Ambivalence is defined as the motivational inconsistency between simultaneously desiring and not desiring to make a given choice. In other words, ambivalence could be interpreted as a state of immediate confusion in which two contrasting or opposite ideas are being considered or evaluated. From a psychology standpoint, ambivalence can be a very complicated mindset to handle because it demands mixed evaluations, desires, or perspectives influenced by many confounding variables. With the idea of ambivalence in mind, it would be interesting to analyze it not just in a person, but in a particular stage or phase of life; more specifically, during adolescence.

Adolescence is full of many important decisions that will probably influence or shape the rest of the person’s life. Among some examples, the decision of choosing a group of friends, a particular clothing style, or even college may lead to great ambivalence in adolescents. Taking probably the most significant example, the decision of going to college stands out as one of the most important. This decision brings with its other implications like choosing what university or college to attend to or the debate of staying home and going abroad. These situations may bring emotional loads of stress and occasional differences in moods, which affect both the adolescent and the people around him. This then leads me to discuss the interactions that adolescents and parents have.

Adolescent and parent interactions tend to be more stressful and emotional in comparison to children and parent interactions. The adolescent tends to lean towards ideas of detachment and independence, as well as differences of expression. From the point of view of the adolescent growth may be seen as a process of not just managing differences or outweighing ideas but learning from mistakes and identifying what works best. Although ambivalence may seem to be a negative response, it is to be accepted and utilized as a part of the development process which will help shape the future ahead. From my personal perspective, it’s important for parents to acknowledge that they were once in that same situation and attempting to understand the adolescent and helping him/her would be ideal.

Link to article: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/surviving-your-childs-adolescence/201809/adolescence-and-ambivalence-growing

The article, “How Does Father Involvement Impact Children’s GPA” describes how father figures can have an impact in the academic life of children. According to statistics on housework and the distribution of these, the involvement of fathers in children’s lives has slowly increased in recent years. This represents a positive outcome, as the author shows how previous research witholds evidence on how essential father figures are for children’s academic futures. Moreover, evidence shows that the presence of a father positively affects children in many other areas of life: “fathers who are more involved tend to have children who are psychologically, cognitively, and physically healthier”.

With the idea that a positive parent-child relationship is beneficial in mind, I propose the contrasting idea of an absent father in a child’s life. The article presents information that explains how fathers who don’t share the same household with their children find it challenging to remain involved in the children’s lives and therefore negatively impact their academic success. This may be due to external factors that may or may not have to be directly related with the children. No matter what the case is its effects extend and has repercussions on the children’s life. Going beyond presenting facts and statistics that explain the involvement of fathers I think it’s important to suggest the following question: What can a father do in such a case in which they have less contact with their children? The article offers advice like for example: frequently texting the child, knowing what they are up to, and having an idea of their academic calendar/progress.

There is small room to doubt that the father figure in a child’s life is excruciatingly important. Contemplating this fact, an involved father is more likely to have a positive impact on a child’s academic future. Naturally, this equation can be established the other way around. The absence of a father may have negative ramifications on a child’s educational future. This article calls fathers to contemplate, analyze, and evaluate the time investments with their children. Whether changes should be made, or things should stay the same is the father’s responsibility to acknowledge it.

 

Link to article: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/its-all-about-the-dads/201906/how-does-father-involvement-impact-childrens-gpa

According to studies within the fields of Social Psychology and Personality Sciences, first impressions are determined in about 3/10 of a second. In other words, with little empirical information about such person or even hearing them for the first time, we have already concluded a mental picture or idea of who, what, and how they are. However, for children, this analysis is quite different. Children tend to focus more on positive actions or selective information that leads to a positive judgment.

Following research statistics, children between 3-6 years of age only need to see one positive behavior to judge a story as nice, but several negative behaviors to judge a character as mean. A similar concept fits in for children within the ages 6-7, as they are more likely to trust an unfamiliar animal (such as “friendly”) but disregard negative descriptions (like “dangerous”). Altogether, research reveals that children begin to develop positive bias as early as 3 years of age. However, it usually tends to weaken in late childhood. According to psychologists, age promotes harsher realities that reveal children’s social standings when compared to their peers. With this in mind, a struggle may take place since the ideas of optimism and positivity are “ingrained” in the child’s mind. However, this same struggle is what motivates children to try new things fearlessly. Children who approach situations positively are more likely to have positive interactions in school and social settings. The best thing to do for children being raised in today’s society is to simply talk about beliefs that make them think about the evidence that supports them. A balance between a positive yet honest approach is probably the best way for children to develop in today’s society.

 

https://theconversation.com/children-are-natural-optimists-which-comes-with-psychological-pros-and-cons-93532

In recent years, natural disasters have taken the spotlight more frequently than what we are used to. Following the article, natural disasters are “unpredictable” and “hard to control”, but can we do something to prepare ourselves for the disasters? This is where psychology makes its entrance, not just to ease individual suffering, but also in organizing and assembling the resources for the community as a whole, therefore ensuring the most effective measures to counteract the catastrophe.

The circumstances of natural disasters in the past years led to the development of the study “Helping Families and Communities Recover from Disaster: Lessons Learned from Hurricane Katrina and its Aftermath” in which psychologists examine key “lessons learned” and offer recommendations and practical applications for better meeting the needs of children, families, and communities following disaster. Their research highlights the range of risks, resources, and factors relating to adaptations related to the aftermaths following disasters and emphasizes the role of the community in providing and enhancing resources. With this in mind, further research has taken part in emphasizing on how the needs of caregivers, children, and family are fulfilled after disasters. In their research findings, they realized how children needing the most attention when compared to adults. Among their most common needs, counseling, tutoring, and medical needs stand out. Due to the progress of natural disasters in the past years, psychologists and other field-related professionals are working on the development of new methods to manage disasters and their aftermaths.

https://www.apa.org/research/action/disaster