ADHD AWARENESS MONTH
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PSYCH2GO ISSUE 1
Created by Teresa Johnson
OCT 2015
Cover Art by Ken Samonte
PSYCH2GO
The Sci ence
th at’’s al that alll about you!
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WAIT, WHAT EXACTLY IS "PSYCH2GO" IS "PSYCH2GO"??
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started as a blog to feature short psychology psychology facts in the format of memes !"#$%&'( started (text-posts that are rapidly spread around the internet). Our mission was to brand ourselves as a forum/platform for people to get quick psychology information to further discuss and debate about the posts. We wanted to create an open forum of discussions to help foster critical thinking about research methods and limitations. To accomplish that, the !"#$%&'( team team is transparent about the fact that we don't always post legitimate psychology information, but only do so in order to get people to really question ALL our posts and think on an analytical level. Sometimes what you think is true is actually not true and sometimes what is not true is yet to be supported by research. We have found that understanding research methods and having an open and encouraging forum for all of this is essential. Several Facebook groups have also been created, already aiming at this - including groups that allow people to express their creativity like our “Poetry” and “Doodle” group, and our “Research and Writing Discussion” group which creates discussion among expression of ideas, and academic assistance. As time went on, it made sense that !"#$%&'( should start providing supplementary materials such as sources, references, as well as some explanation to our viral meme posts that are featured on our Tumblr (as you’ll see an example from the “Psych to Go” article in this magazine issue) which generates large discussion from audience members. From these realizations to include more material content, psych2go.net, the sister site was born. When we started, !"#$%&'( had had a team of 10 writers and published over 200 articles within less than 2 months and received over 1 million page views. And the articles followed a specific format: 1. Intro 2. Bring up resear research. ch. 3. Identify the resear research ch methods and the limitations 4. question for our readers This format is aligned with our mission statement to analyze research, create discussions, and provide the resources needed to facilitate those discussions. Then, as time went on, we thought about implementing a mentorship program to help further facilitate this learning process for our younger audiences (since a majority of our readers were not yet psychology students). And that’s where psych2go.net is today! We have editors, mentors, and intern writers, who our Human Resource team has a very close relationship with and helps them every step of the way. Our goal is to become the go-to site for psychology, writing, help, research, studies, and so forth. !"#$%&'( serves serves as an easily accessible and inclusive platform for our young audiences. Tai Tai Manager and Creator of Psych2Go
[email protected] Psych2go.tumblr.com Psych2go.net
Artwork by:Ken Samonte
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HELLO!
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As a special part of the “Psych2Go” team, we believe that this magazine sets itself apart from other science magazines out there. Understanding this magazine is not in a traditional “magazine” format gives our magazine a creative and unique feel. This was made by a collection of young entrepreneurs from all over the world. This publication includes international contributors from places like Slovenia, The U.K., the Netherlands, the Philippines, Philippines, Canada, and people within various places of the U.S. like New York, Maryland, D.C., Tennessee, and California. Keep in mind that not all of us are trained professionals in the Psychology field, but simply people that are intrigued by Psychological concepts, only wanting to pass our research along, while involving people to talk about their personal experiences, as well as informing an audience with interesting Psychological facts. We hope that you enjoy this collaborative publication that acts as an extension of our online blog, psych2go.net, and we ask that you get involved with this entrepreneurial organization organizati on as well! After all, Psychol Psychology ogy is the science that’s all about you, and as a growing company, we’re offering the opportunity for you to grow with us. Teresa Johnson Editor-in-Chief, Editor-in-Ch ief, Manager & Coordinat Coordinator or of Psych2Go Magazine (https://twitter.com/teresaxjohnson)
Artwork by: Drew Borja
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CONTENT About Psych2Go / 2 Hello Message / 4 Meet the writers /10 Psychology in the news /13 Interview with a Psychology student /14 Social Psychology / 16 Exploring mental health / 18 Significant people that endured mental illness / 22 LGBTQA Psychology / 24 Music Psychology / 26 Personality Psychology / 28 Developmental Psychology / 30 Autism Spectrum (S.E.E.P.) Special, Exceptional, Extraordinary, People / 32 Animal Psychology / 36 Forensic Psychology 38 Art Submissions Winner / 40 Career Building / 42 Outside Submissions / 44 Entertainment/Games Section / 50 Projective Psychology / 54 Book Review / 56 Creative writing / 58 Psych to Go / 60 Debunking Psychological Myths / 62 Advice Column / 64 Mental Health Hotlines / 67 Thank you to contributors / 68
MEET THE WRITERS Artwork by: Drew Borja
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Most people know that children are especially impressionable, but to what extent do they absorb information? What kinds of things do they retain? While it may be impossible to know every little thing, social psychologists have some ideas about what types of information children pick up on.
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One of the questions psychologists wanted to know was whether children could pick up on social cues similarly to an adult. Diesendruck, Salzer, Kushnir, and Xu conducted an experiment to see if children picked-up on social cues from demonstrators (2015). Their research showed that when one demonstrator favored an object, preschoolers associated it with a person’s preference; however, when two demonstrators favored the same object, preschoolers “inferred that it was generalized to other agents of the same kind” (Diesendruck et al. 2015). This shows that children are informed by social cues. What does this information mean? Well, this type of study starts to prove how children don’t just listen to what they’re told. They can be much more perceptive than that. Anyone who has heard a kid mention a word they heard their older sibling say can attest to that. But, they are also able to pick up social cues.
STICKS WITH THEM: y g o l o h c y s P l a i c o S
This could have serious impacts later in life. It could explain how children grow up to be racist or sexist when their parents don’t really say to be out loud. If a child notices how Mom always avoids making eye contact with black people, or how Dad snorts or rolls his eyes when someone mentions being anything other than cisgendered* or straight, the child notices. It’s likely this is not the only reason, but it could be a reason.
