Hello,
I think these studies are all interesting. Asch's Conformity experiment seems very accurate because of the pressure of the situation. Sometimes people will just go with what other people think because they don't want to stand out or get embarassed. I personally would probably go with the majority even though I would have a gut feeling about the other answer. Milgram's Obedience experiment can be defined as a type of torture. Again, the person is following the leader because that is what they think is right and what they are supposed to do. Humans were taught to listen to those superior of us. I do not think I would be able to shock someone just because they gave a wrong answer, especially the higher voltage. I think that is personally unethical. My favorite experiment was the Stanford's Prison experiment. I thought it was very interesting how the prison inmates and the guards took their roles so seriously. I would think that it would be hard not to make fun of it. Even after the experiment the inmates did not like the guards even though it was just an experiment and not for real, but it must have seemed so real to them. I never thought the guards could force these inmates to do stuff. I think it is really hard to feel like what it was to be in their shoes because I don't think I could get so involved and overwhelmed with the experiment. Overall it tells us that we all experience the same Human Nature, through pressure situations, leading and following, and role playing.
Social influence occurs when someone's thoughts or actions are affected by other people. One example is during the summer I was forced to take a CNA course (certified nursing assistant) in order to do a program for senior year. I really didn't want to do it but I had to. I got through it and it was better than what I thought it would be, but if it weren't for the others around me I definitely would not have done it. Another example of social influence is sometimes when I am hanging out with my friends and they say something about someone that I don't think is right, I usually go with them. I know it is wrong but I don't want to feel stupid. Sometimes I don't do that and I actually express how I feel, but it depends who I am with and how well I know and trust them.
The most interesting thing I learned in this class is that our mind is very complex. Our mind has so many functions and abilities and sometimes I take it for granted. Our moods, personalities, thoughts unconcious and concious, our behavior and all the other components of our mind are all different and unique in their own way. Not one single person is identical and thank god otherwise my life would be so boring. I thought it was very interesting that psychology has been experimented with for a very long time since before 300 B.C. I think it is very interesting how we develop through our life and experience so many things. Overall I thought the whole class was very interesting and I learned a lot about how our minds work.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Blog Post #12 Psychological Disorders
Hello,
If someone is acting abnormally, it does not mean they actually have a physcological disorder. A psychological disorder is decided when there are ongoing patterns, thoughts, feelings, and actions that are deviant, distressful, or dysfuntional. These disorders are thought to cause disabilities or distress that is not normal to the culture.
I personally do not know anyone who has a psychological disorder. I chose obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). OCD is an anxiety disorder characterized by unwanted repetitive thoughts and or actions. The thoughts are known as the obsessions and the actions are known as the compulsions. Some people do not realize they have it and others think of it as unwanted. Constantly washing hands, hoarding, arranging, fear, agressive thoughts, and images are symptoms. Some try to deny and ignore their disorder but it makes the distress and anxiety worse. The cause of OCD has not been defined yet by doctors or scientists. Some think that genetics and a low level of serotonin, a chemical messenger, could cause OCD. Family histories and stressful environments are risk factors. Some complications include suicide, alcohol abuse, trouble with relationships, depression, and other anxiety disorders. There are two basic types of treatment; psychotherapy and medications. OCD is chronic disorder, so the person may have to cope and deal with it their whole life. I think life would be a lot harder, because personally I would try to ignore it. Eventually I would probably become more distressed and have more anxiety, which could intentionally cause more disorders. I think that with the help of my family and friends I would be able to cope with it and make it through every day. I would never give up on myself because I would want to be a role model.
The most interesting thing i learned in this section is that about 16 percent of U.S. jail and prison inmates had severe mental disorders. This is about 100,000 more than the 183,ooo psychiatric inpatients in all types of U.S. hospitals. Even though most people with psychological disorders are not violent some are and they commit serious crimes. Many of the disorders include depression, schizophrenia, and other anxiety disorders. How do we know these people are tellings the truth? Should we hold these people responsible for their actions? I also thought it was very interesting that about 1 out of every 100 children have obsessive compulsive disorder. I did not realize that some of these disorders were not very rare.
