The Psychology of Culture

On the evolutionary, contemporary and universal dimensions of culture and identifying the main research areas in cultural psychology

The term culture would mean the entire gamut of activities, beliefs, lifestyle, habits, rituals, arts, ethics and behavioral patterns of a society. Yet despite the wide definition of culture, the elements of culture being too varied and divergent, it is not easy to provide a relationship between culture and psychology. There are two common ways by which the relationship between psychology and culture is studied, through intra-cultural psychology or behavioral patterns within a particular society and intercultural psychology or behavior and psychological characteristics between societies.

Intra-cultural psychology seeks to understand the cultural basis of behavior by studying the peculiarities of a society, its rules and norms and shows how traditions shape or influence the collective psyche of the people within the society. However in psychology this is simply considered as 'cultural psychology' a straightforward term denoting the study of cultural traditions and their effects on the psychology of people. This sort of categorization may be misleading as it tends to see cultures as fundamentally different units and highlights differences rather than similarities. Cross-cultural psychology focuses on finding universal patterns of behavior or beliefs that are common among people of all cultures and this is what has been described here as 'inter-cultural' psychology. The terms 'intra-cultural' and 'inter-cultural' psychology would be more conducive to finding a psychology that shows convergent patterns of cultural behavior among people across societies.

The Psychology of Culture

The psychology of culture requires further development in the areas of defining culture and in finding cultural roots that would highlight collective psyche or universal patterns of behavior. Humans are finally united by common emotions and psyche and this broader cultural psychology has been promoted by Carl Gustav Jung who focused his studies on the importance of deriving or understanding the collective unconscious with those elements or archetypes that are carried from one generation to another.

Culture has been defined as the accumulated experiences of a society as a whole that has been socially transmitted so the collective unconscious in Jungian terms would serve as a repository of cultural imprints that shape human behavior right from childhood. The three predominant schools of cultural psychology have been identified as having activity, symbolic or individualistic approach (Carl Ratner explains this well). The activity approach highlights social activities of a group, the symbolic approach defines culture as shared meanings and concepts or symbols. The individualistic approach highlights the interaction of the individual with society and through this, individuals construct their personal culture. But I would downplay the personal aspect of culture and suggest culture as mainly a group phenomenon akin to individual conformity in society so apart from activity and symbolism, culture should be defined by its beliefs, values and ethics. Culture is finally about shared activities, shared symbolisms and shared belief systems.

The story of the birth of human culture would be closely related to the story of human evolution as with the formation of tribes, humans learned and adapted to group behavior. Man was born alone but became a social animal primarily due to survival needs and the development of culture is thus rooted in man's own needs for security, safety and survival. Humans follow rules, norms, traditions of a society simply 'to live' and culture is about conformity. So the psychology of culture is also the psychology of conformity and even the non conformist in a way conforms to certain basic social and cultural rules and traditions.

As 'culture' represents a broad spectrum of human activity, cultural psychology should involve the study of:

Evolutionary and historical patterns of human behavior, closely related to anthropology Contemporary social trends (for example: celebrity culture, workplace culture, globalization) closely related to sociology, and The intra-cultural and inter-cultural patterns of behavior to recognize the universal elements in human cognition, emotion and perception

Thus there seems to be three dimensions to the study of culture in psychology - the evolutionary, the contemporary and the universal. The evolutionary and historical dimension of cultural psychology would have to be largely explained in terms of Jungian psychology whereas social psychology becomes an integral part of the contemporary dimension. The universal dimension for the study of cultural psychology uses behavioral patterns or cognitive psychology to gauge at how people are programmed to behave in certain situations and whether these behavioral patterns are common across cultures and if not, whether there are only culture specific behaviors.

Psychologists have claimed that there are certain culture specific behaviors and certain universal behavioral patterns among humans and it is important to understand whether it is possible to delineate behaviors that are culture specific or intra-cultural and those that are universal or inter-cultural. If such an attempt is made, then it is possible to say that ethics and values, legal structures, lifestyle, activities, rituals and beliefs can widely vary between cultures and these elements represent intra cultural similarities and inter cultural differences. Yet certain attitudes and worldviews or opinions, emotions and perception, as also basic human traits of say intelligence or imagination are not culture specific and may have intra-cultural differences and inter-cultural similarities. For example emotions and emotional expressions are common across all cultures so we all cry when we are sad and laugh when we are happy. We also have common attitudes and opinions such as supportive views towards honesty and we universally detest crime. This is however the universal behavior found across cultures although there may still be variations. The strong intra-cultural beliefs and attitudes that are not universal are usually related to customs rather than emotions, for example attitudes towards marriage and courtship, vary widely between cultures or even dining table manners differ between cultures.

Thus human emotions and expressions and behavior motivated by such emotions tend to be universal or inter-cultural and customs/traditions and human behavior motivated by customs tend to be intra-cultural or culture specific. Cultures in today's world are largely shaped by religious belief systems, political and social or economic systems and that is why culture seems to be almost inflexible in it roots as seen in rigid religious structures of society, although the changing cultural patterns are manifested in political and economic systems. If we provide an agenda for cultural psychology, the future research areas in the psychology of culture should involve

Definition of culture - describing and identifying the concepts and structures of culture and answering what exactly constitutes culture Identifying different dimensions of culture as they relate to cultural psychology - and studying the evolutionary, contemporary and universal aspects of culture Expanding research in the current schools of cultural psychology on activity, symbolism and belief systems as well as considering individual or personal approaches in cultural psychology Establishing the relationships between culture and anthropology, sociology, psychoanalysis and human cognition and emotions. Recognizing similarities in human emotions and expressions that are the basis of universal cultural elements and identifying differences in customs and practices

The psychology of culture is still a developing field and should try to answer basic questions on how behavioral patterns developed within cultures and why behaviors are similar or vary between cultures. The five areas of study listed above suggest the main problems and future directions in the study of culture within psychology and psychology within culture.

