Psycholic

Laugh Out Loud - Oct 2012

2012-10-13T09:17:00.002+08:00

Psychologists use scientific methods to give support for their theories. One of them is to conduct research. What are the concerns of conducting research? Choose the best 5 answers from the following choices!

Wilhelm Wundt.
The Father of Experimental Psychology.
Photo: Wikipedia, 2011

Validity?
Reliability?
Tea time with groupmates?
Deadline of handing in the assignment?
Literature review?
Opening hour of the library?
Sampling of participants?
Discount in Starbucks?
Deadline of handing in Psycholic articles?
Ethical issue?

Please send the answers with your NAME and CONTACT NUMBER to salford.psy.hk@gmail.com on or before 25th October, 2012. Those who got all correct will enter our lucky draw to win special prize!

Venus Lai & Stephanie Szeto

Reference:
Carlson, N.R., Miller, H., Heth, C.D., Donahoe, J.W. & Martin, G.N. (2010). Psychology: The Science of Behavior. Hong Kong: Pearson.

________________________________________________________

The answer of 11th issue, September 2012
1 = Anger 2 = Fear
3 = Disgust 4 = Surprise
5 = Happiness 6 = Sadness
答對上期問題而被抽中的讀者是…
Jason Leung
幸運兒可得到
日記簿及記事簿各1份

由於參加者眾多，其他參加者將獲得安慰獎以作鼓勵。=）

特此鳴謝 www.sunnysideup12.com 的贊助

Editorial BOARD - Oct 2012

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Psych-Action - Oct 2012

2012-10-13T09:16:00.000+08:00

主辦機構：香港大學通識教育部
活動名稱：港孩的新里程
類型：講座
講者：黃明樂女士
日期：2012年10月12日星期五
時間：下午6時正至8時正
地點：香港大學鈕魯詩樓K223室
詳情：http://beta.gened.hku.hk/newsevents/detail?id=124
報名：http://hkuems1.hku.hk/hkuems/ec_regform.aspx?guest=Y&UEID=20110

Organiser: Dept of Psychology, HKU
Name of Activity: Emotions as Objects of Visual Perception
Speaker: Dr. Edoardo Zamuner
Type: Seminar
Date: 15th October, 2012 (Mon)
Time: 11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Venue: Rm 1102, 11/F, The Jockey Club Tower, Centennial Campus, HKU
Abstract: http://www.psychology.hku.hk/uploads/seminar/20121015_Edoardo_Zamuner.pdf

Organiser: Dept of Psychology, CUHK
Name of Activity: Mental and Behavioral Health Effects Following Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf Oil Spill
Speaker: Dr. Joy D. Osofsky & Dr. Howard J. Osofsky
Type: Seminar
Date: 16th October, 2012 (Tue)
Time: 11:00 am - 12:00 noon
Venue: Rm 619, Sino Building, Chung Chi College, CUHK
Abstract: http://www.psychology.hku.hk/uploads/seminar/20121015_Edoardo_Zamuner.pdf

主辦機構：香港中文大學心理學系
活動名稱：從正面看老年
類型：講座
講者：馮海嵐教授
日期：2012年10月20日星期六
時間：下午3時正至4時半
地點：中環香港大會堂演奏廳
報名： http://goo.gl/XU2Fs
截止報名日期：2012年10月12日星期五

Organiser: Dept of Psychiatry, HKU
Name of Activity:
Session 1 - "Validation of the Self-Stigma of Depression Scale in Psychiatric Outpatients in Hong Kong"
Session 2 - "Depression and depressive symptoms in school age ADHD children"
Speaker:
Session 1 by Dr. Queenie Chin
Session 2 by Dr. Joyce Lau
Type: Seminar
Date: 25th October, 2012 (Thurs)
Time: 2:30 pm - 4:45 pm
Venue: J2, Seminar Room, 2/F, Block J, QMH

Sora Siu

Readers’ LIKE! - Oct 2012

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Contributions - Oct 2012

2012-10-13T09:14:00.001+08:00

邪教心理學

Chan Jin Lung, Chris

1955年3月20日，東京地下鐵發生恐怖襲擊事件，奧姆真理教的教友在該站發放沙林毒氣，造成13人死亡和6300人受傷；1997年3月20日，天堂之門教友在加州聖地牙哥進行集體自殺，造成39人死亡。在很多邪教組織中，不難發現的是，教友不只是無知識份子，其實很多曾是非常理性的知識份子。究竟什麼原因，什麼條件下，可以把一個理性的人完全轉化為一個邪教狂熱份子?

