Author: FADI

AN INTELLIGENT APPROACH TO MONEY COUNTING TODAY CAN SAVE HUMAN LIVES TOMORROW

AN INTELLIGENT APPROACH TO MONEY COUNTING TODAY CAN SAVE HUMAN LIVES TOMORROW

FADI ABU ZUHRI

INTRODUCTION

Contamination by pathogenic microorganisms is a major public health risk. People are working in dirty environments or engaging in work where there is body contact with pathogens which are a health hazard (Nasser & Alwakeel, 2012). In this context, manual handling of currency notes poses a special risk to public health, especially in places such as exchange houses, banks and casinos. Infectious diseases can easily spread through body contact with money.

Microbial contamination of money may be from different sources, such as accounting machines, work environment, storage, common usage, processing and printing (Alemu, 2014). Daily transactions that move currency from one point to another also pass pathogens. Alemu (2014) reports that the sources of contamination may be due to poor money processing and handling. There is a possibility that the notes might serve as a means of transmitting potentially pathogenic microorganisms in such environments. Money is exchanged while buying goods and services in the majority of the areas across the world. It is utilized in all types of trade, from ordering milk in a local store to trading in drugs and sexual services; each providing a fertile ground for pathogens to breed.

THE HAZARDS OF MONEY COUNTING MACHINES

Green, Selman, and Radke (2006) point out that the parasites in notes that have been identified as contaminating substances are mainly from faecal matter. If the hands are not properly washed after visiting the toilet, the tendency is that the contamination develops parasitic eggs and even diseases. Green, Selman, and Radke (2006) pointed out that the cause of infection could be from mismanagement of currency, such as fumigation during a ceremony when the money can be stepped over if it falls down. People dealing with notes pass some of their body odour on to the currency note, inadvertently transmitting bacteria to the next person. Furthermore, microfluidic contamination is also drawn from dust, water, soil and the ones handling the objects, which are often used to count the notes.

Currency can cause the transfer of bacteria and parasites from one person to another, for example by using wet fingers, saliva or contaminated water and eventually going back to the bank. The appearance of the pathogenic microorganisms creates a potential risk to consumer health. It is recommended that people should follow hygiene practices before handling food and water after contacting notes and counting machines. Abid (2012) argues that microorganisms are everywhere, so they have the ability to live on items like notes and counting machines. In general, even the contact of currency notes with the atmosphere can lead to environmental contamination. Money that carry pathogenic microorganisms is often a forgotten reservoir of intestinal diseases. In most developed countries, it is held that the concurrent handling of food and currency leads to higher chances of health damage (Abid, 2012).

According to Nasser and Alwakeel (2012), many people have no wallets to keep their money in and squeezed notes are distributed, particularly among women merchants, motorcyclists, drivers, meat producers, restaurant waiters and owners, and others. Men and women squeeze their money in socks, while women put it under the rug or carpet. Men and women in markets stuff notes in dirty pockets. Such currency handling can transfer microorganisms to the notes. In addition, the storage of money in polyethylene, cotton, and pelt bags in a damp and dim environment also contributes to the development of microorganisms.

According to Abid (2012), the presence of a heavy load of microorganisms may represent a potential risk to the health of the consumers. People are expected to rely on a hygienic application before taking food and drinks after interacting with money and counting apparatuses. Microorganisms are present everywhere, so they can contaminate money counting machines.

Neel (2012) point out that currency is probably the most handled object in the world every day by people. Money moves between clean hands and very dirty hands, and vice versa. The lower notes are the most handled, since they are exchanged several times. In addition, cross-contamination of the faecal waste, injuries, nasal discharge, sneezing and cough are possible sources of transferring the microorganism to the notes.

PREVENTIVE ACTIONS – AVOID GETTING ILL

Neel (2012) indicates that there are various ways of controlling the hazardous effects of microorganisms from money. Compressed air must not be used to clean counting machines and workplaces, since it can generate air pollutants. For cleaning it is necessary to use a vacuum cleaner with a high-quality particle filter. One can also use a damp cloth to clean the structures. One should not dry sweep the place. A qualified ventilation company must carry out the complete control of the heating, aeration and air conditioning, in support of the counting rooms, workplaces and rest areas. Necessary changes must be made to ensure adequate ventilation. The goal of the project should be to offer sufficient space with air conditioning and better ventilation for each area.

Green, Selman, and Radke (2006) suggest that people should improve cleanliness in places where money counting takes place. It is necessary to increase the cleaning frequency and all the ventilation openings, instruments, tables and other parts should be cleaned regularly with a damp cloth. Workers must wash their hands thoroughly before smoking, eating, drinking and after finishing the shifts as part of their personal hygiene. The workers should use gloves and masks on their faces to protect themselves from the microorganisms found on the currencies.

It is not just the germs that are carried in notes, people that count money within safes or secured closed environments are also exposed to fine particulate matter from the printing ink. Ordinary dust masks and hand gloves cannot offer adequate protection against airborne pathogens and fine ink that are very small in size.

There are three levels of filter efficiencies of masks – 95% (N95), 99% (N99), and 99.97% (N100 or HEPA filter) tested against aerosol (fine mist) droplets 0.3 microns in diameter. N95 type respirators are the respirators recommended for use by health care workers in contact with patients with infections (CCOHS, 2018). There are several resources freely available to better understand respiratory protection (OSHA, 2012; OSHA, 2009)

Yue et al. (2013) argue that Cordyceps is a well-known traditional medicinal mushrooms in China. Cordyceps attacks the larvae of some insect species and develops into sclerotium, from which it grows further. For this reason, Cordyceps can be useful to the people who use money-counting machines because Cordyceps can help killing microorganisms that are capable of causing various diseases to the money handlers, such as cancer.

CONCLUSION

Various sources have shown that currencies, money-counting machines and currency counting rooms of banks are contaminated with different types of microorganisms. The presence of various microorganisms in money counting rooms and counting machines may pose a potential risk to consumer health. The risk is not limited to bacteria; printing ink is also a source of respiratory problems for those engaged in money counting. For this reason, it is advisable to process money in a safe way so that it is not contaminated by dirt and pathogens.

Organizations that count a lot of money – exchange houses, banks, casinos for example, must manage currency with extreme care by ensuring removal of dirty money from circulation (Vriesekoop, et al., 2010). It is advisable to regularly disinfect money received in banks with ultraviolet light and formalin vapour. Counting coins and notes has been linked to incidences of cancer and Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) (Kiefer & Delaney, 2001; Kupeli, Karnak, Sak, & Kayacan, 2010). This validates the importance of having respiratory masks certified to a minimum of N95.

Based on the results of various studies, it is fair to say that money handling causes transmission of various microorganisms that cause diseases to people and some of these diseases can cause death. Thus, money counting today can be the reason for people to die tomorrow.

REFERENCES

1.Abid, H. S. (2012). Bacterial Contamination of Iraqi Paper Currency Notes in Circulation & Resistance of Pathogenic Bacteria to Antibiotics. Iraqi Journal of Science Iraqi Journal of Science , 53 (1), 245-8.

2.Alemu, A. (2014). Microbial contamination of currency notes and coins in circulation: a potential public health hazard. Biomedicine and Biotechnology , 2 (3), 46-53.

3.CCOHS. (2018, July 20). Respiratory Protection Against Airborne Infectious Agents for Health Care Workers. Retrieved July 21, 2018 from Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety: https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/prevention/respiratory_protection.html

4.Green, L., Selman, C., & Radke, V. (2006). Food Worker Hand Washing Practices: An Observational Study. Journal of Food Protection , 69 (10), 2417-2426.

5.Kiefer, M., & Delaney, L. (2001, Jan 09). Evaluation of exposure to contaminants during coin and paper counting activities. Retrieved July 21, 2018 from https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2001-0109-2835.pdf

6.Kupeli, E., Karnak, D., Sak, S. D., & Kayacan, O. (2010). Hazards of the ‘hard cash’: Hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Can Respir Journal , 17 (5), 102-105.

7.Nasser, L. A., & Alwakeel, S. (2012). Bacterial and fungal contamination of Saudi Arabian paper currency and cell phones. Environmental Engineering and Management Journal , 11 (3), 72.

8.Neel, R. (2012). Multidrug Resistance of Isolates of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) in Paper Currency Notes From Meat Sellers in Tanga, Tanzania. Int J LifeSc Bt & Pharm Res. , 1 (4), 9-13.

9.OSHA. (2012). Respiratory Protection. Retrieved July 21, 2018 from Occupational Safety and Health Administration: https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/respiratoryprotection/training_videos.html#video

10.OSHA. (2009, Dec 16). The Difference Between Respirators and Surgical Masks. Retrieved July 21, 2018 from Occupational Safety and Health Administration: The Difference Between Respirators and Surgical Masks

11.Vriesekoop, F., Russell, C., Alvarez-Mayorga, B., Aidoo, K., Yuan, Q., Scannell, A., et al. (2010). Dirty money: an investigation into the hygiene status of some of the world’s currencies as obtained from food outlets. Foodborne Pathogens and Disease , 7 (12), 1497-502.

12.Yue, K., Ye, M., Zhou, Z., Sun, W., & Lin, X. (2013). The genus Cordyceps: a chemical and pharmacological review. J Pharm Pharmacol , 65 (4), 474-93.

SEVEN ELEMENTS IF TAUGHT IN SCHOOL YESTERDAY, MAY HAVE RESULTED IN MORE INTELLIGENCE TODAY

SEVEN ELEMENTS IF TAUGHT IN SCHOOL YESTERDAY, MAY HAVE RESULTED IN MORE INTELLIGENCE TODAY

FADI ABU ZUHRI

INTRODUCTION

Among all useful information, professors also teach a lot of information, which is not necessary for the life of future adults. There are also many teachers who do not know what to teach for a better return on investment. First of all, many studies have become masters of a significant amount of knowledge, although Young (2014) does not consider it as what matters in the life of a student. The information in the textbook may not be what the students need or wish. As an alternative, most people will say that education must prepare the students for life, but most of the information delivered in schools does not work in this regard. According to Herold and Waring (2017), teachers usually go through standard education methods and deliverables of education materials, with massive data to cross-over, which becomes normality and a default concept of education. However a large knowledge base is not useful if it is not used. Information is meant to be used directly or indirectly by helping the individual to make connections, and it should not be taught for the single purpose of accumulating knowledge. Nevertheless, people often focus on short-term success, which is passing well in a test and doing well in a spelling test. Unluckily, all the test data, the information students have reviewed, should be mastered or remembered, and would be useless if it is not used.

This article covers the following skills that I consider useful when teaching students.

STRESS MANAGEMENT

Stress as a simple word can be bent and seems trivial. Stress is the body’s response to exploitation, threats or changes that a person experiences. Usually, this is due to busy schedules and a big volume of work. It is essential to keep in mind that stress is not a single concept. This emphasizes the fact that a person cannot distort the next person due to the concept of stress. Therefore, it is important for the students to be taught stress management in order for them to understand the causes and consequences of stress, in addition to identifying stressors and coping with stress. At the same time, numerous circumstances, situations, and costs can be charged. These situations and stressful pressures are called stressors. Stress factors can be generated by internal and external factors (Renzi, Oliveri, & Pravettoni, 2015).

Jenny et al. (2014) argues that when the body faces stress factors, its reaction is to enter a protection mood by remaining focused, energetic and alert, as going through combat and kicks reflection. Studies have revealed that a sufficient amount of controlled stress can strengthen brain function, strengthen the immune system, and better prepare the individual for any other stressful situations that can positively affect the emotional health of a person’s work and family life.

Once the students learn about stress management, they will be able to discover themselves having many of the stress symptoms, be aware of the stress presence in their lives, and once this happens, it would be the right time for them to regain control (Jenny et al., 2014). The first step in overcoming stress is identifying the warning signs, recognizing the stressors in their life and mastering stress management, would be by changing the stressful situation and influence the response.

MANAGE DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND PANIC ATTACKS

People with anxiety disorders are in a state of anxiety in most of their time. Anxiety disorders do not comprise only nervousness and anxiety. They can result in a terrible fear of things which the other individuals do not think about. Many individuals with anxiety disorder appreciate that their opinions are illogical, but they cannot end them (Batelaan, Van Balkom, & Stein, 2012).

According to Batelaan, Van Balkom, & Stein (2012), the management of anxiety disorders and depression should be handled and controlled with the help of a therapist. It is very important that individuals with anxiety and depression get a good evaluation in order to eliminate bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is a state wherein emotions can move between very low and very high levels of obsession and despair and is being treated very differently from the anxiety disorder with depression.

We get sick when we subject ourselves to unhealthy thoughts (the proverbial rotten tomatoes). Mental health is where problems start. Mental health can be improved by smiling, mindful meditation of how thoughts play in our mind and breathing deeply (Ea, 2018). It would be valuable for students to learn when and how to accept whatever is between their hands and overcome depression, anxiety and panic attacks.

MANAGE REJECTION AND LACK OF APPRECIATION

Maier, Takano, and Sapir-Pichhadze (2017) point out that rejection, lack of appreciation, failure and disappointment are normal elements and feelings of everyday life, regardless of the success of a person. All humans are looking for acceptance, alignment, approval from friends, families, colleagues, managers and society. However, there is the risk and even the certainty of rejection and disagreement. Almost everyone, no matter how self-confident they are, they worry when they get rejected in one of these situations. However, some individuals seem overwhelmed.

This is why students have to learn what it takes to react repeatedly to rejections and lack of appreciation. They should learn that there is something to be done about it and will be able to find out in advance what possibilities concrete efforts will bring. If the chances are high, there is no reason not to try. It is also an excuse not to be dispirited by rejection (Maier, Takano, & Sapir-Pichhadze, 2017). Lastly, they will remember that rejection is not essentially, perhaps not generally, a reflection of who one is, what he or she wrote or how they think, and nothing will stop here, by learning perusing the individual’s dream(s).

MANAGE SADNESS AND HAPPINESS

All people feel sad sometimes. Sadness is a normal emotion which can make life more exciting. Nearly at all times sadness is accompanied by loss. People are frequently sad when they say farewell to a loved one. The suffering is even deeper when an intimate relationship ends or when a dear friend is dead. However, sadness helps people to enjoy happiness. When one’s mood finally changes from sadness to joy, such changes will be more enjoyably and appreciated (Tay & Kuykendall, 2016).

Learning about sadness and happiness management will enable students to experience normal sadness in a healthy way which will let this feeling enrich their lives. Tay and Kuykendall (2016) indicate that the refusal of these feelings can cause them to move to the underworld, where they can cause more harm over time. They will understand the importance of crying when they feel like, which might be a good way of discharging emotions, since we are living humans experiencing diverse feelings. They will realize that they feel relieved after stop crying. They will learn to do activities that will help manage both emotions through: writing a journal, listening to music, spending time with family and friends, or painting in order to show the emotions of sadness. They will think impartially to feelings and enjoy the waves of experience. Sadness may come from a change one did not anticipate, or it might signal that one will have to make a change in his or her life. Emotions change and they come and go. Thus, the students will be able to know when sadness changes to depression, ask for help if this happens and don’t give up.

MANAGE THE MONEY IN YOUR POCKET

If people have a credit card, they can make purchases without worrying if they have enough cash in their pocket or in a debit account to pay the bill. It makes the budget and liquidity management more essential and equally essential. Good management of personal finances is not only essential to achieving long-term objectives, but also vital in the short term. It is a set of skills that can protect people from spending irresponsibly a large amount of money (Suthinee, Robert, & Nina, 2016).

There is never a shortage of seductive things to purchase. Setting a budget for the amount of fun one can pay for a month allows them to control costs. Students can learn the importance of responsible spending, which is extremely important, as responsibilities such as: student loans, vehicle loans, revolving loans (credit cards) and home mortgage might add up and become the students’ shadow for the rest of their life. Suthinee, Robert, & Nina (2016) indicate that it is not possible to defer these payments or credit card accounts without additional fines or interest. With the right planning and budget, the students can avoid uncontrolled debts in future.

