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Dr. Lauretta Bender's horrific experiments 

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Dr. Lauretta Bender's horrific experiments 

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(*THE BOLDED TEXTS ARE THINGS I UPDATED/ HAVE CHANGED*)

Experiments and scientific research can be described as a curse and a blessing. In this case a curse. A researcher in specific that went out of her way to prove that electroshock therapy can help kids with mental disabilities, Dr. Lauretta Bender.

Bender had an odd childhood, she had to repeat the first grade 3 times, and got labeled as mentally disabled because she had dyslexia. She managed to get a degree, however had no actual experience in her field.

During her time "researching" she subjected many children, more than 500, to electroshock therapy. She did so to prove that this could help children with their mental disabilities; disabilities such as schizophrenia. She would experiment on children as young as 3 years old.  These experiments gave her a positive light in the medical community back then, however now we know that those experiments were extremely harmful.  She even ended up getting rewarded for these experiments.

One of the children that were experimented upon, went to get ECT because he was deemed as someone living with "Primary Behavior Disorder" due to him becoming chaotic in school. This child, after the ECT, ended up becoming a convicted murder of 3 people. Was it because of what he was subjected as a child?
I believe so, as shown in the article below,
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4801766/
childhood trauma can lead to children becoming more susceptible to becoming antisocial and/or psychopathy.

Some of the children that she did these experiments on seemed to have "positive" results due to the ECT. However, the "results" were just the after effects to the ECT. Some of the effects of ECT are brain damage, slight or permanent memory loss, and intellectual impairment (https://cchr.org.au/brain-damaging-effects-of-electroshock-the-facts)

Nowadays, the effects of ECT are well known and people do not use ETC as much as a way of treating mental disabilities. Scientists have worked together to make all sorts of medication and different types of therapy to help with mental disabilities.  ECT is rarely used anymore, but is used in some cases of depression and/or bipolar disorder. Personally, I've only known one person that ever had to go through ECT as a way of helping their depression, and it was still exhausting for them to deal with. However it did indeed help them with their depression, at least a little bit.

Needless to say this is a terrible way to find a way to help those with mental illness. I have a 10 year old nephew, that I live with, who is diagnosed with autism, and a developmental delay. I'm constantly trying to figure out new ways to help him and to understand him more, because one day when his dad, and my parents are gone (the mother is not in the picture), I'm going to be the primary caregiver for him. Whilst I do want to make things a bit easier, for him and myself, I would never, EVER, subject him to ECT. No child, nor person in general, deserves to be subjected to that torture.

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Clio is your guide to the history and culture around you. We have entries from all across the country.

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Are people born or conditioned to be introverted/extroverted?

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Are people born or conditioned to be introverted/extroverted?

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A big argument in the psychology field, are our personality traits determined from nature or nurture?

In the case of determining if we are an introvert or extrovert, it is mostly nature. Meaning we are born with the introversion or extraversion.

Research proves that introverts are born with more blood flow in their frontal lobes. While, extroverts have more blood flow in their lower blood regions. This, of course, is not something that is in our control. We can not simply decide whether or not we want our blood to flow one way or another.

This isn't to say that our environment doesn't have something to do with our introvert and extrovert traits. There are many reasons why one may choose to be more outgoing and more reserved. For example, some people choose to be reserved to make their life simple, if you talk to everyone then usually you'll run into the awkward of being friends with 2 people that don't like each other. Then it becomes "who do you like more" blah blah blah. Keeping a smaller group makes things more manageable. Another example, if someone has been hurt by their friends or a partner, then sometimes that person may choose to socialize less to avoid getting hurt again.

It is also hypothesized that extroverts are more into reward systems than introverts. Which, I can conclude myself to be true. I often see that the more extroverted people tend to go after prizes in school more than introverted children. This would possibly mean that extroverts seek dopamine more than introverts.

In conclusion, introversion and extraversion are not just things based upon our environment, but are somewhat based upon our genes.

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I think we all have a basic understanding of the meaning of the words "extravert" and "introvert." And if you've been on Truity for more than 2.5 seconds, then you probably know which one you are-and if you don't, you can find out here.

Carl Jung used these terms to describe the manner in which people direct their energy. Extraverts get their energy from external activities, people, and events; introverts get their energy from ideas, memories, and "me time." But other than the fact that this rings true for many people, is there any science to back up the existence of introverts and extraverts?

As it turns out, there is! Of course, like so many things in life, introversion and extraversion exist on a spectrum. Some introverts may be "more introverted" than others and thus require more time alone to recharge their batteries, and some extraverts might need more stimulation than others. But there still remain key general differences in the brains of introverts and extraverts.

1. Introversion is associated with increased activity in frontal lobe regions. In a 1999 study, researchers gave a Five Factor Inventory (similar to the Big Five) to the participants in order to gauge who were introverts and who were extraverts. The participants were then given positron emission tomography (PET) scans in order to measure their cerebral blood flow (CBF). No significance was found between introverts and extraverts in terms of whole brain blood flow, but CBF was significantly different in specific parts of the brain. Introverts had increased blood flow in the frontal lobes, while extraverts had lower blood flow in regions associated with behavioral inhibition.

2. Extraverts tend to be more susceptible to positive incentives, and that might have something to do with dopamine. Numerous studies have shown that extraversion is correlated to being more motivated by rewards. Some have hypothesized that this is due to a greater number of dopamine receptors in the midbrain. (Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with reward-seeking behavior. So more of certain dopamine receptors means more potential to anticipate and feel the rush of reward.)

3. Introverts have greater blood flow on a certain acetylcholine pathway in the brain while extraverts have more blood flowing on a dopamine pathway. In a study described in The Introvert Advantage by Marti Olsen Laney, PsyD, cerebral blood flow (CBF) was once again measured by PET. Certain neural pathways had greater activity in extraverts relative to introverts, and vice versa. Dr. Laney explains how the pathways that were more active in extraverts are associated with dopamine, while the pathways that were more active in introverts are associated with acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is essential to attention, learning, and memory, and at certain receptors, it can also serve to reinforce behaviors. Importantly, the dopamine pathway is shorter than the acetylcholine one-which could explain why many extraverts are able to respond faster under an onslaught of stimulation.

Now that I've presented these studies, I feel bound to note that correlation does not imply causation. Therefore, although the introverts in the first study had greater CBF in their frontal lobes, higher blood flow in the frontal lobes is not necessarily the cause of introverted characteristics in a person. Behaving like an introvert could increase the blood flow to the frontal lobes. Or maybe being an introvert and having greater CBF in the frontal lobes are both caused by a third unknown factor. That disclaimer aside, the research suggests that introversion and extraversion are linked to brain structure and chemistry.

The frontal lobe of the brain contains the primary motor cortex, which controls voluntary body movement. However, it is also involved in "higher thinking" and memory. "Higher thinking" includes tasks such as decision-making, predicting consequences of events, and determining similarities and differences. The memory function of the frontal lobe is involved with retaining memories associated with emotions.

So what does this all mean? That introverts seem to have higher blood flow-and thus more activity-in their frontal lobes? Well, many introverts report engaging in running monologues with themselves that may include reflecting on past events and thinking about or planning for the future. In contrast, extraverts had higher blood flow in the posterior insula, which is activated by interpretation of current sensory information. The differences in the activity in these areas for introverts and extraverts may be reflected by the former's tendency toward inward focus and the latter's toward outward focus.

The frontal lobe is also where you find most of the cerebral cortex's dopamine-sensitive neurons. However, pre-reward (or reward-expectant) processing happens among the dopamine-sensitive neurons of the midbrain, and post-reward processing happens in the forebrain, which includes the frontal lobe. The evidence that introverts' frontal lobes are more active fits with the idea that introverts may be more reflective on past events.

