THE C FACTOR IN PSYCHOLOGY: BEHAVIOURAL DISPOSITIONS OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO AD...

THE C FACTOR IN PSYCHOLOGY: BEHAVIOURAL DISPOSITIONS OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO AD...: Individuals who adopt C-factor of persuasion are those who could inspire and transform neutral individuals as activists and motivate them t...

THE C FACTOR IN PSYCHOLOGY: What is C Factor?

THE C FACTOR IN PSYCHOLOGY: What is C Factor?: Cassius in "The Tragedy of Julius Caesar" is still alive. He continues to live through different individuals encouraging the consp...

DOODLING AS ART, THERAPY & CREATIVE PROCESS...

Department holds seminars every week & one of the topic of seminar was ‘Doodling’ presented by our M.Sc students- Ms.Nusra, Ms.Zohra, MS.Shruti, Ms.Narmada, Ms.Shazia, Ms.Sundari & Ms.Abhinaya. A small write up on what they presented is below.

'The analysis of doodling should be part of the clinical procedures of every psychologist or psychiatrist. The messages are there, after all. No one's surprised that an electroencephalogram can chart brain waves using a stylus attached by way of electrodes to the brain. The only difference with doodling is that we use a pen attached to the brain by nerves and muscles.' 

                                                                                                           - Dr Robert Burns

Doodles may be shapes, patterns, drawings or scribbles – anything we produce in an idle moment while the focus of our attention is elsewhere.It's the easiest thing to do and easy on the common media, such as paper, pen and pencil. These actions are often referred to as doodling.

Doodle art is sometimes capable of reassuring its creator. The more the work is made with feeling, the more exciting work produced. It makes this kind of work is not just a mere drawing activity, but also has depth of meaning and style. It is safe to say that doodling has been around at least since the oldest cave paintings (that would be since the Aurignacian period (about 40,000 years ago).  Around 3200 B.C. pictographic record keeping in clay began in Mesopotamian society.  Pictures were drawn in clay to convey information and some of the tablets that have been found have included random decorated edges and images on the margins of the dried clay pieces.Moving considerably forward, the medieval monks called doodles “probation pennae (proving of the pen).  Doodling seems to be an integral part of human nature, there are medieval manuscripts that have margins covered in scribes names written over and over or the same spiral patters repeated in random order and margins.Doodle as we know the term nowadays seems to have come from Mr. Russell M. Arundel who wrote a book called “Everybody’s Pixillated” (1937).   He defined doodles as:  “a scribble or sketch made while the conscious mind is concerned with matters wholly unrelated to the scribbling.”Before the 20th century doodle wasn’t actually about drawing, the closest term in English was scribble (but of course, scribbling is not doodling).

Why do we doodle?

We often do it. We often don't realize it. Often, when caught doing it, we are embarrassed to have to explain it. Surprisingly, these nonsense scribbles we leave behind on notepads, paper margins, desktops, walls and anywhere else where pen can leave a trace may have meaning.

•        To work creative
•         To avoid being tense and frustrated
•         To express their feeling
•         To be occupied

When and where do we doodle?

1.      Schools and college

2.      Travelling

3.      Alone

4.      Work place

5.      Social gathering.

According to Forensic examiner, Andrea McNichol “Doodling is like the brain’s DNA. It’s a representation of what the brain thinks subconsciously. Hence by looking at doodles one can figure out the doodler’s personality inclination, basic behaviour and desires. As we doodle without thinking our doodles can be very revealing – like Freudian slips or body language that we are not consciously aware of.

Doodling geometrical shapes may indicate that the person has got a rational and logical way of thinking while doodling arrows and ladders may indicate that the person is ambitious, obsessed about some goals and looking forward to some achievements. Doodling stars may indicate optimism and hopefulness and doodling houses may indicate that the person is missing his home, wanting a family, or wanting to settle down.

IQ doodling, a relatively new concept is the process of turning thoughts and ideas into structured visual notes, symbols and words on paper. It helps improve memory and recall of the information, to present complex ideas quickly, easily and effectively andhelps to focus on the most important and relevant points using a combination of words, pictures, diagrams, graphs and charts.

