Resolution Inspiration: What Will You Work on in 2014?
Though we are well into January, there is still time to set resolutions for 2014. What would you like to accomplish in the next twelve months? For some resolution inspiration, here’s a selection of PLOS ONE research articles to get you started:
Whether for work or pleasure, learning a new language can be a rewarding experience. It can also take a lot of time. Fear not—according to research published last year, you may be able to learn new words in a foreign language while performing other tasks. The key to this method of vocabulary building is exposure. In the study, participants were given a letter and tasked with finding the letter in a written Welsh word. As they looked for the letter, one group informally heard the word and saw an image of what it represented. Afterward, when participants were asked to determine whether a Welsh word matched an image, those who were exposed to corresponding images and audio scored higher than their counterparts in the control group.
Get Vocal
For those of you with musical aspirations, take a nod from this study on vocal synchronization and rhythm. In it the researchers found that when participants read aloud together in real time, their speech patterns synchronized more readily than participants who read aloud with the recording of their partner’s voice. Though the study was primarily concerned with spoken rhythms, the researchers propose that the social component of rhythm, and the shared goal of synchronization, may be pertinent to music too. Musical rhythm, they suggest, may stem from social interaction rather than sexual selection.
Under pressure? According to the authors of this next PLOS ONE paper, those who experience chronic stress may suffer from impaired problem-solving skills. To combat the deleterious effects of stress, they suggest performing a “self-affirmation” exercise before tackling a problem. In the study, the researchers asked underperforming and self-reportedly stressed college students to rank a series of values, such as creativity and friends/family, according to order of personal importance. They were then asked to write about why the top value was most important to them, or why one of the bottom values might be important to others. After completing the exercise, the students were given a word association test. Stressed-out students that wrote about their top value and its personal importance outperformed their peers. Talk about the power of positive thinking!
Whether you want to pick up a new language, reduce your stress, or get out and sing more karaoke this year, we hope you are inspired to try out a few resolutions. For even more inspiration, check out other posts in the PLOS Blogs network: Alessandro Demaio’s Translational Global Health and Peter Janiszewski’s post on Obesity Panacea.
Citations:
Bisson M-J, van Heuven WJB, Conklin K, Tunney RJ (2013) Incidental Acquisition of Foreign Language Vocabulary through Brief Multi-Modal Exposure. PLoS ONE 8(4): e60912. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0060912
Bowling DL, Herbst CT, Fitch WT (2013) Social Origins of Rhythm? Synchrony and Temporal Regularity in Human Vocalization. PLoS ONE 8(11): e80402. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0080402
Creswell JD, Dutcher JM, Klein WMP, Harris PR, Levine JM (2013) Self-Affirmation Improves Problem-Solving under Stress. PLoS ONE 8(5): e62593. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0062593
Image: Resolutions 2012 by Lori Ann
Restaurant Bwyty sign by Dave Goodman
Sing Along with Me (10/365) by John Liu
Smile by jessicatam