Neuroscience and Consciousness: A Critical Review of Zelinski, et al’s The Happy-Productive Worker Thesis Revisited Zelenski, J. M., Murphy, S. A., & Jenkins, D. A. (2008). The happy-productive worker thesis revisited. Journal of Happiness Studies, 9(4), 521-537. Introduction Zelinski, et al (2008) look at over 70 years of research realizing that little has been revealed regarding whether happier workers are more productive. Utilizing a longitudinal literature review and experience sampling… Read More
Reflections on Tomlinson & Aron’s Relationship neuroscience: Where we are and where we might be going and Robbins’ Eugenics and psychiatry: A brief overview and history Neuroscience and humanistic psychology are part of an area of study that I believe is, by definition, designed to help people achieve, in one form or another, their highest possible evolutionary state. Both are part of a long evolutionary process, within psychology, of learning and growth. While Eugenics may be part of that evolutionary process,… Read More
Reflections on Kretzmann & McKnight’s Building Communities from the Inside Out (pp. 1-107) Kretzmann & McKnight (1993) provide us with the equivalent of a bible, one to implement asset-based community (or capacity-focused) development from the ground up. This isn’t about assessing needs, deficiencies, and problems, but discovering a community’s capacities and assets. This is an important distinction because it takes the standard way of solving community problems with… Read More
Reflections on Approaches to Quantitative Research and Butler, et al’s Meditation with yoga, group therapy with hypnosis, and psychoeducation for long-term depressed mood and Schenker and Rumrill’s Causal-comparative research designs and Implications for My Own Research While quantitative research is easier to understand after several readings (Locke, et al, 2010; Creswell, 2014), I am still not as comfortable with statistics as I would like to be in spite of two statistics classes and the insistence of a professor that I would eventually understand it. If I utilized any method, be it… Read More
Reflections on Silos in Neuropsychology, Hoffman &Dash’s Using neuropsychology to enhance existential psychotherapy, Motschniig-Pitrik & Lux’s The person-centered approach meets neuroscience, and Taylor’s William James and the humanistic implications of the neuroscience revolution Existentially and in every other way, I see everything as connected. But philosophically? Yes. Since my immersion into the social sciences a few years ago, I have noticed that the American Sociological Association (ASA) and the American Psychological Association (APA) divide themselves into several divisions each. Even with major philosophical differences, I can still see… Read More
Reflections on Personality Theory, Blatt’s Polarities of experience, Hoffman, et al’s Toward a sustainable myth of self, and Patterson’s Person-centered personality theory What is personality? It is made up of thoughts, ideas, relationships, feelings, dreams, aspirations, environment, even rebellion. At the same time, it is nothing but the figment of our dreams if one takes the Eastern and Buddhist view of existence. The readings here are becoming more fascinating and challenging, though I still find flaws in… Read More
Reflections on Correlational Research and Locke et al (Chapters 6-9), Rashid, et al’s Relationship between home literacy environment and reading achievement in children with reading disabilities, and Zelenski, et al’s The happy-productive worker thesis revisited While, I still don’t see a benefit to relying upon quantitative studies to the exclusion of all others when complex conversations, action research, and asset-based community development yield so much more nuance into a study, I do see the benefits of employing some quantitative methods to determine a direction for a qualitative study, but I’ll… Read More
Reflections on Locke, et al’s Reading and understanding research (Chapters 6-9), Creswell’s Quantitative Methods, and Krause et al’s Exploring interpersonal relationships and music listening survey While a research methods class isn’t necessarily an ideal venue to receive revelations of a personal nature, the latest readings on quantitative analysis have made me aware of how my ever devouring mind works as it continues to seek out and absorb valuable information and higher-level knowledge. Here, there is the qualitative side that is… Read More
Reflections on Personality Theory, Blatt’s Polarities of experience, Hoffman, et al’s Toward a sustainable myth of self, and Patterson’s Person-centered personality theory What is personality? It is made up of thoughts, ideas, relationships, feelings, dreams, aspirations, environment, even rebellion. At the same time, it is nothing but the figment of our dreams if one takes the Eastern and Buddhist view of existence. The readings here are becoming more fascinating and challenging, though I still find flaws in… Read More
Reflections on Combs and Krippner’s Structures of consciousness and creativity: Opening the doors of perception and Krippner’s Altered and transitional states I propose, as I have in many of my academic writings and conversations that within all of us is a vital need to create, even within the most anti-creative of us. My father may be a perfect example of this when he eschews all creative activity because it distracts from “more important things” in life,… Read More