In Praise of Memorization: 10 Proven Brain Benefits

http://www.bestcollegesonline.com/blog/2012/07/23/in-praise-of-memorization-10-proven-brain-benefits/ In Praise of Memorization: 10 Proven Brain Benefits Posted on Monday July 23, 2012 by Staff Writers

Memory learning catches a lot of flack these days. Informed educators are often quick to write off rote memorization as an unnecessary and even harmful exercise, instead preferring to teach creativity and problem solving. While we agree that creative, analytical lessons are a great way to learn, it’s worth pointing out that memorization can still play an important role in learning, no matter your age. Read on to find 10 great benefits of memorization in school and beyond.
Memorization trains your brain to remember:
Although memorizing lines of poetry may not feel particularly essential, it’s an important task for training your brain to remember things. This type of memorization task exercises your brain, giving it strength to retain more information. Memorizing passages or poetry over time (rather than cramming) is a very effective way to make your brain more receptive to remembering.

Memorization challenges your brain:
Just like when you work out at a gym, consistent and challenging exercise is the key to staying brain fit. Challenges like memorization are a very useful way to work out your brain for better mental health.

Rote learning improves neural plasticity:
Irish researchers found that through extended exercises in rote learning, learners can actually recall more information overall. Rote learning benefits the hippocampal foundation, a key structure in the brain for episodic and spatial memory in humans. In their group of participants aged 55-70, these researches noted that repeated activation of memory structures promotes neuronal plasticity in the aging brain.

Nursery rhymes teach rhythmic patterns:
Repeating the same nursery rhymes over and over again to young children offers memorization by repetition, a very important memory tool for kids. As parents recite familiar rhymes, children learn rhythmic patterns, teaching them balance and symmetry.

Memorization offers a mental gymnastics exercise:
Those who obsess over sports statistics should be encouraged: neurobiologists believe that “mental gymnastics”, like remembering facts from sports history, can make your brain more quick and agile. Although researchers have yet to find a direct link, they do believe that there’s a plausible connection between sports score obsessions and a more flexible mind. Plus, as UCLA neuroscientist Arthur Toga points out, an exercise like reading sports scores “gets a lot more circuits involved” than, say, watching sports on TV.

Knowing frees up brain power:
Students who “just know” equations, functions, definitions, and other memorized facts can save brain power; brain power that can be used for other things. If foundational concepts and information are grasped, students can move on to bigger and better things, rather than spending time looking up words or doing simple math in a calculator.

Memory exercises help students practice focus:
As an adult, it may be hard to remember what you ate for dinner last night, but you just might remember the Gettysburg Address you had to recite in grade school. Why is that? The answer is focus. As students spend time memorizing passages, tables, anything at all, they learn to find focus. Educators have found that students who were required to memorize from an early age often go on to have more capacity to focus on educational tasks as high school and college students.

Memory skills are essential to learning new concepts:
Weber State University student researcher Paula Fiet has delved into a working memory research project, discovering that underdeveloped short-term memory may be to blame for some students’ problems with mastering concepts in math and reading. Fiet explains, “you need working memory to learn,” or to hold enough information in your mind to comprehend what you’re learning. Fiet’s research has shown that “children with poor working memories don’t get enough information in their minds at one time to make sense of what is coming in.” Students who complete exercises aimed at building short-term memory have seen improvement in their working memory and capacity to learn.

Working memory is important for creativity:
Just as a strong working memory is good for learning, working memory is important for creativity as well. Dutch researchers have found that semiprofessional cellists were able to perform more creatively with a higher working memory capacity. But under cognitive load, participants performed worse on a creative insight task. Students who learn to focus and develop their working memory through memorization tasks can free their mind to become more creative.

Memory training can stave off cognitive decline:
Memory-forming can become a healthy lifelong habit. Researchers from the National Institute on Health and Aging have found that adults who went through short bursts of memory training were better able to maintain higher cognitive functioning and everyday skills, even five years after going through the training. Practicing memorization allowed the elderly adults to delay typical cognitive decline by seven to 14 years. Students who start practicing memory training now can stay sharp in years to come.