Doodling not only increases the memory of an individual but also deepens our knowledge. It helps us to explore our own inner self. Hence children have to be encouraged to doodle from an early age. It’s an indirect way to exercise our mind as a result of which our tension gets reduced. Lastly we should incorporate doodling in our daily lives which will increase our mental capacity and open our nerves to enhance our creativity.

The seminar on doodling also looked upon the various researches conducted on doodling. A study by W S Maclay, E Guttmann, and W Mayer-Gross (1939) found that doodles were produced during states of idleness, boredom, leisure, meditation, and “affective tension”—indecision, concentration, expectation, and impatience. A study by Jackie Andreasaid (2009) found that when we doodle, we don't daydream. According to his theory, daydreaming demands a lot of the brain's processing power and it requires “Executive Functioning” Doodling forces the brain to expend just enough energy to stop it from daydreaming but not so much that you don't pay attention. A 2011 study showed that students who doodled not only retained more information, but they also reported more enjoyment and engagement with the course material.

The seminar also covered the concept of art therapy. Zentangle a way of creating structured designs through drawing various patterns, used as a therapy. It has multiple benefits including calming an anxious mind, increasing self-confidence, and cultivating moment to moment awareness. A case study about how a 21 year old girl named Molly used doodling as a way to get over her depression was shared.

Several Professionals opinion was also taken with regard to doodle

A management consultant quotes that “Doodling is basically a pre-visualizing tool. It is used as a way to envision a plan through a sketch or patterns and then build it up gradually. Doodling, according to me, is not an art form, but a means by which we direct our thoughts in the right direction. I doodle when I have to convey my thoughts to someone else. When I am talking to a client, for example, I use doodling as a medium to convey my plans illustratively. There should be some story and objective behind a doodle. Currently, in fields like advertising, designing etc, doodling is becoming a mandate. There are various applications in Google which allow two friends to share their thoughts by way of doodling. ”

A designer quoted as “Doodling is very subjective. For some it is a way of letting out their thoughts while, for some, it is a pastime. I doodle when I am either bored during meetings or when I get some ideas. Nowadays, doodling has also become a medium of meditation. There is one meditation technique called Zentangle, which is simply doodling. So doodling also serves the purpose of meditation and therapy.”

Doodling is not just a way to “think differently;” it’s a way to “feel differently,” too. From emerging studies we are learning that art expression may actually help individuals reconnect thinking and feeling, thus bridging explicit (narrative) and implicit (sensory) memory. The wonderful thing about doodling is that it is a whole brain activity—spontaneous, at times unconscious, self-soothing, satisfying, exploratory, memory-enhancing, and mindful.

Keep calm and doodle on... :-)

New software to help generate surveys

Hello!
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This software can help researchers by helping them design complex surveys and making it available online for respondents to fill in the data. Very helpful for quantitative data especially because this software helps us export the data collected directly to an excel sheet for further analysis. The software has all the features necessary to create the perfect survey for each one of us since it can be customized with loads of options from the type of questions till the nature of responses to be expected. So do check out the website if you are into research!!!

INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH

Greetings from Jain University!
We are pleased to inform that Department of Psychology, Jain University will be hosting a workshop on Positive Mental Health by Prof. Jerome Carson, an eminent Clinical Psychologist and Professor of Psychology at University of Bolton, UK, well known for his work in the area of mental health, recovery and well being. The second workshop is facilitated by Ms.Chathurika Kannangara, a doctoral research scholar at University of Bolton, who is currently working on ‘Desirable Dyslexia’.
The workshop is scheduled to be held on  2nd September, 2015.
Venue: Jain University Campus
         Address: 44/4,
         District Fund Road
          Near Bangalore Central Mall,
          Behind Big Bazaar,
          9th block Jayanagar,
          Bengaluru- 560069
This email is to extend our invitation to all the faculty members, practitioners, PG students and research scholars from your esteemed institution to attend the workshop.  The details are in the brochure attached.
If you are interested in attending the workshop, kindly send us a mail confirming your participation immediately. To ensure the effectiveness of the workshop, we are restricting the participant numbers to 35 only.
Registration Fee
Student/Research Scholar : Rs. 750/-
Faculty/Practitioner : Rs. 1,500/-
Institutional -non students-(3 participants) : Rs. 3,500/-
Please draw cheques or DD in favour of CERSSE payable at Bangalore. Cash is acceptable at the below mentioned locations.
Participants can pay at or post it to :
1. Department of Psychology,
    JC Road campus (6th floor)
    No. 91/ 2,
    Dr. A. N Krishna Rao Road,
    V. V Puram,
    Bengaluru 560004
2. CERSSE( Centre for Research in Social Sciences and Education
    52, Bellary Road
    Next to Baptist Hospital
    Hebbal
    Bangalore-560024
Looking forward for your participation
Warm Regards
Dr. Shailaja Shastri
Professor and Head
Department of Psychology
Jain University
Tel: 98452 28050
email:  shaila.s2003@gmail.com
P.S.:
Further enquiries:
Dr. Shailaja Shastri, Professor and Head,
Mob: +919845228050
Dr.Veena Nagaraj, Assistant Professor
Mob: +919845415007

Ms. Nisha Menzies, Lecturer
Mob: +919886863166
email: jainboltonworkshop@gmail.com

AN OVERVIEW ON THE NATURE AND SCOPE OF POLITICAL PSYCHOLOGY

Political Psychology is an inter-disciplinary major which brings together Psychologists, Political Scientists, Sociologists, Psychiatrists and Communication Researchers.  The major was originated in the study of leadership and mass political behaviour, and was later broadened to the study of intergroup relations, decision making, mass communication effects, political movements and political mobilization (Erisen, 2012). 

The different subfields and approaches within the general field of Political Psychology can be broadly classified into two, 

1. Studying the elite level behaviour: The focus of the political psychologists here are on examining the perceptions of the leaders, shaping of government policies, impact of personality and beliefs on leadership, decision making of the government etc.

2. Studying the mass-level behavior: Here, the focus will be on the behaviour of the ordinary people, their mode of voting, public opinion on government policies, awareness of the public regarding the government and its policies etc. 

One of the key assumptions of the Political Psychology is that the beliefs, past life experiences, personalities etc. of political actors can bring changes.  As per this assumption, history is not just the story of how structures and contexts shape behavior but of how individuals can themselves shape history and politics.  A second assumption is the devotion of political psychologists to what has been termed Homo-Psychologicus (Research Paper, N.D.).

Homo-Psychologicus is a model derived from social and cognitive psychology.  Herbert Simon is one of the pioneers of this model.  As per Homo-Psychologicus, humans are boundedly rational actors.  The information provided by the recognized decision makers (political actors) can be imperfect.  There are limits to cognitive processing capacities of political actors, because they are human beings.  The decision maker may be using various cognitive shortcuts when generating available alternatives as solutions.  All these alternatives may have numerous limitations.  However, the alternative or the solution finally selected by the decision maker will be something he or she would feel confident in its practicality.  These decision makers may behave in non-rational way due to group or broader social pressures.  The behaviour may contrast their beliefs and values.

Political processes concern bridging power differences with society with those within the state; bridges that carry inputs both from society to the state (e.g., the results of elections) and from the state to society (e.g., Presidential speeches; legislation) (Etsioni, 2004).  Politics is not just the influence made by the leader on the public.  It can also be the influence made by the mass on the leader.  But, in order to realize the second one, the mass has to be aware of the fact that knowingly or unknowingly, they are also a part of the politics.  For, each of them is a part of the society.  This power exchange from the public to the leader and from the leader to the public is a solution developed by the society for a liberal human life.  It is Eric Fromm, who suggested that society is a solution. He also put forwarded a political system called humanistic communitarian socialism. 

