psychology today How to Understand the Mindset of Your Boyfriend

tough to understand mens psychology and reason behind his behaviors at different times. He reacts indifferently at situations and many questions might arise in a womens mind which may remain unanswered. This article will substantiate the psychological construct of man and his approach to tackle different kind of situations. 


How to understand the mindset of your boyfriend? Should you learn psychology or astrology to find out what happened to your boyfriend? Can you get back your boy friend if you can understand his mindset? 


What does it signify when a man says he wants more space?


Sometimes even after being in a relationship for several months, or a year or two, your boyfriend may mention that he needs some space of his own, and then it becomes really hurting and difficult to face such a rejection. Several questions may arise in ones minds due to such a behavior. What does this behavior indicate? Is this the end of the relationship? Taking the right attitude and following a decent approach can definitely get you back your boyfriend.


Firstly, one should try and enter the mind of men and understand that they think differently and have different approach towards things. During childhood boys do not dream of upbringing a family or rearing children. As they gain maturity money and career gain more importance for them. This is the way a boys upbringing is done. Thus in order to understand it further more when ones boyfriend mentions he is not comfortable carrying on with the relationship and needs more time and space it actually means he is too confused and is in a dilemma what to do, where to go and where the relationship is actually going to land up ? He is confused of what is destined for him and which path to follow.

What does it mean when he stops calling?


When a man starts dating women the experience is new and hence he might try to be over enthusiastic. He might call her more often a meet her regularly. Then one fine day he might get a thought as to where this relationship is leading him. Many men dont want to get committed so soon and so they decide to put a full stop to this dating spree with a particular girl. It is not because he hates the girl but because of his inner fear that he might get too serious with her. So when a boyfriend stops calling this is the phase when he is giving a second thought to move forward with the relationship? One should handle this crucial time with patience and care. Recurrent calling and asking for reasons for indifferent behavior may worsen the situation instead of solving it. Thus try and analyze how to understand the mindset of your boyfriend before taking a final decision. 

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psychology today Social Reaction Labeling Theory Pros Cons and Effects On Society

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The Social Reaction, or Labeling Theoryas it is sometimes known, has developed over time from as early as 1938 (Wellford, 1975). Currently the Social Reaction Theory proposes that when a person commits a crime; they will receive the label of "criminal". When a person is labeled as such by society, they are likely to accept this label as a part of themselves. Because the person now thinks of him/herself as a criminal, he/she is now likely to continue in his/her criminal behavior (Becker, 1963).

Erwin Lemert is credited with being the founder of what is called the "Societal Reaction" theory. This is the precursor to the social reaction or labeling theory which has present day acceptance and includes many of the same concepts. To better understand Labeling Theory, familiarization with Lemerts Societal Reaction Theory is beneficial. This theory explores the journey to social deviance in two stages; primary deviance and secondary deviance, which are both incorporated into Labeling Theory as well.

Primary deviance begins with an initial criminal act, after which a person may be labeled as deviant orcriminal but does not yet accept this label. By this it is meant that they do not think of themselves as being acriminal, it is this lack of viewing themselves as criminal that differentiates primary from secondary deviance. This will remain a state of primary deviance as long as the offender is capable of rationalizing or dealing with this label by saying it is the result of a socially acceptable role (Lemert, 1951). An example of this would be an exotic dancer, who while labeled as deviant, does not consider herself so by claiming it is a legal profession that she must perform in order to maintain an income.

When leading to secondary deviance, this criminal label is placed on an individual during what is known as a "degradation ceremony" in which the accused is officially labeled as a criminal. Often this takes place during court sentencing, but can come about in more subtle fashions as well. For example the relatives of a person become withdrawn and distance themselves from that person when they find out he/she has committed a crime, regardless of whether or not he/she faces formal charges (Wellford, 1975).

Secondary deviance, according to Lemert, occurs when a person finally accepts the deviant or criminal label into their self image. He/She then thinks or him/herself as a criminal or deviant. "This becomes a means of defense, attack, or adaptation to the problems caused by societal reaction to primary deviation (Lemert, 1951)".

Howard Becker is hailed as the founder of modern labeling theory. He also developed the term "moralentrepreneur" to describe persons in power who campaign to have certain deviant behavior outlawed (Becker, 1963). He claims that many laws are established for such purposes, and that behavior that is defined as criminal is dynamic and changes throughout time. Therefore, the actual criminal behavior is irrelevant to the theory. What really matters is which outlaws are arrested and processed by the criminal justice system (Becker, 1963). As a result of the belief that personal and societal factors do not contribute to motivations for criminal behavior there has been little study of the criminal him/herself and the aforesaid factors. As one might expect, this aspect of Labeling Theory is still being debated. There is one exception to this belief, however most labeling theorists claim that the system is biased toward the lower class, which constitutes the overwhelming majority of arrests and convictions within the American criminal justice system(Wellford, 1975).

