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Human Behavior

Jerry Martin: Fluid intelligence and Sudoku – The Union of Grass Valley

For about 60 years I have been fascinated with psychology. I believe that the brains of all humans make us special and dominant on Earth. I believe God gave us these brains to eventually, over many millennia, develop a peaceful, loving, creative, progressive environment.

Earth potentially will become a habitat in which all life thrives together. But only if we humans collectively use our brains optimally.

We are making progress by slowly eliminating practices like slavery, racial and religious discrimination, misogyny and violence, including war, for example, but we obviously have a long way to go.

Many psychologists have studied human behavior controlled by our brains. They have written in simple enough language expressing theories that are understood by the common human, including me. Howard Gardner gave us multiple intelligences. Daniel Goleman wrote about emotional intelligence, Eric Berne gave us transactional analysis. And William Glasser produced choice theory.

But the study that most explains the particular advantage of Sudoku as a tool to train logical development was produced by Raymond Cattell and his adherent, John Horn. These psychologists theorized that every human has two different intelligences, fluid and crystalized, though of different amounts. Most activities require both intelligences.

Crystallized intelligence is mostly learned in school and from books and repetitive activities such as riding a bicycle and washing dishes. Memorizing the multiplication table and alphabet would be crystallized intelligence. Learning dates of events, names of famous people, lyrics of songs and the Pledge of Allegiance would all be crystallized intelligence.

Fluid intelligence is different. This is the intelligence that we use when logically solving a new, unfamiliar problem or providing a creative solution to a difficulty. Applying logic to relevant information by using fluid intelligence is what allowed the Wright brothers to build the first heavier than air vehicle (airplane) in 1903. Studying birds, they realized the distance air travels over wings is greater than the distance air travels under wings. This produced less air pressure above than below, producing lift, which enables flight. All wings are designed on this principle, which was understood with fluid intelligence. Until then this concept was not in books or schools or previous human experience.

Every subject has elements of who, what, when, where, why and how. Who, what, when and where are subjects that crystallized intelligence mostly considers. Liberal arts subjects primarily teach crystallized intelligence. Why and how are in the domain of fluid intelligence. Math and science develop fluid intelligence.

To create a new solution to a problem, we must utilize our fluid intelligence. Some people, the more creative among us, have strong fluid intelligence and are better at solving problems and creating successful solutions.

Studying math and science trains us to develop logical thinking skills. Mathematicians and scientists develop fluid intelligence while learning these subjects. They also employ their crystallized intelligence when learning previously established facts and formulas, cause and effect.

Sudoku also teaches fluid intelligence by requiring the same problem solving processes about 50 times each puzzle. To solve Sudoku puzzles, one must first recognize what information is relevant. A solver must never guess and must always withhold judgment until enough information is available. These are cause and effect simplified. Pattern recognition is important, too. And understanding that 100% accuracy is always required, which emphasizes the value of truth.

The basic skills of fluid intelligence are all developed by doing Sudoku puzzles repeatedly. Over time a Sudoku solver will incorporate fluid intelligence into their repertoire of cognitive abilities. Sudoku is an informal practice available outside academia that trains fluid intelligence but not crystallized intelligence. Sudoku is a shortcut for training fluid intelligence that bypasses the necessity for science and math courses which dont appeal to all humans and are unavailable to many.

Sudoku can be done alone outside school by a wide variety of humans. All ages, both genders, all languages and nationalities can develop fluid intelligence by solving Sudokus. Sudoku is practical, being cheap, available and able to be done almost anywhere anytime. While valuable in U.S. schools, its perfect in third world countries where many children have limited schooling opportunities.

While Ive emphasized Sudokus benefits for children, its also wonderful for prisoners and seniors for developing self-esteem, ameliorating boredom and preventing dementia.

Educators need to seriously consider the advantages of adding this practical tool for training valuable fluid intelligence. Sudoku is a low tech tool to train brain gain.

For more information visit: http://www.sudokuasateachingtool.org.

Jerry Martin lives in Grass Valley.

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Jerry Martin: Fluid intelligence and Sudoku - The Union of Grass Valley

Human Behavior

Dice Clay to perform virtually from Governor’s on Valentine’s Day – Newsday

Comedian Andrew Dice Clay will spend Valentines Day performing on stage at Governors Comedy Club in Levittown to an empty room. The Brooklyn native plans to deliver his sharp-tongued stand-up over Zoom through a panoramic design of three 10 screens where he can view the audience in their homes.

"The comic interacts with the audience from the screens as if they were really at the club." says owner James Dolce. "The audience members laughs, applause and voice comes through our sound system so it makes it easy for the comedian to engage with them."

It appears the Diceman is up for the challenge.

"This is the first time Im doing something like this and Im excited about it," says Clay, 63. "Look, Im like everybody I want this whole pandemic thing to end but I do find it amazing that through technology we can pull this off. Thats the beauty of human behavior, we find ways to get through stuff in times like this. But, let me tell you somethingpeople need to laugh!"