The Psychology of Culture
Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Check What Are The Top Cooking Books in Last 90 Days Best Cheap Deal!
Check For Cookbooks Best Sellers 2012 Discount OFFER!
Check for Top 100 Most Popular Books People Are Buying Daily Price Update!
Check For 100 New Release & BestSeller Books For Your Collection

Reflections in Psychology - Part I - by Saberi Roy (2009)
http://www.lulu.com/content/5865445

mobile phone watches Best Buy Chippendale Fish Fork With Hollow Handle Best Buy Roc N Soc Nitro Throne Black Best Offer Lufkin Cn1295Sme590 13 Milimeter 1 2

The Psychology of Communication

On the limits of the process of communication and the central role of interpretation

Communication is about using symbols and in case of humans, using language, to convey meanings and ideas between individuals and it involves the act of evoking reactions from other individuals. Human communication is marked by intention and anticipation of the reactions and communication in humans can be verbal when mediated by language or non-verbal when no language is involved. Communication can also be direct when a certain pattern of behavior evokes a particular type of response or subtle and indirect when behaviors are not predictable or ambiguous and not even completely comprehensible. Thus communication is separated into certain distinct categories such as:

1. Direct and Indirect communication

The Psychology of Communication

2. Verbal and non-verbal communication

Any direct communication can be both verbal and non-verbal just as indirect communication can also be verbal or non verbal. Verbal communication can again be direct or indirect and similarly non verbal communication can also be either direct or indirect. So let's say there are four types of communication patterns in humans - verbal and direct, verbal and indirect, non-verbal and direct, non-verbal and indirect. Examples of verbal and direct would be saying things that are straightforward or unambiguous and with no hidden or incomprehensible messages. These are verbal expressions of emotions and ideas as they occur. Like when you are happy and say that you are happy, you are using the verbal direct method of communication to express your feelings. Indirect methods of verbal communication are using subtle expressions such as taunts, sarcasm, hints etc. that can have ambiguous meanings and do not represent expressions of emotions or ideas 'as they occur'. Thus if you are sad and do not say so but imply indirectly, then you are using indirect methods to convey your state of mind. Non verbal communication is about using cues, facial or bodily expressions, body language, eye or hand movements etc., to express ideas. This can be quite direct like say, hitting a person is rather non verbal but direct as it expresses anger just as crying represents sorrow. However non verbal communication can be indirect such as turning away your eyes from a person you feel uncomfortable with or maintaining prolonged eye contact with a person to convey a message.

Communication is the basis of human and non-human interaction and we can all communicate with a touch or a sound, a look or a symbol, a word or a sentence and also by doing or saying nothing at all. The body is an important interface in communication and I've discussed this in the psychology of body in which body language is shown to play an important role in communication. We communicate with our mates through intimate body language and sexual interaction is a very important communication tool in humans and also in animals. The psychology of communication will include the different elements or stages of communication in an individual such as

1. Absorption of external information through listening or reading etc,

2. Interpretation of the stimuli received, and

3. Reaction to the information obtained through behavior

The three stages of the communication process as in absorption or taking in information, the interpretation or deriving meaning of the information and reaction or responding to the information are facilitated by the following elements:

1. Absorption or taking in information - is through sense organs and we simply absorb the sounds and colors, the spoken words and all external data provided to us. Absorption is an objective process

2. Interpretation or analysis of information - involves using brain mechanisms and analyzing external stimuli as well as details such as expressions and subtle verbal and non verbal cues, so interpretation is a subjective process

3. Reaction or response to the stimuli - uses physical communication routes such as speech, language or expressions through facial and bodily movements. Reactions are the result of a subjective and an objective process. This is because when presented with certain stimuli we all have a set of predictable responses which are objective but depending on how we interpret the situation subjectively, the reactions might vary to an extent. Reactions can be imitative - you smile when you see someone smiling or it can be just the opposite as when someone tries to look at you and you try to look away.

This reaction or response evoked in an individual can become a stimulus for another chain of responses or the stimulus can be a completely separate event or situation. Behaviorists will usually consider communication as a stimulus-response pattern with individuals perceiving the stimuli and reacting to them in the form of communication. Freudian psychoanalysis suggests that communication is directly related to how we subjectively perceive the external information based on our own experiences. So 'interpretation' of external stimuli or the mediation of the individual mind is the most important aspect of communication according to psychoanalysis, although behaviorists will completely eliminate the importance of the 'interpretation' part considering communication as nothing but a series of mechanical 'stimulus-response' pattern. Thus according to behavioral psychology, we perceive an object and react to it via communication almost like a computer program. It sounds strange that the importance of mind and consciousness in communication has only been recently acknowledged in 'scientific' psychology.

The methods of communication are also equally interesting as humans communicate through the written word and the spoken word and through letters, messages, phone calls, personal face to face conversation, through glances and physical contact, through sex, and on a wider scale through seminars, conferences, news events, newspapers, press releases, books, brochures, and campaigning or propaganda. The newer methods of communication using information technology are via chats and chatrooms, internet and emails, text messages, forums, blogging and networking. Technology has opened up new avenues of communication and the world is now completely dependent on how far and how quickly people are able to communicate.

Communication is central to our modern life, yet it is a difficult and complicated process and a gap remains between the ideas communicated and the ideas perceived. This communication gap as it is generally called is closed only with proper consideration of all verbal, non verbal, indirect and direct elements of the communication process. So in a personal or business meeting the communication process involves not just presentation of the ideas of people verbally but also the non verbal facial and bodily expressions.