Beckers work pays particular attention to the way society reacts to people with "criminal" labels. He proposes that this label becomes a persons master status, meaning that this is a constant label, affecting and over-riding how others will view them. The status people use to identify and classify a person will always be that of a criminal. Any other statuses a person occupies are no longer heeded. A person could be a parent, employee, spouse, etc., but the first and major status that will come to mind to other people and themselves is that of the criminal (Becker, 1963).

Sometimes the persons criminal master status may compel them to conform more closely to societys norms in an attempt to show others that the person may have made mistakes in life, but such mistakes will not happen again. Henceforth they will act in a fashion deemed "normal" (Foster & Dinitz & Reckless, 1972). But it is believed that in most cases where the master status is that of a criminal, secondary deviance will be completed rather than resisted. An identity change will take place in which the person now accepts the label of criminal. Because this new criminal identity is in place, there is subsequent pressure to behave accordingly. Such an identity change could be signaled by a person losing contact with their former conformist friends and beginning to associate with other criminal labeled deviants (Becker, 1963). This new peer group of like-minded deviants also increases the likelihood of the person continuing and possibly escalating the rate and seriousness of their criminal behavior. Secondary deviance has only occurred when both society and the individual share the view that the offender is a criminal.

From a logical standpoint there are flaws within the main points of labeling theory. Initially the theory states that no acts are inherently criminal (Wellford, 1975). Meaning that acts are only "criminal" when society has deemed them as such. The implications of this being that criminal law is dynamic and ever-changing, differing from society to society. But if this is true then why are certain acts illegal within the majority of the civilized world? Murder, rape, arson, armed robbery. All these are considered crimes in any society or country one could care to name.
Also the theory claims that for a criminal to be successfully labeled an audience must be present to provide a reaction to the crimes committed. Does this mean that if a murder is committed where the killer has successfully avoided anyones suspicion that the act is then not criminal and the killer will not think of him/herself as such? Its probable that the murderers socialization and/or value system could initialize self-labeling, but the theory clearly states the labeling must come from a 3rd party (Hagan, 1973).

For the sake of argument, if self labeling is possible and a person has obtained a self-initialized criminalmaster status/label, how do they react to it? Do they become criminals or try to "rationalize" as stated by Foster, Dinitz, and Reckless (Foster & Dinitz & Reckless, 1972)?

The scope of this theory is proposed to cover all criminal activity of all people regardless of different; nationality, ethnicity, social status, religion, and age (Becker, 1963). Since then criminologists have been, at the very least, skeptical. In a study of drunk drivers it was concluded that socioeconomic status, race, sex, and age can indeed influence whether labeling theory has an effect on people. Unfortunately it was not specified exactly how each of these factors altered the effect labeling theory had on the study subjects. Presumably these study results reflected actual behavioral differences that were reacted to differently by others (Marshall & Purdy, 1972).

The one aspect of this theory that could be regarded positively is that it is very parsimonious. It is easy to understand and can be quickly explained, breaking down all criminal behavior into primary and secondary deviance with a few simple statements for each. An act which has been labeled as deviant or criminal is committed by a member of society. Through either a personal audience such as family or friends, or a formal one such as a court of law the person undergoes a degradation ceremony which labels the person deviant. This is essentially primary deviance. When the labeled person is unable to continue to rationalize and deny this criminal label, often as a result of altered interactions with the "audience" who consider the person in question to be criminal, they finally accept this label as a part of themselves. This is secondary deviance. (I think this is a restatement of the definitions from earlier in the paper. To support the opening sentence, perhaps note WHY the theory is parsimonius. Parsimony simply asks how complex the theory is. If it is short and simple, then it is parsimonious. The point of this section is to show that it can be well summed up in a few simple sentances) From this point onward they will act in a way befitting this new criminal label (Scimecca, 1977).

For the purposes of validity this relative simplicity can be seen negatively as it robs the theory of what value it may have, deliberately turning a blind eye to the contributions of theories of criminology that have had great success in validating their(whose claims? Most any theory of criminology focusing on the individual you could care to name, there are dozens with hundreds of variants) claims. This is in specific reference to the personal and societal factors an individual exhibits which may contribute to the likelihood of committing crimes mentioned earlier (Wellford, 1975). 

