Trav Cowan

The one book I can remember specifically reading in high-school was The Canterbury Tales with complicated prose and complex word choice. While those in my class yawned with no urge to read, I surprisingly latched onto the book. What I found interesting to read (especially The Wife of Bath’s Tale) my classmates saw as just another tedious assignment. My classmates could be considered alliterate. Not to be confused with illiterate (unable to read or write), alliterate can best be described as being able to read but unwilling. A person can be alliterate for a plethora of reasons but for the sake of this article, I will focus on how motivation is a big impact.

One big reason why a person might be alliterate can be because the topic of the book is uninteresting. I myself have read a book before where closing my eyes seemed to be the best choice. I did not have a goal for the reading, which in-turn meant I had no motivation to read. The example of having no motivation to read is a relatable experience for most and can be especially seen in children in contemporary times who frown at the idea of reading. While others may think children don’t read because they can’t, the problem isn’t their cognitive ability but rather their motivation: the will to read. Knowing that where there is a will, there is a way, what motivates people to read and how can we best motivate others to read?

There has been research that has narrowed reading motivation down to the two factors of reading attitude or reading interest. Although attitude and interest can play a big part in reading motivation, they do not paint the whole picture of what motivates people to read. The 3 governing factors for the motivation to read include competence & efficacy beliefs, goals for reading, and social purposes of reading. An example of this can be seen in motivated readers. They believe they are good readers because of an understanding of the subject, enjoy being challenged in their reading if its a topic of interest, appreciate being recognized for their reading and they enjoy talking with their friends about what they read.

If you are wondering how to nurture motivated and engaged readers, there are a few pointers you can try. The first recommended pointer is to be an explicit reading model yourself. Others learn from seeing but going even further to discuss reading with students/community members and demonstrating how reading can make a difference in life can help to motivate to read. Another point one can try is to have a book rich environment. Just by having high-quality reading materials to encourage others to read in proximity can help to motivate a person to read. Tying into the previous point, giving multiples choices on what can be read can help to encourage a person to read. Just by being given then option to read one simply starts to enjoy reading more. If the person sees reading as a type of social reward (reading the same book as friends to have a common topic) this can help to give an extrinsic boost to reading motivation

If you would like to read more on the topic of what motivates people to read, please try a search on our database list here, using key words such as “motivation to read”, “Linda Gambrell”, and more.

Edited by- Ash Hermosillo

Reference

Tilley, Carol L. “Reading Motivation and Engagement.” School Library Monthly, vol. 26, no. 4, Dec. 2009, pp. 39-42. EBSCOhost, research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=c88f2493-206a-3113-932f-5eef69720f15.

So many people listen to music but how many of those listening understand the benefits behind music? I would argue that off the top of our heads, not many could list the psychological/mental and physical benefits that come from music. 

 For example, did you know that music helps with anxiety and stress? If a person plays a slower tempo song, they can quiet their mind and even relax their muscles. This comes from the music’s effect of lowering cortisol (stress hormone) levels. Music also helps to improve sleep quality, even aiding those with insomnia. Not only can music help a person sleep, but music can also be versatile, working vice-versa by helping a person wake up with the added placebo effect of setting the tone for their day. 

The benefits don’t just end there. Make sure to not forget your headphones at home when going to the gym because the benefits can also be seen there. By playing fast paced music, a person can exert themselves more during a workout. With a certain tempo, one can also increase serotonin and endorphin levels in the body, providing a type of mood boost for a person, as can be read about in the article referenced below.

Some of the more common benefits of music includes boosting performance with cognitive tasks and helping with tasks involving memory, such as learning a language. There are even studies on how music therapy can help with cognitive impairments in older adults (ex- Alzheimer’s). The use of music in therapy (music therapy) can help with a variety of issues/situations such as: manage stress, alleviate pain, express feelings, boost memory, improve communication, and more.

If you would like to hear more about the benefits of music click here to see some results in out database.

Rock on! (Edited by Ash Hermosillo)

Reference

Speranza L, Pulcrano S, Perrone-Capano C, di Porzio U, Volpicelli F. Music affects functional brain connectivity and is effective in the treatment of neurological disorders. Rev Neurosci. 2022 Mar 24;33(7):789-801. doi: 10.1515/revneuro-2021-0135. PMID: 35325516.

