readings in psychology for january 16th 2011

We often find our mirror reflection more true to us... but not our friends. This is why many of us find our own picture to be surprising!

Here is what I am reading today:

• mind in the mirror

“…As of yet, though, we have no neural explanation of even the most basic properties of consciousness, such as the unity of self, how it is rooted in an explicit past and explicit future, how experience is owned and referred to a self, and how we are, or feel that we are, voluntary agents. Neuroscience, in short, has no way of accommodating everyday first-person being….”

• suicide rates and the elevations in which you live

Twenty years of mortality data from counties across the United States led to the striking discovery that living at higher altitudes may be a risk factor for suicide, according to a provocative study published online ahead of print in High Altitude Medicine & Biology, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

• learning while long distance driving… what the truckers know

“Everyone learns differently. Research scientists have therefore developed a system which adapts learning content to specific individual requirements. LogiAssist addresses the needs of companies in the logistics sector and long-distance truck drivers. They can learn while out on the road using audio lectures, text documents or video.”