Tag: Psychology

The Science Behind TikTok Brain

B2 – Upper Intermediate

TikTok is a social media platform that allows users to create and share short-form videos with a wide range of music, filters, and other effects. Studies have shown that its usage can activate the release of dopamine in the brain, which is associated with pleasure and reward. The fast-paced, highly-engaging nature of TikTok videos can make it difficult for users to look away and can lead to addiction.

Watch the video about TikTok’s impact on the brain, behavior, and mental health.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What is “dopamine hit“? “They are getting these dopamine hits that feel good, just the way it does when people sometimes use drugs or they use alcohol, or they become addicted to other things.” Explain what it does to our body.
  2. What does the phrase “spike up” mean, “We see that it gets spiked up.“? Use it in a sentence. Ex. Running up the stairs spike up my heart rate.
  3. What does the idiom “take [ the bull ] by the horns” mean, “As an adult, I can take that by the horns and just make a change.“? Make one sentence using this expression. Ex. I took the bull by the horns and confronted him about his mistreatment of the workers.

Discussion Questions:

  1. According to the video, what is a “TikTok Brain”?
  2. Do you have a “TikTok” account? If so, how do you feel when you’re engaged on it? How does it affect you?
  3. What are some negative effects of it and what do you think of this?
  4. What might be the positive effects of scrolling and scrolling through TikTok?
  5. While potential harmful effects of using TikTok exist, what should be done to curb its impact on mental health?

The Mandela Effect And False Memories

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Have you ever noticed that you may distort some facts when talking about the same past event on different occasions?

Read the article and analyze how memories can be distorted or manipulated.

The Mandela Effect and False Memories

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What is the meaning of the word “lapse“? Use it in a sentence.
  2. What is the meaning of the phrase “creep into“? Use it in a sentence.
  3. What is the meaning of the word “insinuate“? Use it in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you have a good memory? What vivid events from your childhood do you remember best?
  2. What is your stand on the Mandela Effect? Give your own example/s of Mandela Effect.
  3. What might be some events that people tend to exaggerate when retelling them. Why do you think they do that?
  4. Can a person train their long-term memory? Will it prevent them from stirring false memories? Explain your thoughts.

Post-Traumatic Growth

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Whether you’re in the midst of or instantaneously after a traumatic ordeal, it might feel impossible to recognize hidden significance in it. However, as humans, we have an innate flexibility to cope.
Everyone handles trauma in their own distinct way and it is often a lengthy road to recovery. Some individuals display that profound psychological transition after a major life event or catastrophic experiences. The adversity can unintentionally result in positive changes in awareness of oneself, others, and the world. You may recognize some meaningful outcome as you gain momentum through your healing process. This is referred to as post-traumatic growth.

To learn more, please follow the link.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220311-the-complicated-truth-of-post-traumatic-growth

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does the expression “isn’t all sunshine and rainbows” mean? “I know it’s ugly having to see someone you cared about betray you like that, but life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows.” Use it in your own sentence.
  2. What does “putting the pieces together” mean? Use this phrase in your own sentence.
  3. What does the word “aphorism” mean? Use it in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What factors contribute to post-traumatic growth?
  2. How can post-traumatic development result in positive changes?
  3. Can everyone experience post-traumatic growth?
  4. Who is most likely to experience post-traumatic growth?
  5. Is post-traumatic growth a form of resilience? Explain.

Deep Work

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Jumping from one activity to another usually hinders our ability to pay attention. According to research, the attention span of an average human is just 8.25 seconds. It is too short. For employees, such a phenomenon might result in stress and even burnout. How can individuals be fully present and immersed in any task they are doing?

Read the article about deep work to find out.

https://www.optimistdaily.com/2022/07/the-benefits-of-deep-work-and-how-you-can-practice-it/

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “frazzled” mean, “If you can relate to these frazzled feelings and want to learn how to avoid them while still getting tasks done, perhaps deep work is for you.”? Use it in a sentence.
  2. What does the phrase “in the zone” mean, “Sometimes, people who practice deep work refer to it as being “in the zone” or a “flow state.”? Use it in your own sentence.
  3. What does “lose yourself” mean here, “You can “lose yourself” in any activity you do.”? Use this phrase in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. The article suggests that monotasking is better than multitasking. Do you agree or disagree? Why or why not?
  2. Tell about a time when you were in a flow state? Describe the experience by giving details.
  3. Aside from the five suggestions in the article, how else can we practice deep work? Explain your ideas.

Mindset Brings Unlimited Willpower

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Our ability to maintain self-control and avoid acting on impulses is referred to as willpower. It has to do with our capacity to exercise self-control and manage our behavior. Willpower basically refers to our ability to withstand momentary temptations in order to accomplish our long-term objectives.But, how do we intensify our willpower?

Like your muscles when you exercise, your willpower can be strengthened over time even though it may temporarily become weaker. Some professionals as well claim that pursuing your own targets is likely to boost willpower. For others, willpower is frequently perceived as being fixed and limited. But an increasing number of experts demonstrate that there are numerous efficient and tried-and-true techniques that can maximize ones willpower.

