Psychology 01 (Nov 08 - Jan 14)

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Lying By Embellishment

Lying by embellishment means exaggerating or changing the details.

For example, a woman says, "I spent eight hours working on that project," when she wasn't actually working for most of that time.

It includes exaggerating one's role in something, as when a man says, "Andy and I have this great little business," when in fact he is just an employee.

If you suspect this type of lying, the first thing to do is to get specific.

Using the examples above, you might ask, "What exactly did you do for those eight hours?" or in the second case, "Do you actually own the business?"

Of course, you can also go to other people or get other information to verify or contradict what was said.

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Lying By Commission

A lie by commission is an entirely false statement.

For example, a child says, "I didn't break the car window," even though he did. It can also involve transferring blame to others; "Andy must have broken it."

It may also include improperly taking credit, as when a man says, "Do you like my idea?" about an idea that wasn't his.

By its nature, lying of this kind is harder to detect, because the speaker is obviously willing to lie outright. He may even be good at telling lies, depending on how much practice he has had.

There are many "indicators" to watch for, though, and other ways to tell when someone is lying, including dozens of traps that can catch lying of this sort.

Some of the classic indicators of lying have to do with the eyes. "Shifty eyes, or the speaker looking away from you are thought to mean he is lying. Some will tell you these are myths that have been debunked by science.

Neither moving the eyes nor avoiding eye contact indicates that what the person is saying is more likely to be a lie, the research shows. But the research is flawed. It relies on laboratory settings in which people are instructed to lie, and looks for universal indicators, rather than those specific to the individual.

Aldert Vrij of the University of Portsmouth in England, sought to correct this deficiency in the research by looking at real-life police interrogation videos. His idea on how to tell when someone is lying was to concentrate on cases where the true facts were later determined. He found that there were fairly reliable clues to whether a person is lying, but that these are individual, not universal.

For example, one woman might consistently avert her gaze when lying, while another might have greater eye-contact when lying.

Most research wasn't testing for these individual factors, so the results seem to indicate that lie-detecting wasn't viable. But we CAN take into account individual habits and patterns of behavior.

Use what you know or can determine about the individual. Does he normally avoid eye contact? Have you seen him do this before when he was lying? Of course, avoiding eye contact or moving one's eyes could be a general sign of guilt, so be careful before assuming that it means a dishonest response to a particular question.

The person may just feel guilty about something related. In other words, to tell if someone is lying, start by learning a little about the person.

http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/How_ ... Lying.html

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How to Recalibrate Your Reality

Recalibrating your world can help you solve problems, win arguments, and even be happier.

By Thorin Klosowski

Wish you were better/smarter/stronger/faster? Sure, hard work helps, but the truth is, your self perception may be getting in the way.

We all form our own realities, and those realities aren't perfect. Your self perception can be very limiting, and shaking up your notion of the world can do wonders for your productivity, creativity, and happiness.

Here's how to recalibrate your reality.

http://www.mindpowernews.com/RecalibrateReality.htm

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What Makes Us Good or Evil?

What makes us good or evil? It’s a simple but deeply unsettling question. One that scientists are now starting to answer.

Horizon meets the researchers who have studied some of the most terrifying people behind bars – psychopathic killers.

But there was a shock in store for one of these scientists, Professor Jim Fallon, when he discovered that he had the profile of a psychopath.

And the reason he didn’t turn out to be a killer holds important lessons for all of us.


http://www.mindbendingvideos.com/what-m ... d-or-evil/

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Are You the World’s Most Typical Person?

These are some interesting stats. It’s a collection of data by National Geographic Magazine which describes our most ‘typical’ person today.

From their nationality to whether or not they own a cell phone, this vid tells us which part of the world has got a massive population.


http://www.mindbendingvideos.com/the-wo ... al-person/

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"When you have to make a choice and don't make it, that is in itself a choice."

-- William James, Psychologist

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Secrets of Body Language

Body language is a form of non-verbal communication, which consists of body posture, gestures, facial expressions, and eye movements. Humans send and interpret such signals almost entirely subconsciously.

Delve into the science of non-verbal signals as this very visual and highly entertaining expose reveals the hidden language in which 93% of human communication takes place.

From President Franklin D. Roosevelt, to British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and 2008 presidential hopefuls Senators Barack Obama and John McCain, see how both politicians and celebrities use the subtle movements of body language to persuade masses, establish power, and advance careers.

http://www.mindbendingvideos.com/secret ... -language/

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Are sweaty brokers more ethical?

LONDON (Reuters) - If you want to know how ethical your broker is, give them a moral dilemma and see how much they sweat before deciding what to do.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/ ... EnoughNews

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How to Change Your Life By Alexander Green

Although the economy is on the mend and the stock market has taken a big bounce off the bottom, tough times remain for many Americans.

Unemployment is high. Bankruptcies and foreclosures are near record levels. Repo lots are overflowing. Worry and stress are on the rise in many households.

Some of these folks might want to visit psychologist William James, even though he's been dead for a hundred years.

James (1842-1910) was an author, philosopher, scientist, Harvard professor and giant in American intellectual history.

He trained as a medical doctor but never practiced medicine. He broke new ground as a physiologist and psychologist. He studied religion and psychic phenomena and wrote three classic books, including The Varieties of Religious Experience, the acknowledged inspiration for the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous, one of the world's most effective treatment programs.

Although his name is not widely recognized outside academia today, James made major contributions to psychology, philosophy, literature, teaching and religious studies. He coined numerous words and phrases including pluralism, time-line, stream of consciousness, live option and moral equivalent of war.

Historian Jacques Barzun writes that James' book Principles of Psychology is "an American masterpiece which, quite like Moby d**k, ought to be read from beginning to end at least once by every person professing to be educated. It a masterpiece in the classic and total sense."

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What do so many find inspiring about James? In part, it was his life itself, his legendary zest for living. James loved to travel, hike and mountain-climb. He served as a naturalist and accompanied Louis Agassiz on his expedition to explore the upper reaches of the Amazon.

He churned out articles, books and hundreds of public lectures while carrying a full teaching load at Harvard. When he died from heart failure in his late 60s, his contemporaries said he had literally worn himself out.

Despite James's many accomplishments, his life was not without its setbacks. He suffered from ailments of the eyes, skin, stomach and back. He was diagnosed with neurasthenia and depression. He contracted smallpox in Brazil.

Three siblings, including novelist Henry James and diarist Alice James, were afflicted with invalidism. His beloved sister Alice died of breast cancer at 44.

However, James believed that we are meant to spend our lives being curious, active, and fully engaged.