scholarly journals Two Experiments on the Psychological and Physiological Effects of Touching-Effect of Touching on the HPA Axis-Related Parts of the Body on Both Healthy and Traumatized Experiment Participants

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chigusa Yachi ◽  
Taichi Hitomi ◽  
Hajime Yamaguchi

Two experiments were conducted to measure both the psychological and physiological effects of touching on the HPA axis related parts of the body. HPA stands for the hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenal. One experiment was conducted with a group of healthy experiment participants, and another was with a group of traumatized participants who had Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE). In the experiments, the back of an experiment participant was touched, where a kidney-adrenal was supposed to reside, and both the psychological and physiological effects were measured. As a result, respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), an indicator of the parasympathetic nerve system function and, especially, an indicator of the social engagement system increased, by a statistically significant degree, as a consequence of HPA touching in both the healthy and the trauma group, in comparison with the control. The traumatized participants had a lower RSA, and this was increased by HPA touching, accompanied by a decrease of the heart rate. It is worth noting that the social engagement function was possibly enhanced by HPA touching, especially in the trauma group, whose members tend to have difficulty being pro-social. This touching method is very simple, so it can be administered not only by oneself, but also by psycho-therapists and body workers in order to enhance both psychological and physiological well-being.

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 231-235
Author(s):  
Felipe da Silva Triani ◽  
Glhevysson dos Santos Barros

ResumoA dança é a arte de movimentar expressivamente o corpo seguindo movimentos ritmados, em geral ao som de música. Dessa forma, o significado da dança vai além da expressão artística, podendo ser vista como um meio para adquirir conhecimentos ou como opção de lazer. No campo de atuação do bacharelado, as investigações acadêmicas ainda são tímidas, urgindo de produções científicas que possam alimentar o campo científico sobre o tema. Dessa forma, o objetivo do estudo foi identificar e analisar as representações sociais que um grupo de bacharelandos do curso em Educação Física compartilha sobre a dança. A metodologia da pesquisa envolve uma abordagem qualitativa, tendo o estudo de campo como procedimento técnico. A amostra foi constituída por 200 indivíduos, sendo 85 homens e 115 mulheres com médias de idade entre 17 a 45 anos. A coleta de dados ocorreu através de questionário com associação livre de palavras, cujo termo indutor foi ”dança”. A análise foi feita por meio dos conteúdos das respostas. O resultado principal do estudo apontou que a maioria dos estudantes emprega sentido de dança como uma atividade técnica e a associam com saúde mental e bem-estar. Palavras-chave: Representação Social. Educação Física. Dança. AbstractDance is the art of expressively moving the body following rhythmic movements, usually to the sound of music. Thus, the meaning of dance goes beyond artistic expression, and can be seen as a means to acquire knowledge or as a leisure option. In the field of performance of the bachelor's degree, academic investigations are still timid, urging scientific productions that can feed the scientific field on the theme. Thus, the objective of the study was to identify and analyze the social representations that a group of Physical Education course bachelors shares about dance. The research methodology is a qualitative approach, with the field study as a technical procedure. The sample consisted of 200 individuals, 85 men and 115 women with a mean age between 17 and 45 years. Data collection was carried out through a questionnaire with free association of words, whose inducing term was, "dance". The analysis was done through the responses content. The main result of the study pointed out that most students use dance as a technical activity and associate it with mental health and well-being. Keywords: Social Representation. PE. Dance.


Author(s):  
John M. Carroll ◽  
Mary Beth Rosson

The authors present a socio-technical design that illustrates how a community network health intervention can mobilize human resources across social boundaries and enhance health and well-being for people on both sides of the boundary. They specifically address how to reduce the barriers to social engagement experienced by autistic individuals who want more supportive life opportunities. The authors focus on the social milieu of an American college town, on traditional town-gown boundaries, and on possibilities for integrating social resources within this context. Their design adopts community networking to not only connect autistic persons living within an existing social milieu (university undergraduates; local autistic children and their families), but also to integrate individuals across milieus. The key design idea is that facilitating cross-milieu interactions can initiate and sustain a virtuous cycle of being helped by helping others.


