Contributions - Feb 2012

Andrien Photography     Warren Adrien Tang

Blue Mirror Reflection.

Contributions - Feb 2012

The Blazing Corner - LiPACE     Stephanie Szeto

In Hong Kong, studying psychology has always been a privilege for a selected few. Therefore I regarded myself extremely lucky when I was finally granted an opportunity to study a UK psychology degree here in LiPACE in 2010.

The course I am studying, the BSc (Hons) Psychology, is offered by University of Salford, in collaboration with LiPACE, the Open University of Hong Kong. Honestly, I felt so unfamiliar the first day I stepped into this remote campus in Lai King but as time goes by I gradually learn to appreciate this quad.

It locates in the picturesque hillside of Lai King, with a Sports Centre in walking distance which provides a convenient venue for us to play badminton after class. There is also a direct bus to and from Stanley Ho Library, so that we can enjoy library services at the Homantin main campus with least effort. Moreover, we are eligible to enjoy the e-library access for both University of Salford and the Open University of Hong Kong where we can read e-journals off-campus from the vast databases.

Photo: Warren Adrien Tang

I am glad to witness the positive changes of Lai King Campus for the previous year, with the introduction of complementary facilities and programs to meet the need of the increasing number of students. More computers are installed in student common room and a new English Language Learning Program is brought in. Photography and fashion students’ artworks, together with positive quotes from celebrities are displayed over the campus. Inspiredby the growing academic atmosphere in LiPACE, we, a group of enthusiastic psychology students, published the debut of Psycholic,in November 2011 to promote psychology knowledge and raise others’ concern on interesting psychological phenomenon. We are proud to be a part of the positive changes in Lai King Campus and hope that one day LiPACE will become one of the best institutes to study psychology in Hong Kong.

歡迎投稿 - Feb 2012

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 February, 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2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。

Psych-Action - Feb 2012

主辦機構： 香港撒瑪利亞防止自殺會
活動名稱： 「一個人在途上」感動生命劇場
類型： 話劇
日期： 2012年2月25日 星期六
時間： 中午11時至1時
地點： 九龍佐敦吳松街191號突破中心地庫禮堂
熱線： 2319 1269
報名： 需要
詳情： http://www.sbhk.org.hk/b5_gen_activity.htm
簡介： 一個觀眾可以參與以及改寫結局的劇場。

Organiser: Dept of Linguistics, HKU
Name of Activity: Language as Shaped by the Brain
Type: Seminar
Speaker: Prof. Morten Christiansen
                  Cornell University, USA
Date： 26 March, 2012 (Monday)
Time： 16:30 - 18:30
Venue： T2, Meng Wah Complex, HKU

Sora Siu

PsyPanacea - Feb 2012

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.

Kristen Pereira

Dear Panacea,

Hi! Nice to meet you! Exam month is definitely a torture to all students. I find that particularly one type of stress is killing me. It is the stress of uncertainties. I used to plan everything well before I start to work on it. Yet, if the dates and appointments are not confirmed, I just become stuck and lost. Another problem is that, I always want to make my sleep pattern right, that is to sleep and wake early. However, I often start to work in late afternoon, so it pushes everything in my schedule back. Could you kindly offer some advice on my situation?

Out of schedule

Pillars in the Making - Feb 2012

How do infants become attached? (Part 3)  

This is the third part for attachment theory. Last month I have introduced a famous experiment “the wire mother” with you. Now you should know that all living things have attachment behaviors, and it is essential for them to protect themselves and to maintain their lives. This time I will share with you the types of attachment and the outcomes for different types of attachment.

The Internal Working Model of attachment for self and other

The internal working model is developed by Ethnologists John Bowlby and Inge Bretherton. It is a cognitive representation of self, others, and the relationships which infants construct from their interactions with their caregivers. Based on this model, four different types of attachment were formed, including secure, preoccupied, dismissing and fearful. A sensitive and responsive care giving should lead the child to feel that people are dependable. On the other hand insensitive, neglectful or abusive care giving may lead to insecurity and a lack of trust.