9 Ways to Keep an Aging Brain Sharp

9 Ways to Keep an Aging Brain Sharp

http://www.onlinepsychologydegree.net/2012/07/18/9-ways-to-keep-an-aging-brain-sharp/

Everything slows down with age, especially our brains. Sadly, the old saying, “if you don’t use it, you lose it” is true in the case of plasticity, the brain’s ability to change. As we get older, it becomes harder for the brain to learn new things and recall information from the past. As frustrating as it is to feel disoriented and experience memory loss, it isn’t the end for your brain. Like your muscles, your brain needs daily exercise to stay in shape. Check out these nine ways to keep your brain sharp well into old age.

Exercise regularly: Not only is regular exercise good for the body, but it’s also good for your brain. Exercising improves blood flow to the brain and increases oxygen and glucose levels. A well-oxygenated brain is sharper and has improved mental functions. Unlike other forms of exercise, walking is not strenuous and requires less oxygen and glucose, therefore, you may be able to feel the oxygenated effects more when walking. Not to mention, exercise releases endorphins, the feel-good chemicals that reduce pain and improve your mood. And who doesn’t want that?

Eat more berries: In addition to eating a well-balanced diet, aging adults might want to increase their berry intake to delay memory decline. According to a recent study conducted by Harvard researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a high intake of strawberries, blueberries, and flavonoid-rich berries can, over time, delay memory loss in older women by two and a half years. The high antioxidant compounds found in blueberries and strawberries may help preserve brain function.

Play brain games: One of the best ways to stimulate the brain and keep it sharp is to play brain games. Sudoku, chess, crossword puzzles, and checkers are just a few brain games that probe memory, language, and math skills and improve concentration and strategy. Another fun mental exercise is to test your memory by recalling information from several years ago, such as addresses, phone numbers, and the names of old neighbors or teachers. Studies have shown that stimulating brain games may even help thwart Alzheimer’s diseases, dementia, and memory loss.

Stay connected: Skipping out on family gatherings and social activities may have a devastating effect on your brain function and memory in your senior years. Those who maintain strong relationships and engage in regular social activity are more likely to have good mental health and ward off diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s. Regular social interaction may also have lasting effects on your memory and cognitive function. Keep your brain healthy and sharp by maintaining a strong social circle and visiting with friends and family on a regular basis.

Read often: Reading is one of the best ways to boost your brain power and keep it sharp. Reading can improve your vocabulary and writing skills, as well as introduce you to new skills and knowledge that can help you solve problems and make better decisions in life. Aging adults who read on a regular basis may have a more active imagination and a heightened sense of creativity.

Learn something new: As we age, we get set in our ways and become more reluctant to learn new things. A lack of new, challenging stimulation can make you feel less sharp. The brain needs to be exercised daily and one of the best ways to keep it sharp is to learn something new. Maybe you’ve always wanted to learn Italian, play the guitar, or take an art class. It doesn’t matter what you do or how well you do it, just going through the motions of learning a new skill is a challenge in itself.

Travel: Traveling stimulates the brain and exposes you to new and exciting experiences. Whether you’re visiting a friend or exploring an unfamiliar place alone, you will most likely have interesting and memorable social encounters. Traveling awakens your senses and lifts your spirits while allowing you to use important navigation skills to get to and from your destination.

Get more sleep: Sleep is crucial to maintaining a healthy brain. In order for the brain to process new information and store it to memory, it needs ample rest. Sleep also helps you retain information and perform better on tasks throughout the day. Sleep apnea, insomnia, and other sleep disorders can negatively impact cognitive functioning. Those who are sleep deprived may experience severe problems with memory, problem-solving, and learning.

Reduce stress: Chronic stress can have a devastating effect on your mind and body. An increase in the stress hormone cortisol can hamper nerve cell growth and lead to impaired memory. Chronic stress can weaken the immune system, making you more susceptible to illnesses. It also wreaks havoc on your mental health and can lead to debilitating mental disorders such as anxiety and depression. Manage your stress and keep your brain healthy with stress-reducing activities like yoga, meditation, exercise, listening to music, and socializing.

