ISL WEEK 4 : Identify and compare the tenses used in the text provided.

The Beauty of First Impressions http://brainblogger.com/2011/01/24/the-beauty-of-first-impressions/ By Jennifer Gibson, PharmD | Editor Shaheen E Lakhan | Oscar Wilde once claimed , It is better to be beautiful than good, but it is better to be good than ugly. This may be most true when meeting new people. Researchers in British Columbia suggest that beautiful people make better first impressions. In the study, people more accurately described and had a more positive impression of attractive people than those who were less attractive. Likely, people pay attention to other people whom they believe are more attractive. This previously reported halo effect is a phenomenon in which people who are physically attractive are also thought to be smarter, friendlier and more competent than less attractive peers.

The current study, published Psychological Science involved 75 men and women who were instructed to have three-minute one-on-one conversations with people they had never met before. Afterwards, the participants rated each other on their level of attractiveness, as well as five personality traits: openness, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness and neuroticism. Each participant also rated him- or herself on the same characteristics.

Overall, participants reported a generally more favorable impression of people they ranked as more attractive; that is, attractive people were seen as having more desirable personality profiles than less attractive people. Additionally, participants more accurately described the personality characteristics of the more attractive subjects, compared to less attractive counterparts; specifically, attractive people were viewed more in line with their self-reported characteristics than less attractive people. The authors believe that this tendency towards beautiful first impressions is owed to people paying closer attention to others they find attractive. Many factors, even gender and brain mechanisms, motivate first impressions, and peoples desire to bond with beautiful people influences the attention they pay to those they find attractive. This may be due to romantic interest, a wish to be friends, curiosity, or a desire to elevate ones own social standing. And increased motivation leads to more accurate first impressions.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and the study only evaluates the subjective reports of attractiveness and personality characteristics. By judging others perceptions compared to what beautiful people believed about themselves only means that beautiful people are better at conveying what they want others to believe about them . Attractiveness is a complex trait that cannot be accurately defined in three minutes. But, as the authors report, people do judge books by their covers, and books with attractive covers are read more closely than other books.

Yellow=simple past tense Green=simple present tense Purple=past perfect

Strike a Pose to Reduce Anxiety http://brainblogger.com/2011/02/08/strike-a-pose-to-reduce-anxiety/ By Jennifer Gibson, PharmD | Editor Shaheen E Lakhan

Yoga is a practice almost as old as time itself. It combines mental and physical elements that people today use to enhance spirituality, exercise, decrease stress, and

increase well-being. While many practitioners of yoga seem almost mystical and more philosophical than the average bear, a new study proves that you need not be a yogi to achieve the anti-anxiety benefits of yoga.

Research published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine reports that practicing yoga postures increased the levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain. (GABA is a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system that is responsible for reduced anxiety, increased relaxation, and enhanced muscle tone.) In this study, healthy subjects with no significant physical or psychiatric illnesses or conditions participated in 60-minute yoga sessions 3 times weekly for 12 weeks. Alternatively, a comparison group participated in a metabolically matched walking program for the same length of time. Subjective mood and anxiety measurements were recorded, and magnetic resonance spectroscopy scans were completed at baseline and at 12 weeks.

Overall, yoga participants experienced greater improvement in mood and decrease in anxiety, compared to the walking group. More objectively, yoga participants showed increased levels of GABA in the brain. Positive correlations were observed between improved mood and decreased anxiety and GABA levels. This appears to be the first time that long-term behavioral interventions have produced increased GABA levels. (A similar pilot study showed that a single yoga session increased GABA levels.) Pharmacological agents are frequently used to increase GABA activity in order to reduce anxiety and improve mood. Yoga, in contrast to pharmacological agents, carries almost no risk of adverse consequences and costs very little, if anything, to practice.

In addition to decreasing anxiety, yoga and other mindfulness-based techniques improve stress, depression, overall well-being, neuroticism, eating habits, energy levels, and pain. Yoga has been prescribed for arthritis and other joint and muscle disorders, with strikingly positive benefits. Yoga also promotes immune function, weight loss, decreased heart rate and blood pressure, and muscle strength. Yoga has even been shown to decrease premature delivery when practiced by women during pregnancy. While other forms of exercise bring about the same benefits, yoga has shown more robust benefits than other activities.

With seemingly all the benefits and none of the risks, yoga should be explored as part of a treatment plan for individuals with mood and anxiety disorders. Or, for anyone wishing to improve well-being. So, grab a yoga mat and strike a pose. Namaste.

Yellow=simple past tense Purple=past perfect Green = simple present tense Turquoise= present perfect Red=present perfect continuous