建立一個邪教，首先需要一個領袖。邪教的領袖和 Psychopath 有很多不謀而合的特徵，例如外表吸引，有說服力，愛操縱，很容易洞悉別人的弱點等。教徒的行為會直接影響教主的自身評價，而那些教主都是很愛操縱別人的，所以他們會要求教徒服從自己，,與理性抗爭，和社會抗爭，從而提高教主的自身評價 (Chandler, 2009)。教主需要創出一些口號，讓教徒不停重覆唸頌。但一句只以教主自己利益為中心的口號，最初很難吸引別人跟隨，所以一般會採用傾向有宗教色彩的口號。

社會心理學家提出，教主會把他的教徒從原本的生活中分裂出來。在邪教團體中，新進的教徒通常會被抬舉成很重要的一員，給予身份認同 (Myers,2010)。在團體分享中，會被不停地糾正本來的思想。以抑制理性為前提，教主不會希望教徒每次出席講座後，回到家回復自己本來的思想，所以他會要求教友從原有生活中抽離出來，並不斷灌輸「阻止你的人是邪惡的,不要被他們迷惑」這類思想。(Chandler,2009)

Harsch 和 Zimmer 在他們的實驗中指出，個體會根據權威者的需求調整自己的思維。在1950年的韓戰中，中國曾採用要求戰俘不停抄寫供詞，配合其他折磨戰俘來讓他們自我崩潰的心理技巧。部份戰俘回國後完全把責任推回自己祖國，而幫中國說好話 (Harsch & Zimme,1965)。

邪教很容易進教，卻很難離開，部份原因是教主善於把罪疚和恐懼套進想離開的人身上。典型的例子是「你不會被救贖」，「你讓很多對你充滿期望的弟兄失望」等等。對部份人來說，由於自己已從舊有的生活中分割出來，離開邪教也意味著失去僅餘的「親人」，這使離教變得更困難。

References:
Chandler, C. L. (2009, November 10). Cult Psychology . Retrieved from http://charles-chandler.org/Philosophy/Cult%20Psychology.php

Harsch, O. H. & Zimme, H. (1965). An experimental approximation of thought reform. Journal of Consulting Psychology,29(5), 475-479.

Myers, D. G., Spencer, S. J., & Jordan, C. H. (2010). Social psychology. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson.

小小心意，感謝你的投稿
A little something, for your great contribution.
特此鳴謝 www.sunnysideup12.com 的贊助

Contributions - Oct 2012

2012-10-13T09:14:00.000+08:00

Welcome for your contribution

We welcome your contribution. Please keep your psychology-related article to a maximum of 800 words and send it with article title, references your full name and contact number by email to salford.psy.hk@gmail.com with subject: “Contribution to Psycholic” on or before 27th Oct, 2012. Plagiarism is not accepted.

歡迎投稿

歡迎閣下的參與，請把不多於800字有關心理學的作品，連同文稿主題、參考文獻及閣下的姓名和聯絡電話，於2012年10月27日前以電郵投稿至 salford.psy.hk@gmail.com ，郵件主題註明：「Contribution to Psycholic」。抄襲作品恕不接受。

Andrien Photography - Oct 2012

2012-10-13T09:13:00.000+08:00

Warren Adrien Tang

Defense Mechanisms - Oct 2012

2012-10-13T09:12:00.000+08:00

Distortion

Distortion is a defense mechanism which we reconstruct the external reality according to our needs, so as to fit our internal desire. Distortion is just like cheating yourself, making yourself believe in the distorted “truth”.

Picture: Venus Lai

When distortion is over used, it becomes cognitive distortion! The defects include overgeneralization, magical thinking and disqualifying the positive, etc. In this way, you may easily feel depressed or become anxious all the time. As distortion can only make you happy for a short period, you had better use it with the minimal need!

Veuns Lai

Reference:
Defence mechanisms - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (2012). Retrieved September 30, 2012 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defense_mechanism
Cognitive distortion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (2012). Retrieved September 30, 2012 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_distortion

Psyloverchannel - Oct 2012

2012-10-13T09:11:00.000+08:00

「Psyloverchannel」是我們最新加入的元素，當中會用影片去分享心理學知識和實驗，希望用最簡單和最生動的方式去演繹，令讀者更容易明白。「Psyloverchannel」每個月會上載一套影片到 YouTube，請讀者留意我們最新的頻道。

現誠邀各讀者到以下網址欣賞 The beginning of Psycholic ，看看 Psycholic 的由來。
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfYPUmtGkAw

Woody Yip

PsyPanacea - Oct 2012

2012-10-13T09:10:00.000+08:00

Write to Panacea and you might be answered! We want to wipe that frown off your face. Remember, all askers remain anonymous. Just drop your question into our mailbox, or write to us at salford.psy.hk@gmail.com. The Goddess awaits your worries and woes.
Who write to Panacea and be published will have one piece of Wise Men Say Magnetic Motto.
將你的煩腦傳送給治療女神帕那刻亞 PsyPanacea 而被刊登的讀者，可得 Wise Men Say 磁石座右銘一個。

Kristen Pereira

Image: cathyk.tumblr.com

Dear Panacea,

I've always had terrible memory. I really want to do well at school, can you suggest ways to improve my memory?

-Missing Memory

Dear Missing Memory,

Students always use different memory techniques to help them get through school life. A student might find one technique better than the other, so I would suggest trying them all. You might have heard before that we are all different kinds of learners. We are all eitheraudio, visual or kinesthetic learners (there are other categories), and some students are a combination of these too. Consequently, there are different memory techniques more suited for audio, visual kinesthetic learners.

