Author: TSM Admin

Psychologists Should Play More Active Role in Keeping Airways Safe

Posted on in Psychology News by TSM Admin

Are the Airways Safe?

The safety of the airways has been called into question by the tragic crash of Germanwings Flight 9525 last week, when the co-pilot of an international passenger flight intentionally locked the plane into a deadly descent into the French alps, killing 150 people.

Although co-pilot Andreas Lubitz struggled with mental illness, had documented suicidal tendencies, was on medication for depression and suffered from narcissism, his employers seem to have been unaware of his condition.

The tragic episode may point to the need for psychologists to be more involved in routinely evaluating the mental health of airline pilots.

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DSM-5 FAQ’s

Posted on in DSM-5 EPPP Lecture Series, EPPP Preparation Materials, Psychology News by TSM Admin

What is the DSM, and what changes have recently occurred to it?

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is the handbook used by health care professionals as the authoritative guide to the diagnosis of mental disorders.

The American Psychiatric Association announced that this updated edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders incorporates significant scientific advances in more precisely identifying and diagnosing mental disorders.

What was the reason behind changing the DSM from the IV-RT to the DSM-5?

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How to Develop an EPPP Study Schedule (and other advice after a two-time fail)

Posted on in EPPP Preparation Materials by TSM Admin
Dr. Graham Taylor answers your EPPP questions.
Dr. Graham Taylor is available to answer your EPPP questions

Dr. Graham Taylor often has the opportunity to interact with people in EPPP discussion groups and online forums. He is also available to answer your EPPP questions which you can ask on our comments page.

Last year Dr. Taylor interacted with a person (who we will call Lexi) who had failed her EPPP twice. Lexi was asking advice as she prepared to study for a third try. Below is the answer Dr. Taylor gave Lexi, in which he emphasized the importance of creating an EPPP study schedule and using research-based methodologies of memory and learning.

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New Study Reveals Importance of Mindset in Career Success

Posted on in Brain and memory, Psychology News by TSM Admin

Believing that talent is innate may hinder your chance of career success, a recent study suggests.

The study, published earlier this year the journal Science, had set out to discover why women and African Americans are underrepresented in certain academic fields such as philosophy, economics, music and math.

Drawing on data collected in a nationwide survey, the authors of the report found that this under-representation correlated with academic disciplines where practitioners believed that raw innate talent is the main requirement for success.

Myths about innate talent are particularly strong in philosophy, music, economics and math. By contrast, in molecular biology, neuroscience and psychology, practitioners tend to hold the more accurate view that success is based on practice and hard work.

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The Archimedes Principle: Leveraging the Power of Rest

Posted on in Brain and memory, EPPP Study Tips by TSM Admin

Since the mid-90s there has been a growing body of research showing that what you’re doing when you’re not studying is often just as important as when you are studying. This is because during our rest periods the brain organizes and stores the material we have learned.

You know what I’m talking about if you’ve ever had the experience of struggling over a difficult problem, and then finding clarity after a rest, a shower, some exercise, or a good night’s sleep.

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Secrets to EPPP Success (Part 2): Your Exam Day Routine

Posted on in EPPP Study Tips by TSM Admin

Earlier this month, I gave some big-picture advice about how to know when you are ready to begin studying for the EPPP, and also how to know when you are prepared to actually take the exam. Suppose you have gone through the various items on my check-list and you conclude that you’re finally ready to take the EPPP – what then? What can you do on the actual day of the test itself, to make sure you are adequately equipped do put in a winning performance?

Don’t Cram at Night – Get Plenty of Rest

Let’s begin with what not to do. Don’t stay up the night before cramming. You have nothing to gain by tiring yourself out with anxiety and sleep-deprivation, but much to lose. We have observed before that lack of sleep can cause the mind to slow down, and may even result in causing one to forget crucial material.  Hence, prior to your exam, be sure to get plenty of sleep. This focus on getting plenty of sleep should begin two or three nights prior the exam, since the night directly before is probably going to be a bit restless.

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Use Body Language to Build Confidence in Yourself

Posted on in TSM | Video by TSM Admin

In this fascinating Ted Talks presentation, social psychologist Amy Cuddy explains how “power posing” before a stressful event like a job interview or a test can help instill inner confidence.

Studies have shown that such confidence can have an impact on one’s chances for success. Great advice for anyone preparing to take their EPPP!

The Do’s and Don’ts of the EPPP Study Break

Posted on in Brain and memory, EPPP Study Tips by TSM Admin

In an earlier post, ‘How to Effectively Rest From Your EPPP Study,’ I explained the importance of taking breaks at regularly structured intervals. I gave various ideas of things you can do when resting from your EPPP study prep.

Neuroscience supports the benefits of regular structured breaks from intellectual labor. Neuroscientists have developed techniques to monitor activity (usually defined as electrical impulses) and chemical changes in the brain during study or thought processing. The monitoring of brain activity and chemical changes indicate that studying/reading too long results in a depletion of chemicals in the brain cells necessary for efficient processing of information. This is known as the Principle of Neurotransmitter Depletion.

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Secrets to EPPP Success (Part 1): Be Prepared!

Posted on in EPPP Study Tips by TSM Admin

Success on EPPP day, like success in other areas of life, doesn’t just happen. Rather, success arises from being familiar with the task before us, identifying and seizing control over those things in our life that we can actually make a difference over, and having a successful preparation plan and schedule. In such a way, we can set ourselves up for success in our EPPP preparation.

The first step to being prepared is being honest with ourselves.  We can set ourselves up for success by having a realistic and achievable study schedule that allows us the time necessary for thorough preparation.  Then we need to be committed to giving ourselves the best in each step of our journey to EPPP success.

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Don’t Overcrowd Your Working Memory

Posted on in Brain and memory, EPPP Preparation Materials by TSM Admin

As you prepare to pass the EPPP, one of the most important things is to stay focused.

In their book The Mind and the Brain: Neuroplasticity and the Power of Mental Force, Jeffrey Schwartz and Sharon Begley explain that there are certain built-in limits to the amount of stimuli our short-term memory is able to process at any one time. “Our minds have a limited ability to process information about multiple objects at any given time” they write.

Protecting your working-memory from overload can be a difficult job given the type of society we live in.

How many times have you gone to your computer to study, only to find yourself being distracted by things like Facebook, email and text messages?

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