TIME MANAGEMENT

Farrell (2017) says that the management of time is, first of all, the ability to organize and plan the time dedicated to daily activities. The outcome of good time management is greater efficiency and productivity. It is a fundamental feature of project management and includes expertise like planning, setting goals and setting priorities to improve productivity with respective to the running cost.

Learning this skill will enable students to understand that the lack of effective time management may have a negative effect on a long-term project and on their own life. Time is among the three triple conditions of any project and any nonconformity from the program influences the cost and possibility of the project (Farrell, 2017). In general, time is money. Inefficient management of time can also lead to increased stress and frustration of the planning director and team members. One of the key factors in time management is learning not to postpone today’s activities untill tomorrow. Furthermore, remembering the reasons for starting such activities would be the second key factor to keep you going and motivated. Just be aware that, within the present cyber era, there are a lot of time thieves, starting and not limited to Social Media (eg.: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, etc.), and Online Entertainment (online movies, long lasty serial movies, online games, etc.).

ANGER MANAGEMENT

Anger is part of daily life. Unconscious or aware, hate, violence, antagonism and hostility are present in our daily lives. Several psychological concepts of human development underline the universality of the child’s tussle with the basic imaginations of guilt, aggressiveness, and repatriation. It seems that these fantasies come from the basic feelings of frustration and anger. A number of theories approve that people get angry at the beginning of their lives (Candelaria, Fedewa, & Ahn, 2012).

The skill will make the students understand that the absence of anger management can be catastrophic, as it can have an emotional effect on a person’s mental health and interfere with individual and professional affairs. Learning how to manage anger is a necessity for those who cannot control their anger and the wrath in their lives. The management of anger can be a common solution for a person’s health. According to Dr. Christian, learning “how to let go” is vital in anger management. This can be done by actively replacing old anger thoughts with new active ones, with less self-focus, thinking of helping others and being thankful for all the beautiful things we have (Conte, 2018).

CONCLUSION

The current school experience is not suitable for students and it is necessary to present proposals on more relevant topics related to life. Instead of developing advanced skills, such as differential calculus in the first twelve years of study, which will almost never be used in life, students can become a sort of “expert amateur” in statistics (Young, 2014). Indeed, expert amateurism has worked very well for most of the people’s lives, like nurturing children, paying taxes, art, calculating insurance rates or taking care of the body’s health. Furthermore, teachers should focus on teaching other skills like how to manage stress, fighting with depression, anxiety, eliminate panic and lack of recognition, managing sadness and happiness, saving money in their pocket, and managing time and anger in everyday life.

The above list is not limited only to these seven elements to be taught and considered within the present Cyber Era. It can further include and not be limited to subjects such as: Self-Healing, Meditation, Health, Nutrition, Orientation and Survival in Nature, Environmental Protection, Securing respective Online Persona, Lecturing, Public Speaking and Presentation Techniques, History of Religions, Acceptance to Others, Animals Care, Psychology, Self-Assessment, Interviewing Techniques, Profiling, Emotional Intelligence (EQ), Cultural Intelligence (CQ) and People Intelligence (PQ).

REFERENCES

  1. Batelaan, N. M., Van Balkom, A. J., & Stein, D. J. (2012). Evidence-based pharmacotherapy of panic disorder: an update. International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology , 15 (3), 403–415.
  2. Candelaria, A. M., Fedewa, A. L., & Ahn, S. (2012). The effects of anger management on children’s social and emotional outcomes: A meta-analysis. School Psychology International , 33 (6), 596-614.
  3. Conte, C. (2018, April 2). Anger Management: How to let go. Retrieved 2018, from youtube.com: https://youtu.be/qxEYjvNU__w
  4. Ea, P. (2018, March 18). We need to talk about mental health. Retrieved 2018, from youtube.com: https://youtu.be/6YbWRqsnHdo
  5. Farrell, M. (2017). Time management. Journal of Library Administration , 57 (2), 215-222.
  6. Herold, F., & Waring, M. (2016). Frank, Herold & Michael, Waring (2017). Is practical subject matter knowledge still important? Examining the Siedentopian perspective on the role of content knowledge in physical education teacher education. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy , 22 (3), 231-245.
  7. Jenny, G. J., Brauchli, R., Inauen, A., Füllemann, D., Fridrich, A., & Bauer, G. F. (2014). Process and outcome evaluation of an organizational-level stress management intervention in Switzerland. Health Promotion International , 30 (3), 573–585.
  8. Maier, M., Takano, T., & Sapir-Pichhadze, R. (2017). Changing paradigms in the management of rejection in kidney transplantation. Evolving From Protocol-Based Care to the Era of P4 Medicine. Canadian Journal of Kidney Health and Disease .
  9. Renzi, C., Oliveri, S., & Pravettoni, G. (2015). The importance of stress management in the presurgical phase. Psychosomatic Medicine , 77 (2), 209–210.
  10. Suthinee, S., Robert, L., & Nina, H. (2016). The impact of social and financial education on savings attitudes and behavior among primary school children in Uganda. Evaluation Review .
  11. Tay, L., & Kuykendall, L. (2016). Why self-reports of happiness and sadness may not necessarily contradict bipolarity: a psychometric review and proposal. Emotion Review , 9 (2), 146-154.
  12. Young, M. (2014). Curriculum theory: what it is and why it is important. Research Notebooks , 44 (151).

 

INTELLIGENT COMMUNICATION WITHIN THE BODY AND HOW TO BE SMARTER

INTELLIGENT COMMUNICATION WITHIN THE BODY AND HOW TO BE SMARTER

FADI ABU ZUHRI

INTRODUCTION

Hormones play a significant role in maintaining human health and a vital role of communication within the body. Out of the 600 hormones in the human body, the most notable are: Testosterone, Thyroxine, Adrenal, Estrogen, Melatonin, Human Growth Hormone, and Cortisol. These hormones are often produced by glands in the body and transported via blood to other parts of the body. They carry messages that impact the functioning of the human body. The overproduction or underproduction of any of these hormones may have implications to the functioning of our bodies (Ray, 2015). This paper discusses these implications with a focus on Testosterone, Estrogen, Melatonin, Human Growth Hormone, and Cortisol. The paper also looks at the effect of vitamins imbalance, such as Vitamins A, B, C, D, E, K2, and mineral imbalance, such as: Manganese, Magnesium, Calcium, Selenium, Zinc, Boron and Omega-3. There is a discussion on Probiotics and Natural Foods and Spices such as Black Seed Oil, Garlic, Ginger, Lemon, Turmeric, Cinnamon, Red Cayenne Powder, Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) and Honey.

THE EFFECT OF HORMONES

Testosterone is responsible for regulating fertility, fat distribution, muscle mass, and red blood cell production. The optimum testosterone level for men is about 270 to 1070 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL). Having above the normal level of testosterone may impact the individual’s physical and mental abilities, causing acne, greater assertiveness and reduced social anxiety, greater work capacity and energy improvements, motivation and greater ambition, shorter refractory period and heightened libido/ sex drive and response times, concentration and greater ability to work and complete complex mental tasks, increased muscle mass and strength, higher base metabolic rate and reduction in body fat, mild euphoria and a reduction in depression. On the contrary, low levels of testosterone is associated with increased risk of osteoporosis, increased risk of low libido, increase in fat tissue, constant fatigue, depression, increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease, minor testicle shrinkage, reduced fertility, hair loss and enlarged prostate. Low testosterone levels may also result in a decline in physical energy, strength, stamina, diminished mental aggressiveness, more aches and pains in the bones and joints than normal, weight gain and a decline in erections and libido (Ray, 2015).

The Estrogen hormone is responsible for sexual development and regulating menstrual cycles in females. It affects the entire reproductive system of women. Its level in women’s body varies between different stages of menstrual cycle. High levels of Estrogen, or Estrogen dominance, occur when the body’s levels of Estrogen and progesterone are not in balance. Excessive level of Estrogen has various implications: bloating, fibrocystic lumps, tenderness and swelling in breasts, decreased sex drive, increased symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, irregular menstrual periods, panic attacks and anxiety, headaches, mood swings, cold feet or hands, hair loss, weight gain, memory problems, fatigue or sleepiness and trouble sleeping.

Melatonin hormone is produced by pineal gland in tryptophan in the human brain. It plays a key role in regulating the sleep cycle. Its production is often triggered by decreased light exposure. It has an influence on immune system and it is known to regulate the production of sex hormone. It also plays a role in several female and male conditions (Whiticomb, 2011).

There are several factors which lead to a low level of Melatonin. One of the factors leading to lack of sleep is exposure to light during sleep time (PowerHealthYT, 2016). This may happen when one uses a phone until late at night before sleep. This is because the phone exposes the individual to light, which causes insomnia, accumulation of toxins inside the brain, and causes loss of memory. Insomnia works against the production of Melatonin. The blue light emitted by smartphone works against the production of Melatonin consequently altering sleep patterns (Viral Hub, 2017).

It is important for one to ensure he or she has enough Melatonin, as low levels of Melatonin have been associated with Seasonal Affective Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Anxiety, Schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Low levels of Melatonin have also been linked to people suffering from Panic Disorders, Depression, various types of Cancers, Sleep Disorders, Cardiovascular Disease, risk for Coronary Disease, Fatigue, Cataracts, Parkinson’s Disease, Heart Attacks, Heart Arrhythmias, Blood Clots, Elevated Cholesterol Levels, sensitivity to Stress, unusual Menstrual Flow, Irregular Menstrual Cycle and Scoliosis (Ray, 2015; Whiticomb, 2011).

Another important hormone is Human Growth Hormone (HGH), a natural Testosterone booster produced in the pituitary glands. It plays an important role in growth and development, cell regeneration and maintaining health human tissues. Its deficiency may cause erectile dysfunction, poor cognitive function and mood, poor sleep, weaker bones, increased risk of cardiovascular disease, reduced muscular strength and poor fracture healing in adults. In children, its deficiency may predict slow hair growth and prominent forehead. Mehl (2016) suggests that one can increase HGH in the body by skipping meals, praying and fasting. According to Berg (2017) HGH helps in cell growth, fat burning, cognition, and cell regeneration. It can be improved through Intermittent Fasting, Hypoglycaemia, Arginine, Vitamin B3 and Intense Exercising.

Cortisol is a glucorticoid hormone synthesized by the zona fasciculata in the Adrenal Cortex of the brain. It plays a key role in combating stress. Low levels of Cortisol may affect an individual’s quality of life by causing a plethora of health issues. These include dizziness, psychological and mental ailments such as depression, heart palpitations, weakness and fatigue, emotional hypersensitivity, inability to cope with stress, muscle weakness, social anxiety, scalp ache, headache and general body ache, jitters and anxiety, extreme craving for salty foods, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, dull or severe back pain, confusion and clumsiness, hunger pain and abdominal pain, extremely sensitive skin, non-existent or irregular menstrual period, dark circles under the eyes and insomnia, motion sickness, symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and low bladder capacity (Whiticomb, 2011). Conversely, chronically elevated levels of Cortisol are associated with Hyperglycaemia (High Blood Sugar), Hypertension, Carbohydrate Cravings, suppressed immunity, reduced libido, Type II Diabetes and Metabolic syndrome, fat deposits on the belly, neck and face and Insulin Resistance (Whiticomb, 2011).

Other deficiencies such as Iodine Deficiency have been associated with the development of goitre, mental retardation and intellectual disability (Berg, 2018).

THE EFFECT OF VITAMINS

Vitamins can be categorized into two groups: Fat-Soluble Vitamins and Water-Soluble Vitamins. Water-soluble Vitamins include C and B-complex. B-complex Vitamin group consists of eight types of compounds namely B1 (Thiamine), B2 (Riboflavin), B3 (Niacin), B5 (Panthothenic Acid), B6 (Pyridoxine), B7 (Biotin), B9 (Folic Acid), and B12 (Cyanocobalamin). Fat-Soluble Vitamins include Vitamins, A, D, E and K. These groups of Vitamins are stored in the human body for a relatively longer period and can be toxic to the body when consumed in excess.

Lack of Vitamin A can cause xerophthalmia, very dry and rough skin, night blindness, slower bone growth, faulty tooth development and decreased resistance to infections. Conversely, excess Vitamin A may cause dry and itchy skin, loss of appetite, nausea, headache, dizziness, slowed growth, birth defects, increased risk for hip fractures, and blurred vision (Bellows & Moore, 2012).

Lack of Vitamin B1 may cause beriberi, muscle wasting and weakness, mental confusion, impaired growth, water retention. The effects of excessive Vitamin B1 are unknown. Vitamin B2 deficiency is associated with pellagra, which is characterized by dermatitis on lips and nose, cracks on the mouth, cataracts, red tongue, a sore and light sensitivity. Health consequences of large doses of Vitamin B2 include rashes, flushed skin and liver damage. Vitamin B6 deficiency is associated with the following symptoms – dermatitis, skin disorders, anaemia, nausea, kidney stones and cracks at the corners of the mouth. Excess doses may cause nerve damage. Lack of Vitamin B7 may cause nausea, muscle pains, vomiting, loss of appetite, fatigue, anaemia, muscle pains and heart abnormalities. Lack of Vitamin B9 affects protein production and cell growth. This may impair growth. It may also cause diarrhoea and anaemia. In pregnant mothers, folate deficiency may cause children to have neural tube defects. There is no known effect of over consumption of Vitamin B9. Deficiency of Vitamin B12 may cause fatigue, anaemia, degeneration of nerves leading to tingling and numbness, and neurological disorders. There is no known effect of overconsumption of Vitamin B12 (Berg, 2017).

The best-known health consequence of Vitamin C deficiency is scurvy. This condition is characterized by fatigue, sunken eyes, pale skin, weakness, muscle pain, inflamed gums, diarrhoea, easy bruising, aching joints, poor appetite, shortness of breath, irritability, fever, and pale skin. Excess Vitamin C may cause kidney stones, rebound scurvy, diarrhoea and gout.

Lack of Vitamin D may cause rickets and flattening of the back of skull in children. In adults, lack of Vitamin D may cause osteoporosis (i.e., loss of bone mass), osteomalacia (bone and muscle weakness), greater risk of cancers, infectious disease, autoimmune diseases, and hypertension. On the contrary, too much Vitamin D may lead to the excess calcium in the blood, accumulations in the liver, decreased appetite, slowed physical and mental growth, vomiting and nausea (Bellows, & Moore, 2012).

Vitamin E deficiency largely occurs in premature infants and individuals who lack the ability to absorb fats. Health consequences include muscle weakness, loss of body movement control, vision problems, weakened immune system and loss of feeling in the legs and arms. Excess Vitamin E may pose a threat to individuals using blood-thinning medications, such as warfarin (Coumadin) and statin drugs (Bellows & Moore, 2012).

The body also requires Vitamin K2 and K1 for various functions and deficiency of these two Vitamins has health consequences. Vitamin K2 plays a role in transporting Calcium Metabolism (Berg, 2014). The key health consequence of Vitamin K deficiency is haemorrhage. On the contrary, excessive amount of Vitamin K may cause liver damage, the breakdown of red blood cells and may alter blood clotting for individuals taking anticoagulants or blood-thinning drugs (Berg, 2014).

Vitamin D3 has cancer fighting properties. A deficiency of D3 goes along K2 deficiency. K2 and D3 are helpful in the absorption of Calcium. It directs where the Calcium goes. K1 helps minimize blood-bleeding disorders. K1 turns into K2. Deficiency of K2 has high risk of cancer, kidney stones, stroke, diabetes, brain disease, and osteoporosis. K2 is found in soybean products and cheese (Petersen, 2017; Berg, 2014; iHealth Tube.Com, 2018).

According to Dr. Berg, Mineral Oil or Liquid Petroleum should be avoided. It isn’t good because it depletes the body from soluble vitamins such as vitamin A, D, E and K. This oil has hidden names and may be found in cosmetics ranging from moisturisers to foundations, laxatives and even baby oil (Berg, 2018). Mineral Oil or Liquid Petroleum is a by-product in the process of distillation of petroleum to produce gasoline. It is a transparent liquid, it has no colour and is mainly made out of alkanes and paraffins. According to the Environmental Working Group, this oil may be contaminated with cancer-causing Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) (Brad, 2014) .