The situation reminds Dolce of the theatrical symbol of the comedy and tragedy masks.

"As the pandemic continues and people are feeling isolated, I wanted to bring my customers together to laugh and escape from this tragedy even just for a little while," says Dolce. "This virtual system I have in place gives them a true feel of being out at a live comedy show but still in the safety of their homes."

Clay is no stranger to using the camera to turn out comedy. Over the past year he has become a hotly requested celebrity on Cameo, a personalized video greeting service on the internet.

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"Its been a creative outlet for me during the lockdown. I love doing them," he says. "I get all kinds of requests. They let me know if its a birthday, anniversary or if someone just needs a pep talk. Funny thing is a quarter of my Cameo requests come from Long Island."

Long Islanders have always connected with Clay who has a knack for incorporating the crowd into his act.

"I see a certain face, a certain build, a certain attitude and I react," he says. "Im fearless on stage. I dont even think about it. I wing it. Its what I do and I love it."

The evening is being sarcastically billed as "A Night with Mr. Romance" as Dice is not known for his sensitivity. However, he has a new love in his life.

"I have a new girlfriend and shes extremely nice. Ive never come up against this," he says. "Every marriage, every girlfriend or every fiance, its just been a war. This has been going on since Im 17. Its ridiculous. This girl Im dating now is a nice human being. Frankly, its hard to handle."

ANDREW DICE CLAY VIRTUAL CONCERT

WHEN/WHERE 7 p.m. check-in, 7:30 p.m. showtime, Sunday, February 14, govs.com

ADMISSION $55 per household

David J. Criblez is a reporter for Newsday's exploreLI, covering entertainment-related events from local music to stand-up comedy to festivals.

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Dice Clay to perform virtually from Governor's on Valentine's Day - Newsday

Human Behavior

The Role of Violence in the American Literary Canon – Fordham Observer

American Psycho, Blood Meridian and the surprising benefits of graphic content

In his controversial book Clash of Civilizations, late former White House Coordinator of Security Planning Samuel Phillips Huntington wrote, The West won the world not by the superiority of its ideas or values or religion but rather by its superiority in applying organized violence. He continued, Westerners often forget this fact.

Americas development is indebted as much to the firearms of Hotchkiss and Colt as to the policy of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. We owe our history as much to the smallpox virus as to the Declaration of Independence. American independence was not achieved through peaceful protest, but with what would now be considered terrorism.

Violence in America is part of our history and identity. Today, Americans own more guns than anyone else, while producing the highest number of serial killers globally.

What we see in books like Psycho and Meridian resonates with the realities of 2020 and the emerging events of 2021.

Americans have a special relationship with violence, and violence occupies a special place in American literature. Perhaps the most violent novel written to date is American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis, a book listed at #6 on the Goodreads list of the most violent books ever written.

All other books in the lists top 10 were written by extreme horror author Wade H. Garrett. Garrett is not a gifted writer but his monopolization of the Goodreads list is only broken by American Psycho and Cormac McCarthys Blood Meridian, which are both formidable American classics.

Unlike Garretts pretentious and juvenile ultra-horror, Blood Meridian is based on historical events, documenting the massacre of Indigenous Americans who stood between settlers and western goldfields.

American Psycho is similarly nestled within the physical and social realities of 1980s Wall Street. The soulless antihero of Patrick Bateman embodies what an American corporation might have looked like if it were human: ruthless, vain, prideful and insecure.

While American Psycho occurs in a moral desert, Blood Meridian occurs in a literal one. The unforgiving landscape of Meridian displays the inherent brutality of nature itself a sort of warfare predating and underpinning all humanity. As it is explained in Meridian, war lay waiting for man the ultimate trade awaiting its ultimate practitioner.

In a review of Blood Meridian, literary critic Harold Bloom said, The sheer carnage of it, though it is intensely stylized, is nevertheless overwhelming. Its shocking. Its horrifying but if you break through it, if you read your way into the cosmos of the book, then you are rewarded you get a frightening vision of what is indeed something very deeply embedded in the American spirit.

Similarly, what makes the violence of Psycho redeemable is the power of its vision: a world of faceless yuppies with interchangeable suits, haircuts and names, so concerned with appearance and wealth that all moral concern and human substance recede as if into an abyss.

Reading Psycho is like listening to death metal through a Walkman while doing aerobic gymnastics. Its like seeing Nietzsche dressed in a neon bodysuit dancing to Madonna while cheerfully declaring God is dead.

Upon the Technicolor canvas of the 1980s, Ellis paints a world of unrelenting economic expansion, a place where moral humanity is sucked into the flames of an ever-expanding capitalist garbage fire.

In Ellis vision, mergers and acquisitions become interchangeable with murders and executions. Within the gilded cage of Ellis modern nightmare, Bateman is the most dangerous animal at the Armani zoo.