Author(s):  
Tânia Maria Assis Fleury ◽  
Daniela Tavares Gontijo

Resumo: O envelhecimento ainda é visto como uma etapa de dificuldades e bastante negligenciada. A mulher, em especial, é privada de expressar seus sentimentos ou mesmo de praticar atividades que lhe proporcionem prazer. O desafio está em adotar atividades que permitam o bem-estar dessa população. Surgem as danças circulares sagradas, em que as participantes se expressam pelo movimento, utilizando somente o corpo, participando ativamente de suas transformações e da modificação social. Assim, realizou-se uma pesquisa de campo com doze mulheres, praticantes das danças circulares, no Centro Livre de Artes, localizado em Goiânia (GO), com o intuito de identificar os benefícios destas danças na vida das participantes. De posse dos dados, procurou-se correlacioná-los à Terapia Ocupacional, profissão que busca a manutenção da autonomia e independência do indivíduo bem como sua integração social, a qual pode colaborar com esta prática, e vice-versa, para oferecer melhor qualidade de vida às idosas. Palavras-chave: Terceira Idade. Mulher. Danças Circulares Sagradas. Terapia Ocupacional. Abstract: The aging is still seen as a period of great difficulties and quite neglectful. The woman, especially, it is deprived of expressing their feelings or even of practicing activities that provide him/her pleasure. The challenge is in adopting activities to allow the well-being of that population. The sacred circular dances appear, in that the participants are expressed by the movement, using only the body, participating actively of their transformations and of the social modification. Like this, did took place a field research with twelve women, apprentices of the circular dances, in the Center Free from Arts, located in Goiânia (GO), with the intention of identifying the benefits of these dances in the participants' life. From ownership of the data, it tried to correlate them to the Occupational therapy, profession that looks for the maintenance of the autonomy and the individual's independence as well as his/her social integration, which can collaborate with this practice, and the opposite, to offer better life quality to the seniors. Keywords: Third Age. Woman. Sacred Circular Dances. Occupational Therapy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 100 (4) ◽  
pp. 531-554
Author(s):  
Arabella Kyprianides ◽  
Matthew J. Easterbrook

This article presents a mixed-methods evaluation of the Finding Rhythms (FR) charity music program in U.K. prisons. Results across two studies indicate that FR group activities and the development of a shared FR identity lead to a positive well-being outcome. Furthermore, FR involvement dissolves rivalries between prisoners and provides them with a sense of purpose that extends into prison life and beyond. We provide evidence for the social cure properties of the FR group and the music program that promotes social engagement and psychological well-being among inmates.


Humanomics ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Safiullah Munsoor ◽  
Hannah Safiullah Munsoor

Purpose Modern life is characterized by its hectic life-style, which invariably leads to high levels of stress having negative consequences for the mind-body. Thus, people are seeking for natural ways to achieve a sense of equilibrium and peace. Neuroscience has identified beneficial findings from contemplative practices like meditation, prayers and fasting. Within the Islamic framework, these practices were found to be beneficial for both the body and the mind. However, comparatively little research has been carried out on Islamic contemplative practices. Thus, there is a dire need to carry out further research, where the focus needs to be more on the inward aspects of Islam especially the contemplative practices. Design/methodology/approach The study took an integrated approach, whereby, objective experimental data from various sources were combined with the religious narratives from the Qur’an and the Hadiths or the practice of the Prophet in Islam. This was augmented by the subjective experiences of the participants of the study and all of these woven to present a case for Islamic contemplative practices. Findings Worship, be it Yogic, Buddhist and Islamic, seems to have positive mental and physical benefits for individuals. Much has been documented within the field of Yoga and Buddhist practices, and it is only recently that Islamic practices are beginning to be studied and are yielding similar results. It has been found that Islamic ritual prayers, fasting and meditation (dhikr) have an impact on the well-being of the worshipper. The communities of practice commonly known as “tariqas” and other religio-spiritual orders can serve as a vehicle to further these practices. This opens the door for more extensive research in this direction. Research limitations/implications This study clearly indicates that Islamic practices have positive benefits; however, the number of studies are limited. Moreover, there are a whole system of practices as the contemplative tree in this paper points out, which needs more robust as well as longitudinal studies to outline more conclusive evidence to this effect. Practical implications Muslims have been looking at other traditions like Yoga and Buddhist meditation to find ways of improving their physical and mental health. This meta-study indicates that Islamic contemplative practices have positive benefits, and thus, there are a variety of practices like ritual prayers, fasting and meditation, which is found to demonstrate positive health benefits. Thus, it has direct practical reasons to pursue these practices and derive the innate benefits from them. Social implications The data from the various neuroscience studies have demonstrated the neurological and physiological impact on individuals directly relating to worship. However, the studies on the Islamic ritual prayer (salat) cited in this study points out to its social implications, where congregational prayers was found to be more beneficial than the individual prayers. Thus, this indicates the social implications that collective worship can have. Further research is needed in terms of understanding the social impact on the various collective contemplative practices. Originality/value The originality of this literature review and analysis is bringing together the various strands of neuroscience and health data to demonstrate the positive impact of worship emanating from others faiths, while building a case for Islamic contemplative practices. This is further augmented by its integrated approach of weaving hard and soft data and synthesizing it to present health benefits of worship.


Land ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 65
Author(s):  
Monika Trojanowska

Climate change may affect cultural heritage in at least two ways: direct physical effects on the site, building, or structure and effects on social structures. Creating urban parks with therapeutic landscapes can mitigate some of these detrimental effects. This paper presents the revitalization of the former water forge, located in the center of Rumia, near the Tri-City agglomeration. The study focused on the history of the site and the historic manor house called “Dwór pod Lipami” and the preservation efforts. The social engagement, which led to the development of the landscape park and the construction of a talent playground, was an essential factor in the renewal process. The second part of the work presents an assessment of the therapeutic and recreational values of the new urban park using the Universal Standard for Health-Promoting Places, Community Park Audit Tool (CPAT), and mapping the users’ preferences. This operation of urban renewal resulted in creating a popular park that helps promote the health and well-being of the local community.


