Hello there! I am back and so much has happened since I last wrote! I am married now, I think is the biggest change. Another big change is I left the company I had been with since October, 2008. I began a new job the last day of April and I love it! I am still doing the same thing I was, but with a new company, and while the old company had a center where I did therapy, the one I work for now does in-home therapy and as of now doesn't have an office so I spend a lot more time at home and with the exception of clients and their families during sessions, I spend a lot less time with people.
Which is part of what sparked me to start up with my blog again. Until this week, I was still going and overseeing a social skills group for the old company, so I still saw my old coworkers once a week. Now I no longer am doing that, and I miss my friends! I worry about what will happen if I don't start to become more active about maintaining a social life outside of work- particularly now that I no longer have a social life at work.
Another thing that has changed even more recently is that my sister had a baby! She was born a week ago and my husband, Eric, and I were able to go over the weekend to visit and meet our niece, Eliana. She is so adorable! Now, I tend to think newborn babies just look funny, or even downright ugly. But not Eliana! She wasn't born looking like a newborn. She looks so much like my sister and I when we were born! Except her hair is straight and ours was curly. Gosh I love that little thing so much. It is one of the few things that makes me wish I lived closer to my family.
Anyways I hope to keep this blog a little more active but I make no promises! I hope you keep reading :)
~Katy
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Article Summary and Review: "Enhancing quality of life bu shifting importance perception among life domains" C.H. Wu, Journal of Happiness Studies, March 2009
I found this article in the Journal of Happiness Studies, which made me happy just be knowing it exists by the way. A whole journal just studying what makes us happy, what a joy!
At first this study really excited me. The authors posit that those who shift their point of views of what domains of their life are most important to their happiness depending on which domains they are most happy with at the moment have a greater quality of life. Their conclusion suggests that we can make ourselves happier by focusing on the positive aspects of our lives. Seems pretty basic, but is this what can be concluded from this study?
This study examined the relationship between a persons perceived quality of life and their ability and willingness to shift the importance they place on different domains within their life (recreation, social support, health care, etc.) Specifically, shifting the importance in favor of domains where a person does not have a significant gap between what they want in that domain and what they actually have.
To examine this, the author administered self-report survey to undergraduate students at a university in Taiwan. Participants were in general psychology courses and were between the ages of 17-30. The surveys were used to measure both each individuals discrepancies between what they have versus what they want in varying domains, as well as to measure how important each domain was to each individual.
WEAKNESSES: The measure of shifting importance was weak, and more assumed than actually measured. As only one survey was completed by each individual it is not possible to know whether or not any shift was actually taking place in these peoples perceived importance of the different domains, or if some people were simply more successful in achieving what they wanted in the more important domains in their lives and thus more satisfied. Assuming that any shifting at all was occurring is a stretch, only knowing each individuals relative importance of each domain across time can indicate a shift in that perceived importance. The author neglects to recognize the fact that their survey doesn't at all measure this elusive "shifting tendency."
While the theory does make much sense, it is important to use a measure across time if you are trying to measure a concept that is supposed to change across time. A measure taken once cannot measure change, and is thus useless. In the future it would be great if this study was replicated with the survey being administered at more than one separate time, in order to be able to show any actual changes in perceived importance of the life domains.
On a side note, I am hoping I will be able to share more of these articles and hoping more of them that I get initially excited about will hold more weight than this one, which in the end only disappointed me, personally. The fact that a study so fundamentally flawed would make it into a scholarly journal kind of boggles my mind.
~Kakers
(link to where you may read the entire study, free of charge: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1389-4978)
At first this study really excited me. The authors posit that those who shift their point of views of what domains of their life are most important to their happiness depending on which domains they are most happy with at the moment have a greater quality of life. Their conclusion suggests that we can make ourselves happier by focusing on the positive aspects of our lives. Seems pretty basic, but is this what can be concluded from this study?
This study examined the relationship between a persons perceived quality of life and their ability and willingness to shift the importance they place on different domains within their life (recreation, social support, health care, etc.) Specifically, shifting the importance in favor of domains where a person does not have a significant gap between what they want in that domain and what they actually have.