Additionally, due to the high concentration of dopamine-sensitive neurons in the frontal lobes, a lot of activity in the frontal lobes could explain why introverts seem to be more sensitive to dopamine-and thus more likely to be overwhelmed by excessive stimulation. Meanwhile, extraverts get their energy from exactly the outside stimuli that might overwhelm introverts. Another piece of this puzzle is that introverts and extraverts seem to have different numbers of different types of dopamine receptors, which means that they respond to stimuli and rewards differently.

Clearly, introversion and extraversion are not things that we've just made up. Our brains process information and situations differently at a cellular and chemical level. Maybe it's just the neuroscience major in me, but I think that is pretty freaking cool.

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The Science of Extraversion and Introversion

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I think we all have a basic understanding of the meaning of the words "extravert" and "introvert." And if you've been on Truity for more than 2.5 seconds, then you probably know which one you are-and if you don't, you can find out here.

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Did I get my depression from my parents? How does heredity affect mental illness? (*ADDED*)

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Did I get my depression from my parents? How does heredity affect mental illness? (*ADDED*)

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The causes for certain mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder and depression can indeed sometimes be caused by your genes.

Well, it can make you more susceptible.

For example, the genetic cause for bipolar disorder is currently unknown, however it is seen to run in families. This isn't to say the your genes are the ONLY thing that determine if you will have a certain mental illness or not. So, if your family has a history of mental illness, it is possible that you can end up with it too, however it is not certain.

Research from the MIH indicates that mental illnesses are caused by 4 factors (in most cases). These include genetics, biology, environmental factors and psychological factors.  Currently there aren't any tests that can indicate if you have a gene that would make you more likely to have a mental illness, but if it "runs" in your family, then you are more likely to have one.

In cases of bipolar disorder, the cause of this disorder still remains to be unknown. However it is seen to run in families. Regarding depression, it is seen that in cases of twins, they are 37% more likely to have depression due to inheritance. It is thought that the cause of depression has something to do with the genes that regulate neurotransmitters. In cases of anxiety, it is recognized that 30-50% of cases have something to do with genes, especially with twins and close family members. Regarding schizophrenia, if you have a close family member that has schizophrenia, then the chances of you getting it is 1-10%. However if both of your parents have it, then those chances skyrocket to a whooping 50%.

There are a lot of factors that also will play into if you will or won't end up with mental illness. These things include, life stressors, childhood trauma, physical medical conditions, chemical imbalances, drug/alcohol abuse, and/or loneliness.

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If you live with a mental illness, it's understandable that you'd want to know its origins, including whether you may have inherited it. But the answer to whether mental illness is genetic is a complicated one.

has found that mental illness likely has a genetic component, but that mental illness is most probably caused by a combination of genetic and environmental components. What's more, certain mental health disorders - such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and depression - are more closely tied to genetics than other disorders.

Studies looking at the connections between genetics and mental illness are ongoing, and there's still much to be learned. Here's what we know so far about genetics and mental illness, as well as how to get the help you need to feel more like yourself again, should you be diagnosed with a mental illness.

According to research analysis from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIH), mental illness is usually caused by a combination of four main factors:

genetics

biology

environmental factors

psychological factors

At this time, there are no genetic tests you can take to determine if you carry a gene that would make you more likely to develop a particular mental illness, though studies around this issue are ongoing. Instead, you can look to your familial line to help understand your genetic risk of developing a mental illness.

For example, if one or several close members of your family live with a particular mental illness, your risk increases. However, having an increased risk doesn't mean you will develop that mental illness. Your inherited genetics only play a part in the development of a mental illness.

There are, however, certain mental and behavioral conditions that are more likely to have a genetic component, according to the NIH. These include:

As the , several genetic factors are found across all five of these disorders, including CACNA1C and CACNB2 (genes that regulate the activity of calcium on neurons). Besides these, researchers found that people with all five disorders had variations in chromosomes 3 and 10, though it's still unclear how these genetic variations influence disease progression.

Let's take a deeper dive into some of the mental illnesses that may have a genetic component, and what to know about how genes influence these disorders.

Bipolar disorder is a mental illness characterized by extreme mood swings that alternate between mania (or hypomania) and depression. It affects 2.6% of American adults, which amounts to about 5.7 million people.

Research about the genetic origins of bipolar disorder is incomplete but ongoing. However, it's clear that bipolar disorder runs in families. The risk is highest if you have a first-degree relative who has the disorder, such as a parent or sibling. Some people who have first-degree relatives with bipolar disorder will be more likely to develop the disorder than others, and many people with first-degree relatives who have bipolar disorder will not develop it at all.

A 2014 study published in The Application of Clinical Genetics found a connection between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the development of bipolar disorder. However, SNPs are common genetic variations, and most people who have them don't have bipolar disorder. The study team contends that more research is needed to understand the association between SNPs and bipolar disorder.

Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses; it affects approximately 350 million people around the world, and about 16.9% of Americans. Depression is more than feeling down or sad. It involves severe feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and agitation. Depression can make it difficult to work or maintain social connections; and increases your risk of suicide ideation and suicide attempts.

Most experts have observed that depression runs in families, and people who experience depression may notice that a close relative, such as a parent or sibling, also experiences depression. Studies involving twins have found a 37% rate of inheritance for depression.

The full genetic components of depression are still being studied and aren't well understood yet. Some of the genes that are thought to be involved in the development of depression are genes that regulate neurotransmitters. For example, some studies have focused on the serotonin transporter gene, as it's known that serotonin plays a role in depression. But exactly what that role is, is not yet fully understood.

Anxiety is one of the most common mental illnesses, affecting about 20% of us at one point or another in our lifetime. Anxiety disorders are characterized by extreme feelings of fear that can be incapacitating and make it difficult to function. There are several different types of anxiety disorders, including:

Anxiety disorders tend to run in families, with both environmental and genetic susceptibilities thought to contribute to the development of these disorders. Studies on twins and close family members have found that genetics play a role at a rate of .

Similar to depression, the genes that influence the development of anxiety aren't fully understood. Genetic association studies have found links between anxiety and certain genes, including 5-HTT, 5-HT1A, BDNF, and MAOA. But it's not clear what these associations mean and how they interact with other contributing aspects, such as environmental factors, childhood trauma, and life stress.

Schizophrenia is a mental illness that typically emerges in late childhood to early adulthood and is defined by psychosis. People with schizophrenia experience hallucinations, delusions, have difficulty concentrating, and may exhibit antisocial behavior. Approximately 1% of people experience schizophrenia.

There are some strong links between having a family member with schizophrenia and going on to develop it. If you have a close family member with schizophrenia, your chances of developing it increase from 1% to 10%. If both your parents have it, your risk increases to 50%. Of course, not everyone with a close family member who has schizophrenia will develop it.

The genetic components of schizophrenia are still being studied and researchers don't have a complete picture at this time. One theory is that a microdeletion in chromosome 22 (22q11) may contribute to the development of schizophrenia.

Again, genetics is just one aspect that may make you more likely to develop a particular mental illness. Experts agree that genetics alone aren't the only causes of mental illness. Here are some other contributing factors:

Treatment for mental illnesses depends on the type that you're experiencing. A psychologist or psychiatrist can help diagnose the mental illness you're living with, and come up with a plan of treatment for you. Different types of therapies treat different mental illnesses; the most important thing is to find a therapist you feel comfortable and safe with and who takes your concerns seriously.
Click here to learn more about the best telehealth services to get the therapy you need at home.
Besides therapy, medication can be helpful - and in many cases, necessary - when it comes to managing mental illness.

For some people, medication may only be needed sometimes, or for a limited period. Other people will need to be on some form of medication for mental illness for the duration of their lives. There should be no shame in taking medication for mental illness: it can be life-saving for many people.

Finally, lifestyle changes - when combined with needed medication and therapy - can be vital for people who live with mental illness. This may include making sure to get enough sleep, eating regularly, healthy exercise and body movement, and incorporating mindfulness and meditation.

