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History of Psychology in Pakistan
Written by Najwa Bashir The formal history of psychology in Pakistan dates back to the 1960’s. In Pakistan, psychology was recognized as a distinct academic discipline over 59 years ago (Zadeh, 2017). According to Michal J. Stevens, Wedding Danny, Dr. Nosheen Khan Rehman, and Taylor and Francis (2004), Pakistan had two universities in 1947. The…
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An Introduction to Sadism
Sadism is a psychological construct which has a relatively sparse amount of scientific literature. This is odd as sadism as a literary construct has been under study for centuries. According to Meloy (1997), sadism is basically getting pleasure from someone else’s physical or mental pain or from controlling and dominating them. Sadists are also known…
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Analysis: “95 percent of Women in Pakistan are ignorant”
Written by Abdullah Qureshi In the last days of June, 2024, an episode of Mukalma with Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar aired on Samaa TV. This show caused ripples of conversation all over the Pakistani internet. Mukalma with Khalil-ur-Rehman is a show which features discussions on various topics. These conversations are usually between the titular writer, Khalil-ur-Rehman, and…
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Diagnostic Features of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Written by Najwa Bashir ADHD is a brain condition characterized by problems with not paying attention, getting things done, or being too active and impulsive. People with inattention and disorganization can’t stay on task, don’t seem to listen and lose things they need for jobs at levels that aren’t appropriate for their age or level of…
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Diagnostic Features of Autism Spectrum Disorder
Written by Najwa Bashir Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition marked by problems communicating with others, limited hobbies, and doing the same things over and over again (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, is a group of brain disorders. Patterns of behavior, hobbies, activities, and social problems that happen over…
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Diagnostic Features of Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder
Written by Najwa Bashir In the most current version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), a new condition called Social (Pragmatic) Communication condition (SPCD) was added. Individuals with this disorder have problems with their pragmatic communication skills (Amoretti et al., 2021). Individuals with this condition, which is a type of Communication…
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Diagnostic Features of Childhood-Onset Fluency Disorder (Stuttering)
Written by Najwa Bashir Stuttering Sometimes called stammering and more generally disfluent speech, stuttering is a speech condition marked by repeating sounds, syllables, or words; sound delay; and speech breaks called blocks (NIDCD, 2017). The childhood-onset fluency disorder is a chronic change in the normal flow and timing of speech that is not proper for…
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The Effects of Trauma on Parts of the Brain
Animals and people are more likely to have cognitive-behavioral, mental, and physical problems later on if they have traumatic events early in life. In people, stressful events are strong indicators of mental sickness. More and more studies have focused on changes in the structure and function of the brain that show how genetic changes happen…
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Diagnostic Features of Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Written by Najwa Bashir Narcissism Book III of Ovid’s Metamorphoses is where the word “narcissism” was first used. There is a story that Narcissus falls in love with his own image because of a curse. Narcissism, on the other hand, wasn’t used in psychology until the late 1800s (Mitra et al., 2024). Northcote (1929) says…
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The Establishment: A Pakistani Archetype
Written by Abdullah Qureshi “The power of a popular delusion lies in its ability to tap into the deepest fears, desires, and insecurities of a society, offering a false sense of security or hope in the face of uncertainty.” Charles Mackay (1832) Over the course of Pakistan’s history, many institutions have been critiqued. Zulfiqar Ali…
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Diagnostic Features of Language Disorder
Written by Najwa Bashir Language Disorder Language disorder is characterized by problems with vocabulary understanding and sentence structure, which lead to deficits in language learning and use. These problems can be noticed when sending and receiving information in spoken, written, and sign language. Symptoms may include having a smaller or more limited vocabulary than would…
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Introduction to IQ
By Najwa Bashir Being intelligent is defined as having the ability to think, learn well, understand complex ideas, and adapt to one’s surroundings. Therefore, it is reasonable to consider intelligence to be a general ability that influences performance on a range of cognitive tasks. The intelligence quotient, or IQ, is a measure of a person’s…