8 Drugs with Really Embarrassing Side Effects

8 Drugs with Really Embarrassing Side Effects July 19, 2012 Posted by: Staff Writers Writer for InsuranceQuotes.org http://www.insurancequotes.org/2012/07/19/8-drugs-with-really-embarrassing-side-effects/

Scientists have made remarkable advances in medicine during the past century, finding treatments for everything from strep throat to Parkinson’s disease. Even vanity causes aren’t beyond the reach of drug companies, which offer solutions to even our most embarrassing physical shortcomings. Often though, the side effects of medication can be just as humiliating as the problem it was created to solve. If you take one of the following drugs, we hope you’re immune to either these cringe-worthy side effects or to total embarrassment.

Alli and Xenical: Orlistat, the generic drug for weight-loss pills like Alli and Xenical, is effective in making you lose weight, but that could be because it shames you into following a low-fat diet. The medication keeps you from absorbing all the fat you eat into your system, so that fat basically just comes out the other end … sometimes when you don’t expect it. You can have gas with oily discharge, loose stools, and more frequent stools that might be hard to control. Translated, that means grease-stained or poop-filled pants. The Alli website even used to recommend wearing dark pants and bringing an extra change of clothes with you to work until you understand these “treatment effects.”

Zoloft: We all know that Viagra can cause erections lasting four hours or longer from the drug’s commercials, but those people are kind of asking for it. Zoloft users, however, may not expect embarrassingly long erections when they take the medicine to treat their depression. It’s more likely that the drug will cause a decreased interest in sex or erectile dysfunction, but those side effects are arguably less embarrassing than the poor guy who has to cover his crotch half the work day.

Mirapex: Imagine you’re diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and start a drug regimen to help control it. Suddenly, you find yourself throwing all your money away at blackjack tables and the race track. The two probably seem unrelated and you might be embarrassed by your new lack of impulse control, but the Parkinson’s drug Mirapex has actually been found to increase gambling in some patients. So the next time you hear about some schmuck who gambled his family into debt, ask if he has Parkinson’s before you judge him.

Ambien: Ever wonder how you woke up in the morning with frosting on your face? If you take Ambien, you could have your answer. Many users have reported sleepwalking, sleep-eating, and worse. Some have attempted to drive while asleep, made telephone calls, and some may even have had sex — and they all woke up in the morning with no recollection of the event. Besides being dangerous, this could be more embarrassing than drunk-dialing someone or having an alcohol-induced one-night stand. The sleep-eating can be more traumatizing than you’d think, too, as people under the influence of the drug sometimes eat things they shouldn’t, like raw meat and inedible objects.

Seroquel: Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder that should be treated, but for some, the treatment can be almost as embarrassing and perhaps more unexpected than the disease itself. For a small number of patients, the drug Seroquel causes galactorrhea. Sounds disgusting, right? Galactorrhea is lactating spontaneously when you’re not pregnant or nursing, a horrifying leak to spring when you’re not expecting it.

Propecia: If you thought it was bad for a woman to lactate spontaneously, imagine how much worse it must be for a man! In rare cases, Propecia, a drug many men use to treat hair loss, can cause a humiliating little side effect known as gynecomastia. In layman’s terms, that’s man boobs. And for a few unlucky patients, these man boobs can actually produce milk if stimulated too much. Here’s the question: would you rather be bald or have breasts?

Phenytoin: The drug phenytoin helps control seizures in epilepsy patients. It also helps women fulfill their dreams of becoming a circus sideshow act: “Come one, come all, and see the famous bearded lady!” One pesky side effect of the undeniably useful drug is hirsutism, or the growth of unwanted hair. We’re talking 5 o’clock shadows and chest hair. So, ladies, if you find yourself sprouting fur in unattractive places, it might be time to stop the phenytoin and try a different treatment.

