Experience of Time

Why does time slow down and speed up?: Gizmodo – Dec. 2

Einstein observed that our experience of time is subjective. When descending the first hill of a rollercoaster, or being in a car careening out of control, time may seem to slow. Yet, time seems to “fly” when you are having fun! It is the emotional experience in each of these situations that makes time seem to go faster or slower. But, is emotion the only reason? (Dr. Philip Gable is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Director of Experimental Psychology at The University of Alabama, whose research focuses on attentional scope, memory and time perception, among other things.)

Coping Power

“So I teach kids to manage anger”: News1 – Dec. 4

Anger and aggression. A mixture of anxiety and fear of disappointment. Difficult for adults to interpret the thoughts of “rebel” boys. Adolescents in conflict with the world and with families. Locked in silence or ready to enter into controversy and to attack adults. It is not easy to help them and avoid aggressive behavior. John Lochman, Professor Emeritus of Clinical Psychology at The University of Alabama, has been dealing with this for a lifetime. And in his long experience he has given life to a method very widespread in the United States and that in Italy has been tested in some schools. It is called “Coping power” and involves teachers, pupils and families.

Double Standard of Reporting

We honor the victims of mass killings equally. Why can’t politicians and the press?: Religion News Service – Dec. 4

Knife crime represents 39% of all murders in the U.K. and has reached its highest level since the Second World War. In 2019, attacks — typically involving robbery or violent assault — in London have reached a seven-year high. Yet none of these crimes have been international stories, until this weekend when a man named Usman Khan, who was out on parole with a previous terror conviction, stabbed innocent civilians indiscriminately on the London Bridge. The first victim to be lost was an outstanding young man, Jack Merritt, who had been advocating for prison rehabilitation, which would obviously benefit a convict like Khan. This double standard of reporting isn’t some Muslim conspiracy theory or a figment of an imam’s imagination. Earlier this year, researchers at Georgia State University and The University of Alabama found that terror attacks by Muslims receive an average of 357% more media coverage than those by other groups.

Populism

Are Trump supporters anti-Muslim? A ‘Muslims in the West’ reaction essay: Brookings – Dec. 4

When political commentators discuss the rise of “populism” in Western democracies, United States President Donald Trump’s 2016 election victory is often the first example named — typically followed by the “Brexit” vote in the United Kingdom, the right-wing governments in Hungary and Poland, and growing right-wing strength in many other countries. As the world’s largest economy, as well as a world leader in culture and politics, it is understandable that the U.S. receives disproportionate attention. . . . George Hawley, associate professor of political science, University of Alabama.

Aging Loved Ones

University of Alabama research: What aged often want for Christmas is…you: Yellowhammer – Dec. 7

Christmas arrives yet again and with it that familiar seasonal joy but also stress. Mom and Dad and Grandma and Grandpa are getting older, and ideas for gifts have run thin – very thin – for quite some time.  What could they possibly want?  Christina Pierpaoli-Parker, a University of Alabama student pursuing her doctorate in clinical geropsychology has conducted research that provides some answers.