How what children see impacts who they become By: Lauren Miedel Artwork by: Pilar Chavez
Another question on what influences children is whether age plays a factor. Schwarz and Roebers looked at 8- and 10-year old children and their ability to “withstand” post-event information from an interviewer or confederate (2006). They found that 10-year olds were able to distinguish that people talking with a low amount of assertiveness probably
did not have much to contribute, and were less trustworthy than those who spoke assertively (2006). The idea that children, of at least a certain age, can distinguish assertiveness when someone is speaking shows that as they grow, they are able to selectively take social cues and information from those they deem knowledgeable. No one is arguing that children are sponges. But, they clearly absorb more information than people like to think. So to everyone who spends a lot of time with children, remember that even if you believe in the motto “Do as I say and not as I do,” kids are paying attention to how you act and what you do. Works Cited: Diesendruck, G., Salzer, S., Kushnir, T., & Xu, F. (2015). When Choices Are Not Personal: The Effect of Statistical and Social Cues on Children’s Inferences About the Scope of Preferences. Journal Of Cognition & Development, 16(2), 370-380. Schwarz, S., & Roebers, C. M. (2006). Age differences in the effects of social influence on children’s eyewitness performance and their metacognitive monitoring. Journal Of Experimental Child Psychology, 94(3), 229-248. Terms: *Cisgendered -applies to the majority of people, describing a person who is not transgender.
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LGBTQA: The Online Community By: Aubrey Bryan Artwork by: Fieni Aprilia
y g o l o h c y s P + Q T B G L
The internet is wide with all kinds of diversity from silly baby-burp videos to middle-aged house-dwellers trying to find the cure for the common cold. To add some background, I was always more the animated cat video kind-of person growing up. It wasn’t until I came across my first social website that I realized there was a real community on the internet. With community however comes conflict, opposing sides, and people with their own individual stories feeding into these opinions. The greatest example of this is the *LGBTQA community! There is a consensus that people with different romantic and sexual preferences aside from the “norm” are just as important and need recognition within society. With today’s internet culture, the LGBTQA community has more room to grow, spread information, and even discuss issues within the group itself to allow positive change. But, because we are dealing with the internet, there’s going to be those that take refuge behind their screens to hurt, belittle or put down others for self-righteous gain— and I’m still talking about the same community. It’s too often we see on social media what awful things people can do to make themselves feel in the right position or believe they’re doing justice by hurting or, in extreme cases, destroying the lives of those with one (or a few) terrible opinion(s). Those who’ve been on the internet long enough can already think of multiple examples, though they may not exactly be the same examples. From one end, an example would be the overbearing social activist bloggers that find it their job to come down on anyone for any small slipup comment or joke. On the other end, there are the less educated members of the LGBTQA community spreading false information or making a bad example
of the community as a whole. As surprising as it is that such well-intentioned people could also drag in so many opposing perspectives to the foundation of these beliefs, it is also not that surprising at all. Since we’re all from different areas of the world and our countries, we’re all bound to have different views on what makes sense in the LGBTQA community. Some less populated places, like the country-side in Mississippi of the United States, may hold the reservation that love is between two individuals; and if a girl likes a girl she’s gay and if a girl likes a boy she’s straight. In places like these, it may just seem a little weird to begin talking about all the in-betweens and gray areas. However, a more populous area with wider variation between culture, person and belief may be more accepting to the idea that there’s a neighbor next door claiming to be demi-sexual. Not only location, but also upbringing can affect the way we understand what LGBTQA supports. Bisexuality, for example, in some households is the, “I’m confused about my sexuality” sexuality. While that certainly isn’t the case, it is a fermented stereotype attached to the identity. It’s taught through several different mediums and not just in the household. Social groups, media and even our culture have a bit of an input into this belief. We have a natural tendency to feel like we need to “pick a side”, like it’s a football team or our favorite brand. I think a lot of people tend to forget about all the different perspectives and experiences others may have when they hop online. For every trans woman that’s praised and told to be proud of her identity there’s another just like her being near
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beat to death for it. The LGBTQA community is so large and diverse now with all these separate experiences that we can’t ever entirely pinpoint an exact focal point in our goal sometimes. But that also gives way to discussion and debate that will allow us to continue to grow even more diversely. While some could say that’s an issue, because that would cause even more conflicting opinions and sides of the matter—and honestly I wouldn’t blame anyone for having that view. However, diversity leads to the evolution of these opinions, change in culture and society, and creates new levels of concepts in gender identity and sexuality that we’re starting to scratch the surface of. Whether or not these newer concepts are valid is a whole other area of debate already, and you can only wonder how much further our community will change for better or worse ten years from now. *LGBTQA – Acronym for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Agender community
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y g o l o h c y s P c i s u M
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FEELING ANGRY? ADOPT THE SHARK METHOD! By: Sheena Mackenzie Artwork by: Jane Shi http://www.psych2go.net/feeling-angry-adopt-the-shark-method/#comment-106929
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Back in 2011, an Australian tour operator by the name of Matt Waller revealed that for a number of years he had been tracking Great White Sharks for a very unique series of experiments. After hearing of divers in Guadeloupe who observed sharks reacting to certain songs, he played music from his collection through speakers attached to shark cages to attract them, monitoring their reactions – and it turns out that Jaws may have been a bit of a metalhead. When Waller played heavier music like ACDC to the sharks he tracked, he observed more calm and curious behavior as they detected the vibrations made by the music (since they don’t have ears to hear it). This year, a similar experiment was carried out by Leah Sharman and Genevieve Dingle of the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, but with slightly more docile subjects. In order to examine the popular notion that angry music makes for an angry listener, they found 39 participants who listened to ‘extreme’ genres of music (including the likes of Rob Zombie and Disturbed). The sub jects, with an average age of 20, were first provoked into an angry state of mind, then the control group were left in silence to deal with their anger, while the other participants were asked to take out their iPods and listen to angry extreme music from their personal playlists for ten minutes. Sharman and Dingle measured changes in heart rate in both sets of participants, and also asked them about
