Psych2go Issue 1 (ePub)

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Created by Teresa Johnson
ISSUE 1
Cover Art by Ken Samonte
PSYCH2GO
OCT 2015
ADHD
AWARENESS
MONTH

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Psych2Go
Psych2Go started as a blog to feature short psychology facts in the format of memes
(text-posts that are rapidly spread around the internet). Our mission was to brand
ourselves as a forum/platform for people to get quick psychology information to further
discuss and debate about the posts. We wanted to create an open forum of discussions
to help foster critical thinking about research methods and limitations.
To accomplish that, the Psych2Go team is transparent about the fact that we don't
always post legitimate psychology information, but only do so in order to get people
to really question ALL our posts and think on an analytical level. Sometimes what you
think is true is actually not true and sometimes what is not true is yet to be supported
by research.
We have found that understanding research methods and having an open and
encouraging forum for all of this is essential. Several Facebook groups have also
been created, already aiming at this - including groups that allow people to express
their creativity like our “Poetry” and “Doodle” group, and our “Research and Writing
Discussion” group which creates discussion among expression of ideas, and academic
assistance.
As time went on, it made sense that Psych2Go should start providing supplementary
materials such as sources, references, as well as some explanation to our viral meme
posts that are featured on our Tumblr (as you’ll see an example from the “Psych to
Go” article in this magazine issue) which generates large discussion from audience
members. From these realizations to include more material content, psych2go.net, the
sister site was born.
When we started, Psych2Go had a team of 10 writers and published over 200 articles
within less than 2 months and received over 1 million page views. And the articles
followed a specific format:
1. Intro
2. Bring up research.
3. Identify the research methods and the limitations
4. question for our readers
This format is aligned with our mission statement to analyze research, create
discussions, and provide the resources needed to facilitate those discussions.
Then, as time went on, we thought about implementing a mentorship program to help
further facilitate this learning process for our younger audiences (since a majority of
our readers were not yet psychology students).
And that’s where psych2go.net is today! We have editors, mentors, and intern writers,
who our Human Resource team has a very close relationship with and helps them every
step of the way.
Our goal is to become the go-to site for psychology, writing, help, research, studies,
and so forth. Psych2Go serves as an easily accessible and inclusive platform for our
young audiences.
Tai Tai
Manager and Creator of Psych2Go
Psych2go@outlook.com
Psych2go.tumblr.com
Psych2go.net
WAIT, WHAT EXACTLY IS "PSYCH2GO"?

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ISSUE 1
Artwork by:Ken Samonte

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Psych2Go
HELLO!As a special part of the “Psych2Go” team, we believe that this magazine sets itself
apart from other science magazines out there. Understanding this magazine is not in a
traditional “magazine” format gives our magazine a creative and unique feel.
This was made by a collection of young entrepreneurs from all over the world. This
publication includes international contributors from places like Slovenia, The U.K., the
Netherlands, the Philippines, Canada, and people within various places of the U.S. like
New York, Maryland, D.C., Tennessee, and California.
Keep in mind that not all of us are trained professionals in the Psychology field, but
simply people that are intrigued by Psychological concepts, only wanting to pass our
research along, while involving people to talk about their personal experiences, as well
as informing an audience with interesting Psychological facts.
We hope that you enjoy this collaborative publication that acts as an extension of our
online blog, psych2go.net, and we ask that you get involved with this entrepreneurial
organization as well! After all, Psychology is the science that’s all about you, and as a
growing company, we’re offering the opportunity for you to grow with us.
Teresa Johnson
Editor-in-Chief, Manager & Coordinator of Psych2Go Magazine
(https://twitter.com/turnipthatbeet)

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ISSUE 1ISSUE 1
Artwork by: Drew Borja

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CONTENTAbout Psych2Go / 4
Hello Message / 6
Meet the writers /10
Psychology in the news /13
Interview with a Psychology student /14
Social Psychology / 16
Exploring mental health / 18
Significant people that endured mental illness / 22
LGBTQA Psychology / 24
Music Psychology / 26
Personality Psychology / 28
Developmental Psychology / 30
Autism Spectrum (S.E.E.P.) Special, Exceptional, Extraordinary, People / 32
Animal Psychology / 36
Forensic Psychology 38
Art Submissions Winner / 40
Career Building / 42
Outside Submissions / 44
Entertainment/Games Section / 50
Projective Psychology / 54
Book Review / 56
Creative writing / 58
Psych to Go / 60
Debunking Psychological Myths / 62
Advice Column / 64
Mental Health Hotlines / 67
Thank you to contributors / 68
ISSUE 1

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Hello all! I’m Sneha and I’m currently pursing my Master's degree
at University of Pennsylvania's School of Design and I’ve been
practicing Arts & Design for around 5 years. My work inclines toward
a palate of textures that influence the organic and structured notion
of spaces around me. Recently, I completed a Diploma in Learning
Disorders Management and Child Psychology.
U.S. (Pennsylvania)
Hi, I’m Sophie! I’m currently doing my BSc in Communication
and Media, but I have always been interested in psychology. I am
especially interested in criminal psychology and how the mind of
a psychopath works, but I am also interested in personality, social,
and child psychology.
Netherlands
Hi, I’m Teresa and I attend Community College as a sophomore in
hopes of taking on NYC my Junior and Senior year of college. I plan
to receive a bachelors degree of communications and journalism
due to my love of writing, communicating and self-expression. In my
free time I love to sing, draw, write, and explore new places. I started
by making videos for Psych2Go on their YouTube channel, but now
I’m project manager and editor-in-chief of this magazine!
U.S (Maryland)
I'm Imogen, I'm 21 and going into my final year of an MSci in
Psychology and Psychological Research. I work as a staff writer
and a HR rep for psych2go.net, and I love learning and teaching all
things psychological. I hope to one day become a researcher, and I
love forensic, child and animal psychology!
The U.K.
Psych2Go
Sneha
Sophie
Teresa
Imogen
I'm a sophomore/junior at American University, and I’m majoring
in Psychology with minors in Spanish Language/Translation and
Business Administration. I love blogging and crafting, as well as
watching YouTube like it's my job. I'm super excited to be a part of
this magazine, and I can't wait to see where this adventure takes
me!
U.S. (Maryland)
Lauren
Hello, I’m Larissa, and I’m a third year Psychology major working
towards a minor in Law and Society as well as Ethics and
Philosophy. Some of my greatest passions in Psychology include the
topics of eating disorders, self-harm, psychopathology, and forensic
psychology. When I’m not working or doing homework I enjoy
watching Netflix, sleeping, reading, playing with cats, and writing!
U.S. (Minnesota)
Larissa

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Hi! I’m Kayleigh. Besides having a passion for writing, learning new
things and gathering interesting facts (Did you know the majority
of lizards can’t run and breathe at the same time?), I love creative
things like drawing and making jewelry. I'm currently studying at
University and in my free time I can be found listening to music,
reading and writing, or browsing the internet.
Netherlands
Hi I'm Hannah. I have my BSc in Psychology and I'm completing
my post grad in journalism at the moment. I’m fascinated by
human sexuality & sexual behavior, and the science behind mental
illness. I enjoy editing papers and long runs on the elliptical. My
two hedgehogs keep me motivated, and they say that they hope you
enjoy our articles and magazine! Just know that whenever you read
something by me, a hedgehog was nearby.
Nova Scotia
I’m Sheena, and I study Psychology BSc with the University of the
Highlands & Islands in Scotland. Being both the kid who grew up
reading encyclopedias and the ‘Agony Aunt’ friend, I’ve always been
interested in how what happens in our heads affects the way that we
live our lives, and in practicing acceptance (and hopefully spreading
it too!).
The U.K.
Being a media student, I am a huge supporter of anti-consumerism
and media awareness. In my spare time you can find me reading
(especially fantasy literature), listening to music, watching
Japanese anime, taking long walks in the nature and most often
writing. Above all I am simply a girl, madly in love with stories in all
shapes and sizes.
Slovenia
ISSUE 1
Kayleigh
Hannah
Sheena
Katja
Hi there! I'm oftentimes described as a shy girl with a quick wit.
Amazingly, I've managed to channel my passion to different facets
of art and psychology, and blended my two loves. A firm believer that
you never stop learning
Philippines
Risha
My name is Laura Corona and I am 21 years old. Currently studying
Communications and soon will begin working my way into becoming
an American Sign Language Interpreter.
U.S. (California)
Advice Column Team
Laura

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Hey, my name’s Myelin (like Myelin Sheath). I receive my B.A. in
Psychology in November 2015. After that, I aspire to get a PsyD in
Clinical Psychology (fingers crossed). As a staff writer on Psych2Go,
I write on topics related to abnormal or cultural psychology and
sexuality. In my free time, I enjoy belly dancing and sketching!
U.S (California)
Hey, hello! My name’s Aubrey, as I’m sure it probably says
somewhere already. I squint while I talk sometimes, forget to eat
occasionally, and have hot chocolate stains in most of all my sketch
books. I work three, long and tedious jobs and go to community
college in Memphis so that I may transfer into a larger art school
within the same area. I love to both draw and write, so comics and
cartoons are an absolute passion of mine!
U.S (Tennessee)
Myelin
Aubrey
Hi I'm Lauren, I graduated with a degree in psychology and a
masters in counselling. I've been a youth worker, a counsellor and
currently I'm working towards becoming a social worker. I wanted
to be apart of the magazine as I know what it's like to struggle with
your feelings and I want help where I can. That's my passion in life.
My other passion is art. I post videos of my digital art on YouTube in
the hopes of creating a relaxing space for others. You can find me at
Rad Little Drawings.
Northern Ireland
Advice Column Team
Lauren
Psych2Go
I'm Tyra Davis, a middle school English Teacher living in NYC, but
I've always been a writer at heart. Although my background is not
in psychology, I have suffered from anxiety and depression in the
past, which brings with it a lot of experience dealing with negative
feelings and emotions. I hope to bring some of this experience to
light in my advice to our readers.
U.S (New York)
Advice Column Team
Tyra
Hi! Jessica here. I'm a psych major in college working on my junior
year. I've been inspired to study psychology by my passionate high
school teacher but my favorite topic is the brain. I'm studying hard
to research and learn to help others.
U.S (Maryland)
Jessica