The purpose of communication is almost always motivated or intentional as we naturally expect a response from people we communicate with. In fact all communication is based on anticipation of response from others thus communication tend to have a direction or purpose. However the communication gap can create problems in the process and the purpose of communication may remain unfulfilled when communicated ideas are too vague or indirect. The vagueness increases when channels of communication between two or more individuals are remote or distal rather than proximal.

Long distance communication methods such as emails and internet, telephone calls etc. bring in new challenges to the study of communication as we are not able to see the person we communicate with, we find it difficult to 'interpret' the stimuli that we encounter. As I have noted in an earlier part of this discussion, the ability to 'interpret' the communicative stimuli is a very important part of the communicative process and the interpretation or derivation of the meaning of what we hear or see depends on our inherent need for analysis of all indirect body language cues, facial expressions and hints or subtle or subconscious processes. Human beings are intelligent and in most cases do not take all information for granted. The direct face to face communication provides us with a definite sense of what the other person really means and gives us assurance that our interpretation of the communication is correct. That is why the face to face interviewing process still remains the most popular method of communication in a selection process. All online communication and information on the internet are thus prone to misinterpretation as we are not able to interpret the information using the non verbal cues or expressions that are an essential part of the communication process. The communication gap is thus the gap of interpretation as despite a lot of information there is certain dearth of essential information and our mind recognizes the communication process as incomplete. You may chat with a person online for several hours in a day but unless you are able to see or hear his or her facial and bodily expressions, you can never be assured that the communication process is completely authentic. Of course, modern devices such as the webcam have greatly improved the communication process. Yet it is also true that even if we have all the essential cues of communication, the very fact that we have to interpret the information received subjectively, can suggest the possibility of a communication gap.

In this discussion then, I simply pointed out that the three stages of communication comprise of certain essential elements and a communication gap is inherent in the process of interpretation either because of our own limitations or due to limitations of technology.

The Psychology of Communication
Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Check What Are The Top Cooking Books in Last 90 Days Best Cheap Deal!
Check For Cookbooks Best Sellers 2012 Discount OFFER!
Check for Top 100 Most Popular Books People Are Buying Daily Price Update!
Check For 100 New Release & BestSeller Books For Your Collection

Reflections in Psychology - Part I - by Saberi Roy (2009)
http://www.lulu.com/content/5865445

cell phone watches Best Offer Cane Creek 110 Zerostack Headset Best Offer Lufkin Cn1295Sme590 13 Milimeter 1 2

Your Personality Based on Blood Type

Believe it or not, blood type can influence someone's personality. Most of you who like surfing the Internet might have known about this information, but it is still essential for you to know about this fact.

Blood type A

People with blood type A are usually serious, patient, and cool. They are also emphatic, certifiable, and believable although they are stubborn. Before they do something, they usually think first and plan it in detail. Indeed, they like harmony, peace and organization.

Your Personality Based on Blood Type

They do everything seriously and consistently, and make themselves appropriately. That is why, they will try not to hurt anyone with their words or speak unnecessarily. But, they can stand apart from other people. They also suppressed their feeling, so they look rigid although they still have weaknesses, such as nervous, scary, and many more. They lean to surround themselves with the same characteristic people.

Blood Type B

People with blood type B tend to be curious and interested in everything. They also lean to have many hobbies. If they are interested in something, they will be buoyant, but unfortunately they will be bored fast. However, they can choose the most important thing for them to do.

They lean to want to be number one in anything rather than just to be average people. But, they usually ignore another activity if they have focused on a certain activity. In other words, they cannot do some activities at the same time.

They look cheerful, enthusiastic, and bright. But, they are actually not like their appearances. Indeed, they are antisocial with many people. They are rugged individualists who are straightforward and like to do things their own way. Unluckily, their insistence on being independent can sometimes go too far and become a weakness.

Blood type O

People with blood type O usually have a big role in motivating the passion of their groups and stimulating the harmonious relationship among the group members. They look like people who accept and do something calmly.

They are smart to cover up their feelings, so they look like people who are always cheerful, peaceful, and do not have problem at all. But, if they cannot bear it, they will surely find out a place or someone to talk.

They are kind, often do kindness, and are not reluctant to get out of their money to other people. They are actually stubborn too and have their own opinions about anything in confidence, but they are also flexible and easily accept new things. No wonder that they lean to be influenced easily by other people. Look like people who are temperate and believable, but they also often make big mistakes because of their careless characteristic. However, their characteristics make them lovable.

Blood type AB

People with blood type AB have sensitive and soft feeling. They have profound interests with other people's feelings and always face other people with care and beware. However, they also tough with themselves and people close to them. Thus, they lean to have two personalities.

They are usually grudge people and think something too deep. Fortunately, they have a lot of friends, but they also need time to be lonely to think their own problems.

Your Personality Based on Blood Type
Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Check What Are The Top Cooking Books in Last 90 Days Best Cheap Deal!
Check For Cookbooks Best Sellers 2012 Discount OFFER!
Check for Top 100 Most Popular Books People Are Buying Daily Price Update!
Check For 100 New Release & BestSeller Books For Your Collection

The writer has experienced in writing articles for almost five years. Besides about psychology, his writing is about best printer scanner copier. He is also an expert in writing about canon printer scanner copier that is beneficial for you.

mobile phone watches Buy Extra Containment Receiver For Ef 3000 Best Buy Roc N Soc Nitro Throne Black Best Offer Lufkin Cn1295Sme590 13 Milimeter 1 2

What is Social Psychology?

Social psychology is concerned with explaining how the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of individuals are influenced by others. This area of psychology also deals with how people interact with others in social settings. Just from everyday exposure, you may remember terms like conformity, social status, motivation, and prejudice. These are all key concepts associated with social psychology. There are also some basic aspects of social behavior that play a large role in how we view ourselves as individuals.

