#Behavioral Science

[themindfulmind]

Pavlov Memes 🛎️

[stone-cold-groove]

Your summer reading list: Family and Class Dynamics in Mental Illness. Jerome K. Myers - 1964.

[cissyenthusiast010155]

Memory Case ~Rita Calhoun xFem Smart!Wife!Reader

Summary— Some at-home fluff, Rita is working on her case that’s he’s taken home, while talking with her wife. Thoughts and conversations about memory ensue.

Mommy… Master List

Requests & Prompt-List

Warnings: all fluff, some science talk, talk of trauma, kissing, happy endings, etc.

Enjoy (;

It was the evening, and you and Rita had found a comfortable routine of doing your late night work at the dining table together, that way you two felt like you were still spending some time together as your jobs ate away your free time.

As you were nose deep into some paperwork, the sound of your name on the other woman’s tongue pulled your gaze up towards her.

“Mmmmm…?” You hum.

Rita paused for a moment, paper and pen in hand, tilting her head at something she was looking at. Your brows raised in curiosity.

“What’s up, babe?” You verbally asked.

“What’s the earliest memory you have…?” The brunette asked out of the blue, obviously having a train of thought behind her words, but having not yet revealed her thinking to you.

You thought about it for a moment, leaning back in your chair.

“Ummmmm… probably my childhood home… when I was around 2 to 3 years old… I remember the street I used to live on, and all the leaves falling because it was fall.” You replied.

Rita finally meets your gaze with a curious look on her face, her contemplation running deep.

“Huh. Interesting…” she commented, before scribbling something down on her notepad.

You put your things aside for a moment, your attention now grabbed.

“Why…?”

“I’ve been thinking about memory a lot recently…” she hummed, going back to her files.

You nodded along in intrigue.

“For a case?”

Rita took a prompt breath and nodded.

“What about it…?” You asked.

The woman then stopped what she was doing to collect her thoughts and meet your gaze once more.

“It’s correlation with how we process… how we remember certain things… how trauma can block certain memories…” She paused for a moment, “I’m thinking of using it as a defense…”

You nodded along, listening to the woman, as she went back to working.

“What do you know about memory?”

Rita snorted a little. Her snorts always made you melt.

“Not much. You?”

“A good deal.”

At your words, Rita put her things down and looked at you once more.

“Really?”

“Baby, I’m a therapist. Memory is like my domain.” You chuckled with a shrug.

Her hands then came forward above the table, nonchalantly prompting you to fill her in.

“Do tell.” She said, cocking her brow in wait.

You chuckled lightly and nodded, pursing your lips and thinking of where to begin, already picking up your hands in preparation to lecture the brunette on your expertise.

“Ok so firstly, Memory can be defined as the faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information. Now there are generally four different kinds of recognized memory— those are sensory memory, short-term memory, working memory, and long-term memory.” You explain, waving your hands about in the way you always did when you were teaching.

Rita tilted her head and listened with intent, nodding along to show her understanding. Her eyes softened at the sight of your hand gestures. She found them to be the cutest rhing.

“Alright, I follow.”

“Good. So according to Baddeley and Hitch, the following is how memory works. First comes the input, this is filtered through our sensory memory, which is where the processing starts. Then with attention, the information moves to the short-term memory, this is where information can be stored for a brief period of time. Another word for this hold is the Central Executive, this is the function of working memory that delegates what information should be retained and processed and what should be forgotten. From there, the information stays in the working memory, able to go to the Visuospatial Sketchpad or the Phonological Loop, the former is for visual and spatial processing, the latter for auditory processing. Still following?”

At this point, Rita had started taking notes, and she eagerly looked up and nodded, prompting you to continue.

“Good good. So from there from the working memory, the information can go to the episodic buffer and then to long-term memory. That’s the basics, it can get more complicated easily, but that’s what I would teach anyone interested in starting to understand memory.” You explain.

