There are many things that we might do to keep ourselves and our environment safe. The reasons that we do them are not always them same and in reviewing our own motivations and observing the behavior of others, much can be learned.
These are fascinating concepts to me as I am, by education, someone who works to impact the behavior of others, and by others I mean groups - communities-populations. The great child development expert, Piaget, began his research by observing his own child. Observation is not a clinical study but it certainly gives research minded people a place to form their hypothesis.
The behavioral theories that I appreciate the most are not so differentiated in my mind anymore as the constructs that I believe in now run together into one planning theme. You may remember my key concepts from past posts. They are relevancy, threat, self- and behavior(tool/new skill)-efficacy, social norming, obstacles and more recently I have been considering intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Besides belief in ones ability to do something and the strength of that something to have a positive (or remove a negative) impact, why is a person doing something? Does the incentive come from inside or outside or both.
Here are some things people may or may not do or use:
seat belts
bicycle helmets
motorcycle helmets
sunscreen and the like
goggles (eye protection)
condoms
recycling
vaccines
pool showers
Pool showers! Yes that is the behavior that inspired this deeper blog discussion. We are told to shower before we enter a public pool or hot tub and less often, to shower after we leave them. I believe that the reason we are supposed to shower first is to remove our perfumes and lotions as they are bad for the pool and or can cause a reaction on our own skin if they mix with the water chemicals. I know from personal experience and have been told by - well I cannot remember - I want to say my doctor told me but I really think it was a massage therapist- that the chemicals from the pool or hot tub - are absorbed into our skin. Makes sense, isn't that why we soak in Epsom salt? So I ALWAYS shower after but I only shower before if other people are at the pool area. What does that say about me? Apparently, I believe in the second concept but not the first. Or I do not think that the first really is RELEVANT to me as I don't usually lotion up and put on perfume before going to the pool. I do want to set a good example though and/or am afraid I will appear thoughtless if I don't shower first, so I do if people are around. The before is apparently extrinsically motivated and the after is intrinsic. I believe that the chemicals will harm me and I believe that a shower immediately after will get them off of me.
What are some things that you do regardless of being watched compared to when you are watched? Do you always recycle? Do you only where a helmet if kids are around? ETC -
Showing posts with label health promotion and wellness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health promotion and wellness. Show all posts
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Odds and Ends
First I have to tell you that one of my dearest friends recently sent me her version of Odds and Ends which nearly had me rolling in the floor with laughter – I am absolutely going to let you all read it – however, it tells a little secret that I can’t share yet – so maybe next week!
For now – you are stuck with my not so funny brief points from the past week.
Positive Note on Drug Studies: Wow, yes I am going to admit that kudos is due several big Pharma companies – Pfizer not being one of them for some reason. The good news is based on a great many failures, which is ironic, but instead of just having a bunch of failed drugs, we may be able to put all that time and effort already spent, to another use. I am referring to the unfortunate truth that no company has found a drug to reverse or even reasonably treat the disease of Alzheimer’s. It does not appear that any advance has occurred since my years of working with this population (2000-2007). Then it was more a matter of treating symptoms and trying to modify behavior both environmentally and sadly, chemically. Alzheimer’s Disease is also a condition that leads to progressive despair for loved ones. Now several companies have agreed to put it all on the table. Scientists will be able to see what was tried, what affect the treatments did have and how. Perhaps in the failures will come a greater understanding of the disease.
Negative Note on Drug Company: Geez Johnson and Johnson – it is alleged that you paid people to go buy medicines on the down low so you wouldn’t have to recall them on the up and up – You know what happens when they do that in China? Let’s just say it is slightly worse than a blogger curling her nose at you.
Drugs again?! Sorry, but I heard this on the beach today. (Gulfcoast in SW Florida – still beautiful). Two women were chatting and one asked the other if she had seen the commercial that talks about depression. The one that says maybe if your medicine isn’t working you should add Abilify. AACK! How in the world two psychotropic or mood altering drugs could be better than one completely escapes me, however the real point is what she did NOT say. She did not say, “has your doctor ever suggested a different medication or a different approach to treatment?” Of course, the IDEAL statement would be “has your psychiatrist…” and the perfect-world statement would be, “hey, have you ever tried exercise for treating your depression – I hear it works wonderfully and has no adverse side effects.”
Illusions: A David Shaywitz reviewed a book called the Invisible Gorilla and the book is probably great, but the review was awesome! I was reading along thinking how well written the article was and then saw that the person writing was actually a professor so his grasp of the subject and ability to write about it was less surprising. Let me just say that the book discusses many misperceptions or illusions that we all seem to have. We remember things inaccurately and believe less in our faults and more in our abilities and even attractiveness. The book authors may be looking to knock us down a peg or two, but Dr. Shaywitz argues the opposite, and I so agree. It is better, maybe to think yourself more capable then you are because without that confidence you may never try to do something that you actually CAN do. Several years ago, a friend in NC, Beth, told me that my mind was a steel trap – I would do what I said I would do – I think that a strong sense of belief, illusion or no is a great tool to have!
For now – you are stuck with my not so funny brief points from the past week.
Positive Note on Drug Studies: Wow, yes I am going to admit that kudos is due several big Pharma companies – Pfizer not being one of them for some reason. The good news is based on a great many failures, which is ironic, but instead of just having a bunch of failed drugs, we may be able to put all that time and effort already spent, to another use. I am referring to the unfortunate truth that no company has found a drug to reverse or even reasonably treat the disease of Alzheimer’s. It does not appear that any advance has occurred since my years of working with this population (2000-2007). Then it was more a matter of treating symptoms and trying to modify behavior both environmentally and sadly, chemically. Alzheimer’s Disease is also a condition that leads to progressive despair for loved ones. Now several companies have agreed to put it all on the table. Scientists will be able to see what was tried, what affect the treatments did have and how. Perhaps in the failures will come a greater understanding of the disease.
Negative Note on Drug Company: Geez Johnson and Johnson – it is alleged that you paid people to go buy medicines on the down low so you wouldn’t have to recall them on the up and up – You know what happens when they do that in China? Let’s just say it is slightly worse than a blogger curling her nose at you.
Drugs again?! Sorry, but I heard this on the beach today. (Gulfcoast in SW Florida – still beautiful). Two women were chatting and one asked the other if she had seen the commercial that talks about depression. The one that says maybe if your medicine isn’t working you should add Abilify. AACK! How in the world two psychotropic or mood altering drugs could be better than one completely escapes me, however the real point is what she did NOT say. She did not say, “has your doctor ever suggested a different medication or a different approach to treatment?” Of course, the IDEAL statement would be “has your psychiatrist…” and the perfect-world statement would be, “hey, have you ever tried exercise for treating your depression – I hear it works wonderfully and has no adverse side effects.”
Illusions: A David Shaywitz reviewed a book called the Invisible Gorilla and the book is probably great, but the review was awesome! I was reading along thinking how well written the article was and then saw that the person writing was actually a professor so his grasp of the subject and ability to write about it was less surprising. Let me just say that the book discusses many misperceptions or illusions that we all seem to have. We remember things inaccurately and believe less in our faults and more in our abilities and even attractiveness. The book authors may be looking to knock us down a peg or two, but Dr. Shaywitz argues the opposite, and I so agree. It is better, maybe to think yourself more capable then you are because without that confidence you may never try to do something that you actually CAN do. Several years ago, a friend in NC, Beth, told me that my mind was a steel trap – I would do what I said I would do – I think that a strong sense of belief, illusion or no is a great tool to have!
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