Infants from rural families tend to display negative emotions such as anger and frustration more frequently than their urban counterparts, according to a recent study in the Journal of Community Psychology.

Babies born in big cities, on the other hand, typically are less fussy and not as bothered by limits set by their caregivers.

The study, led by Washington State University psychologist Maria Gartstein and WSU graduate student Alyssa Neumann, examines differences in infant temperament, parent-child interactions and parenting stress between families of similar socioeconomic and racial composition in the Inland Northwest and the San Francisco Bay area.

The researchers found urban moms tend to be better at picking up on when their babies wanted or needed something, or were ready to be done with play, and responding accordingly. This in turn could have led to their infants generally being calmer and “This in turn could have led to their infants generally being calmer and less easily upset. Rural moms reported more frequent expressions of negative emotions from their infants, particularly when they were distressed due to limitations.

The results of Gartstein and Neumann’s work in many ways reflect the findings of previous research investigating differences in child-rearing practices between urban and rural families. However, unlike past studies, which have looked at the effects of living in an urban vs. rural environment on older children, Gartstein and Neumann’s analysis specifically focuses on infants.

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Hindustan Times

Someone’s watching you. Or are they? Is your neighbor taking the trash out or trying to get a glimpse in your open door? And is the mail carrier just dropping off bills and letters, or are they snooping into your private correspondence?

While cannabis is supposed to help you chill out, loosen up, and sleep really well, it can also make some consumers anxious and nervous. Many people use marijuana every day without negative effects, and some even experience some mental and physical health benefits, but in some cases it can make others certain someone is after them.

“Yes there is evidence that cannabis, particularly acute cannabis intoxication, can cause paranoia,” said Dr. Carrie Cuttler, an assistant professor in the psychology department at Washington State University.

“In a recent (unpublished) study of college students we found that approximately 50% reported experiencing paranoia at least once when intoxicated on cannabis and that they reported experiencing paranoia on approximately 25% of cannabis use sessions,” she wrote in an email.

While researchers still aren’t exactly clear on how marijuana causes paranoia, it appears to be related to THC’s effect on receptors in the brain and is – literally – all in your head.

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The Spokesman Review

Teaching Psychology 230 – Human Sexuality – at Washington State University Pullman puts Blythe Duell in front of up to 500 undergraduate students each class session.

Duell, who is a clinical associate professor, wanted to be certain she was doing everything in her power to ensure that students were engaged and getting as much as they could out of the class. Her participation in WSU’s LIFT Faculty Fellowship gave her the tools to do it.

One of her first goals was to show her students that they weren’t alone in struggling at times. She had each student in her PSYCH 201 class write down a time they struggled and how they overcame it, and then shared the results.

“There’s some evidence that shows that if students understand other people are struggling, that they’ll feel more comfortable, and it’s easier to learn in an environment where you feel comfortable,” she said. “This can be especially important for first generation students and students who feel out of place in a college setting.”

The LIFT fellowship, which is currently accepting applicants to join its fourth cohort, teaches a variety of evidence-based teaching interventions. Previous research has shown that these interventions improve student engagement and learning, decrease course withdrawal and fail rates, and boost student retention.

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