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November 11 2017

Friday Factoids Catch-Up: Factors That Impact Sleep

Author Susan Vaught Categories Blog, Continuing Education, Current Interns, Mental Health and Wellness, Resources for Interns 0 Comments

According to the National Sleep Foundation, more than 65 percent of Americans don’t get enough sleep regularly (Ott, 2003) and many factors contribute to sleep deprivation for example bathroom trips, sleep schedules, temperature, noise, and technological devices.

 

Temperature
Rohles and Munson (1981) in their study examined EEG’s and skin temperature measurements from six men and six women while they slept in environments with temperatures of 10·0°C, 21·1°C, and 32·2°C. EEG recordings showed that the proportion of time in each sleep stage was not affected by the temperature of the sleep environment. However, after participants awoke and completed a questionnaire, women did not sleep as well at 10·0°C as at the other temperatures, when sleeping in conventional clothing and bedding.

 

Noise
Muzet (2007) found sleep disturbance is largely impacted by noise in the environment. “The input to the auditory area of the brain through the auditory pathways is prolonged by inputs reaching both the brain cortical area and the descending pathways of the autonomic functions. Therefore, the sleeping body still responds to stimuli coming from the environment, although the noise sensitivity of the sleeper depends on several factors (e.g. type of noise, noise frequency, one’s age, sex, personality characteristics and self-estimated sensitivity to noise).”

 

Technology
With the advancements of technology, Gradisar, Wolfson, Harvey, Hale, Rosenberg, and Czeisler, (2013), found in their sample, 95 percent of participants used some type of electronics at least a few nights a week within the hour before bed, like a television, computer, video game or cell phone. “Unfortunately cell phones and computers, which make our lives more productive and enjoyable, may also be abused to the point that they contribute to getting less sleep at night leaving millions of Americans functioning poorly the next day,” said, Russell Rosenberg, PhD, Vice Chairman of the National Sleep Foundation. Czeisle and Shanahan (2016) stated in a “Systematic review and meta-analysis by Carter and colleagues in this issue of JAMA Pediatrics found that the mere presence of a mobile device in the sleeping environment at bedtime, and certainly its use, increased the risk of inadequate sleep quantity, poor sleep quality, and daytime sleepiness the next day in children 6 to 19 years old.” Gradisar, et al., (2013) found 13-18 year olds are the sleepiest of all age groups, then Generation Z’ers and generation Y’ers report more sleepiness than generation X’ers and Baby Boomers. Results revealed that Baby Boomers, due to the difference in technology use, have less sleep disturbance.

 

Sleep Advice
Gradisar, Wolfson, Harvey, Hale, Rosenberg, and Czeisler, (2013) stated, “If you are having problems sleeping, the National Sleep Foundation recommends the following to improve your sleep:

  • Create and stick to a sleep schedule. 
  •  Expose yourself to bright light in the morning and prevent it at night.
  •  Exercise frequently. 
  • Create a comforting bedtime routine. 
  •  Create a cool, comfortable, distraction and stress free sleep environment
  • Maintain a “worry book” next to your bed to write down your thoughts.
  • Avoid caffeinated beverages, alcohol, chocolate, large meals and tobacco at night and before bed.
  • Unless you work the night shift, No late-afternoon or evening naps.”

 

References
Czeisler, C. A., & Shanahan, T. L. (2016). Problems Associated With Use of Mobile Devices in the Sleep Environment–Streaming Instead of Dreaming. JAMA Pediatrics, 170(12), 1146-1147. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2016.2986

 

Gradisar, M., Wolfson, A. R., Harvey, A. G., Hale, L., Rosenberg, R., & Czeisler, C. A.   (2013). The Sleep and Technology Use of Americans: Findings from the National Sleep Foundation’s 2011 Sleep in America Poll. Journal Of Clinical   Sleep   Medicine, 9(12), 1291-1299. doi:10.5664/jcsm.3272

 

Muzet, A. (2007). Environmental noise, sleep and health. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 11(2), 135-142. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2006.09.001

 

Ott, C. (2003). Stay Young with a Good Night’s Sleep. Natural Health, 33(2), 68.

 

Rohles, F. H., & Munson, D. M. (1981). Sleep and the sleep environment temperature. Journal    Of Environmental Psychology, 1(3), 207-214. doi:10.1016/S0272-4944(81)80039-4

 

Katy Roth, M.A., CRC
WKPIC Doctoral Intern

October 10 2017

Friday Factoids: They Creep, They Crawl: Our Fear of Snakes and Spiders

Author Susan Vaught Categories Blog, Continuing Education, Current Interns, Friday Factoids, Mental Health and Wellness 1 Comment on Friday Factoids: They Creep, They Crawl: Our Fear of Snakes and Spiders

 

 

With Halloween right around the corner, it’s the perfect time to talk about the things that go bump in the night, the things that send shivers down our spine, and the things that slither and crawl. Most people have a fear of snakes and spiders (Hoel, Hellmer, Johansson, & Gredebäck, 2017). Just the sight of one of these creepy critters can send people running, but is this fear learned or instinctual?