Examples of research questions that appeal to social psychologists: How do teacher ratings websites affect perceptions of instructor effectiveness? How13740183 does gender affect perceptions of effective political leadership? Do people carry out instructions from authority figures even if it violates moral principles? Or, as the title of a national bestseller asks: "Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together In the Cafeteria?" And even still, in terms of professional applications, many companies rely on social psychology to influence consumers to develop company loyalty or buy their products and services.

If you are interested in attitude change in groups or how social identity affects human behavior, then social psychology would be a great area for graduate study. However, to further hone in on your interests, review some current research in the field. Your university library should have a collection of academic journals, such as Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Flip through a couple of issues and note which studies capture your attention. These are potential areas of research interest. Also take note of the author and their university affiliation. Just like that, you can identify a potential faculty mentor and quite possibly, the right graduate program for you!

What is Social Psychology?

What is Social Psychology?
Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Check What Are The Top Cooking Books in Last 90 Days Best Cheap Deal!
Check For Cookbooks Best Sellers 2012 Discount OFFER!
Check for Top 100 Most Popular Books People Are Buying Daily Price Update!
Check For 100 New Release & BestSeller Books For Your Collection

If this has been helpful, please visit: Get into grad school.

Visit the definitive source of information on applying to Ph.D. programs in psychology: Applying to graduate school.

watches mobile phone Save 13 On Trademark Miller Girl In The Best Price 36 Sampson Grate For 121 44 Buy Extra Containment Receiver For Ef 3000

Top 3 Tricks of Psychology to Make Girls Fall For You In a Flash

The truth is this: seduction hardly has anything to do with money or looks. On the other hand, it has to do with how great you can make women feel when they are around you. Keep reading to find out highly effective tactics and tricks that you could put to use to make women fall for you in mere seconds.

Top 3 Tricks of Psychology to Make Girls Fall for You - in a Flash

Trick #1: Trigger the Auras of Mystery. Let her know that you have realized something special about her that is incredibly interesting, but you can't tell her what it is. This powerful trick will make women think about you constantly.

Top 3 Tricks of Psychology to Make Girls Fall For You In a Flash

This happens to work since it will increase the female curiosity level, while simultaneously boosting her attraction levels towards you. She will stay in you, if you remain being the mysterious guy that you are in her eyes.

Trick #2: Dump the Ego. Women tend to be used to getting every attention for her self. So, you need to reduce her levels of ego a little bit. Speak to her friends and pretend like she's not there whenever you are with an entire group. This will ignite her feelings of jealous while simultaneously making her try to get your attention.

Keep in mind that anything rare happens to be valuable. Always make yourself more unavailable to make your overall value skyrocket like never before.

Trick #3: Use Covert Tactics. Using a covert tactic called fractionation, regular men have been known to be able to make women fall in love with them - in 15 minutes or even less. This tactic uses conversational tricks to make a woman feel emotionally engaged (and dependent) on you - and as a result she will often do anything you tell her to.

Top 3 Tricks of Psychology to Make Girls Fall For You In a Flash
Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Check What Are The Top Cooking Books in Last 90 Days Best Cheap Deal!
Check For Cookbooks Best Sellers 2012 Discount OFFER!
Check for Top 100 Most Popular Books People Are Buying Daily Price Update!
Check For 100 New Release & BestSeller Books For Your Collection

However, before you use this technique, you must heed this warning...

Fractionation is considered as a 'dark art' tactic which is the basis of covert seduction, and while controversial, it is known to be one of the most effective tactics ever invented by underground seducers. It is described step-by-step in the Fractionation Formula system (as shown at this website - http://www.FractionationFormula.com).

Note: While I personally vouch for the effectiveness of this tactic, care must be taken as it could be dangerous in the hands of people with bad intentions. As Mr Spidey once said... great powers come with great responsibility. :)

So, if you want super quick success with women (and will do so ethically), then click on this following link to download The Fractionation Formula for free - http://www.FractionationFormula.com

mobile phone watches Best Price 36 Sampson Grate For 121 44 Best Offer Lufkin Cn1295Sme590 13 Milimeter 1 2

The Psychology of Attraction

On why the psychology of attraction is a social, evolutionary, physical, biological and personal process as well...

The psychology of attraction is a very intriguing topic effectively determining the laws of courtship, the rules of getting drawn to certain people, the basis of friendships and also the success of relationships. Attraction is a social, biological and evolutionary process. We are attracted to certain people due to social reasons as we may be able to establish social rapport with such individuals. When there is a reinforcement of positive social responses between certain individuals with repeated interaction, feelings of liking and lust, attraction may develop along with a sense of being comfortable with each other developing a sense of familiarity. However just as a sense of familiarity gives rise to attraction, in some cases strangeness or the urge to know someone can also lead to attraction.

Thus as far as social dimensions of attraction are concerned there are two exactly opposite reasons for which one may get attracted to another person. One of these is a sense of familiarity or feeling comfortable with the other person and the other is a feeling of mystery or strangeness that can draw us to other people and both these social reasons are equally powerful in the psychology of attraction. Attraction however happens across physical and personal dimensions as well and we get attracted to people physically again for two reasons - either because the other person looks similar to us or our family members again bringing in a sense of familiarity or because the other person looks completely different, exactly opposite to how we look and this difference attracts us. Thus if you are a woman with very feminine features, you might get attracted to men who also have soft features or to men who have extremely rough masculine facial features and body structure.