their levels of hostility, irritability, stress, relaxation, activity and inspiration. The results showed that listening to extreme music while experiencing feelings of anger and aggression has a positive effect on the listener, allowing them to process their feelings, much like the participants in Papinczach’s (2015) experiment which reported a similar sense of sad music helping them to process feelings of sadness. Essentially, these findings have shown that music can affect our moods, and that those who consider themselves listeners of extreme music, much like Waller’s Great White Sharks, deal with their anger better and ultimately feel calmer when listening to heavier music (although most likely for very different reasons). Now that I’ve discovered this research, when I feel myself becoming angry about anything, I may reach for my headphones before I reach for someone’s neck. For those of you who listen to ‘extreme’ genres of music, do you find that you choose songs specifically to influence and control your emotions in a certain way? Do non-listeners do similar things with their own music? References & Further Reading: Case, A., (2011, June 02). Great White Sharks Attracted By AC/DC Hits. Australian Geographic. Retrieved from http://www.australiangeographic.com.au Sharman, L., Dingle, G. A., (2015) Extreme Metal Music And Anger Processing, Fronteirs In Human Neuroscience, 9, 272
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By: Kayleigh Herber Artwork by: Jeffrey Bigelow
y g o l o h c y s P l a t n e m p o l e v e D
Developmental Psychology is the study of how, and why, people change over their lifetime. When this branch of psychology was just getting started it was primarily concerned with babies and young children, but over the course of the decades it has expanded to include adolescents and adults as well. As humans we are constantly developing in one way or another, for better or for worse, and developmental psychology now studies people of all ages. Today we will be discussing three major themes within developmental psychology that scientists have been busy with for years. The Nature and Nurture Debate Over the course of history psychologists have argued whether behaviour is shaped by genetics and natural forces we encounter growing up, or if it’s shaped by a child’s upbringing. These are referred to as empiricism (nurture) and nativism (nature). The empiricists argue that children are born as a tabula rasa (“blank slate”), and that behavioural traits develop almost exclusively from the way children grow up. On the other hand, nativists argue that a lot of skills have a genetic or innate basis, like instinctively looking for food. While both points of view used to be usually quite black and white, contemporary psychologists recognise that both are very important, though it is hard to prove exactly how much each contributes. In a 2014 survey, many of the responding scientists wrote that the two-sided nature vs. nurture debate has outlived its usefulness because it has
3 Important Themes in Developmental Psychology You Must Know About sufficiently been proven that both sides interact. Continuity and Discontinuity Also a very widely discussed topic – even the famous psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud discussed it - is how we describe patterns of development. Some psychologists view development as a continuous process, where development happens gradually and skills and abilities are accumulated over the years. Others tend to view it as a staircase of step-like phases that are qualitatively different from the ones before and after, each defined by particular behaviours. Contemporary psychologists view development as a smooth continuous curve rather than steps; they do agree that within that curve there are phases, but they transition into another phase gradually. Domain-general and Domain-specific Another topic that has intrigued many psychologists is whether, and to what extent, the development of new skills can influence our development of other skills. For example, if you’re learning a new way of swimming like the backstroke, which involves bringing your arms over the head in order to move through the water, it might impact other motor abilities too. Practicing this posture and movement could possibly help you develop other skills, like over-arm serving in tennis, or weight lifting, which includes similar movements. Psychologists differ in how far they consider things like these are domain-general. Others have tak-
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en a more domain-specific point of view, and believe developments like this proceed rather independently. These three important subjects might seem very one-or-the-other, but they are anything but that. There is more and more consensus among scientists and psychologists that development is probably caused by multiple factors at all levels. This means that there is rarely just one correct answer to the question ‘what causes this development?’ or ‘which of these is true’. Finding out exactly what the answer is seems pretty much impossible, but the psychological community will keep trying and trying to get as close to the answer as possible. Works Cited: Buehl, M. M., Alexander, P. A., & Murphy, P. K. (2002). Beliefs about schooled knowledge: Domain specific or domain general?. Contemporary educational psychology, 27(3), 415-449. Gopnik, A. (2014). Time to Retire: The Simplicity of Nature vs. Nurture,”. Mind and Matter”, published, 1, 25. Leman, P., Bremner, A., Parke, R. D., & Gauvain, M. (2012). Developmental Psychology. London: McGraw Hill. Weinfield, N. S., Sroufe, L. A., & Egeland, B. (2000). Attachment from infancy to early adulthood in a high risk sample: Continuity, discontinuity, and their correlates. Childdevelopment, 71(3), 695-702. Furtherreading: Developmental Psychology (2011) – Dr Rachel Gillibrand, Dr Virginia Lam & Dr Victoria L. O’Donnell. An Introduction to Developmental Psychology (2011) – Alan Slater, J. Gavin Bremner
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PSYCHOPATHY By: Larissa Grundmanis Artwork by: Pilar Chavez
y g o l o h c y s P c i s n e r o F
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“I’m not a psychopath, I’m a highfunctioning sociopath.” This quote has often been heard by fans of the BBC show Sherlock, and while viewers may laugh, do they truly understand what is it to be a psychopath, and why Holmes would prefer to be called a high-functioning sociopath? As an avid fan of Sherlock as well as someone who is interested in forensic psychology I have often wondered to myself: do I truly know the difference between the two? While both are truly fascinating, the main focus here is on psychopathy – after all, many individuals with psychopathic traits are found in prisons. Psychopathy, while often confused with one who is psychotic, is actually a mere individual who has the abilities to manipulate their way through life without remorse. While this is a simplified definition, the most common traits of a psychopath are that they are incapable of forming deep emotional attachments, they often times are unable to feel guilt or empathy, they are manipulative, and they often hold a profuse level of “superficial charm”. Unfortunately, many times these traits are overlooked by the general public who instead see someone with antisocial personality disorder, psychosis, or a serial killer, according to the Society for the Scientific Study of Psychopathy. Why then, is psychopathy so often associated with murderers? Perhaps it is because of the media, or perhaps it is because many individuals who have killed have been diagnosed with some form of psychopathy, such as Joanna Dennehy. It may also be due to the notion that only criminals would be able to behave in such manners, but is that really true? According to Chivers, it’s not. He notes that Robert Hare, the creator of the PCL-R once stated: “There are people who are part-way up the scale, high enough to warrant an assessment for psychopathy, but not high enough up to cause problems. Often they’re our friends, they’re fun to be around. They might take advantage of us now and then, but usually it’s subtle and they’re able to talk their way around it.” How many times have you found yourself taking advantage of your friends, even if it was to just get a free meal out of them?
