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Elliott</b>, Ph.D.&nbsp;</b> (Corrales, New Mexico) is a clinical psychologist and a Founding Fellow in the Academy of Cognitive Therapy. He is also a member of the faculty at Fielding Graduate University. He specializes in the treatment of adolescents and adults with obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety, anger, depression, and personality disorders. He presents nationally and internationally on new developments in the assessment and therapy of emotional disorders.</p> <p><b>Laura L. Smith, Ph.D.</b> (Corrales, New Mexico) is a clinical psychologist who specializes in the assessment and treatment of adults and children with obsessive compulsive disorder, as well as personality disorders, depression, anxiety, ADHD, and learning disorders. She is often asked to provide consultations to attorneys, school districts, and governmental agencies. She presents workshops on cognitive therapy and mental health issues to national and international audiences.</p> <P><B><b data-author-id=\"9101\">Laura L. Smith</b>, PhD, </B>is a clinical psychologist and former President of the New Mexico Psychological Association. She presents workshops and classes on cognitive therapy and mental health issues for national and international audiences.</P></p>","authors":[{"authorId":9100,"name":"Charles H. Elliott","slug":"charles-h-elliott","description":" <p><b>Charles H. Elliott, Ph.D.&nbsp;</b> (Corrales, New Mexico) is a clinical psychologist and a Founding Fellow in the Academy of Cognitive Therapy. He is also a member of the faculty at Fielding Graduate University. He specializes in the treatment of adolescents and adults with obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety, anger, depression, and personality disorders. He presents nationally and internationally on new developments in the assessment and therapy of emotional disorders.</p> <p><b>Laura L. Smith, Ph.D.</b> (Corrales, New Mexico) is a clinical psychologist who specializes in the assessment and treatment of adults and children with obsessive compulsive disorder, as well as personality disorders, depression, anxiety, ADHD, and learning disorders. She is often asked to provide consultations to attorneys, school districts, and governmental agencies. She presents workshops on cognitive therapy and mental health issues to national and international audiences.</p>","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9100"}},{"authorId":9101,"name":"Laura L. Smith","slug":"laura-l-smith","description":" <P><B>Laura L. Smith, PhD, </B>is a clinical psychologist and former President of the New Mexico Psychological Association. 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OCD sufferers also have <i>compulsions </i>— actions or words they use to reduce the distress brought on by their obsessive worries. Compulsions can include repetitive prayers, counting, touching things in certain ways, checking, and arranging items in special symmetrical ways.</p>\n<p>Other features of OCD include:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Obsessions are unwanted and generally inconsistent with the sufferer’s morals and values.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">OCD significantly interferes with daily life.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">OCD sufferers attempt to suppress distressing thoughts but can’t.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">The thoughts are coming from inside, not being broadcast by space aliens.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">The compulsions must be done “correctly,” or they must be repeated.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">The compulsions don’t really make a lot of sense.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">OCD sufferers usually know that their obsessions and compulsions are unreasonable, but can’t stop them.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"The many forms of OCD","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>OCD can be categorized in quite a few ways, and no clear consensus exists among professionals. However, the following list shows some of the most common forms that this strange disorder takes:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Contamination:</b> Fears of dirt, germs, and various kinds of toxins. Contamination worries frequently lead to excessive focus on cleanliness and hand-washing.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Doubting and</b> <b>checking:</b> Fears of having caused harm to one’s house or someone else through negligence. Doubting and Checking OCD often leads to compulsive checking of locks, appliances, and possible victims.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Inappropriate thoughts:</b> Fears of acting extremely inappropriately by engaging in shameful acts, or displeasing God. This type of OCD often causes people to engage in various rituals in order to stop them from losing control.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Symmetry:</b> Discomfort with asymmetry and having things out of place. Symmetry concerns lead to a compulsive need to have everything arranged “just so.”</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Superstitions:</b> Obsessional fears about unlucky numbers, anything related to death, and specific words. Superstitious OCD leads to avoidance of these superstitions or attempts to neutralize their effects.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n<p class=\"Remember\">Various forms of OCD sometimes overlap and co-occur. If you have several of them, it doesn’t necessarily mean that your treatment won’t succeed.</p>\n"},{"title":"Tips for living with OCD","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>If you live with OCD, you may feel frustrated, isolated, and just plain strange. Keep the following facts in mind, or on a card to carry with you, as you go about your daily life:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">OCD obsessions and compulsions do not define who you are; you are not your OCD.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Seeking reassurance when you have obsessional worries only makes things worse. Try to avoid asking other people whether everything will be okay. Instead, wait a while and see how things turn out.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Overcoming OCD requires you to work hard and accept a little discomfort. Remember that your tolerance for discomfort will increase slowly over time.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Changing compulsions in some important way (such as washing your hands differently or arranging things in a new way) helps prepare you to overcome the compulsions. When you change your compulsions, they won’t feel as satisfying, but that’s actually a good thing.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Every time you hold off a compulsion, you are taking a step toward overcoming your OCD. Even waiting just 15 or 20 minutes is an accomplishment.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Don’t forget that unpleasant feelings always lessen if you give them enough time.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Don’t try to suppress your obsessive thoughts. Just remind yourself that they are merely coming from the OCD part of your mind.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Reward yourself whenever you take a step forward — do something special, take a break from work, or eat a piece of chocolate.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n<p>OCD affects both your emotional and physical health. Many people are so consumed by their OCD that they fail to live a healthy lifestyle in other ways. The following tips can remind you to take care of yourself.</p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Get regular exercise.</td>\n<td>Join a self-help group.</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Get enough sleep.</td>\n<td>Have patience.</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Eat a healthy diet.</td>\n<td>Treat yourself with kindness and compassion.</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Don’t isolate yourself.</td>\n<td>Get professional help if your efforts stall.</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Consider getting support from some friends or family.</td>\n<td></td>\n</tr>\n</tbody>\n</table>\n"}],"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"sponsorAd":"","sponsorEbookTitle":"","sponsorEbookLink":"","sponsorEbookImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Solve","lifeExpectancy":"Two years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2022-04-08T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":208937},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-27T16:46:52+00:00","modifiedTime":"2022-08-29T20:33:14+00:00","timestamp":"2022-09-14T18:19:57+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Body, Mind, & Spirit","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34038"},"slug":"body-mind-spirit","categoryId":34038},{"name":"Emotional Health & Psychology","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34039"},"slug":"emotional-health-psychology","categoryId":34039},{"name":"Psychology","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34053"},"slug":"psychology","categoryId":34053},{"name":"Cognitive Behavioral Therapy","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34056"},"slug":"cognitive-behavioral-therapy","categoryId":34056}],"title":"CBT at Work For Dummies Cheat Sheet","strippedTitle":"cbt at work for dummies cheat sheet","slug":"cbt-at-work-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can help you find a greater understanding of how you think and behave. CBT can help you identify what emotions are bubbling ","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"<p>Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can help you find a greater understanding of how you think and behave. CBT can help you identify what emotions are bubbling up inside you and teach you some practical strategies to help reduce the negative ones that don't serve you well.</p>\r\n","description":"<p>Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can help you find a greater understanding of how you think and behave. CBT can help you identify what emotions are bubbling up inside you and teach you some practical strategies to help reduce the negative ones that don't serve you well.</p>\r\n","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":9057,"name":"Gill Garratt","slug":"gill-garratt","description":" <p><b>Gill Garratt, M.A. Psychol., M.A. Prof. Writing, B.Ed. Hons, Senior Accred. REBT Therapist</b> is an accredited psychotherapist in the U.K. who specialises in using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in the workplace. She has 30 years experience in the public and private sectors both in the U.K. and internationally. Gill has incorporated CBT into individual and group training in a wide variety of workplace settings. ","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9057"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":34056,"title":"Cognitive Behavioral Therapy","slug":"cognitive-behavioral-therapy","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34056"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[{"articleId":140508,"title":"How to Change People without Upsetting Them","slug":"how-to-change-people-without-upsetting-them","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","cognitive-behavioral-therapy"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/140508"}},{"articleId":140507,"title":"The Impostor Syndrome — I Will be Found Out!","slug":"the-impostor-syndrome-i-will-be-found-out","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","cognitive-behavioral-therapy"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/140507"}},{"articleId":140497,"title":"Looking after Yourself with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy — Case Study of a Burnt-Out Employee","slug":"looking-after-yourself-with-cognitive-behavioural-therapy-case-study-of-a-burnt-out-employee","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","cognitive-behavioral-therapy"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/140497"}},{"articleId":140498,"title":"Living a Happier, More Balanced Life","slug":"living-a-happier-more-balanced-life","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","cognitive-behavioral-therapy"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/140498"}},{"articleId":140492,"title":"Sleep and Your Mental Health","slug":"sleep-and-your-mental-health","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","cognitive-behavioral-therapy"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/140492"}}],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":267188,"title":"Core Beliefs and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy","slug":"core-beliefs-and-cognitive-behavioural-therapy","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","cognitive-behavioral-therapy"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/267188"}},{"articleId":267181,"title":"Facing Your Fears with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy","slug":"facing-your-fears-with-cognitive-behavioural-therapy","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","cognitive-behavioral-therapy"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/267181"}},{"articleId":267176,"title":"What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?","slug":"what-is-cognitive-behavioural-therapy","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","cognitive-behavioral-therapy"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/267176"}},{"articleId":267160,"title":"12 Thinking Errors Addressed with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy","slug":"12-thinking-errors-addressed-with-cognitive-behavioural-therapy","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","cognitive-behavioral-therapy"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/267160"}},{"articleId":267157,"title":"10 Mythical Monsters of Mental Health","slug":"10-mythical-monsters-of-mental-health","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","cognitive-behavioral-therapy"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/267157"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":281559,"slug":"cbt-at-work-for-dummies","isbn":"9781119067382","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","cognitive-behavioral-therapy"],"amazon":{"default":"https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1119067383/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","ca":"https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1119067383/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","indigo_ca":"http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-9208661-13710633?url=https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/product/1119067383-item.html&cjsku=978111945484","gb":"https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1119067383/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","de":"https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/1119067383/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20"},"image":{"src":"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/cbt-at-work-for-dummies-cover-9781119067382-203x255.jpg","width":203,"height":255},"title":"CBT At Work For Dummies","testBankPinActivationLink":"","bookOutOfPrint":false,"authorsInfo":"<p><b data-author-id=\"9057\">Gill Garratt, M.A. Psychol., M.A. Prof. Writing, B.Ed. Hons, Senior Accred. REBT Therapist</b> is an accredited psychotherapist in the U.K. who specialises in using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in the workplace. She has 30 years experience in the public and private sectors both in the U.K. and internationally. Gill has incorporated CBT into individual and group training in a wide variety of workplace settings. </p>","authors":[{"authorId":9057,"name":"Gill Garratt","slug":"gill-garratt","description":" <p><b>Gill Garratt, M.A. Psychol., M.A. Prof. Writing, B.Ed. Hons, Senior Accred. REBT Therapist</b> is an accredited psychotherapist in the U.K. who specialises in using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in the workplace. She has 30 years experience in the public and private sectors both in the U.K. and internationally. Gill has incorporated CBT into individual and group training in a wide variety of workplace settings. ","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9057"}}],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/books/"}},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;body-mind-spirit&quot;,&quot;emotional-health-psychology&quot;,&quot;psychology&quot;,&quot;cognitive-behavioral-therapy&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781119067382&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-63221b4da9dcc\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;body-mind-spirit&quot;,&quot;emotional-health-psychology&quot;,&quot;psychology&quot;,&quot;cognitive-behavioral-therapy&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781119067382&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-63221b4daa2e5\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Cheat Sheet","articleList":[{"articleId":140496,"title":"How to Determine If You're Depressed","slug":"how-to-determine-if-youre-depressed","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","cognitive-behavioral-therapy"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/140496"}},{"articleId":140492,"title":"Sleep and Your Mental Health","slug":"sleep-and-your-mental-health","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","cognitive-behavioral-therapy"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/140492"}},{"articleId":140488,"title":"10 Tips for a Better Work and Home Life","slug":"10-tips-for-a-better-work-and-home-life","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","cognitive-behavioral-therapy"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/140488"}},{"articleId":140490,"title":"10 Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Tips to Remember","slug":"10-cognitive-behavioural-therapy-tips-to-remember","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","cognitive-behavioral-therapy"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/140490"}}],"content":[{"title":"How to Determine If You're Depressed","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>There is a strong possibility that you&#8217;re depressed, but you don&#8217;t know it. You might feel tired, or just out of sorts more often than you use to. To find out if you might be suffering from depression, here are some signs and symptoms:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Insomnia and always tired</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Changes in eating habits &#8212; more or less eating and drinking</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Feeling ill frequently, many colds and coughs, generally &#8216;low&#8217; physically</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Lack of interest in things &#8212; hard to be motivated or unable to find pleasure in the world around you, feelings of hopelessness</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Low mood over a period of time &#8212; longer than two weeks</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Unable to make decisions, struggling to make your mind up over little things as well as big decisions</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Loss of interest in or unable to participate in sex</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Forgetful or a poor memory</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Feeling emotional or &#8216;wobbly,&#8217; for much of the time.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">You want to withdraw and be on your own. Excessive sleeping or sleeping less than six hours.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Sleep and Your Mental Health","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>During sleep, your brain processes your learning and encourages brain cells to make connections with other brain cells. Sleep is one of the most important things you&#8217;ll do all day (or night) so always strive to get a good night&#8217;s sleep.</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">There are different types of sleep &#8212; restorative sleep, healing sleep, and dream sleep</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">During dream sleep, rapid eye movements can be observed REM &#8212; this sleep is essential for health cognitive functioning.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">You sleep in &#8216;chunks,&#8217; the dream sleep occurs in waves and after falling into a deep sleep, your sleep patterns show lighter sleep.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Your depth and quality of sleep can be affected by intake of alcohol. You may fall into a deep sleep quickly but then after about four hours, you tend to wake suddenly and unrefreshed.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Sleep deprivation is a major factor in negatively affecting mental health.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">During sleep, your immune system is boosted and encourages white blood cells to generate, which fight off infections.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">People sleep in cycles, often thought to be a vestige of ancient behaviours where people would wake every so often to be aware of danger, important to survival.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">When you are stressed and anxious, you may find it is hard to get off to sleep or you fall asleep, only to wake feeling anxious a couple of hours later.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Sleep disturbances are a major indicator of an imbalance in your emotional states.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"10 Tips for a Better Work and Home Life","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Everyone wants a peaceful, happy work and home life. Some days, however, daily stressors can make that goal hard to achieve. Here are ten tips that can help you find some happy balance.</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Work out your boundaries &#8212; decide if and when you will take work home. Put a time limit on work out of office hours.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Plan for your personal life &#8212; decide how much time you want to give to your personal relationships and work out your priorities</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Don&#8217;t push your luck when it comes to tolerant partners. Other people have their own limits and boundaries and you may wake up to find they have closed the boundaries.