Welcome to the Weekly Medius PsychNews. Every week, we select five thought-provoking Psychology articles from hundreds published in journals and other media. Psychology Drives Everything.
Woulda Coulda Shoulda: The Kaleidoscope of Regret
The generally sarcastic expression “woulda coulda shoulda” eludes any simple definition. But what’s most notable about this idiom is that it implies possibilities that, given the human psyche, lack any basis in reality. Let’s start, however, by investigating some of the ways the phrase has been used—and misused. If a person replies to something you said by remarking, “Yeah, right, woulda coulda shoulda,” it means they’re rejecting your argument that you could, would, or should have acted differently in a situation where your behavior led to a negative outcome. Full article.
Research reveals main reasons why people go to work when ill:
The study aims to improve understanding of the key causes of employees going to work when sick, known as presenteeism, and to help make managers more aware of the existence of the growing phenomenon, what triggers the behaviour and what can be done to improve employees’ health and productivity. A key finding of the study, published today in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, is that presenteeism not only stems from ill health and stress, but from raised motivation, for example high job satisfaction and a strong sense of commitment to the organisation. This may motivate people to ‘go the extra-mile’, causing them to work more intensively, even when sick. Full article.
How to Think of Pain in a Way That Can Lessen Its Intensity:
In this post, I’m going to describe a short and easy practice that can help ease physical pain and other unpleasant experiences, from other types of physical discomfort to mental discomfort, such as anxiety and worry. We have a choice about how to describe unpleasantness in the mind and in the body, and which choice we make can actually lessen the unpleasantness of the experience. To describe this practice, I’ll focus on physical pain, because it’s such a prevalent, unpleasant experience, as most of us know. (Note: This practice is not a substitute for seeing a medical professional about pain and other medical issues, and it may not be helpful for people in severe pain.). Full article.
Single Bout of Exercise May Immediately Boost Memory for Some Older Adults:
A new study shows that a single bout of exercise may improve cognitive function and working memory in some older adults. In experiments that included physical activity, brain scans and working memory tests, a research team from the University of Iowa found that participants experienced the same cognitive benefits and improved memory from a single exercise session as they did from longer, regular exercise. The findings are published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. “One implication of this study is you could think of the benefits day by day,” said Dr. Michelle Voss, assistant professor from the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and the study’s corresponding author. Full article.
Ten Commonly Shared Traits of Perfectly Hidden Depression:
What may be intriguing in the exploration of perfectly hidden depression (PHD) is this question: If you don't know how to reveal your pain, how are others supposed to identify what's going on? How do you figure it out yourself? The best bet is to identify what constitutes the syndrome of perfectly hidden depression (a term I created). What is a syndrome? It's a group of behaviors or beliefs that are found together, sort of like salt and pepper. When you see one, you find the other. Identifying the traits of the syndrome itself will hopefully add a much-needed lens to your own camera, whether you be an individual, parent, doctor, therapist, teacher, or friend. It's time to stop overlooking this presentation of depression — one that does not fit the criteria for classic depression, but can be as potentially harmful. Full article.
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