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ISSUE 1
This past month was a big one for
psychology in the news. One big thing
for people involved in the field was the
revelation of repeated studies, which all
had differing results.
An article published in The Toronto
Star entitled “Repeating Psychology
Experiments Yields Different Results”,
details how a group of researchers in
New York attempted to duplicate over 100
social science studies. The only obvious
conclusion found was that more research
is needed after every study, including
their own. Around 40% of their attempts
yielded the same results, which is not
great news. None of the experiments
were developed to test treatments, and
tended to focus on studies with strong
statistical evidence, as well as studies
that didn’t have surprising results.
A biography of Dr. Marnie Rice, who
studied the minds of some of the worst
offenders in Canada who needed
psychiatric care, was also released this
past month.
“Psychologist Marnie Rice Probed the
Minds of Psychopathic Offenders”, an
article in The Globe and Mail details her
lifetime. She started off working in the
jail in Penetanguishene, Ontario, where
she eventually became the Director of
Research. She did behavior modification
research here on what were referred to
as the “worst offenders” such as serial
killers, pedophiles, and other sexual
offenders. The article details her life,
her upbeat personality, and what her
research did for the field of Psychology.
She passed away in August of 2015.
A bit of comedy is involved in the
psychology news this past month; an
article entitled “The psychology behind
why couples fight when assembling
Ikea furniture”. Released on a website
called Quartz, this article details reasons
couples would fight whilst assembling
furniture. It causes unnecessary stresses
and people tend not to be as polite with
those they love than those they are just
friends with. Though probably not rooted
in fact, in general the article was slightly
comedic.
Another article was released on a Calgary
programme to create an addictions
help programme almost completely
routed in the psychology of addiction.
Published in Metro News, the article
“New Calgary Addictions Programme to
bridge psychology and substance abuse”
details it. This programme is meant to
focus specifically on the needs of women
with addictions. It is expected to roll
out at the end of the year and women
who had participated in the programme
will eventually become mentors to new
people involved.
Those are a few of the bigger stories of
psychology in the news over the past few
months.
Citation:
Ritter, M. (2015, August 30). Repeating psychology
experiments yields different results. Retrieved
September 26, 2015.
Ryell, N. (2015, September 15). Psychologist Marnie
Rice probed the minds of psychopathic offenders.
Retrieved September 26, 2015.
By: Hannah Jade
Artwork by: Erin Jean
IN THE NEWS

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Psych2Go
What’s the program like, what is the
cost and how’s the education?
I like the program at Swinburne, some
units are obviously run better than oth-
ers but overall I think it’s a pretty good
psych education. To be honest I’m not
sure about the cost, the government
basically pays for UNI and we pay them
back when we earn over $54k. I hope it’s
not too much! I think the education’s de-
cent, it differs again from unit to unit, but
I think if you do everything you can to be
responsible for your learning and reach
out when you need it, you can get the best
psych education anywhere.
Who’s your favorite professor?
My favourite lecturer is probably my fo-
rensics convener; he lectures in a way
that is relatable and really clear. He’s re-
ally easy to follow. Straight forward you
know what you have to do to do well and
it’s always interesting.
We’ll next move on to asking about some
of her personal views about psychology,
like which subjects she likes and dislikes.
What is your favourite topic within psy-
chology?
Abnormal psych was my favourite unit so
far. It was really interesting and I guess
got down to the ‘real’ or ‘stereotypical’
psych stuff, the stuff that the public would
be thinking you’re learning I guess!
What’s your favourite psychology fact/
research study?
I wish I had a really good one of the top
of my head but I don’t, so I’d have to say
Pavlov’s dog. Everyone’s heard of it - I
learnt it in school psychology, but back
then I don’t think I understood what it
meant. I think it’s so cool how you can
US
Amy
Livingstone
INTERVIEW
Hey guys! In this section of the maga-
zine, we’ll be interviewing a psychology
student who is going to tell us about their
course, some personal details about
themselves and their interests in psy-
chology, and also their career aims and
how they hope to achieve them and final-
ly some advice for prospective students.
We’ll be interviewing Amy Livingstone,
a bachelor of social sciences (psychol-
ogy and forensic science) at Swinburne
University of Technology, Melbourne,
Australia. The course involves eight core
psych units, four core forensics units,
and twelve electives. She is currently in
her third year.
We’ll start by asking Amy about her
course, how the education is and what
the cost is like. https://www.facebook.com/amy.livingstone1
From: Australia

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ISSUE 1
really apply that to any situation, and
with enough work you can condition any-
one/thing. I like it because it’s so simple,
yet so significant.
The next topic was Amy’s career aims and
what she has done to try and help achieve
those aims.
What are your goals in terms of
career?
I would like to work with youth offenders
at this stage, however I’m open to chang-
ing direction as my education progresses.
I’m really into health and fitness also so I
would love to be involved with a program
that uses exercise to break down barri-
ers between psychologist and offender, I
believe it could be a really beneficial tool.
What do you look to do after your degree,
further study or work, or something
else?
After this degree I will hopefully complete
an honours year, and then a master’s
course. It’s extremely competitive to get
into so I’m staying hopeful, but should all
go to plan I’m looking at another 6 years
of study ahead of me!
What, outside of your degree, have you
done to further your interest or career in
psychology?
My current casual job is completely un-
related to psychology, however it’s with
the YMCA who run a range of really great
programs that I think I could get involved
in. I guess what drew me to that job was
that it had the potential to provide path-
ways for me.
I’ll have 6 months off study before start-
ing my honours (hopefully) so I’m hoping
in that time I can get a position some-
where really cool that will be beneficial
for both my education and career. In the
meantime, I’m hoping to start writing ar-
ticles for psych2go, when I have time, to
get some better practice and some feed-
back of my work.
Finally, we asked her for some advice for
you guys.
What is one thing a student should
know about studying psychology?
There’s lots of content, lots to memorise,
and in Australia it’s very competitive. Peo-
ple don’t realise that though they think
things like biomed are tough, psych can
be worse. There are not nearly as many
positions, but almost as many applicants.
And what’s one thing a student should
know about studying at University?
I found UNI difficult to keep on top of, at
school you have a test every week and a
teacher making sure you’ve done your
work, whereas at UNI you’re responsible
for yourself, and you’ve now got a job, a
car, freedom, so study slips, and then it’s
exam time and you’ve done nothing all
semester. It’s definitely harder to keep on
top of, so be prepared and get organised.
Hope you enjoyed this!

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Psych2Go
By: Lauren Miedel
Artwork by: Pilar Chavez
IT
STICKS
WITH
THEM:
How what children see impacts who they become
SocialPsychology

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ISSUE 1
Most people know that children are
especially impressionable, but to what
extent do they absorb information? What
kinds of things do they retain? While it
may be impossible to know every little
thing, social psychologists have some
ideas about what types of information
children pick up on.
One of the questions psychologists want-
ed to know was whether children could
pick up on social cues similarly to an
adult. Diesendruck, Salzer, Kushnir, and
Xu conducted an experiment to see if chil-
dren picked-up on social cues from dem-
onstrators (2015). Their research showed
that when one demonstrator favored an
object, preschoolers associated it with a
person’s preference; however, when two
demonstrators favored the same object,
preschoolers “inferred that it was gener-
alized to other agents of the same kind”
(Diesendruck et al. 2015). This shows that
children are informed by social cues.
What does this information mean? Well,
this type of study starts to prove how chil-
dren don’t just listen to what they’re told.
They can be much more perceptive than
that. Anyone who has heard a kid mention
a word they heard their older sibling say
can attest to that. But, they are also able
to pick up social cues.
This could have serious impacts later in
life. It could explain how children grow up
to be racist or sexist when their parents
don’t really say to be out loud. If a child
notices how Mom always avoids making
eye contact with black people, or how Dad
snorts or rolls his eyes when someone
mentions being anything other than cis-
gendered* or straight, the child notices.
It’s likely this is not the only reason, but it
could be a reason.
Another question on what influences
children is whether age plays a factor.
Schwarz and Roebers looked at 8- and
10-year old children and their ability to
“withstand” post-event information from
an interviewer or confederate (2006).
They found that 10-year olds were able
to distinguish that people talking with a
low amount of assertiveness probably
did not have much to contribute, and
were less trustworthy than those who
spoke assertively (2006).
The idea that children, of at least a cer-
tain age, can distinguish assertiveness
when someone is speaking shows that
as they grow, they are able to selective-
ly take social cues and information from
those they deem knowledgeable.
No one is arguing that children are
sponges. But, they clearly absorb more
information than people like to think. So
to everyone who spends a lot of time with
children, remember that even if you be-
lieve in the motto “Do as I say and not as
I do,” kids are paying attention to how you
act and what you do.
Works Cited:
Diesendruck, G., Salzer, S., Kushnir, T., & Xu, F. (2015).
When Choices Are Not Personal: The Effect of Statisti-
cal and Social Cues on Children’s Inferences About the
Scope of Preferences. Journal Of Cognition & Develop-
ment, 16(2), 370-380.
Schwarz, S., & Roebers, C. M. (2006). Age differences in
the effects of social influence on children’s eyewitness
performance and their metacognitive monitoring. Jour-
nal Of Experimental Child Psychology, 94(3), 229-248.
Terms:
*Cisgendered -applies to the majority of people, de-
scribing a person who is not transgender.

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Psych2Go
A
By: Teresa Johnson
Mental-Health Awareness Month:
October
D
H
D

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ISSUE 1
The mental illness topic of this
month that Psych2Go chooses to bring
awareness to is ADHD. There are the-
ories created by people that those who
claim to be affected by Attention-Deficit/
Hyperactivity Disorder are simply cre-
ating an excuse to explain their “hyper”
behavior. This is an incorrect speculation
because ADHD is in fact a real mental ill-
ness. It’s a brain disorder that can extend
from childhood to adolescence. Accord-
ing to the National Institute of Health,
studies have shown that people affected
by this disorder have brain developmen-
tal delays by an extension of up to three
years! It’s brain-baffling to know that a
disorder can take that much growth-re-
lated control. Hyperactive and impulsive
behaviors caused from people affected
by ADHD are much stronger and greater
than those who are not diagnosed with it.
Even though it’s still a mystery to scien-
tists as to what causes ADHD, genes, as
well as various environmental factors,
are said to help influence the actions
reflected through the disorder. ADHD
sometimes gets mistaken for ADD (At-
tention Deficit Disorder), however they
differ in the ways of the “hyperactivity” el-
ement that ADD withholds. Even though
ADHD is not a detrimental disorder, it still
can make life more challenging regard-
ing elements such as being distracted
and constantly getting up and moving.
The disorder is found in children, and can
extend throughout adolescence and into
their adult years. However, children can
grow out of ADHD and lead very produc-
tive lives, but this requires proper change
to their environment, developing their
strengths, and medication if needed (ac-
cording to parents.com).
Bringing awareness to this disorder, cer-
tain organizations like adhdawareness-
month.org and chadd.org serve to fulfill
that purpose and let people know that
it does affect people and their mental
health. Feel free to visit these particular
sites if you are someone that struggles
with ADHD and it affects your everyday
activities. Even when a health issue isn’t
physical, it can create just as many is-
sues within a person’s life. Although
certain theories are made, there is no
definite reason to why people are effected
by this, and the “cure” does not involve
taking a “magical” pill.
However, through time and being atten-
tive to ones’ environmental surroundings,
the disorder’s relevance in a person’s life
can slowly start to disappear. ADHD is
not made up. It is real and it does affect
people. If you have trouble concentrating,
find yourself being very impulsive, and
have hyper-tendencies, then you may
have ADHD. Don’t be afraid to reach out
and seek help from your doctor if it be-
comes a frustrating issue.
Works Cited:
Smith, M., Robinson, L., & Segal, J. (2015, August 1).
ADD / ADHD in Children. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
Rosen, M. (n.d.). Attention for ADHD: 9 Key Facts. Re-
trieved September 5, 2015.
Organizations to connect with:
http://www.adhdawarenessmonth.org
chadd.org