But literary violence isnt only about entertainment. What we see in books like Psycho and Meridian resonates with the realities of 2020 and the emerging events of 2021.

According to data from the Gun Violence Archive, 2020 saw over 19,000 people killed by firearms, the highest fatality rate in more than 20 years. Time magazine declared that 2020 Will End as One of Americas Most Violent Years in Decades. A report from the National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice found that homicides rose by 36% across 28 major U.S. cities between June and October 2020. Every year since 2017 represented a spike more than double the previous average for school shootings.

The video of George Floyd being casually murdered sparked protests that occasionally erupted into violent upheaval. No sooner had the outrage begun to subside than the Capitol was besieged. Irreverence and force have never been far from American hearts.

A long time ago, in a neighborhood not far from Fordhams Lincoln Center campus, a mob assembled in lower Manhattan. It was July 9, 1776, when the crowd tore down a government-installed statue of King George III.

They didnt stop there. They melted George into ammunition.

When the British government responded with troops, they were met with melted majesty their beloved king had become musket balls.

Reading provides a pathway to extremes of human behavior that doesnt sacrifice personal safety.

A quote often attributed to Thomas Jefferson states, When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. When the government fears the people, there is liberty. But there is no evidence Jefferson ever actually said or wrote these words.

The violence in American literature and culture might help explain why this fictional quote is so widely embraced. Violence is etched into the stones of American history. Its a tattoo upon our national flesh that has never really begun to fade.

When you read violence, youre placing your fingers more firmly against the pulse of this country and, indeed, the world. Horror may be an appropriate reaction to violence, but it is rarely useful. Critical reading subverts horror reactions, replacing them with deeper meditations.

An hour of reading can unlock decades. Importantly, reading provides a pathway to extremes of human behavior that doesnt sacrifice personal safety.

If you can develop an understanding of monsters like Patrick Bateman of American Psycho or Judge Holden of Blood Meridian, you might find yourself more perceptive when it comes to the motivations of your fellow citizens. Monsters, after all, are most compelling when they are human.

The word violence comes from the Latin word for vehemence and, in the hands of a competent author, violence can be where we can find our own neglected passions and forgotten feelings.

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The Role of Violence in the American Literary Canon - Fordham Observer

Human Behavior

‘A Sledgehammer To The War On Drugs’: Oregon Decriminalizes Illegal Drugs – WBFO

Legislation that decriminalizes the possession of all illegal drugs goes into effect in Oregon on Monday.

Approved by voters in November, the measure says the state will fine offenders and offer addiction treatment instead of prison time. By addressing drug use as a public health issue rather than a crime, this historic change takes "a sledgehammer to the war on drugs," says Kassandra Frederique, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance.

Drug users need help, not punishment, she says, yet drug possession is the most common reason for arrest in the U.S. This legislation disrupts the relationship between getting help and getting in trouble.

"As someone who was a social worker, I recognize that people make different choices when they want to make those choices," she says. "Punishing people has never been an effective deterrent when its come to complex human behavior."

People dealing with addiction have limited treatment options in jail or prison, she says, whereas remaining part of their community helps folks maintain dignity and sovereignty to make better choices.

Under Oregon's new legislation, decriminalizing all drugs includes substances such as heroin, cocaine and meth. Opponents argue that by removing a major disincentive to do drugs, the law could fuel more drug use.

With more Americans dying from drug overdoses than ever before, Frederique says treatment and community resources need to be funded. Decriminalizing drugs sends a message to Oregonians that help is available, she says.

"Theres been so much cognitive dissonance about what the message is. Is it tough love or is it love?" she says. "And what I say is love is not supposed to hurt."

And Oregon isn't alone: Vermont, Colorado, Washington, California and Virginia are also looking into decriminalizing drugs.

"I think more people are looking at this than people realize because everyone recognizes that we cannot arrest our way out of this problem," she says. "So lets stop investing in that and lets actually start investing in community well-being."

Julia Corcoran produced and edited this interview for broadcast with Todd Mundt. Allison Hagan adapted it for the web.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

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'A Sledgehammer To The War On Drugs': Oregon Decriminalizes Illegal Drugs - WBFO

Human Behavior

What’s creativity got to do with it? – Campaign US

Use of the word Creativity is at an all-time high.

Its part of countless briefs, news articles, TED Talks and agency mission statements (including my own). But while we use it, we rarely describe its value to companies chasing it for growth.

If marketers ever needed a lesson on growth, its after last year. A pandemic, two impeachments, wildfires, elections, economic disruptions and a reckoning over racial injustice have led to massive changes in human behavior and business.

Some brands flourished amid these shifts, while others withered. Many factors determined their fates: resilient business models, essential industries, killer products, leadership, dumb luck ... the list goes on. But perhaps something else also played a big role: creativity.

