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Index
Contents
Quick Content Guide
Preface
Part One. Forming a Foundation: The Context for Using Your Owner’s Manual
1 Getting Started: A Framework for Exploring Mind-Brain Concepts
The Mind-Brain Dichotomy
Human or Animal: What’s the Difference?
What Is the Mind-Brain?
The Core Principles of Cognitive Science
The Nature-Nurture Debate: The Pendulum Swings
The Neuroplasticity Debate: What Are the Limits on Rewiring the Brain?
2 Brain Basics: A Refresher Course in Hardware and Hormones
Two Key Features of the Brain: RAS and the Gap
Neurotransmitters: The Alphabet of Personality
The Two Sides of the Brain
Brain Waves and Conscious States
The Use of Animals in Human Research
The (Relatively) New Kid on the Block: Mirror Neurons
The Scientific Method: A Warning
The Caveat Box
3 The Trouble with Drugs: Of Crutches and Cures
3.1 The Importance of Overall Health
3.2 Whole Medicine: Biology, Sociology, and Psychology
3.3 The Politics and Business of Pharmaceuticals
3.4 Prescription Drugs and Their Side Effects
3.5 The Effects of Chemicals on the Elderly
3.6 Brain Nutrient Drugs
A Note on Ethnicity and Drug Effectiveness
Part Two. From the Cradle to the Grave . . . with a Turbulent Stop at Adolescence