                 The Internal Working Model 

 

Secure (Secure primary attachment)	Preoccupied (resistant primary attachment)
Dismissing (Avoidant primary attachments)	Fearful (Disorganized primary attachment)

Sunshine is always with you - Feb 2012

自信的威力

曾經有一首歌的歌詞深深的影響了我，可能讀者們也曾聽過這一句歌詞─因有自信所以美麗。不知道讀者們是否也同意這一句歌詞的意思呢? 本人就深深體會到這一句歌詞背後的意義，不知到讀者們曾否嘗試過當你持有信心去做某些事情的時候，往往最後所得的結果都是正面的。當自我信心良好時，會影響自己的形象傾向正面，但相反當你沒有信心時，會感覺到自己形象變得很負面。另外自信心是基於自我效能感 (Self-efficacy) ─ 是指個體能否在一定水平上完成某一活動所具有的能力判斷、信念或主體自我把握與感受。所以自信心對一個人來說真的是一樣很重要的東西，自信心低除了會影響形象外，還會影響不同方面的個人表現。

在面對恐懼方面自我效能感的影響是非常之重要的，在 1997 年兩名心理學家 Bandura 和 Adams 完成了一項人對蛇恐懼的實驗，他們使用了系統減敏感治療法，去幫助患有蛇恐懼症的患者，首先要患者們面對蛇的照片時學習放鬆，然後再學習面對著瓶中的小蛇。經過一段時間的練習後，他們可以直接面對一條不是放在瓶中的大蛇。結果兩名心理學家在實驗中發現，以認知的說法能夠解釋人對蛇的恐懼症，認為這是一種低自我效能感的表現，患者們在未接受治療前之所以會害怕蛇，也就是因為他們對自己面對蛇的能力沒有足夠的信心。當最後他們對蛇的恐懼感減低後，對蛇的心理反應也會減低，而面對蛇的自我效能感也會逐漸增加。

另外在學術能力方面自我效能感的也有一定的影響力，在 1990 年兩名心理學家 Tuckman 和 Sexton 完成了一個評估學術能力的研究。研究結果發現當大學生面對課堂上紙筆測驗的考試時，低學術自我效能感的學生所得的分數，通常會比高學術自我效能感的學生所得的分數為低。

所以自我效能感的高或低，會完全影響你對各方面的信心，從而影響自己的表現，希望各位讀者可以時刻調節對自己的信心，當你對一樣事情沒有信心，但你又想在這樣事情中有好的表現時，千萬不要灰心和放棄，只要有願意的心，然後慢慢的去嘗試，本人相信最後一定會令你的自我效能感提昇，從而也令你在該事情中有好的表現。因有自信所以美麗是希望你能活出一個美好人生，不要因為對自己的信心不夠而覺得自己什麼也做不好，不管自己的能力是高或低，這並不重要，最重要是首先要對自己有信心。

Woody Yip

References:

Bandura, A., & Adams, N. E. (1977). Analysis of self efficacy theory of behavior change. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 1, 287-310.

Tuckman, B. W., & Sexton, T. L. (1990). The relation between self-beliefs and self-regulated performance. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 5, 465-472.

Psycovery - Feb 2012

精神科藥物的代謝副作用

抗精神病藥物 (Antipsychotic) 不單只是被處方作為治療精神疾病如精神分裂症 (Schizophrenia) ，它們亦廣泛用於治療焦慮症 (Anxiety disorder) ，以及情緒病 (Mood disorder) 如躁鬱症 (Bipolar disorder) 和抑鬱症 (Depression) 。在 2008 年的調查顯示，使用抗精神病藥物的美國人高達 1430萬。 2011年的 New Treatment Guideline for Acute Bipolar Depression 亦建議利用非典型的抗精神病藥物 (Atypical antipsychotic) 取代抗抑鬱藥物 (Antidepressant) 作為治療雙極性抑鬱的第一線治療藥物。大部分抗精神病藥物都有代謝副作用，導致肥胖及糖尿病。雖然科學家一直都未能找出其副作用的成因，但最近終於發現了這些藥物在代謝中的機制。

思樂康® (Seroquel®, quetiapine fumarate) 是抗精神病藥物的一種，主要副作用包括困倦、呆滯、乏力、頭暈、腹痛、致肥、鼻竇或咽喉發炎及直立性低血壓 (Orthostatic hypotension) 等等。

Paradox - Feb 2012

1973, Jan Erik Olsson and Clark Olofsson tried to rob a bank at Norrmalmstorg in Stockholm. After their failure, they held four of the employees as hostage. After six days the two criminals gave up and the hostages were freed. While the outcome was that the victims became emotionally attached to their captors, and even defended them against the police. This paradoxical phenomenon was named as ‘Stockholm Syndrome’ by the criminologist and psychiatrist, Nils Bejerot, who was assisting the police during the robbery.

