Category Archives: Human Behavior

Human Behavior

The Backyard Monarchs of the Bay Area – Bay Nature

Monarch butterfly. (Photo by James St. John, Creative Commons BY)

It should be early for monarchs. But as a flutter of brown and orange sighs past me, windblown and lonely, during a long amble along the Marin Headlands in April, I exclaim, and I freeze. I watch it land with delightful poise on a Franciscan paintbrush. A monarch! But it is off and fluttering far from me before I can be certain. The internet, killer of dreams, proclaims that it was obviously a Hoffmans checkerspot, or, perhaps, a northern checkerspot, or a painted lady, or a Mylitta crescent.

But I am in need of a kind of optimism-of-the-unexpected. And so, I wonder whether it could have been a locally breeding monarchharbingers all at once of apocalypse and rebirthakin to those monitored by entomologist David James in the winter and spring of 2021.

These are the facts of the western monarch: they migrate in late fall, spend the winter in coastal California, and disperse across the western United States to breed in spring and summer. In the 1980s a recorded 4.5 million gathered in the winter sites. But by January 2021, the migrating butterflies had all but vanished, with less than 2,000 butterflies spread across the edge of a continent.

That same winter, amid a profusion of red, gold, and creamy purple milkweed, amid sun-yellow Euryops, in fragrant, spiky rosemary, and on rounded petals of common weedy field mustard, careful observers noted flutters of brown and orange. Soon, they saw dozens of soft, crawly larvae, and then, on the undersides of leaves, found first one small white-and-pale-green egg, and then another, and then another, and then more! Clustered together in colorful urban patches of nature in the South Bay, specifically the Googleplex in Mountain View and Rinconada Community Garden in Palo Alto, the monarchs were breeding. In the winter!

It is known that small populations of monarchs breed in the winter. They have set up permanent shop in Los Angeles, for instance. But the population boom in the Bay Area had not been seen before. It was unusually warm that fall, which may have accounted for the numbers. And tropical milkweed, which, unlike native milkweed, flowers through the winter and creates a suitable habitat for breeding, was abundant in gardens.

Whats more, reports of backyard monarchs breeding in summer in cities have increased dramatically since 2014, though of course that might be because more people want to report monarch sightings. But the growth of local, breeding monarchs is seen, at least by some, as a sign of the resilience of the monarchs, their ability to find new ways to persist in the face of an increasingly threatened migration. Might we be seeing the growth of a resident population of monarchs in the Bay Area?

A lot of people have this feeling that without the migration, the monarch is nothing, says James. Thats not necessarily true. If we got rid of the migration, the butterflies could still continue. For humans, that would be a pity. But in the ecology of thingsits not that bad.

The question may be whether we can separate the human from the butterfly. At almost every stage of life, the butterflies are threatened by climate change, habitat degradation, and increased use of neonicotinoid pesticides. At the same time, monarchs flourished in habitats that people made particularly habitable. People and monarchs are inextricably woven together, orange and brown, creating one pattern.

To James, the monarchs will do what they must to survive. And carving out small niches in urban dwellings is only the latest way butterflies have always exploited human behavior. It is humans who may struggle to adapt. I have a lot of confidence and faith in the adaptability of the monarch to outlive us, he says. [But] we are so used to seeing it abundant and common. It may be a shock for people to see that it becomes a rare butterfly, for a while at least. Thats the thing that gets most people. It might be something we have to cope with in the future. But, he adds, the butterfly will still have the ability to bounce back. Its like a cockroach.

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The story of the monarch has never been only about facts. It is about interest, attention, and proximity. To be close to something, perhaps close enough to brush its wing with the tip of a finger, is to be thrown into attention and, maybe, into love. The monarch migration may yet bounce backthe winter of 2022 saw the highest number of migrating monarchs since 2016. But it cannot be denied that the monarch population in the Western United States is declining, and small, urban populations are not likely to replace them. Many of usif we are not lucky enough to live near a local populationmay need to find new ways to be in proximity.

To tell a story is to summon phantoms from the dark, and in the brief illuminationin the millisecond it takes for wings to beat, for wind to catch, for something cherished to move onto try to pin it there. It is to say: these are the details worth repeating, this is what I would like to hold on to.

We do not know what will become of the monarchs. But what we tell ourselves about their changes may help us change. Deciding which details to hold on to, which story to tell, can be a way of finding proximity, and attention, and love, which is hope, again.

Here is where I land: I saw a monarch in the Marin Headlands last weekend. A new Bay Area neighbor, adapting to a changing world, making do with what is available, as we all must.

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The Backyard Monarchs of the Bay Area - Bay Nature

Human Behavior

The Rundown: July 4, 2022 Multiversity Comics – Multiversity Comics

Welcome back to The Rundown, our daily breakdown on comic news stories we missed from the previous day. Have a link to share? Email our team at rundown@multiversitycomics.com.

In case you missed it, Marvel announced a new ongoing Spider-Man series by writer Dan Slott and artist Mark Bagley.

Artwork by Mike Del Mundoand Mike Huddleston

Jonathan Hickman, Mike Del Mundo, and Mike Huddlestons 3 Worlds / 3 Moons universe will be debuting in print with an issue called Foundations, which is set for release at San Diego Comic-Con. Joining the creative trio on the issue will be designer Sasha E. Head, letterer Rus Wooton, and editor-in-chief Stephen Wacker. Foundations is set to follow a scientist called Doctor Tajo R. Vallar, who works for the Institute, an organization that seeks to maintain the scientific status quo by systematically covering up the existence of magic across the universe. Hickman, Del Mundo, and Huddleston had previously kept the development of the 3W/3M universe on their Substack, with digital and special editions of Foundations having already been made or set to be made available to different tiered subscribers. There will also be a booth and a panel for 3 Worlds / 3 Moons at SDCC, which takes place on July 21 through July 24. Check out a preview of Foundations over at Popverse.