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How many times have you or your friends acted impulsively or irresponsibly? How many times have you found yourself unwilling to acknowledge that you made a mistake, and take responsibility for the consequences? How many times have you, or someone you know, committed acts of wanton sexual behavior? Most individuals would be able to find some common ground between these traits and their own lifestyles, but that does not mean that they are violent individuals who are prone to crime. Psychopathy is often looked down upon, but many times the average human being acts in ways that would be found in someone with psychopathic tendencies. Perhaps instead of jumping to conclusions, we, as individuals, should look for true motives behind someone’s actions. Citation: Chivers, T. (2014, April 6). Psychopaths: How can you spot one?. In The Telegraph. Retrieved from http:// www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/10737827/ Psychopaths-how-can-you-spot-one.html Society for the Scientific Study of Psychopathy. (2013). Psychopathy: A misunderstood condition. In Society for the Scientific Study of Psychopathy. Retrieved from http://www.psychopathysociety.org/en/ Webb, D. (n.d.). The psychopath. In All About Forensic Psychology. Retrieved from http://www.all-aboutforensic-psychology.com/psychopath.html
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ART SUBMISSION WINNER: THEME: “Psych2Go Community” “I chose to illustrate the theme “Psych2Go Community” as a group of people helping each other solve a puzzle. I’ve observed members of various Psych2Go Facebook groups from their posts online that the wit and wisdom of each community members increases camaraderie - or the spirit of humor and fun. I want to express it in this illustration how they share their views to enhance learning from each othe r while in the process of creating something big.” Ruth Espinosa r-gie.tumblr.com
If you would like to have the chance to win and have your art showcased in our next issue, be on the lookout for the next art theme which will be posted on our social media!
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For those trying to get a job, here are some tips for your interviews! You’ve got your foot in the door and now it’s time to tell your story. These are also helpful for conducting your own interviews. Good luck! THE FOUR DIMENSIONS OF SIMPLE ATTENDING BEHAVIOUR
TIPS FOR !"#$%&!$'( g n i d l i u B r e e r a C
Eye contact This is when the interviewer and interviewee look each other in the eyes. The culture and the interviewee might prefer it to others. Body language This is when the interviewer or interviewee communicate other messages based on their movements and posture. Mirroring is when both parties are consistent in their movements and is best done subtly. This helps people become comfortable with you. Vocal qualities This is how loudness, pitch, rate, and fluency affects the interviewee since it can communicate feelings of empathy or cause conflict. It’s best to use a soft, firm voice when interviewing.
By: Jessica Jang Artwork by: Jane Shi
Verbal tracking This is listening to the interviewee to clarify and summarize what they say without putting their meanings in it.
Negative attending behaviors are overused positive attending behavior that it becomes uncomfortable. Excessive head nods are distracting, saying “uh huh” often becomes annoying, too much eye contact overwhelms others, repeating the last words intimidates the client, awkward mirroring looks like mocking. The interviewee doesn’t want to be scrutinized or apprehensive otherwise the interviewer won’t get the true information they want. Remember everything is good in moderation. It’s important to consider culture with attending skills because an interview should be a good environment for getting information and both parties should be respectful of each other. Individuals have a preference on the amount of each dimension of attending behavior. Gestures could convey other messages in other cultures and might not be appropriate. The most important part of interviewing is being a good storyteller. You need to be able to take your past experience and use it to explain how you’ve developed skills important for the new job. DO NOT just repeat your resumes because they have already seen it you just need to expand on it more. A good method to use is to write out your positions then come up with at least three tasks you had to do then the skills related to it. Here’s an example: 1. Cashier a.) Accept currency and keep accounts updated Organization i.) Trustworthine ss b.) Clean checkout area i.) Multitasking skills c.) Help customers with purchases i.) Communication/interpersonal skills ii.) Customer Service
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PSYCHOLOGY AND THE INTERNET By: Digby Driver Artwork by: Pilar Chavez
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Interpretation is the most necessary survival skill for all thinking creatures, though rarely is it associated with basic needs. Any cub scout, disaster prepper, or off the grid homesteader will tell you that food, shelter, and water are the most crucial things to consider, but the fact is that these things would never have crossed their minds were it not for their body’s ability to interpret hunger, thirst, and cold. We use interpretation every second of the day without hesitation as our bodies interpret the need to breathe, the words of our friends and family, and the passing of time. Have you ever realized that without sensory data, (or the ability to interpret it), we wouldn’t be able to interact with the world on any level? We wouldn’t even know it existed. Without the ability to take in and interpret sensory stimuli, we wouldn’t even be the most basic parts within Sartre’s existential bubble as for-itself beings in an in-itself world. The only thing between us and falling into the void is entirely in the way our body interprets, translates, and plans to take in and make sense of it all every hour in a day, every day in a week, and year after year so we can stay aware of our shared bubble for as long as possible. Well, that’s a little depressing. Maybe so, but not as much as having the ability to interpret all that sensory stimuli, but not being able to explain it in a way other people can relate to, or in a way they can relate to you personally.