4 Starting Well: Windows of Opportunity
4.1 The Pregnant Brain: An Up-Front Note to Moms and Dads
4.2 Effects of Various Agents on the Embryo
4.3 Prenatal Learning and Development
4.4 Temperament and the Prediction of Adult Personality
4.5 Breastfeeding
4.6 The Critical Early Years (Ages 1–3)
4.7 Prematurity—A Whine Before Its Time . . .
4.8 Irreversible Damage (Age 8)
4.9 Adverse Conditions and the Resilient Child
4.10 Memory in Early Childhood (Infancy to Ages 7–10)
4.11 Infants and Sleep
4.12 Different Strokes for Different Effects
5 The Tumultuous Teens: Understanding the Adolescent Brain
5.1 The Pre-Puberty Neuronal Explosion
5.2 Processing Instructions with Emotion
5.3 Memory vs. Musing as a Basis for Decision Making
5.4 Teenage Circadian Rhythm and School Start Time
5.5 Self-Destructive Behavior: Alcohol, Pregnancy, Drugs
5.6 Harris on the Role of the Salient Peer Group
5.7 A Win-Win Approach to Discipline
5.8 Depression During the Teens
6 Finishing Well: Use It or Lose It
6.1 General Effects of Aging
6.2 Old Age and Mental Ability
6.3 Control, Social Capital, and Optimism
6.4 Diet and Aging
6.5 Exercise and Aging
6.6 Combining Diet and Exercise
6.7 Night Vision
6.8 Memory and Aging
6.9 Driving over 65 (Years, Not Miles per Hour!)
6.10 Sex and Longevity
6.11 Sleep and Aging
A Final Word on Aging Gracefully
7 The Brain Gone Awry: When Your Lobes Get Sick
Neurobehavioral Disorders
Treatment Alternatives
A Note on Placebos
7.1 Genetics and Disease
7.2 The Immune System and Psychoneuroimmunology
7.3 Caring for Caregivers
7.4 Cousins: The Four Ingredients of Hardiness
7.5 Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia
7.6 Anxiety: A Family of Disorders
7.7 Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
7.8 The Autism Spectrum
7.9 Depression
7.10 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
7.11 Stroke (Brain Attack)
8 Sex Differences: How the Brains of Females and Males Differ
8.1 Physical Differences in the Sexes from the Outset
8.2 Gender Medicine
8.3 The Math-Verbal Controversy
8.4 Vision
8.5 Space
8.6 The Effect of Odors on Females
8.7 Gender Differences in Taste
8.8 Automatization
A Final Word on Sex and Gender
9 Social Neuroscience: Human Interaction and Connecting Minds
9.1 Empathy and Mirror Neurons
9.2 The Bright Side of Being Social: Happiness and Altruism
9.3 A Quick Trip Through the Social Emotions
9.4 Social Connection Trumps Social Isolation
9.5 The Political Brain
9.6 The Ethics of Reciprocity: Are We Wired to Treat Others as We Want to Be Treated?
9.7 Social Rewards
9.8 Social Resilience
9.9 Social Contagion and Social Network Behavior
Part Three. Wellness: Getting the Most Out of Every Day
10 Brain Wellness: Habits that Lead to Optimum Brain Performance
10.1 Maintenance Requirements
10.2 Roundup of Memory Boosters
10.3 Cell Phones
10.4 How to Formulate Effective Goals
10.5 Multitasking—Not!
10.6 Time Out!
10.7 Negative Ions
10.8 Natural Sunlight and the Color Rendering Index (CRI)
10.9 The Effect of Color
10.10 The Effect of Sound on Concentration
10.11 The Effect of Noise
10.12 The Effect of Odors and Sense of Smell
10.13 Cognitive Enhancement, or Brain Training
11 Music . . . as a Means and as an End
11.1 Learning Music
11.2 Musical Training and Spatial Ability: The Mozart Effect
11.3 When Music Interferes with Learning
11.4 Music and Mathematical Ability
11.5 Music and the Injured Brain
11.6 The Effect of Music on Mood
11.7 Music and Personality
11.8 Music as Psychotherapy
12 Powders and Elixirs: Mind-Altering Agents
12.1 Alcohol
12.2 Aspirin
12.3 Caffeine
12.4 Cocaine
12.5 Ecstasy
12.6 Marijuana
12.7 Nicotine
12.8 Addictions
13 Humoring the Mind: Laughter as Free (or Cheap) Medicine
13.1 The Structure of Humor
13.2 The Comedic Personality
13.3 Humor and the Immune System
13.4 Humor and Gender
14 Nourishment: Food for the Body, Fuel for the Brain
14.1 Appetite Control
14.2 Metabolism
14.3 Eating Disorders
14.4 Additives
14.5 Breakfast
14.6 Chocolate
14.7 Fat
14.8 Mood: The Role of Carbohydrates, Proteins, Fats, and Sugars
14.9 Omega-3 Fatty Acids
14.10 Peak Physical Performance
14.11 Sodium
14.12 Taste
14.13 Taste Buds
14.14 Undernourishment and Performance
14.15 Violence and Sugar
14.16 Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies
15 Love and Romance: The Wiring Is the Name of the Game
15.1 Sexual Identity: How We See Ourselves
15.2 Sexual Orientation: To Whom We Are Attracted
15.3 Sexual Role: Our Everyday Behavior
15.4 The Ideal Mate: Factors Influencing Partner Selection
15.5 Lust, Romance, and Attachment: An Overview
15.6 Lust: The Neurochemistry of the One-Night Stand
15.7 Romance: The Neurochemistry of Consuming Adoration
15.8 Attachment: The Neurochemistry of the Long-Haul Relationship
15.9 Maintaining Relationships
15.10 Handling Rejection
15.11 Jealousy
15.12 Affairs
15.13 The Effects of Marital Discord
15.14 Sexual Fantasies
15.15 Orgasm
15.16 Personality Traits and Sexual Behavior
15.17 Inbreeding
16 A Good Night’s Sleep: Cycles, Naps, Dreams, and Nightmares
16.1 The Sleep Cycle
16.2 The Purpose and Benefits of Sleep
16.3 The Circadian Rhythm
16.4 Time Zone Changes
16.5 Sleep and Exercise
16.6 Sleep and Diet
16.7 Sleep and Weight
16.8 The Effect of Odors on Sleep
16.9 The Effects of Sleep Deprivation
16.10 Sleep and Medication
16.11 Naps
16.12 Naps at Work
16.13 Shift Work
16.14 Dreams
16.15 Nightmares
16.16 Sleep Differences Between the Sexes
16.17 Getting Back to Sleep
16.18 Stability in Sleep Patterns
16.19 If You Don’t Want to Sleep!
16.20 Apnea and Restless Legs
A Final Word on Sleep
17 Pain: God’s Big Joke?
What Is Pain?