 

Many of our fears are learned, however, others are innate (Leahy, 2008). For example, eating bad fish can cause us to become ill, and we may learn to avoid similar fish (Leahy, 2008). This learned aversion is the result of one-trial learning. Yet, we have many fears that did not require trial learning. Most of us are born with a fear of heights, yet we don’t have to fall from a great height to know that heights scare us (Leahy, 2008). Instead, this fear is instinctual and useful in protecting us from potential harm.

 

In regards to snakes and spiders, prior research had difficulty determining if the fear was learned from parents and others in the environment or an instinctual fear (Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences [MPIHCBS], 2017). Others had determined that most people, even those who lived in cities with no exposure to these creatures, had a deep fear of snakes and spiders, yet past research looked at adults and young children who might have learned this fear from parents or grandparents exposed to these tiny terrors (MPIHCBS, 2017). A new study took a different approach and showed infants pictures of flowers paired with spiders and fish paired with snakes (Hoehl et al., 2017). When examining the snakes and spiders, infants’ pupils demonstrated an increased dilation when compared to their neutral pairings, suggesting a sympathetic response to these frightening stimuli (Hoehl et al., 2017). These findings suggest that our fear of snakes and spiders, much like our fear of heights, is instinctual and meant to help us avoid potential threats (Hoehl et al., 2017).

 

References:
Hoehl, S., Hellmer, K., Johansson, M., & Gredebäck, G. (2017). Itsy bitsy spider…: Infants react with increased arousal to spiders and snakes. Frontiers in Psychology, 8. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01710

 

Leahy, R.L. (2008). Are we born to be afraid? Psychology Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/anxiety-files/200805/are-we-born-be-afraid

 

Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences. (2017). Itsy bitsy spider: Fear of spiders and snakes is deeply embedded in us. ScienceDaily. Retrieved from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/10/171019110953.htm

 

Michael Daniel, MA
WKPIC Doctoral Intern

 

 

October 10 2017

Friday Factoids: How Fathers See Their Babies

Author Susan Vaught Categories Blog, Continuing Education, Current Interns, Friday Factoids, Resources for Interns 0 Comments

 

Emotions are “contagious”, especially for babies (American Psychological Association, 2017; Waters, West, Karnilowicz, & Mendes, 2017).  When mothers hold their babies, the mother’s affect is often “caught” by the baby.  This emotional transmission can be seen when mothers are in a high-anxiety situation, the baby exhibits a sympathetic response; however, in low-stress scenarios, the baby demonstrates a parasympathetic response (Waters et al., 2017).

 

Past research has shown that mothers and fathers frequently respond differently to boy and girl babies (APA, 2017; Mascaro, Rentscher, Hackett, Mehl, & Rilling, 2017).  Parents often talk more to girls yet restrict their behaviors, while boys are talked to less but allowed to engage in more risk-taking activities (e.g. climbing, “rough housing”).  New research has taken another step and examined the neural functioning of fathers when with their children (Mascaro et al., 2017).  When viewing pictures of their daughters smiling, fathers demonstrate a response in the orbitofrontal cortex, yet fathers experience the same response when viewing their sons exhibiting a neutral response (Mascaro et al., 2017).  These neural responses suggest fathers have differing expectations for their children.  Through the affect contagion scenario, it might be hypothesized that our babies are being primed early in how they express emotions.  Girls are likely learning that an affective response is positive, while boys may be learning that a restricted range of emotions is desirable.

 

References:

American Psychological Association. (2017). Parent-child interactions.  Particularly Exciting Experiments in Psychology, 98. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/pubs/highlights/peeps/issue-98.aspx

Mascaro, J. S., Rentscher, K. E., Hackett, P. D., Mehl, M. R., & Rilling, J. K. (2017). Child gender influences paternal behavior, language, and brain function. Behavioral Neuroscience, 131(3), 262–273. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/bne0000199

Waters, S. F., West, T. V., Karnilowicz, H. R., & Mendes, W. B. (2017). Affect contagion between mothers and infants: Examining valence and touch. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 146(7), 1043–1051. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/xge0000322

 

Michael Daniel, MA
WKPIC Doctoral Intern

 

October 10 2017

Surviving MATCH: Interview Tips from A Current Intern

Author Susan Vaught Categories Application Tips, Blog, Current Interns, Resources for Interns 0 Comments

As a current intern at the Western Kentucky Psychology Internship Consortium, I know first hand that the internship time of year can bring a plethora of emotions; for example, excitement, sadness, anxiety, and worry. That being said I am here to share several tips with you while on this journey.

 

Tip 1:

 

The only content the internship site has access to about you, is on the file you send. Sell yourself and your experiences to make the site want to meet you in person. GET OFFERED THAT INTERVIEW!