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Psych2Go
SEPARATION ANXIETY
By: Sneha Easwaran
Artwork by: Drew Borja
DISORDER
A normal part of growing up and be-
ing a part of the real world is dealing with
separation in a myriad amount of ways.
Individuals with noticeable symptoms
tend to come from environments that are
held together at quite close approxima-
tion, so as one moves away, the individ-
ual may recurrently exhibit social with-
drawal symptoms, apathy, or difficulty in
focusing. It depends on the individual’s
age as well – from monsters to the dark,
and other situations that are perceived
as presenting danger to the integrity of
the family. This disorder isn’t a mild one
because it can dramatically affect a per-
son’s life by limiting the ability to engage
in ordinary day-to-day activities. Anger
and outbursts of emotion are very com-
mon.
Separation Anxiety Disorder affects ap-
proximately 2-5% of children and is much
more prominent to those who frequently
have other family members with anxiety
disorders. The tendency to develop this
disorder involves the genetic and envi-
ronmental factors that come into play in
a person’s lifetime. It can be effectively
treated and is based on a comprehen-
sive evaluation of a child and their fam-
ily. Some intervention strategies include
cognitive behavioral therapy with a focus
on helping the child learn skills to man-
age his or her anxiety. It involves helping
children and parents understand and
learn way to change unhelpful thoughts
and behaviors. The therapist may help
a mentor understand ways in which an
individual can minimize effects by, for
example, allowing a child to miss a day
of school. It’s also beneficial to mas-
ter the situations that contribute to the
anxiety and to find ways to minimize
it as much as possible. As always, par-
ents and older mentors play a huge role
in being supportive in any treatment pro-
cess and some individuals may resort to
benefitting in treatment with antidepres-
sants or antianxiety medication to help
them feel calmer. Other methods may
include talking therapy in which an indi-
vidual develops a comfortable relation-
ship with the therapist, who provides a
safe haven to express one’s thoughts and
feelings. Another is play therapy, in which
the therapeutic use of play is a common
and effective way to get kids to talk more
openly. Counseling for the family and
school-based counseling is also vital as
a more mature understanding can ben-
efit an individual to explore more social,
behavioral, and academic demands of
an environment. Preventive measures to
minimize the effects of Separation Anxi-
ety Disorder can be detected at an early
stage. This can enable a person to effec-
tively have normal growth and develop-
ment, and to improve the quality of life
experience there on out. In order to di-
agnose this symptom, it must be present
for at least 4 weeks and be more severe
than the normal occurrences an individ-
ual may experience.
Works Cited:
“Separation Anxiety Disorder in Children.” Separation
Anxiety Disorder | Boston Children’s Hospital. Accessed
August 24, 2015.
“Separation Anxiety Disorder.” Separation Anxiety Dis-
order. Accessed August 24, 2015.
ExploringMentalHealth

21
ISSUE 1
“Separation Anxiety Disorder affects ap-
proximately 2-5% of children and is much
more prominent to those who frequently
have other family members with anxiety
disorders.”

22
Women have always been on the
side-lines of history, leaving men to
make decisions for them. They did
not have many ways of expressing
themselves and were far from obtaining
an independent living status. The only
thing a woman could control was her
body. Hence the passage “A hysterical
woman responds theatrically, with her
own body, which is her only stage, upon
which she can perform publicly” (Duda
and Pusch, 1995). Although they’ve been
around for centuries, eating disorders
have widely spread in the last few
decades, hidden behind the forced smiles
and layers of clothing.
“Something inside of me resists gaining
weight. It resists getting healthier; having
round, red cheeks, becoming a simple,
bold woman, which would actually suit
my nature… it is driving me desperate
so that I cannot help myself with all the
big words. I am fighting against secret
forces stronger than me. I cannot unite
and grab them” (Duda and Pusch, 1995).
Ellen West wrote this four months before
she decided to end her life. She was
thirty-three at the time. Her life was filled
with fear and what she dreaded most was
fear itself. Food was always on her mind;
either she ate nothing or she stuffed
herself with anything she could find. She
could only eat by herself, as family meals
made her feel hopeless and empty. Her
therapist said she was trying to fulfil two
needs: hunger and love. The first was
satisfied, the second was not.
Ellen West lived in the late 19th and
early 20th centuries, a time when all
that mattered in a woman was how she
looked. She was a patient of Dr. Ludwig
Binswanger, and suffered from anorexia
nervosa, possibly in addition to other
mental illnesses. Her name is most
famously associated with existential
analysis because the treatment started to
emerge during this time. She described
her struggle with food in her diaries
which she kept for many years.
Even as a child she was intentionally
refusing sweets and was very
strongminded. Her father was well-
controlled and stiff but secretly sensitive
and suffering from night depressions and
fears. Ellen supposedly loved him very
much. Her mother was gentle and
Psych2Go
“Life is hanging on me like a cloud.”
By: Katja Stojic
THE CURIOUS CASE OF ELLEN WEST
Significant People Enduring Mental Illness in Psychology History:
Artwork by: Ale Caballero
ExploringMentalHealth

23
ISSUE 1
also suffered from depression.
The family was traditional, yet many
questions remain unanswered. Many
relatives suffered from mental illnesses.
Even as a child Ellen refused to submit to
the expected role of a mother and a wife;
she wished to be a boy. Her extensive
reading and ability to deal with social
problems made her different from others.
Her problems became severe in her
twenties when she refused to live by the
strict social standards of her time. She
despised the hypocrisy and the limitations
of her gender. An ideal image formed in
her mind: a slim body. Friends mocked
her because of her figure so she started
to lose weight. She felt useless and
unworthy, was afraid of everything and
longed for death, which she saw as the
only happiness in life. “Anorexia demands
a perfect self-subordination and thus
gives a possibility of existing” (Duda
and Pusch, 1995). After her enrolment
in college her condition improved for a
while before she relapsed again. Doctors
discovered problems with her thyroid
and ordered bed rest, which led to her
gaining weight. The cycle repeated. “She
is denying her own personality which is
full of needs, hunger, anger and desire”
(Duda and Pusch, 1995).
She was very creative and wrote poetry,
mostly about freedom. After some
persuasion from her family she married
her cousin, but soon had a miscarriage
due to her poor physical health. She
must have dreaded being pregnant and
gaining weight. One of the means to her
remaining slim figure was the use of
laxatives and vomiting. Not much is said
about her husband except that she only
confessed her problems to him at the age
of thirty-two, which is why he soon sent
her to a clinic. She had reached a point
where all she thought about was food
and remaining slim. Her psychological
condition weakened, which is the reason
she wilfully saw a doctor. Her diagnosis
stated “Advancing schizophrenic
psychosis. No effective treatments.”
“I am sitting in a glass sphere,” she
confessed, feeling isolated from others
and being able only to see them, not hear
or touch them (Duda and Pusch, 1995). All
she felt was emptiness and loneliness.
Her thoughts of being inadequate and
unfit for life had reached their peak. She
seemed better in her last days, however;
she enjoyed food and wrote letters. Then
she swallowed poison. Her face was calm
and seemingly happy in death.
“A woman’s body is a battlefield where
she fights for control” (Duda and Pusch,
1995). It is all about controlling your body,
along with its emotional needs. Ellen
West wished to achieve something great
despite not being entitled to do so. Her
role was to be a woman, which meant
remaining in the shadows. Due to her
high intelligence she was able to analyse
her situation with fearful accuracy, but
she could not alter it. Her ultimate goal in
life was to maintain an independency and
to be different from others. She was never
able to discover who she was. Her writing
was not regarded as actual literature,
and even today her work is locked away.
We know much about her struggle with
food, yet almost nothing about her artistic
expressions. Her greatest fear had, in a
way, been realised; she was forgotten
for many years until finally her case was
re-opened and examined, but even then
her real name vanished, leaving her with
the pseudonym Ellen West. Many of her
poems and writings remain locked away
at the clinic where she spent the last
months of her life. It is a shame that a
woman of her potential could not properly
succeed due to the social, economic and
political situations of her era.
Citations:
Duda, Sibylle; Pusch, Luise F. (1995). Nore ženske
(Wahnsinns Frauen). Ljubljana: Krtina
Wikipedia. (2015). “Ellen West.” The Free Encyclopedia.
Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellen_
West