17.1 Causes of Pain
17.2 How to Describe Pain
17.3 Common Treatments:Drugs, Nature, and the Mind
17.4 Pain and Diet
17.5 Pain and Rhythmicity—Of Diet, Sleep, Body Function, and Other Routines
17.6 Headaches
18 The Body Cognitive: The Effects of Exercise
18.1 Exercise as Brain Fuel
18.2 Aerobic Activity
18.3 The Importance of Choice
18.4 Altering Mood and Cravings
18.5 Extreme Exercise and Overtraining
18.6 Concussions and Contact Sports: Soccer Headers, Football Collisions, and Other Sources of Unintended Consequences
18.7 Peak Athletic Performance
19 Woofers, Bleaters, and Mewers: The Neuroscience of Pets and Other Animals
19.1 Animals Have Personalities, Both Natural and Acquired
19.2 But Do They Have Consciousness? (Yes!)
19.3 Veganism and Animal Rights
19.4 Perception of Details versus Schemas and the Big Picture: The Autism Connection
19.5 Animal and Autism Endorphin Levels and the Survival Value of Fear
19.6 Programs for the Study of Animal Neuroscience
19.7 Indoor Stimulation
Part Four. Learning: The Brain as Student
20 How We Learn: Acquiring and Remembering Information
The Mechanics of Memory
Defining Memory
A Note on Genetics and Learning
20.1 The Three Stages of Memory Formation
20.2 Memory Slip-Ups as a Two-Edged Sword
20.3 The Two Kinds of Memory Chunks
20.4 An Overview of the Three Strategies for Learning and Remembering
Strategies for How We Might Intend to Learn
20.5 Advance Organizers
20.6 Atmosphere
20.7 Developing Prestige
20.8 Focus and Attention
20.9 Follow-Up
20.10 Positive Expectations
20.11 Rapport
20.12 Relaxation
20.13 Richness
20.14 Stereotypes and Performance
20.15 Strategies for Studying
20.16 Transfer: Applying Classroom Ideas to the Real World
20.17 Two Modes of Processing Information
Strategies for How We Might Organize for Learning
20.18 Breaks
20.19 Chunking
20.20 Control
20.21 How Personality Traits Do and Do Not Support Different Kinds of Learning
20.22 Incubation
20.23 Memory and Emotion
20.24 Modalities
20.25 Schemas
20.26 Spacing
20.27 The Development of Critical Thinking from Grade School Through University
20.28 What Makes Good Textbooks?
Strategies for How We Might Practice What We’ve Learned
20.29 Habituation
20.30 Handle It!
20.31 Peer Feedback
20.32 Practice for Simple Mastery
20.33 Practice for Expert Performance
20.34 Self-Explanation
20.35 State Dependence
20.36 Testing as a Learning Process
20.37 Visualization
Some Myths About Learning
A Final Word on the Role of the Teacher
21 Giftedness: Letting the Genius Out of the Bottle
21.1 Recognizing Giftedness
21.2 Supplementing the Curriculum for Gifted Children
21.3 Changing the System of Education for Gifted Children
21.4 Genius in Adults
Giftedness, Adulthood, and Eminence
22 Building Babel: Acquiring and Developing Language
22.1 How Language Grows Up
22.2 Dyslexia
22.3 Handedness
22.4 The Case for a Universal Grammar
22.5 Teaching Reading
22.6 “Speed” Reading
22.7 Writer’s Block
22.8 Language and Mood
22.9 Language and Memory
22.10 Neuronal Commitment and Later Language Learning
22.11 Learning a Foreign Language
23 Learning Mathematics: Inborn Talent Is Just Part of the Equation
23.1 The Importance of Early Experience in Establishing Basic Math Concepts
23.2 The Traditional Girl and Her Readiness Issues
23.3 It’s Never Too Late: A Course for Math Haters/Phobes
23.4 The Role of Culture: The U.S.A. and Sweden Have Company
23.5 The Asian Advantage: How Some Languages, Plus Hard Work, Support Math Learning
23.6 The Largest Obstacle: Poor Teaching-Learning Environment
23.7 Dyscalculia: The Learning Disability for Numbers
Part Five. Creativity and Problem Solving: Making Mountains Out of Hills
24 Getting to New You: The Psychobiology of Creativity
24.1 The Creative Act
24.2 The Psychology of the Creative Personality
24.3 The Biology of the Creative Personality
24.4 The Four Stages of the Creative Process
24.5 Creative Giants
24.6 Creativity and Madness
24.7 Assessing for Creativity
25 Chipping Off the Old Block: Removing Barriers to Creativity
25.1 General Principles for Developing Creativity
25.2 Obstacles to Creativity
25.3 The Persistence of the Past in Present Creative Acts
25.4 Increments vs. Leaps
25.5 The Influence of Social Networks on Creativity
25.6 Hypnosis and Creativity
25.7 Epstein on Barriers to Creativity
25.8 Using Synesthesia to Move from the Humdrum to the Creative
