Seasonal Affective Disorder during the Winter Season - Assignment Example

Psychology Name Course number University Date Assignment Part one Question One Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a mood disorder characterized by a recurrence of depressive episodes during the winter season and remission during summer. Westrin & Lam (2007) argue that practitioners must be careful in their diagnosis of SAD by determining the periods during which the depressive periods occur (during winters), so that other disorders may be ruled out. The two evidence based treatments mainly used in the treatment of SAD are; light therapy and pharmacotherapy. Light therapy involves the exposure of light at an intensity of 2,500 lux to a patient for a period of two hours usually very early in the morning. Pharmacotherapy involves the administration of antidepressants to the patients and this has been proven to be effective. Question Two Narrative therapy is practice in counselling that employs the technique of listening to stories. It is centred on the argument that stories for a foundation for the social life of individuals. Therefore it aims at helping people to express their life experiences. Bacon (2007) suggests that narrative therapy may be useful in counselling Aboriginal Australians because there is a connection between their traditional story telling practices and the narrative therapy techniques. Narrative therapy provides an avenue for counsellors to help the Aboriginal Australians by listening to the negative stories they have internalized, and walk with them as they discover their inner resources and reconstruct their stories. Question Three A multidisciplinary approach in conducting studies on work, employment and unemployment requires the researchers to study problems from diverse sources and generating possible solutions to solve the problems. Feather (2002) proposes that in employing this approach, researchers should focus on how people deal with the stresses experienced during periods of employment and unemployment because there are difficulties attached to the difficulties. He further asserts the importance of borrowing insights from other fields such as sociology, and political science in order to expand the level of understanding of these problems. In addition, it is imperative to consider the issue related to work and culture as well as the obstacles to goal achievement for the employed and unemployed. Question Four Dickson-Swift et al (2007) in their study about researchers conducting qualitative research on sensitive issues, made some recommendation directed towards minimizing the risks associated with conducting research. They argue that since researchers face quite a number of difficulties especially in the field, there is need to formulate guidelines directed at creating awareness about the challenges and the possible solutions. They highly suggest the use of peer support groups to provide support and enable formalized debriefing of the researchers. The authors recommend that researchers and their supervisors need to be aware of the effect that the research undertaking may have on their lives, therefore they need to define boundaries in dealing with the participants so as to safeguard their emotional and physical well-being. Question Five According to Diener et al. (1998), subjective well-being is driven by two factors which are; ones assessment of their cognitive state and an on-going affect. A person experiences subjective well-being when he/she feels in control having been able to master one’s life. One achieves positive cognitive evaluation in the case that he/she feels contented with his her life. This cognitive well-being is on a high when one feels contented at work and their relationships especially marriage are successful. On the other hand, a person’s subjective well being is driven by an ongoing affect, when he/she is feeling optimistic about life. Additionally, one is always in an upbeat mood, and experiences positive emotions based on an evaluation of the situations around his/her life. Assignment Part Two Question six Overall men and women have the same intellectual ability but different studies have identified some differences in cognitive abilities. Different explanations have been forwarded to explain the reason as to why men perform better in spatial tasks while women excel in verbal tasks. In a study by Cherney (2008), it is clear that spatial skills are developed over a period of time and may be influenced by various life experiences. Men perform better than women in spatial tasks because men are exposed to activities that stimulate their spatial skills at an early age unlike women. Spatial tasks have often been viewed as masculine and as a result females stay away from them since they feel intimidated. However, these differences are not easily accounted for because research has not been able to define a clear explanation since tests performed indicate almost insignificant differences. Sommer et al (2004) highlights that these differences may result from the fact that women have an inter-hemispheric interaction those men do not enjoy. In this case men mainly utilize the left hemisphere of the brain while women are able to utilize both. The verbal and spatial functions in females compete therefore slowing down those tasks that require active cognition skills. Men excel in spatial tasks because they utilize one hemisphere which is dedicated to cognitive functions; therefore they perform poorly in verbal tasks which are a function of the right hemisphere, hence their tendency to be logical. Finally, cultural factors may be at play in explaining for these differences. In this regard, girls are exposed to affective tasks which require them to be expressive and this continuously develops throughout their interactions. Boys on the other hand are involved in tasks that actively stimulate their visual and spatial skills, hence developing cognitive problem solving abilities. Question Seven The three major parent-child attachment styles which are demonstrated by the strange situation observational experiment are; avoidant, resistant, secure attachment. Steele, Steele & Fonagy (1996), in their study further classify these attachment styles as comprising of secure and insecure. Therefore the three major attachment styles they consider are; insecure-avoidant, secure and insecure-resistant. Each attachment style displays a special set of observable behaviour in children and the caregiver. The mother is identified as the primary influence in an infant’s development of attachment. According to Steele, Steel & Fonagy (1996), the parental attachment styles considered were those presented in the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI); secure-autonomous, insecure-preoccupied and insecure-dismissing. The insecure avoidant child is bothered by separation and avoids close contact with the caregiver when reunited. In the same study, parents of whose children are categorized in this attachment style were those who were pre occupied. Fonagy (1999) further asserts that the caregivers of insecure-avoidant children may have personal and social demands and as a result display a slight degree of neglect and may display bitterness towards he child. Children classified in the insecure-resistant attachment style are easily upset by separation and upon reunion with the caregiver; they are unsettled and often appear grief-stricken. In comparison, parents with such children often dismiss the importance of relationships (Fonagy, 1999). As such they are emotionally unavailable for the children and the behaviour of the child is geared towards gaining this emotional provision from the parent. Children classified in the secure attachment style are those who may or may not be upset by separation, and they are glad to be reunited with the caregiver. Secure-autonomous parents are linked to secure children. On the other hand, when the