24
Psych2GoPsych2Go
The internet is wide with all kinds
of diversity from silly baby-burp videos
to middle-aged house-dwellers trying to
find the cure for the common cold. To add
some background, I was always more the
animated cat video kind-of person grow-
ing up. It wasn’t until I came across my
first social website that I realized there
was a real community on the internet.
With community however comes conflict,
opposing sides, and people with their
own individual stories feeding into these
opinions. The greatest example of this is
the *LGBTQA community! There is a con-
sensus that people with different roman-
tic and sexual preferences aside from the
“norm” are just as important and need
recognition within society. With today’s
internet culture, the LGBTQA community
has more room to grow, spread informa-
tion, and even discuss issues within the
group itself to allow positive change. But,
because we are dealing with the internet,
there’s going to be those that take refuge
behind their screens to hurt, belittle or
put down others for self-righteous gain—
and I’m still talking about the same com-
munity.
It’s too often we see on social media
what awful things people can do to make
themselves feel in the right position or
believe they’re doing justice by hurting
or, in extreme cases, destroying the lives
of those with one (or a few) terrible opin-
ion(s). Those who’ve been on the internet
long enough can already think of multiple
examples, though they may not exactly
be the same examples. From one end, an
example would be the overbearing social
activist bloggers that find it their job to
come down on anyone for any small slip-
up comment or joke. On the other end,
there are the less educated members of
the LGBTQA community spreading false
information or making a bad example
of the community as a whole. As
surprising as it is that such well-inten-
tioned people could also drag in so many
opposing perspectives to the foundation
of these beliefs, it is also not that sur-
prising at all.
Since we’re all from different areas of
the world and our countries, we’re all
bound to have different views on what
makes sense in the LGBTQA communi-
ty. Some less populated places, like the
country-side in Mississippi of the Unit-
ed States, may hold the reservation that
love is between two individuals; and if
a girl likes a girl she’s gay and if a girl
likes a boy she’s straight. In places like
these, it may just seem a little weird to
begin talking about all the in-betweens
and gray areas. However, a more popu-
lous area with wider variation between
culture, person and belief may be more
accepting to the idea that there’s a neigh-
bor next door claiming to be demi-sexual.
Not only location, but also upbringing
can affect the way we understand what
LGBTQA supports. Bisexuality, for ex-
ample, in some households is the, “I’m
confused about my sexuality” sexuality.
While that certainly isn’t the case, it is
a fermented stereotype attached to the
identity. It’s taught through several differ-
ent mediums and not just in the house-
hold. Social groups, media and even our
culture have a bit of an input into this
belief. We have a natural tendency to feel
like we need to “pick a side”, like it’s a
football team or our favorite brand.
I think a lot of people tend to forget about
all the different perspectives and expe-
riences others may have when they hop
online. For every trans woman that’s
praised and told to be proud of her identi-
ty there’s another just like her being near
The Online Community
LGBTQA:
By: Aubrey Bryan
Artwork by: Fieni Aprilia
LGBTQ+Psychology

25
ISSUE 1ISSUE 1
beat to death for it. The LGBTQA com-
munity is so large and diverse now with
all these separate experiences that we
can’t ever entirely pinpoint an exact fo-
cal point in our goal sometimes. But that
also gives way to discussion and debate
that will allow us to continue to grow even
more diversely. While some could say
that’s an issue, because that would cause
even more conflicting opinions and sides
of the matter—and honestly I wouldn’t
blame anyone for having that view. How-
ever, diversity leads to the evolution of
these opinions, change in culture and so-
ciety, and creates new levels of concepts
in gender identity and sexuality that we’re
starting to scratch the surface of. Wheth-
er or not these newer concepts are valid
is a whole other area of debate already,
and you can only wonder how much fur-
ther our community will change for bet-
ter or worse ten years from now.
*LGBTQA – Acronym for the Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Agender
community

26
Psych2GoPsych2Go
FEELING ANGRY?
ADOPT THE
SHARK METHOD!
By: Sheena Mackenzie
Artwork by: Jane Shi
http://www.psych2go.net/feeling-an-
gry-adopt-the-shark-method/#com-
ment-106929
MusicPsychology
AS FEATURED ON:
psych2go.net

27
ISSUE 1ISSUE 1
Back in 2011, an Australian tour
operator by the name of Matt Waller
revealed that for a number of years he
had been tracking Great White Sharks
for a very unique series of experiments.
After hearing of divers in Guadeloupe
who observed sharks reacting to certain
songs, he played music from his collec-
tion through speakers attached to shark
cages to attract them, monitoring their
reactions – and it turns out that Jaws may
have been a bit of a metalhead. When
Waller played heavier music like ACDC to
the sharks he tracked, he observed more
calm and curious behavior as they de-
tected the vibrations made by the music
(since they don’t have ears to hear it).
This year, a similar experiment was car-
ried out by Leah Sharman and Genevieve
Dingle of the University of Queensland
in Brisbane, Australia, but with slightly
more docile subjects. In order to exam-
ine the popular notion that angry music
makes for an angry listener, they found
39 participants who listened to ‘extreme’
genres of music (including the likes of
Rob Zombie and Disturbed). The sub-
jects, with an average age of 20, were
first provoked into an angry state of mind,
then the control group were left in silence
to deal with their anger, while the other
participants were asked to take out their
iPods and listen to angry extreme mu-
sic from their personal playlists for ten
minutes. Sharman and Dingle measured
changes in heart rate in both sets of par-
ticipants, and also asked them about
their levels of hostility, irritability,
stress, relaxation, activity and inspira-
tion. The results showed that listening to
extreme music while experiencing feel-
ings of anger and aggression has a pos-
itive effect on the listener, allowing them
to process their feelings, much like the
participants in Papinczach’s (2015) ex-
periment which reported a similar sense
of sad music helping them to process
feelings of sadness.
Essentially, these findings have shown
that music can affect our moods, and that
those who consider themselves listen-
ers of extreme music, much like Waller’s
Great White Sharks, deal with their anger
better and ultimately feel calmer when
listening to heavier music (although most
likely for very different reasons). Now that
I’ve discovered this research, when I feel
myself becoming angry about anything,
I may reach for my headphones before I
reach for someone’s neck.
For those of you who listen to ‘extreme’
genres of music, do you find that you
choose songs specifically to influence
and control your emotions in a certain
way? Do non-listeners do similar things
with their own music?

References & Further Reading:
Case, A., (2011, June 02). Great White Sharks Attracted
By AC/DC Hits. Australian Geographic. Retrieved from
http://www.australiangeographic.com.au
Sharman, L., Dingle, G. A., (2015) Extreme Metal Music
And Anger Processing, Fronteirs In Human Neurosci-
ence, 9, 272

28
Psych2Go
…I’d like to address the first part of
this quote.
Some qualities that are more commonly
associated with anger are stupidity, risky
behavior, distrust, prejudice, hostility,
aggression, and, above all, being irratio-
nal. We’ve all been in a fight where we’ve
said things we didn’t mean. We may have
called someone something we didn’t
mean, hurting them and embarrassing
ourselves in the process. We may have
impulsively lashed out and made hasty,
stupid decisions, similarly to when
we’re intoxicated.
More and more research has shown,
however, that anger can perhaps make us
more rational.
One of the most prominent experiments
in this area was done by Moons and
Mackie (2007), where they presented two
groups of students - one angry, one neu-
tral - with a persuasive message about
the fiscal responsibilities of students.
CAN
ANGER
MAKE
US
MORE
RATIONAL?
By: Sophie Poulsen
Artwork by: Ruth Grace Estipona
“Don’t make decisions
when you’re angry, and
don’t make promises
when you’re happy.”
I came across a quote a few
years ago that stuck with me:
Psych2Go
…I’d like to address the first part of
this quote.
Some qualities that are more commonly
associated with anger are stupidity, risky
behavior, distrust, prejudice, hostility,
aggression, and, above all, being irratio-
nal. We’ve all been in a fight where we’ve
said things we didn’t mean. We may have
called someone something we didn’t
mean, hurting them and embarrassing
ourselves in the process. We may have
impulsively lashed out and made hasty,
stupid decisions, similarly to when
we’re intoxicated.
More and more research has shown,
however, that anger can perhaps make us
more rational.
One of the most prominent experiments
in this area was done by Moons and
Mackie (2007), where they presented two
groups of students - one angry, one neu-
tral - with a persuasive message about
the fiscal responsibilities of students.
CAN
ANGER
MAKE
US
MORE
RATIONAL?
By: Sophie Poulsen
Artwork by: Ruth Grace Estipona
“Don’t make decisions
when you’re angry, and
don’t make promises
when you’re happy.”
I came across a quote a few
years ago that stuck with me:
PersonalityPsychology

29
ISSUE 1ISSUE 1
one angry, one neutral - with a per-
suasive message about the fiscal re-
sponsibilities of students. Each group of
students had to write about a particular
situation or event. One group, however,
was instructed to write about an event
that made them feel angry. The research-
ers then presented them with different
persuasive messages that they had to
evaluate.
Moons and Mackie (2007) found that an-
gry students were more likely to ignore
an irrelevant message from a superfi-
cial expert, while participants in neutral
moods did not. This shows that angry
people appear to process analytically,
which “contradicts the notion that angry
people…lack the cognitive resources or
the motivation to engage in deeper pro-
cessing” (Moons & Mackie, 2007, p. 717).
Thus, anger acts as a motivator rather
than a barrier to analytic thought.
In another study, Young, Tiedens, Jung,
and Tsai (2011) researched whether an-
gry people could objectively evaluate
information without confirmation bias.
Confirmation bias is when individuals
seek information that favors their pre-ex-
isting beliefs while ignoring information
that does not favor their beliefs, meaning
that individuals create biased opinions
because of the way in which they evalu-
ate information. For example, a reporter
writing an article on an important topic
may only interview experts who support
his or her views on the issue. Confirma-
tion bias is problematic because it does
not allow for an objective, realistic per-
spective.
So are angry people also affected by con-
firmation bias?
Interestingly, Young et al. (2011) found
that anger results in less confirmation
bias than other emotional states. In their
study, Young et al. (2011) provided par-
ticipants with a survey that asked them
about their political views. The main
question was: “Who do you want to win
the 2008 Presidential Election?” Their
choices were Senator John McCain and
Senator Barack Obama. Participants
were then presented with twelve ex-
pert statements on the election. Half of
the statements were in favor of McCain,
the other half were in favor of Obama.
Participants were asked to select the
statements that they were more interest-
ed in.
In order to manipulate the participants’
emotional states, they were also asked
to recount
a memory that was either angry, sad, or
neutral.
Young et al. (2011) found that angry par-
ticipants often selected information that
did not follow their beliefs. They attribut-
ed this to the fact that the feeling of anger
produces an “antagonistic interchange,”
where individuals are in an argumenta-
tive state, ready to “move against” some-
one who disagrees with their opinion.
In comparison, people in sad or neutral
states were more likely to select informa-
tion that confirmed their current opinion.
Both of these studies are significant in
that they show that angry people will be
more flexible in their perspectives, as
well as more analytical in their thinking,
than people in other emotional states.
However, this does not mean that people
should try to experience more anger in
order to make better decisions or think
more analytically.
Every individual is different; anger can
make you rational, but it can also lead to
impulsive decisions that you regret later.
---
Work Cited
Moons, W. G., & Mackie, D. M. (2007). Thinking Straight
While Seeing Red: The Influence of Anger on Informa-
tion Processing. Personality and Social Psychology Bul-
letin, 33(5), 706- 720. doi: 10.1177/0146167206298566
Young, M. J., Tiedens, L. Z., Jung, H., & Tsai, M. (2011).
Mad enough to see the other side: Anger and the search
for disconfirming information. Cognition and Emotion,
25(1), 10- 21. doi: 10.1080/02699930903534105

