Social Media: Sharer Or Socialiser?
Facebook versus twitter – what they say
about you
Do you prefer Facebook or Twitter?
According to a study conducted at Manchester Business School (UK), your social
media preference says a lot about your personality.
Study leader David Hughes reported that
people used Facebook more for socializing, while those on Twitter used their
140 character updates to share information.
Social
Media
Those participants who used Facebook mostly
for socializing used the site to forge social ties and combat loneliness, while
social Twitter users used it more as a form of procrastination.
The researchers concluded that Facebook
users seek and share information as a way of avoiding more cognitively demanding
sources such as journal articles and newspaper reports. Twitter users, by
contrast, use the site for its cognitive stimulation, as a way of uncovering
useful information and material without socializing.
Those participants who scored higher in
“need for cognition” (need to be mentally engaged and stimulated) tended to
prefer Twitter, while higher scores in sociability, neuroticism and
extraversion tended to prefer Facebook.
Think away the pain
Next time your stub your toe, don’t wait
for the pain to go away naturally. Start doing the times table or some other
mentally taxing activity. Study findings based on spinal fMRI (functional
magnetic resonance imaging) as people experienced painful levels of heat show
that mental distractions inhibit the response to incoming pain. The research
group asked participants to complete either a hard or easy memory task, both
requiring them to remember letters, while they applied a painful level of heat
to their arms. When study participants were more distracted by the harder of
the two memory tasks, they did indeed perceive less pain.
The Beauty Bias
When you apologise, how likely is it that
you’ll be forgiven? Well, it depends on your appearance in different
situations.
Columbus
State University (US)
Attractiveness – or lack of it – plays a
role, suggests a study from Columbus State University (US) published in
Personal Relationships. A man is more likely to forgive a pretty offender, but
a female can’t help finding a less-attractive women’s apology the most
convincing. “For female offenders, being attractive can be an asset or a
hindrance, depending on the gender of the person they need to apoligise to,”
says lead author April Phillips.
“A male victim, who may want to pursue a
relationship with a female offender in the future, can preserve this
possibility [of a relationship] if he’s willing to offer forgiveness in some
circumstances. But a woman who perceives the offender to be a potential rival
might be less likely to offer forgiveness.”
One-on-one with… Dianne McEwan
Dianne
McEwan
Stormy weather and choppy water’s couldn’t
stop Dianne McEwan from tackling the 3.8km swim, 180km cycle and 42km run that
led her to place fourth among the women in this year’s Ironman South Africa.
Dianne is now the only South Africa woman to ever make it into the top five of
this race. At 28, she’s not only realised a first for her country, but one of
her own – it was the first time she’d ever raced as a pro.
Triathlon fever
Triathlon is a way of life. Triathletes are
passionate about healthy and balanced living and I love the multi-event
element. As a triathlete, you realise you aren’t invincible. You may be the
best at swimming, biking and running combined but the best single-sport athlete
can generally beat you in their chosen discipline. You need passion, commitment
and dedication.
The beginning
My Ironman (IM) journey began when I was
still studying. I was a spectator and fell in love with the emotion, courage
and challenge. I could immediately envision myself competing.
The hardest part about an IM is the
intense, time-consuming training and preparation. The event can’t be seen in
isolation – it’s months of sacrifice and hard work. In the end, the friendships
and sense of achievement make it worthwhile.
I’ve completed six IMs before but this was
my first year as a pro. I never thought about giving up; I was focused and in
control. The body is an amazing thing: it can withstand and do whatever you
train or teach it. So if you prepare properly, an IMs is well within your limits.
No excuses
My days are full so I need to leave the
office with enough energy to hit training session number two of the day. I
prepare most of my food the night before. I eat a small meal every two to three
hours. Each meal is broken down into an exact number of kJ, carbs, fats and
protein.
Before a race, I have a bowl of Future Life
(a low-GI energy meal) and coffee. From then on, I’ll sip an energy drink until
the start. Afterwards, I celebrate with a hamburger and cider at one of my
favourite burger joints in Cape Town. Otherwise, red wine and chocolate works.
See diannemcewan.me