Audio:

Photo: suite101.com

Say it aloud
Do your homework over a phone
Discuss with other students in groups
Ask questions so you can hear the answers
If you can, use cassettes or voice recordings and listen to them (for extra effect, try using the dominant ear)
Tape your lessons for later playback
Talk and walk while studying
Try rhyming or turning your notes into songs
Say your mnemonics out loud
Listen without taking notes first, you can copy from others lately
Use background music to help you study

Visual:

Image: powerhousehomeschooling.wordpress.com

Write in a revision notebook. Write it over and over again
Write keywords or make charts or cue cards. You could even hang these over your room so you can frequently review them
Try drawing your ideas out
Write in different colours. Make your notes visually appealing. The extra time it takes, will definitelypay off
Keep your notes neat. Use tables, graphs, chart, photos, etc
Colour coders!
Mnemonics- write them out
If you can’t concentrate, create background visual distractors (working in front of the TV, etc)

Kinesthetic:

Experience what you’re learning by creating real life situations
Use a hands-on approach to learning
Underline or highlight your keywords
Copy your notes over and over, make them neat
Take notes during class to help you concentrate
Doodles!
Walk and talk / talk and exercise/ walk and read to help you study
Make a rhythm with your hands/ feet while studying
Make charts, diagrams etc, more than one time
Trace and re-trace keywords with your finger or a highlighter

You can use this base and do more research or take a genuine test to find out what kind of learner you are first. Hope these help!

References :
Overview of learning styles. (n.d.). Learning Styles Online.com - including a free inventory. Retrieved September 30, 2012, from http://www.learning-styles-online.com/overview/ Geography Internet . (n.d.). Staffordshite Learning Net. Retrieved September 29, 2012, from http://www.sln.org.uk/geography/

News Feed - Oct 2012

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Pickpocket - Oct 2012

2012-10-13T09:08:00.000+08:00

Throughout the course of evolution, the limbic system of humans has been forced to adapt for the survival of human species. As earlier mentioned, this is through the freeze, flight and fight. Today I am going to tell you about one of these, which can save you from danger, freeze.

Reactions of Limbic System － Freeze

Photo: baltimoreanimalcontrolservices.com

Imagine you lived a million years ago surrounded by enemies; fierce animals which were stronger and faster than you. What could you do to ensure that your species would still be alive a million years later? The only thing you could do was follow your instinct. This strategy or defensive mechanism evolved from the experience of our ancestors. When faced with predators or danger, we would automatically freeze.

Some animals will not only freeze when the predators approach, they will even pretend to be dead. This is the ultimate response of freezing.

In fact, humans also display these animalistic traits. They pretend to be dead when something happens. This is clearly displayed in the Columbine High School Massacre and also the shooting incident in Virginia Tech. The two tragedies showed that student survived because they lay ‘dead’ on the ground, even though some students lay just a few feet away from the killers.

By stopping all body movements and hiding in the background are ancient instinctive behavior that soldiers used during battle.

Society Nowadays

Photo: sunnyfuerteventura.com

The freezing reaction acquired and adapted from our ancestors is still the very first signs of defense line of humans ever seen. In fact it has never disappeared. For example, during the giant tiger and lion show in Las Vegas, the audience row closest to the big cats will display these reactions every time the tiger or lion walks onto the stage. Their arm or hands remain perfectly still, avoiding all necessary movement. They react this way without any cues or instructions. Over 5 million years, this reaction has adapted to nature.

Photo: dreamstime.com

In today’s society, this freezing reaction is used very commonly; when people bluff, steal, lie or get busted. When trying to spot a lie, you can search for any freezing reaction.

Humans work and live in groups. Even when we don’t feel threatened in groups, we are programmed to imitate others’ behaviors. This behavior has evolved from ‘isopraxium’ because it is essential to society’s harmony and ultimately its survival.

Hiding In The Background

The limbic system uses a modification of the freeze response, lowering the chance of exposure to protect us. When you witness thieving behavior, the most special thing is that thieves are always tempted to control their movement and hunch their back to go undetected in their surroundings.

Ironically these movements attract people’s attention because they stray away from normal human behavior. This is mostly observable in shopping malls where it strays away from normal shopping behavior. Most shoppers keep moving around, their hands busy and their body posture upright.

Photo: farm3.staticflickr.com

Psychologically, these thieves are like your children who want to steal chips or biscuits from the kitchen without being caught. They will attempt to “hide” in open areas to control the surrounding background. Another way that people attempt to hide is by limiting their head exposure in surroundings. This is noticed by raised shoulders and lowered head (shoulders move up towards the ears) called the ‘turtle effect’, commonly seen when people lose confidence or are faultfinding. More simply, you can imagine the composure of a football team leaving the stadium after losing a competition.