Author(s):  
Cristiano Domingues da Silva ◽  
Carlos Alberto de Oliveira Magalhães Júnior ◽  
Jaqueline Feltrin Inada

Apesar das inúmeras campanhas de prevenção, a Síndrome da Imunodeficiência Adquirida (AIDS) ainda se constitui um grave problema de saúde pública. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo investigar as representações sociais do HIV/AIDS e, assim, contribuir para o tratamento psicológico desses pacientes. Foi realizada uma revisão da literatura, com levantamento bibliográfico, abordando as discussões de autores da psicologia social, entre outros, a respeito do HIV/AIDS. A AIDS é uma enfermidade que marca intensamente quem a vivencia, uma vez que afeta não apenas o corporal do sujeito, mas as demais esferas da sua vida, envolvendo, muitas vezes, sentimentos negativos, tais como: a tristeza, o desejo de morte, a angústia, entre outros, que refletem no seu bem-estar mental, físico, afetivo e social. A infecção pelo HIV estabelece uma cadeia de cuidados a serem desempenhados pelas pessoas portadoras, como consultas frequentes, realização de exames laboratoriais especiais, o uso de medicamentos e mudanças na vida social que, muitas vezes, causam dificuldades que propiciam e implicam cuidados especializados em saúde mental. Atualmente, não existe uma cura para essa doença, apenas tratamento paliativo como: uso de medicamentos, tratamento com psicólogo, tratamento com psiquiatra, entre outros.Palavras-chave: HIV/AIDS. Psicologia Social. Representação Social.AbstractDespite the several prevention campaigns, AIDS remains a serious public health problem. This study aims to investigate the social representations of HIV/AIDS and thereby contribute to the psychological treatment of these patients. A bibliographic review was performed showing the themes discussed about the social psychology according to the view of many authors, concerning the HIV/AIDS. The Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is an illness that marks intensely those who experience it, since it affects not only the body of the individual, but the other spheres of his or her life, involving often negative feelings such as sadness, death desire , anguish, among others, reflecting on his or her mental, physical, emotional and social well-being. HIV infection establishes a chain of care to be taken by people with this illness, such as frequent consultations, conducting special laboratory tests, medication use and changes in social life that often cause difficulties that require mental health care specialist. Currently, there is no cure for this disease, only palliative treatment such as use of drugs, treatment with a psychologist, psychiatrist treatment, among others.Keywords: HIV/AIDS. Social Psychology. Social Representation.


2017 ◽  
pp. 0-0
Author(s):  
Daniel Zarewicz

Both nowadays and in the time of Plato the love and pursuit of wisdom is a means of achieving thorough well-being due to the practice of self-teaching, educating the mind and training the body. The ultimate goal of philosophical education is to achieve divine status (homoiosis theo), which is the true sense of human life. Philosophy belongs to the social and intellectual elite. Only those who are sufficiently prepared may admire and experience the influence of Eros’ teaching. The initiation into philosophy has the traits of emotional, erotic and religious mysterium, and therefore lies within reach of few.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 261-262
Author(s):  
Susan Kelley ◽  
Deborah Whitley

Abstract Research suggests custodial grandparents (CG) with chronic health conditions, limited economic resources, and restricted social connections are at risk for adverse mental health outcomes. The growing uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 seems to accentuate these findings. This paper presents preliminary descriptions of mental stress by a small sample of CG (n=26) surveyed after the onset of COVID-19. They described the social groups comprising their networks, and the methods used to engage with them. A majority of the sample (96.2%) reported experiencing mental stress since the onset of the virus; based on Brief Symptom Inventory results, five CG scored in the clinical range for stress. Food access, fear of getting sick, and grandchildren’s school requirements are leading sources of stress. Despite such challenges, CG report varying levels of social engagement with their support networks. The reported descriptions give preliminary insight how CG can maximize their social networks to build/sustain positive mental health well-being.


Embodiment captures a breadth of phenomena and reflects, concurrently, the lived-in experiences of inhabiting the body and the meaningful dialogical relationships between the body and the social environment. This chapter explicates the Experience of Embodiment construct, which emerged in a series of three qualitative studies with girls, younger women, and older women. This construct ranges from negative to positive embodiment and includes five dimensions: body connection and comfort, agency and functionality, experience and expression of bodily desires, attuned self-care, and subjective immersion (resisting objectification). This chapter also presents a measure of this construct, the Experience of Embodiment Scale, which is a fully structured scale that has accrued evidence of reliability and validity. This scale may contribute uniquely to the understanding of embodied lives, to etiological theories of embodied well-being and distress, and to intervention studies.


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