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Practise enlightened self-interest &#8212; if you don&#8217;t look out for you no one else will.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Decide if you want to spend most of your time looking down, at emails, social media, constantly searching and researching on the internet, or if you want to build in &#8216;looking around time&#8217;. </p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Lucky people&#8217;, are open to experience, take risks and engage personally with high levels of interaction.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Rationalise your work patterns. Work more efficiently and try not to be in the habit of constantly working for the sake of it.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Remember, you can say no. Use cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to give you that breathing space.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Being perfect is not essential &#8212; it may be preferable to you, but accepting it cannot always be achievable will take the unnecessary pressure off yourself.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Very few people die wishing they had stayed longer at work.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"10 Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Tips to Remember","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>When life gets challenging or tricky, you can use the following cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) 10 tips to help you &#8220;get a grip&#8221; on life&#8217;s challenges.</p>\n<ol class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Be on the lookout for any unhealthy negative feelings:</p>\n<p class=\"child-para\">Anger</p>\n<p class=\"child-para\">Anxiety</p>\n<p class=\"child-para\">Guilt</p>\n<p class=\"child-para\">Jealousy</p>\n<p class=\"child-para\">Embarrassment</p>\n<p class=\"child-para\">Shame</p>\n<p class=\"child-para\">Fear</p>\n<p class=\"child-para\">Depression</p>\n<p class=\"child-para\">Low self-worth; lack of confidence</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Name that feeling C.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Look for the situation or trigger that set the feeling off; this could be your internal thoughts.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Name the trigger A.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Remember, A did not cause C.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Work out the B &#8212; your belief or your thinking about the trigger.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Work out your &#8216;should,&#8217; &#8216;ought,&#8217; or &#8216;must&#8217; thinking.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Challenge your own irrational thinking.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Change the irrational thinking to more rational thinking &#8212; &#8216;I would prefer that this hadn&#8217;t happened, but it has. How is upsetting myself helping me?</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Make a cognitive shift to accepting the situation or trigger; you don&#8217;t have to like it. Accepting the situation will allow you to move forward.</p>\n</li>\n</ol>\n"}],"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"sponsorAd":"","sponsorEbookTitle":"","sponsorEbookLink":"","sponsorEbookImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Explore","lifeExpectancy":"Two years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2022-08-29T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":207439},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-26T22:40:38+00:00","modifiedTime":"2022-08-08T15:23:02+00:00","timestamp":"2022-09-14T18:19:52+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Body, Mind, & Spirit","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34038"},"slug":"body-mind-spirit","categoryId":34038},{"name":"Emotional Health & Psychology","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34039"},"slug":"emotional-health-psychology","categoryId":34039},{"name":"Psychology","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34053"},"slug":"psychology","categoryId":34053},{"name":"General Psychology","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34076"},"slug":"general-psychology","categoryId":34076}],"title":"Understanding the Id, Ego, and Superego in Psychology","strippedTitle":"understanding the id, ego, and superego in psychology","slug":"understanding-the-id-ego-and-superego-in-psychology","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Learn about the three key elements of Signmund Freud's model of the human personality, and how they interact in the drama of our lives.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"In Sigmund Freud's model of the human personality, each of us behaves according to these three key elements:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><b>Id:</b> The seat of our impulses</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><b>Ego:</b> Negotiates with the id, pleases the superego</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><b>Superego:</b> Keeps us on the straight and narrow</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nFreud, the founder of psychoanalysis in <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/article/body-mind-spirit/emotional-health-psychology/psychology/general-psychology/psychology-for-dummies-cheat-sheet-207964/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">psychology</a>, would have been a great Hollywood screenwriter. His \"story\" of personality is one of desire, power, control, and freedom. The plot is complex and the characters compete. Our personalities represent a drama of sorts, acted out in our minds. \"You\" are a product of how these competing mental forces and structures interact.\r\n\r\nThe ancient Greeks thought that all people were actors in the drama of the gods above. For Freud, we are simply actors in the drama of our minds, pushed by desire, pulled by conscience. Underneath the surface, our personalities represent the power struggles going on deep within us.\r\n<p class=\"Remember\">The id, ego, and superego each have their own idea of what the outcome of this drama should be. Their struggles are fueled by powerful motives, and each one is out for itself.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >I want, therefore I am</h2>\r\nThe initial structural component and first character in Freud's drama of personality is the id. Have you ever felt overpowered by an incredibly strong urge, impulse, or desire? A new car, sexual desire, a dream job? The answer is probably a resounding \"Yes!\"\r\n\r\nWhere does such desire come from? According to Freud, desire comes from the part of your personality called the <i>id,</i> located in the expanses of our mind. So look around, and look deep within. Look at your co-workers, look at your boss. It's in all of us, even the quiet elderly man at the bus stop. Underneath that quiet, grandfatherly demeanor lurks a seething cauldron of desire.\r\n\r\nThe id contains all of our most basic animal and primitive impulses that demand satisfaction. It's the Mr. Hyde emerging from the restrained Dr. Jekyll. It's that little devil that sits on your shoulder, whispering temptations and spurring you on. Whenever you see a selfish, spoiled child in the grocery store demanding a toy and throwing a tantrum if he doesn't get his way, you'll know that's the id in action!\r\n\r\nThe id is a type of \"container\" that holds our desires. Relentlessly driven by a force Freud called the <i>libido,</i> the collective energy of life's instincts and will to survive, the id must be satisfied! We're all born with the id in full force. It's unregulated and untouched by the constraints of the world outside of our minds. When a baby gets hungry, does she sit quietly and wait until someone remembers to feed her? Anyone who's ever gotten out of bed in the middle of the night to feed a baby knows the answer to that.\r\n<p class=\"Tip\">But don't give the id a bad rap. Where would you be without desire? Your desire pushes you through life; it leads you to seek the things you need to survive. Without it we'd die, or at the very least, we'd be really boring. So keep in mind that a large part of your personality consists of your desires and your attempts to satisfy them.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2 id=\"tab2\" >Enter the ego</h2>\r\nWouldn't it be nice if you could get everything you wanted, whenever and however you wanted it? Unfortunately, most of us know otherwise. We all know how frustrating it can be when a desire goes unmet or gets stifled. Well, you can blame your ego for that. The <i>ego</i> is Freud's second mental apparatus of personality. The ego's main function is to mediate between the id's demands and the external world around us — reality, in other words. Does the Rolling Stones' song \"You Can't Always Get What You Want\" come to mind?\r\n\r\nSo far, it seems that, if it wasn't for reality, we would be a lot more satisfied. Even though the ego finds itself in conflict with the id, satisfaction is not abandoned.\r\n\r\nThe ego is like a sports agent for a really talented athlete. Even though the athlete may demand a multimillion-dollar contract, the agent reminds him that he could price himself out of a job. So the ego negotiates with the id in order to get it what it wants without costing it too much in the long run. The ego accomplishes this important task by converting, diverting, and transforming the powerful forces of the id into more useful and realistic modes of satisfaction. It attempts to harness the id's power, regulating it in order to achieve satisfaction despite the limits of reality.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab3\" >The final judgment</h2>\r\nAs if the ego's job wasn't hard enough, playing referee between the id and reality, its performance is under constant scrutiny by a relentless judge, the superego. While the ego negotiates with the id, trying to prevent another tantrum, the superego judges the performance. <i>Superego</i> is another name for your conscience. It expects your ego to be strong and effective in its struggles against the libido's force.\r\n\r\nUsually, our conscience comes from our parents or a parental figure. As we grow, we internalize their standards, those same standards that make us feel so guilty when we tell a lie or cheat on our taxes.\r\n\r\nBut does everyone have a conscience? There are certain people throughout history who have committed such horrible acts of violence that we sometimes wonder if they are void of conscience. How can serial killers such as Ted Bundy or Wayne Williams commit such horrible crimes? A strong bet is that they lack the basic capacity to feel guilt, so nothing really prevents them from acting out their violent fantasies.\r\n<p class=\"Remember\">A famous psychiatrist once said that evil men do what good men only dream of.</p>","description":"In Sigmund Freud's model of the human personality, each of us behaves according to these three key elements:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><b>Id:</b> The seat of our impulses</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><b>Ego:</b> Negotiates with the id, pleases the superego</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><b>Superego:</b> Keeps us on the straight and narrow</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nFreud, the founder of psychoanalysis in <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/article/body-mind-spirit/emotional-health-psychology/psychology/general-psychology/psychology-for-dummies-cheat-sheet-207964/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">psychology</a>, would have been a great Hollywood screenwriter. His \"story\" of personality is one of desire, power, control, and freedom. The plot is complex and the characters compete. Our personalities represent a drama of sorts, acted out in our minds. \"You\" are a product of how these competing mental forces and structures interact.\r\n\r\nThe ancient Greeks thought that all people were actors in the drama of the gods above. For Freud, we are simply actors in the drama of our minds, pushed by desire, pulled by conscience. Underneath the surface, our personalities represent the power struggles going on deep within us.\r\n<p class=\"Remember\">The id, ego, and superego each have their own idea of what the outcome of this drama should be. Their struggles are fueled by powerful motives, and each one is out for itself.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >I want, therefore I am</h2>\r\nThe initial structural component and first character in Freud's drama of personality is the id. Have you ever felt overpowered by an incredibly strong urge, impulse, or desire? A new car, sexual desire, a dream job? The answer is probably a resounding \"Yes!\"\r\n\r\nWhere does such desire come from? According to Freud, desire comes from the part of your personality called the <i>id,</i> located in the expanses of our mind. So look around, and look deep within. Look at your co-workers, look at your boss. It's in all of us, even the quiet elderly man at the bus stop. Underneath that quiet, grandfatherly demeanor lurks a seething cauldron of desire.\r\n\r\nThe id contains all of our most basic animal and primitive impulses that demand satisfaction. It's the Mr. Hyde emerging from the restrained Dr. Jekyll. It's that little devil that sits on your shoulder, whispering temptations and spurring you on. Whenever you see a selfish, spoiled child in the grocery store demanding a toy and throwing a tantrum if he doesn't get his way, you'll know that's the id in action!\r\n\r\nThe id is a type of \"container\" that holds our desires. Relentlessly driven by a force Freud called the <i>libido,</i> the collective energy of life's instincts and will to survive, the id must be satisfied! We're all born with the id in full force. It's unregulated and untouched by the constraints of the world outside of our minds. When a baby gets hungry, does she sit quietly and wait until someone remembers to feed her? Anyone who's ever gotten out of bed in the middle of the night to feed a baby knows the answer to that.\r\n<p class=\"Tip\">But don't give the id a bad rap. Where would you be without desire? Your desire pushes you through life; it leads you to seek the things you need to survive. Without it we'd die, or at the very least, we'd be really boring. So keep in mind that a large part of your personality consists of your desires and your attempts to satisfy them.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2 id=\"tab2\" >Enter the ego</h2>\r\nWouldn't it be nice if you could get everything you wanted, whenever and however you wanted it? Unfortunately, most of us know otherwise. We all know how frustrating it can be when a desire goes unmet or gets stifled. Well, you can blame your ego for that. The <i>ego</i> is Freud's second mental apparatus of personality. The ego's main function is to mediate between the id's demands and the external world around us — reality, in other words. Does the Rolling Stones' song \"You Can't Always Get What You Want\" come to mind?\r\n\r\nSo far, it seems that, if it wasn't for reality, we would be a lot more satisfied. Even though the ego finds itself in conflict with the id, satisfaction is not abandoned.\r\n\r\nThe ego is like a sports agent for a really talented athlete. Even though the athlete may demand a multimillion-dollar contract, the agent reminds him that he could price himself out of a job. So the ego negotiates with the id in order to get it what it wants without costing it too much in the long run. The ego accomplishes this important task by converting, diverting, and transforming the powerful forces of the id into more useful and realistic modes of satisfaction. It attempts to harness the id's power, regulating it in order to achieve satisfaction despite the limits of reality.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab3\" >The final judgment</h2>\r\nAs if the ego's job wasn't hard enough, playing referee between the id and reality, its performance is under constant scrutiny by a relentless judge, the superego. While the ego negotiates with the id, trying to prevent another tantrum, the superego judges the performance. <i>Superego</i> is another name for your conscience. It expects your ego to be strong and effective in its struggles against the libido's force.\r\n\r\nUsually, our conscience comes from our parents or a parental figure. As we grow, we internalize their standards, those same standards that make us feel so guilty when we tell a lie or cheat on our taxes.\r\n\r\nBut does everyone have a conscience? There are certain people throughout history who have committed such horrible acts of violence that we sometimes wonder if they are void of conscience. How can serial killers such as Ted Bundy or Wayne Williams commit such horrible crimes? A strong bet is that they lack the basic capacity to feel guilt, so nothing really prevents them from acting out their violent fantasies.\r\n<p class=\"Remember\">A famous psychiatrist once said that evil men do what good men only dream of.</p>","blurb":"","authors":[],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":34076,"title":"General Psychology","slug":"general-psychology","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34076"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[{"label":"I want, therefore I am","target":"#tab1"},{"label":"Enter the ego","target":"#tab2"},{"label":"The final judgment","target":"#tab3"}],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":273560,"title":"Going Beyond Stress: The Psychology of Health","slug":"going-beyond-stress-the-psychology-of-health","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","general-psychology"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273560"}},{"articleId":273555,"title":"10 Great Psychological Movies and Shows","slug":"10-great-psychological-movies-and-shows","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","general-psychology"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273555"}},{"articleId":273547,"title":"The Organization of the Brain","slug":"the-organization-of-the-brain","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","general-psychology"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273547"}},{"articleId":273542,"title":"Biological Psychology: The Role of Cells and Chemicals","slug":"biological-psychology-the-role-of-cells-and-chemicals","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","general-psychology"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273542"}},{"articleId":208951,"title":"Positive Psychology For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"positive-psychology-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","general-psychology"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/208951"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":0,"slug":null,"isbn":null,"categoryList":null,"amazon":null,"image":null,"title":null,"testBankPinActivationLink":null,"bookOutOfPrint":false,"authorsInfo":null,"authors":null,"_links":null},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" 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Spirit","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34038"},"slug":"body-mind-spirit","categoryId":34038},{"name":"Emotional Health & Psychology","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34039"},"slug":"emotional-health-psychology","categoryId":34039},{"name":"Psychology","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34053"},"slug":"psychology","categoryId":34053},{"name":"General Psychology","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34076"},"slug":"general-psychology","categoryId":34076}],"title":"3 Psychological Tests to Measure Abnormal Behavior, Achievement, and Personality","strippedTitle":"3 psychological tests to measure abnormal behavior, achievement, and personality","slug":"3-psychological-tests-to-measure-abnormal-behavior-achievement-and-personality","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Psychological tests are part of the entire psychological assessment process. Assessment is a set of scientific procedures used to measure and evaluate an indivi","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"Psychological tests are part of the entire psychological assessment process. <i>Assessment</i> is a set of scientific procedures used to measure and evaluate an individual’s behavior and mental processes. Psychologist Anne Anastasi (1908–2001), a past president of the American Psychological Association, defines a psychological test as an objective, standardized sample of behavior or mental processes. Nearly all topics in psychology can be measured with a test.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >Clinical tests</h2>\r\nClinical psychologists (psychologists who work with mental disorders and abnormal behavior) typically use clinical testing as a way to clarify diagnoses and assess the scope and nature of a person’s or family’s disturbance and dysfunction. Specific tests are designed to assess the extent to which a patient may or may not be experiencing the symptoms of a particular disorder. These are <i>diagnostic tests</i>.\r\n\r\n<i>Behavioral and adaptive functioning </i>tests are two types of clinical tests that determine how well a person is doing in her everyday life and whether she exhibits specific problem behaviors. A common instrument used with children is the Child Behavior Checklist, which assesses the extent of a child’s behavior problems. Another commonly used clinical test is the Conner’s Parent Rating Scale, which detects attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms.\r\n\r\nIn addition to disorder-specific inventories and tests, a wide variety of tests designed for other purposes lend themselves to the diagnostic process. Intelligence tests are designed to measure intelligence, but they can also show signs of cognitive dysfunction and learning disabilities. Personality tests are designed to measure personality, but they can also provide helpful insight to the types of psychological problems an individual is experiencing.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab2\" >Educational and achievement tests</h2>\r\nEducational and achievement tests measure an individual’s current level of academic competence. Glen Aylward, chair of the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, identifies three major purposes of this type of testing:\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Identify students who need special instruction.