The Psychology of Attraction

In most cases however couples end up dating someone who look similar or have similar levels of attractiveness or simply resemble family members so there is a sense of comfort or familiarity when dating the other person. This could have a narcissistic explanation as we all love ourselves first and can thus only fall in love with people who look similar. The similarity can also be on personal dimensions of taste and likings, of preferences, of race and religions and of similar social backgrounds. However sometimes a person of completely different taste, religion or background can intrigue us and let's say these two different approaches to attraction can work equally in some people although in some others one would dominate the other. This suggests that some people are attracted to similar people and dissimilar people equally whereas some others are attracted only to similar ones. Although very few individuals get attracted to completely dissimilar people and these people would be seekers of novelty. In some cases if you are a highly artistic individual and kind of a dreamer, you might get attracted to someone more practical and if you are high strung, you would like someone calm and controlled. Although a reflection of your own self in the other is again attractive so despite differences some similar traits between individuals can lead to higher levels of attraction. It is that unconsciously we are attracted to individuals 'who are like us but not exactly similar and who are opposite to us but not exactly opposite'. When two individuals are too similar or too different the attraction may die out as soon as it happened and does not bring about lasting relationships.

There are evolutionary reasons for which one person is considered more attractive than others and the traditional explanation is that usually men are considered attractive when they have power, wealth and social status and women are judged on the basis of their looks which represent fertility. This is because she is the one who gives birth to the progeny and he is the one who provides for them. However with changes in social structure and men and women taking up similar roles, in future women and men could be equally judged in terms of looks, youth, fertility and/or social status, success, wealth etc.

Younger women may get attracted to older men and vice versa as also older women get attracted to younger men and vice versa and this can be explained with the Oedipus and Electra complex in Freudian and Jungian psychoanalysis that explains why young men can fall in love with mother figures and young women idolize father figures. Men who are extremely attached to their mothers, may show dependence towards mature females and harbor some sort of fascination for married women in some cases. Women who have faced molestation or abuse at a younger age from male members may develop intense attraction or repulsion for similar men at a later stage in life. In some cases young men and women can develop an attraction for people who are similar to celebrities/ famous people of their choice. Sometimes these are not so constructive forms of attraction and may not lead to real love or lasting relationships. So these are best psychoanalyzed and understood so that such feelings of lust could be best channeled towards other directions.

The laws of attraction can have similar explanations in case of homosexuality, heterosexuality or bisexuality. A homosexual usually looks for similarity in the other partner because homosexuality is largely based on narcissism. A bisexual will get attracted to both similar and dissimilar individuals. Strange that it may sound, repulsion can also lead to attraction because the opposite is intriguing as well so if a person develops strong hatred or repulsion for another person of the same or opposite sex, a sexual attraction can precede or follow in some cases. This will however have more to do with complex emotions of love and hate which will require a separate discussion.

Finally how do we understand or express our attraction? This of course is the science of dating and courtship which is discussed by all dating gurus and agony aunts. However expressing attraction is a complex process although this is very important and can actually lead to the breaking or making of a relationship. In most cases, men express their attraction towards a woman more aggressively and yet indirectly by focusing on himself - he might try to show off his car or brag about his qualifications and status. Men tend to 'internalize', it's always 'me' or the 'I' factor that comes first. When a man says, 'Look I have no time, I have meetings to attend', he is only trying to suggest, 'Hey, I'm a big guy, I'm worth dating'. Most women will consider this sort of boasting as immature but women have their own way of suggesting that they are attracted. Usually women tend to 'externalize' and a woman doesn't try to point out to herself but uses her dress, her style, her external appearance and sometimes flirtatious gestures directed to the man to show that she is attracted, women are sometimes more direct and obvious in their admiration. Men might scratch their head to understand why women use so much make-up or dress to impress and show off their bodies. This is because women use these tools when they are attracted. She will rather say, 'I am free tomorrow night' suggesting 'Hey, I want to meet up with you'. Of course there are other traditional signs of the lover's gaze, blushing, smiling or laughing too hard, spilling drinks or messing up, nervousness, discomfort, restlessness that all suggest signs of attraction. Usually these signs of attraction are rather unconsciously expressed suggesting changes in the brain when we are attracted. Love is explained by the physiochemical changes in our body and attraction being the first stage, some related changes also occur with enhanced hormonal activity. Attraction is thus largely a biological and psychological process expressed socially considering evolutionary perspectives and is based completely on physical and personal similarities and/or dissimilarities. The psychology of attraction can be used to understand whom we can potentially get attracted to and why and what we should do or not do (!) about it.

The Psychology of Attraction
Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Check What Are The Top Cooking Books in Last 90 Days Best Cheap Deal!
Check For Cookbooks Best Sellers 2012 Discount OFFER!
Check for Top 100 Most Popular Books People Are Buying Daily Price Update!
Check For 100 New Release & BestSeller Books For Your Collection

Reflections in Psychology - Part I - by Saberi Roy (2009)
http://www.lulu.com/content/5865445
Saberi Roy - Books
http://saberiroy.tripod.com/books

mobile phone watches Buy Extra Containment Receiver For Ef 3000 Best Offer Cane Creek 110 Zerostack Headset

The Psychology of Friendship

On the three levels of friendship and understanding social personality patterns according to friendship styles.

With social networking the very crux of modern virtual living, it is simply not possible to avoid a psychology of friendship. But friendship may not be as simple as it seems as it has got several layers and complexities and friendship can be of many types. Yet friendship like love depends on the single factor of attraction and in this case, it is more of a mental and emotional rather than physical attraction. So when romantic love begins with physical attraction, friendship is more mental, emotional or psychological.

Among maybe thousands of students we meet in school or a few hundred we meet at the workplace, we finally become close and attain a level of friendship with very few or limited people. So like love, friendship also goes through our internal filter and as we choose our lovers unconsciously, even our friends are chosen unconsciously as we intuitively understand who could be our true friends.

The Psychology of Friendship

Apart from the fact that there is this unconscious and intuitive filter which we exercise when we choose our friends or lovers, we also do get consciously attracted to people with whom we develop long lasting relationships and friendships. This attraction could be sexual but most likely we are attracted to the personality, to someone whose personal style, mannerisms and attitudes seem fascinating, intriguing or simply similar. There could be a narcissistic theory to this as we choose friends who may look, talk or think like we do and usually there is this mental rapport from the very beginning. Just as love could happen at first sight, friendship could also begin with 'like' at first sight.