“This will help you build character” is a saying I have heard non-stop from childhood. While this may be true for things like failing a test or going through a break up (what doesn’t kill you, only makes you stronger) the saying doesn’t apply to everything. Other use it as a joke but really how is your character/personality built and what are some aspects that influence personality.

One aspect that plays a big role in the forming of a personality is the idea of attachment theory. A term coined by John Bowlby that dictates a child’s relationship with their primary caregiver is important & critical for development. The relationship between the child and the Attachment Figure (AF) has a big hand in molding the child’s personality.

There are 4 attachment styles (up to date), each with their own differences. The different attachment styles and simple description are as follows: 

1. Secure- the child is close and has a great/open relationship with their AF 

2. Insecure/Avoidant- children usually avoid interaction with their AF and tend to avoid getting emotionally close. 

3. Insecure/Resistant- children have a hard time getting a sense of security from their AF, which in turn may cause them to have a hard time regulating their emotions. 

4. Insecure/Disorganized-disoriented- children don’t have a uniform/constant response to their AF. 

Attachment styles can affect you well into adulthood. Your style can also predict how you respond in your relationship and other social interactions. For example, if a person has an the avoidant attachment style, they are less likely to accept emotional intimacy. Whereas a person with a secure attachment style is more likely to feel comfortable expressing their emotions and accepting others emotions. There is also a correlation between your attachment style and confidence levels which in turn impacts mental health, learning and more. 

Studies even show that by looking at a child’s attachment style, teachers can predict future academic achievement. For example, a study found that those with a secure attachment style have better reading/pre-reading skills and an overly better outlook on reading, than insecurely attached children. The study also found that secure styled children have higher amounts of self-esteem. 

Attachment styles are not the only thing that impacts a persons personality/character and there can even be some overlapping between the different styles (ex- having traits from avoidant style & disorganized style). While the theory isn’t all encompassing , it can still help to bring awareness of just how important a bond between a child and their AF is.

If you’re interested in reading more about attachment theory/styles, do a quick search in one of our data bases here or check out books on the subject here.

(Edited by Ash Hermosillo)

With the changing times and the importance of mental health at the forefront of our minds, the significance of emotions and their impact on everyday life (work, school, relationships, etc.) is a noteworthy conversation to have. The best way to start that conversation is, of course, with Emotional Intelligence.

Emotional Intelligence is a term that wasn’t present in anything I was taught growing up, but the term is important in almost, I dare to say, every aspect of life, especially during contemporary times, with the importance of mental health being on everyone’s radar after COVID. Emotional Intelligence (EI for short) is defined as a set of skills that help to accurately name emotions you yourself or others might be feeling and being able to regulate said emotions in yourself/others.

Understanding EI from that definition is easier said than done but luckily, there is a more simple way to understand EI. EI is formed by four basic clusters which are as follows:

1.Identifying emotions in yourself and in others, through verbal/nonverbal means

2. Understanding how emotion vocabulary gets used, how emotions transition over time (How anger may lead to embarrassment/shame and how that leads to you making an impulsive choice

3. Emotional management which includes not only managing your own emotions but others

4. Using emotions in cognitive activities like solving a problem or making a decision

EI does not come naturally for some, and that is largely because EI is a skill. Like riding a bike is a skill, we learn, cultivate, and improve on our skills as we grow, and this is undoubtedly true for EI as we learn to listen to what our emotions are telling us. Emotions are information that helps us understand a situation we are in and how we perceive that situation. By processing the information and data provided by emotions, a person can make a better decision in a plethora of moments/situations and avoid acting impulsively.

EI is so important to understand in contemporary times because of the plethora of correlations one can make in regards to many subjects, mental health being a notable example. Those who have a good set of emotional intelligence skills are healthier, happier, and more productive. EI can also predict outcomes in school (how well you work in a group) and the workplace (whether you’ll get a promotion or how you handle situations). As seen in a study, those with EI skills can elicit information, and strangers even rated interactions with those having good EI skills as more pleasant.

With all that being said here is one exceptional way to, sooner than later, improve your emotional intelligence skills- extend your emotional vocabulary. By having emotional granularity (precise labeling of emotions) a person can have less serious bouts of anxiety and depression. In a 2015 review of emotional granularity those “who could differentiate their emotions while experiencing intense distress were less likely to engage in potentially harmful coping strategies.” (McCoy 28).

