Issue 2

Positive Illusions: Brad Pitt or Danny DeVito?

Written by Kaska Kubacka in Issue 2


Imagine a colleague of yours, Mary, comes to the office one day and starts talking about this guy John whom she met in a bar. Supposedly, this guy is not only handsome, but also super smart, extremely witty, and God knows what else. So, obviously, you cannot wait to see this stud. When you – finally - meet this Brad Pitt look-alike, Brad Pitt seems to have been turned into Danny DeVito: all you get to see is this balding dwarf! What makes matters worse; he is so boring that after 5 minutes of talking to him you have to seize any excuse you can to run away from him. So, the next time you meet Mary and ask about John, wondering perhaps whether she meant a different John, you still hear this same perfect description. If you ever were in a situation like that you know that it can be quite confusing, you might ask yourself: what on earth’s name is Mary (insert the name of your own friend here) thinking?! Can’t she see the blatant truth about this guy?


Positive Illusions: Brad Pitt or Danny DeVito? – In-Mind.org

Brain Training: Practice Keeps You Fit

Written by Irene van Driel in Issue 2


Commercials on the importance of training your brain are nearly a daily occurrence nowadays. A world without Sudoku has almost become unthinkable. Not only puzzles like these, but also numerous specific internet exercise-sites and try-at-home packages are devoted to this phenomenon. This merchandise is usually accompanied by slogans saying something like: "improve cognitive ability and prevent the negative outcome of the aging brain". Just as physical exercise improves the shape of your body muscles, cognitive exercise should keep your brain in optimal form. Have the retailers of these products merely found a good catchphrase to sell their products, or do they actually have a point? In other words, can mental deterioration be prevented by cognitive exercise? It might come in handy to know some facts about the brain before starting to unravel the answer to this question.


Brain Training: Practice Keeps You Fit – In-Mind.org

Same Same? Moral Development across Continents

Written by Inga Gruss in Issue 2


My first extended stay in Southeast Asia in Singapore nearly five years ago served as a true eye opener. Yes, I was fully aware that I was about to enter a country that was different from what I had known so far. I was eager and curious to learn and broaden my horizons to whatever might come. However, the first days were rather disappointing: nothing much different from what I knew. Sometimes it was hard to comprehend 'Singlish' (as Singaporean English is being referred to) and, at least for European standards, to get used to the extreme heat and humidity. It was only slowly that I discovered many on at first sight hidden differences.


Same Same? Moral Development across Continents – In-Mind.org

Implementing New Year’s Resolutions

Written by Suzanne van Gils in Issue 2


You Are Going To Make It This Year!

Each New Year has something magical about it. At the first of January a brand new year lies ahead of us, it is always a bit like “starting all over”. Almost everybody has made their New Year resolutions, planning to do everything this new year better than in the previous years. This time, we promised ourselves to quit smoking or nail biting, to lose weight, to finally start the renovation of our bathroom, to visit our family more often, etc. Funny enough, the plans we make are quite similar to the plans we made the years before. This is because at New Year’s Eve we realize that we did not manage to reach all the goals we set for ourselves at the beginning of the year. Although we often are quite sincere in setting up these plans for ourselves on New Years Day, we fail to execute them successfully throughout the following year. After a couple of months into the year, it is now time to show what exactly goes wrong most of the times. First a couple of problems will be defined. Next, solutions and tips will be provided to help you succeed and to realize those New Year's resolutions.


Implementing New Year’s Resolutions:You Are Going To Make It This Year! – In-Mind.org

High Maintenance Interaction

Written by Tila Pronk in Issue 2


Why you shouldn't talk to a nerd before taking an exam

Throughout my academic career, I've come across a variety of nerve-racking pre-exam moments. I remember vividly the various ways my classmates and I handled the last minutes before our final examinations: while some tried to relax and laugh away the tension, others studied until the last second, driving everyone crazy with stressed-out questioning. I'd have to admit to always being part of that latter group. My strategy was to harass the biggest nerd on the subject with all of my uncertainties and loads of questions. I always needed to find answers, but since the matter was crystal-clear to the poor guy I was stalking and he didn't understand any of my vaguely formulated questions, I only got more frustrated and insecure. Despite this fact, I never changed my strategy: although our communication was very effortful and fruitless, I figured that if anyone could improve my result on the exam, it had to be the expert. Guess what: I was wrong! In this article, I'll explain why and hopefully save all of you from that horrible feeling of stupidity I experienced so often due to my ideas of what constituted successful exam preparation.


Why you shouldn't talk to a nerd before taking an exam – In-Mind.org

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