While there are certainly links between genetics and mental illness, there's still a lot we don't know. This can be frustrating if you're looking for answers to a mental illness you experience, or are wondering if you might develop a mental illness that seems to run in your family.

Experts today believe there likely is a genetic component to most mental illnesses, even as research continues to uncover more information. But remember that just because a mental illness runs in your family, it doesn't mean you will inherit it.

If you become diagnosed with a mental illness, there are many treatment options out there for you, and it's possible to live a full and balanced life.

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Are Mental Illnesses Inherited? What to Know About Your Family's Health

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If you live with a mental illness, it's understandable that you'd want to know its origins, including whether you may have inherited it. But the answer to whether mental illness is genetic is a complicated one. has found that mental illness likely has a genetic component, but that mental illness is most probably caused by a combination of genetic and environmental components.

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(Second source with info is bolded)
Did you know that you can use all 5 of your senses to help you sleep?
I personally believe you sense of sight plays the most crucial part in how you sleep at night. Many people use their phones and such before going to sleep. Phones, as well as other electronic devices, emit blue light, which blocks the production of melatonin. Melatonin is the hormone that makes you tired and if you're blocking that then you won't be able to sleep easily. (https://www.sleepfoundation.org/bedroom-environment/blue-light) Sleep Number's suggestion is to stop using anything electronic before going to sleep.
Another suggestion to appeal to your sense of sight when sleeping is to fill your room with things that relaxes you, this can be something as simple as changing your wallpaper to a color that you enjoy, something easy on the eyes. Another thing that can be done is putting relaxing artwork and such on your walls so that you can use it as a visual to calm down before unwinding to sleep.  Again, this would mean eliminating the usage of screens. It would be helpful to not have a tv or such mounted on your wall.

Another important sense to consider when going to sleep is hearing. Some people need background sound to sleep and some people need absolute silence. One suggestion would be to listen to music that relaxes you, or background noise such as ocean sounds. Another suggestion if you prefer not hearing noise before sleeping, is to remove anything that makes noise from you room, this can be something as simple as moving your phone out of your room, as that makes noise when you get a notification. If you can't avoid the sound, then earplugs or ear muffs can be helpful.

The sense of smell is something else you can utilize to help yourself sleep. I know a lot of people that use aromatherapy to help themselves sleep. Personally, my mom likes to use essential oils before sleeping, specifically lavender. According to Dr. Rosenberg, your brain associates different scents to awake-ness and sleep-ness. For example, the smell of coffee can invoke feeling more awake, while the smell of lavender can invoke feeling more tired.
Another suggestion by sleep number is to add plants into your home. This can appeal to your sense of smell by filtering pollutants. This can also help with visual appeal, as people like the look of plants.

Your sense of touch is another thing to look at. This can be from figuring out if you prefer softer or firmer mattresses, along with pillows and blankets. Something else to consider is if you are sleeping in bed with another person. This can be a sibling, kid, or spouse. Humans naturally emit body heat, so when picking your sheets and blankets, you need to consider the amount of heat they emit so that you don't explode when you're sleeping.
Another suggestion made by the wonderful sleep number, is to get a massage every now and then. Massages can help you calm down and unwind before sleeping. This doesn't have to be a professional massage or anything fancy like that. It can be given by another person in your household or there's machines nowadays like foot massagers' and such.

Lastly, your sense of taste. What you eat and drink have a direct impact on how you sleep. For example, coffee is designed to keep you awake. So is it the most wise idea to drink a cup before going to sleep? Another thing is peppermint, this comes mostly in the form of toothpaste. Peppermint provides a cooling sensation in the mouth and for some people, that jolts them awake. In those cases it can be useful to get a milder flavor of toothpaste.

Overall, the usage of your senses can make or break how well you sleep. If you use all senses effectively then you can get yourself a good amount of sleep each night, which is good for many reasons that I do not feel like listing.

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Sleep and Your 5 Senses: Sight, Hearing, Smell, Touch, Taste

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I sometimes will wonder things about the world. Part of what I wonder is why there is so many different languages. I understand why there is sign language, because you know, deaf people, but otherwise, what is the need for all of the languages. It would probably be simpler if everyone in the world spoke the same language.

According to the article,  part of why there is so many different languages is due to people growing up in different places and not knowing each other. Basically, people evolved at different times and different places and so they couldn’t communicate to each other to be on the same page.  War apparently led to the formation of new languages as well or make certain ones go extinct. Another interesting factor is rainfall. Some researchers in Australia found that rainfall patterns affected the numbers of languages around the world. This is because areas with more rain can support different groups of people. “Acoustic Adaptation” is another factor that explains the quantity of languages. For example, if its really hot and humid out, it is harder to hear certain parts of a word, therefore distorting it to the other person. This in itself can make the other person believe that the word the other is saying is real, and then they will use that word. This can be why certain languages sound similar, such as French and Spanish.

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There are approximately 7,000 languages in the world today. But why? Why are there so many languages? It's an ancient question, almost as old as humanity itself. Explanations for why people speak so many languages are common in myths from cultures around the world.

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It is kind of a good question to ask, why do some full families carry more intelligence than others. Like how people can inherit hair color from their parents, could it be the same with intelligence?

The article starts with stating that it is hard the measure intelligence, as it can be defined and measured in a bunch of different ways. I agree with this, because I think that certain people are smart but then other people think they are dumb. Most scientific studies rely on IQ tests. Studies have not concluded that there are any genes that have major roles. Intelligence is heavily dependent on a person’s environment, parenting, and education availability. For example, someone that does not go to school probably won’t be smarter than someone that does. There is still no great way to determine if someone’s intelligence is from their environment or intelligence. It is kind of like the nature v  nurture argument. Either or, can be kind of a valid argument. I personally believe that it is due to a person’s environment. Because without environmental factors, someone cannot learn certain things. It is like saying that a baby can be born knowing how to be a doctor.

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Is intelligence determined by genetics?: MedlinePlus Genetics

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Factors that affect intelligence include genes, education, nutrition, and others. Learn more about how genetics impacts intelligence.

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The piano stairs experiment was to try out a theory from the car company Volkswagen. The experiment was conducted in 2009 and consisted of trying to make un-fun activities more fun so that people would actually want to do them. For this, Volkswagen took a staircase at a subway station and they made it so that each step produced a noise when you stepped on it. They found that 66% more people used the stairs rather then an elevator or something when there was piano stairs. Even though this experiment didn't have any very serious outcomes or influence, this proved that making a task more fun can change a person's behavior on the task. For example, when you let us watch certain shows or videos that are based around something we do in class, that makes it more fun to learn about whatever we are learning about. Like the WWYD tv show we watched in class, people seemed to really like watching that and for that reason, it should've made people connect the dots between the terms and behaviors. Although I suppose that didn't work for everyone....

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The Piano Stairs Experiment: Making Life More Fun

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They dubbed their marketing campaign "The Fun Theory," based on the idea that "fun is the easiest way to change people's behavior for the better." The Fun Theory consisted of a series of videotaped experiments investigating whether making somewhat undesirable activities more entertaining could persuade individuals to make better choices.

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The smoky room experiment was designed to test the "diffusion of responsibility" phenomenon. Which is basically if someone is alone will they help another if they are the only one responsible? Or will they leave the person that is hurt or in distress?

The first experiment was conducted by Latane and Darley. What they would do is take individuals and put them in a fake emergency situation. All of the subjects were asked to complete a survey and they would be alone in the room. Then smoke would be released into the room slowly. Since the subjects were alone, it made them more likely to report the situation. 3/4 of the subjects reported the smoke within 6 minutes.