Sadism and Masochism?

The FBI’s Hostage Barricade Database System shows that around 27% of victims show evidence of Stockholm Syndrome. The sufferers usually express empathy, positive feelings and sometimes help defend their captors. These feelings are generally considered irrational. The main cause of this syndrome can be defined as the victims receive some actions of kindness from the captors during the hostage period, with the captors do not cause any direct damage to them. Finally the victims mistakenly believe that the captors are not going to hurt them so turn to help the captors.

Another explanation to this syndrome in evolutionary terms can be referred to "Capture-bonding". Azar Gat found that war and abductions were typical of human pre-history. When selection is intense and persistent, adaptive traits (such as capture-bonding) become universal to the population or species. Some activation of the capture-bonding psychological trait may lie behind battered wife syndrome, military basic training, fraternity hazing, and sex practices such as sadism/masochism or bondage/discipline.

In general, the existence of Stockholm Syndrome is a strong evidence for supporting the defense mechanism.

Anthony Chan

References:

Nils, B. (1974) The six day war in Stockholm. New Scientist, volume 61, number 886, page 486-487

"'Stockholm Syndrome': psychiatric diagnosis or urban myth?" (in London, UK.). Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, Hampstead Campus (Royal Free and University College Medical School). 2007 November 19

deFabrique, Nathalie; Romano, Stephen J.; Vecchi, Gregory M.; van Hasselt, Vincent B. (July 2007). "Understanding Stockholm Syndrome".FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin (Law Enforcement Communication Unit) 76 (7): 10–15

G. Dwayne Fuselier, “Placing the Stockholm Syndrome in Perspective,” FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, July 1999, 22-25

Traumatic entrapment, appeasement and complex post-traumatic stress disorder: evolutionary perspectives of hostage reactions, domestic abuse and the Stockholm Syndrome.

SD3 - Feb 2012

Sometimes people are just too concerned about their appearance, and the situation is coming worse and worse nowadays. It is not difficult to see girls using make-up and boys gelling their hairs, portraying a beautiful and handsome image. Especially when I am walking in Mongkok, it occurs to me that everyone is too emphasizing their look. In this way, people would become easily frustrated when there is some minor flaw appears. For example, I can always hear my female friends complaining about the acnes on their faces. To others, one or two acnes do not make a difference. But to them, it means a disaster. It is because they are too preoccupied by an ideal image in their mind, and this is related to the disorder I am introducing this issue – Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD).

“Mirror, Mirror, Who Is The Most Beautiful Girl In The World?”

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall... 'It's so subjective' is not an acceptable answer."

Like what has been mentioned, people with BDD have an ideal image in their mind. When their body shape or faces do not match with their ideal image, they feel upset and annoyed. As a result, they put much effort on fitting their appearance into their imagined one. Symptoms of eating disorders are often observed. On the other hand, some people are not satisfied with their original faces. Some want a smaller nose, thicker lips, etc. In these cases, they become distressed, due to the contradiction between the virtual image and the truth.

Words from Editors - Feb 2012

Hi everyone, Happy Chinese New Year! Finally exams are over, and it is time to enjoy the holiday. Hope that Psycholic could be one of the material you enjoy reading throughout this holiday! The forth volume is coming up, as an editor I have found out a lot of interesting phenomenon which can be explained by psychology theories, and also help me to enrich my knowledge in psychology. If you are also interested in psychology, or is struggling with some daily experiences which you cannot figure out an answer to explain it, maybe Psycholic is a good source for you to find the answer out. Hope you guys will support our work and enjoy a newsletter about psychology that produced by a group of psychology students. We will do our best to search for more interesting cases or phenomenon which are happening around us everyday!

Vicky Wong