Now this liking could have several gradations and in some cases you would simply like to remain as contact as in social networking. You simply follow a person on twitter or add someone as friend on face book because there is this basic or unconscious liking or at least a realization that there could be some gain from the virtual relationship. However this is the first superficial layer of friendship just as you would smile at or share a piece of news with a complete stranger in a train without ever keeping in touch or meeting again. This sort of friendship is the 'random friendship' variety.

Most of your social network friends who you do not know would be such random friends and strangers who you meet once and share a random conversation in a flight or a train or a bus would also be such random friends. This is the first layer or stage of friendship and in most cases we do not go beyond this stage. Most people we meet in our lives would be such random friends. This is a friendship of no expectations on both sides. This sort of friendship fulfils our basic social interaction and communication needs. Say for example, you give a speech at a conference and some people ask you questions and you answer them, to you these are your listeners but in this basic interaction there is a sense of rapport and almost an initial level of friendship. These, your listeners who choose to communicate with you are your random friends and they fulfil your interaction and communication needs.

The next stage of friendship is the distal friendship stage is which there is some unconscious or conscious expectation from the friendship and there may be a conscious sexual or emotional attraction. This sort of friendship is with people you regularly communicate with and you are also most likely interested in their activities. Distal friends are people you may or may not meet but are people with whom you want to maintain a long term and meaningful relationship and in most cases you have some knowledge of what goes on in their social or personal lives. This is the second level of friendship and second type of friendship and although there is expectation from this sort of relation, there may not be any clear idea as to what expectations there are. You simply know that you want to remain in touch with such friends and they are more than just contacts. These friends fulfil our power and recognition needs as with such friends we are assured that there are people in the world who care about us and are interested in our lives, dreams and achievements.

The third stage and type of friendship is of close proximal variety and this is the friendship between family members, close school friends, close workmates and friendship between spouses and lovers. In this sort of friendship there could be many expectations and there is sometimes an intuitive emotional connection. The initial reason for friendship could be physical attraction as in spouses or simply emotional connection as with family members or there could be a shared life and shared physical activity as in case of school or work friends. The close or proximal friends would know most details of your life and this sort of friendship entails expectations of sharing which may or may not be realistically possible. For example if sons and daughters leave home to work or study abroad, the parents who are still close friends would expect that their children would talk to them every week and this may not always be feasible. These close or proximal friends or stage of friendship fulfils our basic security, love and safety needs.

Thus from these stages or types of friendship you would know that the most essential types of friends are the close friends followed by distal friends and then random friends. Some individuals have more random friends than others and are thus of outgoing extroverted personality. These individuals are generally more curious about the world, have leadership are more open and communicative, they are also possibly very creative. However their primary needs are for social interaction and communication.

The second type of individual has more distal friends or social contacts with whom they are neither too close nor are they completely aloof. Such individuals have a wide range of social contacts with expectations but few random contacts and they are of mixed extroverted-introverted personality pattern. That means on a scale of 10, their extroversion would be 5 to 7. The primary need for such individuals is power or recognition. Of course this could have varied possibilities as with public or social figures and personalities such as writers, actors or politicians, there will naturally be more random contacts, yet as natural preference some public personalities will prefer social recognition as opposed to social communication. This preference is the basis of their social personality and would define the kind of friendship they choose to have.

The third type of individual is completely introverted and these are poets or artists or simply individuals who like to work on their own and lean heavily on their close network of friends and family members. Such individuals may have limited social contacts and very few random contacts and may not enjoy leadership positions. In some cases their introversion or aloofness would overshadow any leadership skills they do have. Such individuals could be very creative as well but this creativity may lead to complex ideas and highlight the subjective. In this case close friendship which fulfils love, safety and security needs are the primary needs of such individuals and such individuals are more emotion and security, or home and family oriented rather than communication or recognition oriented. From these three friendship patterns it is possible to delineate these three types of social personality based on social interactions.

Of course at the moment this is popular psychology and very little research in social psychology has studied levels of friendship, friendship in social networking or friendship styles that could relate to personality. Yet in the future psychology would not be able to avoid such research and with increased importance of social networking and virtual friendship, psychology will have to study how friendships are formed, why certain people become our friends and why different levels of friendship are attained with different individuals. Although there are theories on friendship and group formation in children, more studies into adult relationship formation and friendship would be necessary in psychology. Research studies will also have to be conducted to determine whether people with more random friends are ever curious creative types seeking communication and whether people with more distal friends and fewer random friends seek power and achievement and whether introverted individuals primarily lean on emotional security. With increased technological possibilities and an ever connected world, friendship remains a very fertile area of study in the social sciences.

The Psychology of Friendship
Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Check What Are The Top Cooking Books in Last 90 Days Best Cheap Deal!
Check For Cookbooks Best Sellers 2012 Discount OFFER!
Check for Top 100 Most Popular Books People Are Buying Daily Price Update!
Check For 100 New Release & BestSeller Books For Your Collection

Reflections in Psychology - Part II - by Saberi Roy (2010)
http://www.saberiroy.com

Saberi Roy - Books
http://saberiroy.tripod.com/books

cell phone watches Save On Surgex Sx1115 Rt Surge Eliminator And

The Psychology of Addiction

On why addiction is largely a state of the mind so addicts are more addicted to their addiction, the temporary feeling of pleasure, rather than the drugs...

Addiction is primarily psychological although addiction is defined according to the physiological changes in the body, and addiction continues to be considered as a social, cultural, genetic and experiential process as well. Addictive behaviour could be explained as any behaviour that gives temporary or short term pleasure and also provides relief from discomfort although there may be long term adverse effects.

