Beguiled by rave reviews, I read the Uninvited Guests (2012, New York: Harper) by Sadie Jones. It had many strengths, as it offered up a mixture of Edwardian manners and the Gothic. It was witty, scary, and often both at once. And, after all, who doesn’t like a happy ending for characters who have changed for the better and found true love and/or more personal freedom? However, there was way too much about mud and excrement. At first it was funny but it became repetitive and tiresome. I began to read more quickly just to get through. But perhaps I’m just a stick in the mud (Sorry, couldn’t resist.).
A recent study reported online found that “the greater the down regulation of wives’ negative emotions and behaviors, the greater was the satisfaction with their marriages, for both husbands and wives. Wives’ use of constructive communication, even when involved with negative emotion, looked to be the mediating factor in increased marital satisfaction. ( Emotional Regulation Predicts Marital Satisfaction: More than a Wives’ Tale. Bloch, L., Haase, C. M., Levenson, R. W. Emotion, Nov. 4, 2013, No pagination Specified. In IPA Psych Bytes, 3/4/2014)
A recent Vanderbilt study found that children with chronic stomachaches tend to develop anxiety and depressive disorders. (Monitor on Psychology, 2013, 44(9), p. 18)
A recent study from the University of Minnesota found that working in a messy room helps people try new things and come up with new ideas. (Monitor on Psychology, 2013, 44(9), p. 12)
Spouses have more conflict after a bad night’s sleep. (Monitor on Psychology, 2013, 44(8), p. 23.)
An 18 year follow-up study from Europe found that of the 7,268 participants, those that had initially viewed their health as negatively impacted by stress had more than double the risk of having a heart attack or dying from one than those who had not seen stress as impacting their health. (Monitor on Psychology, 2013, 44(8), p. 22.)
“Therapy outcome studies show that a person’s motivation is a major factor in whether he or she gets better..” (Hanson, R. The next big step. Psychotherapy Networker, 2014, January/February, p. 21)
Old habits die hard. With stress, people are likely to resume their old habits, good and bad. (Monitor on Psychology, 2013, 44(8), p. 22)
Pete Seegar: It’s a very important thing to learn to talk to people you disagree with.
A recent 6-year Icelandic study found that children who were youngest in class were 50% more likely to be medicated for ADHD and had lower math and language grades until the fourth grade. Parents whose children are close to birthday cut-offs might carefully consider whether or not to have their children start school or wait until the next year. ( IPA PsychBytes, 1/21/2014)
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