WhatNot Inc. and Massive Publishing will be launching WhatNot Publishing with two launch titles: Alpha Betas and The Exiled. The four-part Alpha Betas series is based on the animated series of the same name, and was written by Kyle Starks with art by Michael Calero and Trevor Richardson. The series will chronicle four elite-level gamers hired by the government to enter video game worlds, preventing real-world problems from occurring as a consequence of the digital worlds collapsing. The Exiled is a sci-fi graphic novel by Wesley Snipes, Keith Arem, Adam Lawson, Gabriel Eskivo Santos, and Valentina Bianconi; it will follow Detective Niles Roach Washington in the pursuit of a serial killer five thousand years in the making. Launched as a Kickstarter project, The Exileds preview book was the result of Lawson and Arem teaming with WhatNot Publishing, but this partnership has expanded to see the graphic novel get a full release. Alpha Betas #1 is scheduled for release on October 12, with The Exiled set for early 2023, though its preview comic will be available at SDCC.

Publishers Weekly reported on six graphic novel deals this week. These included:

All three graphic novels are set to debut in Winter 2025. You can read the full details about all of the graphic novel deals this week here.

Syfy revealed that Resident Alien season 2 is set to return with the second half of its 16 episodes on Wednesday, August 10. In a teaser trailer, we see how the alien intended to wipe out humanity, Harry Vanderspeigle (Alan Tudyk), is adopting more and more identifiable human behaviors despite his insistence that becoming more human is an awful thing; regardless of his behavior though, the trailer highlights that the survival of the world is at stake, and he is the only individual potentially capable of saving it. The series is based on the comic series of the same name by Peter Hogan and Steve Parkhouse. The trailer is available here.

Skip ahead if you want to avoid possible Black Adam spoilers: the action figures from the upcoming film have revealed the villain of the Dwayne Johnson-starring film to be none other than Sabbac. By way of the description for the figure, it was revealed that Sabbac will originally be a military Intergang leader that has been possessed by a demon, and has powers that are equal to those of Black Adam; with these powers, Sabbac intends to take over Kahndaq and maybe the whole world. Sabbac first debuted in Captain Marvel Jr. #4 by Otto Binder and Al Carreno in 1943. You can check out the action figure for Sabbac, as well as figures for a host of the other Black Adam characters here ahead of the films release on October 21.

Finally, to celebrate Pride Month, Square Enix released a short story called Marvel Avengers: A Sunset with You by writer Leyla K., with variant covers being provided by artists Paulina Ganucheau, Kris Anka, and Derek Charm. The story is an official expansion of the video games lore, and sees a trainee member of the Dora Milaje called Ayo trying to impress and charm her captain and crush, Aneka, with help from Ms. Marvel. Head over to the Marvels Avengers website to read or download the story.

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The Rundown: July 4, 2022 Multiversity Comics - Multiversity Comics

Human Behavior

New omicron-specific COVID-19 boosters are coming this fall. What you need to know. – UCHealth Today

New omicron-specific COVID booster shots are coming this fall. Learn more about these new booster shots and who likely will need to get them. Photo: Getty Images.

New COVID-19 booster shots specially formulated to fight multiple omicron variants will be available by fall.

An advisory panel for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently recommended approval of the new tailored COVID-19 booster vaccines, and the U.S. government plans to buy millions of vaccine doses for a fall booster campaign.

We consulted with infectious disease and COVID-19 expert,Dr. Thomas Campbell, to answer your questions about the newest COVID-19 booster shots and to learn more about who should get them.

Campbell ran clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccines atUCHealth University of Colorado Hospitalon theAnschutz Medical Campus. He is alsoa professor of medicine and infectious diseasesat theUniversity of Colorado School of Medicine.

The original vaccines are still very effective in preventing hospitalization and death from COVID-19. They are particularly effective in people who have received the recommended boosters, Campbell said.

But its normal for viruses to change and for variants to develop, Campbell said.

In the case of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, multiple omicron variants have spread and become dominant throughout 2022. They include omicron variants known as BA.2, BA.4 and BA.5.

The original vaccines and boosters did not specifically fight these omicron variants because they hadnt developed yet. The proliferation of omicron variants has prompted the primary vaccine makers who are supplying COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S. Pfizer and Moderna to create new, tailored versions of their booster shots that will better combat omicron variants. The vaccine makers have pledged to deliver the new doses by fall.

No. Not yet, Campbell said.

While its possible that well be able to get combined flu/COVID-19 vaccines in the future, for now, vaccine makers and health experts have not yet created a new double-duty flu/COVID-19 vaccine.

No. People who have never gotten COVID-19 vaccines should get their first two doses of the original vaccines as soon as possible. The new recipe of the booster shots was tested on people who already had their initial vaccine doses and one booster shot.

I would strongly advise people who are not vaccinated at all to complete the primary series of two shots (with the original vaccine), Campbell said.

No. People who have not received their first two vaccine doses known as the primary series still will receive the original vaccines. The original versions protect well against most strains of the virus. Its important to note that no one knows yet precisely which strains of the virus will be circulating this fall or in the future.

Even though we are dealing with omicron variants now, its still possible that another version of the virus like delta or the original strain could come back at a later time. So, we all need to make sure that were protected against the older variants, Campbell said.

When the new omicron-specific booster vaccines are authorized (and delivered), they likely will only be given to people who have already completed a primary series with the prototype vaccine.

Do not wait, Campbell advised.

If you have gotten your first two vaccine doses and are eligible for a booster shot, get it now. And if youre eligible for a second booster shot, get it as soon as possible, Campbell said.

The newest variants are highly contagious and are spreading widely now. The current vaccines and boosters are helping to reduce the severity of illness and are preventing some hospitalizations. So, its wise to get fully boosted now, Campbell said.

Adults who are ages 50 and older should get two booster doses. Thats also true for younger people who are immunocompromised or are especially vulnerable to getting severely ill with COVID-19.

Everyone ages 5 and older should get a booster dose after completing their primary series.

Babies and toddlers are now eligible for their first vaccine doses and are not yet getting booster shots.

It can be confusing to figure out who is eligible for booster shots and what the proper timing is. If you need help sorting out your specific situation and deciding when to get a booster shot, you can use a handy tool that health experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have created.

There are three main reasons.