In times of crisis, creativity thrives. Last year alone, The Flaming Lips held concerts in personal bubbles. Bud Light filled empty stadiums with cardboard fans. Patagonia sewed calls to Vote the assholes out into their shorts. KFC even made a movie on Lifetime.

But what impact did it all have? Did this creativity drive growth? And if so, how?

We decided to find out. First, we narrowed down the definition of creativity (no easy task) by boiling it down to two factors: originality and value, with six specific interpretations for brands. Then we used this rubric to evaluate how 100 brands in 10 industries used creativity in 2020.

We determined the brands that grew the most last year based on Les Binets share of searches and evaluated how many drivers were creative versus endemic using a simple binary measure.

This method has some caveats. More highly considered categories tend to be more searchable and therefore measurable than others. Moreover, share of searches depends on the defined market. So we chose five brands from each vertical, combining upstarts with incumbents.

We found that out of 100 brands, Nike, Airbnb, Peloton, Lowes and Delta Airlines used creativity most effectively to drive growth last year.

Each of these brands moved quickly to adapt their communications to the current moment. Nike, for instance, reinterpreted Just Do It to implore people to Play Inside, Play for the World.

They also used creativity to rethink their operations and experience. Airbnb, which rolled out enhanced clean protocols when the pandemic hit, continued to move decisively in real time by halting all reservations to Washington, D.C. amid threats surrounding the inauguration.

Brands that leveraged creativity to grow were also inclusive. Peloton, for example, launched a brand campaign with the hashtag #FindYourOwnTribe, and Airbnb opened its IPO to hosts.

These brands found everyday ways to help individuals. Lowes Transformation Tuesday series suggested new ways for people to reimagine their spaces while sheltering at home. And Deltas quarantine-free flights allow travelers flying for essential reasons to avoid quarantines.

For the most creative brands, surprise alone is no longer enough. Nikes meticulously edited film, You Cant Stop Us, inspired awe and made the brands mission more meaningful, rather than shocking for the sake of it. Awe has a higher propensity for growth, according to Orlando Woods Lemon.

Finally, clarity and conviction helped these brands weather the storm. Our top brands all committed to clear missions, built consistently over years of energy and focus. They reinforce these missions beyond their communications in everything they do, from new products to business commitments.

Volatility isnt going anywhere, and creativity helps brands grow amid uncertainty. Brands can use creativity as a ballast to keep long-term growth straight and true.

Scott MacLeod is director of planning at VIA.

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What's creativity got to do with it? - Campaign US

Human Behavior

Dog Study: OSU researchers find the animals are paying attention – St. Helens Chronicle

Dogs synchronize their behavior with the children in their family, but not as much as they do with adults, Oregon State University (OSU) researchers have found.

While research has found dogs can have a lot of positive impacts on a childs life, there are also risks associated with the dog-child relationship.

The new findings are important because there is a growing body of evidence that dogs can help children in many ways, including with social development, increasing physical activity, managing anxiety or as a source of attachment in the face of changing family structures, the researchers said. Yet, very little research has focused on how dogs perceive and socially engage with children.

The great news is that this study suggests dogs are paying a lot of attention to the kids that they live with, said Oregon State animal behaviorist Monique Udell, the lead author of the study.

Udell said dogs are responsive to children and, in many cases, behaving in synchrony with them, indicators of positive affiliation and a foundation for building strong bonds.

One interesting thing we have observed is that dogs are matching their childs behavior less frequently than what we have seen between dogs and adult caretakers, which suggests that while they may view children as social companions, there are also some differences that we need to understand better," Udell said.

Co-authors were Shelby Wanser, a faculty research assistant in Udells lab, and Megan MacDonald, an associate professor in Oregon States College of Public Health and Human Sciences, who studies how motor skills and physically active lifestyles improve the lives of children with and without disabilities

The researchers recruited 30 youth between the ages of 8 and 17 years old 83% of which had a developmental disability to take part in the study with their family dog. The experiments took place in a large empty room. Color-coded taped lines were placed on the floor, and the children were given instructions on how to walk the lines in a standardized way with their off-leash dog.

The researchers videotaped the experiments and analyzed behavior based on three elements:

(1) Activity synchrony, which means how much time the dog and child were moving or stationary at the same time.

(2) Proximity, or how much time the dog and child were within 1 meter of each other.

(3) Orientation, how much time the dog was oriented in the same direction as the child.

They found that dogs exhibited behavioral synchronization with the children at a higher rate than would be expected by chance for all three variables. During their assessments, they found:

Active synchrony for an average of 60.2% of the time. Broken down further, the dogs were moving an average of 73.1% of the time that the children were moving and were stationary an average of 41.2% of the time the children were stationary.

Proximity within 1 meter of each other for an average of 27.1% of the time.

Orientation in the same direction for an average of 33.5% of the time.