Acts As A Helpful Tool

Last but not least, interestingly but unfortunately, children who were abused will carry out such freezing limbic system behavior. When the abusive parents approach the child, their hands stay still and instead, stay glued to the sides of the body. They avoid eye contact. It seems like it may help them go unnoticed. To a certain extent, they too want to blend into their surroundings, and the freezing technique is the only survival tool that these innocent kids can use.

Practice makes perfect!

Pick their thoughts! They cannot hide their expression and hold their intentions from your eyes!

Jason Lam

Reference:
Walter Bradford Cannon (1929). Bodily changes in pain, hunger, fear, and rage. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts.

Pillars in the Making - Oct 2012

2012-10-13T09:07:00.000+08:00

Children’s Social and Emotional Development

Have you ever realized that little babies have their specific emotions? In the last issue I have introduced three different types of babies, which have different features and characteristics, and these characteristics will influence their social and emotional developments.

Photo: ruthparbel.com/children

Developmental psychologists who interested in social development focus on how individuals develop social and emotional competencies. For example, they study how children form friendships, how they understand and deal with emotions, and how identity develops. Research in this area may involve study of the relationship between cognition or cognitive developments and social behaviors.

American psychologist Erick Erickson believed that all humans undergo lifelong stages to achieve social and emotional developments, which is called stages of psychosocial development. There are eight stages starting from birth to old age.

The stages were:

trust vs. mistrust;
autonomy vs. shame;
initiative vs. guilt;
industry vs. inferiority;
identity, vs. role diffusion;
intimacy vs. isolation;
generativity vs. stagnation; and
ego integrity vs. despair

Emotional regulation or ER refers to an individual's ability to control one’s emotion in different variety of contexts. In young children, this modulation is controlled externally, by parents and other authority figures. As children develop, they take on more and more responsibilities for their internal states. Studies have shown that the development of ER is affected by the emotional regulation which children learn it from their parents and/or caretakers, the emotional climate at home, and the reaction of parents and/or caretakers to the children's emotions.

By then we know that apart from genetic influence, social factors can also determine how children are like.

Vicky Wong

References:

Amanda Morris et. al.(2009) National Institute of Health. "The Role of the Family Context in Development of Emotion Regulation." pp 1-36
"Erik Erikson, 91, Psychoanalyst Who Reshaped Views of Human Growth, Dies", New York Times, March 13, 1994.

Psycovery - Oct 2012

2012-10-13T09:05:00.000+08:00

實習的機會 — 邁向心理學家之路

今期《心‧發現》所介紹的與以往相當不同，不是心理學上的新發現，而是筆者在這個暑假的新發現。相信有留意第九期的讀者亦會得知，筆者非常榮幸能夠成為香港政府衛生署的暑期實習生！所以，我想藉本屆編委會的最後一期，向大家分享我在暑假實習時的點點滴滴，以及介紹一下心理學學生在港實習的機會。

質性研究　獲益良多

筆者工作的地方為沙田區長者健康外展隊伍辦公室。
Photo: Sora Siu

筆者於七月中入職衛生署 — 長者健康服務，於沙田區長者健康外展隊伍辦公室協助一位臨床心理學家（亦是我的上司），進行一項關於老年癡呆症 (Dementia) 的質性研究 (Qualitative research) ，工作主要包括數據處理、翻譯、資料分析及組織。由於課堂的功課及過往的工作經驗都是以定量研究 (Quantitative research) 為主，所以我對這次工作感到相當具挑戰及新奇。雖然筆者沒有機會直接參與訪問個案，但由於整個訪問過程都逐字轉錄 (Transcribed verbatim) ，藉著分析訪問的文字記錄 (Transcript) ，我能夠深切與個案連繫起來，找出對研究有用的規律。亦因如此，筆者不單學懂一些文字上關於老年癡呆症的知識，還學懂一些比較人性化的知識，例如癡呆症患者對家人或照顧者的影響，照顧者在心理上的轉變過程，以及照顧患者的正確之道。

與專業人士互相交流

工作最後一天，筆者需要於衛生署長者
健康服務總部進行演說，在一眾醫生、
護士長、臨床心理學家及實習生前分享
工作期間所做所學的一切。Image: Sora Siu

筆者工作的地方雖然職員不多，但她們都是身懷絕技的專業人士。除了我的上司是臨床心理學家外，其她同事分別為職業治療師、物理治療師、營養師、護士長及註冊護士。她們都十分和善，樂於與我分享她們的工作經驗，有助我了解衛生署為長者提供的基層醫療服務 (Primary care service) ，啟發我有意投身長者精神健康服務的理想。而筆者的上司亦是一位相當盡責的上司，她不單在工作上給予我適當的指導，還分享了她成為一位臨床心理學家心路歷程。雖然臨床心理學家之路對我來說還是非常遙遠，但筆者仍會以她作為榜樣，努力奮鬥！