First, the newest omicron variants spread much more easily than previous versions, Campbell said.

Second, many people are not fully vaccinated.

In the United States, only a small portion of the population has received one booster, and an even smaller portion of the population has received two boosters, he said.

If more people can fully vaccinated and boosted, the spread of the current variants may decrease.

And third, antibodies from vaccines, booster shots or a COVID-19 infection decrease over time, making it easier for people to get infected for the first time or to get the illness again.

With the omicron variant, after the first booster dose, the protection starts to really drop off by about six months, Campbell said.

Researchers do not know yet how long the immunity after a second booster dose lasts.

Yes. Research is showing that most people who have had a recent case of COVID-19 should have high antibody levels for about three months. So, they can wait 90 days after a COVID-19 infection to get their next booster dose.

If youve just had COVID, theres no rush to go out and get the booster. You can safely delay getting it for at least three months, Campbell said.

The vaccine makers have told FDA medical experts that they plan to deliver the newest booster doses by about mid-October.

Federal health officials have not decided yet who will be eligible to receive them.

Campbell expects that FDA and CDC experts will want vulnerable people including those who are older, immunosuppressed or at risk for bad outcomes if they get COVID-19 to be first in line to get the newest booster shots.

Its possible, however, that federal officials will recommend the new omicron-specific booster shots for everyone, including younger people.

Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are a newer type of vaccine, known as mRNA vaccines. Its faster to create and change these types of vaccines, which is why the vaccine makers can incorporate new protection against omicron variants.

Its encouraging that well have these newer versions of the boosters, Campbell said.

He credits good science and attentive researchers.

They have paid very close attention to what the virus is doing, he said. And one of the advantages of the mRNA technology is that it can be changed fairly quickly to reflect what the virus is doing.

They do not, Campbell said.

Its important to know that researchers and vaccines makers must do the best they can to predict which vaccines will be spreading. No vaccine can be a perfect match for the future spread of a virus.

Under the best case scenario, the best technology is still three months behind, Campbell said.

Even so, people around the world are lucky that vaccine development is moving much more rapidly than it did in the past. And, it makes sense to have COVID-19 vaccines that protect people from a broad range of variants, not just omicron-specific vaccines, Campbell said.

The virus that causes COVID-19 is here to stay, Campbell said.

Its important to plan for another wave in the fall and winter because theres a good probability that it will happen, Campbell said.

Both vaccine-induced immunity and immunity from natural infection wane over time. We have a virus thats still here along with waning immunity. And human behavior changes in the fall, Campbell said. Kids will go back to school. The weather will be colder. The daylight hours will be shorter, so people will be indoors more and having more contact with other people. Then, well have Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years and travel associated with the holidays.

All of those patterns point to the continued spread of COVID-19, he said.

We have all the ingredients necessary to create a new wave, Campbell said.

So, he encourages everyone to pay attention to FDA and CDC guidance and to stay up to date on vaccines and boosters.

These recommendations are based on evolving information that comes from good science, Campbell said.

Get your booster per the authorization, whether its for everybody or people ages 50 and older. Once its authorized, get boosters sooner rather than later so your immunity levels are high by November and December, when all of the conditions for a fall spike are likely to converge.

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New omicron-specific COVID-19 boosters are coming this fall. What you need to know. - UCHealth Today

Human Behavior

Types of Counseling Careers: Addictions Counseling – Troy Today – Troy University

Addiction impacts all areas of life. It contributes to public health challenges, mental illness, crime, and family and societal breakdown. Despite changing attitudes, the problem of addiction is still often perceived as a shameful flaw rather than the chronic illness it is. Its the job of anaddictions specialistto look beyond this prejudice and help clients rebuild their lives in recovery through varioustypes of counselingservices.

With more than 20 years of experience working in the mental health andaddictions counselingfield, Dr. Shelley Reed has worked with clients across various settings, including differenttypes of counselinggroups, hospitals, courts and prison systems.

As an assistant professor, clinical director and coordinator for theaddictions counseling graduate certificate at Troy University, Dr. Reed now helps counseling and psychology students develop their skills in diagnosing and treating addictions.

What Is Addiction?

According to Dr. Reed, addiction is typically defined as a compulsive and difficult to control use of a substance such as drugs or alcohol that negatively impacts the ability of the individual to function.

Dr. Reed was initially drawn to the field ofaddiction counselingby a general interest in human behavior.

My interest in human behavior turned into an interest in counseling, says Dr. Reed. I figured if I could understand the whys, then I could work out how to help.

Dr. Reed soon discovered that addiction was often a more complex issue that carried with it other serious challenges beyond the addiction itself.

When clients with addiction came along, it really intrigued me because it was common to have co-occurring mental health and substance use issues, says Dr. Reed.

Highlighting the prevalence of addiction, she describes addiction as an equal opportunities problem.

Ive never met anyone who didnt have some form of addiction in their family, says Dr. Reed.

According to Dr. Reed, many counselors have personal or family experiences that contribute to their desire to go into the counseling profession.

Many of the students in this certificate program have had the experience of addiction personally, either themselves or with their family, says Dr. Reed. Its very common to want to understand themselves or their family members. They also want to give back to help prevent it from happening to other people.

Models of Addiction

Dr. Reed explains that many different contributory factors can lead to addiction.

Theres a lot of debate in psychology regarding the nature versus nurture aspect of addiction, says Dr. Reed. Are you born with a predetermined risk of addiction, or is it a result of your environment or experience? There are genetic components of addiction. Its been strongly shown, particularly with alcoholism, that there is a big hereditary component.

This doesnt mean that addiction is automatically passed down through the generations.

It doesnt make you want to misuse drugs or alcohol from the get-go, says Dr. Reed. But it can contribute to becoming physically dependent on the substance, whereas others might use it socially or recreationally, go about their business and not necessarily become physically addicted.

Breaking the Cycle of Addiction

The desire to break the cycle of addiction in the community is a common trait among many of Dr. Reeds students.

Dr. Tammy W. Montgomerygraduated from TROYscounseling and psychology masters program with a certificate in substance addiction in 2017 before studying for her Ph.D. and becoming a licensed counselor in the greater Columbus area.