What happens if you’re the one with an atypical method of interpretation that makes the status not so quo for you and seemingly no one else? What then? Consider carefully that it takes us right to to why the Internet is so much more than just a piece of technology, and why the psychology behind the Internet isn’t just for kicks and pop culture giggles. Communication and interpretation are the fluids that keep so many areas of cognitive and developmental psychology running smoothly. It’s the oil, the antifreeze, the water pumping through the radiator cooling down Carl Jung’s engine of human thought and reaction. They’re the most basic parts of our brain, yet so crucial. In a car, they’re the one thing mechanics and garages will top up and monitor freely. It’s not just because they’re nice guys, but because without them everything in the entire engine will break apart, fuse together, and grind to a painful, inevitable halt if they run out or grow too stagnant. A popular quote from Jung’s novel Memories, Dreams, Reflections says, “loneliness does not come from having no people about one, but from being unable to communicate the things that seem important to oneself, or from holding certain views which others find inadmissible.” The internet is not just another product or service of the tech age. It’s not the same thing as the first blocky, off-white
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Macs my generation started out with. Neither can the Internet be compared to the other more advanced technology that seemed to grow mushrooms overnight during the late 90s and on into the 21st Century. Perhaps the Internet started out that way, and it was probably intended to be nothing more than another tool in the end, but that’s not what happened. Instead, the Internet has evolved into a virtual real estate, pioneered and settled by my fellow Millennials before it was passed on and seized by Generation Z as a brave new world they now claim as a mother country. Like any other country, the Internet has a language and a culture. It has currency, government, and patriotic pride. The fact that it has no set location, legal residency, or even a physical mailing addresses isn’t something its citizens worry about. If the World Wide Web were an actual place, anthropologists and government intelligence agencies would study nothing else for generations to come, but since it exists solely as data connections, Wi-Fi hotspots, and DSL hookups across the world, it’s up to psychology enthusiasts to spread the news that the times are changing and we’d better be prepared for a hostile takeover by a country that exists only as stored memory in hard drives and human minds.
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QUIZZES
Created by: Sadia Nadeem Designed by: Craig Alexander
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Created by: Jade Li Designed by: Craig Alexander
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Comic by: Katherine Fosso Blog: sunsinourhands.tumblr.com
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Rorschach Projective Test
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This set consists of the most common answers that were sent to Psych2Go. All compiled responses are listed here. The audience’s responses were able to point out and identify some aspects of their personality and character: 1. A part of the human body. A common answer was ribcage, but this also varied to lungs or the pelvis of a person. Sometimes, it was even specified as an x-ray. This would be interpreted as someone who tends to set the bar high for themselves. Presumably, they would be the type of person who (consciously or unconsciously) projects their intelligence to their environment. 2. An animal. There were also a lot of responses regarding animals—the most common being a cow, but there were also interpretations of different breeds of dogs, followed by rats, elephants, and foxes. Now, in order to decipher this, it depends on the characteristic of the animal. Cows, for example, are known to be stoic, yet emotionally deep. Dogs are often called loyal. Rats are often the witty, mischievous ones. Elephants are sometimes described as calm and confident. While foxes are associated with wisdom and are often guides.
By: Risha Mae Ordas
3. Two people kissing/shaking hands. First off, the immediate association with a human being means that the person who interpreted the picture in this way may have strong connections with humanism. Also, it would depend on the gender of the person in the image (is it a man and a woman? Or two people of the same gender?). The gender or age observation may depict the attachment the interpreter has to a particular figurehead in their life (was it you and your sibling you saw shaking hands, perhaps?). The action can be explained as someone who is aware of themselves, and is attuned to the different needs of the people around them.
4. Supernatural figures such as fairies, dwarves, and angels, and the grim reaper, were also common answers. These kinds of responses can be associated with someone who is aware of themselves and has a greater tendency to be more empathic to other people. But it would also depend on what the creature is doing: If it’s positive (like shaking hands), then it can be interpreted in a positive light. If negative emotion is clipped with the figure, then the person identifying the image could be experiencing some sort of negativity within their life, or some kind of pent up emotion. The next Rorschach will be posted on the Psych2Go Website and social media accounts before the next issue, so to keep yourself up to date and post your interpretation, be sure to follow us on social media!
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WINTERGIRLS By: Hannah Jade
While well written and an interesting read, “Wintergirls” is definitely not representative of what it is like to have an eating disorder. The book opens with a description of how Cassie, Lia’s best friend of 10 years, has been found dead in the room of a motel. Lia is the main character of the novel, which documents her struggles with anorexia, which she has personified with the name “ana”. It appears to me that the author’s research into bulimia and anorexia may not have spanned further than researching pro *ana and *mia websites. A lot of the way things are written seem to romanticize eating disorders, rather than show what kind of torture they are. Lia called herself strong for keeping herself “empty”. Cassie had been bulimic and was influencing her friend to be the same, which actually made Lia’s parents somewhat grateful that she had died. I thought that was a bit of a harsh way to introduce the stepmother in a scene. I understand that they could have been blaming her for the eating disorder of the child they were raising, however wouldn’t a death of your child’s best friend warrant a response that was more caring and trying to help your struggling child rather than tarnishing their late best friend’s name? I don’t know really, as I thought the way the stepmother was shown was extremely cold, even though most of the time she was making an attempt to help out. A lot of the book the narration is disconnected and it feels cold. The chapters are titled in the way that she would weigh herself and write down the weight (00.0) which I thought was interesting. Stylistically, the book somewhat resembles a diary. It is written in a very poetic style, but I didn’t hate the poeticism as much as I hate anything like that by Sharon Creech. (I’m looking at you, Heartbeat).
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Anderson, L. H., & Viking. (2009). Wintergirls. New York: Viking.
However, a lot of the time the author will cross out words to show what the character was thinking at first but then changed their mind to state differently.