實習機會少　宜積極爭取

相信大家比較關心的是這個部分吧！在香港，有關心理學的實習機會少之有少。要爭一席位，對於我們這些課程內容不涵蓋實習部分的學生可謂相當艱辛。以政府今屆的專上學生暑期實習計劃為例，只有衛生署、勞工處及警務處指明聘請心理學學生，而其它要求聘請社會科學學生的職位，工作性質又似乎與心理學不太相關。而筆者今年遞交了五個申請，就只收到衛生署及統計處的面試通知。除了政府部門，其它本地大學都有提供研究實習機會，但一般只開放予該校學生，就只有香港大學會註明開放給其他學生，詳情可瀏覽香港大學心理學系的網頁。至於其它大學的實習詳情，一般只會張貼於該學系的辦公室附近，有興趣的同學應盡量嘗試出席那些學系的講座或研討會 (Symposium) ，並留意張貼於附近的傳單。另外，一些非政府機構 (NGO) 或私人執業的臨床心理學家或輔導員，亦樂於提供義務工作或義務實習的機會，如學友社的學生放榜輔導熱線、香港撒瑪利亞防止自殺會的珍惜生命大使和熱線中心，以及生命熱線等等。而私人執業的機構則需要同學主動自行聯絡。

實習完成，筆者獲衛生署頒發實習證明書。
Photo: Stephanie Szeto

小貼士：

於五月起，政府各部門會分別公佈不同實習崗位的詳情，有意申請的同學需密切留意公務員事務局的網頁，並盡早遞交申請。
政府的專上學生暑期實習計劃一般一般不會接受第一學年或最後學年的同學申請。
個別政府部門的實習職位會要求同學於 CE 或 DSE 的中英文科取得指定（或等同）的成績。
學業成績固然重要，但其它經驗亦同樣重要（例如工作、義務工作、課外活動及學術活動等），同學應多參加課堂外的其它活動，擴闊眼界。
面試時準備 portfolio 並不是設計系同學的專利！筆者亦準備了「research portfolio」於面試時作自我介紹。內有筆者的 research abstract 、參加 HKPS Conference 的 research poster 、在 Psycholic 刊登的文章及本校校刊介紹筆者及 Psycholic 的文章。

各位心理學的同學，如有任何關於實習或升學的查詢，歡迎聯絡筆者互相交流。筆者的電郵是 kingdom.h_sora@hotmail.com。

Sora Siu

SD3 - Oct 2012

2012-10-13T09:04:00.000+08:00

In the previous issues, I have been introducing disorders related to developmental psychology, like dyslexia, ADHD and autism. The trend will continue in this issue.

Grown-up Children

Photo: healthysoon.com

When talking about mental retardation, the first disorder you can think of may be Down syndrome. This is rational, as Down syndrome contributes many of the cases for mental retardation. In fact, other than Down syndrome, there are other disorders that cause mental disability. Fragile X syndrome and Williams syndrome are some of them, and they will be discussed in this issue.

The most practical way to assess mental ability is perhaps IQ (Intelligence Quotient) score. We all know our chronological age, calculated from our birth year. But what about our mental age? It can be assessed by the Stanford-Binet Test.

Image: ehow.com

Down syndrome, Fragile X syndrome and Williams syndrome are genetically inherited disorder, relating to the inappropriate division or abnormalities of chromosomes. Do you know how many pairs of chromosomes for normal human? If your answer is 23, then you have got some biological sense! Chromosomes are important elements constructing DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), which controls our physiological development. DNA also distinguishes us from other animals. The numbers of chromosomes are 39 pairs for dogs and 19 pairs for cats. Both Down syndrome and Fragile X syndrome are caused by a trisomy 21st chromosome, which means there are 3 instead of one pair. On the other hand, Williams syndrome is caused by some missing genes on chromosome 7.

Photo: moviespad.com

Have you ever met people with strange faces, flat eyes and fairly white skin? They are often relatively shorter in height and more likely to be obese. These are some distinguishable physical appearance of Down syndrome. Other than distortion in physical appearance, they also suffer from motor and neuro-disabilities. They probably have impairment in visual, hearing and heart-beat functioning.

Last but not least, there is one concern to be raised in this article, which is the choice of giving birth to mental retarded babies. As the technology develops, parents are often informed the genetic diseases inherited to the babies before giving birth to it. Raising a mental-retarded child is extremely hard, and requires tones of patience, time and resources. Therefore, think carefully before you make any choices. Every choice carries consequences!

Venus Lai

Reference:
Wicks-Nelson, R. & Israel, A.C. (2006). Behavior Disorders of Childhood (6th ed). New Jersey: Pearson International Edition.