THE EFFECT OF MINERALS

Risks of Manganese deficiency include changes in mood, joint and muscle pain, bone loss, hormonal imbalances, frequently getting sick and low immunity, chronic fatigue syndrome, impaired glucose sensitivity, symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), impaired reproductive abilities, changes in appetite and digestion. On the other hand, too much Manganese is associated with cognitive problems and birth defects.

According to Walker (2018) health benefits of Magnesium includes: increased energy, better nerve functioning, production of hormones, reduced anxiety behaviours and improved sleep.

Lack of Calcium is associated with weak bones and teeth in children and weakened bones in adults. Insufficient iron is associated with anaemia and inhibited intellectual performance.

According to Walker (2018) Selenium reduces liver damage by increasing nutrient absorption, helps in protein synthesis and carbohydrates. However, inadequate Selenium intake impairs the production of Testosterone and Healthy Sperm, leads to slow wound healing, loss of appetite, weakens the immune system and increases the risk of infections.

Inadequate Zinc intake is associated with muscle weakness or pain. According to Walker (2018), Zinc deficiency may lead to the following symptoms: changes in appetite combined with massive cravings for food, change in smell and taste, hair loss, digestive issues, fatigue, infertility, malfunctioning of immune system, and nerve dysfunction. According to Walker (2018), food sources for treating Zinc deficiency include: mushrooms, lamb, chicken, turkey and eggs.

According to Walker (2016), Boron currently holds the most impressive results on natural Testosterone production in terms of scientific evidence. Boron is a rare mineral on Earth, and in the whole universe. This is because boron is a “trace leftover” of the big bang, arriving Earth via cosmic dust and meteor materials. There is a good amount of scientific evidence showing the Boron and Testosterone benefits. Boron has the ability to increase testosterone levels in healthy human.

Omega-3 deficiency has several symptoms: skin related signs, concentration and attention problems, mood related signs, inflammation, and sleep and energy related signs. Skin related signs include: dry skin and hair, brittle or soft nails, rough patches of skin, dandruff, dry eyes, atopic allergies and small bumps. Attention and concentration related signs include inability to concentrate, hyperactivity and attention deficit. Mood related signs are low frustration, mood swings, depression, anxiety and irritability. Sleep and energy related signs are: poor sleep quality and fatigue. Finally, inflammation related signs relate to join pain (Kutty, 2010; Yip et al., 2013).

THE EFFECT OF PROBIOTICS & NATURAL INGREDIENTS

The daily use of Probiotics is very important, whether it is through fermented probiotic foods, or by using a daily Probiotic supplement. According to Walker (2017), the human gut flora communicates with the nervous and immune systems, thus it is vital for people to populate their gut flora with good bacteria, especially after spending decades of our lives pumping terrible food into our bodies, which leads to an imbalanced gut flora. According to Walker (2017), Kefir, Organic Grass Fed Yogurts, Raw Cheese, Kimchi and Kombucha are some great natural sources of probiotics. Dr. Berg explains what a probiotic is and their benefits. There are ten times more microbes living in and on our bodies than there are body cells. These microbes assist in making vitamins and breaking down the food, not to mention the fact that they protect our immune system (Berg, 2014).

Natural Foods and Spices such as: Black Seed Oil, Garlic, Ginger, Lemon, Turmeric, Cinnamon, Red Cayenne Paper, Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) and Honey have numerous health benefits. For example, Natural Cures (2018) emphasized the fact that Black Seed Oil, Turmeric, Ginger, Milk Thistle and Dandelion Root can be used to effectively treat liver diseases. According to Natural Cures (2018), Black Seed Oil cuts down oxidative damage to the liver, Turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties, Ginger flashes toxins from the body, Milk Thistle lowers the cholesterol level and Dandelion Root speeds the job of the liver by flushing out none-toxins.

Garlic could prevent cancer, help build the body’s immune system, prevents cardiovascular diseases, regulates blood flow in vessels, lowers the cholesterol level, reduces the risk of prostate, stomach, throat and colon cancer. Walker (2017) also hinted that when put together, Vitamin C and Garlic can help get rid of varicose veins by opening up veins.

Ginger could ease rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. It helps prevent common cough and cold. It stimulates appetite, and treats hangovers and nausea.

Cinnamon improves the ability to fight cancer, protects individuals against heart diseases and Type II Diabetes. It helps in regulating blood flow in vessels, lowering blood glucose levels, triglyceride and cholesterol levels.

Turmeric could reduce the risk of cancer and it is known to cure diseases like carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis and Alzheimer’s disease.

Red Cayenne Pepper helps in reducing the risk of cancer. It is an immune booster and an anti-oxidant.

According to Dr Berg, Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) can help you lose belly fat. It doesn’t do it directly, but indirectly and not through its Vitamins and Minerals, but through Acetic Acid. Apparently this acid has the ability to reduce the resistance to insulin, and increase glucose uptake by the muscle cells. This then lowers the blood sugars and the need for the pancreas to make insulin. The result is less insulin, more fat burning and less fat storage in the belly. The other good thing is that when insulin resistance improves, the ability to absorb Vitamins, Minerals and Protein (Amino Acid) increases. One tablespoon of ACV is recommended to be taken daily with a glass of water. If desired, for a better taste one tablespoon lemon juice can be added (Berg, 2017). However, there are side effects when taking too much ACV and Kombucha Tea. For instance, it is not recommended to take this product if you have ulcer or gastritis. If too much ACV is being taken, the following symptoms might be experienced: Difficulty Breathing, Increased Heart Rate and Insomnia (Berg, 2018).

Other plant, such as Maca, has several benefits: weight loss, boosted libido, diabetes prevention, improved heart health, preventing heart blood pressure, fighting anaemia and strengthening the immune system, helping menopause conditions, improving fertility, improving sense of well-being, reducing depression and anxiety (Natural Cures, 2018). Natural Cures (2018) suggests that some of the health issues can be overcome by avoiding the consumption of foods such as French Fries from fast food joints. According to Natural Cures (2018) such French Fries have health consequences. They are prepared using soybean oil and other ingredients that are associated with chronic diseases.

Lemon, Honey and Red Cayenne Powder also have numerous health benefits. Lemon contains Vitamin C, which stimulates the liver, boosts the Immune System, aids in digestion, lowers blood pressure, defends against bacterial infections, aids lymphatic health and fights cravings. Red Cayenne Powder is also a metabolic booster. It helps increase the blood flow by opening up blood vessels and prepares the stomach for digestion. It aids in burning calories and boosts appetite (Hess, 2016).

Lastly, Honey has several health benefits, such as: treatment of bacterial infections, gastroenteritis and ulcers. It reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer, promotes sleep, aids with diabetes and is a natural cough syrup. Elderberry Creek Farms (2016) suggested that the best approach to curing common cold and flu is combining garlic, ginger, lemon juice, honey, and cinnamon paper. Similarly, Berg (2018) suggests that Cinnamon and other ingredients such as Cocoa, Coconut Oil and others can act as an alternative for Keto and Intermittent Fasting. Multiple studies suggest starting the day with bulletproof coffee to have higher energy levels, lower fatigue and less desire to eat while fasting (Berg, 2017; Asprey, 2014). Some recommend having bulletproof coffee with cayenne pepper, cinnamon, ginger and honey for better tasting coffee.

Some health tips find the Ketogenic Diet (KD) as a diet containing low-carbohydrates, medium-protein and high-fat content. According to Dr Berg, a Healthy Ketosis Diet constitutes 170-200 gm (3-6 Oz) of fat, medium protein, and 7-10 cups (almost 7-10 Oz) of vegetables with no sugar and no processed carbohydrates (bread, pasta, biscuits, cereals, crackers, etc.), and is advocated to help fight cancer and other chronic diseases. Carbohydrates should be minimized to about 50 grams per day. Not to mention that Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) should be taken strictly out of the diet, just as plastic is not to be eaten by any living being (Berg, 2018). On the other hand, it is also suggested that Gluten is bad for one’s health, because it causes inflammation to individuals with celiac disease (Berg, 2017). It can also cause Gluten Intolerance (Schehr, 2018). Dr. Berg talks about whole wheat grains versus refined wheat grains. As soon as you grind the grains, it becomes exposed to oxygen and you lose a good amount of the nutrition within days. So when you buy whole grain bread or refine grain products, you have no idea when that grain was ground into flour. Yes, the whole grain has all the parts of the grain, but it’s still exposed to oxygen and thus a denatured product. Then there is the issue of gluten, which is also very high on the glycemic index scale. In my opinion whole grains are not much healthier than refined grains (Berg, 2017). Walker has highlighted the processed Grains (Gluten and Lectins) as one of the five elements to be avoided for a better and healthy gut flora (Walker, 2017). Furthermore, Walker had linked Beta Glucan, one of the main compounds found in Oats, as being a polysaccharide that has very potent anti-androgen effects on the human body. Avena Sativa is another word for the common oat. Beta Glucan has been found to suppress the Cholesterol production. Pointless reductions in Cholesterol often bring about reduced levels of steroid hormones like Testosterone (Walker, 2017). According to Berg (2017), Lactose Intolerance happens when one is unable to breakdown lactose (the sugar of the milk). Symptoms include bloating, pain in the abdomen, rumbling of intestines and inflammation. Berg (2018) suggests that people should adopt a culture of sticking to healthy diets, by sticking to their eating plans and schedules, as well as depriving themselves from certain harmful foods. Understanding the combination of vitamins is crucial (Bright Side, 2018). Injecting small amounts of two immune stimulating agents could lead to the stimulation of t-cells to destroy tumour (RT America, 2018). By stimulation, t-cells will recognize the tumour and destroy it. Agents will activate the t-cells to enable the body to destroy the tumour.

CONCLUSION

As demonstrated herein, hormonal imbalances may have health and psychological consequences. For example, Cortisol, Adrenaline and the DHEA precursor hormone may cause hormonal imbalances and ultimately cause mental health-related symptoms, including insomnia, anxiety and depression. Excess stress hormone may lead to irritability, sleep disorder, jitters and anxiety. Lack of these stress hormones may cause an individual to feel tired, sluggish, depressed, suffer from concentration problems and become moody. An overactive thyroid may trigger insomnia, depression, panic attack, anxiety and moodiness. Conversely, an underactive thyroid can cause anxiety, fatigue, moodiness and depression. This emphasizes the need to strive for hormonal body balance, and such balance would lead to a better communication within the human body, which improves human intelligent.

It cannot be stressed enough the fact that each individual needs to map his or her own personal journey towards holistic health. There is no single solution that could fit us all. The key to understanding personal health, irrespective of your age, is through a comprehensive blood test that checks for deficiencies or excess of all Vitamins and Minerals. Such a test is recommended twice a year.

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COULD HUMANS BE MORE INTELLIGENT?

COULD HUMANS BE MORE INTELLIGENT?

FADI ABU ZUHRI

INTRODUCTION

Modern educational institutions have imposed an extraordinary importance on scientific learning to improve intelligence. In the search for higher intelligence this paper focuses on alternative methods such as Nutrition, Intermittent Fasting (IF), Meditation and Cold Showers. These have been found to influence human intelligence as well as overall well-being.

NUTRITION

What you eat is 85% of being well, while exercising accounts for only 15% of your health (Berg, 2017). Our aim should not be only to lose weight; rather it should be to stay healthy in order to lose weight. It is a popular saying that what you are is what you eat. In this section, the focus is on certain kind of foods and their impact on the human body.

One key area of health is digestion, in which nutrients are taken in and processed, and excretion, where waste is taken out of the body. People should eat food that is easy to digest, in order to promote better assimilation. If the digestion process is not healthy, the results are poor health and disease (iHealthTube.com, 2018).

Ketogenic Diet (KD) regimen is a diet containing low-carbohydrates, medium-protein and high-fat content. It is argued that maintenance of KD induces, as well as sustains, the body’s ketonic state. It reduces the levels of glucose in the body without leading to malnutrition or caloric restrictions (Zupec-Kania & Spellman, 2009).

A Ketosis Diet constitutes 170-200 gm (3-6 Oz) of fat, medium protein, and 7-10 cups (almost 7-10 Oz) of vegetables with no sugar and no processed carbohydrates (bread, pasta, biscuits, cereals, crackers, etc.), and is advocated to help fight cancer and other chronic diseases. Carbohydrates should be minimized to about 50 grams. Not to mention that Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) is strictly out of the diet, just as plastic is not to be eaten by Humans. Berg (2017) emphasises that carbohydrates should be minimized and replaced with healthy fats and moderate protein. Berg (2018) points out that the body recycles its own tissues and so the body does not lose them, but conserves them. The body does not store protein as it stores other nutrients,thus the requirement for protein in the body is less (Berg, 2018).

It has been suggested that ketosis (key-tow-sis) may influence human intelligence. It mimics starvation by putting the body in the ketosis metabolic state. Normally, the human body breaks down carbohydrates into sugar or glucose. This glucose is then transported by the liver, used as energy by the body, or stored in the muscle tissue and liver as glycogen. When the body is deprived of carbohydrates, the only source of glucose supply for body organs comes from the liver. The brain is a greedy organ accounting for about 20 percent of the energy produced by the body. It cannot directly utilize fat for energy, rather it requires it to be converted into ketone to provide energy for normal brain cell metabolism. Ketone supplies increase the number of energy factories or mitochondria in the brain cells. Accordingly, a Ketogenic Diet works to directly inhibit the key source of neuronal stress. Reactive oxygen species are a cellular metabolism by-product. These oxidants are highly reactive because they contain a single electron. They wreck by denaturing proteins. Increased oxidants are the causes of neurodegeneration, stroke and aging. Ketones (that regulate normal cell function) play an important role of enhancing the breakdown of these molecules and inhibiting their production by increasing glutathione peroxidase activity. The low carbohydrate intake also works against the oxidation of glucose. The high fat nature of KD increases the Poly-Unsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA) such as Eicosa Pentaenoic Acid (EPA) and Docosa Hexaenoic Acid (DHA), which are both over-the-counter medications promoted as healthy supplements for the brain. The increase in PUFAs works to minimize inflammation and the production of the oxidant.

Several clinical and animal experimental studies have shown that KDs may enhance cognitive functioning of an individual (Xu et al., 2010; Appelberg et al., 2009). For example, Appelberg et al. (2009) demonstrated that KDs could improve the cognitive recovery and motor coordination in rats with traumatic brain injury. In another study, Xu et al. (2010) demonstrated that KDs enhance memory and pro-cognitive functioning of young rats and normal, health and aged rats.

In a similar study involving mice with Alzheimer’ Disease (AD), KDs were shown to attenuate the accumulation and production of cytotoxic Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) products that were associated with the AD (Van, Wera, Van Leuven, & Henderson, 2005). KDs have also been shown to reduce the loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord and delay the onset of the loss of motor coordination (Zhao et al., 2006). Tai et al. (2008) also demonstrated that KDs could minimize the generation of seizure activity and neuronal cell death in experiment models of cerebral ischemia and stroke.

Anecdotal evidence have also shown that children with behavioural or development problems, treated using KD, show better cognitive functioning, improve behaviour and show increased alertness (Pulsifer et al., 2001; Nordli et al., 2001). Farasat et al. (2006) also demonstrated a therapeutic synergism between KD and social behavioural support, suggesting that emotional neurological pathways may play a crucial role in the efficacy of KD.

The Warburg Effect cited by Van Derschelden (2016) demonstrated that health cells can use ketone bodies as sources of energy from proteins. Van Derschelden (2016) also explained how patients with severe metastatic skeletal cancer who were given a maximum of three months to live, used KD to reverse the progression of cancer (Van Derschelden, 2016). Dr. Warburg was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1931 for his work on respiratory enzyme, in particular how cancer cells live on sugar (Nobelprize.org, 2014). In other words, restricting sugar in the diet might kill cancer cells.