Rita lets out an intriguing hum, and you can see the cogs turning in her brain behind those dazzling eyes.

“So what if someone can’t remember what they did…?” The brunette asked.

“Well sometimes it’s because you forget the exact neural pathway, the recollection to the memory. Memory goes through the episodic buffer, something that helps you recall things in episodes or in correlation. When you trigger memories near the one you’ve forgotten, you can recall the one you don’t remember.”

“Hmmmmm I see.” Rita mused aloud, “And trauma?”

You pursed your lips and nodded with a sigh.

“That’s more complicated… Trauma has a way of building blocks or obstacles let’s say for you to access the traumatic memories. It’s best to uncover those with a professional.” You explain.

“And how do you know if it’s just forgotten or if it’s trauma…? I want to make a case for trauma but I don’t want it to bite me in the ass if he suddenly remembers it all.” Rita explained.

You nod again.

“I see. Well then I would say get him clinically evaluated. They should be able to tell you if it’s suppressed, repressed, or just forgotten.”

Rita smiled lightly at your words and nodded in agreement. She didn’t respond immediately, seemingly in thought.

“You okay, babe?” You asked, sitting up a little.

Rita nodded, standing up and making her way over to you. She came up behind you, wrapping her arms around your frame.

“I love you. You know that?” She purred.

You blushed and squirmed in your seat a little. Even to this day, your wife using the L word made you all giddy.

“I love you too, Rita” you hummed.

The woman then swiveled your head to the side and gently connected your lips together. You pressed into the light, caring kiss with a hum of contentment.

“How’d I get so lucky with a genius like you?” She chuckled into your lips.

