Social Engineering Blogs

An Aggregator for Blogs About Social Engineering and Related Fields

Perception of Sadness, Madness and Depression

NBC News.com reports on wrinkles making people look sadder and madder than they truly feel.  This new study suggests that wrinkles impede people’s ability to read a person’s facial expression of  emotion.

Researchers reported that people in the study rated faces of older adults as much more sad and angry than faces of younger adults even though they were exhibiting  neutral facial expressions.

More research is needed; however, to confirm these findings but the implications of such a study has a wide range.  These findings may affect how our older generations are treated in medical settings.  For instance, doctors may misperceive an older individual to be in more pain or anguish than they truly are.

The researchers found that there was no link between the level of sadness or anger participants thought older adults experienced in real life and their ratings of the faces.

Carlos Garrido,  researcher and doctoral student in social psychology at Penn State University states that wrinkles on the face can cause the mouth to drop and the forehead to crinkle, features that others may misperceive as anger or sadness.

In a similar article from HealthCanal.com, boys more so than girls were found to be able to perceive depression in their parents even when the parent thinks they are not showing any signs.

A University of Michigan Study finds that children who have one parent suffering from depression are skilled at picking up on their parent’s sadness.  Researchers analyzed data on 104 children ages 7-13 who had at least one parent diagnosed with depression.

Nester Lopez-Duran, one of the study’s authors and an assistant psychology professor said that high-risk boys were more sensitive to subtle expressions of sadness than their peers, including high-risk girls.  He notes that this can be due to a few things:

1.  Boys are less social than girls in important situations.  Perhaps high sensitivity to sadness influences how boys see their social world (i.e. they are less apt at using others as sources of comfort when they are sad).

2.  Other evidence points to the fact that different underlying processes that put kids at risk for depression may be different for boys than girls.

3.  It’s also possible that this unique skill does not reflect an underlying vulnerability and might be an adaptive strategy that develops in response to the environment. That is boys are more likely to receive harsh punishment and parental depression increases the risk of using harsh punishment.
“It is possible that these high-risk boys developed this skill in order to reduce the possibility of getting harsh punishment by essentially recognizing when mom or dad is upset and getting out of the way,” Lopez-Duran said.

Do you agree or disagree with the findings of this study? 

7 Ways to Be More Fearless

how to be fearless

Being fearless doesn’t necessarily mean jumping out of airplanes or traveling to the world’s most dangerous regions (although it certainly can if you want).  For some people, cultivating a sense of fearlessness is more about gathering the courage to ask for a major promotion or to make a cross-country move for the chance at a better life.

No matter what specific end result you’re working towards, the following tips should help you to minimize fear and embrace courage in your life:

Tip #1 – Identify your fears

The first step towards becoming more fearless is to simply identify what it is you’re afraid of.  If you’ve been fighting a vague sense of anxiety or unease, it’s a vital part of the fear-busting process!

However, while some fears are fairly straightforward (for example, the fear of spiders or snakes), lifestyle fears tend to be more complex.  If, as an example, you’re afraid of tornadoes, be aware that it’s not just the weather phenomenon that scares you – it’s also the threat of death, devastation and loss that these types of systems can bring about.

By taking the time to really get to the root of what scares you, you’ll be able to process your fears using the following tips in order to reduce the impact they have on your life.

Tip #2 – Explore worst case and more likely scenarios

Once you know what it is you’re afraid of, take the time to map out the worst case scenarios that could result.  Say you want to ask for a raise, but are afraid of being rejected.  In this example, the worst case scenario would be your boss telling you to pack your bags and leave.  But it’s much more likely that your request will either be approved or turned down politely.

Use these more likely scenarios to prevent your mind from running away with the absolute worst possible outcome in a given situation.

Tip #3 – Pick a relaxation technique

People deal with stress in different ways.  Having a relaxation technique that suits your personality is a vital part of managing fear in your life.

For example, to help control your fears, you could try:

Engaging in meditation
Getting an intense workout
Writing in a journal
Singing along with loud music
Attending religious services

There’s no right or wrong way to relax, so listen to your own mind when it comes to finding activities that’ll take the edge off your fear.

Tip #4 – Avoid anticipatory fear

Being scared of an event or action is one thing.  But it’s also common for people to build up certain scenarios in their own minds to the point where the fear of anticipation is worse than the fear of the event itself!

Don’t do this to yourself.  If you find yourself feeling fearful about a future event (or something that you aren’t sure will even happen), use the relaxation techniques described above to calm yourself down.  There’s no reason to make your fear worse by psyching yourself up unnecessarily.

Tip #5 – Tell somebody your fears

Fear tends to be a very personal thing, which distorts our perspective and magnifies our fears.  If, for example, you’re afraid of being rejected by a potential date, you might revisit the fear over and over again in your mind – until you’re certain that you’ll never get a date again.

It might be scary to think about telling a friend or family member about the things you fear, but often, getting this type of outsider input can help you to see your fears from a different angle.  You’ll immediately feel less alone after confiding in another person, and you may find yourself coming away from the exchange with advice and recommendations from others who have dealt with the same fears.

Tip #6 – See a therapist

We all face fears and – nine times out of ten – these fears are manageable.  However, in some cases, fear grows out of control, becoming something that actively prevents people from living full, engaging lives.

If you find yourself in this situation, consider seeing a therapist who specializes in fear and anxiety management.  There’s nothing shameful about seeking professional help, and you might be surprised by how much of a difference this type of support can make in your life.

Tip #7 – Confront your fears head on

Finally, once you’ve worked through all of the tips listed above, there’s nothing else to do but to confront your fears head on.

On a regular basis, try to do things that scare you.  Don’t be stupid or take unnecessarily dangerous risks, but do make it an effort to counteract fear with action.  If you’re afraid of romantic rejection, ask the hottest person in the bar out on a date.  If you’re scared about asking for a promotion at work, set a deadline for yourself and commit to talking to your boss on a particular day.

We all have fears, but there’s no reason to let them control your life.  Adopt the above tips in your own life and start being more fearless today!