mother is secure and consistent in behaviour, the child is likely to develop a secure attachment (Steele, Steele &Fonagy (1996). Question Eight This section critically evaluates the question; Personality traits change over the life course of an individual. Personality traits are the patterns of thought, behaviour and feeling that are enduring in an individual and they set them apart from other individuals. Roberts & Mroczek (2008) in their study argue that traits of personality as best viewed as outcomes and not predictors of behaviour. In exploring whether personality changes occur over the course of life, we focus on the following factors of the personality traits: extraversion, conscientiousness, openness to experience, agreeableness and neuroticism. Research carried out has established that personality does change throughout a adulthood even into old age. However, these changes are in a big way connected to predictable variables such as individual characteristics, behaviour, maturation and achievements (Wilks, 2009). Changes in personality are actively experienced during young adulthood and this is best explained by the fact that maturation is actively taking place and the individual pursues a more defined course in life, recording a number of achievements. Important to note is the fact that these changes take on a positive or negative inclination. This is as a result of the experiences one goes through in the different stages of life. However, (Roberts & Mroczek, 2008) in their findings argue that little change occurs in adolescence with the young adulthood phase being a very important phase for positive personality change. In addition, apart from individual differences in change, studies that have been conducted conclude that there is a mean level change that occurs in personality across a certain age. This is best seen in the fact that people increasingly grow in confidence, become more responsible and they develop warmth towards others with an increase in age. Question Nine Psychological health of sole mothers is commonly poorer than it is for partnered mothers. Sole mothers often experience a myriad of problems which affect their mental and physical health. In their study concerning the welfare of sole mothers, (Loxton, Mooney & Young, 2006) discovered that these experiences are related to a number of factors. To begin with, many sole mothers often do not have a stable source of income, yet they have to meet the needs of their children. The struggle to make ends meet negatively affects their emotional and mental health since they often experience feelings of helplessness. In a study by Baker & Tippin (2004), many sole mothers find it hard to get into paid employment, therefore have poor financial health which in turn affects their psychological health. Clearly a poor economic status is detrimental to the image of a sole mother and experience social isolation. Single mothers may often experience stigmatization especially those who have children at an early age and this results to lowered self-esteem, coupled with emotional disturbances. They are most likely to experience overwhelming feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness and may become depressive. In turn they experience poor health due to psychosomatic disorders and will often result to medication. Others will harbour suicidal thoughts because they feel overwhelmed by their responsibilities and see no way out of the situation (Loxton, Mooney & Young, 2006). Finally sole mothers may harbour irrational thoughts about their worth and abilities especially those who are single due to failed relationships. Self-blame and self-doubt ensnare them, harming their psychological well-being. On a final note, sole mother’s health is weighed down by the health status of their children (Bake & Tippin, 2004). Question Ten Kramer et al (2004) asserts that cognitive aging is influence by biological and environmental factors. The biological factors that have negative influences on cognitive ageing are related to the decline in the cognitive ability to perform certain tasks, due to degeneration of the neurons linked to those particular tasks. In a review by (Antsey, 1999) factors such as mental activity, personality, physical activity and education have been highlighted as the major environmental predictors of the cognitive function ability in old age. These factors may have a positive and negative influence on cognitive ageing given the socioeconomic status of an individual. In a review by Kramer et al (2004), education is seen to be a positive influence on ageing because it delays the decline of cognitive ability. Cognitive decline in old age is influenced by a person’s social involvements and participation in activities that stimulate their cognitive function. On the other hand, lifestyle choices have an influence on cognitive function in old age. This is strongly related to one’s economic status, level of intelligence and social status (Kramer et al, 2004). Additionally, active participation in mentoring activities within society has the ability to affect cognitive function in old age. Finally, physical health maintained by regular exercising has been related to slowing down the process of cognitive ageing. Fitness training programs that focus on developing strength and enhancing flexibility play an important role in improving cognition. In addition, maintaining healthy diets and eating patterns reduces the risk of developing chronic illnesses reduces the chances of cognitive degeneration. References Anstey, K. (1999). How important is mental activity in old age? Australian Psychologist, 34, 128-131. Bacon, V. (2007). What potential might narrative therapy have to assist Indigenous Australians reduce substance misuse? Australian Aboriginal Studies, 1, 71-82. Baker, M. & Tippin, D. (2004). More Than Just Another Obstacle: Health, Domestic Purposes Beneficiaries, and The Transition to Paid Work. Social Policy Journal of New Zealand, 21, 98-120 Cherney, I. D. (2008). Mom, let me play more computer games: They improve my mental rotation skills. Sex Roles, 59, 776-786. Dickson-Swift, V., James, E. L., Kippen, S., &Liamputtong, P. (2007). Doing sensitive research: What challenges do qualitative researchers face? Qualitative Research, 7, 327-353. Diener, E., Sapyta, J. J. & Suh, E. (1998). Subjective well-being is essential to well-being. Psychological Inquiry, 9, 33-37. Feather, N. T. (2002). Some issues for research on the psychology of work and unemployment: Comments on the Australian Psychological Society discussion paper. Australian Psychologist, 37, 10-12. Fonagy, P. (1999). Attachment, the Development of the Self and Its Pathology in Personality Disorders. In Derkses, J., Maffei, C & Groen, H (Ed.), Treatment of Personality Disorders (pp.53-68). U.S.A: Springer Kramer, A.F., Bherer, L., Colcombe, S. J., Dong, W. & Greenough, W.T. (2004). Environmental Influences on Cognitive and Brain Plasticity during Aging. Journal of Gerontology. Vol. 59A (9), 940-957 Loxton, D., Mooney, R., & Young, A. F. (2006). The psychological health of sole mothers in Australia. Medical Journal of Australia, 184, 265-268. Roberts, B. W., &Mroczek, D. (2008). Personality trait change in adulthood. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 17, 31-35. Sommer I.E.C, Aleman, A., Bouma, A. &Kahn, R. (2004).Do women really have more bilateral language representation than men? A meta-analysis of functional imaging studies. Brain, 127, 1845-1852 Steele, H., Steele, M., &Fonagy, P. (1996). Associations among attachment classifications of mothers, fathers, and their infants. Child Development, 67, 541-555. Westrin, A., & Lam, R. W. (2007). Seasonal affective disorder: A clinical update. Annals of Clinical Psychiatry, 19, 239-246. Wilks, L (2009). The stability of personality over time as a function of personality trait dominance. Griffith University Undergraduate Student Psychology Journal, 1 Read More