You shrugged accompanied by a little giggle, as Rita drew you out of your seat and into her close embrace. She literally kissed your breath away. You couldn’t have asked for a more perfect partner.

~~~

Rita Calhoun Masterlist

[casyndrome]

A lot of people think that studying psychology and sociology and human nature in general while also self-reflecting and working on growth as a person will make you some hyper understanding, at peace, compassionate, Zen type person.

They think that having access to all this information and being able to understand it will make things so much easier and clearer.

It does not.

It actually throws you through one of the worst mental Loops there is. It complicates things. You know why? Because humans are complicated and trying to study that complexity is also complicated and leads to complicated morals and questions that really suck to have to ask and answer.

It's not just about studying people who have been victimized and are good people under the surface who were just trying to survive, even though that is the majority of humankind. And with that comes the understanding that even the most vile person is most likely vile because they had to learn to be because something horrendous happened to them and most likely kept happening to them while they had no examples of what good was. And to realize that the absolute vile person that you despise is just showing unhealthy coping mechanisms is the same as a people-pleasing sweetheart who's also showing unhealthy coping mechanisms really throws you through a damn loop. Because you realize both these people are suffering one is just suffering in a way that's easier to digest.

It also sucks because when you understand human nature, you understand that the best way to get through to somebody is to be compassionate towards them and to show that you understand them or understand where they're coming from. Even if you disagree with someone, the best way to get them to listen to you is to make them feel heard as well. And we've all come across people who say some outright awful things and we don't want to give them any sort of positive feedback whatsoever, we don't want to show them any compassion or understanding whatsoever we just want to attack them. I've been there, trust. However, some people you can be as empathetic as you want to them and sometimes they just don't change because they're too far in and you can't force someone to change doesn't want to. And there does get to a point where being genuinely kind to someone activates a kind of fight-or-flight in them so they interpret that as an attack because they've never had basic empathy modeled for them. See what I mean by it gets complicated and it actually sucks?

Like, I don't know, I went into these studies because I wanted to better understand myself as well as the people around me and I wanted to be able to help people and make the world a little better but it is not as easy as just pointing out some symptoms or being compassionate to somebody. It is complex, it is frustrating, and it is delicate and it takes a lot of self-control that I am still working on mastering.

Not to mention on top of all these complexities, people think that just because you are studying Behavioral Sciences you should be perfect and never make a mistake when interacting with someone and you should never be allowed to become frustrated or have a slip up. People think that you should have this professional non-judgmental Persona at all times and never call someone out on their bullshit which literally only adds to the complication and the stress of the whole thing.

There is nothing peaceful about learning the complexities of the human mind.

[1gods]

The Let Them Theory — Mel Robbins (2024)

[a-pillar-of-love]

"Standing up for yourself looks different, each and every time. Sometimes it requires you to be loud, but most times requires silence. An inexactitude of madness, but controlled so effortlessly. It's analyzing the situation, and then recognizing needs. It's what happens in the middle, you may bend but don't you break.. Although the storms can be tiring, you are the pillar of love and strength."

Morgan Manifests xo

[aeaeaexxzd]

His gay little strut at the end kills me

[jbfly46]

Sudden abrupt changes in your life/environment can cause your perspective of reality to become distorted. You’re grieving your old self/life, and your old self is fighting back. You can get over that by talking to your old self, explaining that they’re not dying/going away forever, that you still need and cherish them. You just need them to calm down and be patient for a while while you figure out how to frame your new life change in a positive light for every part of your mind. Do that enough and you’ll have access to every part of your mind/brain at the same time. Your brain will rewire itself and you’ll be able to create new connections from grey matter instantly. It’ll work more like a quantum computer than anything else.

[frnwhcom]

Jane Goodall: A Legacy of Compassion and Scientific Discovery

In the lush forests of Gombe Stream National Park, Tanzania, a young British woman embarked on a journey that would forever alter our understanding of the animal kingdom and our place within it. Jane Goodall, with her unwavering patience and innate compassion, opened the world’s eyes to the complex social structures, emotional depth, and cognitive abilities of chimpanzees, our closest living…

[personaldevelopmentandyou]

Development of Research Question

While selecting a study, I reviewed multiple codebooks and ultimately chose the AddHealth study. I selected this study because I am interested in the impact of the family environment on children.

(1) What data sets have I chosen?

I have selected the following data sets to help inform my research:

Personality and Family

Relations with Parents

Relations with Siblings

Protective Factors

Parents’ Attitudes

Feelings Scale

Delinquency Scale

Fighting and Violence

Tobacco, Alcohol, Drugs

(2) Description of the association I would like to study

