Cognitive science as toolkit to better understand the nature of the human mind

Cognitive science can be a toolkit to better understand the nature of the human mind, why we do what we do and how we can do it better. The study of the human mind and its functions particularly looks at behaviour in a given context - why people act as they do and how is it possible to predicte behaviors.


It crosses fields such as Psychology (studying human mind and its functions particularly looking at behavior in a given context), Neuroscience (understanding the structure and functioning of the nervous system and human brain), Anthropology  (understanding humankind, human societies and cultures), Philosophy  (understanding the nature of knowledge, reality, human nature and existence), Linguistics (understanding the communication tools that enable speakers to communicate with each other, to express ideas, hypotheses, emotions, desires).

Visit the Cognitive Science Society website, that brings together researchers from around the world who hold a common goal: understanding the nature of the human mind. 
http://cognitivesciencesociety.org/index.html

The power of believing you can improve (By Carol Dweck)

Carol Dweck researches “growth mindset” — the idea that we can grow our brain's capacity to learn and to solve problems.

In this TED talk, she describes two ways to think about a problem that’s slightly too hard for you to solve. Are you not smart enough to solve it … or have you just not solved it yet?

A great introduction to this influential field.


https://www.ted.com/talks/carol_dweck_the_power_of_believing_that_you_can_improve

Embodiment; thoughts, feelings and behaviors grounded in the interaction of the body with the environment

Embodied cognition has become a topic of research in social and cognitive psychology having as base arguments for the theory that the motor system influences our cognition just as the mind influences our body actions.

An example is a study that showing that participants holding a pencil in their teeth and thus engaging their muscles in a smile, show to comprehend pleasant sentences faster than unpleasant ones. On the other hand, while holding a pencil between the nose and upper lip and thus engaging muscles in a shows the reverse effect. (Source: te uses deprecated parameters (help)Glenberg, A.; Havas, D.; Becker, R.; & Rinck, M. (2010) - Grounding language in bodily states: the case for emotion. )
 

An exciting hypothesis for this theory that cognition is embodied, when the most common definition refers to the straight-forward claim that the states of the body modify states of the case for emotion. (Source: Borghi, A. M.; Cimatti, F. (2010) - Embodied cognition and beyond: Acting and sensing the body. )

In such case, this theory becomes increasingly interested - embodiment based on the assumption that thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are grounded in bodily interaction with the environment. 

Antonio Damasio: The quest to understand consciousness

Antonio Damasio's research in neuroscience has shown that emotions play a central role in social cognition and decision-making. His work has had a major influence on current understanding of the neural systems, which underlie memory, language, consciousness.

“A mind is so closely shaped by the body and destined to serve it that only one mind could possibly arise in it. No body, never mind.” — Antonio Damasio in "The Feeling of What Happens"

Antonio Damasio: The quest to understand consciousness
https://www.ted.com/talks/antonio_damasio_the_quest_to_understand_consciousness

Mindsight, The New Science of Personal Transformation (book by Dr. Daniel Siegel)

Coaching is the partnership between coach and client  aimed at engaging in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires the client to maximise their personal and professional potential.

Put another way, the practice of coaching takes individuals on a process of personal discovery and development to enhance the individual’s capability and effectiveness within the context of their personal lives, professional lives, or both.

The way humans learn and how coaching can further enhance such learning processes can been seen around the bases of neuroscience. Daniel Siegel defines the mind as “the embodied and relational process that regulates the flow of energy and information”.  This means the mind uses the brain just as software uses hardware. This image from Siegel refers to the ‘brain’ in terms of the nervous system, nerves, tissuesand physiological components within the human body and to the ‘mind’ in terms of each individual process of cognition, interpretation, and action.

In the book Mindsight, The New Science of Personal Transformation, Dr. Daniel Siegel  describes the triangular relationship and interplay between mind, brain and our relationships in an in-depth exploration of the power of the mind to integrate the brain and promote well-being.

A deeper look available via
www.drdansiegel.com/books/mindsight/

 

Executive Presence... a must have!

Executive (or Leadership) Presence can be defined as an intangible quality that makes one person distinctive or attractive in such a way that make heads turn as they enter a room. Something makes people pay attention to every word and everybody on the audience wants "to be like this". 

So, is this some kind of talent you are born with, or can you develop your own irresistable presence?

Some say it takes only 30 seconds to make a first impression; if so, you better start to learn because it involves appearance, body language, posture, expression, voice, vocabular and whole lot more; good news is that any person can improve and learn how to increase impact and presence.

Appearance is usually the first filter and the way someone dresses plays an important role; this means that dressing properly is a part of your personal brand alongside with having strong communication skills. But is not just that; having leadership presence is about being adaptable and catering to each specific situation one finds itself.

Do not "mime" leaders you admire or fake it; you need to find a way of being authentic without changing who you are. It’s about broadening your repertoire on three main aspects of your executive presence: the assumptions that you bring to every situation, the communication skills that you use and the physical aspects of your presence.

Read more in this article from Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/on-leadership/wp/2013/07/01/how-to-develop-your-presence-as-a-leader/

Laughter; a powerful antidote

Humor is infectious and laughter is the best medicine - ever heard this?
­But laughter is not the same as humor; laughter is a physiological response to humor and is more than just a person's voice and movement. 

The understanding of how it affects the nervous system and rest of the body is study area of psychoneuroimmunology (combining methods and techniques of psychology, neuroscience and immunology) and the studies of the interactions between the brain and the immune system have shown evidences of how laughter relaxes the whole body (relieving physical tension and stress), boosts the immune system (decreasing stress hormones and increasing immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies), triggers the release of endorphins (promoting an overall sense of well-being and even temporarily relieve of pain) and protects the heart (improving the function of blood vessels and increasing blood flow).

Paul Macgee, a pioneer in humor and laughter research says "“Humor and laughter are powerful tools humans have to make daily mood and emotional state support good health.”  The psychological benefits seem to be quite amazing; people often store negative emotions, such as anger, sadness and fear, rather than expressing them and laughter provides a way for these emotions to be harmlessly released. Laughter seems to be cathartic and when is shared, it binds people together, increasing happiness and intimacy.

With so much power, seems that laughter can be a tremendous resource for surmounting problems, enhancing relationships, and supporting both physical and emotional health.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THSHCIyTX8k