Things like “stepmother” crossed out to say Jennifer. She also refers to any type of food as either a number or a color. The numbers represent the calories in the food she is discussing. There are a lot of scenes that are graphically about self harm and intense self deprecation on Lia’s part both mentally and physically. She realized that Cassie had called her 47 times on the night of her death, and a part of what is making her so stressed out and ill is that she blames herself for not being there for her friend. The hotel in which Cassie died has a person named Elijah working there and he and Lia form an unlikely friendship. It’s very strange to watch this person’s world unravel. We find out that Cassie died from a ruptured esophagus and Lia had actually had some points where she sabotaged Cassie’s attempts to recover from bulimia- the disease that ultimately killed her. Cassie had left a message for Lia - that she was the skinniest, and she had won. As if it was some sort of competition, again the glorification of a weight achieved by means of an eating disorder. The book describes the changes in her body and it gets increasingly emaciated, which shows the brutality of what happens with an eating disorder. The very end of the book Lia is cutting herself, and her stepsister Emma who absolutely adores her walks in. It ends on this note and doesn’t allow further elaboration, so one can only make assumptions about where to go from there. Overall, the book was decent, however I found it slightly romanticizing eating disorders and who can be the sickest, but I have not suffered from bulimia or anorexia, so I would leave people with more authority on that to judge better. All in all the book was easy to read, well written, and interesting. I think research could have been better, but overall it was a good read. *ana – short for Anorexia Nervosa *mia – short for Bulimia
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&:;<=>?= Everyday tell something you didn’t see Something that wasn’t old, or on repeat Something that would give me hope, to believe So I can see a chance, to come back from defeat Ammunition takes lives is what I hear on the radio From state to state, from coast to coast Most of the times we ask why, but don’t know We don’t have an answer; there’s nothing to post More tears than smiles, I continue to hear More suffering than living, please tell me how These young kids that live their life in such fear Give me a reason why I shouldn’t be doing something now This list goes on as we drift into slumber Reset the clocks, for the day is almost over Prepare yourself tomorrow; it’s time to repeat the same thing Our first world problems block out the help when others sing -Anonymous
Artwork by: Ale Caballero Note from the author: This poem represents how people can alter their thinking to reflect more positivity to make an impacting change.
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PSYCHOLOGY
TO04 By: Lauren Miedel
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If you’re like me, you’ve had your fair share of awkward moments. A lot of mine revolve around the fact that I cannot control when I laugh. I laughed when my friend told me that she and her girlfriend had broken up. I make jokes about awful situations, as well as during sad and angering scenarios. I joke around during serious talks between myself and my parents. I have depression, and lots of times people think that I’m ok because of how often I make them laugh. So I can say with certainty that it was a relief when I discovered that I wasn’t broken; in fact, I’m just one of many who use humour to deal with fairly large problems. Many people use humour or laughter to cope with stressful and hard situations. According to Keltner and Bonanno (1997), laughing helps us respond to stress by “increasing the psychological distance from distress and by enhancing social relations.” In other words, we laugh in times of distress because sometimes our minds cannot handle the stress. Think about it, whenever something bad happens, it can be hard to process. Your brain deals with this trouble processing by laughing, which releases a bunch of endorphins, increases personal satisfaction, and improves your mood— all of these help deal with stress (Mayo Clinic Staff 2013). By creating these physiological changes to make your body think it’s happy, you put distance between yourself and the situation. Also, think about how laughing and joking around play a huge part in our socialization. Laughing is one of the biggest socializing elements. In times of distress, your mind craves human contact and interaction (to help deal with the stress), so it makes sense that it would laugh to increase those chances. There’s also another reason the brain might force us into laughter. As humans, we are generally very good at reading people’s emotions. We know when someone is smiling out of politeness or, in this case, when someone laughs without feeling a positive emotion. People who are not as good at hiding
their true emotions are more likely to do this fake-laugh, which could be a signal to others that we are in distress. The brain may do this in order to raise the likelihood of someone coming to find out what is causing the stress (Keltner & Bonanno 1997). With this information in mind, it’s easy to see why the brain would sometimes think that having us laugh is the best course of action. It may be inconvenient and possibly a social faux-pas, our brain is just trying to look out for us. Now I understand why I make so many jokes when I’m feeling so down; my brain is trying to find ways to help me cope with the stress. So the next time you find yourself laughing when you think you shouldn’t, remember that it may help you in the long run. Citation: Keltner, D., & Bonanno, G. A. (1997). A Study of Laughter and Dissociation: Distinct Correlates of Laughter and Smiling During Bereavement. Journal Of Personality & Social Psychology, 73(4), 687-702. Mayo Clinic Staff (2013). Stress relief from laughter? It’s no joke. Retrieved September 10, 2015.
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)/8!-& -41*+" “I’ve been in a long term relationship for almost six years. We have a child, and I also have a child from a previous relationship. We had only been dating for six months when I got pregnant, and things weren’t going so well then. I decided to stay in the relationship and make it work for the new baby. I thought - if I loved him once I could love him again. I did fall in love again but everything that happened within the first year of our child being born brought me to a deep depression. He was so naive and selfish that he neglected my feelings and just said I needed to ‘suck it up’. All this created resentment, but we finally bought a house, and I thought maybe then we would be happy. So many more things happened, which lead me to cheat. I never slept with anyone, but I did manage to get involved emotionally. I feel that his neglect didn’t help, and I think I fell out of love with him. I know that I love and care for him, but I’m not in love. It’s important to me to b e in love with the person I’m spending the rest of my life with. We get along, he’s a great dad, but he also hurt me by mistreating my son verbally. He takes care of all his responsibilities, is a family man, and is really smart. I have told him how I feel, and I know he’s upset that I might not be in love anymore. He’s being sweet now but what if it’s too late? I have a life coach, and I’m trying to give our love and family a chance, but I can’t seem to get that feeling back. I feel I have stronger connections with other men that I meet, but I fight it off. I can’t help but wonder why my significant other and I can’t connect. I think it’s easier if I just suck it up and stay rather than separate and put the kids and him though the heartache. I don’t want to hurt anyone by making a selfish decision. Please help!” – Anonymous
Thank you for sharing your story with us. I believe the first step to creating positive change in our lives is getting real about what needs fixing. As I read through your very personal account, I can’t help but notice some contradictions in the ways you describe your significant other (s.o.). You say you love and care for him, but you are not in love with him due to stronger emotional connections you have with other men (despite efforts to “fight it off”). You say your s.o. is smart, responsible, and is a great dad even though he has verbally abused your child from a previous relationship in the past. Finally, you say you don’t want to hurt anyone by making a selfish decision. I think it’s a great thing that you are seeking the help of a life coach, but if you are still focused on the negatives you are not going to make much progress. If your s.o. is smart, responsible, and great as a father as you say he is and you sincerely want to keep your family together, I think you already know that you’re going to have to stop indulging outside emotional connections as this just divides your energy and focus. On the other hand, if you truly believe that your relationship with your s.o. cannot be salvaged, then be 100% honest with him, yourself, and your children. Your children will experience some negative emotions either way. Again, I’m sure you know that it’s better if they are supported by a single mother who is confident and happy with herself and her decisions rather than a mother who is sad, depressed, and regretful. Focus on what you really want with your life, decide what will really make you happy, and let your true desires guide you.