Breast cancer cells have six times more insulin receptors than normal breast tissues. Cancer lives on glucose and thus, people who have breast cancer would benefit from a Keto Diet to cut off cancer. They could try to avoid sugary foods to keep the insulin low (Berg E., 2018).

Berg (2018) points out that the Keto Diet consists of three meals a day and intermittent fasting includes two meals and for some people, it is just one meal per day. The calories reduction does not go down at a certain rate, but they have their own rate of change, because when people reduce the frequency of eating, they start retaining more nutrients. When doing keto and intermittent fasting, people could try to keep carbohydrates at 20 grams per day (Berg E. 2018). Carbohydrates from vegetables are not counted. Berg (2017) also recommended certain supplements for those on KD and Intermittent Fasting, namely Minerals (Potassium, Magnesium, Sodium, & Calcium), and Vitamins (A, B1, B3, B5, D and K2).

The marine-based omega 3 (not vegetarian source) reduces the size of tumors by 60 to 70 percent and the numbers of tumors by 30 percent. Removing sugar from the diet only slows down the rate of cancer progression. Some little physical exercises every day could reduce the risk of fatal cardiovascular disease by 4% (iHealthTube.com, 2018).

Cortisol (the stress hormone) is a glucocorticoid hormone that is vital for the life of human beings. High cortisol increases the risk of disease and premature death. For one to lower the cortisol levels, he or she can meditate, correct electrolyte deficiencies, and supplement their brain with phosphatidylserine (Walker, 2018).

A high cholesterol diet has been linked to cancer. High cholesterol levels make the intestinal cells divide more quickly enabling tumors to form in the colon a hundred times faster than normal.

Fatty liver is a serious disease and linked to both alcohol consumption and non-alcohol reasons, such as a poor diet and sedentary lifestyle. Better nutrition is seen as a good preventive measure followed by limiting alcohol, managing cholesterol and reducing sugar intake (Natural Cures, 2018).

Are carbohydrates really a bad thing to be avoided? Most Asian diets are high on carbohydrates. A recent research claimed that women who intake low carbohydrates are 30% more likely to give birth to babies with defects of spine and brain (iHealthTube.com, 2018; Desrosiers, Siega-Riz, Mosley, & Meyer, 2018). The study was flawed on several counts (Harcombe, 2018). One cannot stress enough the importance of various lifestyle factors, ethnicity, gender and even health condition when deciding to go off carbohydrates. Perhaps balanced diet is what we really need. The diet that works for you today may not be good enough later in life. One always needs to adjust dietary needs based on where you are in your life’s journey. It is equally important to be aware of your personal health by regular check ups that could include blood, hormone and organ health.

INTERMITTENT FASTING

Intermittent Fasting starves the brain of glucose, demanding the conversion of fat into ketones by the body. It challenges the brain by imposing caloric restrictions. This forces the human body to switch to the optional fat stores and convert them into ketones.

Previously, Intermittent Fasting was largely associated with weight loss. However, recent studies have shown that this type of regime can potentially improve learning capability and memory, as well as reduce the risk for cancer and cardiovascular diseases (Varady, & Hellerstein, 2007). It is observed that fasting, which translates to caloric restrictions, helps kick-start body protective measures. These measures counteract the uncontrolled excitation signals and facilitate the healthy functioning of the brain. It was further revealed that fasting induces beneficial neurochemical changes in the brain and brings several benefits.

First, fasting challenges the brain by restricting calories. The brain induces the production of stress response pathways in response to this challenge. These pathways enable the brain to cope with disease risk and stress. The changes occurring in one’s brain during fasting often mimics those changes that occur during regular exercising, as both increase the production of neurotrophic factors, notably utilizing protein in the brain. In return, these neurotrophic factors facilitate the connection between neurones, their growth, and enhance the strength of brain synapses. Varady and Hellerstein (2007) explained what happens in the brain during Intermitted Fasting noting that the cognitive challenge induced by intermitted fasting activates neuron-circuits and increase the levels of neurotrophic factors that promote the strengthening and formation of synapses and growth of neurons.

Secondly, Intermitted Fasting is thought to stimulate stem cells to produce new nerve cells in the hippocampus (Wu, 2014). Long periods of fasting, by patients undergoing chemotherapy, lower white blood cell count. It flips the regenerative switch inducing changes in the signal pathways in hematopoietic stem cells. It also promotes the regeneration of stem cells on the hematopoietic system (Wu, 2014). According to Wu (2014), fasting stimulates ketones production, which is a source of energy for neurons. It also causes increased number of mitochondria in nerve cells and neurons, which adapt the stress introduced by intermitted fasting. The increase in the number of mitochondria within the neurons helps increase their ability to create and maintain connections with each other (Varady & Hellerstein, 2007).

Fasting has been associated with the chemical in the brain called Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), which is known to play a role in improving the overall cognitive functioning of the brain and in promoting the development and growth of nerve cells. It is indicated that during fasting the human body obtained energy from fat cells rather than from glucose, in order to stimulate its activities and the growth of brain cells. It converts fat stores into ketones and uses the ketones to stimulate BDNF production and to optimize memory building, learning and cognition (Varady & Hellerstein, 2007). This explains why individuals who fast tend to be alert and have an active part of the brain that is responsible for memory and fasting. Prolonged fasting is also known to regenerate the immune system and to protect against the damaging of the immune system (Varady, & Hellerstein, 2007). Intermittent Fasting diets have also been shown to improve memory and learning abilities (Young, 2017).

In summary, it has been suggested that combining intermittent fasting and limiting carbohydrates intake is a proven strategy to reduce risk of all chronic diseases, including cancer.

MEDITATION

Meditation is the approach to mind training in the same way physical fitness is the approach to body training. Meditation can involve daily mindful meditation, concentration meditation and moving meditation techniques. Concentration meditation entails focusing the mind on a single point or refocusing one’s awareness on a selected object of attention. Mindful meditation involves an individual observing thoughts as they wonder and drift through the mind. It is aimed at helping an individual to see how one’s feelings and thoughts move in certain patterns. Additionally, daily meditation practice involves a person cultivating compassion. Meditation has been linked to a number of benefits including less stress, deeper relaxation, feeling of well-being, less anxiety, lower heart rate, slower respiratory rate, less perspiration, lower blood pressure and improved blood circulation (Nidich et al. 2009; Rainforth et al., 2007; Anderson et al., 2008).

Meditation has often been associated with Spiritual Intelligence (SI). There are a number of things that happen when one meditates: meditation increases neurogenesis which increases the number of brain cells; it allows people to form more intimacy with their food; meditation slows down the body; it helps humans to let go circumstances and people that no longer serve them; it makes people stop judging themselves and accept themselves; it improves humans’ memory; it enables mankind to give up stress; it improves the cardiovascular health and boosts the immune system; it makes people stop blaming themselves; and finally helps people to stop living in the past and focus on the future (Smart, 2016).

Meditation has been linked to human intelligence in several ways: enhancing Emotional Intelligence (EQ), increasing brain size, boosting memory, facilitating the working together of both brain hemispheres. Evidence further suggests that meditation improves human intelligence by creating a perfect condition for intellectual learning and growth in six different ways.

Firstly, meditation balances the right and left-brain by synchronizing the two hemispheres of the brain. In this way, it allows greater processing capability and faster neural communication. By making the creative right brain and the logical left-brain work in harmony, meditation makes it easy for an individual to solve problems, think deeply, magnify the focus and concentration and think more creatively. Brain synchronization has consistently been associated with successful individuals (Nidich et al. 2009; Rainforth et al., 2007).

Secondly, meditation increases the size of the brain by increasing the thickness of an individual’s neural “gray matter” in sections of the brain. This means that meditation makes an individual’s brain to think faster and smarter in the way exercising helps the muscles to become more enduring, denser and stronger. Accordingly, meditation has been pegged as the leading enhancer of the brain and that it can potentially increase levels of intelligence (Gard, et al., 2014).

Thirdly, meditation is reported to facilitate the development of very beneficial brainwave patterns. It is argued that meditation guides one’s brainwaves into beneficial frequencies, notably theta, delta and alpha. It is also associated with other benefits, including powerful idea generation, super creativity, overall intellectual capacity, and enhanced cognitive functioning. It is suggested that meditation is the easiest and best way for accessing these super beneficial states of the mind and that these states can transform an individual’s life in many different ways, including increasing intellectual quotient (Paul-Labrador et al., 2006).

Meditation is known to be an intuition and insight booster, and is believed to be critical to improve human abilities. It is also argued that this inner intelligence can be derived from listening and developing one’s inner voice. Alstott et al. (2009) argued that though this form of intelligence cannot be gauged with tests and quizzes, it is highly useful on all levels, as it stimulates creativity, insight, natural understanding and helps one to see beyond the identified five senses of experience.

Meditation is believed to improve Intelligence Quotient (IQ) by improving short-term and long-term memory. It is noteworthy that these two types of memory constitute the key component of IQ and intelligence. According to Anicha et al. (2012), meditation significantly increases the activity of the frontal brain lobe and the hippocampus, which are part of the brain responsible for memory. By stimulating these vital parts of the brain, meditation helps increase the capacity of short-term and long-term memory making it to be easier for one to undertake daily life, job and schoolwork.

Meditation is known to advance one’s Emotional Intelligence (EQ). According to Brewer et al. (2012) many people do not subject their emotions to reasoning and reasonably address them. Instead, outside circumstances hold people as prisoners. Colzato et al., (2006) emphasized that regular meditation gives an individual EQ enabling him or her to listen and tune into one’s feelings and work through them in a sober and calm manner. EQ also enables an individual to read the emotional clues of others and respond appropriately (Nidich et al. 2009; Rainforth et al., 2007). It has also been shown that meditation techniques combined with cold water therapy might be helpful to build and rebuild the nervous system.

Conte (2018) argues that the best way to meditate is to sit up by keeping the spine straight. While in this position, one has to close his or her eyes. The next thing to do is to focus on breathing by inhaling through the nose, holding it briefly and exhaling through the mouth.

According to Conte (2018), the brain can be strengthened by meditation, thus fighting fright response (anxiety) be minimized. People should allow thoughts while they are meditating. Just a few minutes of meditation allow the brain to focus on the present rather than the past (Conte, 2018). Conte (2018) also described how important it is to deal with anger. Anger itself is not the issue, rather it is an indication of deep seated pains, which if not treated, could lead to a continual cycle of losing temper.

COLD SHOWERS

Would it surprise you to know that a simple thing such as bathing in cold water could not only boost your immune system, but also make you more intelligent? Cold showers have been found to improve blood circulation, reduce depression, burn fat, improve sleep, improve fertility in men and lead to better emotional resilience.

A cold shower stimulates the brain’s blue spot that can help lower the chances of being depressed according to the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine (Shevchuk, 2008). A cold shower helps to burn fat in the body. It also helps to improve the sleep of an individual. People across cultures switched to bathing in cold water, as it has been found to improve blood circulation and even fertility. A study by the University of California found that cold showers improve emotional resilience and immunity while aiding in recovery (Freeman, Johnson, Staudenmaier, & Zisser, 2015).

CONCLUSION

It is often said knowledge is power. Well, not really. Not unless you use knowledge effectively. This paper brings together a wealth of alternative therapies that show how easily anyone can not only boost their intelligence, but also improve overall health.

There are other approaches to healing worth mentioning here for those who want to delve deeper. The major ones worth mentioning are: Reiki (Usui, 2000), Paidalajin (Xiao, 2013) and Chiropractic (Palmer, 1910). Additionally, Martel (2014) has listed five steps to healing, namely: knowledge, openness, letting go, acceptance and action. He also goes on to explain why two people following the same therapy do not show similar results. Martel (2014) explains that the difference is due to behaviours and attitudes, and the understanding that we ourselves are the key to our healing. Not being aware of inner conflicts and fears is a major impediment to holistic health. Martel (2011) has a comprehensive dictionary of ailments and diseases and their psychological significance. Notably, he associated cancer with suppressed emotion, deep resentment, a difficult divorce, loss of job, loss of a loved one, desperation and deep resentment.

As a final note, not all human body types are the same (Berg, 2017). We even have different brain types (Andrian, 2015). What is actually working for you, might not work for someone else. We need to search our inner selves to know who we really are. This is the secret to happiness and a better quality of life.

Happiness would not be less, whenever cancer test is negative.

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MICRO-EXPRESSION AND MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES

MICRO-EXPRESSION AND MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES

FADI ABU ZUHRI

INTRODUCTION

There has been an increased interest in multiple dimensions of intelligence. This paper seeks to link intelligence to Micro-Expression. More specifically with Emotional Intelligence (EQ), Cultural Intelligence (CQ), and People Intelligence (PQ).

Micro-Expressions are often expressed involuntarily by humans on their faces based on the emotions experienced. These brief involuntary facial expressions are often expressed by individuals in situations where they feel they will either gain or lose. People express these expressions when they consciously make attempts to conceal their feelings or think about their feelings (Freitas-Magalhães, 2012; Ekman, 2003). They are brief in duration and last between half a second to several seconds. These expressions can be labeled, spotted and expressed in the same way basic emotions such as anger, contempt, surprise, sadness, joy, and fear are expressed (Ekman, 1999). According to Ekman (1992), basic and universal emotions including shame, fear, disgust, anger, happiness, surprise, sadness and anxiety are expressed in these Micro-Expressions. Ekman (1999) expanded the list of negative and positive emotions including that are aroused when individuals are exposed to certain situations: embarrassment, shame, relief, pride, pleasure, contentment, content amusement, pride, guilt, and anxiety. Ekman (1999) revealed that universally, people tend to express similar emotions whenever they are exposed to situations that provoke such emotions.

Micro-Expressions are classified into three depending on how they are modified by situations: simulated expressions, neutralized expressions, and masked expressions. Simulated expressions are Micro-Expressions that are not accompanied by non-genuine emotions. They are expressed as brief flashes of an expression. Neutralized expressions occur following the suppression of a genuine expression with the face remaining neutral. The successful suppression of neutralized expression makes it difficult for another person to observe them (Ekman & Friesen, 2003). On the other hand, masked expressions occur when a falsified expression completely masks a genuine expression. People tend to hide, either consciously or subconsciously, masked expressions (Ekman, & Friesen, 2003).

It can be hard to explicitly pick up and understand involuntary facial expressions. Goleman (1995) believes that these expressions are recorded and recognized in the unconscious mind as implicit competence. Goleman (1995) further believes that individuals have the capacity to recognize their own Micro-Expressions and emotions of other people and to introspectively discriminate these emotions based on such feelings. In EQ, empathy and reporting are guided by an unconscious synchrony referred to as attunement (Goleman, 1995). According to Goleman (1995) attunement relies on non-verbal communication. Involuntary behavior may be elicited by facial expressions in a process referred to as looping. Research on motor mimicry has revealed that neurons often display facial expressions through muscles in the face. It is believed that this occurs when neurons pick up facial expressions, which are then communicated to motor neurons that control the way muscles are expressed in the face. This suggests that an individual who tries to remain neutral in his or her Micro-Expression can be provoked to produce a smile by another individual displaying a smile in his or her face (Goleman, 2006). These involuntary habits, emotions, and functions take place when amygdala hijacks the pre-frontal cortex thereby impairing the better judgment and rationality (Goleman, 1995). This demonstrates how sensory memory and involuntary behavior can be interpreted and executed by the bottom brain. This demonstrates the role played by Micro-Expressions in attunement. It also reveals how one can interpret Micro-Expressions. Micro-Expressions of a hidden emotion that is displayed on a person will tend to induce same emotions in a process that Goleman (2006) referred to as emotional contagion. Individuals will the ability to introspect these Micro-Expressions have high EQ. Such individuals are believed to have the ability to read accurately and interpret emotions.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND MICRO-EXPRESSIONS

Emotions are data for making decisions, for protecting us, for initiating action, and for understanding others and oneself. Emotional Quotient and Emotional Intelligence are often used interchangeably to refer to an individuals’ ability to understand and recognize their emotions and those of other people, and the ability of people to manage their relationships and behavior by utilizing this awareness. Since its introduction by John Mayer and Peter Salovey in 1990, EQ has become one of the most controversial and widely investigated constructs in psychology (Zeidner, Matthews, & Roberts, 2009). The development of measuring instruments that can reliably measure EQ has also been problematic (Conte, 2005). Among the many EQ theories, Mayer and Salovey (1997)’s ability-based model has the strongest empirical and theoretical basis. The strength of this model includes the objective nature of measuring EQ and the low redundancy between the traditional concept of intelligence (Intelligence Quotation [IQ]) and personality.

The Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) test is believed to be valid in predicting the effectiveness of interpersonal and social activities (Zeidner, Matthews, & Roberts, 2009). Mayer and Salovey’s (1997) model identifies four branches of EQ: emotional facilitation of thinking; appraisal, perception, the perception of emotion; employing emotional knowledge and analysis and understanding emotions; and reflective regulation of emotions. Each of these branches describes emotional abilities. Abilities constituting the four branches are vital in emotional deception detection.

It is suggested that Emotional Intelligence can facilitate the recognition of Micro-Expressions and the detection of a lie. It is believed that an individual with high EQ can read Micro-Expressions and interpret them and that this is an important part of reading people and understanding nonverbal behavior (Pazian, 2014).

Existing research have shown that by reading and interpreting universal Micro-Expressions, including anger, fear, contempt, surprise, happiness, sadness and disgust, one can detect whether someone is lying or telling the truth (Wojciechowski, Stolarski, & Matthews, 2014). Wojciechowski, Stolarski, and Matthews (2014) examined whether individuals with high EQ can effectively detect emotional liars. It was revealed that individuals that demonstrate superior emotional perceptionsare more adept at detecting deception through the identification of mismatch between verbal messages and facial messages. Wojciechowski, Stolarski, and Matthews (2014) identified two personal factors believed to predict such abilities: high EQ and female gender. The analysis of Face Decoding Test confirmed the correlation between superior face decoding and EQ. results also confirmed gender differences in EQ with females found to have higher EQ than males. Results also revealed that integration of cognitive and emotional cues are core attributes of EQ and these attributes make it possible for the individual with high EQ to detect deception.

Elsewhere, Mayer, DiPaolo, and Salovey (1990) consider an individual’s ability to identify emotions in other individuals as the core ability of EQ. According to Mayer, DiPaolo and Salovey (1990), this ability is necessary though not sufficient for unmasking emotional liars and detecting emotional leakages. Mayer, DiPaolo and Salovey (1990) argue that without an effective perception of another person’s emotions, an individual may not be able to effectively detect emotional deceit in another person. For Mayer and Salovey (1997) an individual with high EQ can discriminate between dishonest and honest expressions of feelings. As noted by Mayer and Salovey (1997), an individual with emotional skills should also have the ability to make use of emotion in directing attention to important information. This process, also referred to as emotional facilitation of thoughts, may be used to support and improve the basic emotional perception skills. It is also important to recognize that having emotional understanding abilities, including having the ability to recognize relations between emotions and words may help an individual in interpreting the meaning that is conveyed by emotions regarding interpersonal interactions, and in recognizing transitions among emotions (Mayer, & Salovey, 1997). This emotional reasoning process is particularly important in cases where an individual is required to combine the verbal expressions of an interlocutor with information emerging from the facial expressions of the interlocutor (Vrij & Mann, 2004).

Studies by Porter et al. (2011) and Elfenbein et al. (2010) examined EQ within the context of deception. Porter et al. (2011) found that individuals with a high ability to express and perceive emotions have the ability to convincingly feign emotions than other individuals. However, it was noted that individual with these abilities do not have the ability to prevent emotional leakage. Elfenbein et al. (2010) found similar results. However, Elfenbein et al. (2010) only measured emotion recognition ability but not the overall EQ. In another study, Baker, ten Brinke and Porter (2012) examined whether high EQ was a defining characteristic of a “detection wizard”. Results showed that total EQ score and discrimination of lies and truth were not related. However, the perception score was found to be negatively associated with the detection of deceptive targets. In this study, the experimental design was specific and involved engaging real-life videos of people who were emotionally pleading for the missing family members to return safely. Half of these people played a significant role in the murder (disappearance) of the missing ones. This study, therefore, considered liars and high-stakes emotional deceptions.

It has been suggested that there are gender differences in the cognitive-emotional processes. It is believed that females have higher EQ than males (Van Rooy, Alonso, & Viswevaran, 2005). It is argued that females are superior to males when it comes to the detection of deceptions in their romantic partners (McCornack & Parks, 1990). It is believed that this is because women are superior when it comes to reading facial expressions and other nonverbal cues than men. Women are also believed to be superior when it comes to experimental “mind-reading tasks”, including a feeling of an acquaintance and inferring the thoughts (Thomas & Fletcher, 2003). Women are also believed to be superior in perceptual sensitivity and to have subtle non-verbal affective signals (Donges, Kersting, & Suslow, 2012). They tend to have a keen interest in nonverbal cues (Hurd & Noller, 1988).

CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE AND MICRO-EXPRESSIONS

Cultural Intelligence (CQ) is an individual’s capability to effectively work, relate and interact with people in culturally diverse contexts. Individuals with high CQ have the capability to successfully achieve their objectives within culturally diverse context. Such people have CQ Drive, CQ knowledge, CQ Action and CQ Strategy (Van Dyne, Ang, Ng, Rockstuhl, Tan, & Koh, 2012). Cultural Intelligence (CQ) impacts the person’s ability to interact with different cultures in an effective manner. It enables an individual to work and relate effectively across culture (James, Lenartowicz, & Apud, 2006). This tool can help improve an individual’s performance in different cultural settings and identify meanings that could be misunderstood or lost in translation in non-verbal behavior.

Ekman (2003) sheds light on how individuals from different cultures react differently to similar events. Ekman (2003) identified emotional triggers that elicit emotions whenever an individual encounters different situations: universal triggers, unique triggers and other triggers. Universal triggers elicit similar emotional in all individuals regardless of culture or personality. On the other hand unique triggers elicit different emotions in people depending on how they were socialized (i.e., personality and culture). For example, individuals from certain culture may be irritated by people speaking loudly while people from other cultures find it acceptable. While some cultures fear oceans, others seek to explore them. In Ekman (2003)’s view these variances are the result of how individual were socialized. There are other triggers (e.g., post-traumatic stress) that are rooted in the individual’s unique experience and personality. They understand and appreciate remarkable differences in people who are from different cultures. Ekman (1992) confirmed that that people from different cultures universally express Micro-Expressions: fear, happiness, surprise, disgust, anger sadness, and contempt. It is further argued that individuals with high CQ have same social sensibilities while relating and interacting with individuals from diverse cultures who display different and unique emotions in ways that are not familiar with them.

PEOPLE INTELLIGENCE AND MICRO-EXPRESSIONS

People Intelligence (PQ) indicates the individual’s capacity to work and relate with other people. PQ has three aspects: self-management; openness to others; and interpersonal effectiveness. People with high PQ are known to work well with people. They create a shared meaning, inspire and motivate others to work together as a team in order to actualize reality. They are self-aware and know their weaknesses and strengths. They have the ability to use their strengths to address or compensate for their weaknesses.

The Big Five personality traits, or the Five Factor Model (FFM) is a well-known model that describes personality. The model was initially proposed by Tupes & Christal (1961) and later improved by Digman (1990). The five factors are Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness and Neuroticism, also known as OCEAN. Openness is the curiosity to experience something new; Conscientiousness is the tendency to be either organized or careless; Extraversion explains whether the person is outgoing or socially reserved; Agreeableness describes friendliness or compassion against being detached; and Neuroticism is about being sensitive or nervous against being secure and confident.

It is believed that an individual’s PQ is determined by factors such as experience, skills, social network, knowledge and Emotional Intelligence (EQ) (Ekman, Friesen, & O’Sullivan, 1988). It is also argued that people with high EQ have high PQ and have the capability to discriminate genuine facial expressions to fake ones (Ekman, Friesen, & O’Sullivan, 1988). It has been suggested that Micro-Expressions can use used for authenticity judgment (i.e., genuine and fake smiles) (Skinner, & Mullen, 1993; Frank, Ekman, & Friesen, 1993; Schmidt, Bhattacharya, & Denlinger, 2009).

CONCLUSION

A review of related literature has found links between Micro-Expression and human intelligence in the form of EQ, CQ and PQ. Understanding this concept could help detecting lies and avoiding deception. Applications of this technique are in interview techniques and criminal investigation that could allow the investigator to catch the liars. Not able to identify subtle non-verbal behavior could have disastrous consequences.

REFERENCES

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8.Ekman, P., & Friesen, W. V. (2003). Unmasking the Face. Cambridge: Malor Books.

9.Ekman, P., Friesen, W. V., & O’Sullivan, M. (1988). Smiles when lying. J Pers Soc Psychol , 54, 414–420.

10.Elfenbein, H. A., Foo, M. D., Mandal, M., Biswal, R., Eisenkraft, N., Angeline, L., et al. (2010). Individual differences in the accuracy of expressing and perceiving nonverbal cues: New data on an old question. J Res Pers , 44, 199–206.

11.Frank, M. G., Ekman, P., & Friesen, W. V. (1993). Behavioral markers and recognizability of the smile of enjoyment. J Pers Soc Psychol , 64, 83–93.

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THE VALUE OF MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES WITHIN INVESTIGATION TECHNIQUES

THE VALUE OF MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES WITHIN INVESTIGATION TECHNIQUES

FADI ABU ZUHRI

INTRODUCTION

Gardner (1983) challenged the conventional view of intelligence by proposing seven (later extended to nine) types of intelligence and how people learn. Those with naturalistic intelligence are smart in dealing with the natural world while those with existential intelligence as asking deep moral questions; those with visual-spatial intelligence think in terms of physical space; those with bodily-kinaesthetic intelligence have a keen sense of their body; those with musical intelligence are sensitive to sound; those with interpersonal intelligence are better at interacting with others; those with intrapersonal intelligence are in tune with their inner feelings; linguistic intelligence refers to those good with words; and logical-mathematical intelligence describes higher ability to reason and calculate (Gardner, 1983).

Multiple intelligence are hard to measure and difficult to assess (Luskin, 2013). While Gardner (1983) proposed a limited set of intelligence, intelligence is not black and white. Emmons (2000), for example, considered spiritual intelligence an extension to Gardner’s concept of multiple intelligence. Marty Klein is a researcher on sexual intelligence (Kerner, 2012). This paper limits its analysis to three types of intelligence – EQ, CQ and PQ.

This paper refers to intrapersonal intelligence as a subset of Emotional Intelligence (EQ), whereas interpersonal intelligence is referred to as People Intelligence (PQ). This paper first discusses the meaning of three types of intelligence that are rapidly gaining importance in the field of crime scene investigation techniques. These are Emotional Intelligence (EQ), Cultural Intelligence (CQ) & People Intelligence (PQ). The significance of these intelligences within investigation techniques is discussed in detail.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE (EQ)

Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is a psychological concept that defines an individuals’ ability to identify, understand, use and manage their emotions in a way that helps relieve stress, empathize and communicate effectively with other people, defuse conflict and overcome challenges (Mayer & Salovey, 1997). This ability allows individuals to understand and recognize what other people are experiencing emotionally. For the most part, this understanding and recognition is a nonverbal process that influences how well individuals connect with other people. It also influences people’s thinking about others. EQ differs based on an individual’s intellectual ability.

Golemon (1998) indicated that unlike intellectual ability, which is acquired, EQ is learned. Golemon (1998) and other proponents of this new psychometric, including psychologists Mayer & Salovey (1997) emphasize that EQ exists innately in certain individuals. Golemon (1998) added that everyone has a certain level of EQ and have the ability to monitor their own emotional states, emotions and enhance their EQ. Golemon (1998) suggests that society, both the private and public sector, should dedicate more resource towards research and programs that would help people develop EQ. Other researchers (Mayer & Salovey, 1997) regard EQ as a skill that combines emotions (feelings) and cognitions (thoughts). Mayer & Salovey (1997) placed EQ within the context of well-being, health and personality.

EQ is defined by four key attributes: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management (Chong, Lee, Roslan, & Baba, 2015). Self-awareness is an individual’s ability to recognize their emotions and how they affect their thoughts. Self-management is the individuals’ ability to control behaviors and impulse feelings and manage their emotions in healthy way, follow through on commitments, take initiatives, and adapt to changing situations and circumstances. On the other hand, social awareness is the ability of individuals to understand their needs; emotions; other people’s concerns; pick up on emotional cues; recognize the power of organization or group’s dynamics and feel comfortable socially. Lastly, relationship management is the individual’s ability to communicate clearly, develop and maintain good relationships, influence and inspire other people, manage conflict and work well with team members.

A large body of research has suggested a possible link between EQ and criminal behaviour suggesting that criminal psychologists can understand criminal behaviour by understanding their EQ and ultimately profiling a criminal accordingly (Caspi, et.al., 1994; Eysenck, 1996; Gottfredson & Travis, 1990; Hayes & O’Reilly, 2013; Lynam, 1993; Megreya, 2013; Puglia, et.al., 2005; Sharma, et.al., 2015).

CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE (CQ)

Cultural Intelligence (CQ) refers to the ability of an individual ability to recognize and understand values, behaviors, customs, values and languages of a people and to apply that knowledge in order to achieve specific goals. It enables an individual to work and relate effectively across culture (James, Lenartowicz, & Apud, 2006). This tool can help improve an individual’s performance in different cultural settings and identify meanings that could be misunderstood or lost in translation in non-verbal behavior. Securing and using CQ can enable an investigator to function effectively in multicultural settings, blend into the community and gain acceptance and thus, conduct a successful investigation.

Cultural Intelligence (CQ) impacts the person’s ability to interact with different cultures in an effective manner. A popular model of CQ proposed by Earlye & Ang (2003) has four dimensions – Cognitive, Meta-cognitive, Motivational, and Behavioral. Cognitive focuses on the person’s knowledge of cultural practices; Meta-cognitive focuses on the awareness of cultural background during interpersonal interactions; Motivational focuses on the individual’s drive to learn more about culture; and Behavioral aspect focuses on their verbal and non-verbal abilities (Ward, Fischer, Lam, & Hall, 2009).

PEOPLE INTELLIGENCE (PQ)

The Big Five personality traits, or the Five Factor Model (FFM) is a well-known model that describes personality. The model was initially proposed by Tupes & Christal (1961) and later improved by Digman (1990). The five factors are Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness and Neuroticism, also known as OCEAN. Openness is the curiosity to experience something new; Conscientiousness is the tendency to be either organized or careless; Extraversion explains whether the person is outgoing or socially reserved; Agreeableness describes friendliness or compassion against being detached; and Neuroticism is about being sensitive or nervous against being secure and confident.

People Intelligence (PQ) makes individuals aware of the inner motivations of people they interact with in everyday life. Individuals with high PQ have the ability to perceive what makes their coworkers, friends, and family tick. They can read non-verbal behaviour and body language of other people and accurately weigh choices they are presented with in work, family life and relationships and accurately judge whether their personal life goals to together well or conflict. Police detectives and other investigators with high PQ are inquisitive about people, open to own experiences, show willingness to change themselves can anticipate their actions and desires, and ultimately predict behaviors of offenders or criminals (Zacker & Bard, 1973).

COMBINING MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCE WITHIN INVESTIGATION

It is suggested that EQ can help criminal investigators recognize to a certain extent, intentions of other people and consequently in determining whether an individual is being manipulative. As such, investigators can use EQ as an element of investigation. As revealed in multiple studies, EQ can provide detectives with clues about offenders and their mode of operation. For example, the FBI investigator, Robert Ressler became sensitive to significant difference in mode of operations between John Gacy and Ted Bundy. Bundy would first use a blunt strike to know out victims. On the contrary, Gacy would use deceit to kill his victims (Guy, 2016). On this basis, an investigator can check whether the offender’s victim was prone to abuse or deceit. The investigator can also determine the mode of operation of the perpetrator (Mayer, Caruso, & Salovey, 2000).

