ProfNets of the Week

by admin ~ July 31, 2009

It’s time again to take a look at some of the strange and interesting queries from ProfNet, a service that sends us journalist queries and calls for sources dozens of times throughout the day. Enjoy!

SHOPPING: Shopping Cart Abandonment — The Associated Press I am working on a story about how stores are seeing a rise in shopping cart abandonment — online and in stores — as financially squeezed shoppers think twice about their purchases. I would love to speak to merchants to find out how they are trying to reduce the rate of abandonment. I would also like to speak to shoppers who are hesitating about their purchases at the cash register or at the online checkout. Contact:XXXXXXXX

BEHAVIOR/TODAY: Money Can Dull Physical Pain, Research Shows — New York Daily News I’m looking for psychologists and counselors to comment on new studies that show that handling money can not only lessen physical pain but can also ease the sting of social rejection. I would like commentary on these findings:
Why would money make people feel this way, and does money stand in for acceptance and popularity? I would like to get different opinions and theories. Contact:XXXXXXXXX

WORKPLACE: What to Do About a Lazy Co-Worker — New York Times For an upcoming Career Couch column in the Sunday Business section, I’m looking for workplace and career experts to advise readers what to do when they work with someone who does not carry his/her load — wasting time doing nothing, walking into other people’s offices to chat, making excuses for work that doesn’t get done, leaving early. How do you handle your resentment and anger? Should you speak to management about this person? How much does their slacking off affect your own productivity, and if it is, what can you do? These are the kinds of issues I am looking to address. Contact:XXXXXXXX

PARENTING: Living Vicariously Through our Teenagers — Living with Teenagers magazine I am writing on assignment for Living with Teenagers magazine, which is a LifeWay publication (Baptist readership). I need to speak with anyone who has ever tried to live vicariously through his/her teenagers. Have you ever tried to urge your teen to do something that you never got to do as a teenager? Do you struggle with that, and, if so, how has it affected your relationship with your children? What have you done to stop yourself from falling into the trap of living vicariously through your teens? Is there a specific activity that you missed out on in your childhood that is causing you to push your child into it? Please explain. Also, I need to speak with an expert concerning this topic, specifically: 1) Why should parents avoid the temptation of living vicariously through their teens? What adverse consequences will come from that? 2) How can parents help their teens become the people God intended them to be rather than the people the parents think they should be? Any tips? 3) If parents have been living vicariously through their teens, how can they stop it and repair the damage that may already be done? 4) Why do parents fall into this unhealthy pattern? Are some parents more likely to fall into this pattern than others? 5) What are the warning signs that we could list to help parents better identify that they are starting to push and pull and live out their unfulfilled dreams through their children? This article is for a very conservative readership, so if you’re a Baptist and you can be my source, even better. Contact:XXXXXXXX