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Identify the nature of a student’s difficulties in order to rule out learning disabilities.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Assist in educational planning and approach to instruction.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nA typical educational/achievement test assesses the most common areas of school activity: reading, mathematics, spelling, and writing skills. Some tests include other areas such as science and social studies. A popular achievement test in use today is the Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational Battery, Revised. The test consists of nine subtests, measuring the standard areas of instruction but in more detail (mathematics is broken down into calculation and applied problems, for example).\r\n\r\nWhen a student has a hard time in school, it’s not unusual to administer an achievement test. Sometimes, students have a difficult time because they have a learning disability. Part of identifying a learning disability is assessing the student’s achievement level. Other times, a student struggles because of non-academic difficulties including emotional problems, substance abuse, or family issues. An achievement test sometimes helps to tease out these non-academic problems.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab3\" >Personality tests</h2>\r\nPersonality tests measure many different things, not just personality. Numerous tests are designed to measure emotion, motivation, and interpersonal skills as well as specific aspects of personality, according to the given theory on which a test is based. Most personality tests are known as <i>self-reports.</i> With self-reports, the person answering questions about herself, typically in a pencil-and-paper format, provides the information.\r\n\r\nPersonality tests are usually developed with a particular theory of personality in mind. A test may measure id, ego, or superego issues, for example, if it originates from a Freudian view of personality development.\r\n<h3>MMPI-2</h3>\r\nPerhaps the most widely used personality test in the United States is the<i> </i>MMPI-2, The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, 2nd Edition.<i> </i>Almost all American psychologists are trained to use the MMPI-2, which is considered to be a very reliable and valid instrument.\r\n\r\nA patient’s results from a MMPI-2 test provide rich information about the presence of psychopathology and level of severity, if present. The test’s results also reveal information about the emotional, behavioral, and social functioning of the test taker. A lot of psychologists use the MMPI-2 as a way to check the accuracy of their observations and diagnoses.\r\n\r\nThe MMPI-2 test consists of 567 individual items and produces a score on nine clinical categories or scales. If a score is over a specific cutoff, it usually gets the attention of the psychologist administering the test. Psychologists consider such scores to be of clinical significance. The MMPI-2 covers a wide variety of areas, including depression, physical complaints, anger, social contact, anxiety, and energy level.\r\n<h3>Projective personality tests</h3>\r\n<i>Projective personality tests</i> are a unique breed of test. When most people think of psychological testing, these kinds of tests come readily to mind. The stereotype involves sitting across from a psychologist, looking at a card with smeared ink or a picture of somebody doing something on it, and answering questions like “What do you see here?”\r\n\r\n(You can take a free, mock personality test at <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/education/psychology/mock-millennial-generation-personality-test/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here</a>.)\r\n<p class=\"Remember\">Projective personality tests are based on the <i>projective hypothesis,</i> which states that when presented with ambiguous stimuli, people project parts of themselves and their psychological functioning that they may not reveal if asked directly The idea is that many people can’t exactly describe what’s going on mentally and emotionally because of psychological defense mechanisms. Projective tests get past the defenses and penetrate the deep recesses of the psyche.</p>\r\nPerhaps the most popular projective personality test and maybe even the most popular psychological test of all time is the Rorschach Inkblot Test (RIT).<i> </i>The RIT consists of ten cards, each with its own standard inkblot figure. None of these inkblots are a picture or representation of anything. They were created by simply pouring ink onto a sheet of paper and folding it in half. The only meaning and structure the cards have are provided by the projections of the test taker himself.","description":"Psychological tests are part of the entire psychological assessment process. <i>Assessment</i> is a set of scientific procedures used to measure and evaluate an individual’s behavior and mental processes. Psychologist Anne Anastasi (1908–2001), a past president of the American Psychological Association, defines a psychological test as an objective, standardized sample of behavior or mental processes. Nearly all topics in psychology can be measured with a test.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab1\" >Clinical tests</h2>\r\nClinical psychologists (psychologists who work with mental disorders and abnormal behavior) typically use clinical testing as a way to clarify diagnoses and assess the scope and nature of a person’s or family’s disturbance and dysfunction. Specific tests are designed to assess the extent to which a patient may or may not be experiencing the symptoms of a particular disorder. These are <i>diagnostic tests</i>.\r\n\r\n<i>Behavioral and adaptive functioning </i>tests are two types of clinical tests that determine how well a person is doing in her everyday life and whether she exhibits specific problem behaviors. A common instrument used with children is the Child Behavior Checklist, which assesses the extent of a child’s behavior problems. Another commonly used clinical test is the Conner’s Parent Rating Scale, which detects attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms.\r\n\r\nIn addition to disorder-specific inventories and tests, a wide variety of tests designed for other purposes lend themselves to the diagnostic process. Intelligence tests are designed to measure intelligence, but they can also show signs of cognitive dysfunction and learning disabilities. Personality tests are designed to measure personality, but they can also provide helpful insight to the types of psychological problems an individual is experiencing.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab2\" >Educational and achievement tests</h2>\r\nEducational and achievement tests measure an individual’s current level of academic competence. Glen Aylward, chair of the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, identifies three major purposes of this type of testing:\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Identify students who need special instruction.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Identify the nature of a student’s difficulties in order to rule out learning disabilities.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\">Assist in educational planning and approach to instruction.</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nA typical educational/achievement test assesses the most common areas of school activity: reading, mathematics, spelling, and writing skills. Some tests include other areas such as science and social studies. A popular achievement test in use today is the Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational Battery, Revised. The test consists of nine subtests, measuring the standard areas of instruction but in more detail (mathematics is broken down into calculation and applied problems, for example).\r\n\r\nWhen a student has a hard time in school, it’s not unusual to administer an achievement test. Sometimes, students have a difficult time because they have a learning disability. Part of identifying a learning disability is assessing the student’s achievement level. Other times, a student struggles because of non-academic difficulties including emotional problems, substance abuse, or family issues. An achievement test sometimes helps to tease out these non-academic problems.\r\n<h2 id=\"tab3\" >Personality tests</h2>\r\nPersonality tests measure many different things, not just personality. Numerous tests are designed to measure emotion, motivation, and interpersonal skills as well as specific aspects of personality, according to the given theory on which a test is based. Most personality tests are known as <i>self-reports.</i> With self-reports, the person answering questions about herself, typically in a pencil-and-paper format, provides the information.\r\n\r\nPersonality tests are usually developed with a particular theory of personality in mind. A test may measure id, ego, or superego issues, for example, if it originates from a Freudian view of personality development.\r\n<h3>MMPI-2</h3>\r\nPerhaps the most widely used personality test in the United States is the<i> </i>MMPI-2, The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, 2nd Edition.<i> </i>Almost all American psychologists are trained to use the MMPI-2, which is considered to be a very reliable and valid instrument.\r\n\r\nA patient’s results from a MMPI-2 test provide rich information about the presence of psychopathology and level of severity, if present. The test’s results also reveal information about the emotional, behavioral, and social functioning of the test taker. A lot of psychologists use the MMPI-2 as a way to check the accuracy of their observations and diagnoses.\r\n\r\nThe MMPI-2 test consists of 567 individual items and produces a score on nine clinical categories or scales. If a score is over a specific cutoff, it usually gets the attention of the psychologist administering the test. Psychologists consider such scores to be of clinical significance. The MMPI-2 covers a wide variety of areas, including depression, physical complaints, anger, social contact, anxiety, and energy level.\r\n<h3>Projective personality tests</h3>\r\n<i>Projective personality tests</i> are a unique breed of test. When most people think of psychological testing, these kinds of tests come readily to mind. The stereotype involves sitting across from a psychologist, looking at a card with smeared ink or a picture of somebody doing something on it, and answering questions like “What do you see here?”\r\n\r\n(You can take a free, mock personality test at <a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/education/psychology/mock-millennial-generation-personality-test/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here</a>.)\r\n<p class=\"Remember\">Projective personality tests are based on the <i>projective hypothesis,</i> which states that when presented with ambiguous stimuli, people project parts of themselves and their psychological functioning that they may not reveal if asked directly The idea is that many people can’t exactly describe what’s going on mentally and emotionally because of psychological defense mechanisms. Projective tests get past the defenses and penetrate the deep recesses of the psyche.</p>\r\nPerhaps the most popular projective personality test and maybe even the most popular psychological test of all time is the Rorschach Inkblot Test (RIT).<i> </i>The RIT consists of ten cards, each with its own standard inkblot figure. None of these inkblots are a picture or representation of anything. They were created by simply pouring ink onto a sheet of paper and folding it in half. The only meaning and structure the cards have are provided by the projections of the test taker himself.","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":9556,"name":"Adam Cash","slug":"adam-cash","description":" <p><b>Adam Cash</b> is a clinical psychologist who has practiced in a variety of settings including forensic institutions and outpatient clinics. He has taught Psychology at both the community college and university levels. He is currently in private practice specializing in psychological assessment, child psychology, and neurodevelopmental disorders. ","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9556"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":34076,"title":"General Psychology","slug":"general-psychology","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34076"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[{"label":"Clinical tests","target":"#tab1"},{"label":"Educational and achievement tests","target":"#tab2"},{"label":"Personality tests","target":"#tab3"}],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[{"articleId":273560,"title":"Going Beyond Stress: The Psychology of Health","slug":"going-beyond-stress-the-psychology-of-health","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","general-psychology"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273560"}},{"articleId":273555,"title":"10 Great Psychological Movies and Shows","slug":"10-great-psychological-movies-and-shows","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","general-psychology"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273555"}},{"articleId":273547,"title":"The Organization of the Brain","slug":"the-organization-of-the-brain","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","general-psychology"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273547"}},{"articleId":273542,"title":"Biological Psychology: The Role of Cells and Chemicals","slug":"biological-psychology-the-role-of-cells-and-chemicals","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","general-psychology"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273542"}},{"articleId":207964,"title":"Psychology For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"psychology-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","general-psychology"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/207964"}}],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":273560,"title":"Going Beyond Stress: The Psychology of Health","slug":"going-beyond-stress-the-psychology-of-health","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","general-psychology"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273560"}},{"articleId":273555,"title":"10 Great Psychological Movies and Shows","slug":"10-great-psychological-movies-and-shows","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","general-psychology"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273555"}},{"articleId":273547,"title":"The Organization of the Brain","slug":"the-organization-of-the-brain","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","general-psychology"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273547"}},{"articleId":273542,"title":"Biological Psychology: The Role of Cells and Chemicals","slug":"biological-psychology-the-role-of-cells-and-chemicals","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","general-psychology"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273542"}},{"articleId":208951,"title":"Positive Psychology For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"positive-psychology-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","general-psychology"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/208951"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":282513,"slug":"psychology-for-dummies-3rd-edition","isbn":"9781119700296","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","general-psychology"],"amazon":{"default":"https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1119700299/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","ca":"https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1119700299/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","indigo_ca":"http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-9208661-13710633?url=https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/product/1119700299-item.html&cjsku=978111945484","gb":"https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1119700299/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","de":"https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/1119700299/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20"},"image":{"src":"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/psychology-for-dummies-3rd-edition-cover-9781119700296-203x255.jpg","width":203,"height":255},"title":"Psychology For Dummies","testBankPinActivationLink":"","bookOutOfPrint":true,"authorsInfo":"<p><p><b><b data-author-id=\"9556\">Adam Cash</b></b> is a clinical psychologist who has practiced in a variety of settings including forensic institutions and outpatient clinics. He has taught Psychology at both the community college and university levels. He is currently in private practice specializing in psychological assessment, child psychology, and neurodevelopmental disorders.</p>","authors":[{"authorId":9556,"name":"Adam Cash","slug":"adam-cash","description":" <p><b>Adam Cash</b> is a clinical psychologist who has practiced in a variety of settings including forensic institutions and outpatient clinics. He has taught Psychology at both the community college and university levels. He is currently in private practice specializing in psychological assessment, child psychology, and neurodevelopmental disorders. 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This Cheat Sheet tells you how to act \"as if.\" Explore how to behave without giving the game away. Try a few easy exercises that will strengthen your body.","description":"Want to find out more about how to be the person you’ve always wanted to be? This Cheat Sheet tells you how to act \"as if.\" Explore how to behave without giving the game away. Try a few easy exercises that will strengthen your body.","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":9196,"name":"Elizabeth Kuhnke","slug":"elizabeth-kuhnke","description":" <p>Elizabeth Kuhnke is a Positive Impact Coach and the Managing Director and founder of Kuhnke Communication, a company that tailors communication coaching programmes and workshops to individuals and teams across the UK, Europe and the Far East. Elizabeth is the author of <i>Body Language For Dummies</i> and <i>Persuasion &amp; Influence For Dummies.</i></p>","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9196"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":34074,"title":"Social","slug":"social","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34074"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[{"articleId":192975,"title":"How to Impress at Job Interviews Using Body Language","slug":"how-to-impress-at-job-interviews-using-body-language","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","social"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/192975"}},{"articleId":143355,"title":"Connecting the Mind and the Body","slug":"connecting-the-mind-and-the-body","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","social"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/143355"}},{"articleId":143352,"title":"Muscles and Your Mouth","slug":"muscles-and-your-mouth","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","social"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/143352"}},{"articleId":143353,"title":"Communicating Across Cultures","slug":"communicating-across-cultures","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","social"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/143353"}},{"articleId":143346,"title":"Managing Your Body Language When the Stakes Are High","slug":"managing-your-body-language-when-the-stakes-are-high","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","social"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/143346"}}],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":207556,"title":"Social Psychology For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"social-psychology-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","social"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/207556"}},{"articleId":192975,"title":"How to Impress at Job Interviews Using Body Language","slug":"how-to-impress-at-job-interviews-using-body-language","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","social"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/192975"}},{"articleId":143355,"title":"Connecting the Mind and the Body","slug":"connecting-the-mind-and-the-body","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","social"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/143355"}},{"articleId":143352,"title":"Muscles and Your Mouth","slug":"muscles-and-your-mouth","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","social"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/143352"}},{"articleId":143353,"title":"Communicating Across Cultures","slug":"communicating-across-cultures","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","social"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/143353"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":281551,"slug":"body-language-for-dummies-3rd-edition","isbn":"9781119067399","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","social"],"amazon":{"default":"https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1119067391/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","ca":"https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1119067391/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","indigo_ca":"http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-9208661-13710633?url=https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/product/1119067391-item.html&cjsku=978111945484","gb":"https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1119067391/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","de":"https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/1119067391/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20"},"image":{"src":"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/body-language-for-dummies-3rd-edition-cover-9781119067399-203x255.jpg","width":203,"height":255},"title":"Body Language For Dummies","testBankPinActivationLink":"","bookOutOfPrint":false,"authorsInfo":"<p><b data-author-id=\"9196\">Elizabeth Kuhnke</b> founded Kuhnke Communication, a team of experts that specializes in interpersonal communication for both groups and individuals. Elizabeth runs workshops, training courses and coaching programmes, and speaks regularly at business events and international conferences. </p>","authors":[{"authorId":9196,"name":"Elizabeth Kuhnke","slug":"elizabeth-kuhnke","description":" <p>Elizabeth Kuhnke is a Positive Impact Coach and the Managing Director and founder of Kuhnke Communication, a company that tailors communication coaching programmes and workshops to individuals and teams across the UK, Europe and the Far East. Elizabeth is the author of <i>Body Language For Dummies</i> and <i>Persuasion &amp; Influence For Dummies.