The second experiment was a bit different, they would have one subject and 2 actors. When the subject started to notice the smoke, the other 2 actors essentially were like "whatever", and returned to working on the survey. Only 10% of the subjects ended up reporting the smoke. The ones who did not, let the smoke fill up the room so much that they began coughing and could not see well, and even then they didn't report the conditions.

The third and last experiment consisted of 3 subjects who did not know what was going on. Only 38% of the subjects ended up reporting to smoke.

The experiment was important because it shows that emergencies get disregarded even if the circumstances are bad. For example, there was a murder of Kitty Genovese and a bunch of people had seen what was going on and did nothing because they didn't feel responsible to help. They could have helped the poor person but did not because they just didn't feel like it was there place even though she shouted that she needed help and such.

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The Smoky Room Experiment: Trust Your Instincts

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Do some people genetically have better memory?

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Do some people genetically have better memory?

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I often wonder why other people can remember stuff better than I can. I can tend to remember important stuff, but sometimes there is times where I walk into a room and forget why I went in there, or I put something down and then I have to spend hours looking for it later. For some people, they have photographic memories by some magic, I imagine if I had that then I’d get an A on every single test I receive.

According to the article, genes play a large role in how much we forget as we age. Researchers sound that “having a greater density of dopamine receptors in the hippocampus results in better episodic memory”. Which seemingly means that if a memory invokes happiness then you are more likely to remember it, but some people don’t get as happy as often due to their dopamine receptors, which in turn means they may forget things more often than someone that is happy all of the time. Researchers have also found that animals also have the same function where dopamine assists their long-term storage of episodic memories.

There was a study done that included 433 adults aged from 20-31, 690 adults from 59-71. The researchers looked at “genotypes of three genes that affect different components of the dopamine system in memory-related brain regions”. This sounds like they looked at the genes that affect dopamine in memory areas of the brain of. people of all different ages to see how it affects their memories. Two of the genes they looked at influence the density of dopamine receptors and the third gene influences the amount of dopamine that is available for the transmission of a signal.

The researchers would show different colored images and asked the participants to recall these colors after 2.5 hours. They were then brought back a week later to see how well they recalled the images.

The researchers found that older adults carrying more genotypes that had higher dopamine receptor density and more available dopamine were able to recall the information better than people carrying one or none of the beneficial genotypes. However, the researchers did not find these effects in the younger participants.

So all together, genes do have an affect on memory, which may be why other people remember things better than I can.

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As we age, our memories of autobiographical events often fade but some individuals are much better at remembering than others. A new study explores how our genetics result in some of these individual differences in memory retention - and finds that certain genes play an increasingly larger role in how much we forget as we get older.

"In previous studies, it has been difficult to identify factors that predict forgetting of 'episodic' information across long timescales," says Goran Papenberg of the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Germany. "This was surprising to me, given that there are actually considerable differences in rates of forgetting among individuals."

To better understand these differences, he and colleagues turned to a specific set of genes related to dopamine signaling in the brain. A large body of research has found that the neurotransmitter dopamine affects our ability to recall specific past events, so called "episodic memory." In people, for example, researchers have found that having a greater density of dopamine receptors in the hippocampus results in better episodic memory. In animals, researchers recently have found that dopamine assists in the long-term storage of episodic memories.

Papenberg's study wanted to find out if dopamine also affects the long-term storage of episodic memories in humans and how that differs based on age. In 433 adults aged 20 to 31 years old and 690 adults aged 59 to 71 years old, they looked at genotypes of three genes that affect different components of the dopamine system in memory-related brain regions. Two of the genes influence the density of dopamine receptors and a third gene influences the amount of dopamine available for the transmission of a signal.

The researchers showed the participants a variety of color images and tested their recall after 2.5 hours and brought them back in a week later to see how well they recalled the images. The older adults carrying more genotypes associated with higher dopamine receptor density and more available dopamine were better able to recall the pictorial information a week later compared to older individuals carrying only one or none of the beneficial genotypes. The researchers did not find these genetic effects in the younger participants or after only 2.5 hours, as reported in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience.

"Our findings suggest that common genetic variance may be one contributing factor to the higher between-person differences in older age," Papenberg says. But, he says, that genetic factors are only one piece of the puzzle. "They account for individual differences in forgetting to some extent," he says. "We know that our genes also interact with our lifestyle and other health risk factors in predicting cognition."

Papenberg's team would like to use longitudinal studies to identify some of these other factors that interact with our genetics to predict aging-related cognitive decline. This work could eventually help to develop targeted interventions for aiding memory and other cognitive skills in older adults.

-Lisa M.P. Munoz

Dopaminergic Gene Polymorphisms Affect Long-term Forgetting in Old Age: Further Support for the Magnification Hypothesis, Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, Goran Papenberg et al., online Jan. 30, 2013.

Media contact: Lisa M.P. Munoz, CNS Public Information Officer, cns.publicaffairs@gmail.com

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The Genetics of Why Some People Remember Events Better than Others as They Age - Cognitive Neuroscience Society

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As we age, our memories of autobiographical events often fade but some individuals are much better at remembering than others. A new study explores how our genetics result in some of these individual differences in memory retention - and finds that certain genes play an increasingly larger role in how much we forget as we [...]

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So babies are able to have memories, but not how we do. Babies only really have short term memory. At 4 months old a baby can remember a face disappearing when you play peek-a-boo with them. Short-term memory helps with tracking objects, which could be useful.. maybe.. who knows.. By 4-6 months old, babies can only remember one thing at a time. How they test this? I do not know. Babies memories expand quickly throughout their first year of life. 6-month old’s can remember how to press a lever to operate a toy train after 2-3 weeks after seeing the toy. Long terms take years to be developed, till around 7 years old kids won’t be able to have long term memories. This is because the hippocampus is part of where memories are formed. Babies can somewhat remember familiar faces/people. Not only through sight, but through their other senses as well. They remember faces faster than other objects. Newborns will typically remember their mother’s voice at birth because they heard it while they are in the womb. The same can occur for other voices the child may hear frequently such as maybe their fathers voice.

Memories typically start within a persons first two months. As stated before, faces and voices that the child hears everyday may be something that they are able to recognize quite easily. Breastfed babies can additionally remember the scent of their mother. Children start to have their first memories from age 3-4. However, these memories are usually implicit. Therefore, if you remind the child of the memory through a photo or such, then they may feel like they remember it but won’t.

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Do babies have memories? Yes, but they don't work the way adult memories do.

Babies have mainly short-term memories that last for just a few minutes. By 4 months old, your baby can remember that your face has disappeared when you play peek-a-boo, or that a ball has rolled out of sight. Short-term memory helps babies track objects. But researchers have found that 4- to 6-month-old babies can only remember one thing at a time.

Your baby's memory expands quickly in their first year of life. One study found that 6-month-olds could remember how to press a lever to operate a toy train for two to three weeks after they last saw the toy.

By 10 months, a baby's short-term memory has improved so much that they can remember a few things at once, but still only for short periods of time. (Researchers think that limits on short-term memory may help babies avoid getting overwhelmed by the great, big world they're encountering.)

Long-term memories take an extra few years to develop. The hippocampus, the part of the brain where memories form, isn't fully developed until around age 7. This may be why our earliest memories aren't usually from our first few years of life. The absence of early childhood memories is a phenomenon researchers call "childhood amnesia."

When do babies recognize familiar faces?

A newborn's vision is pretty fuzzy, but they can start to recognize faces much faster than other objects. Your baby will be able to identify your face by the time they're 3 months old, but they can pick you out of a crowd much earlier using their other senses.

Newborns recognize their mom's voice at birth because they heard it in the womb. They'll start to recognize the voices of their other parent and siblings soon after that.

When do babies start remembering faces of relatives and friends outside of the household? The degree of exposure matters.

If your child sees their grandparents once a week, they'll probably recognize them by the time they're 6 to 9 month old. But if they see them daily, it may happen sooner. You'll know whose faces are familiar to your baby because they'll smile and coo when they see people they recognize.

