Category: Human Behavior

The Barbershop and Health Care

On By A.P.In Communication, Health, Human Behavior, Hypertension, MedicineLeave a comment

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas have found that neighborhood barbers can influence African-American men to seek blood pressure treatement. 

The study participants were patrons of 17 black-owned barbershops throughout Dallas County between March 2006 and December 2008.

Eight shops gave customers traditional pamphlets about hypertension.  In this group, the number of men who pursued medical care to control their hypertension increased from 40 percent at the start of the study to 51 percent at follow-up.

Nine shops put up posters with messages from other male clients about hypertension, checked patrons’ blood pressure and encouraged the men to see a physician if their numbers were elevated.  In this group, the number of men who controlled their hypertension increased from 33.8 percent at the start of the study to 53.7 percent at follow-up. .

Read more here:  http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/utsw/cda/dept353744/files/629749.html

This fascinating one hour HBO documentary illustrates a typical day in the life of a successful community barbershop on Harlem’s 125th street, showing the vital role community barbershops play in facilitating dicussion on a wide variety of important issues, including health care:  http://www.hbo.com/documentaries/cutting-edge/index.html

The creators of this documentary are interviewed here:  http://www.hbo.com/documentaries/cutting-edge/index.html#/documentaries/cutting-edge/interview/june-amani-martin-and-reggie-williams.html

The Neurobiology of Attitudes Towards Homeless People

On By A.P.In Empathy, Homelessness, The Brain2 Comments

 

When faced with the prospect of marginalized, alienated people entering our community, our brains automatically categorize into “us” and “them,” and we perceive dangers with “them.”

We unconsciously view “us” in a better light, and rationalize away facts that might cast us in a negative light. 

Our brains also automatically prompt us to devalue “them,” and cherry-pick data to support this view. 

We then unconsciously work to emphasize ways that we are different from “them,” even when those differences are trivial.

This automatic, unconscious overvaluing of “us” and devaluation of “them” leads to discrimination.

Freud described this phenomenon long ago as “the narcissism of small differences.”

Read this fascinating and provocative article about the neurobiology of atttitudes towards homeless people, written by UT Southwestern Medical Center Dallas psychiatrist Adam Brenner.

http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/sunday-commentary/20100910-Adam-Brenner-Why-not-in-3669.ece

Why don’t Wall Street criminals go to prison?

On By A.P.In Crime, Human Behavior, Wealth and PowerLeave a comment

Recently almost every major firm has been involved in criminal activity that has impoverished millions and collectively destroyed trillions of dollars of the world’s wealth.

Nobody except Bernie Madoff has gone to prison. 

Maybe it’s because Madoff’s victims were also wealthy people.

Read here in the March 3rd article of Rolling Stone: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/why-isnt-wall-street-in-jail-20110216?page=1

Hissing Roaches for Valentine’s Day

On By A.P.In Human Behavior, Nature, Roaches, sexuality1 Comment

 

According to the Bronx Zoo, “Flowers wilt. Chocolates melt. Roaches are forever.” 

This year the Bronx Zoo is exhibiting 58,000 giant Madagascar hissing roaches, and offering Valentine’s Day naming rights for $10 apiece. 

http://www.bronxzoo.com/name-a-roach/

Could there be at beter way to let your loved one know how you feel on this special day?

The Wildlife Conservation Society, which runs the Bronx Zoo, suggests  “Maybe it’s in recognition of your one and only’s virility, or strength in the face of high radiation.”

The roaches, which are native to the island of Madagascar off  the south-eastern coast of Africa, are not pests and do not inhabit human dwellings.  In fact, they are actually popular pets because of their hissing sound, large size, and appearance. 

They generate their hissing sound by  forcing air through breathing pores on each segment of their thorax and abdomen.  They are believed to be the only insect that can “growl” in this manner. 

Their hiss takes three forms: the disturbance hiss, the female-attracting hiss, and the fighting hiss. All cockroaches can generate the disturbance hiss, and only males use the fighting hiss (when challenged by other males).  The fighting hiss is used to establish a dominance hierarchy by one of the males backing down and the fight being over. Males hiss more often than females. The males are also known to ram one another with their horns and shove one another about with their abdomens during competition for standing in the roach hierarchy.

Superbowl XLV Seats Missing Last Night

On By A.P.In Football, Human Behavior, Popular Culture, Sports, Wealth and PowerLeave a comment

Local organizers tried to break the Super Bowl record for attendance by exceeding 105,000, but ended up having to tell about 400 people that they’d paid for seats that weren’t there.  Can you imagine arriving at the stadium and finding out that your seat doesn’t exist?

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/06/us-nfl-superbowl-scene-idUSTRE71525620110206