Elsewhere, it has been argued that higher EQ is a predictor of satisfaction in life (Mayer et al., 2000). Mayer et al. (2000) believe that individuals with high EQ are more likely to exhibit healthier psychological adaption because such people demonstrate adaptive defense behavior against adaptation. Similarly, studies on performance measures of EQ have suggested that higher EQ levels can be associated with increased and improved relationships with family and friends. On the contrary, lower EQ have been associated with problematic behavior and unfavourable interactions with family and friends (Mayer et al., 2000). Lower EQ was associated with trouble-prone behavior and lower self-reported violent behavior among college students (Mayer et al., 2000). In Mayer et al. (2000), lower EQ was measured using Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence (MSCEIT) and found to associate with increased involvement in deviant behavior, including the involvement in vandalism and physical fights and increased use of alcohol and illegal drugs. Erasmus (2007) revealed that individuals who are lacking in emotional and social competence lack the ability to relate and empathize with others and are self-centered. Erasmus (2007) also found that students with delinquency problems (i.e., participate in crimes, sale drugs, engage in sexual behavior, truancy, dishonesty and pornography) experience emotional and personal problems. A prospective study by Fortin (2003) further revealed that students with delinquency behavior lack self-control and that this makes unable to accept other people and react to criticism in a better way. Fortin (2003) also suggested that a lack of the ability to control moods and emotions makes these delinquent students to conflict with adults and other students. In another study investigating the EQ-delinquency behavior, Chong et al. (2015) confirmed that students with higher delinquency behavior had lower EQ than the normal students.

Researchers in various fields including criminology, sociology and psychology have also suggested a possible correlation between criminal behavior and EQ with remarkable interests being given to personality and intelligence (Frisell, Pawitan, & Langstrom, 2012; Lynam, Moffitt, & Stouthamer-Loeber, 1993; Eysenck, 1996). Two studies (Frisell, Pawitan, & Langstrom, 2012; Lynam, Moffitt, & Stouthamer-Loeber, 1993) suggested that criminal offenders tend to have lower EQ than non-offenders. Other studies have associated criminal behavior with personality variables including low level of self-control; high level of adverse emotionality; and high levels of neuroticism, psychoticism and extraversion; and difficulty in impulse control (Mottus et al., 2012; Caspi et al., 1994; Gottfredson & Travis, 1990).

Cultural orientation has been found to influence criminal violence because they are supportive of violence (Messner, 1988). Culture is a set of values and beliefs. Therefore they can be learned through social interactions and passed on through groups and across generations (Holt, 2009). Ferrell (1995) states that criminal behaviour is subcultural behaviour, whether carried out by an individual or a group. Research has found a relationship between criminal acts and symbolism, which is commonly found in criminal subcultures. This highlights the importance of CQ in criminal profiling.

A recent study by Gottfredson and Travis (1990) associated criminal behavior with high level of Neuroticism and low levels of Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness (PQ). Other studies found conflicting results regarding correlation between criminal behavior and EQ. Results by Moriarty et. al. (2001) showed that adolescent sex offenders and age-matched none-offenders had similar EQ variables. However, the Trait Meta-Mood Scale (TMMS) revealed a deficit in offenders’ attention to feeling. In another study, Puglia et al. (2005) did not find significant difference between controls and adult offenders in EQ, as measured by MSCEIT. However, in Puglia et al. (2005) sex offenders had a higher score than none-sex offenders on a MSCEIT scale. In Hayes and O’Reilly (2013), 26 male juveniles were found to have lower EQ than 30 control male juveniles. On the contrary, Hemmati et al. (2004) found adult male offenders to have higher trait EQ levels than the normative sample of Emotional Question Inventory (Hoaken et al., 2007; Owen, & Fox, 2011; Megreya, 2013). Other studies supporting low EQ in offender found that violent perpetrators had low score than nonviolent offenders in empathy and facial expression recognition (Hoaken et al., 2007; Owen, & Fox, 2011). EQ was also found to strongly correlate with criminal thinking styles (Megreya, 2013). Megreya et al. (2012) found EQ to correlate with criminal styles of thinking, which differed with the types of offense. Violent offenders were found to experience more problems on multiple components of EQ than offenders, including social problem solving, personal control, self-regulation, mental health, and emotional stability (McMurran et al., 2001; Ross, & Fontao, 2007; Mak, 1991; Jones et al., 2007). Elsewhere, Megreya (2013) examined the link between criminal behavior and EQ using samples of Egyptian adult none-offenders and offenders. Megreya (2013) further examined the possible correlation between EQ and types of offenses by dividing offenders who had sentenced into three categories: those sentenced for murders, drugs, and theft. Results were in conformity with indirect and direct aggression theory that physical aggression requires less social intelligence than indirect aggression. According to developmental theory of aggressive behavior, direct verbal aggression requires less social intelligence than indirect aggression, and physical aggression requires more social intelligence than direct verbal aggression (Fisher, Beech, & Browne, 1999). This theory suggests that high EQ levels constrain individuals from participating in criminal activities. It was suggested that EQ training should be included in the forensic intervention programs. Elsewhere, it was suggested that criminal behavior could be minimized by improving on components of EQ, including facial expression recognition, social problem solving and anger management (Penton-Voak et al., 2013; Walters, 2008; Nelis et al., 2009).

Sharma et al. (2015) examined the relationship between criminal behavior and low levels of EQ using a sample of 202 subjects. The sample consisted of 101 matched normal controls and 101 convicted offenders. The offender group was picked from a jail and consisted of persons convicted of robbery, rape, murder and other different crimes. The control groups and the intervention groups were matched on gender, marital status, occupation, education, and age and assessed on Mangal Emotional Intelligence Inventory (MEII) and General Health Questionnare-12. The convicted offenders group received significantly lower score on MEII domains than the control group. These domains include interpersonal awareness (other emotions), intrapersonal awareness (own emotions), interpersonal management (other emotions), intrapersonal management, and aggregate emotional quotient.

Canter (1994) identified crime as a form of interpersonal relations/connection, involving one person observing specific ways via which an offender treats the victim. He emphasized the dependency between personality traits and behaviors of a criminal. Canter (1994) likens crime to theoretical performance. Canter (1994) contests that criminal offenders use violence to dramatically write for themselves and cast their crime victims in three key roles: people, vehicles and objects.

This discussion explains how an investigator without adequate understanding of EQ, CQ and PQ could easily misinterpret a person’s behaviour.

CONCLUSION

As confirmed in this paper, findings from several studies discussed in this paper suggest that cyber profiling can be improved by adding the element of EQ, CQ and PQ as forensic experts can interview offenders with a view to determine their EQ. Certain criminal investigations could further benefit from sexual and spiritual intelligence which might reveal motives behind the criminal activity.

This paper analyzed how multiple intelligences (in particular EQ, CQ and PQ) could make criminal investigation more effective. EQ is useful to understand one’s own emotions and this helps the investigator defuse interpersonal conflicts. EQ teaches the importance of self-awareness and how this ability could help the investigator pick up vital emotional cues when interviewing people.

CQ is equally important because people from different ethnic origins display different behaviour. The knowledge of different customs will allow the investigator to behave in a suitable manner and not jeopardize the investigation by giving out wrong signals. Investigation of certain crimes requires a good deal of people interaction. PQ is vital because not knowing personality traits could lead the investigator in the wrong track.

Considering these studies it is clear that the importance of EQ, CQ and PQ within investigation techniques cannot be denied. A person’s openness or the lack of it, their cultural background could be valuable information to understand them. These are indicators of certain personality traits but cannot be interpreted as a judgment of their behaviour.

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10 QUESTIONS TO KNOW IF YOUR CHILD TODAY MIGHT BE THE MOST WANTED CRIMINAL TOMORROW

10 QUESTIONS TO KNOW IF YOUR CHILD TODAY MIGHT BE THE MOST WANTED CRIMINAL TOMORROW

FADI ABU ZUHRI

INTRODUCTION

A multitude of studies have found that kids with “callous and unemotional” traits (CU traits) are more likely than other kids (three times more likely, in one study) to turn into criminals, or display psychopathic qualities in their adult life (Hagerty, 2017). Such children are found to be uncaring, shallow in their emotions and insincere. This article tries to provide your some simple questions that could help you identify such traits. Any parent should be vigilant to their child’s behaviour and identify these risk factors as early as possible. Studies have been done on children right from babies to adolescent teenagers. Here are the findings.

PSEUDO-SCIENTIFIC TECHNIQUES FOR BEHAVIOURAL ASSESSMENT

There are several tests called “projective tests” and are designed to allow a person to react to a certain stimuli, and their response reveals hidden emotions or internal conflicts. These tests believe that humans have conscious and unconscious motivations. Such tests are indirect, reduce the chances of someone faking a response and primarily do not depend on verbal abilities. Some of these tests are “Draw-A-Person Test”, which is a psychological projection test for children; “The Hand Test”, which uses cards; “Szondi test”, which is nonverbal personality test to measure hsyteria, paranoia and maniac tendencies (Soley & Smith, 2008). In addition to psychological analysis, these tests find applications in recruitment, marketing and business.

Numerology and Graphology are other popular pseudo-scientific techniques. Numerology is based on the idea that human life is guided by numbers. Its origins date as far back as to civilisations like Babylon, Egypt, China, India and Greece. A numerologist is known to assess a person’s personality with things like your birthdate and full name (Buchanan, 2015).

Graphology analyses the patterns of handwriting to identify the personality characteristics of the writer. Graphology is different from graphonalysis, which involves forensic document examination to identify authorship through comparisons with a known standard. Graphology finds applications in recruitment where it can complement, but not replace regular hiring tools. Graphology has also been used in psychological analysis, marital compatibility and medical diagnosis (Friedman & Schustack, 1999).

Although these tests have found success, there are questions on their validity since they need to be administered by qualified psychologists and test interpretation is highly subjective (Husbands, 1993).

TESTS ON BABIES

The Babylab has done some interesting tests on 3-5 month babies. The tests were non-verbal and studies the babies’ ability to know good and bad. Five month babies seemed to have a higher sense of morality as compared to 3 months old babies. This probably suggests that (1) babies are born with a sense of morality (2) the sense of morality fades as they grow older (Adkin, 2017; Wynn & Bloom, 2013).

Surprisingly, a simple “red ball test” can assess the emotions of babies (Buglar, 2015). Psychologists used a red ball to track the visual preferences of 213 five-week-old babies, to see if they preferred interacting with an object or a human face. Those who favoured the ball displayed more callous traits two and a half years later. It’s too early to tell whether the child’s visual preference for a red ball over a human face is linked to psychopathic traits (Bedford, Pickles, Sharp, Wright, & Hill, 2015).

QUESTIONS FOR CHILDREN 3-4 YEARS OLD

Empathy, unlike sympathy, is the ability to feel and understand someone else’s emotions. A lack of empathy, remorse, or guilt, shallow emotions, aggression, acts of cruelty and indifference to punishment is seen as predictors of developing psychopathic traits in later life (Hagerty, 2017).

Ask yourself these questions:

  1. Does your child feels bad or guilty when he/she does something wrong?
  2. Does your child feel empathy towards those hurt? Is your child unconcerned about the feelings of others?
  3. Does your child try to help when someone is hurt? Is your child selfish or won’t share with others? For example, gives a toy.
  4. Do you feel the child is unable to connect emotionally with his/ her peers, family members, etc.? Does your child seem unresponsive to affection? Does your child show little affection toward people?

Examples of excessive behaviour include ripping the head off his/ her favourite teddy bear, slashing the tires on the family car, starting fires, and killing a pet.

  1. Did you notice any unusual or excessive aggression and cruelty in any behaviour? Is your child cruel to animals?

Indifference suggests a lack of interest or emotion.

  1. Does your child seem to be indifferent to punishment? Punishment doesn’t change his/her behaviour?
  2. Does your child show too little fear of getting hurt?

QUESTIONS FOR CHILDREN 8-10 YEARS

Committing a crime, even when alone, reflects an interior impulse toward harm.

  1. Does the child commit crime while alone without the pressure of peers?

Different types of crime show criminal versatility and are linked to future psychopathy.

  1. Does the child commit different types of crime in different settings?

Kiehl (2015) scanned the brains of inmates at high security prisons to understand the differences between regular convicts and psychopaths. The study identified two abnormalities, which could also occur in the brains of callous children. The first abnormality was noticed in the limbic system, the part that processes emotions. A psychopath’s brain has less grey matter in this are suggesting that the person does not feel or recognise fear in other people’s faces. In other words, they are cold-hearted (Kiehl, 2015).

  1. Can your child understand the emotions of people by looking at their face, especially those faces that display fear or sadness?

The second characteristic of a psychopath is the craving for excitement or rewards is too high. For example, a callous unemotional kid would keep going in a game (video games included) until they lose everything. They are also less likely to learn from their mistakes.

  1. Does your child exhibit the tendency to lose everything he/ she has in a game? Is your child willing to forgo short-term pleasure for long-term gratification?

CONCLUSION

There are several tests done on children and adults to identify psychopathic traits. These traits tend to highlight that a callous and unemotional person is more likely to become a psychopath. This does not, however, mean that every aggressive child is a future criminal. But statistics suggest the chances are high.

Something as harmless as feeding your child dairy, gluten, soda and sugar could have long-term damage to their emotional development. According to Dr. Bob, the drugless doctor, states that children having diet with high levels of trans fat (partially hydrogenated fat) are at a higher risk of developing depression and ADHD (Attention Deficiency and Hyperactivity disorder) (Dr.Bob, 2017).

As a parent you need to be aware of your children’s behaviour and how well they handle emotions. In case of extreme behaviours it is wise to consult a child psychologist.

1.REFERENCES

2.Adkin, R. (2017, October 30). Which Puppet Do You Like More? Baby Morals. Retrieved 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LjiNNA7xBE&feature=youtu.be

3.Bedford, R., Pickles, A., Sharp, H., Wright, N., & Hill, J. (2015). Reduced Face Preference in Infancy: A Developmental Precursor to Callous-Unemotional Traits? Biological Psychiatry , 78 (2), 144–150.

4.Buglar, T. (2015, September 8). ‘Red ball test’ tells if babies will be psychopaths. Retrieved 2017, from The Scotsman: http://www.scotsman.com/news/red-ball-test-tells-if-babies-will-be-psychopaths-1-3880356

5.Dr.Bob. (2017). The ADHD and Trans Fat Link. Retrieved 2017, from http://druglessdoctor.com/food/non-dr-bob-approved/trans-fat/the-adhd-and-trans-fat-link/

6.Friedman, H. S., & Schustack, M. W. (1999). Personality, Classic Theories and Modern Research (5th ed.). Allyn and Bacon.

7.Hagerty, B. B. (2017, June). When Your Child Is a Psychopath. Retrieved 2017, from The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/06/when-your-child-is-a-psychopath/524502/

8.Husbands, R. (1993). Workers’ Privacy Part III: Testing in the workplace. Conditions of work digest , 12 (2).

9.Kiehl, K. A. (2015). The Psychopath Whisperer. New York: Crown Publishing Group.

10.Merchant, G. (2012, October 17). Should We Screen Kids’ Brains and Genes To ID Future Criminals? Retrieved 2017, from http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2012/10/should_kids_brains_and_genes_be_screened_to_detect_future_criminals.html

11.Soley, L., & Smith, A. L. (2008). Projective Techniques for Social Science and Business Research. Milwaukee: The Southshore Press.