If your child's grandparents or other special family members live far away and frequent visits aren't possible, it may take a year or two for your little one to really remember them. You can make this process easier for your baby by video chatting with family members regularly.

You can also use social media sites to share photos and updates, and look at them with your baby while you talk about who's on the screen and the things you've done with them. Or consider making a small photo album of favorite people for your baby to page through.

How long can a baby remember a person?

Babies remember faces relatively well. They can recall faces for a surprisingly long time, and not just those of family members.

In one study, 3-year-olds were shown pictures of two faces - a person they had met once two years earlier, and a stranger. The children stared at the stranger's face for longer, an example of what researchers call "novelty preference," or the tendency to focus on new things. This suggests the 3-year-olds recognized the person they'd met before.

Still, babies need to see people frequently to remember them. (They can remember for just a few minutes in the early months, and for a few weeks by age 1.) That's why your baby easily remembers their favorite teacher at daycare, but not Aunt Martha who met them last month.

When do memories start?

Even in their first two months, your baby can recognize familiar faces and voices, especially those they see every day. Newborns can recognize their mothers' voice at birth, and breastfed babies can recognize their mother's smell. This kind of recognition is the first indication of memory, although it's very different from remembering the details of specific episodes.

Your baby's recognition memory - the ability to identify people and objects they've seen before after a delay or time apart - will increase dramatically during the first year. By the time they're 9 months old, your baby will be able to remember more specific information, such as where their toys are in your house. And they can recognize a real-life object like a toy from a picture.

They'll also be able to imitate actions they've seen as long as a week before. These skills indicate that older babies have recall memory - the ability to remember some details of a specific experience for a short amount of time - though they still don't remember most of their experiences.

When will my child have their first memory?

Most people's first memory is from ages 3 to 4. Creating an episodic memory (which involves personal events or experiences) requires different areas of the brain working in tandem, which takes time to develop.

The answer to the question, "What is your first memory?" can vary based on how old you are when asked. Earliest memories differ between children and adults. Researchers believe we may have earlier memories than we can recall, some starting at around age 2.

First memories are usually the implicit type, when you remember more of a feeling about an event than the event itself. Explicit memories, the kind that involve events and facts, aren't robust until around age 6 or 7. For example, your child might have some general early memories of eating breakfast at the kitchen table before preschool, but they won't remember many details of your last summer vacation until around kindergarten or first grade.

To help your child remember early events, show them pictures and talk about what happened. For example, if you really want them to remember that family reunion trip to Florida when they were 4, look at the photos together and share funny stories from the trip. Your child probably won't remember all the details, but they'll feel like they remember it.

Interestingly, our memories are actually constantly updated and "rewritten" by our new experiences. Your child's happy memories of recounting the trip with you may be even more valuable than any memories of the trip itself.

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When babies recognize and remember faces, and when memories start

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Do babies have memories? Yes, but they don't work the way adult memories do. Babies have mainly short-term memories that last for just a few minutes. By 4 months old, your baby can remember that your face has disappeared when you play peek-a-boo, or that a ball has rolled out of sight.

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The brain matures faster due to childhood stress

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The brain matures faster due to childhood stress

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There was a test led by Radboud University that have 37 subjects that were monitored for over 20 years. Over the 20 years, the subjects were subjected to MRIs and were observed during their interactions with others. There were 2 stressors that were investigated by the researchers, negative life events and negative influence from social environments. It was found that it is useful for the brain to develop faster but since it is induced by stress, it can lead to problems with adjusting to other environments. Social stress also leads to slower maturation during adolescence. Stress from a young age can also lead to antisocial behavior.

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Stress in early childhood leads to faster maturation of certain brain regions during adolescence. In contrast, stress experienced later in life leads to slower maturation of the adolescent brain. This is the outcome of a long-term study conducted by researchers of Radboud University in which 37 subjects have been monitored for almost 20 years. The findings will be published in Scientific Reports on 15 June.

In 1998, the group -- which then comprised 129 one-year-olds and their parents -- was tested for the first time. Over the past 20 years, researchers studied, inter alia, their play sessions and interactions with parents, friends and classmates. The children were also subjected to MRI scans. This wealth of data has enabled Karin Roelofs, Professor of Experimental Psychopathology, her PhD student Anna Tyborowska and other colleagues of Radboud University to investigate how stress in various life stages affected the adolescent brain of these children.

More specifically, they looked at the effects on cerebral maturation. During adolescence, our brain experiences a natural pruning process in which previously made connections between brain cells are refined, allowing the creation of more useful and efficient networks.
More pruning due to early life stress
The researchers investigated two types of stressors -- negative life events and negative influences from the social environment -- in two life stages of their subjects: early childhood (0-5 years) and adolescence (14-17 years). They related these stress levels to the maturation of the prefrontal cortex, amygdala and hippocampus. These brain regions play an important role in functioning in social and emotional situations and are known to be sensitive to stress.

Stress due to negative experiences during childhood , such as illness or divorce, appears to be related to faster maturation of the prefrontal cortex and amygdala in adolescence. However, stress resulting from a negative social environment during adolescence, such as low peer esteem at school, is connected to slower maturation of the brain area hippocampus and another part of the prefrontal cortex. 'Unfortunately, in this study we can't say with certainty that stress causes these effects. However, based on animal studies we can hypothesize that these mechanisms are indeed causal,' Anna Tyborowska says.
Loss of flexibility
'The fact that early childhood stress accelerates the maturation process during adolescence is consistent with theories of evolutionary biology,' says Tyborowska. 'From an evolutionary perspective, it is useful to mature faster if you grow up in a stressful environment. However, it also prevents the brain from adjusting to the current environment in a flexible way. In other words, the brain become "mature" too soon.' The researchers were surprised to find, however, that social stress later in life seems to lead to slower maturation during adolescence. Tyborowska: 'What makes this interesting is that a stronger effect of stress on the brain also increases the risk of developing antisocial personality traits'.

Tyborowska is now conducting the eleventh round of measurements, with the subjects now being in their twenties. 'Now that we know that stress affects the maturation of brain regions that also play a role in the control of emotions, we can investigate how this development continues later in life'.
Longitudinal study from Nijmegen
The Nijmeegse Longitudinale Studie (Nijmegen Longitudinal Study) was initiated in 1998. This study aims to investigate how the development and functioning of children at various ages is influenced by their interactions with parents and peers and how this relates to their disposition and personality. Several research groups have access to the data collected from the subjects (at present about 100). Other research topics include mother-child relationships, bullying and risk behaviour. This long-term study is one of the few worldwide in which so many measurements are taken over such a long period.

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psychology research; mental health research; nervous system; children's health; stress; intelligence; mental health; neuroscience

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Brain matures faster due to childhood stress

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Stress in early childhood leads to faster maturation of certain brain regions during adolescence. In contrast, stress experienced later in life leads to slower maturation of the adolescent brain. This is the outcome of a long-term study conducted by researchers of Radboud University in which 37 subjects have been monitored for almost 20 years.

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How does the economy affect brain development

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How does the economy affect brain development

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Researchers found that children of higher social class have better IQ scores, reading and language batteries and ability to focus. However it is also seen that children of higher social class have issue with distinguishing the difference between socioeconomic status from racial background. Study shows that as a person develops, their cerebral cortex grows in size. Children with parent that only had a high school had 3% less cortical surface area than children whose parents attended university. Children who are in lower social class face more stress, insufficient nutrition and have a greater exposure for environmental toxins which can lead to declined brain development. According to the article, an enriching environment lead to better brain development.

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Stark and rising inequality plagues many countries, including the United States, and politicians, economists, and-fortunately-scientists, are debating its causes and solutions. But inequality's effects may go beyond simple access to opportunity: a new study finds that family differences in income and education are directly correlated with brain size in developing children and adolescents. The findings could have important policy implications and provide new arguments for early antipoverty interventions, researchers say.