If you would like to find out more about EI and how to improve your EI skill check out our issue of Psychology Today (the specific issue this month is on Emotional Intelligence) and some of our audiobooks/books (such as Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman) in our collection about EI.

Brackett, Marc, McCoy, Katrina, . “The Art of Emotional Intelligence.” Psychology Today, Vol. 57. No.2, April 2024, pp. 26-30 

When I first adopted my cat, I was of the opinion like many that cats would be les social and more independent than dogs. While this may be true in some cases, this is a misconception, and I first noticed it when getting to know my own cat. In cat psychology (Yes, it is a real brand of psychology) one can see that when compared to dogs and infants, cats are not all that different. One aspect that has been studied to explain why a cat’s behavior is commonly seen as aloof/cold, while a dog is happier/caring is their sociability. 

“One of these studies was basically looking at the sociability of cats, and we ran basically the exact same experiment that had already been done with dogs and we look at how a cat reacts to a person, how long they’re going to spend near to them, and we saw that cats spent basically equivalent amounts of times with people as we saw with the dogs.” (Vitale, 2024, 2:35) 

The results between cats and dogs didn’t show any large discrepancies. There were cats that spent a lot of time near/with a person, while some fell in the middle and others spent no time at all with a person. These results were consistent in dogs, considering that all dogs are not hyper-social, contrary to popular belief.  

Through this study, people can see that the attachment a dog/cat portrays for their owner is the same type of attachment styles that infants portray for their caregiver. Another aspect that is important for those thinking of adopting a kitten is that there is a certain age period where socialization is important. If you want to help ease future social anxiety for your cat when being introduced to other animals or new people, you should try to introduce them to different social interactions (dogs, other cats, people) in-between two-to-eight weeks of age.  

Another fun fact about a cats sociability is their ability to be sensitive to social cues which in turn can cause them to mark socially important areas with their scent. This can be a reason why your cat, if like mine, continually scratches at your couch day after day.  

“cats like to scent mark around socially important areas. So, the couch is a perfect example. Everyone’s hanging out on the couch. There’s a lot of smells on the couch. So, the cat’s just trying to add their smell to this socially important area by scratching” (Vitale, 2024, 19:35) 

In case you’re wondering how to stop your cat from scratching at your couch, Vitale says to place a scratching post/cat tree in a socially important area, so your cat doesn’t feel left out. 

For more information on the psychology of cats please check out our databases and check out the particular podcast episode, Speaking of Psychology: “What’s going on inside your cat’s head? With Kristyn Vitale, PhD” 

Extra information from our own catalogue- Changes in sociability of shelter cats, Decoding Your Cat, and more!

Resources 

Mills, Kim, Host. Vitale, Kristyn, Researcher “What’s going on inside your cat’s head?”.” Speaking of Psychology, 275, American Psychological Association, February 2024, https://www.apa.org/news/podcasts/speaking-of-psychology/cat-human-bond.   

Happy National Library Week! 

With national library week finally upon us, some may wonder what National Library Week actually is. National Library Week is a yearly celebration that emphasizes the importance of libraries & their staff in their respective communities. Libraries have a plethora of resources that help build the community and they act as a central hub in the community connecting their members to the resources they may need, inspiring growth/change. While libraries have always been important, National Library Week wasn’t always a thing. Around the mid to late 1950’s, many people were spending less time reading and more time with radios, tvs, and other activities. To encourage more Americans to read, the ALA formed a nonprofit organization called the National Book Committee. One of their many plans involved National Library Week, which was a plan developed to encourage more people to read so libraries could have more support and see more use. The first National Library Week took place in 1958 and now we are celebrating the 65th anniversary of the event.

If you would like to read more about National Library Week, read here

To celebrate National Library Week, we at MVCC Library are having our very own 2nd “Hue-mongous” coloring event where students can color any number of pictures we have on display. Students can also donate a $1 that will go to the student scholarship fund and have their picture hung up in the library.

(Fun fact-  Coloring is known to relieve stress because of the way it calms the brain and relaxes the body. Because of that, coloring is know to improve sleep while helping with body aches, heart rate, and feelings of depression/anxiety)