Sunshine is always with you - Oct 2012

2012-10-13T09:02:00.000+08:00

走出安舒區

相信很多人都會聽聞過安舒區 (comfort zone) 和對它有些認識，亦有人覺得它很抽象，究竟它是怎樣的呢？可能不是人人都清楚知道，但是它卻實質地存在而且對人的影響很深遠，正所謂「知已知彼，百戰百勝」，好讓我們進一步認識安舒區，並想出可行的方法對付它。

走出Comfort zone ! Photo: Woody Yip

戴爾‧卡內基 (Dale Carnegie) 在九十年前就知道並且了解，人們最大的障礙就是被自己的安舒區框住了，無法突破。他認為每個人的內在都有一個無形的安舒區。意思是指，所有人都活在自己熟悉的環境，與認識的人相處，做自己一向會做的事。在自己界線內的人會感到很舒適。相反，當他們踏出界線時，就馬上要面對不熟悉的變化與挑戰，就會感到不舒適、會沒有安全感、有壓力，甚至有危險的感覺，很自然也想要退回到界線內。

例如當某人習慣了一個人做事，不喜歡與陌生人交談和接觸，亦不敢說出任何讚美或感謝的話。如果你是他，你又會選擇做什麼呢﹖ 你可以選擇一輩子留待在舒適區裡，安安定定地過日子，不作出任何改變，但問題是，那人就沒有進步，因為十年以後的他還是現在的他（可能只是多了一些皺紋和外表成熟了一些），思想仍是沒有任何改變。或者他可以選擇勇敢地走出舒適區，去嘗試新的事物，接受新的挑戰，冒一些風險，縱使失敗了，仍可以告訴自己起碼都曾經嘗試過。筆者相信當人行出第一步的時候，實際上已經勝了自己，亦相信在思想上一定能有很大的成長。

以上兩個選擇會得出完全不同的結局。最後筆者希望你能夠走出安舒區，因為安舒區很小，不願離開安舒區的人，克服挫折與挑戰的能力都相對低，自己的發展及進步相對較慢，潛力發展也受到局限。可想而之，這樣的影響非常深遠，所以為了你自己的將來，走出安舒區突破自己，是一個非常聰明的選擇，因為人生就是要不停的戰鬥，才可變得更有意義。

Woody Yip

Reference:

SeligmanE.P.Martin. (2003). 真實的快樂. (洪蘭, 譯者) 臺灣: 遠流.

Extra - Oct 2012

2012-10-13T09:00:00.001+08:00

恭喜我們的候任外務總編輯鄧思驄的攝影作品入圍 DCFever.com 的「原色‧印象」攝影比賽2012，看看他賽後感想及其入圍作品吧。

「很榮幸我的參賽相片能被評審為入圍作品。

其實這張相片是我數年前剛接觸攝影時的作品，當時對攝影一無所知，祇是憑感覺按下快門。

攝影的最大樂趣並不是盲目追求完美的作品，而是享受攝影的過程。其實人生也一樣。很想在這裡感謝支持我的家人和朋友，往後我會繼續努力，希望能拍下更精彩的作品。」

喜歡他作品的讀者
不要錯過「隨心拍」這專欄啊。

Words from Editors - Oct 2012

2012-10-13T09:00:00.000+08:00

It has been a year and this is the 12th issue of Psycholic. From lack of support to being recognized by the Institute, we have proved that we are serious about the newsletter and would not just quit after the 2-minute adrenaline high. I have to thank my fellow editors for their hard works, commitments and selfless contributions to Psycholic for the past one year.

It is hard to be a good student, Psycholic's Deputy Chief Editor and Research Assistant at the same time. How can I do that? Answer: Time Management!

"Time is cruel," I feel. We have a tough routine to publish Psycholic on the11th of every month, and the regular meeting a week after. Then it is already the time to prepare for next issue. We cannot wait for our inspiration to come as my experience tells me that only a fixed schedule and self-discipline can do so.

"Time is a gift." Zimbado said though. If so, we should give it to those we most want to see and those who can gain the most from spending time with us. I believe that doing Psycholic is a wise choice because my articles can meet my readers and who in turn can gain psychological knowledge by reading my articles.

“The happier the time, the shorter it seems” ~Pliny the Younger

It has been a year and it is time to hand Psycholic over to the next generation. I sincerely hope that the new Internal Chief Editor, Jason Lam, and External Chief Editor, Warren Tang, can lead Psycholic to further success.

Stephanie Szeto

Defense Mechanisms - Sep 2012

2012-09-25T14:29:00.002+08:00

Withdrawal

Have you ever tried to escape from troubles? It happens to me all the time when there are too many things to do, or when I feel too upset to face it. Temporary withdrawal can be a nice time-out to our life. If you think you can’t go on, try to sneak out and enjoy a dessert from a coffee shop.

Picture: Venus Lai

Remember, you can’t sneak out from your life forever! Overuse of withdrawal may lead to avoidant personality disorder, whose sufferers avoid social interaction and evaluation from others. So, get back to work when you are ready, or else you will find yourself lag behind when you want to catch up.

Venus Lai

Reference:
Withdrawal (defense mechanism) - Psychology Wiki (2012). Retrieved September 1, 2012 from http://psychology.wikia.com/wiki/Withdrawal_(defense_mechanism)

Avoidant personality disorder - Psychology Wiki (2012). Retrieved September 1, 2012 from http://psychology.wikia.com/wiki/Avoidant_personality_disorder

Contributions - Sep 2012

2012-09-25T14:20:00.003+08:00

Dear Editor,

Recently I am fascinated by a TV program called “Test Your Brain”. This is a special series introducing the cognition of our brain, which is very much related to cognitive psychology. I think it would be right up in Psycholic’s alley, so I am writing up this contribution.