26 Creating Leverage: Brain-Based Decision Making
26.1 Styles for Approaching Problems
26.2 Types of Problems
26.3 Describing the Problem
26.4 Reaching Solutions: Algorithms and Heuristics
26.5 Games and Problem-Solving Ability
26.6 Sleep, Relaxation, and Problem Solving
26.7 Trust the Experts
26.8 Appreciative Inquiry vs. Problem Solving
26.9 How to Select the Right Technique
26.10 Loss Aversion
26.11 Maximizers and Satisficers
26.12 Decision Fatigue
26.13 Is More Choice Better?
Some Final Thoughts on Brain-Based Decision Making
27 Neuromarketing: Brain-Based Selling and Influencing
27.1 Celebrities Sell
27.2 Framing the Purchase Choices
27.3 Hyperbolic Discounting
27.4 Turning It Upside Down: When We Are the Marketers
27.5 The Power of Free/Zero
27.6 The Single Best Persuasion Technique
28 Forensic Neuroscience: Brains, Free Will, and Legal Responsibility
28.1 A Caution About Memory’s Unreliability
28.2 Witness Management
28.3 Detection of Lying and Deception
28.4 Reading Another’s Brain to Predict Behavior
28.5 Real vs. Imagined Memories
28.6 Neuroethics and Forensics
Part Six. Putting It All Together: How We Differ and What Makes Us Tick
29 Getting Smart about IQ: The Many Ways to Be Intelligent
29.1 The Heritability of Intelligence
29.2 How Environment Shapes Intelligence
29.3 Process Tools: Sternberg’s Triarchic Model of Intelligence
29.4 Content Talents: Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences (MI)
29.5 Structural Definitions of Intelligence
29.6 Intelligence and the Time Span of Work
Some Final Thoughts on Intelligence
30 The Big Five: At Last, a Universal Language for Personality Traits
A Warning About Using Labels
The Equalizer Model of Personality
A History of Temperament Theory
30.1 The Inherited Basis of Personality Traits
30.2 The Big Five
30.3 The Physical Basis of Personality
30.4 Personality Changes over Time
30.5 Sex Differences in the Big Five
30.6 Relationships vs. Self-Development
30.7 Can You Change Your Personality?
31 EQ, Call Home: Getting Savvy about Your Emotional Side
31.1 A Model for Emotions
31.2 The Appraisal Filter: What Triggers Emotions
31.3 Emotions’ Home: The Body as Catalyst
31.4 Coping Mechanisms
31.5 The Behavioral Approach to Emotions
31.6 The Biological Approach to Emotions
31.7 EQ vs. IQ
31.8 Emotions vs. Moods
32 Violence and Aggression: Running Hot and Cold in a Global Society
32.1 The Origins of Violence
32.2 Violence as Bad Chemistry
32.3 The Role of Peers in Shaping Violence
32.4 Violence in Schools
32.5 Television Watching and Video Gaming
33 Stress and Burnout: The Unrelenting Fire Alarm
33.1 The Anatomy of Stress
33.2 Stress and Arousal
33.3 Type A Research
33.4 Burnout: Maximum Demotivation
33.5 Trait Dissonance
33.6 Stress and Evolution
33.7 Stress Doesn’t Affect Everyone in the Same Way
34 Happiness: The False God
If I’m Not Naturally Happy, What’s in It (i.e., Life) for Me?
34.1 Flow: Total Absorption in the Task at Hand
34.2 Fit: Work That Builds on Your Strengths
34.3 Goal Progress: En Route to Personally Meaningful Goals
34.4 Relationships: Friends for Fellowship and Intimacy
34.5 Altruism: Service to Others
34.6 A Word About Pleasure: Finding Flavor
34.7 Optimism vs. Helplessness
34.8 Human Resource Optimization
A Reminder: Happiness Is Not a Goal
Part Seven. Closing with a Prayer: A Peek at States of Consciousness
35 States of Consciousness: Phases of the Mind 913
35.1 What Is Consciousness?
35.2 In and Out of Flow
35.3 Free Will
35.4 Hypnosis
35.5 The God Module
35.6 The Efficacy of Prayer
35.7 Ontology: How We Fit into the Cosmos
36 Updating Your Owner’s Manual: The Continuing Search for New Mind-Body Applications
Appendices
A The Brain Illustrated
B Sex and Gender Differences
C Evaluating Your Learning Practices
D Brainstorming
E Brainwriting
F Big Five Feedback Form
G Developing the Five Dimensions
H Compensating for the Five Dimensions
I Rapport and Influence Strategies
J Evaluating the Intelligence of a Job Candidate
K Personal Checklist for Intelligent Behaviors
L My Shapers: A Personality Infrastructure Template
Definitions
Bibliography: Books, Journals, and Other Resources
Index
Reader Participation Card
About CentACS: The Center for Applied Cognitive Studies
The Author
Praise for The Owner’s Manual for the Brain
Credits
Copyright
About the Publisher
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