While child-dog synchrony occurred more often that what would be expected by chance, those percentages are all lower than what other researchers have found when studying interactions between dogs and adults in their household. Those studies found active synchrony 81.8% of the time, but at 49.1% with shelter dogs. They found proximity 72.9% of the time and 39.7% with shelter dogs. No studies on dog-human behavioral synchronization have previously assessed body orientation.

The Oregon State researchers are conducting more research to better understand factors that contribute to differences in levels of synchrony and other aspects of bond quality between dogs and children compared to dogs and adults, including participation in animal assisted interventions and increasing the childs responsibility for the dogs care.

While research has found dogs can have a lot of positive impacts on a childs life, there are also risks associated with the dog-child relationship, the researchers said. For example, other studies have found dogs are more apt to bite children versus adults.

We still have a lot to learn about the dog-child relationship Udell said. Were hoping this research can inform the best ways to shape positive outcomes and mitigate risks by helping children interact with dogs in a manner that improves the relationship and ultimately the welfare of both individuals.

Based on this study, Udell also offered some takeaways for families with children and dogs.

What we are finding is that kids are very capable of training dogs, and that dogs are paying attention to the kids and can learn from them, she said. Sometimes we dont give children and dogs enough credit. Our research suggests that with some guidance we can provide important and positive learning experiences for our kids and our dogs starting at a much earlier age, something that can make a world of difference to the lives of both.

The OSU research paper was recently published in the journal Animal Cognition.

Sean Nealon is a news editor at Oregon State University's University Relations and Marketing Department. He may be reached at sean.nealon@oregonstate.edu

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Dog Study: OSU researchers find the animals are paying attention - St. Helens Chronicle

Human Behavior

James S. McDonnell Foundation Announces New 2020 Grants for The 21st Century Science Initiative Awards – Business Wire

ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Officers and Directors of the James S. McDonnell Foundation today announced more than $6 million in grants in their ongoing program, the 21st Century Science Initiative. Together with previously announced grants, the Foundations total 2020 commitment is more than $18.5M.

In 2020, JSMF inaugurated the Opportunity Awards funding new research studying human behavior across the lifespan using more naturalistic designs and dynamic measures better to reflect our day-to-day behavior.

Other 21st Century Science Initiative grants are listed below. Of note are Collaborative Awards investigating the neurological impacts of COVID-19 and studying how societal collective memories are formed and maintained. The Foundation continues to fulfill James S. McDonnells vision of serving society by supporting the quest for new knowledge and its responsible application, President Susan M. Fitzpatrick noted. These new grants are pushing forward the Foundations agenda of supporting scientific research contributing solutions to important complex problems.

JSMF supports research in two program areas: Understanding Human Cognition and Understanding Dynamic & Multi-scale Systems. The foundation also awards Special Initiative grants to projects closely aligned with its programmatic interests but are structured to allow JSMF to pursue unusual opportunities.

The McDonnell Foundations 2020 21st Century Science Initiative Awards are:

Opportunity Awards: Understanding Human Cognition

Temple University, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaExpanding the Horizons for Research at the Developmental Interface of Brain, Body, and Behavior,Project Lead: Peter Marshall, $250,000 over four years

Tulane University, New Orleans, LouisianaOrigins of body knowledgeProject Lead: Jeffrey Lockman, $250,000 over four years

Universidad de los Andes, Bogot, ColombiaOff the Rails: Moral Psychology Beyond Traditional BordersProject Lead: Santiago Amaya, $250,000 over four years

University of California, Davis, Davis, CaliforniaLeveraging Virtual Reality to Unlock Interactions Between Visual Attention and Memory in Children and AdultsProject Lead: Joy Geng, $250,000 over four years

University of California, Davis, Davis, CaliforniaExamination of infant learning in naturalistic interactionsProject Lead: Lisa Oakes, $250,000 over four years

University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United KingdomEmbracing Complexity in NeurodevelopmentProject Lead: Duncan Astle, $250,000 over four years

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan,Personalized Cognition in Context: An Ambulatory Assessment Study of Executive Function Dynamics Across Adulthood and AgingProject Lead: Adriene Beltz, $250,000 over four years

University of Oxford, Oxford, United KingdomDoes social support buffer fatigue? A Social-Developmental ApproachProject Lead: Emma Cohen, $250,000 over four years

Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MissouriEvent Cognition in the WildProject Lead: Jeffrey Zacks, $250,000 over four years

Yale University, New Haven, ConnecticutEstablishing Ground Truth About the Development of Episodic Memory in InfancyProject Lead: Nicholas Turk-Browne, $250,000 over four years

Collaborative Activity Awards: Understanding Human Cognition

Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York City, New YorkCOVID-19 Consortium for Recovery of ConsciousnessProject Lead: Nicholas Schiff, $1,500,000 over three years.