Researchers have long known that children from families with higher socioeconomic status do better on a number of cognitive measures, including IQ scores, reading and language batteries, and tests of so-called executive function-the ability to focus attention on a task. More recently, some studies have found that key brain areas in children of higher socioeconomic status-such as those involved in memory or language-tend to be either larger in volume, more developed, or both. However, these studies have suffered from some important limitations: For one thing, they don't adequately distinguish socioeconomic status from racial background, which in the United States are difficult to tease apart because nonwhite groups tend to have higher poverty levels. And few studies treat family income and education levels as independent factors, even though they can act differently on the child's developing brain. For example, income may be a better indicator of the material resources (such as healthy food and medical care) available to a child, whereas more highly educated parents may be better able to stimulate their child's intellectual development.

To get around some of these limitations, a research team scanned the brains of 1099 children and young adults, ranging from 3 to 20 years old, using MRI. The researchers, led by Kimberly Noble of Columbia University and Elizabeth Sowell of Children's Hospital Los Angeles in California, both cognitive neuroscientists specializing in child development, recruited subjects in collaboration with researchers at nine U.S. universities and hospitals, using Internet and community advertising as well as word of mouth.

The MRI scans allowed the team to measure the surface area of the subjects' cerebral cortices, the outer layer of the brain where most advanced cognitive processing takes place, including language, reading, and executive functions. The researchers chose to measure cortical surface area because previous research had shown that it increases throughout childhood and adolescence as the brain develops, thus making it a potentially sensitive indicator of intellectual abilities. Studies in both animals and humans have suggested that the cortex can grow larger as a result of life experiences, although genetic factors may partly influence its overall size. The team also administered a battery of standard cognitive tests to the subjects and took DNA samples to control for the factors of race and genetic ancestry.

The results, published online this week in Nature Neuroscience, showed that cortical surface area was indeed correlated with different measures of socioeconomic status. Parental education-the number of years that parents had gone to school-showed a linear correlation with overall cortical surface area, especially for regions of the brain involved in language, reading, and executive functions. As a rough approximation, the children of parents with only a high school education (12 years of education or less) had 3% less cortical surface area than children whose parents had attended universities (15 years or more), Noble and Sowell told Science.

The team also found a significant correlation between cortical surface area and family income levels, which ranged from less than $5000 per year to more than $300,000. This was not a linear correlation, however. Instead, at the very lowest income levels, each incremental increase in income led to relatively greater increases in cortical surface area, whereas the influence of income tended to level off at higher levels. Nevertheless, Noble and Sowell say, the difference between lower and higher incomes is dramatic: Children from families making $25,000 per year or less have cortical surface areas roughly 6% smaller than those making more than $150,000.

The team also found that cortical surface area was related to performance on at least some cognitive tests, especially those measuring executive functions and memory. Finally, race and ethnicity had no effect on any of these correlations. "The links between socioeconomic status and brain structure were the same across individuals, regardless of racial background," Noble says.

In their paper, the team cautions that despite these clear correlations between socioeconomic status and the size of the cerebral cortex, the reasons for the correlations are not yet clear. Low socioeconomic status could inhibit brain growth due to family stress, greater exposure to environmental toxins, or insufficient nutrition, while higher status families might be able to provide more "cognitive stimulation" to their children. Nevertheless, the researchers point to the particularly low cortical surface areas of low-income children-and the differences that even small, incremental increases in income can make-as evidence that antipoverty measures could make a big difference in both brain size and intellectual achievement. "The implications for public policy are substantial," Sowell says. "The brain develops over a very long period, throughout childhood and adolescence," she adds, suggesting that enriching the environment of a child "at any point in development" can make a big difference in his or her abilities.

But unknown genetic factors that influence brain size and also correlate with income could play a role in the results, says Ian Deary, a psychologist at the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom who is well known for his work on intelligence. He cites recent studies concluding that both genetic and environmental factors influence socioeconomic status.

Still, Martha Farah, a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Pennsylvania, says that the study is "a real advance in characterizing how brain development differs" between children of lower and higher socioeconomic status, calling it a "crucial first step" in understanding how income and education levels "shape human development." She agrees that the study provides compelling support for the idea of alleviating childhood poverty. "Even without neuroscience, the case for investment in society's poor children is very strong," she says. "But if brain imaging helps to focus people's attention on the problem of childhood poverty, that's great."

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Poverty may affect the growth of children's brains

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Stark and rising inequality plagues many countries, including the United States, and politicians, economists, and-fortunately-scientists, are debating its causes and solutions. But inequality's effects may go beyond simple access to opportunity: a new study finds that family differences in income and education are directly correlated with brain size in developing children and adolescents.

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In my personal opinion, I believe caffeine is terrible for everyone and should not be consumed as something to keep a person awake. The only time I actually consume caffeine is when I am drinking soda, which even then, I am not drinking the soda for the caffeine, but rather for the taste of it. According to the article, apparently alcohol can help a person with their learning skills. However, there is a difference between just enough and too much. People with a better diet did better on 10 memory tests than those with a bad diet. The same for caffeine, and the alcohol results are mixed. Caffeine is a stimulant that helps people wake up, however it also blocks the receptors that helps a person release adenosine. This gives a surge of energy and can potentially improve mental performance. It was evident that a person that took in caffeine had better scores on mental function tests but not on memory tests. Depending on how much a person drinks, it can help a person with their learning but it can also harm a person's brain long term. A healthy diet is linked with better brain function.

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Caffeine and a healthy diet may boost memory, thinking skills; alcohol's effect uncertain - Harvard Health

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A study published in this month's Journal of Nutrition suggests that drinking caffeinated beverages, having the occasional alcoholic drink, and eating a healthy diet may help preserve memory and thinking skills long into old age. In particular, foods that are part of the Mediterranean diet-fruits, vegetables, nuts, fish, ...

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I believe that sleeping overall helps brain function but it also helps with learning. In my personal experience, I have had an easier time learning after sleeping rather than not sleeping and trying to learn. Whenever I have been on low sleep and come to school, I am unable to pay attention or have motivation to do any of my school work. However, after sleeping for a sufficient amount of time, I am able to get my work done at good speeds, and retain the information that is presented to me in class.

According to the article, sleeping can help a person's memory improve. This can help a person make links between what they learn and their own personal experiences, and it can also help a person remember more things for longer periods of time. Lack of sleep can actually cut a person's learning by 40%. Lack of sleep affects a part of the brain being the hippocampus which is vital to making new memories, which then furthermore impacts the abilities of a person to have memory of the things that they learn in their classes. Memories themselves are hard to retain due to the amount of sensory overload that is presented in every given moment. So, the brain decides what is important and what is not important. However, this is affected with a lack of sleep. So, generally speaking, a good night of sleep can have a positive affect on a persons learning. Which is kind of hard to achieve due to maybe the fact that we have to do school basically on a computer 24/7 which emits blue light, which harms the production of melatonin, but that's aside from the main point of the article.

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When you learn something new, the best way to remember it is to sleep on it. That’s because sleep helps strengthen the memories you’ve formed throughout the day.