Image: natgeotv.com

“Test Your Brain” is a special series of National Geographic Channel. It contains three episodes only, and respectively they talk about perception, attention and memory. Stroop test and change blindness are examples of the topics they included. With entertaining and tricky demonstrations, it shows us how we are faked by the magicians and professionals. Many of the demonstrations have really come out of left field to me. Moreover, it uses detailed explanations to tell us the specific parts of brain related to the sensory illusions, which is somewhat related to biological psychology.

Image: downloadha.com

Watching the program is just like playing a brain game, to see how intelligent or stupid our brain is. I can still recall in one demonstration about perception, the demonstrator told us to watch carefully how he poured the water from two bottles alternately. I did as he said, and I totally neglected the absurd background, with three staff wearing animal suit walking around. When the “highlighted” demonstration is played, I stared with wide-eyes.

I would like to recommend this program to all psychology students and fans of psychology, as it applies the knowledge of cognitive psychology. It widens my horizon in the field. Currently this series is played on Pearl, on 3rd, 10th and 17th Sep at 21:30. If you have missed the program, you can still watch it with the following links:

http://v.sogou.com/v?query=test+your+brain&w=06009900&p=&_asf=v.sogou.com&_ast=1346756350&sc=index&sut=2554&sst0=1346756354559

http://video.baidu.com/v?word=test+your+brain&ct=301989888&rn=20&pn=0&db=0&s=0&fbl=800

Test Your Brain’s official site:

http://natgeotv.com/hk/test-your-brain

Yours Faithfully,

Venus Honey Lai =]

Psych-Action - Sep 2012

2012-09-25T14:15:00.004+08:00

Organiser: Dept of Psych, CUHK
Name of Activity: Body and Brain Interaction in Decision-making and Emotion
Speaker: Prof Savio Wong, HKIEd
Type: Seminar
Date: 25th September, 2012 (Tue)
Time: 11:00 am
Venue: Room 619, Sino Building, Chung Chi College, CUHK

Organiser: Ctr on Behavioral Health, HKU
Name of Activity: The Transformative Nature of Grief and Bereavement
Speaker: Dr Joan Berzoff
Type: Seminar
Date: 10th October, 2012 (Wed)
Time: 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Venue: Rm 202, HKCSS Duke of Windsor Social Services Bldg, Wanchai

Sora Siu

Laugh Out Loud - Sep 2012

2012-09-25T14:09:00.001+08:00

Ekman suggests that there are 6 universal facial expressions to convey emotions, for instance, people from America or New Guinea can also recognize those facial expressions accurately.

Can you match the facial expressions in the following photo to emotions listed in the chart?

A.Surprise B.Happiness C.Anger D.Sadness E.Disgust F.Fear

Photo: Michael, 2011

Please send the answers with your NAME and CONTACT NUMBER to salford.psy.hk@gmail.com on or before 30th September, 2012. Those who got all correct will enter our lucky draw to win special prize!

Venus Lai & Stephanie Szeto

References:
Michael. (2011, June 6). The Channels of Emotion: Not (Just) in the Face! Retrieved August 10, 2012, from Psych Your Mind: Applying psychology to everyday life: http://psych-your-mind.blogspot.hk/2011/06/channels-of-emotion-not-just-in-face.html
Smith, E. E., Nolen-Hoeksema, S., Fredrickson, B. L., & Loftus, G. R. (2003). Atkinson & Hilgard's Introduction to Psychology (14th ed.). California: Wadsworth.

_________________________________________________________

The answer of 10th issue, August 2012
1. Social Facilitation = C
2. Social Inhibition = A
3. Group Think = D
4. Group Polarization = B

答對上期問題而被抽中的讀者是
Joanna Cheung

幸運兒可得到
記事簿及面膜各1份

由於參加者眾多，其他參加者將獲得安慰獎以作鼓勵。=）

特此鳴謝 www.sunnysideup12.com 的贊助

Andrien Photography - Sep 2012

2012-09-25T13:50:00.000+08:00

Warren Adrien Tang

PsyPanacea - Sep 2012

2012-09-25T13:33:00.002+08:00

Kristen Pereira

Dear Panacea,

Photo: news.nationalgeographic.com

My pen pal lives in a village in Indonesia. The more I get to know her, the more I learn about her life of fear. She has witnessed countless natural disasters, floods and earthquakes. Her family has suffered much loss. What’s more is that they have no certainty about the future in a country where anything can happen. It pains me to see her state. My family has decided to help her in material ways, but in addition to that, I really want to help her by being a good friend and offering emotional support as well. I think we can relate well since we’re the same age and have similar personalities. I really hope you can help me to help her.

DisasterMode

Dear DisasterMode,

Photo: tampabay.com

There are three things you must understand about any natural disaster survivor. You must first understand their conditions, know their symptoms and then know how to help them cope.

