Evening People are Productive, Too

Advice-givers love Ben Franklin because he accumulated a vast array of pithy quotables. “Early to bed and early to rise,” he and many others have claimed, can help make us “healthy, wealthy, and wise.” Dominant classes in our society have certainly imposed such a schedule by arranging for important opportunities and appointments to happen early in the morning, but is there any intrinsic reason why mornings are better?

Psychology, Science

People are frequently surprised when I refer to psychology as science. This surprise reveals some common misconceptions about what “science” and “psychology” mean. I am piecing together this post out of snippets of two old rants in order to address those misconceptions for future reference.

High School Policy Changes to Improve the Experiences of Sexual Minorities: An Educational and Psychological Analysis

April 16th, 2009

High school can be a challenging time for students who deviate (or are perceived as deviating) from the heterosexual norm. As with many other culturally marginalized groups, non-heterosexual kids often feel isolated from and rejected by their high school peers, an experience which can have serious implications for their health and success in school (Morrison & L’Heureux, 2001). They are disproportionately likely to experience depressive or suicidal thoughts (Espelage, Aragon, Birkett & Koenig, 2008), and to actually attempt suicide (Morrison & L’Heureux, 2001; Mufioz-Plaza, Quinn & Rounds, 2002; Uribe & Harbeck, 1991). They are at higher risk for drug and alcohol abuse as well as homelessness (Espelage et al., 2008; Mufioz-Plaza et al., 2002). More specific to school outcomes, they are more likely than heterosexual students to exhibit declining school performance over time (Mufioz-Plaza et al., 2002). Educators who are concerned about the health and performance of all students must pay attention to these negative outcomes, their causes, and their possible solutions.