30
Psych2Go
DevelopmentalPsychology
Developmental Psychology is the
study of how, and why, people change
over their lifetime. When this branch of
psychology was just getting started it
was primarily concerned with babies and
young children, but over the course of the
decades it has expanded to include ado-
lescents and adults as well. As humans
we are constantly developing in one way
or another, for better or for worse, and
developmental psychology now studies
people of all ages. Today we will be dis-
cussing three major themes within devel-
opmental psychology that scientists have
been busy with for years.
The Nature and Nurture Debate
Over the course of history psycholo-
gists have argued whether behaviour is
shaped by genetics and natural forces we
encounter growing up, or if it’s shaped by
a child’s upbringing. These are referred
to as empiricism (nurture) and nativism
(nature). The empiricists argue that chil-
dren are born as a tabula rasa (“blank
slate”), and that behavioural traits de-
velop almost exclusively from the way
children grow up. On the other hand,
nativists argue that a lot of skills have a
genetic or innate basis, like instinctively
looking for food. While both points of view
used to be usually quite black and white,
contemporary psychologists recognise
that both are very important, though it
is hard to prove exactly how much each
contributes. In a 2014 survey, many of
the responding scientists wrote that the
two-sided nature vs. nurture debate has
outlived its usefulness because it has
sufficiently been proven that both
sides interact.
Continuity and Discontinuity
Also a very widely discussed topic – even
the famous psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud
discussed it - is how we describe patterns
of development. Some psychologists view
development as a continuous process,
where development happens gradually
and skills and abilities are accumulated
over the years. Others tend to view it as
a staircase of step-like phases that are
qualitatively different from the ones be-
fore and after, each defined by particular
behaviours. Contemporary psychologists
view development as a smooth contin-
uous curve rather than steps; they do
agree that within that curve there are
phases, but they transition into another
phase gradually.
Domain-general and Domain-specific
Another topic that has intrigued many
psychologists is whether, and to what
extent, the development of new skills
can influence our development of oth-
er skills. For example, if you’re learning
a new way of swimming like the back-
stroke, which involves bringing your arms
over the head in order to move through
the water, it might impact other motor
abilities too. Practicing this posture and
movement could possibly help you devel-
op other skills, like over-arm serving in
tennis, or weight lifting, which includes
similar movements. Psychologists differ
in how far they consider things like these
are domain-general. Others have tak-
3 Important
Themes in
Developmental
Psychology You
Must Know AboutBy: Kayleigh Herber
Artwork by: Jeffrey Bigelow

31
ISSUE 1
en a more domain-specific point of
view, and believe developments like this
proceed rather independently.
These three important subjects might
seem very one-or-the-other, but they
are anything but that. There is more and
more consensus among scientists and
psychologists that development is prob-
ably caused by multiple factors at all lev-
els. This means that there is rarely just
one correct answer to the question ‘what
causes this development?’ or ‘which of
these is true’. Finding out exactly what
the answer is seems pretty much impos-
sible, but the psychological community
will keep trying and trying to get as close
to the answer as possible.
Works Cited:
Buehl, M. M., Alexander, P. A., & Murphy, P. K. (2002).
Beliefs about schooled knowledge: Domain specific or
domain general?. Contemporary educational psychol-
ogy, 27(3), 415-449.
Gopnik, A. (2014). Time to Retire: The Simplicity of Na-
ture vs. Nurture,”. Mind and Matter”, published, 1, 25.
Leman, P., Bremner, A., Parke, R. D., & Gauvain, M.
(2012). Developmental Psychology. London: McGraw
Hill.
Weinfield, N. S., Sroufe, L. A., & Egeland, B. (2000).
Attachment from infancy to early adulthood in a high‐
risk sample: Continuity, discontinuity, and their cor-
relates. Child development, 71(3), 695-702.
Further reading:
Developmental Psychology (2011) – Dr Rachel Gilli-
brand, Dr Virginia Lam & Dr Victoria L. O’Donnell.
An Introduction to Developmental Psychology (2011) –
Alan Slater, J. Gavin Bremner
As humans we are constantly
developing in one way or
another, for better or for
worse

32
To those unfamiliar with Autistic
Spectrum Disorders (ASD), our ideas
about what it really is are shaped by
representations in popular culture,
and perhaps the two most prominent
examples are the film ‘Rain Man’ and
Jim Parson’s Sheldon Cooper from
the American comedy series ‘The Big
Bang Theory’ (although the latter is not
diagnosed, it is widely accepted that he
is). Representational media is incredibly
important to all of us, but it can present
its own problems, as in this example,
where both characters are portrayed
similarly: as troubled geniuses with
strangely obsessive interests, ‘quirky’
behaviors and difficulty in socializing
with others. All of these traits are
associated with autism, but the reality is
much more complex than the simplistic
understanding many seem to have of
it - it’s a spectrum disorder, with many
different levels of functionality and kinds
of expression.
As someone who has known a number
of people at different points on the
Autistic Spectrum, a trend I’ve noticed
is that once children reach about seven
or eight years old, there comes a division
in which neurotypical children exclude
and sometimes even bully peers who
have autism. Promoting the inclusion of
those on the autistic spectrum in schools
is vitally important to allowing them to
create friendships, relationships, and
support systems which are key to living
a fulfilled life for all people. Creating
awareness of autism among those
who attend school with people who
have ASD and dealing with the stigma
of it at a very young age could greatly
improve tolerance and understanding
of the sometimes confusing behavior
that people with autism can exhibit, and
allow them to develop sympathetic and
supportive friend groups with peers,
separate from the parental and formal
support that can easily become the only
support a person receives coping not only
with their disorder, but the other stresses
that young people face growing up.
To this end, Kimberly Maich and E.
Christina Belcher from Ontario, Canada
and Melbourne, Australia respectively,
have investigated the use of picture
books depicting and exploring autism in
schools to promote awareness among
children from a young age. Their study
looked at a variety of books already in
print which address this issue, including
both books which specifically addressed
autism and autistic behavior (such as
“Understanding Sam And Asperger’s
Syndrome” (Van Niekerk & Venters,
2006)) and books which portray autism
in an indirect manner (like “Looking
After Louie” (Ely, 2004)). It’s important
to use both types of portrayal so that
children both understand the complexity
of the disorder, but also that to have
autism does not have to be a disruptive
or defining thing in normal everyday
situation. The paper suggests ten factors
to be considered when approaching this
issues in this way (‘including (a) story
selection tools, (b) direct labelling,
Psych2Go
S.E.E.P
AUTISM SPECTRUM
EDUCATING EARLYBy: Sheena Mackenzie
S.E.E.P.(Special,Exceptional,ExtraordinaryPeople)

33
ISSUE 1
(c) indirect terminology, (d) the
wider context, (e) finding positive
perspective, (f) pictorial and literary
value, (g) curricular considerations, (h)
participation possibilities, (i) instructional
approaches, and (j) putting a plan in
place’), but concludes that, although
it needs to be done in a very carefully
planned manner in educational setting, it
is beneficial for both neurotypical pupils
and pupils with ASD.
The key thing to remember when
educating people about the autistic
spectrum is that those with ASD are
people who have autism, not autistic
people. This particular condition, to
varying degrees, does have an impact
on an individual’s social, intellectual,
and emotional development, but it is
not their defining characteristic. Autistic
is not a personality trait or a lifestyle,
and those who have it are people before
they are autistics, people with dreams,
motivations, a sense of humor and their
own way of being in the world.

34
All my life, I knew my brother had
Autism. Being the younger of the two,
I didn’t always understand what that
meant, but I knew that he was different.
As far as I was concerned, Spencer was
the kind of big brother that all my friends
had. But as I grew up, I slowly began to
realize that my brother and I were not the
same in comparison to my friends and
their siblings.
I took notice and was baffled by how my
friends’ older siblings always seemed
so uninterested in spending time with
their younger brothers and sisters. Most
siblings with a three-year age gap didn’t
get along as well as me and my brother
did. They never really developed a bond
until later in life. But despite their lack of
interest in one other, the older sibling was
always there to show the younger one the
ropes of life. In my case, I had to try and
figure out the ropes on my own and then
try and help Spencer figure some out
along the way. Spencer and I have always
been close and I can’t remember a game
that he didn’t involve me in. I could always
confide in him when it came down to it.
Spencer was big into history when we
were younger, and every game we played
had some historical significance that we
always stuck to. So all in all, a majority of
my childhood was learning a wide range
of historic events. By the time I got to high
school, I knew almost everything I was
learning in class because my brother and
I had played games based on the same
content as children.
The patience required by me to
play games with my brother rolled
over into my teenage years, and in turn,
he’s affected the way in which I interact
with others. I believe that I’m able to
understand how people think a lot better
than other people my age. From years of
following games step by step, I’m a lot
more analytical when observing people’s
actions. Spencer has allowed me to
look at the world and the people in it,
much differently.
People have asked me what it’s like
growing up with Spencer being the way he
is. And I have never been able to properly
answer them because I was less than a
year old when he was diagnosed, so I’ve
never known any differently.
For my entire life, Spencer has always
been Spencer. And while that made him
different to others, it made my entire
childhood all the more special. There was
never a dull moment with him. I’ve had to
grow up a little bit faster than my friends
have because of my brother. And since
the death of our mom, we’ve both had to
do a lot of growing up in a short period
of time. From experiences like this that
have evoked life-changing mentalities,
our relationship has become even
stronger. I’ve had to be his rock, and he’s
done the same for me. I’ve never really
known anything else and, despite a few
difficulties, I wouldn’t want anyone other
than Spencer to be my sibling. To be my
big brother.