Dr. Montgomery developed an interest in addiction counseling while working as an elementary educator.

I taught in public school as an elementary educator for 15 years, says Dr. Montgomery. During my time as an elementary educator, I witnessed several families needing mental health awareness and support. I also saw substance addiction and other impulsive behaviors as major factors that seemed to keep them in debilitating cycles.

Dr. Montgomery found herself spending significant time providing resources to meet her students basic needs before learning could take place.

Although I helped my students gain success academically and personally, I burned out and felt ineffective, says Dr. Montgomery. I was essentially working in two roles. First, I was an educator a role in which I was highly trained and skilled. But I also took on the role as a counselor without proper skills and tools.

She agrees that addiction and mental health go hand in hand. I believe it is vital for every incoming counselor to learn about substance addiction or abuse and its impact on a persons mental health and social well-being, she says. Understanding the unhealthy correlation between these factors might be the very ingredient needed to help a client reach and maintain stability.

What Is an Addictive Personality?

Dr. Reed explains that it is important to understand thepsychology of addictionbecause addicts often substitute one problem for another.

People do substitute one addiction for another, says Dr. Reed. They quit using alcohol and start using cocaine or vice versa. This is why thetreatment of addictionslike the Alcoholics Anonymous 12-Step program tells you to abstain fromallsubstance use.

The experience of co-occurring disorders is commonly seen in Dr. Montgomerys practice.

Many of my clients experience co-occurring disorders, mental illness and substance addiction or substance abuse, says Dr. Montgomery. As anaddiction specialist,I am always educating clients on how using substances will negatively impact their mental health and wellness. For example, for clients who smoke marijuana and experience anxiety, I usually share how the drug imposes positive and negative effects.

However, not all addiction counselors prescribe a zero-tolerance approach, and treatment strategies often need to be more nuanced.

I use an eclectic approach to therapy, explains Dr. Montgomery. Although my theoretical orientation is cognitive-behavioral therapy, I tend to incorporate techniques from mindfulness therapy, trauma-focused CBT [Cognitive Behavioral Therapy], and dialectical behavioral therapy, to name a few.

The Changing Face of Addiction

Dr. Reed explains that addiction has always been a problem in society.

You could probably go back to any decade or century and see a particular epidemic of addiction at that point, she says. Right now, synthetic opiates are the most visible problem. Fentanyl terrifies me its just so dangerous. But I can remember when I was studying, it was heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine.

Dr. Reed believes that widespread media coverage of the opiate crisis in the United States may have reduced some of the stigma related to addiction. However, she is also quick to highlight another recent event that has contributed to the problem of addiction.

The pandemic didnt help, she says. It contributed to isolation, loneliness, financial worries and health worries, all of which can increase the use of alcohol and drugs. Perhaps someone was trying to get better and begin their recovery. The pandemic certainly may have contributed to their not being able to continue that recovery.

When Dr. Reed considers the question, What does addiction mean?she primarily talks about substance-use disorders. However, she also points out that behavioral disorders can also be addictive.

We use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual [DSM] to identify all the substances and criteria to meet the diagnosis of addiction, says Dr. Reed. But they also list a behavioral disorder in the DSM, which is the gambling disorder.

Dr. Reed explains that research is being carried out to determine if other behavioral disorders should be included in the DSM.

Behavioral addictions absolutely need to be considered, says Dr. Reed, whether thats gaming or internet, sexual behaviors or compulsive buying. Theres additional research ongoing to see if they can be included in future diagnostic manuals, but currently, theyre not.

Both Drs. Reed and Montgomery are particularly concerned about addictions impact on young lives.

My clients come with diverse needs, says Dr. Montgomery. Some widespread areas that require constant focus include childhood trauma, depression, suicidal thoughts or behavior and unhealthy communication.

Reducing the Stigma ofMental Health and Addiction

Dr. Reed is an advocate of improving the general publics understanding of addiction and reducing the stigma commonly associated with the illness.

Im a strong believer in: The more we know, the better we can do, says Dr. Reed. Im also the president of our local affiliate of theNational Alliance on Mental Illness. One of our big imperatives is to reduce stigma. Because if we can reduce stigma, we can reduce some of the barriers associated with seeking treatment. I think that strongly applies to substance use as well.

Promoting awareness around mental health is also essential for counselors who must develop strategies for looking after their own well-being while performing a difficult job.

Self-care is so important, says Dr. Reed. Being able to take care of your own mental health so that you can take care of others is vital. Its like the safety talk on an airplane. You put your mask on first before you put on someone elses mask. With addiction specifically, it can be frustrating if youve worked with a client for a long time and theres a relapse.

According to Dr. Reed, relapse is often part of the journey to recovery.

We can be disappointed, blame ourselves, or think we just didnt do enough, she says. So weve got to be careful and understand its part of the journey. We just have to get back to it and regain that stability and continue to help with the recovery.

Dr. Montgomery amplifies Dr. Reeds advice.

Dont be afraid to seek therapy for yourself and engage in self-care consistently, advises Dr. Montgomery. Plan to become a lifelong learner. This profession is always changing and growing, and it requires each of us to continue educating ourselves to remain effective practitioners.

How To Get a Counseling Certificate

According to Dr. Reed, there are typically two ways a student can obtain anaddictions counselingcertificate from TROY.

They can be working on the certificate while theyre also getting their graduate degree in either clinical mental health counseling or rehabilitation counseling, says Dr. Reed. Or they can come back and get it post-masters.

She explains that the certificate program consists of three term-long courses. In addition, students are also required to complete two internships.

If youre a current clinical mental health counseling student, these three courses can count as your electives required as part of your clinical degree, says Dr. Reed. Then, if you do the internship at an approved site, those internships can count toward the clinical degree and addiction certificate. So really, there is no extra coursework, just specialized coursework.

Online Counseling Certificate Programs

The TROY counseling certificate programs are available online, making classes more accessible for adult learners.