</i></p>","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9196"}}],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/books/"}},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;body-mind-spirit&quot;,&quot;emotional-health-psychology&quot;,&quot;psychology&quot;,&quot;social&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781119067399&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-63221b3e619b3\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;body-mind-spirit&quot;,&quot;emotional-health-psychology&quot;,&quot;psychology&quot;,&quot;social&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781119067399&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-63221b3e6237e\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Cheat Sheet","articleList":[{"articleId":143340,"title":"Acting 'As If' to Become the Person You Want to Be","slug":"acting-as-if-to-become-the-person-you-want-to-be","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","social"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/143340"}},{"articleId":143346,"title":"Managing Your Body Language When the Stakes Are High","slug":"managing-your-body-language-when-the-stakes-are-high","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","social"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/143346"}},{"articleId":143338,"title":"Building a Fit, Firm, and Flexible Body for Communication","slug":"building-a-fit-firm-and-flexible-body-for-communication","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","social"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/143338"}}],"content":[{"title":"Acting 'as if' to become who you want to be","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>You don’t have to be an actor to act &#8220;as if.&#8221; You just have to act as if you are the person you&#8217;d like to be. The more you act as if you are that person, the more you become that person.<br />\nBelow are a few tips for getting you started on the path of becoming the person you long to be.</p>\n<ol class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Begin by asking yourself: What do people in control do? What behaviors do they demonstrate? What do they say?</p>\n<p class=\"child-para\">If you can identify the behaviors and replicate them yourself, you can convince anyone who’s watching that you are what you say you are.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">If you were acting as if you were the person you would like to be, how would you be acting? If you could see a film of your life, what would be different?</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">If a good friend were to see you several months from now and you were more like the person you want to be, what would this person see you doing differently?</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">What might some initial indicators be that would demonstrate that you are headed in the right direction?</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">If you want to come across as a person in control, the one to turn to when all else fails, the one you can count on to get the job done, you have to act ‘as if’ you were that person.</p>\n</li>\n</ol>\n<p>Once you have the answers to those questions, you’re well on your way to being the person you want to be.</p>\n"},{"title":"Managing your body language when the stakes are high","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>An unconscious movement, an inadvertent gesture, or an unwitting facial expression can give your game away faster than a speeding bullet. Below are a few tips for containing and controlling your body’s movements.</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Breathe with consciousness.</b> Be aware of the air entering and leaving your body. Breathe slowly and deeply, allowing the nurturing oxygen to calm your nervous energy.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Drop your shoulders. </b>Gently release your shoulder blades, letting them meet at your spinal cord. Experience the sensation of tension melting downwards, escaping through your feet.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Expand your upper body.</b> Feel your ribcage swell in front, around your sides, and into your back. Experience the sensation of being bigger than you are.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Hold your head in a neutral position. </b>When you’re standing or sitting, keep your chin horizontal to the floor. Jutting your chin upwards, or letting it sink into your chest sends out signals of aggression and depression, respectively. Holding your head horizontally demonstrates strength, focus and direction.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Keep your face still.</b> Vladimir Putin is an expert at maintaining a still face. Inscrutable, impenetrable and impermeable, his stone-like mask conceals what he’s thinking, leaving the rest of us wondering what he’s got in mind. Avoid lip chewing, nostril flaring, and eyeball rolling if you want to demonstrate control.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Contain your hand gestures. </b>Flapping hands and fidgeting fingers are signs of stress. Loosely interlock your fingers and let them sit quietly in your lap or on the desk in front of you. You may also find that resting one hand rest on top of the other prevents them from leaking information you’d rather not reveal.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Building a fit, firm, and flexible body for communication","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>A fit, firm, and flexible body enhances your ability to communicate with confidence and control. Below are a few exercises to help you improve your body’s ability to communicate your thoughts, feelings, and intentions.</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Before undertaking any form of exercise, lightly stretch your muscles to prevent injury. </b>Gently roll your head and shoulders, slowly twist your torso from side to side, and stretch your limbs out wide. You might want to practice in a private, comfortable place as some of the expressions and movements can look and feel a little awkward.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Strengthening your lips</b>. Firm lips are a thing of beauty and have caused many sleepless nights. To build up your mouth muscles, pucker your lips slightly. From this position, bring the corners of your mouth as close together as possible by actively engaging the muscle. Hold your lips in this position for a count of five. Relax and repeat 10 times.<b> </b></p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Squeezing your buttocks</b>. A tight bottom is attractive. And it feels good, too. To maintain your bottom’s upward lift and inviting appearance, squeeze your glutes tightly for a count of five. Relax and repeat ten times.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Stretching your hands</b>. Your hands get a steady workout during the day whether they’re tapping the keyboard, lifting and carrying, or just stroking the dog. To give your fingers a bit of a respite, put them together in the prayer position, finger tips pointing upwards, heels of the palms together. Push your fingertips tightly together, allowing the heels of your palms to separate. Relax and repeat ten times.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"}],"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"sponsorAd":"","sponsorEbookTitle":"","sponsorEbookLink":"","sponsorEbookImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Explore","lifeExpectancy":"Five years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2022-05-02T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":207509},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-27T16:54:36+00:00","modifiedTime":"2022-04-27T18:08:05+00:00","timestamp":"2022-09-14T18:19:41+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Body, Mind, & Spirit","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34038"},"slug":"body-mind-spirit","categoryId":34038},{"name":"Emotional Health & Psychology","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34039"},"slug":"emotional-health-psychology","categoryId":34039},{"name":"Psychology","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34053"},"slug":"psychology","categoryId":34053},{"name":"General Psychology","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34076"},"slug":"general-psychology","categoryId":34076}],"title":"Sports Psychology For Dummies Cheat Sheet","strippedTitle":"sports psychology for dummies cheat sheet","slug":"sports-psychology-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Learn about a key muscle to exercise as you play sports — your mind! Tap into the power of psychology to focus and build confidence.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"Being a successful athlete is about more than just physical strength and agility — your mind plays a key part in your winning performance. You can use sports psychology techniques to build confidence and improve your focus.\r\n\r\nSports psychology isn’t limited to athletes — as a coach, you can use sports psychology to help your athletes achieve their goals.","description":"Being a successful athlete is about more than just physical strength and agility — your mind plays a key part in your winning performance. You can use sports psychology techniques to build confidence and improve your focus.\r\n\r\nSports psychology isn’t limited to athletes — as a coach, you can use sports psychology to help your athletes achieve their goals.","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":10223,"name":"Leif H. Smith","slug":"leif-h-smith","description":" <p><b>Leif Smith, PsyD,</b> is president of a sports psychology and performance consultancy. His work has been cited in publications such as <i>The New York Times</i>.</p> <p><b>Todd Kays, PhD, </b>is president of the Athletic Mind Institute, a sports and performance consulting firm. He&#8217;s a licensed psychologist whose training and guidance have helped thousands of athletes. ","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/10223"}},{"authorId":10224,"name":"Todd M. Kays","slug":"todd-m-kays","description":" <p><b>Leif Smith, PsyD,</b> is president of a sports psychology and performance consultancy. His work has been cited in publications such as <i>The New York Times</i>.</p> <p><b>Todd Kays, PhD, </b>is president of the Athletic Mind Institute, a sports and performance consulting firm. He&#8217;s a licensed psychologist whose training and guidance have helped thousands of athletes. 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His work has been cited in publications such as <i>The New York Times</i>.</p> <p><b>Todd Kays, PhD, </b>is president of the Athletic Mind Institute, a sports and performance consulting firm. He&#8217;s a licensed psychologist whose training and guidance have helped thousands of athletes. <p><b>Leif Smith, PsyD,</b> is president of a sports psychology and performance consultancy. His work has been cited in publications such as <i>The New York Times</i>.</p> <p><b>Todd Kays, PhD, </b>is president of the Athletic Mind Institute, a sports and performance consulting firm. He&#8217;s a licensed psychologist whose training and guidance have helped thousands of athletes.</p>","authors":[{"authorId":10223,"name":"Leif H. Smith","slug":"leif-h-smith","description":" <p><b>Leif Smith, PsyD,</b> is president of a sports psychology and performance consultancy. His work has been cited in publications such as <i>The New York Times</i>.</p> <p><b>Todd Kays, PhD, </b>is president of the Athletic Mind Institute, a sports and performance consulting firm. He&#8217;s a licensed psychologist whose training and guidance have helped thousands of athletes. ","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/10223"}},{"authorId":10224,"name":"Todd M. Kays","slug":"todd-m-kays","description":" <p><b>Leif Smith, PsyD,</b> is president of a sports psychology and performance consultancy. His work has been cited in publications such as <i>The New York Times</i>.</p> <p><b>Todd Kays, PhD, </b>is president of the Athletic Mind Institute, a sports and performance consulting firm. He&#8217;s a licensed psychologist whose training and guidance have helped thousands of athletes. ","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/10224"}}],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/books/"}},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;body-mind-spirit&quot;,&quot;emotional-health-psychology&quot;,&quot;psychology&quot;,&quot;general-psychology&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781119855996&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-63221b3d8d684\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;body-mind-spirit&quot;,&quot;emotional-health-psychology&quot;,&quot;psychology&quot;,&quot;general-psychology&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9781119855996&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-63221b3d8e061\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Cheat Sheet","articleList":[{"articleId":189315,"title":"Improving Your Focus with Sports Psychology","slug":"improving-your-focus-with-sports-psychology","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","sports"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/189315"}},{"articleId":189326,"title":"Building Confidence in Sports","slug":"building-confidence-in-sports","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","sports"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/189326"}},{"articleId":189325,"title":"Using Sports Psychology as a Coach","slug":"using-sports-psychology-as-a-coach","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","sports"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/189325"}}],"content":[{"title":"Improving your focus with sports psychology","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Focus is one of the most powerful tools in sports psychology. Whatever sport you compete in, the ability to focus is essential to success. You can improve your focus by following these tips:</p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Know what you need to focus on.</strong> The clearer you are about what you want to focus on, the more likely you’ll be to stay focused on the factors that contribute to your success.</li>\n<li><strong>Focus on what you can control.</strong> You have control over yourself and your own actions and attitudes — nothing more. Keep your focus here. If you focus on outcomes (things you have no control over), you’re creating unnecessary anxiety. Focus on the process and you increase the likelihood of positive results happening.</li>\n<li><strong>Stay relaxed under pressure. </strong>When you’re stressed and anxious, your focus drops. Find ways to stay calm in high-pressure situations, such as taking deep breaths, stretching muscles to loosen them, engaging in effective routines to keep your focus where it needs to be, or listening to music that keeps you centered.</li>\n<li><strong>Use cue words. </strong>Cue words are simple words and phrases that remind you of your focus points. Repeating words and phrases such as <em>relax,</em> <em>play hard,</em> or <em>quick feet</em> will remind you to focus on what you need to do. If your mind is focused on your cue words, your body will follow.</li>\n<li><strong>Develop effective routines.</strong> A routine is like a funnel — it channels your focus and gets you ready to compete. Your routines help you maintain your focus on the right things and prevent many potential distractions from entering your mind. For example, listen to three or four songs before games to get yourself ready, or eat a certain meal, arrive at the playing field in enough time to get prepared, or go through a specific type of warm-up.</li>\n<li><strong>Use mental imagery. </strong>Practice seeing yourself perform exactly as you want to perform, focusing exactly as you want to focus. The more your train your mind to focus on the right things, the more it will respond. Mental imagery is simply seeing yourself perform as you desire long before you even step on the field of play.</li>\n<li><strong>Rate your focus daily. </strong>Keep a journal in which you rate your level of focus before and after each practice or competition. Simple daily evaluations are critical to improving your focus. By consistently being consciously aware of improving and evaluating your focus, you’ll automatically do so.</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Building confidence in sports ","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Sports psychology can help athletes looking to improve their confidence. You may be the strongest, tallest, most powerful athlete on the field, court, or track, but if you aren’t confident in your abilities, you’ll have trouble reaching your goals. Work on improving your confidence just as you work on developing your sport-specific skills, and your performance will soar.</p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Realize that confidence fluctuates.</strong> Confidence for all athletes — even at the highest level — ebbs and flows. Confidence is not all or nothing. It’s a state of mind that fluctuates, so don’t beat yourself up when your confidence is lower. Just focus on improving, and your confidence will follow suit.</li>\n<li><strong>Focus on yourself, not on others.</strong> Instead of thinking about how well your teammates or opponents are doing, think about your own performance and how you can improve. This is <em>your</em> athletic career, so you need to focus on what <em>you</em> need to do to improve as an athlete. And when you improve as an athlete, your confidence will increase.</li>\n<li><strong>Focus on day-to-day success.</strong> When you have success every day in training — even the smallest of successes — your confidence rises. If your confidence rises a small amount each day, just think where you’ll be in one month, six months, or a year!</li>\n<li><strong>Concentrate on the process, not outcomes. </strong>When you focus on improving your performance — the process of improving — you become more confident because you’re focusing on something you have control over. You can’t control outcomes; you may play your best game ever and still lose. If you’re focused on process, sure, you’ll be disappointed when you lose, but your confidence will remain high, because you’ll know you performed your best.</li>\n<li><strong>Focus on what you’re doing right.</strong> Learning from your mistakes is important, but you don’t want to linger on them. If you spend too much time thinking about your mistakes, your confidence will wane. When you focus on what you’re doing right and correct your errors, your confidence will rise.</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Using sports psychology as a coach ","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>As a coach, you can run drills with your athletes day and night, but if you ignore your athletes’ minds, you’ll only tap into a fraction of what they can do. Here are some ways you can use sports psychology to help your athletes reach their goals:</p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Use mental imagery. </strong>Make sure your athletes engage in some form of mental imagery — visualization techniques, journaling, or discussion. They’ll become more focused in practice, which will lead to improvement, greater confidence, and more success.</li>\n<li><strong>Build a “we” mentality, not a “me” mentality.</strong> Simple, daily exercises can take a team of average athletes working together to accomplish the success of a championship-caliber team. For example, engage in social activities, such as team dinners, video-game tournaments, or bowling, as a way for your athletes to get to know each other off the field.Create athletic drills where teamwork is critical for success. Show famous movies that involve sports and teamwork as a way to keep the importance of teamwork in the forefront of your athletes’ minds. Seek out a good sports psychologist to come out and help to create numerous team-building activities that help emphasize the “we” mentality.</li>\n<li><strong>Motivate your athletes. </strong>One of the best ways to motivate your athletes is to get to know them personally and show that you care about them, not just for their sport skills. If you notice a drop in motivation, ask them about it. Share stories of famous athletes who fought through hard times when motivation was low.Bring in guest speakers, such as elite athletes or former alumni, to inspire your athletes to be the best they can be. Keep them focused on getting better every day. Set short-term goals and help them accomplish them. Help them connect to the reason they’re playing the sport in the first place.</li>\n<li><strong>Build awareness.</strong> Journaling and mindfulness drills build awareness of the power of thoughts and emotions. These are simple exercises and great tools for the mental game.</li>\n<li><strong>Teach parents how to best work with their kids.</strong> Remind parents to have a good time because when they have fun and keep sports in perspective, their kids can relax and perform better. Tell them that life skills are the most important ways they can help their kids — being prepared for practice, working hard, establishing good habits, eating well and getting enough rest, having integrity, displaying teamwork, and bouncing back after a mistake. These concepts will help parents assist <em>you</em> in teaching their kids and your athletes good habits.