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“My best friend’s mom has cancer and it’s really tearing her apart. What can I do to make her feel better? How can I make things better for her? What are some things I can say to offer comfort to her without sounding cheesy and generic or unsympathetic?” – Anonymous
Hi, I think your friend is very lucky to have someone like you in their lives, who’s so committed to being there for them. I’m sure you’re already a huge comfort to them. I think there’s 3 main ways to help your friend. The simplest one is just to ask them what they need, this might be as simple as helping them with chores. What they’re going through is exhausting, so less responsibility could make it easier for them to cope. Secondly, normal life and routine are so important to help someone feel grounded, try not to treat them differently and that includes not having that sympathetic expression which can be alienating for some people. The 3rd way to help would be support groups. Bringing your friend to support groups allows them to connect to people going through the same thing. It can be a place with a lot of information lead by someone experienced and skilled. It’s a very difficult situation for your friend to be in but with a support network around them, they’ll come through this.
% !1 0 23 “I’ve moved on with my life and am over what happened. My ex was very abusive to me and made me feel guilty about it, as though it was my fault. I’m over it. But am I truly over it? Last night I had a nightmare about him coming back into me and my daughter’s life (he’s m.i.a.) well he was just worse and I had to call the cops on him. I kept asking this guy that I want to be with (still in my dream) if he wanted to be with me because I felt it wasn’t worth him dealing with my ex and baggage. What do I do? I’m considering going to a therapist.” - Anonymous
Hello, I’m sorry to hear about what you’re going through. No one should feel that level of paranoia and not be able to move on with their life. It seems to me like you’re in a bit of a trauma situation. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a serious thing to deal with at an early stage. I suggest you do go see a therapist. Having nightmares about your ex and feeling like he might show up out of no where can be early signs of PTSD. You have to let go of the past in order to continue your relationship with the new guy. You’ll never feel safe or worthy enough around another man and that can lead to a lot of emotional stress. Please seek for help. My mother is a victim of physical and verbal abuse and she never took care of it. She always ignored and pretended that things were okay. Now she’s m.i.a. because she’s so afraid of her boyfriend that she prefers not to leave his side in fear he might hurt her if she leaves. This is her choice. She got the same opportunity you’re getting of starting over again and she didn’t take it. You must seek happiness for your daughter and see that she doesn’t suffer the same emotional distress from experiencing all of this at an early age. Every day brings new choices and you should always strive for the best. Do not belittle yourself. You have to stay strong for your daughter and for yourself. I hope everything gets better for you and always remember that there’s help out there. You just have to reach out.
% !1 0! For future issues if you’d like to receive advice from your peers, feel free to email your inquiry to psych2goadvice@gmail. com. Advice responding to your concerns may be featured in our next magazine!
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Mental Health Crisis Lines Suicide hotlines by country: Argentina: 54-0223-493-0430 Australia: 13-11-14 Austria: 01-713-3374 Barbados: 429-9999 Belgium: 106 Botswana: 391-1270 Brazil: 21-233-9191 China: 852-2382-0000 (Hong Kong: 2389-2222) Costa Rica: 606-253-5439 Croatia: 01-4833-888 Cyprus: 357-77-77-72-67 Czech Republic: 222-580-697, 476-701908 Denmark: 70-201-201 Egypt: 762-1602 Estonia: 6-558-088 Finland: 040-5032199 France: 01-45-39-4000 Germany: 0800-181-0721 Greece: 1018 Guatemala: 502-234-1239 Holland: 0900-0767 Honduras: 504-237-3623 Hungary: 06-80-820-111 Iceland: 44-0-8457-90-90-90 Israel: 09-8892333 Italy: 06-705-4444 Japan: 3-5286-9090 Latvia: 6722-2922, 2772-2292 Malaysia: 03-756-8144 (Singapore: 1-800-221-4444) Mexico: 525-510-2550 Netherlands: 0900-0767
New Zealand: 4-473-9739 New Guinea: 675-326-0011 Nicaragua: 505-268-6171 Norway: 47-815-33-300 Philippines: 02-896-9191 Poland: 52-70-000 Portugal: 239-72-10-10 Russia: 8-20-222-82-10 Spain: 91-459-00-50 South Africa: 0861-322-322 South Korea: 2-715-8600 Sweden: 031-711-2400 Switzerland: 143 Taiwan: 0800-788-995 Thailand: 02-249-9977 Trinidad and Tobago: 868-645-2800 Ukraine: 0487-327715 More specific mental health lines:
USA Depression: 1-630-482-9696 Suicide: 1-800-784-8433 LIFELINE: 1-800-273-8255 Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386 Sexuality Support: 1-800-246-7743 Eating Disorders: 1-847-831-3438 Rape and sexual assault: 1-800-6564673 Grief: 1-650-321-5272 Runaway: 1-800-843-5200, 1-800-8435678, 1-800-621-4000 Post Abortion: 1-866-4394253 Child Abuse: 1-800-422-4453 UK Childline (for anyone under 18 with any problem): 08001111
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Mind infoline: 0300 123 3393 e-mail:
[email protected] Mind legal advice: 0300 466 6463 legal@ mind.org.uk Eating Disorders: 0845 634 14 14 e-mail:
[email protected] Eating Disorders for under age 25: 08456347650 Bereavement: 08444779400 e-mail:
[email protected] Frank (information and advice on drugs): 0800776600 Drinkline: 0800 9178282 Rape Crisis England & Wales: 0808 802 9999 1 e-mail
[email protected] Rape Crisis Scotland: 08088 01 03 02 India Self Harm:00 08001006614 Suicide: 022-27546669 Canada Kid’s helpline: 1-800-668-6868 International text based help: imalive.org crisischat.org blahtherapy.com 7cupsoftea.com Artwork by: Jeffrey Bigelow Mental helpline provided by: riseandtry.tumblr.com