Question Four Dickson-Swift et al (2007) in their study about researchers conducting qualitative research on sensitive issues, made some recommendation directed towards minimizing the risks associated with conducting research. They argue that since researchers face quite a number of difficulties especially in the field, there is need to formulate guidelines directed at creating awareness about the challenges and the possible solutions. They highly suggest the use of peer support groups to provide support and enable formalized debriefing of the researchers.

The authors recommend that researchers and their supervisors need to be aware of the effect that the research undertaking may have on their lives, therefore they need to define boundaries in dealing with the participants so as to safeguard their emotional and physical well-being. Question Five According to Diener et al. (1998), subjective well-being is driven by two factors which are; ones assessment of their cognitive state and an on-going affect. A person experiences subjective well-being when he/she feels in control having been able to master one’s life.

One achieves positive cognitive evaluation in the case that he/she feels contented with his her life. This cognitive well-being is on a high when one feels contented at work and their relationships especially marriage are successful. On the other hand, a person’s subjective well being is driven by an ongoing affect, when he/she is feeling optimistic about life. Additionally, one is always in an upbeat mood, and experiences positive emotions based on an evaluation of the situations around his/her life.

Assignment Part Two Question six Overall men and women have the same intellectual ability but different studies have identified some differences in cognitive abilities. Different explanations have been forwarded to explain the reason as to why men perform better in spatial tasks while women excel in verbal tasks. In a study by Cherney (2008), it is clear that spatial skills are developed over a period of time and may be influenced by various life experiences. Men perform better than women in spatial tasks because men are exposed to activities that stimulate their spatial skills at an early age unlike women.

Spatial tasks have often been viewed as masculine and as a result females stay away from them since they feel intimidated. However, these differences are not easily accounted for because research has not been able to define a clear explanation since tests performed indicate almost insignificant differences. Sommer et al (2004) highlights that these differences may result from the fact that women have an inter-hemispheric interaction those men do not enjoy. In this case men mainly utilize the left hemisphere of the brain while women are able to utilize both.

The verbal and spatial functions in females compete therefore slowing down those tasks that require active cognition skills. Men excel in spatial tasks because they utilize one hemisphere which is dedicated to cognitive functions; therefore they perform poorly in verbal tasks which are a function of the right hemisphere, hence their tendency to be logical. Finally, cultural factors may be at play in explaining for these differences. In this regard, girls are exposed to affective tasks which require them to be expressive and this continuously develops throughout their interactions.

Boys on the other hand are involved in tasks that actively stimulate their visual and spatial skills, hence developing cognitive problem solving abilities. Question Seven The three major parent-child attachment styles which are demonstrated by the strange situation observational experiment are; avoidant, resistant, secure attachment. Steele, Steele & Fonagy (1996), in their study further classify these attachment styles as comprising of secure and insecure. Therefore the three major attachment styles they consider are; insecure-avoidant, secure and insecure-resistant.

Each attachment style displays a special set of observable behaviour in children and the caregiver.

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