</li>\n</ul>\n"}],"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"sponsorAd":"","sponsorEbookTitle":"","sponsorEbookLink":"","sponsorEbookImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Advance","lifeExpectancy":"Two years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2021-06-25T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":208727},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-27T16:48:13+00:00","modifiedTime":"2022-04-19T18:58:20+00:00","timestamp":"2022-09-14T18:19:38+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Body, Mind, & Spirit","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34038"},"slug":"body-mind-spirit","categoryId":34038},{"name":"Emotional Health & Psychology","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34039"},"slug":"emotional-health-psychology","categoryId":34039},{"name":"Psychology","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34053"},"slug":"psychology","categoryId":34053},{"name":"General Psychology","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34076"},"slug":"general-psychology","categoryId":34076}],"title":"Dream Dictionary For Dummies Cheat Sheet","strippedTitle":"dream dictionary for dummies cheat sheet","slug":"dream-dictionary-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Your dreams are trying to tell you something! Learn how to interpret your dreams by keeping a dream diary and discovering common symbols.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"Your dreams are trying to tell you something. If you can interpret your dreams, they offer you greater self-awareness, knowledge, and success. Don't overlook the details in your dreams — messages may be lurking there. Keep a dream diary to uncover themes and insight in your dreams. Study the meanings of common dreams, because they represent situations most people experience at some point in life.","description":"Your dreams are trying to tell you something. If you can interpret your dreams, they offer you greater self-awareness, knowledge, and success. Don't overlook the details in your dreams — messages may be lurking there. Keep a dream diary to uncover themes and insight in your dreams. Study the meanings of common dreams, because they represent situations most people experience at some point in life.","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":9115,"name":"Penney Peirce","slug":"penney-peirce","description":" \t <p><b>Penney Peirce</b> is a gifted intuitive, visionary, and trainer specializing in developing and applying intuition in personal and business life. She has coached executives, psychologists, and those seeking spiritual enlightenment. ","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9115"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":34076,"title":"General Psychology","slug":"general-psychology","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34076"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":273560,"title":"Going Beyond Stress: The Psychology of Health","slug":"going-beyond-stress-the-psychology-of-health","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","general-psychology"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273560"}},{"articleId":273555,"title":"10 Great Psychological Movies and Shows","slug":"10-great-psychological-movies-and-shows","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","general-psychology"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273555"}},{"articleId":273547,"title":"The Organization of the Brain","slug":"the-organization-of-the-brain","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","general-psychology"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273547"}},{"articleId":273542,"title":"Biological Psychology: The Role of Cells and Chemicals","slug":"biological-psychology-the-role-of-cells-and-chemicals","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","general-psychology"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/273542"}},{"articleId":208951,"title":"Positive Psychology For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"positive-psychology-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","general-psychology"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/208951"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":0,"slug":null,"isbn":null,"categoryList":null,"amazon":null,"image":null,"title":null,"testBankPinActivationLink":null,"bookOutOfPrint":false,"authorsInfo":null,"authors":null,"_links":null},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;body-mind-spirit&quot;,&quot;emotional-health-psychology&quot;,&quot;psychology&quot;,&quot;general-psychology&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-63221b3a8811c\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;body-mind-spirit&quot;,&quot;emotional-health-psychology&quot;,&quot;psychology&quot;,&quot;general-psychology&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-63221b3a88ba4\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Cheat Sheet","articleList":[{"articleId":154652,"title":"The Importance of Detail in Your Dreams","slug":"the-importance-of-detail-in-your-dreams","categoryList":[],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/154652"}},{"articleId":154653,"title":"How to Keep a Dream Diary","slug":"how-to-keep-a-dream-diary","categoryList":[],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/154653"}},{"articleId":154654,"title":"10 Common Dreams and Their Meanings","slug":"10-common-dreams-and-their-meanings","categoryList":[],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/154654"}}],"content":[{"title":"The importance of detail in your dreams","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Be conscious of the details in your dreams. Recording them in your dream diary can trigger insights into what problems your brain is trying to resolve and make the meaning of your dreams more evident.</p>\n<p>Look for the following details in your dreams that you may otherwise gloss over:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">What are the key elements of the dream?</p>\n<ul class=\"level-two\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">How would you describe the dream structure?</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">What were the main scenes and settings in the dream?</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Was there a sense of time or direction?</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">How was the dream lit?</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">What was your viewpoint?</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">What characters were present?</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">What were the primary images, objects, symbols, or patterns?</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Did numbers occur in the dream?</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">What are the motivations?</p>\n<ul class=\"level-two\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">What actions were taken, and by whom?</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">What choices or decisions were made, and by whom?</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">What outcomes were reached?</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">At what speed was the action occurring?</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">What statements were made?</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">What was left incomplete?</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">What impressions did you have about the dream while dreaming?</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">What are the feelings?</p>\n<ul class=\"level-two\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">What feelings did you or other characters have?</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">What senses were you using to perceive?</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">How is each part about you?</p>\n<ul class=\"level-two\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">What do you have in common with each symbol and character?</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">How do the emotions, decisions, and actions parallel something in your own life?</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"How to keep a dream diary","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>A dream diary helps you monitor your dreams and discover themes or how your dreams have become true or insightful. Make the most of your dreams by following these tips for an insightful dream journal:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Personalize your diary:</b> It can be neat and tidy, a large sketchbook with no lines, a simple spiral-bound book, or even a computer.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Use your diary effectively:</b> Your diary is a record of what&#8217;s going on in the hidden dimensions of your life. You can use it for more than just recording dreams:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-two\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Write about your dream goals and your dream-sabotaging ideas.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Examine your sleep pattern and cycles.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Collect images from magazines, books, flyers, and so on that trigger dreams and make collages, diagrams, and illustrations with those images.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Write or copy inspirational quotes, poetry, and prayers.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Write about waking dreams, dream fragments, and single symbols.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Write the date of each dream and put a star next to important dreams.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Write in the present tense, recording as many details as you can.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Document your dream incubation statements.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Write about dream images that have carried over from the previous day and what happens in the days after an important dream.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Write even if no dreams come:</b> Commit to writing something every day to make your diary more effective. Here are some ideas:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-two\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Write about your emotional state.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Invent a dream character, dream locale, and a dream theme.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"10 common dreams and their meanings","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>You&#8217;ve probably experienced one of these ten dreams in your life; they focus on themes universal to most of us. By working with the inner messages in common dreams, you can maximize your confidence, creativity, and effectiveness in waking life.</p>\n<h2>My teeth are falling out!</h2>\n<p>If your teeth are dirty, diseased, disintegrating, or falling out in your dreams, you&#8217;re probably worrying about how pleasing and attractive you are to others and to sexual and romantic partners. You may be afraid of getting old. Teeth also relate to self-expression and effective communication, so losing teeth can mean you&#8217;re embarrassed about something you&#8217;ve said, or you&#8217;re having trouble saying what you really mean.</p>\n<p>The real essence of teeth is their ability to bite through, to cut, tear, and grind. As human animals, you retain a vestige of snarling — showing teeth as a &#8220;stay back&#8221; warning — in our disarming smile. If your teeth fall out, you lose personal power and your ability to be assertive, decisive, and self-protective.</p>\n<p><b>You might ask yourself:</b> Where do I lack confidence or feel powerless? With whom do I feel self-conscious or insecure? How am I angry or frustrated? Where should I take action to &#8220;bite through&#8221; something, or chew something thoroughly so I understand it?</p>\n<h2>I&#8217;m naked in public!</h2>\n<p>You&#8217;re going about your business and suddenly realize you&#8217;re naked or in your underwear at work or at the grocery store. Exposure dreams bring to light the things you don&#8217;t want others to know about you and places where you feel vulnerable. Suddenly everyone sees through you. Being naked in front of others also implies being caught off guard or being unprepared, uninformed, uneducated, or unpracticed.</p>\n<p><b>Try asking yourself: </b>What have I been hiding? Where do I feel like a phony? What&#8217;s wrong with being seen for whom I really am? Where do I feel invisible? Can I tolerate, or even love, my imperfections? Who am I afraid will reject me? What am I telling myself I need to be prepared for — for my own sake?</p>\n<h2>A monster is chasing me!</h2>\n<p>You&#8217;re running, trying to outpace or outwit your pursuer, and he/she/it&#8217;s gaining on you! Suddenly your legs are paralyzed! Chase dreams often represent fears of facing up to something you&#8217;ve judged negatively, like your own rage, shame, or irresponsibility, for example.</p>\n<p>Or, you may feel threatened by someone or by a possible failure. If you become paralyzed, you probably need to stand still and meet your pursuer to receive an important message. Or, you may be experiencing the normal &#8220;paralysis&#8221; that occurs in the REM (rapid eye movement) sleep state.</p>\n<p><b>Try asking yourself:</b> What do I feel threatened by? What am I avoiding? Who have I given my power to? Where have I surrendered my right to &#8220;take up space&#8221;? Where do I feel helpless or unsupported? How do I deal with conflict?</p>\n<h2>I&#8217;m in my childhood home; it has new rooms!</h2>\n<p>Houses are symbols of the self, so returning to an old house means you are looking back at an old way of being, past habits, identities you&#8217;ve held, and outdated concepts you&#8217;ve been operating from. Perhaps you need to bring repressed memories to the surface to be healed.</p>\n<p>Trying to live in an old house that might be too small for you now, or seeing things that need repair, means you&#8217;re becoming conscious of how much you&#8217;ve grown and what you&#8217;re renovating in yourself. When your old house has new rooms, you&#8217;ve added new talents, experiences, people, and components to your life.</p>\n<p><b>You might ask yourself:</b> What parts of my house need refurbishing? Am I comfortable in this space? Which room is my favorite? What do the new rooms symbolize?</p>\n<h2>I&#8217;m making love with a movie star!</h2>\n<p>Sex dreams are often about merging several aspects of yourself together, or loving a part of yourself you&#8217;ve judged or rejected. Sex with a celebrity can mean you want more visibility, self-worth, and recognition, or you are activating qualities in yourself represented by the famous person.</p>\n<p>Sex with an authority figure like a professor, doctor, or boss, can show how it feels to have greater power and knowledge so you can be more effective in the world. Sex with a foreigner or someone of another race might mean you are integrating the character traits of that culture or racial consciousness into your personality. Sex with someone of your own gender may simply show you how to better accept and love yourself.</p>\n<p><b>You might ask yourself:</b> What quality or experience am I activating in myself? What do I admire about this lover that is a key to a new ability of mine?</p>\n<h2>I lost my wallet and keys!</h2>\n<p>Dreams of loss point to areas where you are too attached to something; you are telling yourself, &#8220;Let go and see what comes next when you don&#8217;t have it all locked down.&#8221; Losing your wallet can indicate it&#8217;s time to reexamine your identity. Losing your car may mean you need to look at your need for movement, freedom, and independence as you&#8217;ve defined it. Losing keys points to a fear of losing authority or access to an opportunity. Losing money can mean you&#8217;re letting go of what&#8217;s been valuable to you so you can revalue your core self.</p>\n<p><b>Ask yourself:</b> How have I outgrown ideas of who I am? Where do I need to let go and trust the unknown part of myself to provide for me? Where do I need to experience space and emptiness instead of clutter?</p>\n<h2>I&#8217;m taking a test and didn&#8217;t study!</h2>\n<p>You have an exam and can&#8217;t find the room, you are late, or haven&#8217;t studied. You&#8217;re in a play and forgot your lines. Performance anxiety dreams point to areas in your life where you feel judged by others or unprepared for a challenge. You fear if you don&#8217;t do well, you&#8217;ll be rejected and ridiculed.</p>\n<p>If the setting is academic, you probably need to pay attention to new knowledge or to a lesson that&#8217;s part of your personal growth process. If it&#8217;s a play or a keynote lecture, you may be ready to express yourself more fully, to be more articulate and confident in the world.</p>\n<p><b>You might ask yourself:</b> What new opportunity do I want but don&#8217;t feel ready for? How could I feel adequately prepared? How do I feel I might let others down? Who has expectations of me and who am I afraid of not pleasing?</p>\n<h2>I found money or jewels!</h2>\n<p>Dreams about finding valuables operate on several levels. You may be awash in debt, fear that you&#8217;ll never have enough, or that you&#8217;ll lose what you have. You want to feel lucky, abundant, influential, and rich, so you try it out in your dreams.</p>\n<p>Under these worries often lurks a deeper fear — that you don&#8217;t deserve to be loved, supported, or cared for. Your deep self is showing you what it feels like to be blessed. Gaining money or valuables really means you&#8217;re gaining in emotional well-being, confidence, and power. You may be preparing to increase your creativity and abundance level, to feel that having more is normal.</p>\n<p><b>Try asking yourself:</b> Who gave me the money or valuables? What or who does this person represent to me? Where did I find the valuables and what do the place and kind of item represent to me? What&#8217;s my attitude as I receive: greedy, worried, egocentric? How do I act after I&#8217;ve received: powerful, generous, relaxed?</p>\n<h2>I&#8217;m having surgery on my eyes, brain, heart, or . . . !</h2>\n<p>Hospital and surgery dreams are often symbolic of a fundamental change you&#8217;re making in the way you live, the way you work with energy and run your body, and how you construct your identity and world view. On rare occasions, they are warnings about actual health problems, or they indicate you&#8217;re exhausted and need to rest and be cared for so you can shift to a new phase of self-expression.</p>\n<p>You may need to get something out of your system, change your habits, move to a new location, or release a person from your life. You may need to open yourself to emotional healing and new experiences. If you experience anesthesia in the dream, you&#8217;re probably avoiding your feelings, worries, or responsibilities. If you&#8217;re bleeding profusely in the dream or feel actual pain, you are telling your conscious mind that part of you feels out of control, severely drained, and mortally wounded by trauma or cruelty.</p>\n<p><b>Try asking yourself: </b>What or who has caused me to feel so wounded and helpless? Why am I focusing on this particular area of my body? What are the surgeons doing to help me? Is there a change occurring in my subtle energy body? After I heal, what will I be capable of doing? How is the pattern of my awareness changing?</p>\n<h2>My car won&#8217;t stop or go!</h2>\n<p>&#8220;Difficulty with your vehicle&#8221; dreams usually arise when events in your waking life seem out of control, you feel powerless over something, or are afraid you&#8217;re about to fail or &#8220;crash.&#8221; Your car is rolling backwards, the brakes won&#8217;t work, you&#8217;re trying to steer from the back seat, the tires are flat, the ignition doesn&#8217;t catch. Vehicles are symbols for the way you move through experiences in your life. Cars, motorcycles, bicycles, buses, or trains represent physical experience and your body; boats signify emotional experience; planes connect you to mental experience; and rockets and UFOs represent spiritual levels.</p>\n<p>Once you see what level of yourself you&#8217;re focusing on, determine whether you are the driver or passenger. This shows how you feel about being able to direct your own life. Driving from the back seat means you need to step up and be more responsible. Someone else driving means you&#8217;ve given your authority away. Next, look at how the vehicle is functioning. Problems indicate problems you may have in real life. The steering or brakes don&#8217;t work: you&#8217;re going too fast and are about to make a big mistake. The tires on the right side are flat: you&#8217;re afraid to move forward and take new actions. The starter won&#8217;t work: you need to renew your motivation and passion.</p>\n<p><b>Try asking yourself:</b> In what area do I feel disabled or powerless? Who did I give power to? How am I out of control? What in my life needs to work properly? What can I do to move freely?</p>\n"}],"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"sponsorAd":"","sponsorEbookTitle":"","sponsorEbookLink":"","sponsorEbookImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Explore","lifeExpectancy":"Five years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2022-04-19T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":207721},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-27T16:58:50+00:00","modifiedTime":"2022-04-12T19:31:49+00:00","timestamp":"2022-09-14T18:19:36+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Body, Mind, & Spirit","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34038"},"slug":"body-mind-spirit","categoryId":34038},{"name":"Emotional Health & Psychology","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34039"},"slug":"emotional-health-psychology","categoryId":34039},{"name":"Psychology","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34053"},"slug":"psychology","categoryId":34053},{"name":"Diagnoses","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34057"},"slug":"diagnoses","categoryId":34057},{"name":"PTSD","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34065"},"slug":"ptsd","categoryId":34065}],"title":"Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder for Dummies Cheat Sheet","strippedTitle":"post-traumatic stress disorder for dummies cheat sheet","slug":"post-traumatic-stress-disorder-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Learn to recognize symptoms of PTSD, how to gain relief, and how to diagnose if your medication is working as it should be.