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I never really understood why people take personality tests when it does not exactly benefit them. In a sense it can help them learn about themselves, or help with grouping in a work place, however I often see that people rely on those results and make decisions and assumptions based off of those personality tests. I had a friend group and we all did one of those mental disability tests, and one of them got a result indicating that they might have autism. That person really took that to heart and believed he had autism. Which if he really was/is then I suppose the test could've been useful, however he used it to justify actions that he purposefully did. I do not think all of those tests online are an accurate representation of a person, therefore, I do not think they should be used for serious matters. Anyway, onto the article. The article states that the reasons a person may use a personality test is to find things out about themselves, find a sense of belonging, and to understand other people. Using a personality test to understand a person's self is not the most reliable way to find out things. According to the article, asking a friend or someone close is a more accurate way to determine factors about a person. Personality tests can also help a person realize that there are other people in the world that are like them. However, that is a logical fact. In most cases there is always another person that has gone through something similar, not exactly the same, but similar. People also use personality tests to determine traits of another person. For example, I forget what the test is called but the results give you a 4-letter result with a detailed response below, such as IDJS, I do not think that is an actual result but my point still stands. Even some teachers use those tests to determine traits about their students and group students up based upon those results. However, I personally believe that using an online test is a bad way to make a judgement on a person's personality. However, for some people it is what works for them. Like the astrology stuff, people make assumptions about another based off their sign. Using astrology to make assumptions and judgements on a person is just as bad as using personality test results to define a person's self and make judgement son others.

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"Myers-Briggs, I'm never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and desert you." - Rick Astley

Ok, fine. Rick Astley was singing about a woman, not the Myers-Briggs. But many people who have taken the Myers-Briggs (MBTI) or the Enneagram adopt their type as part of their identity and don't want to give it up.

In the first post of this series on personality tests, I discussed why two highly popular personality type systems, the MBTI and the Enneagram, may not give you an accurate picture of your personality. It seems like if our results were inaccurate, we'd know it, but that's not always the case; the way results are presented can affect how we process them, and we are biased in how we process information about ourselves.

This second installment in the series will explore three reasons we like taking personality tests and why people are reluctant to acknowledge that their personality type might be wrong, even if it doesn't actually fit them well. In a nutshell, we want to learn about ourselves, feel that we belong, and understand others.
1. We want to learn something we didn't know about ourselves.
One of the reasons we like to take personality tests in the first place is that we want to learn about ourselves. In an episode of The Black Goat Podcast, personality psychologist Simine Vazire suggested that we like personality tests because we hope that they will reveal previously unknown information about ourselves. The bad news is that this is unlikely to happen, but the good news is that this is because research on self-other knowledge shows that we actually know ourselves quite well!

Our friends and family, and sometimes even strangers, tend to see us pretty closely to how we see ourselves. For some things, like our emotions, we have access to information about ourselves that others don't. There might be things about yourself you don't know, like how intellectual or creative you are, but to find out, you're better off asking your best friend than taking the MBTI or Enneagram.

2. We want to belong.

A simple reason that we tend to identify with our personality test results is that we have an inherent need to belong.

A friend of mine recently described her experience of taking the MBTI for the first time when she was in high school. As an artist, she felt different from her peers, and she said it was a great comfort to know that "there were others out there like [me]." Feeling understood and normal, perhaps for the first time, is a powerful experience, so it's no surprise someone in this situation would react negatively to the idea that the place where they finally fit isn't real.
3. We want simple ways to understand other people.
After all, understanding and relating to other people is hard. If it were easy, books and services about navigating relationships of all kinds wouldn't be a multi-million dollar industry. It is tempting to wish for a simple shorthand that would provide us with a wealth of information, something that would allow us to understand someone's tendencies and motives at a glance, saving us the hard work of trial and error and awkwardness as we get to know them.

This is just what tests like the MBTI and Enneagram purport to do. In theory, knowing someone's MBTI type or Enneagram number allows us to quickly and easily understand them and respond to them in a way that allows for smooth social interactions.

And it makes sense to us that people would fall into such clear categories. We naturally categorize everything we encounter, and we use those categories to help us make sense of the world around us quickly and with minimal energy.

When we encounter a person, situation, or object, we store information about them in something called a schema-a mental representation of what that person, situation, or object is like. Over time, through many experiences, we develop a rich set of ideas and expectations about people we perceive to belong to a certain category.

When we interact with a person we know to be a member of a particular category or someone who seems like they belong to a category for which we have a schema, that schema is automatically activated and, like a script, guides our interactions with them. If we are familiar with the personality types in these systems, once a person tells us they are an ISFJ or a 7, we have a built-in template for how to understand them. Or at least that's the idea.

However, an important thing about schema-driven behavior is that it can lead us to make incorrect assumptions about someone based on what we think people in that category are like; generalizations are efficient, but not always correct. In other words, these social road maps are only as useful as their content is accurate. If MBTI and Enneagram types don't actually capture real differences between us, they have much less practical utility than it seems on the surface.
But wait; there's more!
This post explored three reasons we are motivated to take personality tests and invest in our results. However, this is only half the story when it comes to understanding why people can be so reluctant to acknowledge that their personality type doesn't actually describe them well. In the next post, I will show you two reasons your personality feedback might feel very accurate even when it's not.

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Why Do We Like Personality Tests, Even the Bad Ones?

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"Myers-Briggs, I'm never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and desert you." - Rick Astley Ok, fine. Rick Astley was singing about a woman, not the Myers-Briggs. But many people who have taken the Myers-Briggs (MBTI) or the Enneagram adopt their type as part of their identity and don't want to give it up.

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Narcissist is not something that a person is born with. It is something that often happens due to their childhood environment. If a parent does not provide their child with love and acceptance, stuff like that then, they might end up becoming a narcissist. For example, when love is conditional from a parent, the child does not feel stable love. Sometimes parents will only view their child as someone that can make their family look good. This can result in children only feeling secure when they are doing their "best". There are also situations where if the parent has an anger problem, then they are always lashing out at the people around them, including their children. In the case where this occurs with multiple children in the house, the parent may end up favoring one child over the other in a very obvious manner. This can result in a few different personalities stemming for the child. There is the "defeated" child, this is when a child is self-hating and may have depression. The rebellious child often feels the need to prove themselves and hate their parents. They pursue every achievement that they can. Then there is the angry child that grows up angry at their parent and releases anger on anyone that reminds them of their parent. There is another possible results from narcissistic parents being the golden child. The golden child often feels the need to be talented and good all of the time and does anything to reach that. When a person grows up with narcissistic parents, their perceptions on flaws/shame changes. They may see it as the end of the world and feel the need to "fix" themselves. They may also have a stunted development of the real self which is when they only do things that they are good at instead of trying new things in response to fear of failure.

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I am often asked, "What type of parenting leads children to grow up with a narcissistic personality disorder?" Or "Are the children of narcissistic parents at risk of becoming narcissists themselves?" Today's post may shed some light on this issue.
How Does Someone "Get" a Narcissistic Personality Disorder?
Narcissistic personality disorders are a byproduct of certain childhood family environments. All children want their parents' approval and attention. Children adapt to their homes, and often the most productive and reasonable adaptation to some home situations is to become a narcissist.

Below are some common scenarios that can contribute to children becoming narcissistic.
Scenario 1-Narcissistic Parental Values
In this situation, the child is raised in a family that is very competitive and only rewards high achievement. One or both of the parents are Exhibitionist Narcissists. The family motto is: If you can't be the best, why bother?

Love is conditional: When you come in first in the race, win the science fair or star in the school show, you are showered with praise and attention. When you do not, you are a disappointment. Everyone in the family is supposed to be special and prove it over and over again. No matter how much you achieve, the pressure is never off. As one woman said: "When I came home with a report card with all A's, my father asked me if anyone got an A+."

Children in these families do not feel stably loved. It is hard for them to enjoy anything for its own sake if it does not confer status. Instead of being supported by their parents to explore what they like and want to do more of, they only receive support for high achievement. Their parents are not interested in their children's "real selves," they are mainly interested in how their children can make the family look good. They want to be able to brag to their neighbors: "Look at what my kid did!"