Indocin: While men don’t actively look at each other while they urinate, you know that if something strange were going on, some heads would turn. Is blue urine weird enough for you? There are actually several drugs that will change your pee to an unnatural color. Blue or green can come from Indocin, Tagamet, and Elavil. Flagyl, an antibiotic, can even cause black urine. That’s not something you see at the urinal every day!

Essential Psychology Books for Business Students

The Essential Psychology Books for Business Students

http://www.onlinemba.com/blog/the-essential-psychology-books-for-business-students/ July 16, 2012 You may have aced your courses in finance, business law, and management, but that doesn’t mean you’re ready to head out into the business world just yet. A well-rounded business education should also include the study of psychology, because an understanding of the human mind and human behavior can make the difference between success and failure in any kind of business venture, from finding investors to managing employees. Knowing how to be persuasive, make hard decisions, motivate others, and work within a group are all essential skills in the business world, and they’re practices that have been the subject of much psychological research and writing, the most accessible of which can be incredibly enlightening for future businesspeople. If you don’t have time to take a course in business psychology, consider reading one, a few, or all of these books that are related to the topic. You’re bound to find some powerful insights into the human mind that will make it easier to get where you want to go in your career. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini, Ph.D.: Knowing how to persuade others is at the heart of being successful in business. You’ll need the skill to get funding, lead, and sell products and services, so read up on some of the most revealing studies on influence and persuasion in this classic pop-psych tome. Business Psychology and Organisational Behaviour by Eugene McKenna: If you need a textbook on the ins and outs of business psychology, this is a great choice, regardless of whether you’re enrolled in a business psych course. It’s a great place to get foundational knowledge and could give you some business-focused tips on understanding human behavior and motivations. Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek: Ever wonder why some leaders can get people to do what they want while others struggle? It may boil down to simple psychology, as you’ll learn in this book from Simon Sinek. Sinek offers insights into what communication methods great managers and business leaders use that really deliver results. The Winner’s Brain: 8 Strategies Great Minds Use to Achieve Success by Jeff Brown, Liz Neporent, and Mark Fenske: Your brain is more than just another organ in your body, as it controls everything that you do from breathing to complex mathematical calculations. Yet your brain can also hold you back, as these authors demonstrate that a large part of success is really all in your head. The Art of Choosing by Sheena Iyengar: In business, you’re going to have to make a lot of choices, some of them pretty tough, but do you ever stop to think about why you make the choices you do? This book examines the psychology behind choice and may help you to be more conscious of even the small decisions you make, as they can have far-reaching consequences. Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard by Chip Heath and Dan Heath: Get advice from this dynamic brotherly duo on how to make difficult changes in your life or your company with greater ease, defeating the innate predilection for comfort to help you make changes for the better. Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Dan Pink: You might think you understand what motivates you and your employees, but this book will likely show you that you don’t know the whole truth. The psychology behind motivation is often much more complex than we allow for, and this book offers some great lessons that will help you be a more effective leader and manager. The Human Side of Enterprise by Douglas McGregor: This management classic was first published in 1960, and despite all that has happened since, it still holds a lot of wisdom for modern managers. This expanded edition holds not only McGregor’s original text, but also stories of how today’s business leaders are applying his strategies, based in motivation psychology, with great success. The Wisdom of Crowds by James Surowieki: We tend to think of the mob mentality as being a bad thing, but this book will show you that that’s not always the case. Your employees, when working together, can often be a much wiser, more powerful, and productive force than when working independently. The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work by Shawn Achor: If you’re not familiar with positive psychology, this book can be a great primer, showing you how to apply many of its central principles to your life at work, making you happier and ultimately more successful, even when the going gets tough. Power, Influence, and Persuasion: Sell Your Ideas and Make Things Happen by Harvard Business School Press: This is another great read on understanding the psychology of persuasion. Let Harvard Business School experts teach you how to command attention, change minds, influence decision-making, and more. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg: While patterns and habits get a bad rap, they can be a boon for businesses that are savvy enough to realize they exist. Duhigg explains how some of the most successful businesses and products simply capitalized on or transformed existing patterns, making this an enlightening read for any prospective entrepreneur. The Psychology of Selling: Increase Your Sales Faster and Easier Than You Ever Thought Possible by Brian Tracy:In business, you’re always selling something, even if you’re not a salesman. You sell your ideas, your expertise, and even yourself to potential employers, so you had better be good at doing it. Learn some of the essential psychological tricks behind successful sales from Brian Tracy in this book. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck:It’s not hard to see how what you think can influence your reality or at least your perception of it. In this book, psychologist Dr. Dweck explains how establishing a positive mindset is as essential to success as talent and ability. The Silent Language of Leaders: How Body Language Can Help–or Hurt–How You Lead by Carol Kinsey Goman: You might not be saying anything, but your body language may be speaking volumes. Drawing on neuroscience, psychology, and management theory, Carol Kinsey Goman can help instruct you to be more aware of your body language and to be better at reading that of others. Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath and Dan Heath:In order to get a business off of the ground, you have to have your idea stick, yet it can be hard to figure out just what makes an idea so “sticky” in the first place. This book will shed some light on the matter, using the theory of memory, the human scale principle, and a little something called curiosity gaps to explain why some ideas live on while others die. Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely: Think your decisions are perfectly rational? Think again. Dan Ariely explains some of the unconscious factors at play when we’re trying to make decisions, which could have a big impact on your success (or failure) at work. The Upside of Irrationality: The Unexpected Benefits of Defying Logic at Work and at Home by Dan Ariely:In this sequel of sorts to his previous book, Ariely explains why being irrational isn’t always a bad thing, explaining some of the surprisingly positive effects (though some negative, too) that our predictably irrational decisions can have on our lives. Everyone Communicates, Few Connect: What the Most Effective People Do Differently by John C. Maxwell: It’s easy to talk but much more difficult to really be heard; at least that’s the lesson that Maxwell is trying show here. He offers up some great practices that can help you take advantage of human nature to become a better communicator and leader. A First-Rate Madness: Uncovering the Links Between Leadership and Mental Illness by S. Nassir Ghaemi: Sometimes, qualities that come along with mood disorders or other mental illnesses, also lend themselves to great leadership, especially under pressure. In this book, you’ll learn about the connections between mental illness and greatness in some of the world’s most famous leaders, perhaps changing how you think about qualities you had previously regarded as weaknesses. Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations by Clay Shirky: In today’s world, it’s impossible to operate without harnessing the power of the web. In this book, you’ll learn more about the new ways that people are organizing, cooperating, and joining up by using the Internet, changing some of the basics of social interactions. A great primer for anyone looking to learn more about marketing. Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? by Seth Godin: Sometimes, becoming indispensable at a business has a lot to do with being able to think differently than others. In this book, you’ll learn how to set yourself apart and what qualities you can cultivate to change how others see your role in a business. Entrepreneurial DNA: The Breakthrough Discovery that Aligns Your Business to Your Unique Strengths by Joe Abraham: Entrepreneurs are a much more diverse group and there’s a much wider range of talents and abilities that lead to success than we are often led to believe. Learn how your brain is hardwired for entrepreneurship and how you can capitalize on your own talents for business. How to Click with People: The Secret to Better Relationships in Business and in Life by Rick Kirschner: One of the benefits of knowing a bit about psychology is getting better at interacting with others in personal and professional relationships, and this book offers some helpful guidelines for doing just that.