You must remember a few things. Firstly, whether one or one hundred, the impact of a disaster on any individual is always just as devastating. Never underestimate it. Do not judge them for having strong reactions, or force them to ‘get over it’ as fast as they can. Grouping together with people who underwent the same tragedy always helps. And always remember, everybody has different needs and different ways of coping with these needs. Always offer your kindness and patience.

On the onset, survivors feel tense, nervous, tired, cranky, angry or numb. They can’t sleep, concentrate or remember. They just want to be left alone. These are all normal reactions and you should understand it.

Here’s what you can do to help. Mostly, listen to them, and encourage them to talk to you. Of course, if you want them to open up to you, you need to behave in such a manner. Make it easy for them to talk to you. Close your mouth and open your ears. Encourage them not to blame themselves. Encourage them not to shift from their regular routine as this can be healthy for them, but lean away from demanding responsibilities for the time being.

Be aware of what we call the ‘anniversary attack’. Mark down the anniversaries of these disasters and pay particular attention to your friend during these times. If she doesn’t behave any differently, then it’s well and good. But still there is reason to worry about recurring symptoms and nightmares etc. Fear not, this is also an opportunity to witness progress and gain perspective on these events, an opportunity for true growth.

Photo: tampabay.com

Reference:

Duffy, K. G., & Atwater, E. (2007). Stress!. Psychology for living (Custom ed., pp. 350-351). Boston, MA: Pearson Custom Pub..

Pickpocket - Sep 2012

2012-09-25T13:24:00.002+08:00

Limbic system is distinguished into “Honest Brain” and “Lying Brain”. The former was discussed last time. This time, the totally opposite one will be shown to you, “Lying Brain”.

The Lying Brain and Honest Brain (2)

The Lying Brain

Cerebral cortex is the last evolved part in our brain, so it is called neocortex, means new brain. It is also called thinking or intelligent brain because it is responsible for advanced cognitions and memorization. The existence of the cerebral cortex separates humans from mammal as most of the human’s cerebral cortex is used for thinking. This part of our brain sent Armstrong to the moon since humans acquired calculation, analysis, interpretation and intuition abilities, so cerebral cortex is an important part of the brain and full of creativities.

__________________________________________________________________

Photo: cbc.ca

<<Case Share>>
In 1999 December, an American customs officer with high alert stopped “Millennium Bomber”. When Ahmed Ressam, an Algerian who lived in Canada, was about to pass through the borderline to America, a customs officer, Diana Dean, noticed he was nervous and sweating. So she asked him to get out from his car for advanced interrogation. After he got out, he tried to run away but got caught again before explosives and timers were found on his car.

Analysis
The nervousness and sweating the officer noticed are the response from the brain when people face pressure. This case can demonstrate how one’s emotions are presented through NVB and body’s responses, which the limbic system of Ressam showed them to the officer even he tried so hard to hide them.

___________________________________________________________

Even the limbic system of “Millennium Bomber” made the body sweating so much, his cerebral cortex still had million ways to hide his own emotions and intentions by answering to the officer “I don’t have anything in the car”.

Our cerebral cortex can let us easily tell our female friends that we like their new dresses and male friends that their new hair styles look cool; even we do not think so. In this way, cerebral cortex is full of creativity to lie and we can only look into the most truthful response from limbic system.

Three Immediate Reactions of Limbic System

Limbic system offers functions of surviving when human are in danger. During the process, there will be a lot of NVB to be noticed. From human started to make fire from wood, to nowadays they face their harsh boss, they have been protected by these abilities of limbic system which inherited from the human history. These functions included: Freeze, Flight and Fight (Cannon, 1915, 1929).

I believe most of you have heard of fight-or-flight. Normally it is used for describing the behavior we perform under threats or dangers. But actually there is something missing in that phase, and also the order that presented is not correct. It should be: 1) freeze -> flight -> fight; or 2) freeze -> flight or freeze -> fight.

Image: curioscope.com

Now, it is the time for you to digest what we discuss today. Later in next issue I will tell you about those three reactions in details.

For the purpose of fun and practicing, you may ask your friend, not too close though to avoid embarrassing situations, about some private and hurtful questions all of a sudden, such as “you still love the bastard who dumped you, don’t you?” or “don’t you think your pet is really disgusting?”

Look for responses from them. Will they stop for few seconds looking at you after your questions? Will they try to avoid the topic or say something to make themselves better after being asked hurtful questions? Will they fight back upon the topic after you keep asking when they avoid?

Practice makes perfect!

Pick their thoughts! They cannot hide their expression and hold their intentions from your eyes!

Jason Lam

References:
Navarro, J., &Karlins, M. (2009).What every BODY is saying an ex-FBI agent's guide to speed reading people (Kindle ed.). S.I.: William Morrow Paperbacks

Walter Bradford Cannon (1929). Bodily changes in pain, hunger, fear, and rage. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts.

Walter Bradford Cannon (1915). Bodily Changes in Pain, Hunger, Fear and Rage: An Account of Recent Researches into the Function of Emotional Excitement. New York: D. Appleton and Company.