Most of our students are working, have families and are doing this in the evenings online, says Dr. Reed. Many of them are already working in the field in some capacity. Maybe they are case managers or administrative assistants and want to progress in their careers. (While the coursework is entirely online, the two required internships that are part of the program require weekly in-person classes.)

The program is also popular with retired military personnel and their spouses.

Theres a correlation between PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome) and substance use, says Dr. Reed. PTSD can be common for veterans. A lot of individuals start using drugs to self-medicate for whatever reason that may be. So, absolutely, it can be a concern among veterans and those who have retired or have been discharged.

Where Do Addiction Counselors Work?

Dr. Reed explains that addiction counselors are employed in a variety of settings.

It varies greatly, says Dr. Reed. Many counselors find themselves working in community agencies that have residential programs, inpatient programs, day treatment programs and outpatient programs. Youll also find them working in crisis intervention, mostly in hospitals but also in the criminal justice system.

As demonstrated by Dr. Montgomery, there are also opportunities to follow an extremely rewarding career in private practice.

I enjoy helping people re-narrate their stories, says Montgomery, helping clients to challenge their negative thinking by reframing them, incorporating new perspectives on addressing their issues and managing unwanted moods.

According to theU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment opportunities for substance abuse, behavioral disorder and mental health counselors are set to grow by 23% through 2030, requiring an additional 75,100 qualified counselors across the United States.

Why TROY?

As a graduate of TROY herself, Dr. Reed is quick to highlight the quality of her experience studying at the University.

Most of our faculty here at TROY within the counseling division are currently or have long worked in the field, she says. I think that extra expertise and experience makes the information more real and demonstrates to our students how they can apply what they learn in real-world settings. I think that really helps us stand out.

Dr. Montgomery echoes the positive experience. As well as providing the skills and tools to make a career transition from educator or counselor, Dr. Montgomery cites the certificate program at TROY as a time of significant career skills development.

I am so glad I chose TROY, she says. It was a wonderful experience. It was where my leadership skills were enhanced and amplified.

Anaddictions counselingcertificate from TROY can help clinical mental health and rehabilitation professionals expand their careers and help clients with informed diagnosis and treatment plans. To learn more about how you can help clients with addictions re-narrate their life stories,visit thecounseling certificates program page on our website.

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Types of Counseling Careers: Addictions Counseling - Troy Today - Troy University

Human Behavior

Look to the Cloud to Improve Human-Robot Social Understanding & Behavior – Robotics Business Review

AMR BenefitsYour workers and customers will also miss out on the benefits AMRs offer them. And what are those benefits? Consider the results of a recent double-blind Warehousing Vision Study, recently commissioned by Zebra Technologies. In that study, 83% of warehouse associates who work alongside AMRs today claim the autonomous robots have helped increase their productivity and reduce walking/travel time a win-win for you and your front-line teams. Whats more, three-quarters of associates say AMRs have helped reduce errors, which is good for you and your customers, while nearly two-thirds (65%) credit AMRs with career advancement opportunities, which helps with employee retention.

So, it is critical we eliminate the biases that result from a me, myself and I mindset or preconceived notions. We must ensure neither AMRs nor human workers fall victim to sole agent syndrome. The best way to do that is to put our heads (together) in the cloud.

New Techniques for Teaching TrustworthinessFor as long as I can remember, robotics automation innovation has been driven by three things repeatability, scalability and increased throughput. Thats why many robotic arms, automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and static robots have been built to complete tasks within enclosed work cells, along conveyor lines or in travel lanes.

It is also why most robots are programmed to complete tasks using pre-defined motions, with behaviors fully controlled by a person. Most robots do not need to figure things out. They just need to do what a person tells them to do.

AMRs are different, however. While they collaborate and interact with people, they are reliant on a person guiding their every move telling them when to stop, start or move in a different direction. They must be able to make both decisions and the right moves, on their own, without a person intervening.

Behaving Like PeopleAt Zebra Technologies, we use customer scenarios, simulation, and the cloud to understand current AMR behaviors, as well as the changes needed to achieve desired behaviors. We then develop navigation behaviors for the robots, which are based on heuristics/biases that we encode into their navigation and planning code.

These heuristics/biases help AMRs behave more like people socially. For example, robots will drive down the right side of hallways in the United States and the left side of hallways in Great Britain because those are the social norms in those countries. By encoding these behaviors into AMRs navigation and planning, associates have a better understanding of how the robots will behave as they drive around the facility, which results in trust, better collaboration and improved robot performance.

Because our AMRs are managed via the cloud, it is also easy to record data that helps us understand each robots performance in the facility. We use velocity and path conformance for low frequency and high frequency interactions as a baseline to understand how changes to the navigation code improve performance. This allows us to create a vibrant diagram of how each robot performed in different facilities and then make refinements. Using these techniques, we have been able to measure as much as a 54% improvement in robot velocity as it moves through the facility with improved robot social behaviors.

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Look to the Cloud to Improve Human-Robot Social Understanding & Behavior - Robotics Business Review

Human Behavior

The 5 Roadblocks of Security Culture and How to Avoid Them – CEOWORLD magazine

Experts predict that global businesses will spend a whopping $172 billion on cybersecurity this year (up from $150 billion in 2021). Despite such steep investments in cybersecurity systems, cyber-attacks continue to break new records. This is because most attacks have more to do with faults in human behavior rather than security technology itself.

Human behavior can neither be predicted, programmed, or controlled by technological defenses. Thats why security culture is becoming an increasingly important defense strategy. Security culture can be defined as a combination of beliefs (an internal feeling regarding cybersecurity which usually stems from ones own experiences and external influences), values (what employees consider important from a security perspective), attitudes (how employees perceive security and approach situations that result in a behavior), behaviors (actions that employees can do when they encounter a potential cyber threat) and social pressures (the shared expectations and modeled behaviors that comprise a groups unwritten rules) that are reflected in the daily actions of employees.

Sculpting human behavior is a complex process and even the most security-savvy organizations can find it challenging to sustain a robust security culture over the long term. Some of the roadblocks that organizations encounter while building a security culture include:

Keep in mind that security culture isnt something that can be built overnight. Having said that, sustained investments in security culture will bring better security ROI in the long run and help organizations build a human defense layer that every industry today desperately needs.