YOUR CHILD TODAY MIGHT BE THE MOST WANTED CRIMINAL TOMORROW

YOUR CHILD TODAY MIGHT BE THE MOST WANTED CRIMINAL TOMORROW

FADI ABU ZUHRI

INTRODUCTION

Research suggests that any child including yours might turn into the most wanted criminal tomorrow. It’s more than likely that an adult serial killer or any other adult criminal has had an abnormal, dysfunctional and inappropriate mental process during his or her childhood (Slot & Hoeve, 2016). You might be breeding future potential criminals if you fail to help your child form meaningful bonds, fail to address predictors of violence at an early age, fail to address externalizing behaviour, fail to address certain personality traits at early childhood that are linked to malevolent behaviour and criminality; fail to instil self-control during childhood, and help the child learn to challenge cognitive distortions.

EXTERNALIZING BEHAVIOUR AND VIOLENT

Aggression, crime, and hyperactivity are collectively referred to as externalizing behaviour. Aggression is a conduct disorder consisting of verbal or physical behaviours that threaten to harm or harm others, including animals, adults and children. This externalizing behaviour may be self-protective and appropriate or destructive to others and self (Foshee & Bauman, 1992). Studies have identified this externalizing behaviour to strongly predict adult violence and crime and convictions (Moffitt, 1993). For example, aggressive behaviours at ages 6 to 13 are thought to predict later violence among boys. Studies have also revealed that continuity in the child’s antisocial behaviour predicts aggression, which predict later violent crime (Loeber & Hay, 1996). In another study involving African American boys, McCord and Ensminger (1995), found that nearly 50% of 6-year-olds who were identified with aggressive and hyperactivity behaviours were arrested for committing violent crimes at age 33. On the contrary, only one-third of the non-aggressive boys were arrested for the same crimes (McCord & Ensminger, 1995).

Crime is a heterogeneous concept reflecting diverse antisocial actions, including robbery, drug use, violence, vandalism, burglary and theft (Achenbach, 1978). Like aggression, crime in early childhood is believed to predict adult violence, crime and convictions (Tolan & Thomas, 1995). In addition, early onset of crime and violence has been linked to more chronic and serious violence (Tolan & Thomas, 1995). In Farrington’s (1995) study, one-half of boys aged between 10 and 16 initiated into early violence and crime were convicted of committing violent crimes by age 25. Conversely, only 8% of Juveniles aged from 10 to 16 were not initiated early in crime were convicted of crimes at age 25.

Hyperactivity is a conduct and externalizing behaviour. Children with this disorder are seriously impaired. These children have social adjustment problems in adulthood. They are more likely to grow into psychopaths, an antisocial behaviour characterized by blunted affect, lack of guilt and remorse, attention problems, irresponsible behaviour and impulsivity (Ou & Reynolds, 2010). This antisocial behaviour and other problems predispose these children to violence and crime later in life.

PERSONALITY AND CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR

A child’s personality has been identified as a factor that predisposes him or her to violence and crime in adulthood. The three personality traits, which are captured in Eynseck’s PEN model, namely Psychoticism, Extraversion and Neuroticism, have been linked to criminality (Romero, Luengo, & Sobral, 2001; Robinson, 2004). For example, Daderman (1999) revealed that delinquents had higher score in PEN variables compared to the control group (non-delinquents).

Again, neuroticism scores are thought to reflect antisocial behaviour, impulsive behaviour and emotional instability (Blackburn, 1993). Individuals with psychoticism personality traits are characterized by hostility, cruelty, low empathy, impulsivity, socialization deficit, aggressiveness, and psychopathy (Blackburn, 1993). These characteristics are identified with delinquents and criminals (Blackburn, 1993). High scores of neuroticism and psychoticism have also been associated with juvenile crime, which is thought to predict criminal behaviour later in life. Others studies have positively related juvenile crime with extraversion and psychoticism (Heaven, 1996).

High Impulsive Sensation Seeking (ImpSS) scores have been associated with criminal behaviour. It is argued that individuals with high score of ImpSS are used to social unacceptable and risky activities. This involvement in criminal activities arises from sensation seeking and searching for high arousal (Buker, 2011). For example, studies (Cernovsky, O’Reilly, & Pennington, 1997; Zuckerman, Ball, & Black, 1990) have positively associated sensation seeking criminal and imprudent behaviours including risky sexual behaviour, illicit drug abuse, alcohol abuse and smoking.

SELF-CONTROL AND CRIME

Lack of self-control has been found to predict a child’s violent behaviour later in life (Buker, 2011). Evidence from criminological, sociological and psychological literature have suggested an association between low-self-control and deviant or criminal behaviour (Gottfredson & Hirschi, 1990; Payne, Higgins, & Blackwell, 2010). In fact, it is believed that poor self-control is the key cause of delinquent and criminal behaviour later in life (Gottfredson & Hirschi, 1990).

COGNITIVE DISTORTIONS AND CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR

Cognitive Distortions (CDs) are biases or inaccurate ways of conferring or attending meaning on experiences (Barriga, Landau, Stinson, Liau, & Gibbs, 2000). These distortions are represented with “minimisations”, “antisocial attitudes”, “justifications” “criminal thinking style”, “rationalisations”, “Self-Serving Cognitive Distortions (SSCD)” and “Social Cognition” (Walters, 1995; Abel et al., 1989; Murphy, 1990). Social-cognitive theories provide that CD makes individuals to block their moral judgements with a view to justify their avoidance of responsibility for own attitudinal and behavioural problems (Kamaluddin, Shariff, Nurfarliza, Othman, Ismail, & Mat Saat, 2014). Criminology literature has also suggested that CDs may contribute to problematic behavioural and emotional responses, which may ultimately lead to deviant and criminal behaviour (Gendreau, Little, & Goggin, 1996). Elsewhere SSCD has identified as criminogenic and antisocial attitudes that insulate individuals from a negative self-concept or blame (Barriga et al., 2000).

PREDICTORS OF VIOLENT BEHAVIOUR

Psychologists have identified predictors of violence at an early age and grouped them into five: individual including factors, family factors, school factors, peer-related factors, neighbourhood and community factors. Individual factors include physical, medical, aggressiveness, internalizing disorders, attitudes and beliefs favourable to antisocial or deviant behaviours; involvement in anti-social behaviours, concentration problems, hyperactivity, risk taking, and restlessness; early initiation violence behaviours; low resting hear rate and internalizing disorders. Family factors include child maltreatment, parental attitude favouring violence or substance use, parent-child separation, family conflict and poor family bonding, low level of involvement of parent in children development, parental criminality and poor family management practices. School factors include low bonding to school, academic failure, dropping out of school and truancy and frequent school transitions. Peer-related factors include gang membership, delinquent peers, and criminal siblings. Neighbourhood and community factors include community disorganization, poverty, neighbourhood adults engaged in crime, availability of firearms and drugs, exposure to racial prejudice and violence (Shader, 2004).

Violence in your child’s life is predicted by delivery trauma and prenatal. Kandel and Mednick (1991) found an association between delivery and pregnancy complications and violence.

Low resting heart rate indicates an under arousal or fearless temperament, which is believed to predispose a person to violence and aggression (Farrington, 1998). Farrington (1998) found low resting pulse rate to predict violent crime. This suggests that a child with a low resting heart rate, or one who had delivery and pregnancy complications may be predisposed to violent behaviour and crime.

Evidence from meta-analysis confirms a correlation between risk-taking, concentration problems, restlessness, and hyperactivity and later violent behaviours. In a longitudinal study, Klinteberg et al. (1993) found that boys with concentration difficulties and restlessness were more likely than those without these characteristics to be arrested for engaging in criminal activities. Fifteen per cent (15%) of boys with concentration difficulties and restlessness at age 13 were convicted of committing crime at 26. Similarly, Farrington (1989) found that male students with restlessness and concentration problems, including frequent talkativeness, the tendency to fidget and difficulty sitting still, were likely to engage in violence and crime later in life. Academic difficulties were found in children with concentration problems, which also predicted later violence.

Attitudes favourable to violence, anti-social attitudes and beliefs, hostility towards police, and dishonesty have been shown to predict later violence among young males (Williams, 1994). Williams (1994) suggested that intervention programs aimed at helping young males to develop standards and positive beliefs could enable them to reject cheating, rule breaking and minimize the risk of violence.

Studies have associated the involvement of a child in antisocial behaviours, notably drug selling, property destruction, stealing, early sexual intercourse, smoking and self-reported crime, with increased risk of violence (Zingraff, Leiter, Myers, & Johnson, 1993).

Parental criminality has have been found to predict child criminality at later stages of life. Farrington (1989) found boys whose parents were convicted of crime before their 10th birthday to be more likely to engage in violent crimes than boys whose parents did not have a criminal record. Similarly, Baker and Mednick (1984) revealed men aged between 18 and 23 with criminal parents to be 3-8 times more likely than those with non-criminal parents to have been convicted of criminal acts. (Baker & Mednick, 1984)

Neglect, sexual abuse and physical abuse are forms of child maltreatment that have been linked to violent crimes. Evidence shows that neglected or physically abused children are more likely than other children to commit violent acts in their later lives (Smith & Thornberry, 1995; Zingraff et al., 1993).

Studies have linked family management practices namely parental failure to create behavioural expectations for children, poor supervision, inconsistent and severe discipline, and poor monitoring to substance abuses and crime in later life. Supporting this assertion, Wells and Rankin (1988) noted that children from strict parents committed more violent crimes compared to those with permissive parents. Conversely, children whose parents were neither too lax nor too strict were least violent. Similarly, children whose parents inconsistently punished them, ignored the same behaviour or sometimes punished them were more likely than others whose parents consistently punished them to commit violent offenses. Parental harshness and punitiveness were also found to predict later violence. In another study, it was revealed that poor child-rearing; poor parental supervision; authoritarian parenting style, parental disagreement about childrearing, a cruel neglectful or passive parenting attitude, and harsh parental discipline, all predicted children involvement in crime later in life (Farrington, 1995).

It has been suggested that strong parental involvement into child development is a protective factor against crime and violence. On the contrary, less parental involvement and interaction in child development may predict future involvement in crime (Williams, 1994). As revealed by Williams (1994), parent-child involvement and communication at age 14 reduced the self-reported criminal behaviours at age 16.

Research suggests that parent-child separation disrupts parent-child relationships and predicts violent behaviour later in life. Henry et al. (1996) indicated that children with a single parent at age 13 predicted their involvement in crime by age 18.

School factors such as low interest in education, low educational achievement, poor-quality schools, truancy, and dropping out of school contributed to later violent and criminal behaviour (Maguin & Loeber, 1996; Hawkins, Farrington & Catalano, 1998).

Denno (1990) revealed that poor academic achievement in school predicted later crime. It was also revealed that academic failure in school increased one’s risk for later crime and violent behaviour (Maguin, Hawkins, Catalano, Hill, Abbott, & Herrenkohl, 1995).

It was revealed by Farrington (1989) that a child at age 10 growing with delinquent siblings is likely to have later convictions for crime and violence. Similarly, Maguin et al. (1995) confirmed a strong association between later conviction for crime and violence and having delinquent siblings and that that antisocial siblings strongly influence other adolescence siblings. It was also confirmed by Moffitt (1993) that adolescents whose peers did not approve of delinquent behaviour had a low likelihood of committing crime acts. Elsewhere, gang membership is believed to predict later crime (Battin, Hill, Abbott, Catalano, & Hawkins, 1998).

Lastly, neighbourhood and community factors, including community disorganization, low neighbourhood attachment, poverty, the availability of firearms and drugs, frequent media portrayal of violence, exposure to racial prejudice and violence, and norms and laws favourable to violence may predict later violence and crime (Brewer et al., 1995; Sampson & Lauritsen, 1994; Henry et al., 1996).

BIOSOCIAL INTERACTION MODEL

The factors that predispose your child to crime and violence later in life and the causal factors that underlie the problem can be conceptualized using a biosocial model. This model proposes a relationship between predictors of violence and outcome. In this case, biological and psychological risk factors during a child’s prenatal period give rise to factors that predict violence and crime later in life. This suggests that psychological and biological risk factors influence the tendency of committing crime and involvement in violence later in life (Stoff, Breiling, & Maser, 1997).

EARLY BIOLOGICAL RISK FACTORS

The Biosocial Model has biological personality traits as its first component. During the perinatal and prenatal period, these risk factors include both maternal and genetic pathophysiological factors that affect the development and growth of the foetus. These factors include illness during pregnancy, maternal malnutrition, using alcohol and drugs, smoking during pregnancy, birth complications and a genetic predisposition to risks factors from the father and mother. Of importance are the Foetal Alcohol Syndrome and other factors such as Corpus Collosum that leads to the neural maldevelopment of the foetus (Stoff, Breiling, & Maser, 1997). Tobacco use during pregnancy directly affects the central nervous system’s structures while complications during pregnancy may injure the central nervous system of the new-born leading to enhanced maladaptive behaviours and other externalizing behaviours (Orlebeke, Knol, & Verhulst, 1997).

PSYCHOSOCIAL RISK FACTORS

Psychosocial risk factors constitute the second element of the Biosocial Interaction Model. These risk factors are social and psychological in nature and occur during early childhood. These factors can be conceptualized as not biological and include high psychosocial stress, teenage pregnancy, poverty, negative attitude during pregnancy, and psychiatric factors (i.e., alcohol and drug abuse) (Curran, White, & Hansell, 2000).

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the dynamics of crime and violence are best captured from the developmental approach (adolescence). This approach recognizes the change of behaviour over time. At this time of the child development, your child might experience tumultuous change, which could make them vulnerable; leading to increased means and frequency of expression of risky behaviours, including violence and others.

Aggression, crime, and hyperactivity predict adult violence and crime. Similarly, antisocial behaviour, emotional instability, a lack of self-control among adolescents should be treated as red alerts. Parents need to realize the importance of influence of the family, the school and the community in their child’s life. In fact, the mother’s behaviour and substance addictions during pregnancy have also been identified as risk factors.

For this reason, if you want to avoid breeding future potential criminals, target every stage stage of development – from prenatal to adolescence. Knowing what can negatively impact your child and taking meaningful actions to prevent them for happening is the best thing you can do for your child’s future.

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FINANCIAL INTELLIGENCE WITHIN CYBERCRIME

FINANCIAL INTELLIGENCE WITHIN CYBERCRIME

FADI ABU ZUHRI

INTRODUCTION

Financial Fraud or Financial Crime covers a range of criminal acts or offences that extend beyond national borders. These offences are international in nature and executed in Cyberspace (Boorman & Ingves, 2001). They impact financial sectors and international banking. These form of crimes affect organizations, nations, as well as individuals, negatively impact the social and economic system and cause considerable loss of money. These crimes involve Money Laundering, embezzlement, theft, skimming, Money Laundering, Ponzi schemes and phishing to name a few (Assocham, 2015).

These are often committed by organized criminal networks and motivated by prospects of earning huge profits from the activities. Assets are obtained illegally through Financial Fraud. The differences between countries, including differences in national jurisdictions, the level of expertise of different countries’ prosecutorial and investigative authorities make it difficult for law enforcement officers to trace criminals engaging in Financial Fraud (Interpol, 2017).

Financial Intelligence can curb Cybercrime by understanding what motivates Cybercriminals. This paper seeks to understand Cybercrime in the context of three types of Cybercriminals – Petty Thieves (PT), Professional Criminals (PC) and Information Warriors (IW). Rogers (2011) originally proposed a nine model classification of Cybercriminals based on what motivates them. Of these nine types of Cybercriminals, PT, PC and IW’s motivations revolve around Money Laundering and Financial Fraud.

MOTIVATIONS FOR FINANCIAL FRAUD

Petty Thieves (PT) engage in Cybercriminal activities to further their criminal activities (Rogers , 2005). They are less interested in notoriety. Their attraction to the Internet and technology is to follow their traditional targets, which include banks and naïve people. PTs learn and acquire the prerequisite skills that can enable them to perpetrate Cybercrime. This group often possesses a maturation of skills and are largely motivated by greed, revenge and financial gain (Parker, 1998).