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"Symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) give medical professionals clues to help make proper diagnosis of the disabling condition. The right medications, a good attitude, and positive affirmations can help to relieve the overwhelming signs of PTSD.","description":"Symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) give medical professionals clues to help make proper diagnosis of the disabling condition. The right medications, a good attitude, and positive affirmations can help to relieve the overwhelming signs of PTSD.","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":10604,"name":"Mark Goulston","slug":"mark-goulston","description":" <p><b>Mark Goulston, MD,</b> an expert on PTSD, suicide prevention, and violence intervention, maintains a private clinical practice. He has taught or lectured at UCLA, USC, and Fortune 500 companies and has trained FBI and police hostage negotiators. ","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/10604"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":34065,"title":"PTSD","slug":"ptsd","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34065"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[{"articleId":196589,"title":"Is Your Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Medicine Working?","slug":"is-your-post-traumatic-stress-disorder-medicine-working","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","diagnoses","ptsd"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/196589"}},{"articleId":196590,"title":"How to Relieve Signs of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder","slug":"how-to-relieve-signs-of-post-traumatic-stress-disorder","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","diagnoses","ptsd"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/196590"}},{"articleId":196591,"title":"Symptoms That May Signal Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder","slug":"symptoms-that-may-signal-post-traumatic-stress-disorder","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","diagnoses","ptsd"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/196591"}},{"articleId":196588,"title":"Truths to Embrace when Recovering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder","slug":"truths-to-embrace-when-recovering-from-post-traumatic-stress-disorder","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","diagnoses","ptsd"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/196588"}}],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":196589,"title":"Is Your Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Medicine Working?","slug":"is-your-post-traumatic-stress-disorder-medicine-working","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","diagnoses","ptsd"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/196589"}},{"articleId":196590,"title":"How to Relieve Signs of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder","slug":"how-to-relieve-signs-of-post-traumatic-stress-disorder","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","diagnoses","ptsd"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/196590"}},{"articleId":196591,"title":"Symptoms That May Signal Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder","slug":"symptoms-that-may-signal-post-traumatic-stress-disorder","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","diagnoses","ptsd"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/196591"}},{"articleId":196588,"title":"Truths to Embrace when Recovering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder","slug":"truths-to-embrace-when-recovering-from-post-traumatic-stress-disorder","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","diagnoses","ptsd"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/196588"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":282489,"slug":"post-traumatic-stress-disorder-for-dummies","isbn":"9780470049228","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","diagnoses","ptsd"],"amazon":{"default":"https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0470049227/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","ca":"https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0470049227/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","indigo_ca":"http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-9208661-13710633?url=https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/product/0470049227-item.html&cjsku=978111945484","gb":"https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0470049227/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","de":"https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/0470049227/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20"},"image":{"src":"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-for-dummies-cover-9780470049228-203x255.jpg","width":203,"height":255},"title":"Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder For Dummies","testBankPinActivationLink":"","bookOutOfPrint":false,"authorsInfo":"<p><p><b><b data-author-id=\"10604\">Mark Goulston</b>, MD,</b> an expert on PTSD, suicide prevention, and violence intervention, maintains a private clinical practice. He has taught or lectured at UCLA, USC, and Fortune 500 companies and has trained FBI and police hostage negotiators.</p>","authors":[{"authorId":10604,"name":"Mark Goulston","slug":"mark-goulston","description":" <p><b>Mark Goulston, MD,</b> an expert on PTSD, suicide prevention, and violence intervention, maintains a private clinical practice. He has taught or lectured at UCLA, USC, and Fortune 500 companies and has trained FBI and police hostage negotiators. ","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/10604"}}],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/books/"}},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;body-mind-spirit&quot;,&quot;emotional-health-psychology&quot;,&quot;psychology&quot;,&quot;diagnoses&quot;,&quot;ptsd&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9780470049228&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-63221b3885a5e\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;body-mind-spirit&quot;,&quot;emotional-health-psychology&quot;,&quot;psychology&quot;,&quot;diagnoses&quot;,&quot;ptsd&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;9780470049228&quot;]}]\" id=\"du-slot-63221b388651e\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Cheat Sheet","articleList":[{"articleId":196591,"title":"Symptoms That May Signal Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder","slug":"symptoms-that-may-signal-post-traumatic-stress-disorder","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","diagnoses","ptsd"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/196591"}},{"articleId":196590,"title":"How to Relieve Signs of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder","slug":"how-to-relieve-signs-of-post-traumatic-stress-disorder","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","diagnoses","ptsd"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/196590"}},{"articleId":196588,"title":"Truths to Embrace when Recovering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder","slug":"truths-to-embrace-when-recovering-from-post-traumatic-stress-disorder","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","diagnoses","ptsd"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/196588"}},{"articleId":196589,"title":"Is Your Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Medicine Working?","slug":"is-your-post-traumatic-stress-disorder-medicine-working","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","diagnoses","ptsd"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/196589"}}],"content":[{"title":"Symptoms that may signal post-traumatic stress disorder","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>If you’re battling with the idea that you are suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), there are signs that you — and your medical professional — can look for. Here’s an overview of symptoms that may point to a post-traumatic stress disorder diagnosis.</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Intrusive thoughts, emotions, or images: </b>These may include vivid nightmares and/or flashbacks in which you feel as if the event is occurring all over again.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Avoidance and/or numbing:</b> For instance, you may avoid people or things that remind you of your trauma, feel emotionally detached from the people around you, or block out parts of your traumatic experience.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Hyperarousal:</b> Hyperarousal means being on red alert all the time, being jumpy or easily startled, having panic attacks, being very irritable, and/or being unable to sleep.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n<p>You may also experience symptoms including body aches and pains, depression or other mental disorders, or problems with drugs or alcohol. If you have any or all of these symptoms, seek medical help — because if you <i>do</i> have PTSD, there’s help and hope!</p>\n"},{"title":"How to relieve signs of post-traumatic stress disorder","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>You can work to get your Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms under control — and calm the signs of distress when they intensify — by taking some of these quick and easy stress-busting steps:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Starting with your feet and working upward, tense each part of your body for a few seconds and then relax it.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Visualize a wonderful, relaxing place — for instance, a deserted beach or a cozy chair by the fireplace — and go there in your mind. If you become distracted, think about a parent, sibling, friend, teacher or other person who was there for you during a tough time and imagine that person saying to you, “Hang in there. You can get through this. You can handle this.” Then, gently bring your attention back to your mental paradise.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Think of three big or little things you’re grateful for in your life — for example, your best friend, your cat, or even your favorite CD.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Give your confidence a boost by thinking of something important you’ve learned, accomplished, or overcome, such as learning how to create a Web site, running your first 5K race, or passing a hard class in school.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Do 20 to 30 minutes of vigorous exercise. If you find yourself getting distracted or not being able to keep going, imagine a close friend or family member rooting you on.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Use an anchor — an object you can touch or look at, such as a ring or a photo, that reminds you of a happy place or time or of a person you love. Think of the place you went to when you were growing up to calm yourself down — was it your room? Your yard? A park? A long drive in a car? The beach?</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Distract yourself — read a book, clean out a closet, plant some tomatoes, or exercise your creative interests. Better yet, watch a funny movie (because laughter really is good medicine).</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Truths to embrace when recovering from post-traumatic stress disorder","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>You may hit some rough patches on the road to recovery from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Sometimes, setbacks stem from low expectations of yourself and negative self-talk. Here are some statements that can point you toward the positive side when your spirits are low.</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Persevering through this time and continuing with my healing is courageous.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Setbacks are just bumps in the road — I <i>can</i> get past them and continue my journey.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Taking care of myself is important for me and for my loved ones.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">The stronger I become over time, the easier my road to recovery will be. The beginning of this journey is the hardest part.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">I’m doing my best each day, and I don’t need to be perfect.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">I have supportive people in my life who will help me overcome this problem.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Just because I feel afraid doesn’t mean I’m in any danger.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">Often when I feel afraid, it’s because I haven&#8217;t processed my emotional trauma, putting it behind me, and moving on. After I do this, I’ll be less afraid. I can look forward to that time in the future, even if I’m afraid today.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Is your post-traumatic stress disorder medicine working?","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Medications prescribed to help to manage symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) work to differing degrees among patients. Here are some of the ways you can tell if your doctor-ordered medicine is relieving common signs of PTSD:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">You begin to fall asleep more easily and begin to sleep through the night (if sleep has been a problem for you).</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">You start to get your appetite back.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">You find it easier to do the daily activities that you didn’t have the energy or motivation to do before.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">You look forward to each day instead of dreading it, and you feel more hopeful.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">You start wanting to be around people instead of wanting to avoid them.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">You’re able to bounce back from little annoyances instead of crumbling when they happen.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">You’re less jumpy when you hear loud noises.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">You can handle being in situations that used to freak you out.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n<p>While you’re looking for the positive effects of your medication, you also need to take notice of any negative reactions, such as a poor interaction with another med you’re taking. The med might not be working for you at all, or the dosage may require adjustment to deliver better results.</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">If your sleeping, eating, or mood doesn’t improve at all after you’ve taken an adequate dosage for a period of ten days to two weeks, you may need a higher dosage or another med.</p>\n<p class=\"child-para Tip\">Non-psychiatric doctors are often hesitant to prescribe the necessary amount, because psychiatric meds aren’t their specialty. So if you think you may need a higher dosage, consult a psychiatrist.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">If you feel one or more of the many nonspecific side effects listed in your medication’s instructions for more than three days, you may need a lower dosage or another drug.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">If you have abnormal laboratory tests — such as blood count abnormalities, liver function tests, or a kidney function test — you probably need another medication.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">If you develop allergic reactions, such as skin conditions or difficulty breathing, you probably need a different med.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n<p class=\"Remember\">If several professionals are treating your PTSD, other mental disorders, and/or substance abuse issues, be sure that each professional knows about every medication you’re taking.</p>\n"}],"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"sponsorAd":"","sponsorEbookTitle":"","sponsorEbookLink":"","sponsorEbookImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Solve","lifeExpectancy":"Two years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2022-04-12T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":209525},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-27T16:54:07+00:00","modifiedTime":"2022-04-08T20:43:13+00:00","timestamp":"2022-09-14T18:19:35+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Body, Mind, & Spirit","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34038"},"slug":"body-mind-spirit","categoryId":34038},{"name":"Emotional Health & Psychology","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34039"},"slug":"emotional-health-psychology","categoryId":34039},{"name":"Psychology","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34053"},"slug":"psychology","categoryId":34053},{"name":"Cognitive Behavioral Therapy","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34056"},"slug":"cognitive-behavioral-therapy","categoryId":34056}],"title":"Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Workbook Cheat Sheet (UK Edition)","strippedTitle":"cognitive behavioural therapy workbook cheat sheet (uk edition)","slug":"cognitive-behavioural-therapy-workbook-cheat-sheet-uk-edition","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Quickly get a handle on the main aspects of cognitive behavioural therapy, including how it can help you improve your life.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) involves many helpful thoughts, practices and alternative perspectives that can change how you see yourself and your world for the better. As well as aiding recognised conditions, CBT can help you to transform how you feel about yourself generally, and you can become more forward thinking and constructive with regards to past, present and future.","description":"Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) involves many helpful thoughts, practices and alternative perspectives that can change how you see yourself and your world for the better. As well as aiding recognised conditions, CBT can help you to transform how you feel about yourself generally, and you can become more forward thinking and constructive with regards to past, present and future.","blurb":"","authors":[],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":34056,"title":"Cognitive Behavioral Therapy","slug":"cognitive-behavioral-therapy","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34056"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":267188,"title":"Core Beliefs and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy","slug":"core-beliefs-and-cognitive-behavioural-therapy","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","cognitive-behavioral-therapy"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/267188"}},{"articleId":267181,"title":"Facing Your Fears with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy","slug":"facing-your-fears-with-cognitive-behavioural-therapy","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","cognitive-behavioral-therapy"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/267181"}},{"articleId":267176,"title":"What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?","slug":"what-is-cognitive-behavioural-therapy","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","cognitive-behavioral-therapy"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/267176"}},{"articleId":267160,"title":"12 Thinking Errors Addressed with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy","slug":"12-thinking-errors-addressed-with-cognitive-behavioural-therapy","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","cognitive-behavioral-therapy"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/267160"}},{"articleId":267157,"title":"10 Mythical Monsters of Mental Health","slug":"10-mythical-monsters-of-mental-health","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","cognitive-behavioral-therapy"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/267157"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":0,"slug":null,"isbn":null,"categoryList":null,"amazon":null,"image":null,"title":null,"testBankPinActivationLink":null,"bookOutOfPrint":false,"authorsInfo":null,"authors":null,"_links":null},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;body-mind-spirit&quot;,&quot;emotional-health-psychology&quot;,&quot;psychology&quot;,&quot;cognitive-behavioral-therapy&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-63221b37da9bd\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;body-mind-spirit&quot;,&quot;emotional-health-psychology&quot;,&quot;psychology&quot;,&quot;cognitive-behavioral-therapy&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-63221b37db26f\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Cheat Sheet","articleList":[{"articleId":188340,"title":"The Characteristics of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy","slug":"the-characteristics-of-cognitive-behavioural-therapy","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","cognitive-behavioral-therapy"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/188340"}},{"articleId":188334,"title":"Dealing with Negativity through Cognitive Behavioural Therapy","slug":"dealing-with-negativity-through-cognitive-behavioural-therapy","categoryList":[],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/188334"}},{"articleId":188337,"title":"Where CBT Can Help You","slug":"where-cbt-can-help-you","categoryList":[],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/188337"}},{"articleId":188338,"title":"Healthy Alternatives to Loathsome Personal Labels","slug":"healthy-alternatives-to-loathsome-personal-labels","categoryList":[],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/188338"}},{"articleId":188332,"title":"Setting Goals for Personal Problem Solving","slug":"setting-goals-for-personal-problem-solving","categoryList":[],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/188332"}}],"content":[{"title":"The characteristics of cognitive behavioural therapy","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is becoming a popular option for people who want to increase their self-confidence and move away from self-destructive behaviour. This list sums up some of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy’s many features and effects:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">CBT helps you to develop flexible, self-enhancing beliefs and attitudes towards yourself, others, and the world around you.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">CBT is goal-directed.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">CBT offers skills and strategies for overcoming common problems such as anxiety, depression, and more.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">CBT addresses your past with a view to understanding how your personal history may be affecting your present-day beliefs and behaviours.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">CBT focuses on how your problems are being perpetuated rather than searching for a singular reason or root cause.