SPENCERBy: Natalie Pedemonte

Psych2Go
S.E.E.P.(Special,Exceptional,ExtraordinaryPeople)

36
Psych2Go
By: Imogen Bowler
SCRUB JAYS
FUTURE PLANNING
&
AnimalPsychology

37
ISSUE 1
Future planning is an interesting,
and particularly hard skill to have. The
reason it is particularly hard is because
to plan for the future, you have to plan for
the motivational state (e.g. hunger, thirst)
you will be in at that time. This requires
the suppression of the motivational state
you are currently in. For this reason,
researchers are not sure whether it is
something animals can do or not. One
interesting study looking into this was
conducted with scrub jays, looking at the
hunger motivational state.
For context, experiments with humans
have shown even we are not perfect at
this kind of future planning. For exam-
ple, in Atance and Meltzoff’s (2006) study
children were allowed to eat as many
pretzels as they liked. They were then
asked if they would want a glass of water,
or some more pretzels tomorrow. While
4-5 year olds performed above chance
level, they were not perfect. 3 year olds
also failed this task (ed: what determined
a fail?). It’s even been shown that adult
humans can fail at these kinds of tasks.
Read and van Leeuven (1998) conducted a
field experiment on adult participants in
an office, they were asked whether they
would want a healthy or unhealthy snack
the day after. They were either hunger or
not at the time of asking, and hungry or
not when they would receive the snack.
Participants struggled to correctly pre-
dict what they would want when the two
states of hunger did not match.
With these findings in mind, let’s look at
what Raby et al (2007) found when testing
this skill in scrub jays. This study consist-
ed of two phases, a training phase and a
testing phase. In the training phase, for 6
days scrub jays spent the morning either
in place A or place C. In place A they were
given breakfast, whereas in place C they
were not. Therefore, in place C, hunger
was more likely to occur. On the 7th day,
the scrub jays were pre-fed so they were
not hungry. They were then given extra
food which they could cache. Caching is
a behavior many birds display where they
store food in a hidden place in case they
need it at a future date. During this
testing phase, the jays were given free
reign of the two places (A and C). If they
were able to ignore their current state
(not being hungry) and plan for a future
point in time (where they would be hun-
gry) then they should cache more food in
place C. This was in fact what was found,
scrub jays would cache the food in place
C at a higher rate than chance.
This is taken by some as an example of
the scrub jays resisting current state to
plan for the future, however others sug-
gest that there are problems with this
experiment and that coming to that con-
clusion is premature. Can you think of
any possible alternative explanations of
this finding?
Works Cited:
Atance & Melztoff (2006) Preschoolers’ current desires
warp their choices for the future. Psychological Sci-
ence, 17(7).
Read & van Leeuwen (1998) Predicting hunger: the ef-
fects of appetite and delay on choice.
Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Process-
es, 76(2), 189-205
Raby, C.R., Alexis, D.M., Dickinson, A., & Clayton, N.S.
(2007) Planning for the
future by western scrub jays. Nature, 445, 919-921

38
Psych2Go
PSYCHOPATHY
FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY
By: Larissa Grundmanis
ForensicPsychology

39
ISSUE 1
“I’m not a psychopath, I’m a high-
functioning sociopath.” This quote has
often been heard by fans of the BBC show
Sherlock, and while viewers may laugh,
do they truly understand what is it to be
a psychopath, and why Holmes would
prefer to be called a high-functioning
sociopath? As an avid fan of Sherlock
as well as someone who is interested
in forensic psychology I have often
wondered to myself: do I truly know the
difference between the two? While both
are truly fascinating, the main focus
here is on psychopathy – after all, many
individuals with psychopathic traits are
found in prisons.
Psychopathy, while often confused
with one who is psychotic, is actually a
mere individual who has the abilities to
manipulate their way through life without
remorse. While this is a simplified
definition, the most common traits of a
psychopath are that they are incapable
of forming deep emotional attachments,
they often times are unable to feel guilt or
empathy, they are manipulative, and they
often hold a profuse level of “superficial
charm”. Unfortunately, many times these
traits are overlooked by the general public
who instead see someone with antisocial
personality disorder, psychosis, or a
serial killer, according to the Society for
the Scientific Study of Psychopathy.
Why then, is psychopathy so often
associated with murderers? Perhaps it
is because of the media, or perhaps it is
because many individuals who have killed
have been diagnosed with some form of
psychopathy, such as Joanna Dennehy. It
may also be due to the notion that only
criminals would be able to behave in
such manners, but is that really true?
According to Chivers, it’s not. He notes
that Robert Hare, the creator of the
PCL-R once stated:
“There are people who are part-way up
the scale, high enough to warrant an
assessment for psychopathy, but not
high enough up to cause problems. Often
they’re our friends, they’re fun to be
around. They might take advantage of us
now and then, but usually it’s subtle and
they’re able to talk their way around it.”
How many times have you found yourself
taking advantage of your friends, even if it
was to just get a free meal out of them?
How many times have you or your friends
acted impulsively or irresponsibly? How
many times have you found yourself
unwilling to acknowledge that you made
a mistake, and take responsibility for the
consequences? How many times have
you, or someone you know, committed
acts of wanton sexual behavior?
Most individuals would be able to find
some common ground between these
traits and their own lifestyles, but that
does not mean that they are violent
individuals who are prone to crime.
Psychopathy is often looked down
upon, but many times the average
human being acts in ways that would
be found in someone with psychopathic
tendencies. Perhaps instead of jumping
to conclusions, we, as individuals, should
look for true motives behind someone’s
actions.
Citation:
Chivers, T. (2014, April 6). Psychopaths: How can you
spot one?. In The Telegraph. Retrieved from http://
www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/10737827/
Psychopaths-how-can-you-spot-one.html
Society for the Scientific Study of Psychopathy. (2013).
Psychopathy: A misunderstood condition. In Society
for the Scientific Study of Psychopathy. Retrieved from
http://www.psychopathysociety.org/en/
Webb, D. (n.d.). The psychopath. In All About Forensic
Psychology. Retrieved from http://www.all-about-
forensic-psychology.com/psychopath.html

41
ISSUE 1
“I chose to illustrate the theme “Psych2Go Community” as
a group of people helping each other solve a puzzle. I’ve ob-
served members of various Psych2Go Facebook groups from
their posts online that the wit and wisdom of each community
members increases camaraderie - or the spirit of humor and
fun. I want to express it in this illustration how they share their
views to enhance learning from each other while in the process
of creating something big.”
Ruth Espinosa
r-gie.tumblr.com
ART SUBMISSION WINNER:
THEME: “Psych2Go Community”
If you would like to have the chance to win and have your art
showcased in our next issue, be on the lookout for the next art
theme which will be posted on our social media!

42
Psych2Go
By: Jessica Jang
TIPS FOR
INTERVIEWS
CareerBuilding

43
ISSUE 1
For those trying to get a job,
here are some tips for your in-
terviews! You’ve got your foot
in the door and now it’s time to
tell your story. These are also
helpful for conducting your own
interviews. Good luck!
THE FOUR DIMENSIONS OF SIMPLE
ATTENDING BEHAVIOUR
Eye contact
This is when the interviewer and inter-
viewee look each other in the eyes.
The culture and the interviewee might
prefer it to others.
Body language
This is when the interviewer or inter-
viewee communicate other messages
based on their movements and posture.
Mirroring is when both parties are con-
sistent in their movements and is best
done subtly. This helps people become
comfortable with you.
Vocal qualities
This is how loudness, pitch, rate, and
fluency affects the interviewee since it
can communicate feelings of empathy or
cause conflict. It’s best to use a soft, firm
voice when interviewing.
Verbal tracking
This is listening to the interviewee to
clarify and summarize what they say
without putting their meanings in it.
Negative attending behaviors are over-
used positive attending behavior that it
becomes uncomfortable. Excessive head
nods are distracting, saying “uh huh”
often becomes annoying, too much eye
contact overwhelms others, repeating
the last words intimidates the client,
awkward mirroring looks like mocking.
The interviewee doesn’t want to be scru-
tinized or apprehensive otherwise the in-
terviewer won’t get the true information
they want. Remember everything is good
in moderation.
It’s important to consider culture with
attending skills because an interview
should be a good environment for getting
information and both parties should be
respectful of each other. Individuals have
a preference on the amount of each di-
mension of attending behavior. Gestures
could convey other messages in other
cultures and might not be appropriate.
The most important part of interviewing
is being a good storyteller. You need to be
able to take your past experience and use
it to explain how you’ve developed skills
important for the new job. DO NOT just
repeat your resumes because they have
already seen it you just need to expand on
it more. A good method to use is to write
out your positions then come up with at
least three tasks you had to do then the
skills related to it. Here’s an example:
1. Cashier
a.) Accept currency and keep accounts updated
Organization
i.) Trustworthiness
b.) Clean checkout area
i.) Multitasking skills
c.) Help customers with purchases
i.) Communication/interpersonal skills
ii.) Customer Service

44
Psych2Go
What is Sports Psychology? (Cherry,
2015) tell us that Sports Psychology is
the study of how psychology influences
sports, athletic performance, exercise,
and physical activity. It is said that sport
psychologists, aside from working with
people who just want to exercise for their
health and well-being, they also work
with athletes and coaches so they can en-
hance the ir motivation and performance.
Could that be effective? Thanks to this
article and my perfectly done research
you’ll find out now, today. Just keep read-
ing!
According to (Comar, 1994) education-
ally-based psychological interventions
have produced significant increases in
performance. He states that 38 of the
45 studies examined (85%) have found
positive performance effects. Recent-
ly conducted research has added that
sport psychology has had positive affect
on performance enhancement, as well as
the personal growth of athletes. However,
further research needs to be conducted
to improve the understanding of these
positive affects. You’re probably thinking
that this article will only contain informa-
tion about studies that have been con-
ducted throughout the years but you’re
wrong. Besides information about those
studies, I will be speaking about the
athlete’s perspective which is extreme-
ly important. The psychologists can say
anything they want, but if the athlete or
coach doesn’t feel like he or she has
made any progress throughout the pro-
cess, then it hasn’t been effective at all.
(Sharp & Hodge, 2014) conducted a study
in which nine elite athletes would be in-
terviewed to talk about what they per-
ceived to be essential for effective sport
psychology consulting and to examine
their perceptions of the key components
of an effective sport psychology consult-
ing relationship. There were six males
and three females from a variety of sports
(e.g. cricket, rugby, swimming, triathlon,
dressage and wheelchair rugby).
The analysis indicated that three catego-
ries were essential for sport psychology
consulting effectiveness; sport psychol-
ogy consultants were friendly but not a
friend, consulting experience and ath-
lete-centered consulting.
After conducting this research I did some
serious brainstorming. I tried to see this
from their perspective and came to my
HOW IS
INVOLVED IN
PSYCHOLOGY
SPORTS?By: Yara Meléndez
FOUR categories resulted essential for
effective consulting relationships;
1
2
3
4
flexibility
open, honest, and respectful
contributions from both the athlete
and the consultant
athlete as an active participant in the
consulting relationship
CommunitySubmissions:
October:SportPsychology&PsychologyandtheInternet

45
ISSUE 1
own conclusions and opinions. I think
that sports psychology could really be ef-
fective. Yes, people say that you can only
motivate yourself and the only one that
can or cannot make you do what you want
is you. Somewhat that might be true
but don’t you think that if you have peo-
ple around you who care, take the time
to listen and give you advice; that it will
motivate you too ? Having someone root-
ing for you always. Isn’t that nice? Yes, it
is! That’s why I think it is effective. Obvi-
ously, the psychologist cannot do the job
by him or herself. You have to be faithful
and hopeful about your goals and try to
make them happen with the help of your
sports psychologist or any psychologist if
you want to speak about your goals in life
instead of just athleticism. You do your
part and he/she will do his. In the end,
everyone wins.
Citations:
Weinberg, R. (1994, December 1). The Effectiveness of
Psychological Interventions in Competitive Sport. Re-
trieved September 1, 2015.
Weinberg, R. (1994). The effectiveness of psychological
interventions in competitive sport. Retrieved Septem-
ber 1, 2015
Sharp, L., & Hodge, K. (2014, April 14). Sport psychol-
ogy consulting effectiveness: The athlete’s perspective.
Retrieved August 31, 2015.
The psychologists can say
anything they want, but if
the athlete or coach doesn’t
feel like he or she has made
any progress throughout the
process, then it hasn’t been
effective at all.