First Topic

It strikes me that family environments vary widely, with some fostering emotional warmth and support, while others are characterised by conflict and a lack of support. Given these differences, I find myself most interested in exploring how a family's emotional climate relates to the personality development of children within that family.

Research Question 1

How does a family’s emotional climate (e.g., emotional warmth/support, conflict/ lack of support) relate to the personality development of children within that family?

Hypothesis Children raised in a family with an emotionally supportive and warm environment will exhibit higher levels of confidence and happiness, while children raised in a conflict-filled and unsupportive family climate will show lower levels of self-esteem, increased insecurity, and higher rates of depression.

Second Topic

While reviewing various aspects of adolescent development, I became particularly interested in how personal traits and family dynamics shape health and risk behaviours. It strikes me that adolescents with traits such as impulsivity, aggressiveness, or low self-control may engage in risky behaviours differently based on their family environment. Some may be more prone to alcohol use or violent behaviours in conflict-filled households, while others in supportive environments may exhibit greater restraint. Given these patterns, I am most interested in exploring how adolescent personality traits and family dynamics together predict engagement in alcohol use and fighting/violent behaviors.

Research Question 2

How do adolescent personality traits (e.g., impulsivity, aggressiveness, low self-control) and family dynamics (e.g., emotional warmth, conflict, support) predict adolescent engagement in alcohol use and fighting/violent behaviors?

Hypothesis Adolescents who are raised in a family with an emotionally supportive and warm environment, and who exhibit high levels of confidence and happiness, are less likely to engage in alcohol use or fighting/violent behaviors. Conversely, adolescents raised in a conflict-filled family climate, with lower levels of self-esteem, increased insecurity, and higher rates of depression, are more likely to engage in alcohol use and fighting/violent behaviors.

LITERATURE REVIEW

1. Introduction

The family environment plays a crucial role in shaping the development and behaviors of children and adolescents. Research suggests that factors such as emotional warmth, support, and conflict within the family influence personality development, health outcomes, and risk behaviors. This literature review explores the association between family dynamics and personality traits, with a particular focus on how these factors contribute to adolescent engagement in risk behaviors such as alcohol use and violent conduct.

The purpose of this review is to examine existing research on the relationship between family emotional climate and personality development, as well as the combined influence of adolescent personality traits and family dynamics on risk behaviors. By synthesising relevant studies, this review aims to provide insights into how supportive or conflict-filled family environments shape adolescent behavioral outcomes.

The research problem centers on understanding the extent to which personality traits and family dynamics interact to predict adolescent risk behaviors. Identifying these relationships is essential for informing interventions that promote positive youth development and reduce engagement in harmful behaviors.

2. Methodology

Search Strategy

A comprehensive search was conducted to identify relevant studies on the relationship between family emotional climate and personality development in children. The following search terms were used in Google Scholar: “personality and family environment,” “family emotional climate,” “personality development of children,” “family conflict and aggression,” and “family warmth and child self-esteem.” Boolean operators (AND, OR) were used to combine the terms, yielding a broad range of results.

Selection Criteria

The inclusion criteria were empirical studies published between 1992 and 2024, focusing on children and adolescents (ages 3-18), and examining the impact of family dynamics on the development of personality traits such as self-esteem, confidence, and aggression. Studies that were not related to the specified variables or age group were excluded.

3. Thematic Structure (Body of the Review)

Theme A: Family Emotional Climate and Personality Development

A family’s emotional climate significantly shapes individual personality development, particularly through attachment styles and parental responsiveness. Diehl’s (2002) research links adult attachment styles to early family experiences and broader personality traits, showing that secure attachment is fostered in emotionally supportive environments. Similarly, Fraley (2002) emphasizes the role of early caregiving consistency in forming stable personality traits across the life course, highlighting how emotionally responsive parenting sets the foundation for enduring psychological patterns. Nakao’s (2000) findings support this, indicating that warmth and emotional attunement within the family correlate with openness and conscientiousness in adulthood. Moreover, Asiegbu (2020) reviews how emotion regulation capacities are cultivated through the parent-child bond, reinforcing the pivotal role of family emotional responsiveness in shaping regulatory and relational personality components.

Theme B: Positive Family Environments and Healthy Personality Traits