Addiction is generally described as dependence on any drug and results from substance abuse. Any drug or alcohol can produce addiction as can other things such as the internet, gaming, gadgets, chocolates etc. However the physical and psychological effects of drugs and alcohol are detrimental and actually result in loss of productivity, withdrawal and physical dependence and lack of attention and such other conditions. The primary feature of addiction is dependence as an individual shows increased psychological and physiological dependence on the substance he is addicted to and without the addictive substance the person is unable to return to normal life.

The Psychology of Addiction

Dependence on anything may not be too bad and some amount of social dependence is expected of us as social beings. However when there is excessive dependence with inability to live without the substance in question, then withdrawal symptoms result and there are physiological changes in the body including pain and in some cases medical attention is required. Addiction is an extreme dependence and can cause people to lose sense of reality as people become cripple without the substance they are addicted to. Addiction leads to crime and anti-social behaviour as addicts can resort to violent behaviour, to stealing, to murder simply to attain what they want. Addiction to a substance could be separated from healthy use of the substance such as some amount of alcohol is considered acceptable and healthy in a social setting but being completely dependent on alcohol to that which amounts to addiction can have adverse social and personal implications for the individual. Some of the common addictive drugs and substances are opium, alcohol, nicotine and barbiturates. Giving up any addiction, requires strength and this is largely the strength of the mind that aids in stopping any addictive behaviour. Thus if addiction is a disease, the cure of addiction or even its prevention is largely a psychological process suggesting that the 'mind' is responsible for the addiction, the beginning of it and also the end of it.

Using addictive substances stimulate and release the pleasure inducing neurotransmitters in the brain and the dependence on this feeling of pleasure leads to more such pleasure seeking behaviour and this can spiral out of control and doesn't remain within the control of the individual who then is completely controlled by his addiction rather than the other way round. Withdrawal or abstinence symptoms of an addictive substance could include anxiety, depression, craving, irritability, restlessness or even thoughts of suicide with fatal consequences. Craving, irritability, depression, anxiety are all psychological withdrawal symptoms of addiction although closely related to the physical withdrawal symptoms. So addiction is largely in the mind and if a person wants, he or she can overcome this extreme dependence on an activity or a substance through self control and with better insight into his condition.

Why do people develop addiction?

People who develop addiction are more prone to mental illnesses as addiction has been related to mood or affective disorders, to neurotic illnesses and obsessive disorders, to anxiety disorders and many other psychological problems. Addiction is largely akin to compulsion or the need to repeat any particular behaviour in an abnormal dependent manner and addiction like compulsion is an abnormal dependence. Addicts are obsessed with the substance or objects or activity that they are addicted to and show an abnormal dependence on the substance or activity. Individuals with mood disorders or people prone to frequent depression are prone to addiction as any addictive substance or drug or even activity such as sex that gives short term pleasure can cause the addict to return to this activity or substance again and again so that the depression is forgotten for a while. This need for short term pleasure leads to repeated pleasure seeking behaviour and thus creates addiction.

All human beings are necessarily pleasure seekers, we all like to experience that is good or beautiful or provides a moment of happiness but addicts are in turn addicted to this pleasure as well. In fact addicts are addicted to the pleasure and not to the drugs, which are simply catalysts to provide them this pleasure. The drugs and the objects as also the activities that they repeatedly engage in provide them a solace that they feel they would not find in other options. There are of course chemical changes in the body so there are substantive proofs that addicts do get short term pleasure. Thus a drug addict repeated uses drug because it provides a particular form of pleasure that he will not get by say watching films and a sex addict repeatedly seeks sex because the pleasure from sex according to her may not be found in other activities such as travelling or reading. However this is only a belief that the addict has and is not necessarily true. In fact there is a sort of fixation of want, and an obsession with the object of want so an addict repeatedly thinks about this want and convinces himself that without the addictive substance he will not be able to survive. When love becomes an addiction, it can lead to suicide or fatal consequences when the object of desire is not attained.

Addicts are thus obsessed and largely depressed individuals who sometimes use the obsession against the depression or to overcome the depression. They are socially withdrawn although they may apparently have a huge circle of friends with whom they may not be able to relate at all levels. Addicts are also susceptible to suggestion and they are vulnerable to opinions of other people. Strange that it may sound, it is easy to mould or change addicts and also easy to hypnotize them as they are very impressionable and easily affected by what people and society have to say about them. This weakness of addicts is also their strength as both negative and positive influences can act equally well on addicts and the right guidance would be necessary to show them what is good for them and what is bad.

How is addiction controlled and stopped?

Stopping or overcoming any addiction could be a challenge but as addicts are changeable and affected easily, it may be relatively easy to bring them back to normal life provided they have the right type of guidance and counselling.

One of the strategies that could be used to cure addictive behaviour would be 'diversion', providing alternative substances/activities or shifting their attention or interest into something other than the addictive substance or object. As a TV addict could be encouraged to develop more constructive habits of reading for instance.

'Substitution' would be another method and a person addicted to alcohol could be encouraged to take a drink that tastes like wine but does not contain alcohol.

'Eradication' or complete unavailability of the addictive substance or object can gradually lead to forgetting the pleasure giving substance and interests in other activities. The complete unavailability of a drug, even a sleeping pill can lead to lessening of addiction for that drug and help the addict to develop other interests, although this should not be done abruptly as physiological and psychological symptoms of withdrawal may result. So if someone is addicted to a specific medicine or pill, the doses could be slowly reduced before completely stopping intake of the drug.

Finally 'suggestion' or counselling to change behaviour highlighting the bad effects of a drug or an obsessive activity could be effective at a later stage after withdrawal from the drug or activity has been attempted as when in need of any substance, addicts lose all sense of reality and may not even want to listen to advice. So, only when their dependence reduces to an extent with the help of the other methods of substitution, eradication or diversion, counselling could help them to show more reasonable and socially responsible behaviour and prevent further conditions of relapse.