Collaborative Activity Award: Special Initiatives

Ceibal Center for Educational Support of Children and Adolescents, Montevideo, UruguaySupport for the 2020 Latin American School for Education, Cognitive and Neural SciencesProject Lead: Alejandro Maiche, $50,460 over one year

Health Research Alliance, Research Triangle Park, North CarolinaIn Support of Program Planning for the Re-imagining Biomedical Research Ecosystem InitiativeProject Lead: Maryrose Franko, $50,000 over one year

Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MissouriCollective Memory CollaborativeProject Lead: Henry L. Roediger III, $750,000 over three years

Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards: Understanding Dynamic and Multi-scale Systems

Caitlin Cornell, University of California BerkeleyMichelle Feng, California Institute of TechnologyArtem Kaznatcheev, University of PennsylvaniaChristopher Lynn, The City University of New YorkSandeep Manjanna, University of PennsylvaniaBrandon Schlomann, University of California Berkeley

Founded in 1950 by the late aerospace pioneer and founder of what would become the McDonnell Douglas Corporation, James S. McDonnell believed that science and technology gives mankind the power to shape knowledge for the future while improving our lives. "Mr. Mac's" vision continues to be realized through the research these grants are supporting. Since the inception of the 21st Century Science Initiative in 2000, more than $350 million in funding has been awarded.

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James S. McDonnell Foundation Announces New 2020 Grants for The 21st Century Science Initiative Awards - Business Wire

Human Behavior

The Beauty of Southwestern – Southern Newsroom

Everywhere I go, I enjoy making myself at home. If Im staying in a hotel, I unpack all my belongings and arrange them just so, and Im usually asked if Im planning on moving in because I dont travel light. If Im in a coffee shop writing on my laptop, I have a specific setup for optimal efficiency: laptop to the left, notebook to the right, and my coffee right in the middle for accessibility.

Im no different when it comes to my school.

The following are three of my favorite places on the Southwestern campus, each being significant to me for their own unique reason, but all contributing to my overalland crucialfeeling of home.

Imagine: Youre a student in your first year at Southwestern. Its a regular weekday, and youve just finished your first class. You enter MoodBridwell Hall, approach the elevator, ride it up to the third floor, walk down the hall toward the offices, and turn back around when you realize youve gone the wrong way (the MoodBridwell layout is confusing if youre directionally challenged like me). Then, you finally reach your intended destination: a narrow hallway leading to two adjacent doors. They are to the offices of two academic advisors. You may not realize it now, but your existence, as you know it, has ended.

This is your first academic advising appointment at SU. You know the drill. Youve had academic advising appointments either in high school or at a different university, and you know what to expect. Your advisor will tell you your options for classes in the upcoming semester, review your previous transcripts to make sure youre on the right track to graduate, then send you on your merry way.

Wrong.

The reality: you enter as a first-year student at Southwestern University, but you leave as something entirely different.

Youre no longer an introverted homebody who cant stand being away from your house for longer than 12 hours. Youre now someone with serious wanderlust, taking the first step toward becoming a world traveler by applying for study abroad programs to live in a different country across the globe for an entire month or semester. Or perhaps youre now the aspiring CEO of a start-up company preparing for the world of business through a program that encourages entrepreneurship and innovation, guiding you toward your ultimate goal of having complete autonomy over your time and your life. Or maybe you just talked to Associate Professor of Economics and Business Debika Sihi about her adorable dog, Biscuit, and now you have the urge to adopt a furry friend of your own.

Regardless of the outcome of your appointment, the academic advisors at SU are sure to turn your world topsy-turvybut in an auspicious way. Youre now realizing that being a serious academic isnt attainable only by individuals of the mental acumen of Einstein or Hawking; its a possibility for those who are simply earnest in their pursuit of learning. And youre now understanding that the pursuit of learning isnt confined to the elementary topics introduced to you in high school; its broadened to an abundance of specialized disciplines and opportunities that actually pique your interest, such as learning about human behavior through the study of animals or pursuing a passion project with the help of your professors.

So as youre playing with the miniature Japanese zen garden sitting on Director of Business Internships and Assistant Professor of Business Andy Rosss desk while pondering whether to go for that business and biology double major, or what type of internship opportunities you want to pursue for the summer, just know that your life is about to become significantly more complicated, but in the best possible way.

Now we shift to a different setting: the grassy lawn known as the Academic Mall. Its no surprise that Southwestern University possesses such an area, as most universities do. But this one offers something particularly valuable: perspective.

At this point in the day, youve spent hours in the library studying for your upcoming exam, and you need a change of scenery. Its a beautiful day, with just the right temperature for basking in the sun like a lizard (if you tend to run cold like I do).

However, once you reach the area, youre faced with a dilemma: where do you sit?

There are so many spots to choose from in this expansive field. Will you be bold today and choose to stand out by sitting in the lone bright yellow Adirondack chair in the middle of the campus? Or will you lounge under the shade of the very climbable-looking trees, people-watching as your classmates go about their daily business? Or maybe you want to erect a barrier around you using multiple lounge chairs and defend your new territory like the SU Pirate you are. The possibilities are vast. And so are the perspectives.