Written by Perry Carpenter.Have you read?Managing Cybersecurity in the Workplace.Positive Impact Through PhilanthropybyRon Book.The COO as a new CEO Revenue PartnerbyBrent Keltner.Out of the Destruction of the Pandemic, Healthier Businesses That Will Flourish Over the Long Run Will EmergebySteve Schwartz.Evvy Explains Its New Equal Research Day Initiative.The Joy of Achievement and the Thrill of Creative Effort: The exclusive interview with Evgeniya Kuzmina.

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Human Behavior

What Emojis In Text Messages Actually Mean, According To Experts – Elite Daily

Is a text thread really a text thread without a few smiley face emojis? IMHO, the answer is no and Ive got scientific research on my side. Yes, emojis brighten up a message and make endless lines of text more readable, but they also reveal something about the person who sent them. People who are rated higher in agreeableness use more emojis in general, Lara Jones, associate professor of psychology at Wayne State University, tells Elite Daily. And no, its not just people-pleasing for the sake of avoiding confrontation using emojis in messages can actually help you make your points more effectively.

Jones researches the psychological aspects of emojis, looking at differences in how individuals and groups use them, how theyre positively or negatively perceived, and the interpretation of an emojis intended meaning. She says people process emojis similarly to facial expressions, so starting an interaction with an objectively positive emoji, like a smiley face, primes the receiver of the message for a positive interaction. They want to make sure that the positivity of the message comes through, and depending on the emojis used, they want to show their creativity and playfulness, Jones says of frequent emoji users.

As youre messaging, peppering in related emojis can help you get your point across: A study published by researchers at the University of Ottawa in Volume 119 of Computers in Human Behavior in June 2021 concluded that congruent emojis enhance comprehension of text messages. (Jones was not a part of this study.) This means that using plenty of relevant emojis in your messages helps the receiver better understand what youre trying to say and the person on the other end may even comprehend the message more quickly. This is true for both positive and negative messages: Positive messages with correlating emojis (like smileys and heart eyes) and negative messages with negative emojis (like a sad face) magnify their perceived emotional intensity, according to the authors of the study.

So, if youre happy and you (want other people to) know it, keep those smiley emojis comin. Plus, the study found that messages meant to convey something negative, like criticism or an insult, were seen by the receiver as less intense when a smiley emoji was added.

The authors of the study concluded that the results support the use of emojis, and in particular positive emojis, to improve communication, express feelings, and make a positive impression during socially-driven digital interactions. If your knee-jerk reaction is to simply respond with a smiley emoji when the group chat starts making plans, youre not being lazy, youre actually letting everyone know youre ready to have a good time. When you want to put in your two cents, you can add in some positive emojis to make sure theres no doubt about where you stand on the weekend plans.

In a February 2020 study published in Volume 108 of Computers in Human Behavior by Jones and researchers at Wayne State University, they looked at sex differences in emoji use, familiarity, and valence. Using the gender binary of male and female, the study concluded that women rated the negative emojis as more negative than the men did, and women were more familiar with and used emojis more often. However, there was no difference in valence (positivity/negativity) judgments for the positive emojis between men and women.

To keep the vibes immaculate in your most frequently used emojis, take a cue from the highest-rated positive emoji overall in the study: smiling face with heart-eyes, which was followed by face with tears of joy and face blowing a kiss. Smiling face with smiling eyes was the fifth most positive emoji, just behind smiling face with halo.

Not all emojis are created equal once youre out of smiley territory, so its best to make sure whoever you message is on the same emoji-meaning page. When Jones was tapped by WhatsApp as the messaging app introduced emoji reactions in May 2022, she revealed that the folded hands emoji, for instance, has a range of meanings across cultures. It can mean different things across different regions, different cultures, even just within the [United States], she tells Elite Daily, adding that it can indicate praying, humble gratitude, or showing thanks. It can vary by both the culture and the context.

But dont let ambiguity keep you from sending non-smiley emojis. If youre chatting with, say, your best friend or SO, you can free yourself up to get more creative. Youre more likely to have some emojis that are just meaningful to the two of you, Jones explains of the phenomenon called lexical entrainment. She says lexical entrainment is when you have the meaning developed from the conversation back and forth and just knowing each other from the relationship that exists. Messages you have with people you talk to the most might even have strings of emojis that make no sense to anyone but the two of you.

When youre not sure what to send someone you dont message as often, its best to keep it simple and send that yellow smiley face when in doubt, (positive) emoji it out.

Studies referenced:

Boutet, I., LeBlanc, M., Chamberland, J. A., & Collin, C. A. (2021). Emojis influence emotional communication, social attributions, and information processing. Computers in Human Behavior, 119, 106722. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2021.106722

Jones, L. L., Wurm, L. H., Norville, G. A., & Mullins, K. L. (2020). Sex differences in emoji use, familiarity, and Valence. Computers in Human Behavior, 108, 106305. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2020.106305

Experts:

Lara Jones, associate professor of psychology at Wayne State University, Ph.D. in Psychology, University of Georgia

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Human Behavior

New Light on Why Some Psych Patients Don’t Respond to Therapy – Medscape

Although most psychiatrists have encountered patients who don't improve with treatment, novel research sheds some light on one possible explanation for this phenomenon.

Investigators found that among patients who were "stuck" many believed that they didn't deserve to get better and were significantly less likely to adhere to, or complete, a treatment program.

"To the best of my knowledge, this subject hasn't been written about or explored before because we operate under the assumption that someone coming for ambulatory treatment, of course, wants to get better and thinks that they deserve to get better," lead author Mark Zimmerman, MD, professor of psychiatry and human behavior, Brown University, Rhode Island, told Medscape Medical News.

"This issue is not something complicated that a clinician would need to explore by administering some scale or clinical rating instrument. All you have to do is ask patients if they think they deserve to get better, particularly patients who seem to be 'stuck,' and explore what's underlying that belief," added Zimmerman, who is also the director of the Outpatient Division at the Partial Hospital Program, Rhode Island Hospital.