It would be presumptuous to say that this theory is not testable as several studies have been performed in attempts to see how greatly labeling theory affects different portions of the populace. There are several core variables, each of which is flawed, to be considered. The first is not the initial act of committing a crime, but an "audience" learning of the crime being committed. As it has already been explained, if the audience doesnt know of the crime then this is as far as the process goes. 

The second is the audiences reaction to this act and subsequent treatment of the person who committed it. In a study of a sample of 196 boys who had engaged in delinquent activities brought before a court of law, it was found that the majority of the subjects peers and parents exhibited little change in how they viewed and treated the delinquents (Foster & Dinitz & Reckless, 1972). Though these children did experience feelings of stigmatization from members of law enforcement, having undergone the degradation ceremony in a court of law, they reported these feelings were negligible compared to those whose family members no longer viewed them in the same light. From this we can conclude that both who the audience is comprised of as well as their reactions affects the level of stigmatization the labeled individual feels, if any. 

The third variable is currently open to debate. Hardcore followers of the labeling theory still assert that the personality of the individual undergoing stigmatization is irrelevant. In a study of the societal reaction approach as it relates to mental illness, Dr. Walter Grove saw that there were certain qualities people may have which make them particularly resistant to labeling and stigmatization. Those people with such qualities did not see themselves as deviant despite what anyone else may have thought (Broadhead, 1974). 

After looking at the study results I remain to be convinced that this theory can be effectively tested as there are too many unknowns. In a later work Lemert finally conceded that "primary deviation, is polygenetic, arising out of a variety of social, cultural, psychological, and physiological factors" (Broadhead, 1974). But he and other believers of this theory have been curiously reticent in attempting to further define these factors. To date no study has been attempted to more accurately state the nature of these factors and how they would affect the criminals reaction to primary deviance. As a result these factors, which could be considered confounders, greatly hinder any attempt at the operationalization of this theory. 

The three known variables cannot be measured effectively, nor can the confounders for that matter. In effect, all that can be studied is the result of this process, mainly focusing on whether career criminals see themselves in the light defined by secondary deviance and what the initial reaction society displays is, as well as how it affects those labeled deviant or criminal. 

The biggest question one must ask when evaluating any theory is "has it been empirically validated?" In this case studies have shown little in the way of how this process works, this aspect is still mainly theoretical. There have been plenty of studies which evaluate the conclusion of this process, how criminals view themselves both in the primary and secondary deviance stages. The results of these studies are somewhat mixed in that some provide weak validation for this theory given certain circumstances, the strongest of which being the study of delinquent behavior in children by Foster, Dinitz, and Reckless who had experienced primary deviance and stigmatization to a small degree (Foster & Dinitz & Reckless, 1972). 

The vast majority of the studies had findings do a fine job of disproving social reactions theory. An example of this would be the study by Dentler and Erickson, who concluded that " groups, and society at large will frequently try to accommodate, normalize, and in general resist making an overt reaction to people exhibiting deviant behavior" (Broadhead, 1974). If this is true than people will withhold judgment and stigmatization will not occur, effectively refuting social reactions theory. 

In itself this theory is not very useful in dictating policy for the criminal justice system, but there is the possibility for use in rehabilitation of criminal offenders. In a small study of child behavior after punishment, it was found that if the audience held the offender in a positive regard, the offender was likely to rise to these expectations and act in a manner befitting a "good boy" (Wellford, 1975). In this way it is possible to use labeling theory in a more productive manner. 

The implications of the study results suggest that two things can be done in order to help prevent labeling theory from having negative effects on people whove broken the law. First of all if the court atmosphere could be avoided in situations where the crime were minor offenses or misdemeanors its possible that the offender would be able to avoid formal sentencing and the degradation ceremony that goes with it. In such cases rehabilitative therapy and out-of-court settlements would be preferable. The other possibility is that a formal ceremony which would cancel the stigma associated with the degradation ceremony could be held. Perhaps a court declaration or letter that the offender is hereby rehabilitated could be used after the offender has served his/her punishment (Broadhead, 1974). 
The social reactions theory is undoubtedly flawed in many ways, but it does provide some insight into how both formal and social audiences can have a negative effect on the criminal and increase the likelihood of repeat offenses. This theory has merit in that there is the potential for it to be incorporated into a larger, more inclusive, theory of criminology. 