46
Psych2Go
Dedication. Intensity. Control. Focus.
All these are key aspects in the world of
martial arts. Dating back to as far as 2000
BCE, martial arts has become a strong
spiritual, physical, and emotional disci-
pline, that for years has given strength
and enlightenment in one way or another,
to all those who went in search for the
true meaning of combat.
Whether you look at the ancient samu-
rai of Japan, or the brutal bare knuckle
boxing of Greece, all cultures of the world
have developed in some sense, their own
art of self-defense. Though a common
misconception, many people believe
that all combat consists of is a bunch of
brutes toppling over each other to see
who is the strongest. This idea, I can
confidently say, is false. Though physical
strength is, like in all sports important, it
does not alone make up the foundations
and principles of martial arts. The most
important and sometimes the most diffi-
cult aspect of one’s self to master is the
mind. In its truest form, martial arts is a
science. Similar to all areas of science it
requires analysis, repetition, and reflec-
tion in order to truly master. A second
too slow and you take damage, a second
to fast and you lose an opportunity to do
damage.
Keeping this in mind, I’d say that
approximately 80% of fights are won be-
fore the first punch is thrown. In Sun Tzu’s
book, The Art Of War, he explains “A skill-
ful general must defeat the enemy with-
out coming to battle, take his cities with-
out siege and overthrow his state without
a long campaign. He must make every
effort under the heaven to achieve total
victory with his forced undiminished: This
is the true art of strategic offence.” (Tzu,
S. 513 BCE). Never let your enemy see
your fear. When weak appear to your en-
emies as strong. When strong appear to
your enemies as weak. Sun Tzu describes
warfare and combat as “the path of de-
ception” (Tzu, S. 513 BCE). To never show
your aggressors your fears or insecuri-
ties; to appear a lion when feeling like a
mouse. Showing your aggressor not how
strong you are physically but how impen-
etrable and indestructible your mind is.
Even when in a competition of strength,
he whose psyche is unbreakable, is phys-
ically unbreakable.
Now I am aware that the topic I am sup-
posed to be writing on is sports psychol-
ogy, and although mixed martial arts,
boxing, and taekwondo are all technically
sports, I can assure you martial arts in
its truest form is much more than just
a sport. To some it is a lifestyle forged
through repetition and tradition, and to
PSYCHOLOGY OF THE MARTIAL ARTS
By: Mitchell Mabugat
Body, Mind, Spirit:
The Strength from Within
“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 punches once,
But I fear the man who has practiced 1 punch 10,000 times.”
-Bruce Lee

47
ISSUE 1
others it is a form of self-expression.
But to all, it is simply an escape. Coming
into a training session, you could have
the world weighing down on you. And by
the end of the class, feeling lighter than
ever before. Sure, your body may not feel
that way at first, but your mind will gain
a sense of relief, if even for a moment,
which I could only describe as magical.
Throughout our lives we tend to find our-
selves shying away from any thoughts of
violence; however, when the time comes
– as it is inevitable, we are not prepared
to defend ourselves from this unexplored,
frightening monster. And unless you live
under a rock, I guarantee you that some-
day, somewhere you will need to fight.
Fight for love, fight for pride, or even a
fight to get that killer beach body you’ve
always wanted. Everyday of our lives is a
fight.
Is martial arts for everyone? No. Will you
become a great UFC fighter by going to
a few classes? Hell no. Will you gain the
individual strength and resilience need-
ed to walk through life with less fear and
more confidence? Most definitely.
Citations:
Anonymous. Martial Arts Training: Benefits Physical
and Psychological. Retrieved from http://www.ontar-
ioselfdefence.ca/martial-arts-training-benefits-physi-
cal-and-psychological/
Lapre, S. Personal Communication. June 2012.
Mccaferty,G. (2015, July). Psychological Benefits of
Martial Arts Training. Retrieved from http://believe-
perform.com/performance/psychological-bene-
fits-of-martial-arts-training/

48
Psych2Go
Interpretation is the most necessary
survival skill for all thinking creatures,
though rarely is it associated with basic
needs. Any cub scout, disaster prepper,
or off the grid homesteader will tell you
that food, shelter, and water are the most
crucial things to consider, but the fact
is that these things would never have
crossed their minds were it not for their
body’s ability to interpret hunger, thirst,
and cold. We use interpretation every
second of the day without hesitation as
our bodies interpret the need to breathe,
the words of our friends and family, and
the passing of time.
Have you ever realized that without sen-
sory data, (or the ability to interpret it),
we wouldn’t be able to interact with the
world on any level? We wouldn’t even
know it existed. Without the ability to
take in and interpret sensory stimuli, we
wouldn’t even be the most basic parts
within Sartre’s existential bubble as
for-itself beings in an in-itself world. The
only thing between us and falling into the
void is entirely in the way our body inter-
prets, translates, and plans to take in and
make sense of it all every hour in a day,
every day in a week, and year after year
so we can stay aware of our shared bub-
ble for as long as possible.
Well, that’s a little depressing.
Maybe so, but not as much as having
the ability to interpret all that sensory
stimuli, but not being able to explain it
in a way other people can relate to, or in
a way they can relate to you personally.
What happens if you’re the one with
an atypical method of interpretation that
makes the status not so quo for you and
seemingly no one else? What then? Con-
sider carefully that it takes us right to to
why the Internet is so much more than
just a piece of technology, and why the
psychology behind the Internet isn’t just
for kicks and pop culture giggles.
Communication and interpretation are
the fluids that keep so many areas of
cognitive and developmental psychol-
ogy running smoothly. It’s the oil, the
antifreeze, the water pumping through
the radiator cooling down Carl Jung’s
engine of human thought and reaction.
They’re the most basic parts of our brain,
yet so crucial. In a car, they’re the one
thing mechanics and garages will top up
and monitor freely. It’s not just because
they’re nice guys, but because without
them everything in the entire engine will
break apart, fuse together, and grind to a
painful, inevitable halt if they run out or
grow too stagnant.
A popular quote from Jung’s novel Mem-
ories, Dreams, Reflections says, “lone-
liness does not come from having no
people about one, but from being unable
to communicate the things that seem
important to oneself, or from holding
certain views which others find inadmis-
sible.”
The internet is not just another product
or service of the tech age. It’s not the
same thing as the first blocky, off-white
PSYCHOLOGY AND THE INTERNET
By: Digby Driver

49
ISSUE 1
Macs my generation started out with.
Neither can the Internet be compared to
the other more advanced technology that
seemed to grow mushrooms overnight
during the late 90s and on into the 21st
Century. Perhaps the Internet started
out that way, and it was probably intend-
ed to be nothing more than another tool
in the end, but that’s not what happened.
Instead, the Internet has evolved into a
virtual real estate, pioneered and settled
by my fellow Millennials before it was
passed on and seized by Generation Z as
a brave new world they now claim as a
mother country. Like any other country,
the Internet has a language and a cul-
ture. It has currency, government, and
patriotic pride. The fact that it has no set
location, legal residency, or even a physi-
cal mailing addresses isn’t something its
citizens worry about. If the World Wide
Web were an actual place, anthropolo-
gists and government intelligence agen-
cies would study nothing else for gener-
ations to come, but since it exists solely
as data connections, Wi-Fi hotspots, and
DSL hookups across the world, it’s up
to psychology enthusiasts to spread the
news that the times are changing and
we’d better be prepared for a hostile
takeover by a country that exists only as
stored memory in hard drives and human
minds.

50
Psych2Go
QUIZZES
Created by: Sadia Nadeem
Designed by: Craig Alexander

51
ISSUE 1
Created by: Jade Li
Designed by: Craig Alexander
Please see answers on page 69!

53
ISSUE 1
Comic by: Katherine Fosso
Blog: sunsinourhands.tumblr.com

54
Psych2Go
INTERPRETATIONS
By: Risha Mae Ordas
Rorschach Projective Test
Projective Psychology

55
ISSUE 1
This set consists of the most common
answers that were sent to Psych2Go.
All compiled responses are listed here.
The audience’s responses were able to
point out and identify some aspects of
their personality and character:
1. A part of the human body.
A common answer was ribcage, but this
also varied to lungs or the pelvis of a
person. Sometimes, it was even specified
as an x-ray. This would be interpreted as
someone who tends to set the bar high
for themselves. Presumably, they would
be the type of person who (consciously or
unconsciously) projects their intelligence
to their environment.
2. An animal.
There were also a lot of responses
regarding animals—the most common
being a cow, but there were also
interpretations of different breeds of
dogs, followed by rats, elephants, and
foxes. Now, in order to decipher this,
it depends on the characteristic of the
animal. Cows, for example, are known
to be stoic, yet emotionally deep. Dogs
are often called loyal. Rats are often
the witty, mischievous ones. Elephants
are sometimes described as calm and
confident. While foxes are associated
with wisdom and are often guides.
3. Two people kissing/shaking hands.
First off, the immediate association with
a human being means that the person
who interpreted the picture in this
way may have strong connections with
humanism. Also, it would depend on the
gender of the person in the image (is it
a man and a woman? Or two people of
the same gender?). The gender or age
observation may depict the attachment
the interpreter has to a particular
figurehead in their life (was it you and
your sibling you saw shaking hands,
perhaps?). The action can be explained
as someone who is aware of themselves,
and is attuned to the different needs of
the people around them.
4. Supernatural figures such as
fairies, dwarves, and angels, and
the grim reaper, were also common
answers.
These kinds of responses can be
associated with someone who is aware of
themselves and has a greater tendency to
be more empathic to other people. But it
would also depend on what the creature is
doing: If it’s positive (like shaking hands),
then it can be interpreted in a positive
light. If negative emotion is clipped with
the figure, then the person identifying the
image could be experiencing some sort of
negativity within their life, or some kind of
pent up emotion.
The next Rorschach will be posted on
the Psych2Go Website and social media
accounts before the next issue, so to
keep yourself up to date and post your
interpretation, be sure to follow us on
social media!