The findings were published online June 8 in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

Results from a study examining the prevalence of this belief in more than 400 patients admitted to a partial hospital program showed that 17% of the participants either did not believe they deserved to get better or weren't sure if they deserved to get better.

When compared with their peers, patients who felt they were undeserving were significantly less likely to complete the treatment program and missed significantly more days of treatment while in the program.

Of the patients who did complete the program, those who believed they were undeserving were in treatment for significantly longer periods of time than those who believed they deserved to get better.

The average length of stay for patients in the partial hospital program is usually about 2 weeks, the investigators note. However, a minority of patients end up in treatment for more than a month and during this prolonged period, some do not seem to improve in their symptoms or functioning despite "intensive psychotherapy and ongoing pharmacotherapy."

The researchers wanted to understand the reasons for some patients' lack of progress and examined whether those who did not believe they were worthy of getting better actually took longer to respond to treatment.

In the current research, Zimmerman wanted to focus on these patients and assess whether they did take longer to improve and what diagnoses might be associated with feeling undeserving.

Of the 405 patients in the study, the majority (83%) reported they believed they deserved to get better, 12.8% said they were unsure, and 4.2% reported they did not believe they deserved to get better.

The researchers combined those who were unsure and those who did not believe they deserved to get better and compared them with patients who believed they did deserve to get better.

Although there were no differences between these patients in gender, race, or marital status, those who did not believe they deserved to get better were significantly younger than their counterparts who believed they deserved to get better (mean age, 32.2 years vs 37.7 years, respectively; P < .01).

They also were diagnosed with a greater number of disorders at the time of the evaluation (mean, 3.6 vs 2.9; P < .01).

Participants who did not indicate they deserved to get better were significantly more often diagnosed with several conditions compared with their counterparts who indicated they did deserve to get better:

There were also significant differences between those who did not vs did believe they deserved to get better in program completion (52.3% vs 68.8%, respectively; P < .01), missed days (mean, 1.7 vs 1.3; P < .05), and length of treatment (mean days, 14.1 vs 11.8; P < .05).

Zimmerman called these preliminary findings "consistent" with his clinical experience.

He noted he was "surprised" that OCD had the highest odds ratio (OR, 3.5) of being associated with a sense of undeservingness. "But when I thought about it, I realized that it makes sense because people with OCD have insight and are often embarrassed by their symptoms," he added.

Zimmerman was not surprised that MDD was associated with this sense of undeservingness. A second study currently under review is focusing specifically on MDD.

"One of the things we found, not surprisingly, was that some of the cognitive symptoms of depression, such as guilt and sense of worthlessness, are associated with it," he said.

Commenting for Medscape, Ken Duckworth, MD, chief medical officer of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) called this a "novel, important, and creative study."

The "hypothesized role of shame squares with my experience. And the association with OCD, depression, and trauma are also consistent with what I have seen," said Duckworth, who is also an assistant clinical professor at Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. He was not involved with the current research.

"The role of hopelessness, often seen as a core feature of depression and to some extent OCD and trauma, is an opportunity to see if treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy [CBT] can make a difference. How to engage people in CBT, which works directly at changing one's automatic negative thoughts, is important," Duckworth said.

Describing the study as a "snapshot in time," he noted it would be interesting to follow patients longitudinally.

"I think a whole subset would look back and say, 'I remember feeling [undeserving] but now that I've gotten medication or CBT or therapy, I'm happy I got better," said Duckworth.

No source of study funding was listed. Zimmerman, his coauthor, and Duckworth report no relevant financial relationships.

J Clin Psychiatry. Published online June 8, 2022. Full article.

Batya Swift Yasgur MA, LSW, is a freelance writer with a counseling practice in Teaneck, New Jersey. She is a regular contributor to numerous medical publications, including Medscape and WebMD, and is the author of several consumer-oriented health books as well as Behind the Burqa: Our Lives in Afghanistan and How We Escaped to Freedom (the memoir of two braveAfghan sisters who told her their story).

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Human Behavior

Heading Back to Westworld with the Stars and Showrunners of Season 4 – The Nerds of Color

Black hats and white hats assemble. Its time to return to the Westworld. Westworld Season 4 is coming. And to celebrate our latest trip to the new world, we were given the opportunity to join the hosts and guests of the famed Delos park to discuss whats in store for their characters and what new mysteries will be unlocked for the shows return this coming Sunday, June 26 on HBO and HBO Max.

In attendance for the roundtable discussions were series mainstays Tessa Thompson, Evan Rachel Wood, Ed Harris, Jeffrey Wright, Aaron Paul, Angela Sarafyan, and Luke Hemsworth, alongside co-creator/showrunner Lisa Joy and writer/showrunner Alison Schapker. Together they tackled serious questions regarding how Westworld as a show satirizes data mining issues, human consciousness, and moral ambiguity. Heres what the crew had to say about the upcoming season:

First up, Harris, Thompson, and Sarafyan were asked about whether or not at the end of the day, the hosts should prevail over humanity, or whether its possible for both sets of characters to co-exist with one another.

HARRIS: I dont know but it kind of seems like theyre becoming inseparable on some level. Maybe Im mistaken, but even the hosts being given the opportunity to be free among themselves seem to revert back to more or less the negative side of human behavior.

THOMPSON: Were trying to make this nirvana, this real great place for hosts to take off their host parts and just be bodies and consciousness. And theyre not interested. So I dont know. I dont know what that says about us.

HARRIS: For me it says that A.I. or not, the hosts are programmed by humans. Even if they were programmed by an A.I. that A.I. was programmed by a human, so that aspect of humanity whether negative or positive will come out in them.

SARAFYAN: Right. So the humans flaw would have to exist within the A.I. structure. So both the positive and negative qualities will dictate the future.

HARRIS: The show poses some very difficult questions.

Next, Wright and Hemsworth were asked about the time shift that occurs during the season, and what that implies for their characters.