The Psychology of Addiction
Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Check What Are The Top Cooking Books in Last 90 Days Best Cheap Deal!
Check For Cookbooks Best Sellers 2012 Discount OFFER!
Check for Top 100 Most Popular Books People Are Buying Daily Price Update!
Check For 100 New Release & BestSeller Books For Your Collection

Reflections in Psychology - Part I - by Saberi Roy (2009)
http://www.lulu.com/content/5865445

Saberi Roy - Books
http://saberiroy.tripod.com/books

watch mobile phone Best Offer Genuine Brake Band Save On Surgex Sx1115 Rt Surge Eliminator And Best Offer Cane Creek 110 Zerostack Headset

Girls' Psychology in Love - How to Manipulate a Girl's Feelings and Make Her Fall in Love With You!

Love psychology really is not a difficult thing to comprehend. However, many guys actually find it hard to understand women. However, if you know certain psychology tactics and techniques, then it would be super easy for you to completely decipher a woman's actions and thoughts. You see, women are really predictable when it comes to love and relationships - simply because they are governed more by their emotions than their minds. therefore, if you understand women psychology in love and dating, then you would be able to make them fall for you - simply because they would think that you understand them.

Girl's Psychology In Love And Dating - What You Need To Know

"The Emotional Factor". As mentioned above, women are ruled by their hearts and not their heads. Therefore, you would be able to manipulate a woman's emotions and make her fall in love with you completely... but only if you know how. There are a set of techniques and tactics which would give "seduction superpowers" to men and enable them to seduce any woman they lay their eyes on. Read on to discover one such tactic...

Girls' Psychology in Love - How to Manipulate a Girl's Feelings and Make Her Fall in Love With You!

"Reverse Psychology". The thing is that women like the things that they cannot get. Why would they go crazy over a limited edition Prada? Simple - it's because it's HARD to get. Therefore, if you want to appeal to women, then you must also be difficult to get yourself. One easy way to do this is to REJECT and disqualify women regularly. Make them all feel that they CANNOT get you - and your VALUE will skyrocket.

Girls' Psychology in Love - How to Manipulate a Girl's Feelings and Make Her Fall in Love With You!
Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Check What Are The Top Cooking Books in Last 90 Days Best Cheap Deal!
Check For Cookbooks Best Sellers 2012 Discount OFFER!
Check for Top 100 Most Popular Books People Are Buying Daily Price Update!
Check For 100 New Release & BestSeller Books For Your Collection

"Use Fractionation." The "Reverse Psychology" tactic is actually a simplified version of a hypnosis trick known as Fractionation - which is said to give guys the superpowers to seduce women faster than you ever thought possible - http://www.fractionationformula.com

This tactic is the "best-kept secret" of the seduction underground, and once said is known only to 87 guys around the world. To get it for free, click here.

cell phone watches Best Buy Roc N Soc Nitro Throne Black Best Offer Lufkin Cn1295Sme590 13 Milimeter 1 2

Role of Psychology in Daily Life

Psychology is a very broad subject which purely deals with human behavior, thoughts, reasoning and perceptions. It is very interesting for people who are always eager to work more for improving their existence. Besides finding a respected job, you can use psychology in several matters that constitute your everyday life, most important of which is exploring your inner-self and enhancing your interpersonal skills to deal with your life in a much better and efficient manner. It is the subject that is the most important part of our daily lives, disregarding the fact that whether we are aware of it or not.

Moreover, this branch of science has been classified into several sub-branches which make it easier for people to choose their respective category and proceed with it. If you are interested in pursuing a career in psychology, you must decide which branch of psychology would be more feasible for your intellect. Decide, choose and start moving your way in that particular direction for resulting in a very bright career.

The most acknowledged sub-branches of psychology include human development, health, industry, sports, media, law, humanities, social and natural sciences. All of these categories have promising careers for you if you have a thirst for knowledge and only if you want to study psychology for satisfying your passion instead of killing time or fulfilling educational formalities. The average annual income of a successful psychologist ranges from ,000 to , 00,000, which sure is not an ordinary income. But it takes a lot of time to reach that level of experience and knowledge before you start earning thousands of bucks every year. Moreover, it also requires a professional degree for legally allowing you to practice.

Role of Psychology in Daily Life

Among these various categories, clinical practice and counseling holds greater importance as compared to the rest. One needs to pursue a doctorate degree for starting his practice as well as for achieving his license. However, you will have to provide valid researches and thesis before you acquire your doctorate degree in psychology. Besides, you can also pursue an associate degree in psychology, which will give you the basics of this science and you will also be able to get jobs such as advertising researcher, personal analyst, manager and several others.

For achieving these degrees, there are two options: Standard/regular studies, and online education. If you have enough of free time to join a university and continue your education, it is best for you. On the other hand, if you are a working professional or too occupied managing your tough time schedule, you can apply for an online degree in psychology. It is far less expensive as compared to regular degree and it is always feasible for your schedule. There are several accredited online universities that are offering accredited online degrees in psychology. So, if time and money had been your problem, forget them; and apply for an online degree in psychology from a huge list of accredited online universities.

Role of Psychology in Daily Life
Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Check What Are The Top Cooking Books in Last 90 Days Best Cheap Deal!
Check For Cookbooks Best Sellers 2012 Discount OFFER!
Check for Top 100 Most Popular Books People Are Buying Daily Price Update!
Check For 100 New Release & BestSeller Books For Your Collection

For more information on online degrees in psychology and accredited online universities that offer online degrees in psychology, visit http://www.psychologydegree.ws/index.html

mobile phone watches Best Buy Roc N Soc Nitro Throne Black Save On Surgex Sx1115 Rt Surge Eliminator And