 

Tip 2:

 

When writing cover letters and other documents specifically for the site, DO NOT MAKE A GENERIC TEMPLATE. I am going to be completely honest. I spent about 3 hours on each cover letter. I looked at the site, viewed specific rotations/experiences they offered (wrote about 2-3) that I already possessed demonstrating why I would be a good fit, and then included (1-2) experiences the site offered I had limited experience with, but wanted to gain more.

 

Tip 3:

 

Think about the cost. You have too! When considering applying to sites, see how much they are paying students. Do you really want to take out loans the last year of your program?  Do you want to limit possible experiences while on internship? Also, consider the cost for interviewing at the site. It’s important! Some save part of their student loans. On the other hand, I worked the night shift to cover my expenses.

 

For example, if you are interested in a site in California, but they are paying $30,000-$40,000. Is that really enough? If you are living in a rural area in Northern California possibly, but not Los Angeles or San Francisco. If you could pay for your basic living expenses, how much does that leave for entertainment/shopping? You really have to consider this, as well as how much is it going to cost to travel to your sites. Say for example, you got one interview at a site in Los Angeles that was going to pay $40,000 but you had 5 interviews within driving distance. Are you willing to spend $500 on a plane ticket, $50 on a car rental, $175 on a hotel, etc. for one interview? Some would, some wouldn’t. It’s an important aspect to consider.

 

Tip 4:

 

ORGANIZE, ORGANIZE ORGANIZE

 

As you start to hear from sites, get a calendar and fill in the dates the site has interviews. You may hear from two sites (site A and site B) with overlapping days, but site A may only have one interview day, where site B has two. Obviously, if you want to interview at site A you only have one interview day to choose from and have to select the other day for site B. In a different color pen/marker after you solidify your interview day mark it in your calendar. I would at least include the site name, the address, and the length of time for your interview.

 

Interview dates you first marked are for knowing and organizing when the sites are conducting interviews, as well as to help organize and plan to travel. The second marking in your calendar are your confirmed interview days. I placed a huge pink border around these days.  An example to consider is, possibly you are from Oregon and  interviewing in Oklahoma and have an interview the next day in Arkansas. If you plan accordingly you can go right to Arkansas instead of going back to Oregon. IF YOU DON’T ORGANIZE YOUR INTERVIEWS YOU COULD MISS THE ABILITY TO SEE INTERVIEWS ARE CLOSE TOGETHER, therefore saving time and money.

 

Important to note, if you are in a state that is close to another interview site, it’s okay to ask if you can interview ahead of time. Some sites are flexible and accommodating. IF YOU DON’T ASK ITS AN AUTOMATIC NO.

 

Tip 5:

 

Always have a protein bar and water. Sometimes you may not have the ability to eat a meal or stop and grab something. These two items are small to put in luggage or a bag and come in  handy.

 

Tip 6:

 

BE CALM AND CONFIDENT

 

Do not be nervous! I was at first until I told myself (with confidence), the site already likes me, they wouldn’t have wanted to interview me if they didn’t. They want to meet me. NOW IT IS MY TURN TO SEE IF I LIKE THEM.

 

Tip 7:

 

When interviewing make sure you are able to distinguish yourself. What makes you different from everyone else who applied and interviewed? I was surprisingly asked this question from half of the sites I interviewed at. It honestly makes sense. What makes me stand out from everyone else? What would I bring to the internship, that another student wouldn’t? Everyone who gets offered an interview is clearly qualified on paper, that’s why the site wanted to interview us. WHAT MAKES ME DIFFERENT AND AN ASSET TO THEM? This component helped ease my anxiety.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tip 8:

 

When interviewing come with three questions related to the site, NOT ON THE WEBSITE OR BROCHURES. Having unique questions makes you stand out and the interviewers remember you.

 

Tip 9:

 

BE AWARE OF THE UNSPOKEN

 

Take in as much information as you can while on the interview. Notice the work environment, how do others interact? Do you think the internship site is genuinely friendly and engaged, or is it just because it’s interview day? What are the accommodations like? Do they offer a cafeteria with low cost meals to employees? Do the bathrooms have working sinks and toilets? What are the resources for interns? Do interns have their own office space, their own computer, a printer? The unspoken information you can obtain from a site while interviewing is in my opinion, even more important than what words can say.

 

Tip 10:

 

After interviewing, write down everything, the positives and negatives. IF YOU DON’T YOU WILL FORGET IT. When ranking consider what you wrote down about the sites immediately after you were there. After submitting your rankings, double check they are correctly in the order you like, but not too many times (this causes anxiety).

 

Tip 11:

 

LAST BUT NOT LEAST, BREATHE AND REACH OUT TO OTHERS

 

Recognize your support system and take time to breathe. This time, as I mentioned, comes with a wide range of emotions and stress. Whenever possible take sometime out to relax in-between interviews. I didn’t, but I wish I had because after all my interviews were over, I felt like I was in overdrive. Remember this process in total is temporary. You will get through it! Just take it step by step, enjoy the moments when you can breathe, and don’t be afraid to reach out to your support system.

 

Katy Roth, M.A., CRC
WKPIC Doctoral Intern

 

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