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psychology today What Benefits Can Traveling Give

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Leisure traveling has many benefits. It is no wonder that many people love to travel. It is very common, nowadays, for people to just get away on a vacation trip any time. Some even consider traveling as part of their routine lifestyle. Perhaps, the reason for its popularity is becausemore people have come to realize the benefits of traveling. People from all walks of life, both young and old, enjoy traveling. Most of the younger travelers tend to seek for fun, discovery and adventure in their travels. They prefer to visit strange and exotic places. The older travelers, on the other hand, tend to look for a more pleasant and enjoyable trip. In fact, it was not too long ago that an increasing number of older people start to go for leisure trips more often. It could be that after spending a major part of their life working so hard, they feel that they need to enjoy the fruits of their labor. Leisure traveling becomes a treat they give to themselves for the years of hard work they had done.

Traveling provides tremendous opportunities for fun, adventure and discovery. When we visit places in other countries, we gain a better understanding of the people living there. We learn their cultures, history and background. We discover the similarities they have with us, as well as their differences from us. It is interesting to learn from people with diverse backgrounds.

Traveling helps to enrich our lives. It increases our knowledge and widens our perspective. When we visit interesting places, we discover and learn many things. We discover new people, surroundings, plants and animals. If we want to make our travels more exciting and challenging, we can choose to plan our own tour and select the specific places we want to visit. Traveling not only provides us fun and adventure, it also provides us marvelous insights and enlightens our minds.

Traveling is refreshing and revitalizing. It is a psychological necessity, especially for people who has stressful jobs. In this society nowadays, many people suffer tremendous stress at work. Relaxing at home during the weekends is insufficient for some to unwind. Taking periodic vacation trips reap better results for them. The vacation trip helps to recharge their batteries and enable them to handle better the stress they experience at work. After the break, they feel more energize to return to work. For many working adults, regular getaways help them sustain their energy and vitality they require for their work. Without these breaks, they may suffer the consequence of work burn out.

Traveling provide opportunities for us to share our happiness with our friends and family. When we travel with our friends and family, we create memories that would last a lifetime. It is indeed a joyful thing to share the experience of a special trip with those we love. Giving them a wonderful traveling experience far outweighs the benefit of buying presents for them. Goods have a limited life span, whereas memories last forever.

One benefit of traveling is that we can choose the kind of trip we would like to have. There is a wide variety of traveling options for us to select from. We are free to select the type, duration and cost of travel that suits our interest and budget. For example, we can choose a two-day cruise to a nearby island or a year-long trip round the world. We can also choose to stay in a cheap motel or a five-star hotel. Apart from these, we can choose to travel as an independent traveler or go on a group packaged tour. With the enormous variety of options, there is definitely a kind of vacation trip to meet every individual need.
Technology has made traveling cheaper, easier and faster. As the cost of flying is cheaper now than before, traveling have become more affordable to many people. Besides, flying to more distant places is made available now. Many places in the world are more accessible. Hence, we can choose to visit more places. Furthermore, it is faster to get to a place now than before. Thus, we should make use of the opportunities technology has made available for us. We should venture forth and discover for ourselves the places that we can only read about in the past.

If you are able to be away from work, can afford to travel to the place you hope to visit, then you should take a vacation trip now and not later. You can learn from your traveling experience more than you can imagine. Many times, you will make discoveries you can never think of. Be prepared for abundant surprises!

For more information on traveling, please visit: 
http://www.internetbizcenter.com/travel/index.htm
============================
Rose Mary
Freelance Writer in Various Interest Topics
For more information on traveling, please visit Mega Travel Website at:
http://www.internetbizcenter.com/travel/index.htm

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psychology today Facts About Laziness

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Can you acknowledge how many times in the past year you have openly told yourself, "from now on, I start working out every day so that I can get in shape, lose some weight, and look better?" Now, think of how many times you actually made this happen? I am almost sure that you have not had a serious reason for not starting to exercise, you were either lazy or tired, am I right? The truth is that laziness and tiredness are the top two opponents of fitness.

Is it a sin to be lazy?
I believe that there is not a single person in the world who would honestly say that he/she has never been lazy. Even people whose whole lives are surrounded around sports tend to get lazy sometimes. It is simply in our nature to get sluggish, and honestly it is very hard to fight this feeling. However, it is reasonable if you get lazy once in a while but it is very irresponsible if you let it become your lifestyle.

Many years ago in Christianity laziness was viewed as one of the top seven deadly sins. Although over time the nature of this concept has overcome a big change, today it is still perceived negatively. Psychology defines laziness as a mental problem, medicine as a medical condition, and biology defines it as an instinctively behavior of saving energy.The only positive effect that comes out of laziness is that we can relax by doing nothing. Relaxing is a great feeling but we do not want to make it a constant daily routine.