When faced with the monotony of daily life, it can be easy to fall into the rhythm of going to class, going to work, eating, sleeping, studying, repeat. You find yourself in the same places at the same time of day, and soon your days blur into one another as youre faced with the never-ending torrent of assignments and obligations that come with being a university student. So stop, just for a moment. Notice where you are, and notice that its different from where youve been before. Breathe in the fresh air, and appreciate everything thats around you. You now have a different perspective.

But if you do this, make sure to bring a snack. The dining hall is close by, and when the wind wafts in your direction, youre likely to get a bit peckish.

Not many people know that Southwestern has its own secret garden.

Over the years, the A. Frank Smith, Jr. Library has been added onto multiple times, giving the buildings a duality of old versus new. You can see this from the garden, as the modern portion of the library in which students spend most of their time is in direct contrast with the building that houses Special Collections and possesses the gothic charm characteristic of classic SU.

During the additions, the builders decided to incorporate a small courtyard in the center of the buildings where the old meets the new. The area remained empty for a short while until it became a passion project of Director of Library Resources Amy Anderson, and based on the roughly two-decade-long history of this quaint area, it is obvious that some unseen force wanted it to thrive.

When you enter the courtyard, the first thing youll notice is the massive fruit trees, and if youre there during the right season, youll definitely notice the dozens, possibly hundreds, of ripe tangerines. According to Anderson, tangerine trees arent known for being the most long living, so its a surprise that this one is still kicking. There is also a volunteer tallow tree (volunteer trees are saplings that come up from seed all by themselves), just adding to the assumption that the area was, and is, meant to be.

You have many seats to choose from, but you decide to sit on the wooden bench shaded by the branches of a fruit tree. You now have a complete view of the garden.

Behind you is a floor-to-ceiling glass window, giving you a glimpse back into the modern world of the brightly lit library. But dont turn around. Keep your eyes forward, forget about whats behind you, and focus on whats in front of you. Underneath your feet is uneven red cobblestone, and lining the sides of the courtyard is lush, fern-like foliage. The towering but undaunting buildings around you command deference. In another situation, you might feel claustrophobic, but the charm and serenity of the space ward away any negative feelings of this nature, and instead, you feel safely ensconced in the heart of these stalwart structures. Youre isolated but not lonely.

If youre here on a particularly still day, when the wind isnt blowing through the trees and everything is calm and quiet, the only thing youll hear is the occasional bird chirp. You can almost imagine that the world has stopped, and maybe even forget about it altogether, existing in a place disassociated from its chaotic nature. You breathe in the crisp air and exhale the burdens that come along with being, well, human. And if you try hard enough, you can stay here in this secret, sheltered place long enough to just exist, and nothing else. Long enough to just be.

It seems common sense, but Ive known many people, including myself, who just suck it up and stick it out when theyre not satisfied in the school, town, or community where they attend school. In the process of bettering ourselves and our lives, it becomes easy to justify being miserable here and now to be successful in the future. After all, suffering is a necessary part of college in regards to the courses that challenge you and the maturation you go through as you transition from adolescence to adulthood. But forcing yourself to conform to a place or situation in which you find yourself feeling lost, disappointed, or frustrated isnt worth it. You wouldnt ask it of a friend or loved one, so why would you ask it of yourself? Life becomes easier when you actually enjoy the place you call home.

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The Beauty of Southwestern - Southern Newsroom

Human Behavior

How the COVID-19 pandemic can be the push forward that the planet needs – MarketWatch

In less than a year, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a catastrophic effect on humankind. The question is, can it have a positive impact on human behavior and society for years to come?

History is replete with examples of positive developments emerging from some of the darkest chapters of life. The cholera outbreaks of the 1800s, for example, spurred the reimagining of great cities, from the tree-lined boulevards of Paris to Central Park in New York City. The 1918 influenza epidemic gave rise to the concept of public health and modernized the delivery of health services throughout the world.

Will there be similar positive outcomes from COVID-19?There already are. If you think about the changes in human and societal behavior that have taken place over the past year, these developments could have major implications on healing the global economy and addressing inequality if we work to sustain them.

Inclusion through digitalization

Digitalization in a wide array of industries from healthcare to education to agriculture and financial services would probably have taken place without the pandemics social distancing requirements. Now, leaps made in teleconferencing, telemedicine, education-tech, and fintech in 2020 are likely to have huge implications for productivity, the global economy, and the ability of lower-income consumers and households to access essential services. This can have a profound impact on reducing economic and healthcare inequality.

The impact of working from home

As social distancing requirements forced offices to temporarily close or reconfigure, many companies have been pleasantly surprised by how productive their employees have been while working from home. This has led to speculation of what office life could be in a post-pandemic world. Will we return to our cubicles or will companies continue to be flexible in allowing employees to work from home?