Read the article and learn how to strengthen one’s willpower.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20230103-how-to-strengthen-willpower

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “override” mean? Use this word in a sentence.
  2. What does “iron grip” mean in this sentence, “And some people seem to have much greater reserves of it than others: they find it easier to control their emotions, avoid procrastination and stick to their goals, without ever seeming to lose their iron grip on their behaviour.”? Use this word in a sentence.
  3. What does “taxing” mean here, “ The people with the non-limited view, however, did not show any signs of ego depletion, however: they showed no decline in their mental focus after performing a mentally taxing activity.”? Use this word in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why is willpower so essential in our lives?
  2. How can strengthening your willpower help you accomplish your priorities?
  3. Is willpower enough in trying to reach a long-term objective? Explain your thoughts.
  4. What causes lack of willpower?
  5. What challenges can prevent you from gaining the ability to strengthen your willpower?

Stockholm Syndrome

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Have you ever heard of Stockholm syndrome? It is a victim’s coping mechanism, but in many cases, it could eventually lead to many mental problems for them in the long run.

To find out more, let’s watch this video about Stockholm syndrome and its dark results on victims of abduction.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “coin” mean here, “Criminologist and psychiatrist Nils Bejerot first coined the term ‘Stockholm Syndrome’ in 1973.”? Use it in your own sentence.
  2. What is a “coping mechanism”? Use it in your own sentence.
  3. What does the expression “to go into a flurry” mean? “The media went into a flurry.” Use it in your own sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your opinion on Stockholm syndrome?
  2. Have you seen or heard of a case involving Stockholm Syndrome? Talk about it.
  3. How to help people currently dealing with Stockholm syndrome?
  4. What other coping mechanisms can one use during moments of hopelessness and frustration?

Staying Calm When You Know You’ll Be Stressed

B2 – Upper Intermediate

To stay calm in a stressful situation is a hard thing to do. Sometimes, you cannot easily think of a solution since you are too focused on what’s stressing you out.

Let’s watch this video to know how to stay calm in a stressful situation.

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. How is pre-mortem explained in the video?
  2. What about post-mortem?
  3. How does the hippocampus work?

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you easily get stressed when things are not going well?
  2. When was the last time you got stressed about something?
  3. How do you usually manage things when you are in a stressful situation?
  4. How do you wish you reacted to things when you were stressed about it in the past?
  5. How would you calm yourself now when you are stressed?

Brain is Wired for Negative Thoughts

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Have you ever noticed that whenever you do something, you tend to focus a lot more on the negative things?

Although this is useful in helping us solve problems, it can also be a burden.

As an example, if you got a new shirt and wore it, if one person were to say something bad about it, you would probably focus more on that negative instead of the positive feedback.

This is called the negativity bias, but why does it happen? And what is the extent of this bias?

To find out more, let’s watch this video.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How has negativity bias affected your life?
  2. What are other ways to lessen the effects of negativity bias?
  3. What do you think of negativity bias? Is it mostly good or is it mostly bad?

Thinking about ‘Future You’ Builds a Happier Life

B2 – Upper Intermediate

These days, mindfulness is extremely popular and for good reasons. Being present-oriented can enhance our health and quality of life, foster love and care, and deepen our emotional bonds.
What if we look beyond the here and now? A growing body of research indicates that while thinking about the future can cause anxiety, it can also enrich our lives. Yes, as implied, we ought to give our future selves more of our attention, because through fantasizing, we can look at alternate paths to reach for our aspirations in life.

Read the article to learn about how thinking about ‘future you’ can help lead a better, happier, and more meaningful life.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220201-how-thinking-about-future-you-can-build-a-happier-life

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you hope for for your own future?
  2. What anxieties and concerns do you have for the future?
  3. How has your vision of your future self changed from when you were young to present?
  4. What did you believe about your years ahead when you were younger?
  5. Would you rather spend 100 years in the distant past or the future? Why?

Catastrophizing or Toxic Thinking

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Do you have the habit of magnifying your problems, anticipating the worst, or thinking that your circumstances are worse than they actually are? If you routinely find yourself catastrophizing, becoming aware of your tendency to do so may be beneficial before it impairs your quality of life.

Finding techniques to disrupt those poisonous thought loops should be beneficial in boosting one’s toughness and there may be no better time to learn than now.

Let us read the complete content to learn more about how toxic thinking can lead you down to a dangerous path.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220725-catastrophising-how-toxic-thinking-can-lead-down-dark-path

Discussion Questions:

  1. What exactly does it mean to catastrophize?
  2. How could you make adjustments if you are a catastrophizer but would prefer not to be?
  3. Is it doable to teach your brain to avoid automatically thinking the worst-case scenario? Why or why not?
  4. How do you deal with anxiety without the employ of medications?
  5. How has expecting the worst helped you in some situations in your life previously?