Unlike Petty Thieves, Professional Criminals (PC) have larger ambitions and a higher set of technical abilities and skills. Like professional criminals within the traditional criminal domain, PCs are motivated to engage in criminal activities by financial and monetary gains. They seek to gain fame and bragging rights; PCs take pride in accomplishing their criminal tasks. However, due to their sophistication, they are rarely caught or attract the authority’s attention. Individuals belonging to this group are mature developmentally, psychologically and chronologically with a high level of technical acumen. They often work with organized Cybercriminal groups who are adept at using Internet technology in furthering their criminal goals (Rogers & Ogloff, 2004).

The Information Warriors (IW) consists of persons who defend and conduct attacks, which are aimed at destabilizing, affecting or disrupting the integrity of information and data systems that control and command decisions (Sewell, 2004; Rogers, 2005). This group is composed of non-traditional as well as traditional state sponsored technology-based warfare outfits. Individuals belonging to this group are highly skilled, highly trained and motivated by patriotism to engage in Cybercrime.

PC and IW are considered the most dangerous Cybercriminals. They are ex-intelligence operatives and professional criminals and are guns for hire (Post, Shaw, & Ruby, 1998; Post, 1998). These individuals being extremely well trained, specialize in corporate espionage and have the access to necessary state of the art equipment for executing their plans (Denning, 1998).

FINANCIAL INTELLIGENCE TO CURB FINANCIAL FRAUD

It is recognized that Cybercrime can be managed through financial Crime Risk Assessment, which is part of Financial Intelligence. There are three prevailing narratives that support this argument. The first narrative is that information technology is creating new services and products, driving disruptive innovation and destroying and impacting the already established business models. Examples include mainframes giving rise to Internet enabled online banking, ATM and the Web driving the creation of person-to-person payments and banking apps. The second narrative is that organized Cybercrime is moving in tandem with innovations to identify and exploit the vulnerabilities and weaknesses of fraudulent gains. According to Ganaspersad and Shirilele (2015) organized Cybercriminals are using fraudulent topologies that mirror the development of products. These topologies include stolen cheques and cards, increased levels of sophisticated Cyber-attacks, attacks on Internet protocols weaknesses and advanced persistence threats. The common thread linked to these narratives includes the increased speed of change in areas of retail payment and banking, and the ability of Cybercriminals to respond with speed (SIPA, 2011).

The third and swiftly emerging narrative emphasizes the convergence of IT security and fraud risk management to overcome the shortcomings of the traditional model which is characterized by constrained communication, shared understanding and separated functions. This narrative emphasizes the need for change, indicating that the existing risk management framework does not effectively guard institutions from financial loss and attack with resultant damage to the regulatory relationships and reputation. It emphasizes the importance of designing agility into the risk management processes for financial institutions to help facilitate proactive response to criminal and innovation threat (Daws, 2015).

Indeed, in line with these narratives, it is widely recognized that Cybercriminals require financing in order to fund their operations. They require sustainable cash flows to fund their operations. Financial Intelligence emerges from this context. It encompasses methods and means used by actors within the financial industry to reveal, deter and disrupt financing of Cybercriminals. Cybercriminals often engage in a range of financial activities with a view to ensuring that the security agents do not disrupt cash flows. Their modes of operations are diverse. They receive donations from unwitting and complicit sources. Common means of their financing include fraud, counterfeiting, kidnapping and extortion. Some actors engage in security schemes and market-based commodities. All these activities are underpinned by a practice referred to as Money Laundering (American Security Project, 2011).

Money Laundering is a process involving concealing illicitly gained funds and making them appear as funds that was sourced legitimately. These are the funds that international financial institutions and security experts seek to curtail by using Anti-Money Laundering practices and policy. Transactions of any nature or amount made via conventional channels are detected and traceable (American Security Project, 2011). Money Laundering allows Cybercriminals to clean up criminal proceeds and disguise their unlawful and illicit origins (Crown Prosecution, 2002). This is often achieved when Cybercriminals hack the government or an organization’s IT infrastructure by means of various malware. This allows them to track people’s online activities and transactions, obtain passwords and other personal information. This way, they siphon billions of dollars worth of intellectual property, technology and trade secrets from the computer systems of corporations, research institutions and government agencies (Nakashima, 2011).

The use of conventional means combined with extensive cooperation between financial industry, governments and international financial institutions can yield considerable success in deterring Cybercrime by combating Money Laundering. However, it is challenging for financial institutions and governments to detect and disrupt Informal Value Transfer Systems like “hawala”. These systems may not comply with the requirements of formal financial systems, which require firms to track and report Money Laundering activities. These systems are by nature abstract and unregulated. This way, they facilitate secrecy and allow Cybercriminals and other illegitimate actors to exploit Cyberspace with increasing regularity and conduct their financial operations without being detected (Passas, 2003). Restricting the organizations’ ability to access resources is an important component of the broader security strategy.

Financial Intelligence is by nature adaptive and requires a broad range of forensics, network analysis, technology complement by effective and smart policies (Bank of England, 2016). By understanding factors influencing current practices and trends in the area of Financial Intelligence, industry leaders and policymakers will be well-informed and empowered to come up with effective judicious policies and private-public partnerships needed to help secure the global financial system, effectively combat threat finance, and facilitate information-sharing.

SIPA (2011) proposes two trends that can enable firms to overcome Cyber threats: collective intelligence and providing technical and professional services. With regard to collective Financial Intelligence, SIPA (2011) suggests that the evolving and distributed nature of Cyber threats requires financial institutions to create a networked and collaborated defence. Within the Cyber security context, collective intelligence involves sharing information concerning remedies, vulnerabilities and threats between security vendors, the government and enterprises. It can inform Cyber forensics to audit areas of suspected and known weaknesses. It can also reveal areas and trends that warranty investing additional security measures. Vendors are developing shared Financial Intelligence features including anonymously injecting data feeds and aggregated data about email addresses, file names, IP addresses, search strings and query into their security monitoring dashboards with a view to help improve security for their users. As suggested by Ganaspersad and Shirilele (2015), the key aim of Cyber security should be to promote the sharing of vulnerability and Cyber threat information between private sectors and the public.

With regard to technology and Financial Intelligent professional services, it is indicated that it is increasingly becoming difficult for traditional Cyber security products namely antivirus scanners and firewalls to thwart every threat created as a result of security vulnerability brought about by mobile, cloud and social computing. Network security analysers and other tools make it difficult for enterprises to use effectively without specialized Cyber security talent and help from other firms. Professional services companies have introduced security offering that integrate human intelligence and analytical and automation capability of information technology platforms to help users cope. These technology offering enable firms to collect, analyse and monitor large data sets in order to identify patterns that suggest any breaches attempted by Cybercriminals. This allows enterprises to respond with more agility to threats. It also allows firms to thoroughly audit Cyber security risks whenever they are expected to disclose their security incidents and risks. Firms are no longer relying on using passive defences to protect against Cyber attacks. As such, joining analytics and automation to human judgment and tapping into collective Financial Intelligence can enable them to lower costs of mitigating Cyber attacks and reduce risk of such attacks (Bissell, Mahidhar, & Schatsky, 2013).

According to Seddon (2015) Financial Crime Risk Assessment should encompass the following: access rights and controls; data loss prevention; vendor management; training; and incident response plan. Adequate access rights and controls such as implementing multifactor authentication are required to help prevent unauthorized access to Information Systems. This includes reviewing controls associated with customer logins; remote access; tired access; network segmentation and passwords. Data loss prevention involves implementing adequate and effective controls in areas of system configuration and patch management, including monitoring network traffic and the potential transfer of unauthorized data via uploads and email attachments (Ganaspersad & Shirilele, 2015).

Vendor Management encompasses controls and practices aimed at selection and evaluation of external providers. These controls and practices include due diligence in relation to vendor monitoring, selection, and oversight. It also includes how to consider vendor relationships are part of the ongoing risk assessment process of the firm (Seddon, 2015).

There is need for adequate training of vendors and employees with respect to Confidentiality of Customer Information, Customer Security and records. According to Seddon (2015) the training should be tailored to encourage responsible Vendor and Employee Behaviour, and on how to integrate incident response procedures into regular training programs. Incidence response plans includes the assessment of System Vulnerabilities, Assigning Roles, and determining which firm, assets, services, or data warrant protection.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, Financial Intelligence is a critical area for unravelling financial networks that support these illicit and dangerous Cybercriminal. The efforts to combat Cybercrime must therefore involve a multidisciplinary approach to help understand enabling factors and driving forces of Cybercrime. The cost-benefit and efficacy of existing Anti-Money Laundering practices should also be taken into account.

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HOW COULD DECEIVING TECHNIQUES BE USED AGAINST CYBER ATTACKS

HOW COULD DECEIVING TECHNIQUES BE USED AGAINST CYBER ATTACKS

FADI ABU ZUHRI

INTRODUCTION

Deception refers to actions that are deliberately performed by the senders to make the receiver have a different belief from what the sender considers to be true so as to disadvantage the actions of the sender. It involves planned actions pursued so as to present false information to the attacker making them advance the action that would lead to defense to the computer system (Spafford, 2016). Deceiving techniques are techniques that falsify the perception of reality. These techniques could be deliberate, accidental, or self-induced. Deliberate deception has been used as a defense to the system especially when the deception is intended to disadvantage the attacker. In most situations deception may include the process of hiding the real, dissimulation, displaying the false and simulation. Some of the deceiving techniques used against cyber attacks include masking, repackaging, dazzling, mimicking, inventing, and decoying (Almeshekah, 2015; Spafford, 2016). This article explores how these deceiving techniques may be used against cyber attacks.

MASKING

In masking, the real is masked by ensuring that the relevant object is undetected and in some cases, blended to form an irrelevant background. A privatized message sent to a group email could have a message written in a white font and white background. There are also cases where a malicious JavaScript is embedded in the form of white space in a benign looking JavaScript (Almeshekah & Spafford, 2014).

Masking has been used in situations where the attackers hide the damaging scripts by having the same text and background colour. Hiding the software and services makes it possible for the user to hide the services being run especially when they notice any suspicious activity.

REPACKAGING

Repackaging technique has a role in hiding reality in a way such that an object may be made to appear different from its real self. An example is a situation where repackaging is used when a cyber-attack is made to appear bold with a friendly and official headline to lure the receiver to open the message. In other cases, a remailer made anonymous could be used in replacing the real identification of the sender and the information using an email message.

Repackaging techniques may be used as a defense mechanism. In some cases, the attacker may use repackaging techniques to deceive a user. For example, the Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) uses repackaging technique when a dangerous post is presented as harmless so as to steal the cookies of users when they access such a post. Repackaging has also been used in Cross-Site Request Forgery (XSRF), where some attacker deceives the user into some attractive web pages that silently probes the user into taking part in unwanted activities. Further, repackaging techniques have been used by some attackers that pose themselves as anti-virus software so as to deceive the users into installing them for them to take control of the user’s machines (Almeshekah & Spafford, 2014).

As a defense mechanism, repackaging may create files called “Honey-files” that may be presented as normal files that act as alarms to the system administrators when they are accessed by attackers. Honey-files may also be used by attackers, where enticing names are targeted to the computer systems and act as a beaconing technique to the user who will access those files.

DAZZLING

Dazzling is a technique that induces confusion such as obfuscation and randomization of the identified elements. The technique aids in hiding what is real by ensuring that the process of identifying the object is less certain through the resulting confusion on the true nature. An example is an encrypted channel which makes use of obfuscation by hiding the message despite the clear sent message. Honey-words proposal is a dazzling scheme used to hide real passwords in a list of several fake passwords providing the attacker different passwords to choose from, where a single password would be the true one. If an attacker uses any of the stolen passwords on the system, an alarm would be generated to alert the administrators of the stolen passwords (Juels & Rivest, 2013).

MIMICKING

Mimicking is a simulation technique known to invent the false by imitating the traits of real and relevant traits of an object. For instance, an attack could be associated with some webpage, which may appear valid and similar to a reputable firm, yet the object is a malicious web page established by an attacker.

To offer defense against attackers, mimicking softwares and services may be applied to a system mimicking the response given to another system. For example, the system would respond as though it is Windows XP, yet it is Windows 7. As such, the resources of the attackers would be wasted as they exploit Windows XP instead of Windows 7 (Murphy, McDonald, & Mills, 2010).

INVENTING

The inventing simulation technique deals with the inventing of the false through the creation of the perception that relevant objects may exist, yet in reality, the real object may not be in existence. Inventing simulation techniques have been used in Honeypots where a Honeypot provides the appearance of a subnet machine having specific addresses, when in fact there isn’t any real IP address.

Honeypots have been used widely in several applications that offer security like in the detection of spam and inhibiting the operations of spamming activities. They have also been used in the analysis of malware and securing of different databases. Today, the use of Honeypots is applied in mobile environments. The two major types of Honeypots are the client and server Honeypots. Client Honeypots have been reported to be vulnerable user agents that influence several servers actively so as to detect a compromised system. When a compromised system is detected, the client service will be able to send information to the server regarding the infected users. The server Honeypots, on the other hand, have no vital information and may be created in a way to appear vulnerable so as to entice the attackers into attacking them. The application of Honeypots in security system has been applied in detection of an attack, prevention of attack, in research, and in the provision of the required response (Almeshekah & Spafford, 2014).

In the detection of attacks, Honeypots are used in mechanisms such as intrusion detection systems, which are more accurate in detection than traditional mechanisms (Almeshekah & Spafford, 2014). Honeypots have the ability to generate minimum logging data since they are not used for daily operations, and their interactions tend to be illicit. Shadow Honeypots, for example, have yielded positive results when they were used in the detection architecture. In their operation, sensors that detect anomaly were placed next to the system where decisions were made on the destination of the given request. Several security systems have attempted to integrate Honeypots into the real system by having suspicious traffic moved to the shadow system for more investigation. Honeypots have also been used in the detection of wide attacks on the system.

Studies on the prevention of cyber-attack indicate that Honeypots are useful since they reduce the speed of the attackers and in some case hindering their activities. Dormant IP is an example of a Honeypot that has been used in slowing down the attacker by interacting with them. A study by Chen et al. (2008) reported that the use of deception toolkits might help confuse the attackers, hindering them from reaching the server, and even sending some risks to the attacker’s side. Honeypots use traps and enticements to offer security to the system. Other studies in the field report the use of Honeypots in offering deterrence. Honeypots offer protection to the system by hindering the attacker from access. The success of Honeypots has resulted in the creation of anti-Honeypots mechanisms that use methods that offer deterrence.

Honeypots are effective in offering a response to the system. The independence gained by the use of Honeypots could be easily analyzed and disconnected after a continuous attack on them. A Honeypot system will end up hindering the system of production. In a forensic analysis, Honeypots are useful in the sense that they preserve the state of the attacker on the system giving room for conducting an analysis of what happened (Almeshekah & Spafford, 2014).

In research, Honeypots are used in looking for new types of malware and analyzing them. Depending on the type of attack, it would be possible to develop a security tool that will help improve the security. For example, Honeypots have been used to offer different security signatures. Some of the tools designed to capture the identity of the computer malware include dionea, which stores the identity of malware. Also, Honeypots offer a deep understanding of the common type of attacks.

DECOYING

Decoying is a simulation technique used to attract attention away from the relevant objects. Decoying has been used in a situation where a webpage is given false yet believable information on some basic systems so as to attract the attention of the user away from the source of the real data. In some cases, Honeypots may make the attacker believe that one system of an organization is vulnerable thus capturing the attention of the attackers (Carroll & Grosu, 2011).

CONCLUSION

Deceiving techniques have been used widely in offering protection against cyber attacks. A single process of deception may have dissimulation and simulation techniques that hide the real but making sure that the false is seen by the attacker. The attacker pattern needs to be analyzed to settle on the specific deceiving technique in use. Application of the deceiving techniques discussed in this article will offer the system defense against attackers.

While finding evidence is key, doing it legally is equally important. It is possible that the use of deceiving techniques to catch a criminal may be considered illegal in certain jurisdictions. For example, an intruder could claim the Honeytrap served as an entrapment. Additionally, privacy issues need to be considered (Yasinsac & Manzano, 2002).

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