Schofield et al. (2012) demonstrate that positive parenting—marked by warmth, involvement, and support—predicts the development of prosocial and resilient personality traits in adolescents. Their longitudinal work shows that adolescents exposed to such environments tend to exhibit higher agreeableness and emotional stability over time. Darling and Steinberg’s (1993) integrative model further supports this, positioning parenting style as a contextual factor that moderates developmental outcomes; authoritative parenting consistently aligns with healthier personality traits. Additionally, Scharf (2009) provides evidence that positive sibling relationships during adolescence contribute to better emotional functioning and personality adjustment in emerging adulthood, reinforcing the cumulative benefits of a nurturing family atmosphere. Together, these findings converge on the idea that a supportive family system acts as a scaffold for healthy psychological development.

Theme C: Impact of Family Conflict on Child Behavior

Chang’s (2003) study on harsh parenting reveals that emotionally negative and coercive family environments are associated with poor emotion regulation and increased aggression in children. The emotional volatility inherent in such contexts hinders the development of empathy and inhibitory control, critical components of personality development. Ani’s (2020) systematic review corroborates this, identifying consistent links between family dysfunction—such as high conflict or poor communication—and mental health problems in children, including behavioral dysregulation and anxiety. This aligns with Fraley’s (2002) dynamic model, which suggests that unstable or stressful caregiving environments disrupt the continuity of personality traits, particularly in the realm of emotional stability. Thus, family conflict serves not only as an environmental stressor but as a catalyst for maladaptive behavioral patterns.

Theme D: Personality Development and Risk Behaviors

Risk behaviors in adolescence and early adulthood are strongly influenced by earlier personality development shaped by family dynamics. Chang (2003) and Schofield (2012) both identify pathways from negative parenting and poor emotion regulation to externalizing behaviors like aggression and delinquency. These behaviors often stem from underdeveloped self-regulation capacities—linked to both parenting style and emotional environment. Darling and Steinberg (1993) highlight how permissive or neglectful parenting is associated with higher instances of risk-taking, partly due to a lack of internalized social norms. Moreover, Fraley’s (2002) work on personality stability underscores that individuals exposed to erratic or punitive environments are more likely to exhibit neuroticism and impulsivity—traits closely tied to risk behaviors. This body of work emphasizes the need to address family-based interventions to mitigate long-term psychosocial risks.

4. Conclusion

The reviewed literature underscores the profound and lasting influence of family dynamics on personality development across the lifespan. From early attachment patterns and emotional climate to parenting styles and sibling relationships, the family unit serves as the primary socializing agent, shaping not only personality traits but also behavioral outcomes. Positive family environments foster emotional stability, prosocial behavior, and resilience, while conflictual or emotionally neglectful settings increase the risk of maladaptive traits and behaviors, including aggression and poor emotion regulation.

These findings collectively highlight that personality development is not solely an internal, individual process but a relational and contextual one—deeply embedded in the quality of early familial relationships. As such, interventions aimed at improving family functioning and promoting positive parenting practices are essential for cultivating healthy personality trajectories and reducing the risk of psychological and behavioral issues. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for educators, clinicians, and policymakers working to support youth development and mental health.

[antchtz]

What if we could predict when someone is about to mentally Collapse or be Successful ? (Read More and Participate in the Validation of a Psychological Model !!!!)

Not just guess. Actually model it — like gravity or electricity.

I’m conducting a study on two psychological models that do just that:

The Equation of Enough — how effort, success, time, and context affect your internal balance

The Actualization Death Threshold — when burnout becomes existential collapse

These models already predict collapse and resilience with up to 78% accuracy, and the final step before publication is validating them with people from different backgrounds — especially thoughtful, introspective voices like yours.

If you’ve ever felt stretched thin, stuck in time, or somehow stronger than you expected — this study is for you.

Anonymous

8 minutes

18+ and fluent in English

Link to participate:

https://forms.gle/7PF5PSNcZoRbRUM86

Thank you so much —

Antonis Chatzipanagiotou

Independent Researcher

[rossmarus]

Social media is just not producing the dopamine like it used to but i just read a book all about behavioral science in terms of animal training (How To Train Your Dog With Love and Science by Annie Grossman) and it makes it all make sense

[kiragecko]

Just watched Tom Scott (and Gretchen McCulloch)'s video Why Do We Move Our Hands When We Talk? It reminded me of a curiosity I've had for a while.

Are there any good studies out there on abnormal gestural language use in ADHD people?

I know there are a bunch on autistic body/gestural language. But in my experience, ADHD people also have body language that is offputting to neurotypicals. ("Too large/wild.") And they tend to rely on it more than their peers.

I also wonder if faceblind people or more or less reliant on gestures. If avoiding eye-contact corresponds to a higher focus on body language.

Anyone know of any studies?

[epitome-the-burnkid-viii]

[unfinishedsweaters]

So apparently if I think I am anonymous on the internet, I will just run around booping everyone I run across who’s available to boop (caveats: I thought this was a nice thing, not an aggro thing), and then in the morning when the booping thing is running full speed I will realize I was not anonymously delighting people with mystery affection, and uh, well,

(b)oops