56
Psych2GoPsych2Go
By: Hannah Jade
WINTERGIRLS
BOOK REVIEW:
Anderson, L. H., Viking. (2009). Wintergirls. New York: Viking.
BookReview

57
ISSUE 1ISSUE 1
While well written and an interesting
read, “Wintergirls” is definitely not
representative of what it is like to have
an eating disorder. The book opens with
a description of how Cassie, Lia’s best
friend of 10 years, has been found dead
in the room of a motel. Lia is the main
character of the novel, which documents
her struggles with anorexia, which she
has personified with the name “ana”. It
appears to me that the author’s research
into bulimia and anorexia may not have
spanned further than researching pro
*ana and *mia websites.
A lot of the way things are written seem
to romanticize eating disorders, rather
than show what kind of torture they are.
Lia called herself strong for keeping
herself “empty”. Cassie had been
bulimic and was influencing her friend to
be the same, which actually made Lia’s
parents somewhat grateful that she had
died. I thought that was a bit of a harsh
way to introduce the stepmother in a
scene. I understand that they could have
been blaming her for the eating disorder
of the child they were raising, however
wouldn’t a death of your child’s best
friend warrant a response that was more
caring and trying to help your struggling
child rather than tarnishing their late
best friend’s name? I don’t know really,
as I thought the way the stepmother was
shown was extremely cold, even though
most of the time she was making an
attempt to help out. A lot of the book the
narration is disconnected and it feels
cold. The chapters are titled in the way
that she would weigh herself and write
down the weight (00.0) which I thought
was interesting. Stylistically, the book
somewhat resembles a diary. It is written
in a very poetic style, but I didn’t hate the
poeticism as much as I hate anything like
that by Sharon Creech. (I’m looking at
you, Heartbeat).
However, a lot of the time the author
will cross out words to show what the
character was thinking at first but then
changed their mind to state differently.
Things like “stepmother” crossed
out to say Jennifer. She also refers to
any type of food as either a number or a
color. The numbers represent the calories
in the food she is discussing. There are a
lot of scenes that are graphically about
self harm and intense self deprecation on
Lia’s part both mentally and physically.
She realized that Cassie had called her 47
times on the night of her death, and a part
of what is making her so stressed out and
ill is that she blames herself for not being
there for her friend.
The hotel in which Cassie died has a
person named Elijah working there and
he and Lia form an unlikely friendship.
It’s very strange to watch this person’s
world unravel. We find out that Cassie
died from a ruptured esophagus and Lia
had actually had some points where she
sabotaged Cassie’s attempts to recover
from bulimia- the disease that ultimately
killed her. Cassie had left a message
for Lia - that she was the skinniest, and
she had won. As if it was some sort of
competition, again the glorification of a
weight achieved by means of an eating
disorder.
The book describes the changes in her
body and it gets increasingly emaciated,
which shows the brutality of what
happens with an eating disorder. The very
end of the book Lia is cutting herself,
and her stepsister Emma who absolutely
adores her walks in. It ends on this note
and doesn’t allow further elaboration, so
one can only make assumptions about
where to go from there. Overall, the book
was decent, however I found it slightly
romanticizing eating disorders and who
can be the sickest, but I have not suffered
from bulimia or anorexia, so I would leave
people with more authority on that to
judge better. All in all the book was easy
to read, well written, and interesting. I
think research could have been better,
but overall it was a good read.
*ana – short for Anorexia Nervosa
*mia – short for Bulimia

59
ISSUE 1
Everyday tell something you didn’t see Something
that wasn’t old, or on repeat Something that would
give me hope, to believe So I can see a chance, to
come back from defeat
Ammunition takes lives is what I hear on the radio
From state to state, from coast to coast
Most of the times we ask why, but don’t know
We don’t have an answer; there’s nothing to post
More tears than smiles, I continue to hear
More suffering than living, please tell me how
These young kids that live their life in such fear
Give me a reason why I shouldn’t be doing
something now
This list goes on as we drift into slumber
Reset the clocks, for the day is almost over
Prepare yourself tomorrow; it’s time to repeat the
same thing Our first world problems block out the
help when others sing
-Anonymous
Note from the author: This poem represents how people can alter
their thinking to reflect more positivity to make an impacting change.
Everyday

60
Psych2Go
PSYCHOLOGY
TOGOBy: Lauren Miedel

61
ISSUE 1
If you’re like me, you’ve had your fair
share of awkward moments. A lot of
mine revolve around the fact that I cannot
control when I laugh. I laughed when my
friend told me that she and her girlfriend
had broken up. I make jokes about awful
situations, as well as during sad and
angering scenarios. I joke around during
serious talks between myself and my
parents. I have depression, and lots of
times people think that I’m ok because of
how often I make them laugh. So I can say
with certainty that it was a relief when I
discovered that I wasn’t broken; in fact,
I’m just one of many who use humour
to deal with fairly large problems. Many
people use humour or laughter to cope
with stressful and hard situations.
According to Keltner and Bonanno (1997),
laughing helps us respond to stress by
“increasing the psychological distance
from distress and by enhancing social
relations.” In other words, we laugh in
times of distress because sometimes
our minds cannot handle the stress.
Think about it, whenever something bad
happens, it can be hard to process. Your
brain deals with this trouble processing
by laughing, which releases a bunch
of endorphins, increases personal
satisfaction, and improves your mood—
all of these help deal with stress (Mayo
Clinic Staff 2013). By creating these
physiological changes to make your body
think it’s happy, you put distance between
yourself and the situation. Also, think
about how laughing and joking around
play a huge part in our socialization.
Laughing is one of the biggest socializing
elements. In times of distress, your mind
craves human contact and interaction (to
help deal with the stress), so it makes
sense that it would laugh to increase
those chances.
There’s also another reason the brain
might force us into laughter. As humans,
we are generally very good at reading
people’s emotions. We know when
someone is smiling out of politeness
or, in this case, when someone laughs
without feeling a positive emotion.
People who are not as good at hiding
their true emotions are more likely
to do this fake-laugh, which could be a
signal to others that we are in distress.
The brain may do this in order to raise
the likelihood of someone coming to find
out what is causing the stress (Keltner
Bonanno 1997).
With this information in mind, it’s easy to
see why the brain would sometimes think
that having us laugh is the best course of
action.Itmaybeinconvenientandpossibly
a social faux-pas, our brain is just trying
to look out for us. Now I understand why
I make so many jokes when I’m feeling
so down; my brain is trying to find ways
to help me cope with the stress. So the
next time you find yourself laughing when
you think you shouldn’t, remember that it
may help you in the long run.
Citation:
Keltner, D., Bonanno, G. A. (1997). A Study of Laughter
and Dissociation: Distinct Correlates of Laughter and
Smiling During Bereavement. Journal Of Personality
Social Psychology, 73(4), 687-702.
Mayo Clinic Staff (2013). Stress relief from laughter? It’s
no joke. Retrieved September 10, 2015.

62
Psych2GoPsych2Go
When looking at one’s partner or
friend, one may suddenly question
with squinting eyes: Why? This may
be a question that is posed repeatedly
or not at all. Maybe there is a mystical
acceptance of fate that brought two
beings together. Or maybe it was simply
proximity, and there was no one else to
choose from. Regardless of the believed
circumstances, it is safe to wonder: Why
do people like the people that they like?
What is this gravitational pull called
“attraction” that people experience
amongst each other? How can this bond
be maintained? And, what if we knew the
formula to achieving peak happiness in
interpersonal romantic relationships?
There are some basic trends that have
been found. “Opposites attract” is a
rationale that is often disputed yet
equally often suggested. The sight of a
cat cuddling with a dog, an interracial
couple, or the pull of two magnets
promotes a sense of awe. But, is it true?
In general, it is more difficult to interact
with someone who is unlike us. As
depicted throughout history in various
battles and wars, dissimilarity has often
been a source of conflict, and furthermore
hatred. Conversely, one can also assume
that it is easier to interact with someone
who is like them. This phenomenon is
highlighted when people of similar ages,
races, religions, or socioeconomic status
get along because they are connected via
a point of similarity (Wilson Cousins,
2003, p. 161). Overall, partners or
friends who are similar are more likely
to establish, maintain, and sustain happy
and healthy interpersonal relationships.
Similar Romantic Partners
Romantic partners, especially long
term marital partners, tend to be more
similar on personality and interests
than dissimilar in comparison to
random couplings (Gonzaga, Carter,
Buckwalter, 2010, p. 642). In fact, the
more similar the couples were the
greater report of marital satisfaction
resulted (Wilson Cousins, 2003, p. 164).
So, similarity is not a random occurrence
amongst people, but something that tends
to bring people together and promotes
happiness. The interplay of a couple’s
“neuroticism, openness to experience,
empathy, self-esteem, extraversion,
emotional stability, and autonomy are
all qualities that significantly affect
the quality of an intimate relationship”
(Barelds, 2005, p. 502, 513). For instance,
an introvert in a relationship may feel
very drained being with an extrovert. Or
someone with low self-esteem may grow
to feel inferior with his or her partner who
has a high self-esteem. And perhaps, in
a stressful situation, someone who is
emotionally stable will find the reactions
of an emotionally unstable partner
strange and discerning. Discordance in
personality type can create dissonance in
the relationship.
Yet, this does not answer why partners
tend to be similar in these studies. The
most convincing argument for how
interpersonal similarity is the largest
factor in relationship satisfaction is based
on the idea of convergence. Convergence
is “the tendency for partners to become
more alike over time” (Gonzaga et al.,
2010, p. 634). One study showed that,
“couples who converged in personality
between first meeting and the first
years of marriage were more satisfied
with their relationships” (Gonzaga et al.,
2010, p. 642). In this situation, similarity
is something that occurs overtime. This
leads to question, are couples least
similar from the onset of a relationship?
To answer that question, it’s logical to
revisit our first interpersonal relationship.
Foundational Primary Caregivers
The foundation created by the initial
relationship with our primary caregiver
affects all future interpersonal
Similarities Attract
Debunking ‘Opposites Attract’
PSYCHOLOGICAL MYTHS
By: Myelin Abenojar Artwork by: Jane Shi
DebungkingPsychologicalMyths

Psych2go Issue 1 (ePub)

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