To examine this, the author administered self-report survey to undergraduate students at a university in Taiwan. Participants were in general psychology courses and were between the ages of 17-30. The surveys were used to measure both each individuals discrepancies between what they have versus what they want in varying domains, as well as to measure how important each domain was to each individual.
WEAKNESSES: The measure of shifting importance was weak, and more assumed than actually measured. As only one survey was completed by each individual it is not possible to know whether or not any shift was actually taking place in these peoples perceived importance of the different domains, or if some people were simply more successful in achieving what they wanted in the more important domains in their lives and thus more satisfied. Assuming that any shifting at all was occurring is a stretch, only knowing each individuals relative importance of each domain across time can indicate a shift in that perceived importance. The author neglects to recognize the fact that their survey doesn't at all measure this elusive "shifting tendency."
While the theory does make much sense, it is important to use a measure across time if you are trying to measure a concept that is supposed to change across time. A measure taken once cannot measure change, and is thus useless. In the future it would be great if this study was replicated with the survey being administered at more than one separate time, in order to be able to show any actual changes in perceived importance of the life domains.
On a side note, I am hoping I will be able to share more of these articles and hoping more of them that I get initially excited about will hold more weight than this one, which in the end only disappointed me, personally. The fact that a study so fundamentally flawed would make it into a scholarly journal kind of boggles my mind.
~Kakers
(link to where you may read the entire study, free of charge: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1389-4978)
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Love?
I always am reading scientific magazines like Scientific American, and Discover, and then the equivalent relating to psychology. The other day I picked up the latest Scientific American Mind, because I generally read and I hadn't read this issue yet. Turns out it seems rather appropriately themed for me right now. "Special Report: Fall in Love and Stay That Way." Well! Considering I have just lit a flame recently, I think this issue will be rather enlightening and useful.
I have yet to get to read the articles, "How Science Can Help You Fall In Love." and "They Happy Couple." and again, I prefer peer reviewed research in general but I figure this would be a good start. I just want to get something IN this blog to start with, and I figure this will be a good enough beginning!
Think I will go get started with reading this magazine now it looks rather interesting!
~Kakers
I have yet to get to read the articles, "How Science Can Help You Fall In Love." and "They Happy Couple." and again, I prefer peer reviewed research in general but I figure this would be a good start. I just want to get something IN this blog to start with, and I figure this will be a good enough beginning!
Think I will go get started with reading this magazine now it looks rather interesting!
~Kakers
Friday, December 25, 2009
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
I wanted to make an entry today but had no luck finding an appropriately themed article and now it is about time for Christmas dinner. Tomorrow I won't feel the need to have an article with a holiday theme, so hopefully I will be able to add my first tomorrow! Hope all are having a great holiday season!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Time to switch things up.
For a while now I have wanted to start a blog where I share the golden nuggets of knowledge I come across as I muddle around through various sources of information. Most recently, thanks to the increasing power of the internet, I have found a treasure trove of peer- reviewed publications in psychology and related fields that have some or all of their content freely available online.
It is my intention not only to share some of my randomness with you, but more importantly to share what things I have found to be important or interesting. I will not be able to start doing so until I get past this last hump of the holiday rush (starting right now with a NAP before I work an overnight shift at job #2, so I can be at job #1 no later than 9:20, and then start a 9-10 hour drive no later than 3pm tomorrow!) but I have a week off, and plan to do a lot of hmmming, and haaahing and reading and all that goodness. So hopefully by just after Christmas, I will have knowledge to bestow upon you!
Until then, hope your holidays are going well and safe travels to all who are traveling!
~Kakers
It is my intention not only to share some of my randomness with you, but more importantly to share what things I have found to be important or interesting. I will not be able to start doing so until I get past this last hump of the holiday rush (starting right now with a NAP before I work an overnight shift at job #2, so I can be at job #1 no later than 9:20, and then start a 9-10 hour drive no later than 3pm tomorrow!) but I have a week off, and plan to do a lot of hmmming, and haaahing and reading and all that goodness. So hopefully by just after Christmas, I will have knowledge to bestow upon you!
Until then, hope your holidays are going well and safe travels to all who are traveling!
~Kakers
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