In the opinion of Fromm, freedom was central to human nature.  At the same time, it is the nature of human beings to have a tendency to escape from this freedom through authoritarianism, destructiveness and automation conformity.  The main reason for this tendency to escape from the freedom is family, where the individual starts learning life.  However, individuals are generally ignorant about the role of family in controlling the freedom.  Viewing in this way, the real “exchange of power” starts from family.  Because of social unconsciousness developed out of the controls by family and relationships, we are unable to identify that society is a solution (Journal Psyche, 2015)

Social unconsciousness can influence the personality of the individuals.  It can make people receptive (believing that world will come to them), exploitative (believing that one has to go and take), hording (being obsessed with holding what one has), marketing (believing that self promotion will help to gain) and productive (knowing the value of freedom) in their orientations.  People behave in society as per their orientations. 

Individuals with productive orientation give reason more than rules.  A productive mass can contribute active involvement in the power exchange from the mass to a leader.  Ignorance of the mass regarding the freedom of rights and responsibilities they have in the society, and thereby in the politics, is indeed an area that comes under the scope of Political Psychology. 

As a political system, now democracy is getting widely accepted by various nations.  In a democratic set up, the real political actor is assumed to be the people.  As Lincoln once noted, it is a system of the people made by the people for the people.  In a democratic nation, citizens have to be active.  Social unconsciousness among the people may tend to make them feel not a part of the society or of a political system.  Results will be the lack of Political Socialization, which has the power to make the nation counter-productive.

In this purview, there seems to have a need to expand the scope of Political Psychology further, from the basic level to an applied level.  Attempts have to be made to enhance the awareness of the availability of freedom for each citizen to intervene the day today power exchanges.  This can be started from the grass-root level, from the individual, from the family and from the society (where the family and the individual exists).  Active participation of each minimal unit of the society can result in a glorious revolution in which the general public becomes the actor and the leader becomes a real representative.

REFERENCES

Erisen, E. (2012). An Introduction to Political Psychology for International Relations Scholars. Perceptions , 17 (3), 9-28.

Etsioni, A. (2004). What is Political?
Journal Psyche. (2015). Eric Fromm and Social Unconscious. Retrieved July 30, 2015, from Journal Psyche: http://journalpsyche.org/eric-fromm-social-unconscious/#more-248

Research Paper. (N.D.). Research Paper on Political Psychology. Retrieved July 30, 2015, from Research Paper: http://research-paper.essayempire.com/examples/political-science/political-psychology/

Why? And why not?

Today having bargained and negotiated sleep for health walk and ‘Shastha care’ (my little devil). I made my way to the nearest park, through a street that contrasts the plush surroundings I just left at the turn of the street. When my smile was interrupted by an elderly woman sprawling on the footpath, a natural extension of her home. She tried to catch my attention with my new role ‘Aye Amma’, followed by an innocuous and unsolicited advice imbedded in the question ‘veil haakoma’ (translated ‘why don’t you wear a duppata on your attire ?). I smiled and continued a few steps before i realized what the elderly lady had said. And my first response was physiologically an intense wave of (all too familiar anxiety) ‘am I wearing anything inappropriate’ before my ideal feminism takes hold of me and says ‘so what’ ? Until my objective psychologist begins her churnings. After devoting an hour to the rambling in my mind, the psychologist in me paraphrases the churnings as follows.

The advice from the elderly lady was not an aesthetic  or weather related advice though it did address the attire. It had a strong subtext and that was to check the ‘appropriateness’ (social or moral appropriateness am still debating).Yes I am a nursing mother in tracks and t shirt that is twice my usual size. And a “veil” is not part of this attire. If it does attract unwelcome attention, I have more than matured in my responses to the same (our society has provided us women enough experience in dealing with such unplesantaries). Such ‘eyes’ rove because it’s their inherent nature irrespective of the stimulus characteristics. The eyes need to be schooled in ‘appropriateness’ rather than dressing appropriately the ‘stimuli’ around.

So tomorrow when I successfully negotiate a walk again, revisit the street and meet with the solicitous elderly lady. I shall once again smile and carry on watching the hurrying world around, MINUS the ramblings.

Sowmya Puttaraju
Asst. Professor