WRIGHT: Its been a few years, several years. [Bernard] is dustier, dirtier, needs a bit of an oil can, hes been in that one position for a while. And he is, when we find him, hes a bit clearer than hes been in the past. And he continues to be in this pursuit for freedom for himself, his fellow hosts, and for the greater good. Hes still on this mission. But now hes empowered in this way weve never seen him been previously. Hes always been trying to break free of the shackles and dust the metaphorical dirt from his face and hes now a bit freer and a bit stronger. Well see how much trouble he gets into as a result of that?

Hemsworth was asked what Stubbs has been up to in the years Bernard has been sitting in that position getting dustier.

HEMSWORTH: Yeah we were talking about this before. He just walks about the perimeter of the room. Goes out to the door, shuts the door, goes back in. Theres a big pile of crumpled up newspaper over there. Hes been shooting hoops for several years. No, look, Stubbs has used his time very wisely. He hasnt done a lot of cleaning. But hes been evolving as a sentient being, and realizing that perhaps playing Bernards lackey is not all its cracked up to be. And so hopefully we get to see a little bit of Stubbs coming into his own.

WRIGHT: What do you mean? Its cracked up!

HEMSWORTH: Its cracked! No, I love this relationship. Its so fun. Its so easy. And it really mirrors mine and Jeffreys relationship in real life. Were very sardonic, and we like to take the piss out of each other. And I think that relationship bleeds through on the screen. And there are many jokes this season which are just us f**king around.

A bit later in the conversation, Paul, who began his journey at Westworld in Season 3, as human Caleb Nichols was asked what it was like getting to experience the park this season.

PAUL: As a crazy fan of the show, last season I had my own theories after reading scripts episode by episode. I was convinced we were living in the park. I thought were were in Futureworld. So I was very excited to dive into the park and choose a hat per se. It was very exciting. It was truly one of those pinching myself momentsIt was so fun to put on that costume and run around and play in that world. It was truly a dream come true.

Showrunner Joy was then asked about how the themes of consciousness and free will would be explored further this season.

JOY: In terms of free will, I think that our characters still grapple with how free they are. Both the hosts and the humans. For the humans, so much has changed. Theyre no longer at war. Theres ostensibly a time of peace. Yet so much has stayed the same. Caleb is still in a very similar job to the one he had. The world is no longer controlled by the algorithm anymore, but maybe there werent that many deviations in his possible path. So I think hes trying to figure out who am I and how does he fit in the real world. Similarly, the hosts that remain are questioning their own adherence to the more human aspects of themselves. Theres no reason why the hosts should look like a human Theres no reason they have to be bipedal. These are all traits theyve inherited from their flawed forefathers and foremothers. So I think its really a question that all of them are asking who am I and how much of it Ive inherited. How much of it is imposed on me by society, and whats left by which I can exert my control over the world?

Wood was asked about how she went about bringing a herself into the character of Dolores from the perspective of both the character and actress being trauma survivors.

WOOD: Thats always the dance you do with characters. Especially when you relate to the character so much. Sometimes youre at war with yourself separating the two experiences. But its one of the reasons why I love Dolores and the way theyve explored that character is that heroes arent perfect. Things are messy and there isnt a perfect victim or perfect survivor. Its all the lens at which we look at them. And the experiences that weve had that influence our perception. And so in that way, I relate to her. Im in no way shape or form perfect. But I may be optimistic like Dolores, in that evil never dies, but it also never wins. And it can seem hopeless to keep fighting, but you have to fight not to defeat the thing, but to maintain the balance.

And the fight rages on when the new season of Westworld hits HBO this Sunday, June 26!

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Human Behavior

Where 6th District Republicans stand on climate change, humanity’s role in it – Shaw Local News Network

Most of the Republicans running for Illinois 6th Congressional District seat said they believe humankind has a role in global climate change -- but not all are convinced.

The GOP candidates in the June 28 primary are energy consultant Niki Conforti of Glen Ellyn, Rob Cruz of Oak Lawn, Burr Ridge Mayor Gary Grasso, lawyer Scott Kaspar of Orland Park, Oak Lawn real estate broker Catherine A. OShea and Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau.

They discussed climate change in Daily Herald questionnaires and follow-up emails.

Cruzsaid he isnt sure if he has enough information to opine on whether humankind is affecting climate change. The government should support reliable sources of energy while working on realistic alternative energy sources, Cruz said.

Confortisaid she thinks human behavior is among the factors behind climate change. There may also be natural causes, she said.

Fully shifting to renewable energy sources isnt feasible, however, she said. Further innovation should be encouraged, she added, and the government should support more than wind and solar energy.

My position is that we need a multipronged approach to satisfying our energy needs, Conforti said.

Grassoalso believes humans have played a role in climate change, pointing to scientific studies on the subject.

The U.S. can and should strive over time to lessen (its) carbon footprint, Grasso said. But in the short term, the economy and energy independence take a priority.

A global commitment is needed to make any effective changes to the climate, he added.

Kasparsaid humanity may be a factor in climate change, but he noted the climate has been changing since the dawn of time.

He opposes Green New Deal ecological and economic proposals, saying they would bankrupt every American long before we would see any appreciable difference in the climate.

We need a long-term energy plan that continues to lift humans out of poverty, not drive Americans into it, Kaspar said.

Like Kaspar,Pekaunoted the earths climate has always changed. Still, he acknowledges that growing human population has played a role.

To solve climate-related challenges, Pekau said the U.S. must become more energy independent by: using coal in cleaner ways; producing solar, geothermal and hydroelectric power; and investing more in nuclear power.

OSheadidnt directly answer the question and didnt respond to requests for clarity. She said people must respect our land, water and all Gods creations.

The newly redrawn 6th District includes much of the West and Southwest suburbs in Cook and DuPage counties.

The winner of the GOP primary will face one of three Democrats in the Nov. 8 general election: incumbent U.S. Rep. Sean Casten of Downers Grove; U.S. Rep. Marie Newman of La Grange, who now represents the 3rd District but is running in the 6th after boundaries changed last year; and Chicagoan Charles M. Hughes.

https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20220623/where-6th-district-republicans-stand-on-climate-change-humanitys-role-in-it

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Where 6th District Republicans stand on climate change, humanity's role in it - Shaw Local News Network