Smiling can boost your immune system

Smiling can boost your mood and even your immune system. Keep reading for more fascinating facts about our smiles. Forcing yourself to smile can boost your mood: Psychologists have found that even if you’re in bad mood, you can instantly lift your spirits by forcing yourself to smile. It boosts your immune system: Smiling really can improve your physical health, too. Your body is more relaxed when you smile, which contributes to good health and a stronger immune system. Smiles are contagious: It’s not just a saying: smiling really is contagious, scientists say. In a study conducted in Sweden, people had difficulty frowning when they looked at other subjects who were smiling, and their muscles twitched into smiles all on their own. Smiles Relieve Stress: Your body immediately releases endorphins when you smile, even when you force it. This sudden change in mood will help you feel better and release stress. It’s easier to smile than to frown: Scientists have discovered that your body has to work harder and use more muscles to frown than it does to smile. It’s a universal sign of happiness: While hand shakes, hugs, and bows all have varying meanings across cultures, smiling is known around the world and in all cultures as a sign of happiness and acceptance. We still smile at work: While we smile less at work than we do at home, 30% of subjects in a research study smiled five to 20 times a day, and 28% smiled over 20 times per day at the office. Smiles use from 5 to 53 facial muscles: Just smiling can require your body to use up to 53 muscles, but some smiles only use 5 muscle movements. Babies are born with the ability to smile: Babies learn a lot of behaviors and sounds from watching the people around them, but scientists believe that all babies are born with the ability, since even blind babies smile. Smiling helps you get promoted: Smiles make a person seem more attractive, sociable and confident, and people who smile more are more likely to get a promotion. Smiles are the most easily recognizable facial expression: People can recognize smiles from up to 300 feet away, making it the most easily recognizable facial expression. Women smile more than men: Generally, women smile more than men, but when they participate in similar work or social roles, they smile the same amount. This finding leads scientists to believe that gender roles are quite flexible. Boy babies, though, do smile less than girl babies, who also make more eye contact. Smiles are more attractive than makeup: A research study conducted by Orbit Complete discovered that 69% of people find women more attractive when they smile than when they are wearing makeup. There are 19 different types of smiles: UC - San Francisco researcher identified 19 types of smiles and put them into two categories: polite “social” smiles which engage fewer muscles, and sincere “felt” smiles that use more muscles on both sides of the face. Babies start smiling as newborns: Most doctors believe that real smiles occur when babies are awake at the age of four-to-six weeks, but babies start smiling in their sleep as soon as they’re born.

A lesson that will help us lead more fulfilling lives

THE 'HUMPS' WE SEE IN OTHERS

I don't know about you, but I don't spend a great deal of time worrying about how I appear to other people. I know I'm not perfect. Far from it. But I figure that there is an upside to my own flaws, faults and imperfections: for one thing, they seem to bring joy to others. Maybe that's reason enough not to over-polish.
Or maybe it's just that I underestimate the seriousness of my own shortcomings. I might be like the man who was driving a car with a bumper sticker that read, "Hang up and drive." A police officer was pleased to spot the sticker, as she had witnessed too many accidents caused by motorists talking on cell phones. Wanting to signal her approval to the driver, she pulled up alongside the car. But when she glanced over, she was dismayed to see him peering into his rear-view mirror and shaving. At least he wasn't talking on his mobile phone.
Maybe it is just easier to spot the flaws in others. It's like the camel. An African proverb states, "The camel never sees its own hump, but that of its brother is always before its eyes." I probably don't see my own humps very clearly. Or, as writer Margaret Halsey once said, "Whenever I dwell for any length of time on my own shortcomings, they gradually begin to seem mild, harmless, rather engaging little things, not at all like the staring defects in other people's characters."
So I can appreciate the story of an elderly couple who, while on an automobile trip, stopped at a roadside restaurant for lunch. The woman left her eye glasses on the table, but didn't miss them until they were back on the highway. And, of course, it was difficult to turn around by then. Her husband fussed and complained all the way back to the restaurant about her "always leaving her glasses" behind. They finally arrived, and as the woman got out of the car to retrieve her glasses, the old man said, "While you're in there, you may as well get my hat, too."
Psychologist Carl Jung puts a powerful spin on this phenomenon of seeing other's faults more clearly than our own. He teaches that "everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves." Or, put another way, the humps we can't help but seeing in others are a lot like the humps others see in us. Or, perhaps they are like the humps we see in ourselves.
So, what would happen if we'd look at other people's faults and humps as a gift? After all, they're teaching us about ourselves.
And that's what makes us different from camels.

-- Steve Goodier