Margaret Kim's blog

In 1976, two researchers by the names of Ellen Langer and Judith Rodin conducted an experiment to see what would happen if they changed levels of control among residents in a nursing home. Residents in one group were allowed to choose a houseplant, and were informed of several choices such as when to water their plant and how much to water their plant. They were asked when they would prefer to receive visitors, whether or not to watch the weekly movie, what to have for breakfast, and so on. Individuals in another group were told that a nurse would choose and care for a houseplant for each of them, and then instructed on what they could have for breakfast, when they could have visitors, and when to watch the weekly movie. After eighteen months, the researchers found that people in the first group, those who had exercised choice and control, scored higher on tests measuring activity and happiness compared to individuals in the second group. They also found that fewer people in the first group had died, compared to the second group. This is not the only study to suggest that the degree of personal responsibility we take for our actions can determine our health and degree of happiness. Read more

In 1965, a 17 year-old college student tried to set a world record for staying awake. During his quest he experienced the following symptoms: visual and auditory hallucinations, increased heart rate, low blood pressure, and psychosis. After 264 hours and 12 minutes (just over 11 days), he collapsed due to profound weakness. Thankfully, he made a full recovery after sleeping 14 hours and 40 minutes. Read more

When I was a little girl growing up, my parents frequently warned me against making mistakes. They believed that as long as I did things slowly and carefully, and learned from other people’s blunders, there was no need for mistakes to be made. Whenever I did screw up I was often chastised for not being careful enough, for not thinking things through, or for not listening closely enough when I was told about other people’s mistakes. I grew into an anxiety-ridden teenager, afraid of making even the tiniest mistake, and strove for perfection. Read more

With increasing frequency, children who show argumentative and disruptive behaviour are being labeled with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). According to Intercontinental Medical Statistics Inc., an estimated 1.57 million visits were made to Canadian physicians for ADHD in 2001, an increase of 20% from the year 1997. Drug treatment was prescribed in 64% of the cases, most commonly stimulant medication. In 2001, 856,200 prescriptions for Ritalin alone were dispensed by Canadian pharmacists, a 31% increase from 1997. Read more