The answer to this question could have far-reaching ramifications:

Putting the urgency in ESG

The global pandemic reminds us that we are all affected by our society and environment. As such, it has given a greater sense of urgency to deal with environmental and social issues the E and the S in ESG.

Our responsibility in 2021 is to make sure it does. The private and public sectors will be working together throughout the coming year to implement the largest vaccination program in human history. Its important that governments, businesses, communities and investors find a way to build on the successes of this unprecedented effort to save lives and livelihoods as we move beyond COVID-19 and turn to an even bigger challenge: Saving the planet.

Vikram Gandhi is a Senior Lecturer at Harvard Business School, where he developed and teaches HBS first course on impact investing Investing: Risk, Return, and Impact.

More: 7 things you need to know about Generation Z

Also read: Investing in China isnt easy. Focusing on ESG can help

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How the COVID-19 pandemic can be the push forward that the planet needs - MarketWatch

Human Behavior

Psychopathology resulting from childhood abuse is more strongly linked to subjective rather than objective … – PsyPost

New research published in the journal Nature Human Behavior suggests that a persons subjective experience of childhood maltreatment is linked to an elevated risk of psychopathology, while the objective experience of abuse is not.

While childhood maltreatment is a known risk factor for future mental health issues, there is an emerging debate over whether it is the objective experience of abuse or a persons construal of the abuse that leads to psychopathology. It has recently been discovered that assessments identifying adults with subjective reports of past childhood maltreatment and assessments identifying children with objective experiences of maltreatment yield disparate groups of individuals.

Study authors Andrea Danese (@andrea_danese) and Cathy Spatz Widom say that a better understanding of how subjective and objective experiences of childhood maltreatment contribute to psychopathology would greatly inform future research practices.

Doubts on whether psychopathology is more strongly associated with documented experience or personal appraisal of childhood trauma dates back to writing by Freud, said Danese, a professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at Kings College London.

That was at the time when the philosophical tradition of Phenomenology was also developing, focusing on the differences between objective and subjective experience. Building on that tradition, we have recently shown that prospective measures of childhood trauma (third-person perspectives from official records or parental reports) and retrospective measures (self reports by adults) identify largely different groups of people. Therefore, we sought to test whether these different measures of childhood trauma also showed differential association with psychopathology.

To explore this topic, the researchers obtained a sample of 908 individuals identified through official court records as victims of child abuse or neglect in 1967-1971. The researchers then gathered a comparison sample of 667 individuals with no record of abuse or neglect, who were matched to the first sample when it came to age, race, sex, and social class.

Danese and Widom tracked down both groups of individuals and were able to conduct two-hour follow-up interviews among 1,196 of these participants, who were now an average of 28 years of age. During these interviews, the participants were asked questions about their upbringing that assessed the presence of childhood maltreatment. The interviews also measured current and lifetime psychopathology, which included measures of depression, dysthymia, PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, antisocial personality disorder, and alcohol and drug abuse/dependence.

The interviews revealed three different groups of participants: those with only objective experiences of child abuse, those with both objective and subjective experiences of abuse, and those with only subjective experiences of abuse.

The researchers found that adults with only objective experiences of child abuse those identified by official records as having been victims of abuse but who did not retrospectively recall the experience when interviewed showed no greater psychopathology than those with neither objective nor subjective experiences of maltreatment. On the other hand, adults who retrospectively recalled being abused as children showed an increased risk of lifetime psychopathology whether they had official records of childhood maltreatment or not.

The subjective or lived experience of childhood trauma is more strongly associated with psychopathology than even severe objective experiences documented from court records. This means that psychopathology is not simply triggered by what happens to children but rather how children and adults think about their experiences, Danese told PsyPost. This perspective offers new hope for treatments focused on cognitive interventions for trauma survivors. Overall, this evidence suggests that young people are not defined by their negative life experiences.

This pattern of findings remained constant across gender, race, type of psychological disorder, and type of maltreatment.

Of course, the researchers emphasized, our results do not diminish the significance of maltreatment in the lives of children . . . Our results also show that many children with official records and subjective appraisal of maltreatment go on to develop psychopathology.

The researchers said that the fields current understanding of psychopathology resulting from child abuse needs to be revised so that it acknowledges the crucial role of the subjective experience of childhood maltreatment. They added that more research is needed to better understand why some abused children go on to establish a subjective evaluation of their abuse while others do not.

We are interested to expand our analysis to test if there are features on the traumatic events and cognitive appraisal that can help us explain the differential association of objective and subjective measures of childhood trauma with psychopathology, Danese told PsyPost. We are also interested in testing whether similar or different patterns can be observed for the associations with physical health outcomes. Ultimately, we will learn from this epidemiological work to inform the development of new treatments.

The study, Objective and subjective experiences of child maltreatment and their relationships with psychopathology, was authored by Andrea Danese and Cathy Spatz Widom.

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Psychopathology resulting from childhood abuse is more strongly linked to subjective rather than objective ... - PsyPost