The children who grow up in homes like this only feel secure and worthwhile when they are successful and recognized as the "best." The conditional love of their childhood and the over-evaluation of high status and success in their home sets in motion a lifelong pattern of chasing success and confusing it with happiness.
Example: John and his Life on Paper
John, a brilliant and successful man with a narcissistic personality disorder, told me that he was coming to therapy because he knew that had lost his way. Nothing he did seemed to have any real meaning for him. He said, "I have a 'resume' life. Everything about me looks good on paper. Even my hobbies are cool. But somewhere along the way, I lost touch with who I really am. I no longer feel much genuine pleasure in my accomplishments. I started out enjoying what I do well, but now I do it only because it impresses other people. Inside I feel empty."
Scenario 2: The Devaluing Narcissistic Parent
In this scenario, there is a very domineering and devaluing parent who is always putting down the child. The parent is generally irritable, easily angered, and has unrealistically high expectations.

If there are two or more children, the parent will praise one and devalue the others. The "good one" can quickly become the "bad one" and suddenly a different sibling is elevated. Nobody in the family feels secure and everyone spends their time trying to pacify the explosive Narcissistic parent.

The other parent is often treated exactly like the children and belittled as well. When he or she disagrees with the narcissistic parent, they too are devalued.

Children who grow up in these households feel angry, humiliated, and inadequate. They are likely to react to their childhood situation in a few different ways.

The Defeated Child: Some of these children simply give up and accept defeat. In their teenage years, after decades of being told that they are worthless, they may spiral down into a self-hating shame-based depression. Then to escape their inner shame, they may try to lose themselves in impulsive, addictive behaviors. Some become alcoholics and drug addicts, others spend their days on the internet. They never achieve their potential because they have been convinced that they have none.

The Rebellious Child: These children overtly reject their parents' message that they are "losers." Instead, they spend their life trying to prove to themselves, the world, and the devaluing parent that they are special and their parents were wrong. They pursue achievement in every way that they can. Proving they are special becomes a lifelong mission, while underneath there is always a harsh inner voice criticizing their every mistake-no matter how minor.

The Angry Child: These children grow up furious at the devaluing parent. Anyone who reminds them of their parent in any way becomes the target of their anger. They sometimes become Toxic or Malignant Narcissists themselves. It is not enough for them to achieve, they must destroy as well.
Example: "Pretty Woman"
In this movie, Richard Gere portrays a wealthy businessman who buys and breaks up companies. He enjoys destroying the life's work of the former owners of these companies because all of them are symbolic substitutes for his hated father. The movie turns into a Cinderella story after he hires a prostitute (Julia Roberts) with whom he eventually falls in love. Even his choice of a love object is typically narcissistic. I have met many wealthy narcissistic men who can only show love to women that they "save" who are safely below them in status.
Scenario 3: "The Golden Child"
These parents are usually closet Narcissists who are uncomfortable in the spotlight. Instead, they brag about their extremely talented child. Often the child is very talented and deserves praise, but these parents sometimes take it to ridiculous lengths. This type of excessive idealization of a child as flawless and special can lead to the child having a narcissistic adaptation in later life.

The Effects of Conditional vs. Unconditional Love

Everyone wants to be seen realistically and loved unconditionally. If children believe that their parents only value them because they are special, this can contribute to an underlying insecurity. No one wins all the time. No one is better than everyone else in every way.

Children who are idealized by a parent can begin to believe that they are only lovable when they are perfect and worthy of idealization.

When parents idealize their children, the children may become ashamed when they see any flaws in themselves. This can lead them to keep striving for perfection and proof that they are flawless and worth idealizing.

Stunted Development of the Real Self

In this process, children may lose touch with their real selves and real likes and dislikes. Instead of exploring who they really are and where their true interests and talents lie, they can get off track entirely and spend their time only doing things that they are already good at and they think will get their parents' approval.

The Result: Too much parental idealization may lead to an unbalanced view of the self. When this happens, the child then perceives any flaws as unacceptable and strives to be seen as perfect. It is a short hop, skip, and a jump from this to full-blown narcissism.

Occasionally, these children resist their role as "The Golden Child," do not become narcissistic, and are embarrassed by the excessive praise that they receive. They feel burdened by the role that they are asked to play in the family. One mother told me: "My son is the flagship of the family who will lead us all to greatness." Her son told me: "I just want to get off this endless treadmill and live my own life without having to meet my parents' crazy expectations."
Scenario 4: The Exhibitionist's Admirer
Some children grow up in a narcissistic household where there is an Exhibitionist Narcissist parent who rewards them with praise and attention as long as they admire and stay subservient to the parent. These children are taught narcissistic values but are discouraged from exhibiting themselves for admiration. Instead, their role in the family is to uncritically worship the greatness of their narcissistic parent without ever trying to equal or surpass that parent's achievements.

This is an excellent way to create Covert or Closet Narcissists. The children learn that they will be given narcissistic supplies-attention and praise-for not openly competing with the narcissistic parent and that these supplies will be withheld and they will be devalued if they openly try to get acknowledged as special. All their value in the family comes from acting as a support to the ego of the Exhibitionist parent.

In adulthood, these children feel too exposed and vulnerable to be comfortable in the spotlight, so their Narcissism and self-esteem issues are less obvious to anyone who does not know them well. Some adapt to this role very well and lead productive lives in a job that involves supporting a high achieving Exhibitionist Narcissist whom they admire.
Example: Cindi and the "Great Man"
Cindi was the personal assistant of the CEO of her company. She admired him and lived to serve him. She felt special through association with him. She treasured any small bits of praise that she had received over the years from him and kept all the holiday and birthday cards he had given her. Cindi never married because she was so focused on her job and had narcissistic values herself. Whenever she met men who wanted to date her, they always seemed lacking compared to her boss. As she explained to one of her girlfriends, "After working so closely with my boss, other men just seem too inferior to bother with."

Punchline: Once you know what to look for, it is easy to see how certain childhood home environments support narcissistic adaptations by the children. In some homes, becoming a Narcissist is often the only sane solution.
Facebook image: Alissala/Shutterstock

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How a Child Can Grow Up to Become a Narcissist

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I am often asked, "What type of parenting leads children to grow up with a narcissistic personality disorder?" Or "Are the children of narcissistic parents at risk of becoming narcissists themselves?" Today's post may shed some light on this issue. How Does Someone "Get" a Narcissistic Personality Disorder?

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When I am in school, I am appalled to see the lack of motivation to get things done. However, there are factors that make students get things done one way or another. According to the article, students are often motivated to do their school work due to interest in topic, their prior successes, the need to please others, or they are self driven. There are 2 main categories for how people are organized, intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic is when a person is motivated from within and extrinsic is when a person is motivated by outer factors. A person that is intrinsic can be motivated by themselves telling them what to do. However, it is the opposite with extrinsic people, they need some type of reward to be motivated to do their work. For example, the admins are currently offering students gift cards to get them to come to school. A stupid idea, however it might be working. The gift cards are incentives for people to come into school. The same applies when learning. A student may be motivated by candy or something to do their work. Letting students have a choice in how they learn/ a choice between assignments can help a student be motivated to complete an assignment. Praise is another thing that helps a lot of students with getting their work done. Planning things out is very useful as well, if a person is feeling unmotivated, it could be because they have a lot on their plate, a good way to combat that is by sectioning off what they need to do by difficulty and due dates to create the most efficient schedule to get things done.

Personally, I am self motivated, I can charge through 10 assignments in one day with how I plan my work. I do not understand why people complain so much about school because if they were to plan things out carefully, school is really easy. With my work ethic and such, I think I could have done well in your AP psych class, although I hate AP testing, so that's sort of why I was hesitant to signing up for it. I can not wait for when class of 23' gets hit with reality in actual workplaces and need to actually do a lot of work. School can be hard, but doing actual jobs can be much harder in my opinion. I apologize for this rant, I am just very annoyed with people leeching off of me for help on assignments.

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Consider what motivates students to learn and how teachers and parents can encourage engagement and self-directed learning.