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Thank You to the Donators of “Psych2Go Magazine” Campaign:
THANK YOU! The contributors & Digital Research team: Mary Walrath – U.S. (New York) Rhonda Marie – U.S. (Kentucky) Tai Tai - Canada, Analucia Guzman –Guatemala Holly Schaefer-U.S. (Pennsylvania) David Bradley- U.S. (Massachusetts) Megan Altemus- U.S. (Louisiana) Jasmine Cepeda - U.S. (New York) Game Designers: Jade Li- The U.K. Sadia Nadeem-U.S. (California) Editors: Brandon Michael-U.S. (Ohio) Jo Collinson- The U.K. Elizabeth Bailey- U.S. (Maryland) Miles Underwood-The U.K. Angelina Coronado- U.S. (New Jersey) Helen Warriner-The U.K. Teresa Johnson-U.S. (Maryland) Imogen Bowler- The U.K. The graphic designers: Ken Samonte – New Zealand kensamonte.tumblr.com
Pilar Chavez – Mexico sugar-levels.tumblr.com Jane Shi – Singapore Janerart.tumblr.com Ruth Estipona – Philippines r-gie.tumblr.com Ale Caballero – Mexico Dashingdollsintothewoods.tumblr.com
Jeffrey Bigelow – U.S. (New York) shallowfeelings.tumblr.com Instagram: Vapor_Wave Fieni Aprilia – Indonesia www.behance.net/Fiensh novusvultura.tumblr.com Anne Vu – Australia facebook.com/ayveephotos https://ayveecreative.wordpress.com/
Dereck Lock Mary Johnson Tyra Tselane H.E. Luc White Keely Cooper Gabriel Taylor Courtney Allison Cindy Miedel Brandon Michael Jamie Caknipe Geneva Fluet Paul Novak Miles Underwood Sadia Nadeem Lauren Miedel Caroline Johnson Tooru Sugano
Craig Alexander – The U.K. Chillibyte.wordpress.com Comic contribution: Katherine Fosso- U.S. (Indiana) sunsinourhands.tumblr.com Issues of the Psych2Go Magazine come out Quarterly (four times a year) because we want to make sure we deliver the best compilation of Psychology related material to you. All of the people that have contributed to this entrepreneurial project as a part of the Psych2Go community, have worked very diligently and hard to produce this publication. Everyone was such a vital asset to its production and none of this is possible without everyone’s willingness to participate! We’d love to hear your feedback! Send us a message at
[email protected] telling us what you think of the magazine! Be sure to keep up to da te with Psych2Go and check out the next issue of our magazine coming out January 2016! Teresa Johnson Editor in Chief of Psych2Go Magazine
Your contributions helped make this project possible! Stay tuned for Issue #2!
ANSWER KEY TRUE OR FALSE 1. True 2. True 3. False 4. True 5. False MULTIPLE CHOICE QUIZ 1. B 2. A 3. D 4. A
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of the interview with the same font styling(end of page 14 to the beginning of page 15). That’s definitely not to say it’s all bad, I love how all the colors pop out at you and grab your attention I also enjoy the pictures and imagery used for every section of the magazine.
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You can tell that the people writing this put a lot of effort into it and genuinely enjoy what they do, this is expressed through the use of more personal dialogue to connect with the reader rather than just reading the information to you. Despite my few complaints that I feel may hamper your experience if only a little bit, I have no doubt you will still enjoy reading through this magazine as much as I did. (Obligatory not-so obligatory score) PSYC out of PSYCH
review
- Callestere
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READER TESTIMONIALS
Psych2Go Issue 1
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Psych2go’s first magazine for ADHD awareness month, for their first magazine this is a very strong start, unfortunately it isn’t without its problems. I was surprised to find that the barrier to entry is quite low, literally anyone with little to no background knowledge of psychology or any of the social sciences could pick this up and read it if psychology is something you’re interested in. This magazine covers a plethora of thought provoking topics from separation anxiety disorder, to autism, to martial arts, and even tips for interviews so it’s filled with things everybody can take something away from. The magazine is very colorful with many illustrations throughout so it doesn’t feel like you’re reading a college textbook. However, many of the pdf pages follow this format where there are two normal pages crammed together on one page,
a nice idea but there are some instances where I feel it doesn’t quite work (for example page 37). I don’t know, it just bugs me when one page is full but the page next to it is half blank (or half full if you’re feeling optimistic). The last two paragraphs on page 19 clash a bit with the art on the page, it’s a minor issue but I feel that it should be mentioned. Also, I wish that the font for the citations were a little darker, so they’re easier to read (especially pages 66 & 67 with the suicide hotlines). Page 15 in particular has a few font related problems, page 14 & 15 have an interview with a college student but surprisingly there’s no use of quotation marks at all for her responses, even though the text is a different color the questions have the same sized font as her responses, and there’s even a part on that page where it transitions from her responses back into the next section
Honestly I think that you guys had an amazing idea of creating a dynamic and more fun access to the psychological world, something with good source and using a language that is not too formal, which makes easier and accessible for anyone to read, Its just really amazing. I’m brazilian and I found you guys through tumblr, it was really great for me because like some people who work in the magazine I dont act in the psychology field but I always had a great interest on it. Congrats for the magazine, its awesome!! Keep it up! (Sorry about my english) -Love, Marina.
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