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">CBT encourages you to try things out for yourself and practice new alternative ways of thinking and acting.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\">CBT highlights the prevention of relapse and personal development.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Dealing with negativity through cognitive behavioural therapy","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Cognitive Behavioural Therapy has all sorts of tools for helping you help yourself. Simply thinking about this simple A-B-C structure can help you to understand and overcome your negative thinking and start to deal with it constructively:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>A</b> is for activating events, or triggers – situations past, present, or future that trigger off your thoughts and beliefs.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>B </b>stands for belief, representing your thoughts and beliefs and includes the meanings you attach to your trigger and how you think about yourself in relation to the trigger. B establishes how you ultimately feel and act in response to your trigger.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>C </b>is for the consequences of your behaviours and emotions. They are what you do and feel in response to your trigger (A) <i>because</i> of your thoughts and beliefs (B).</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Where CBT can help you","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) has been proven to benefit several different psychological conditions. If you suffer from any of the following problems, CBT can help you deal with them and give you greater control over your emotions:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)</b> is a condition of feeling anxious at varying degrees almost all of the time. People with GAD often worry incessantly about the possibility of bad things happening to them or to their loved ones.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)</b> can take a lot of different forms but it is characterised by unwelcome intrusive thoughts and a compulsion to carry out elaborate rituals in an effort to prevent feared events from happening.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Panic attacks</b> often lead people to believe that they’re having a heart attack, about to pass out, or in some cases even to die because the physical sensations are so strong. Panic attacks may occur in specific situations or they can just seem to come out of the blue.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Phobias </b>are specific fears of everyday things or situations. Phobias are called irrational fears because the degree of fear experienced is out of proportion to the actual threat involved. People can develop phobias of almost anything, but more common ones include agoraphobia, a phobia of crowded places and/or being away from familiar areas where you feel safe; claustrophobia, fear of being in a confined space; emetophobia, fear of vomiting; needle and injection phobia; animal phobias and fear of heights.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)</b> is a state of anxiety resulting from a traumatic event that was either life-threatening or significantly threatened a person’s physical integrity. People can develop PTSD from witnessing an event that leads them to feel extreme fear and horror. Possible examples of traumatic events leading to PTSD may include traffic accidents, robberies, natural disasters, assault, and war.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Healthy alternatives to loathsome personal labels","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>You can transform how you feel by changing the way you think and talk about yourself. The following table splits between negative self-deprecating labels that you may say aloud or inwardly think of yourself, and constructive healthier affirmations that you can choose to say and feel instead. Switching your words this way can help you to see the positives about yourself and your life.</p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Loathsome Label</th>\n<th>Alternative Healthy Self-statement</th>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>I’m inadequate.</td>\n<td>I have skills and talents.</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>I’m worthless.</td>\n<td>I’m a worthwhile person.</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>I’m weak.</td>\n<td>I have both strengths and weaknesses.</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>I’m no good.</td>\n<td>I have many good qualities.</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>I’m a failure.</td>\n<td>I’m a fallible human being capable of both success and<br />\nfailure.</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>I don’t matter.</td>\n<td>I have significance.</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>I’m defective.</td>\n<td>I may have certain deficits (like any person) but I’m not<br />\ndefective.</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>I’m stupid.</td>\n<td>I can do stupid things sometimes but that doesn’t mean<br />\nI’m stupid.</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>I’m unlovable.</td>\n<td>People can love me and I am worthy of being loved.</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>I’m pathetic.</td>\n<td>I have several capabilities.</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>I’m useless.</td>\n<td>I do many useful things.</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>I’m a loser.</td>\n<td>I’m a normal person who can both win and lose.</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>I’m bad.</td>\n<td>I’m a person with both good and bad traits.</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>I’m disgusting.</td>\n<td>I’m acceptable.</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>I’m inferior.</td>\n<td>I have equal worth to others.</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td>I’m crazy.</td>\n<td>Even if I sometimes do crazy things, I’m not totally<br />\ncrazy.</td>\n</tr>\n</tbody>\n</table>\n"},{"title":"Setting goals for personal problem solving","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>It’s important to be clear in your mind about your problems so that you can target specific attainable goals in relation to them. Try this acronym below – <i>SPORT</i> stands for <i>specific, </i><i>positive, observable, realistic,</i><i> </i>and <i>timed</i><i>.</i><i> </i>Consider these five aspects when deciding your goals:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Specific: </b>Be precise about when, where, and with whom you want to feel and/or behave more constructively.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Positive:</b> State your goals in positive and pro-active terms. What do you what to achieve or work towards? What do you want to strive to gain in your personal life?</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Observable:</b> Consider how someone neutral could note that you’ve changed. What positive changes might you notice in your own thinking and actions?</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Realistic:</b> Make your goals clear, concrete, and within your grasp. Focus on goals that involve changing your personal reactions to life rather than on changing others or life events that you have very little power over.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Timed: </b>Create a timeframe to help you keep your goals in sight. Think about setting yourself clear times to carry out tasks along the way. Keeping a task-list with spotlighted times of when to do each task can help you to actually get on with what you need to do.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"}],"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"sponsorAd":"","sponsorEbookTitle":"","sponsorEbookLink":"","sponsorEbookImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Solve","lifeExpectancy":"Five years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":"2021-06-28T00:00:00+00:00","dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":208652},{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-27T16:47:26+00:00","modifiedTime":"2022-04-07T16:34:52+00:00","timestamp":"2022-09-14T18:19:35+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Body, Mind, & Spirit","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34038"},"slug":"body-mind-spirit","categoryId":34038},{"name":"Emotional Health & Psychology","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34039"},"slug":"emotional-health-psychology","categoryId":34039},{"name":"Psychology","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34053"},"slug":"psychology","categoryId":34053},{"name":"Social","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34074"},"slug":"social","categoryId":34074}],"title":"Social Psychology For Dummies Cheat Sheet","strippedTitle":"social psychology for dummies cheat sheet","slug":"social-psychology-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"This Cheat Sheet summarizes the ways social psychology explains human behavior, including attitudes, attraction, and conformity.","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"Social psychology uses the tools of science to understand why people behave as they do. Whether it’s why they are attracted to some people, but not others, why they are not convinced by an elegant political argument, but are persuaded by a celebrity endorsement, or where their prejudices come from, social psychology can help you to understand why people interact the way they do.\r\n\r\nThis Cheat Sheet will give you some pointers in answering some of the key questions.","description":"Social psychology uses the tools of science to understand why people behave as they do. Whether it’s why they are attracted to some people, but not others, why they are not convinced by an elegant political argument, but are persuaded by a celebrity endorsement, or where their prejudices come from, social psychology can help you to understand why people interact the way they do.\r\n\r\nThis Cheat Sheet will give you some pointers in answering some of the key questions.","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":9272,"name":"Daniel Richardson","slug":"daniel-richardson","description":" <p><b>Daniel C. Richardson, PhD,</b> is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Experimental Psychology at University College London. He has taught psychology at Stanford University and the University of California Santa Cruz, and his Introduction to Social Psychology course was awarded the Provost Teaching Award at University College London.</p>","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9272"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":34074,"title":"Social","slug":"social","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34074"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":207509,"title":"Body Language For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"body-language-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","social"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/207509"}},{"articleId":192975,"title":"How to Impress at Job Interviews Using Body Language","slug":"how-to-impress-at-job-interviews-using-body-language","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","social"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/192975"}},{"articleId":143355,"title":"Connecting the Mind and the Body","slug":"connecting-the-mind-and-the-body","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","social"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/143355"}},{"articleId":143352,"title":"Muscles and Your Mouth","slug":"muscles-and-your-mouth","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","social"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/143352"}},{"articleId":143353,"title":"Communicating Across Cultures","slug":"communicating-across-cultures","categoryList":["body-mind-spirit","emotional-health-psychology","psychology","social"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/143353"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":false,"relatedBook":{"bookId":0,"slug":null,"isbn":null,"categoryList":null,"amazon":null,"image":null,"title":null,"testBankPinActivationLink":null,"bookOutOfPrint":false,"authorsInfo":null,"authors":null,"_links":null},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_adhesion_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;body-mind-spirit&quot;,&quot;emotional-health-psychology&quot;,&quot;psychology&quot;,&quot;social&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-63221b3726eb7\"></div></div>","rightAd":"<div class=\"du-ad-region row\" id=\"article_page_right_ad\"><div class=\"du-ad-unit col-md-12\" data-slot-id=\"article_page_right_ad\" data-refreshed=\"false\" \r\n data-target = \"[{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;cat&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[&quot;body-mind-spirit&quot;,&quot;emotional-health-psychology&quot;,&quot;psychology&quot;,&quot;social&quot;]},{&quot;key&quot;:&quot;isbn&quot;,&quot;values&quot;:[null]}]\" id=\"du-slot-63221b3727937\"></div></div>"},"articleType":{"articleType":"Cheat Sheet","articleList":[{"articleId":144943,"title":"Understanding Attitudes in Social Psychology","slug":"understanding-attitudes-in-social-psychology","categoryList":[],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/144943"}},{"articleId":144972,"title":"Using Social Psychology to Root Out Stereotypes","slug":"using-social-psychology-to-root-out-stereotypes","categoryList":[],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/144972"}},{"articleId":144973,"title":"Learning the Rules of Attraction with Social Psychology","slug":"learning-the-rules-of-attraction-with-social-psychology","categoryList":[],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/144973"}},{"articleId":144941,"title":"How Social Psychology Explains Why We Conform","slug":"how-social-psychology-explains-why-we-conform","categoryList":[],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/144941"}}],"content":[{"title":"Understanding attitudes in social psychology","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>An attitude<i> </i>is the value the person places on something, and Social Psychology researchers often refer to that ‘something’ as the <i>attitude object.</i> An attitude is an evaluation, at the simplest level, as to whether or not the attitude object is good or bad.</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Understanding your ABC:</b> Every attitude has three dimensions. These are Affect (attitudes embody feelings and emotions), Behaviour (attitudes connect to the way you actually behave) and Cognition (attitudes are expressed in thoughts and speech). It’s as easy as ABC.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Getting what attitudes do:</b> Attitudes have four basic functions: The knowledge function (they help you make sense of the world); the utilitarian function (they can serve a practical purpose, and achieve goals); the ego defence function (they help you to have a positive view of yourself); the value-expressive function (they express values fundamental to who you are).</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Realising that attitudes can be measured:</b> By asking the right questions in the right way, you can establish a subject’s basic attitudes on any subject. Ask a lot of questions of a lot of subjects, and you can measure attitudes society-wide.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Understanding that attitudes can be influenced by asking questions in the right way:</b> Even when people tell you their attitudes towards something, these stated attitudes don’t necessarily match up with how they’re going to behave in the future, or what they <i>really</i> think. Exactly how the researcher asks the question can strongly determine the answer.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Using social psychology to root out stereotypes","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>Not all stereotypes are bad: Social Psychology recognises that some can have value. However, when a stereotype leads to prejudice and discrimination, it’s time to expose its inaccuracy – and say <i>why</i> it’s inaccurate. The following are some key ways to expose and combat prejudicial stereotypes.</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Track them back to their sources:</b> People notice patterns in the social world around them, but although people are very good at noticing these patterns, they’re also adept at seeing things that aren’t there. They jump to conclusions, and ignore evidence that contradicts their beliefs.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Discover the bias in social judgements:</b> Many people are convinced that solid, physical differences exist between women’s and men’s brains, which explain and justify the different jobs and responsibilities that men and women tend to have. There’s no safe evidence for this, but it doesn’t stop researchers looking for and finding what they want to see.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Beware what you think you already know:</b> People pay attention to information that supports their beliefs and ignore information that contradicts them. This confirmation<i> </i>bias feeds the habit of stereotyping people, and because your stereotype guides and labels your perception, you find confirmation of it everywhere.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Look out for illusory correlations</b>: People and events that are unusual tend to attract your attention and stick in the memory. So say you see a Croatian football supporter starting a fight. You haven’t met many Croatians before and the event is unusual, and so you come to the conclusion that Croatian football supporters are very aggressive people. That’s an illusory correlation.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Don’t make all your predictions come true:</b> When you have a certain belief, act in accordance with it and your belief is indeed confirmed, it’s called a self-fulfilling prophecy<i>,</i> which is another bias in behaviour that helps to perpetuate stereotypes.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"Learning the rules of attraction with social psychology","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>So what makes someone attractive? It’s a burning question, and while Social Psychology may not have the answer every time you hear a plaintive cry of ‘What does she see in HIM?’, it can offer some valuable pointers:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>It’s all about evolution:</b> According to evolutionary psychology, not only do you have to be the fittest and strongest in order to survive, but also you need to <i>look like</i> the fittest and strongest to potential mates.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Not (just) a pretty face:</b> People think of beauty as unique and elusive, but the evidence is that one simple factor determines most peoples’ judgments about attractiveness: averageness. The most beautiful person in a group is the mathematical average of everyone present.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>It’s reproduction, stupid:</b> Heterosexual men are attracted to adult females but want them to look pre-pubescent. Through most of human history, younger females tended to be more fertile and have healthier babies. The claim is that men have evolved to be most attracted to sexually mature women who’re young enough to still have the facial characteristics of girls.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>What women want:</b> As well as symmetry, the features in men that are typically attractive to females are a wide, strong jaw and jutting forehead, features corresponding to high levels of testosterone. Men with higher testosterone are more likely to have more resources and more ability to defend their families.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>You like people who are like you:</b> People don’t choose friends and partners purely on their looks. Many nuanced and complex answers exist to the question of what else makes two people like each other, but one very simple answer is almost entirely true: people like people who are like them.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"},{"title":"How social psychology explains why we conform","thumb":null,"image":null,"content":"<p>No matter how urgently someone insists that they’re an individual, with their own unique way of looking at and experiencing the world, Social Psychology tell us that at a fundamental level, people want to be like one another. Social psychologists explain this in several ways:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>The basic urge to mimic:</b> Part of the essence of social interaction for human beings is mimicry of each other, and so unsurprisingly habits and norms can spread between people like the common cold.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Getting information from others</b>: Conforming to the behaviour of other people is very useful when you want to know something. If you don’t know how to behave, or if something about the situation is ambiguous, you follow others.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Needing to fit in:</b> Your behaviour is shaped by the desire to be like those around you. Usually the goal is social approval or membership of the in-group that you admire.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Absorbing opinions:</b> When people live in a community, they tend to share beliefs and opinions. Of course, not everyone agrees all the time, but there is a tendency for opinions to conform.</p>\n</li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Aligning your perceptions with others’:</b> In some situations people will believe that they see the same thing as other people: Not because it is the right thing to see, or because they have been explicitly persuaded, but because that’s simply what everyone else sees.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n"}],"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"sponsorAd":"","sponsorEbookTitle":"","sponsorEbookLink":"","sponsorEbookImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Advance","lifeExpectancy":"Five 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Psychology is the study of the human mind and human behavior. Learn how psychologists help people overcome mental health challenges and make the best of their lives.

