readings in psychology for october 3rd 2010

My daughter Kristin being raised to the rank of Army Major by her Uncle “Colonel Jim”

Here is what I am reading today! :

• parental alienation

“The American Psychiatric Association has a hot potato on its hands as it updates its catalog of mental disorders — whether to include parental alienation, a disputed term conveying how a child’s relationship with one estranged parent can be poisoned by the other. There’s broad agreement that this sometimes occurs, usually triggered by a divorce and child-custody dispute. But there’s bitter debate over whether the phenomenon should be formally classified as a mental health syndrome — a question now before the psychiatric association as it prepares the first complete revision since 1994 of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.”

• Now, a majority drink alcohol

” More people are drinking than 20 years ago, according to a UT Southwestern Medical Center analysis of national alcohol consumption patterns. Gathered from more than 85,000 respondents, the data suggests that a variety of factors, including social, economic and ethnic influences and pressures, are involved in the increase.”

• for women, living a bit longer may mean just getting enough sleep

“A new study, derived from novel sleep research conducted by University of California, San Diego researchers 14 years earlier, suggests that the secret to a long life may come with just enough sleep. Less than five hours a night is probably not enough; eight hours is probably too much.”

• watching TV may make you feel dissatisfied

“Watching television and its heavy dose of medical content in news and drama can lead to more concern about personal health and reduce a person’s satisfaction with life according to a new study out of the University of Rhode Island.”

two dolphin species try to communicate with a common language

“When two dolphin species come together, they attempt to find a common language, preliminary research suggests.”