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Be Sad and Succeed
February 25, 2010
Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play IS serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.
-Fred Rogers, children's television host, 1928–2003
"People in a bad mood have better judgment and pay more attention to details."  This surprising claim is reported in Scientific American Mind (March 2010).  The magazine reviewed a series of studies in which researchers induced a good or bad mood in volunteers:

"Each study found that people in a bad mood performed tasks better than those in a good mood.  Grumpy people paid closer attention to details, showed less gullibility, were less prone to errors of judgment and formed higher-quality persuasive arguments than their happy counterparts.  One study even supports the notion that those who show signs of either fear, anger, disgust or sadness -- the four basic negative emotions -- achieve stronger eyewitness recall while virtually eliminating the effects of misinformation."



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  • Involving Parents in Your Program
  • Observation and Assessment
  • Reggio Emilia Learning Experiences
  • Making Play Work
  • Social and Emotional Development
  
For Directors
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  • Supervising Early Childhood Staff
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Comments (3)

Displaying All 3 Comments
Leslie Lee · March 01, 2010
Calhoun Intermediate School District
Bellingham, MI, United States


*Maybe* this is true, but the long-term effects of negativism often lead to burn-out and an "enough is enough" feeling/attitude. And although the latter could be productive in the long run, it is only so when it is facilitated by positive efforts and energy. Negative attitudes, I believe, propel a person to get out of the status quo, to make better decisions, and therefore become positive individuals. Hence, negativity can only take you so far. It is ultimately a dead end.

Norman Lorenz, M.Ed. · February 25, 2010
Sacramento City College
Sacramento, CA, United States


Laura Ulikowski:

Thank you for proceeding further, as I too was concerned. I have been working in education for over 30 years and profess that positive attitude and limitless potential are everything, both in the environment and the educator! I appreciate your dedication to moving us forward by capturing the source!

Laura Ulikowski · February 25, 2010
Newton, NJ, United States


Having an MBA, I was surprised over this exchange article and concerned over its implications when we consider parallel process. Do teachers and early care professionals work better in climates where negativism and stress are induced? Would children learn better under similar circumstances? The research I have read until this article indicated otherwise. I went to the source for further clarification. The article which was quoted by exchange everyday "Be Sad & Succeed" by Elizabeth King Humphrey read more like an Op-ed and quoted the following article: "Depression's Evolutionary Roots" ( Preview ) The article states that "Perhaps depression is not a malfunction but a mental adaptation that focuses the mind to better solve complex problems." The original article, in my opinion, was about how our negative moods can help us to problem solve and have a natural evolutionary purpose. It is not about how negative workers or climates are more productive.

I am relieved to see that all our training and education focused towards moving to a positive workplace is in the right direction. Reading critically is important. When something does not make sense...it is best to go to the original source!



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