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OCD OCD For Dummies Cheat Sheet

Cheat Sheet / Updated 10-24-2022

Living with obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, poses challenges, not the least of which is making sure you don’t let your OCD define you. If OCD is part of your life, make the effort to focus on other health needs as well. Learn about what the disorder is and the many forms it takes so that you can start overcoming the disorder.

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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy CBT at Work For Dummies Cheat Sheet

Cheat Sheet / Updated 08-29-2022

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can help you find a greater understanding of how you think and behave. CBT can help you identify what emotions are bubbling up inside you and teach you some practical strategies to help reduce the negative ones that don't serve you well.

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General Psychology Understanding the Id, Ego, and Superego in Psychology

Article / Updated 08-08-2022

In Sigmund Freud's model of the human personality, each of us behaves according to these three key elements: Id: The seat of our impulses Ego: Negotiates with the id, pleases the superego Superego: Keeps us on the straight and narrow Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis in psychology, would have been a great Hollywood screenwriter. His "story" of personality is one of desire, power, control, and freedom. The plot is complex and the characters compete. Our personalities represent a drama of sorts, acted out in our minds. "You" are a product of how these competing mental forces and structures interact. The ancient Greeks thought that all people were actors in the drama of the gods above. For Freud, we are simply actors in the drama of our minds, pushed by desire, pulled by conscience. Underneath the surface, our personalities represent the power struggles going on deep within us. The id, ego, and superego each have their own idea of what the outcome of this drama should be. Their struggles are fueled by powerful motives, and each one is out for itself. I want, therefore I am The initial structural component and first character in Freud's drama of personality is the id. Have you ever felt overpowered by an incredibly strong urge, impulse, or desire? A new car, sexual desire, a dream job? The answer is probably a resounding "Yes!" Where does such desire come from? According to Freud, desire comes from the part of your personality called the id, located in the expanses of our mind. So look around, and look deep within. Look at your co-workers, look at your boss. It's in all of us, even the quiet elderly man at the bus stop. Underneath that quiet, grandfatherly demeanor lurks a seething cauldron of desire. The id contains all of our most basic animal and primitive impulses that demand satisfaction. It's the Mr. Hyde emerging from the restrained Dr. Jekyll. It's that little devil that sits on your shoulder, whispering temptations and spurring you on. Whenever you see a selfish, spoiled child in the grocery store demanding a toy and throwing a tantrum if he doesn't get his way, you'll know that's the id in action! The id is a type of "container" that holds our desires. Relentlessly driven by a force Freud called the libido, the collective energy of life's instincts and will to survive, the id must be satisfied! We're all born with the id in full force. It's unregulated and untouched by the constraints of the world outside of our minds. When a baby gets hungry, does she sit quietly and wait until someone remembers to feed her? Anyone who's ever gotten out of bed in the middle of the night to feed a baby knows the answer to that. But don't give the id a bad rap. Where would you be without desire? Your desire pushes you through life; it leads you to seek the things you need to survive. Without it we'd die, or at the very least, we'd be really boring. So keep in mind that a large part of your personality consists of your desires and your attempts to satisfy them. Enter the ego Wouldn't it be nice if you could get everything you wanted, whenever and however you wanted it? Unfortunately, most of us know otherwise. We all know how frustrating it can be when a desire goes unmet or gets stifled. Well, you can blame your ego for that. The ego is Freud's second mental apparatus of personality. The ego's main function is to mediate between the id's demands and the external world around us — reality, in other words. Does the Rolling Stones' song "You Can't Always Get What You Want" come to mind? So far, it seems that, if it wasn't for reality, we would be a lot more satisfied. Even though the ego finds itself in conflict with the id, satisfaction is not abandoned. The ego is like a sports agent for a really talented athlete. Even though the athlete may demand a multimillion-dollar contract, the agent reminds him that he could price himself out of a job. So the ego negotiates with the id in order to get it what it wants without costing it too much in the long run. The ego accomplishes this important task by converting, diverting, and transforming the powerful forces of the id into more useful and realistic modes of satisfaction. It attempts to harness the id's power, regulating it in order to achieve satisfaction despite the limits of reality. The final judgment As if the ego's job wasn't hard enough, playing referee between the id and reality, its performance is under constant scrutiny by a relentless judge, the superego. While the ego negotiates with the id, trying to prevent another tantrum, the superego judges the performance. Superego is another name for your conscience. It expects your ego to be strong and effective in its struggles against the libido's force. Usually, our conscience comes from our parents or a parental figure. As we grow, we internalize their standards, those same standards that make us feel so guilty when we tell a lie or cheat on our taxes. But does everyone have a conscience? There are certain people throughout history who have committed such horrible acts of violence that we sometimes wonder if they are void of conscience. How can serial killers such as Ted Bundy or Wayne Williams commit such horrible crimes? A strong bet is that they lack the basic capacity to feel guilt, so nothing really prevents them from acting out their violent fantasies. A famous psychiatrist once said that evil men do what good men only dream of.

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General Psychology 3 Psychological Tests to Measure Abnormal Behavior, Achievement, and Personality

Article / Updated 08-04-2022

Psychological tests are part of the entire psychological assessment process. Assessment is a set of scientific procedures used to measure and evaluate an individual’s behavior and mental processes. Psychologist Anne Anastasi (1908–2001), a past president of the American Psychological Association, defines a psychological test as an objective, standardized sample of behavior or mental processes. Nearly all topics in psychology can be measured with a test. Clinical tests Clinical psychologists (psychologists who work with mental disorders and abnormal behavior) typically use clinical testing as a way to clarify diagnoses and assess the scope and nature of a person’s or family’s disturbance and dysfunction. Specific tests are designed to assess the extent to which a patient may or may not be experiencing the symptoms of a particular disorder. These are diagnostic tests. Behavioral and adaptive functioning tests are two types of clinical tests that determine how well a person is doing in her everyday life and whether she exhibits specific problem behaviors. A common instrument used with children is the Child Behavior Checklist, which assesses the extent of a child’s behavior problems. Another commonly used clinical test is the Conner’s Parent Rating Scale, which detects attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms. In addition to disorder-specific inventories and tests, a wide variety of tests designed for other purposes lend themselves to the diagnostic process. Intelligence tests are designed to measure intelligence, but they can also show signs of cognitive dysfunction and learning disabilities. Personality tests are designed to measure personality, but they can also provide helpful insight to the types of psychological problems an individual is experiencing. Educational and achievement tests Educational and achievement tests measure an individual’s current level of academic competence. Glen Aylward, chair of the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, identifies three major purposes of this type of testing: Identify students who need special instruction. Identify the nature of a student’s difficulties in order to rule out learning disabilities. Assist in educational planning and approach to instruction. A typical educational/achievement test assesses the most common areas of school activity: reading, mathematics, spelling, and writing skills. Some tests include other areas such as science and social studies. A popular achievement test in use today is the Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational Battery, Revised. The test consists of nine subtests, measuring the standard areas of instruction but in more detail (mathematics is broken down into calculation and applied problems, for example). When a student has a hard time in school, it’s not unusual to administer an achievement test. Sometimes, students have a difficult time because they have a learning disability. Part of identifying a learning disability is assessing the student’s achievement level. Other times, a student struggles because of non-academic difficulties including emotional problems, substance abuse, or family issues. An achievement test sometimes helps to tease out these non-academic problems. Personality tests Personality tests measure many different things, not just personality. Numerous tests are designed to measure emotion, motivation, and interpersonal skills as well as specific aspects of personality, according to the given theory on which a test is based. Most personality tests are known as self-reports. With self-reports, the person answering questions about herself, typically in a pencil-and-paper format, provides the information. Personality tests are usually developed with a particular theory of personality in mind. A test may measure id, ego, or superego issues, for example, if it originates from a Freudian view of personality development. MMPI-2 Perhaps the most widely used personality test in the United States is the MMPI-2, The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, 2nd Edition. Almost all American psychologists are trained to use the MMPI-2, which is considered to be a very reliable and valid instrument. A patient’s results from a MMPI-2 test provide rich information about the presence of psychopathology and level of severity, if present. The test’s results also reveal information about the emotional, behavioral, and social functioning of the test taker. A lot of psychologists use the MMPI-2 as a way to check the accuracy of their observations and diagnoses. The MMPI-2 test consists of 567 individual items and produces a score on nine clinical categories or scales. If a score is over a specific cutoff, it usually gets the attention of the psychologist administering the test. Psychologists consider such scores to be of clinical significance. The MMPI-2 covers a wide variety of areas, including depression, physical complaints, anger, social contact, anxiety, and energy level. Projective personality tests Projective personality tests are a unique breed of test. When most people think of psychological testing, these kinds of tests come readily to mind. The stereotype involves sitting across from a psychologist, looking at a card with smeared ink or a picture of somebody doing something on it, and answering questions like “What do you see here?” (You can take a free, mock personality test at here.) Projective personality tests are based on the projective hypothesis, which states that when presented with ambiguous stimuli, people project parts of themselves and their psychological functioning that they may not reveal if asked directly The idea is that many people can’t exactly describe what’s going on mentally and emotionally because of psychological defense mechanisms. Projective tests get past the defenses and penetrate the deep recesses of the psyche. Perhaps the most popular projective personality test and maybe even the most popular psychological test of all time is the Rorschach Inkblot Test (RIT). The RIT consists of ten cards, each with its own standard inkblot figure. None of these inkblots are a picture or representation of anything. They were created by simply pouring ink onto a sheet of paper and folding it in half. The only meaning and structure the cards have are provided by the projections of the test taker himself.

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Social Body Language For Dummies Cheat Sheet

Cheat Sheet / Updated 05-02-2022

Want to find out more about how to be the person you’ve always wanted to be? This Cheat Sheet tells you how to act "as if." Explore how to behave without giving the game away. Try a few easy exercises that will strengthen your body.

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General Psychology Sports Psychology For Dummies Cheat Sheet

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-27-2022

Being a successful athlete is about more than just physical strength and agility — your mind plays a key part in your winning performance. You can use sports psychology techniques to build confidence and improve your focus. Sports psychology isn’t limited to athletes — as a coach, you can use sports psychology to help your athletes achieve their goals.

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General Psychology Dream Dictionary For Dummies Cheat Sheet

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-19-2022

Your dreams are trying to tell you something. If you can interpret your dreams, they offer you greater self-awareness, knowledge, and success. Don't overlook the details in your dreams — messages may be lurking there. Keep a dream diary to uncover themes and insight in your dreams. Study the meanings of common dreams, because they represent situations most people experience at some point in life.

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PTSD Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder for Dummies Cheat Sheet

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-12-2022

Symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) give medical professionals clues to help make proper diagnosis of the disabling condition. The right medications, a good attitude, and positive affirmations can help to relieve the overwhelming signs of PTSD.

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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Workbook Cheat Sheet (UK Edition)

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-08-2022

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) involves many helpful thoughts, practices and alternative perspectives that can change how you see yourself and your world for the better. As well as aiding recognised conditions, CBT can help you to transform how you feel about yourself generally, and you can become more forward thinking and constructive with regards to past, present and future.

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Social Social Psychology For Dummies Cheat Sheet

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-07-2022

Social psychology uses the tools of science to understand why people behave as they do. Whether it’s why they are attracted to some people, but not others, why they are not convinced by an elegant political argument, but are persuaded by a celebrity endorsement, or where their prejudices come from, social psychology can help you to understand why people interact the way they do. This Cheat Sheet will give you some pointers in answering some of the key questions.

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