What causes laziness?
The major cause of laziness is the excessive consumption of carbohydrates. On one hand, if you consume a big quantity of carbohydrates at once you would start feeling lazy and sleepy. If you get used to consuming a lot of them on a daily basis this would lead to a permanent unwillingness for your body to move. On the other hand, if you do not consume enough nutritional products you would cause a delay in your metabolism which would also result in a lazy behavior.

Active athletes, who overestimate their physical abilities, suffer from laziness, caused by lack of proteins. When this is combined with overtraining they tend to get into the so called "sports depression" (frequent and painful muscle pain). That is the reason why you really have to watch what you eat. Never eat too much but never skip meals as well. Eating various nutritional products on a daily basis is the key to success.

Laziness or exhaustion?
It happens often that laziness is confused with the symptoms of exhaustion. The laziness you could experience after being sick for a couple of days, after a lot of exercising, or because of a stressful situation at work, are all classic symptom of exhaustion but not of laziness. The best cure for all the situation above is to relax until you start feeling better.

The victims of fatigue
Fatigue is a mental or a physical exhaustion. Although its main cause is the lack of sleep, sleepiness is just one of the symptoms for this condition. Other reasons are: headache, general weakness, muscle pain, difficulty concentrating, slowed reflexes, and irritability. Tired people lose track of the level of their exhaustion and do not realize that if they do not take any action their condition will get even worse.

Fitness against laziness and exhaustion
It is a widespread myth that if one wants to be healthy, get in shape and lose some weight, one has to exercise a lot. As a result of this belief people started looking at fitness as a job that would only make sense if practiced to a level of exhaustion. If you start exercising to exhaustion, what do you think will happen? You will for sure overtrain. Now, the emphasis of exercising is placed on the physical activity, rather than on its intensity. It is proven that even light exercising, if done in the correct way, can definitely get you in shape and make you look better.

Remember that regular exercising reduces stress, increases your energy level, helps you sleep better at night, and keeps your body and mind in good shape.

Now, lets get started and achieve the body shape you have been dreaming about.
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My name is Gergana Ganeva and I am the owner of a website called Healthy Body Exercises. I have been involved with sports for 18 years now. A few years ago I ended my professional and college career as tennis player and since then I have been working with people who want to
lose weight the healthy way.
My main goal is to provide you with all the knowledge on how to stay healthy and lose the extra weight the healthy way

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psychology Psychiatry in Hilton Head S C Get Help without Shame Today

How does a person know when they or someone they love should be getting psychiatric care? There are still many stigmas attached by society on someone who has to be evaluated for a mental condition. There can be a great misunderstanding of this type of treatment. Receiving necessary treatment from a medical professional for any condition should never be shameful or guilt ridden, including having to see a psychiatrist.

Mental Health Check Ups Are Important

The medical profession has established a series of questions that relate to symptoms of various mood disorders and depression so people can get the help they need. Often, people may think that they are feeling bored or listless when they are, in fact, depressed. Taking inventory of certain behaviors may signal a need to seek the services of a professional for an evaluation.

Having a healthy state of mind is part of the total package of a well-rounded human being. All humans rely on their brains to control every function of the body. Keeping this control center in perfect operating order sometimes needs a mechanic in the form of a mental health professional. Its really that simple and should have no negative stigma attached.

There is No Shame in Needing the Services of a Psychiatrist

Many highly intelligent and functional human beings are benefiting from regular visits to a mental health professional. Although psychiatry does treat those with severe mental disorders, it has also helped many people recover from depression, bulimia, anorexia, mood swings, nightmares, alcoholism, sleeping disorders and many other types of debilitating health issues.

What Psychiatric Services Offer People

Psychiatrists are highly educated professionals, who understand the mind and body connection. Mental health services are geared to discover and treat mental conditions that can affect cognitive function, physical health, or that interfere with living normally in society. They can also be as simple as counseling and support.

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor that can diagnose, treat and prescribe medication. There is no need to suffer in silence and hide in shame with a mental or emotional issue. Visiting a mental health establishment is a healthy thing to do. There are several reputable practices that specialize in psychiatry in Hilton Head, SC.

As more people begin to understand the importance of mental fitness as a normal part of overall human health, there will be less stigma attached to having to visit a psychiatric practice anywhere in South Carolina

If you are interested in find psychiatrists in hilton head sc, be sure to visit http://www.lifescript.com/doctor-directory/index.aspx.

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