind. Furthermore, color may have both positive and negative symbolism. Advertisement 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. More about color symbolism > Color Symbolism Influences Don't miss this section:The Meanings of Colors at Color Matters.
An On-Off Switch for Anxiety With the flick of a precisely placed light switch, mice can be induced to cower in a corner in fear or bravely explore their environment. The study highlights the power of optogenetics technology—which allows neuroscientists to control genetically engineered neurons with light—to explore the functions of complex neural wiring and to control behavior. In the study, Karl Deisseroth and collaborators at Stanford University identified a specific circuit in the amygdala, a part of the brain that is central to fear, aggression, and other basic emotions, that appears to regulate anxiety in rodents. They hope the findings, published today in the journal Nature, will shed light on the biological basis for human anxiety disorders and point toward new targets for treatment. “We want to conceptualize psychiatric disease as real physical entities with physical substrates,” says Deisseroth.
Color Meanings | Color Symbolism | Meaning of Colors This is part two of a three-part series on color. Part one was Color Therapy & Healing. You can read part three: The Psychological Effects of Color, where we will delve into the psychology of some specific colors and how they might affect your everyday life. Here are the topics covered in this article: The Meaning of Colors You Choose Carl Jung, a renowned psychiatrist and proponent of art therapy, encouraged his patients to use color because he felt this would help them express some of the deeper parts of their psyche. The colors you choose to wear might also say something about how you are feeling that day. How Do We See Color? There are 2 main sources of light that create the colors we see: the sun and lightbulbs. Surfaces reflect and absorb light differently, which results in the colors we see through our eyes. The colored light enters the eye through the pupil, goes through the lens, then reaches the back of the eye called the retina. Here you can see a basic color wheel.
The Neuroscience of Decision Making In an attempt to put matter over mind, researchers are beginning to decipher what exactly is happening in our brains when we are making decisions. Our thoughts, though abstract and vaporous in form, are determined by the actions of specific neuronal circuits in our brains. The interdisciplinary field known as “decision neuroscience” is uncovering those circuits, thereby mapping thinking on a cellular level. Although still a young field, research in this area has exploded in the last decade, with findings suggesting it is possible to parse out the complexity of thinking into its individual components and decipher how they are integrated when we ponder. Recently, three experts in decision neuroscience discussed their work, describing the genesis of this cutting-edge field and why it incorporates several disciplines. DAEYEOL LEE, PhD, Department of Neurobiology and Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine C. C. WANG: Yes.
Color Psychology: The Psychological Effects of Colors This is the last installment of our color therapy series: Psychological Effects of Color. You can read the previous installments: Color Therapy & Healing, Color Meanings & Symbolism, and download our free Color Meaning & Symbolism Charts. For this last installment, we will be exploring the following topics: 1. What is Color Psychology? 2. What is Color Psychology? The psychology of color is based on the mental and emotional effects colors have on sighted people in all facets of life. Applying Color Psychology to Everday Life Did you know your surroundings may be influencing your emotions and state of mind? In art therapy, color is often associated with a person’s emotions. There are also commonly noted psychological effects of color as it relates to two main categories: warm and cool. The concepts of color psychology can also be applied in everyday life. Psychological Effects of Cool Colors Need to be creative? Are you looking for a peaceful and calming environment?
Anger Can Make Us More Rational | The Emotion Machine A recent study in Cognition and Emotion found that anger can sometimes make us more critical thinkers by inhibiting our confirmation bias. Instead of only searching for information that supports our beliefs, anger can create a “moving against” tendency that motivates us to seek alternative information that opposes our assumptions. The study had participants do two different experiments (which they thought were unrelated). In the first experiment, Group A wrote about an experience that made them angry, while Group B wrote about a mundane, ordinary experience. In the next experiment, each participant was asked to evaluate their opinions on hands-free mobile kits. By the end of the experiment, those who were primed to be angry were more likely to shift from their original opinions. A similar study was also conducted in 2008 regarding the election between Obama and McCain.