If someone is acting abnormally, it does not mean they actually have a physcological disorder. A psychological disorder is decided when there are ongoing patterns, thoughts, feelings, and actions that are deviant, distressful, or dysfuntional. These disorders are thought to cause disabilities or distress that is not normal to the culture.
I personally do not know anyone who has a psychological disorder. I chose obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). OCD is an anxiety disorder characterized by unwanted repetitive thoughts and or actions. The thoughts are known as the obsessions and the actions are known as the compulsions. Some people do not realize they have it and others think of it as unwanted. Constantly washing hands, hoarding, arranging, fear, agressive thoughts, and images are symptoms. Some try to deny and ignore their disorder but it makes the distress and anxiety worse. The cause of OCD has not been defined yet by doctors or scientists. Some think that genetics and a low level of serotonin, a chemical messenger, could cause OCD. Family histories and stressful environments are risk factors. Some complications include suicide, alcohol abuse, trouble with relationships, depression, and other anxiety disorders. There are two basic types of treatment; psychotherapy and medications. OCD is chronic disorder, so the person may have to cope and deal with it their whole life. I think life would be a lot harder, because personally I would try to ignore it. Eventually I would probably become more distressed and have more anxiety, which could intentionally cause more disorders. I think that with the help of my family and friends I would be able to cope with it and make it through every day. I would never give up on myself because I would want to be a role model.
The most interesting thing i learned in this section is that about 16 percent of U.S. jail and prison inmates had severe mental disorders. This is about 100,000 more than the 183,ooo psychiatric inpatients in all types of U.S. hospitals. Even though most people with psychological disorders are not violent some are and they commit serious crimes. Many of the disorders include depression, schizophrenia, and other anxiety disorders. How do we know these people are tellings the truth? Should we hold these people responsible for their actions? I also thought it was very interesting that about 1 out of every 100 children have obsessive compulsive disorder. I did not realize that some of these disorders were not very rare.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Blog Post #11
Hi,
I think that I am easy to like and laid back. Five positive things about my personality are I am giving, loving, smart, willing, and understanding. I think I am those five things because I am always there for my family and friends. I am very understanding when mistakes or problems occur. I love to give. I think I am smart when it comes to solving problems Three negative things about my personality is that I can be very impatient, I worry alot, and sometimes I am very high strung. I get very impatient when things are not done right away and correct. I worry a lot about my future and others around me that I am very close to. I can be very high strung and nervous around new places or surroundings until I warm up to them.
I think I am optimistic or at least I try to be. I tend to think of the positive things. I am very open to new experiences. If anyone ever says anything bad about me I usually shrug it off and forget about it. I try not to care what other people think about me because I am not going to change who I am just to please them. This impacts my life because it enables me to get up every morning and go to school or work. For example If I get a bad grade on an assignment I tell myself that I can do better and keep my hopes up. Another example is if I am waiting for
One of my negative traits that changes is being high strung. Usually around new people or new places I tend to be nervous and not relaxed. But, when I get to know my surroundings or the people I became more open and relaxed. It benefits me because it allows me to get to know the person and how they think before I just jump into a relationship with them. It keeps me safe from possible problems. It helps me gain trust. Another trait that changes is my worrying. Sometimes it is good to worry because it helps you do better and succeed. Other times it is just nice to relax and not think about anything. I think that benefits me both ways because it helps me strive to be better and then when I change I am able to relax and take a break from everything around me.
When I was in volleyball I used to use sublimation to release my anger through an appropriate outlet by hitting the ball. It helped me release stress as well as improve on my volleyball skills. I think it helped from from freaking out over things by just releasing the stress right on the ball. Another defense mechanism I have used is denial. When my cat was seriously injured from being hit by a car, I knew deep down that she wasn't going to make it. I kept telling myself that she will be okay. All of her injuries will get better and she will be with us for many other years, but she didn't she died. I tried to use denial to cope with my feelings instead of just expressing them. Lately I have been using repression. I took a class this summer to become a certified nursing aid. I decided I did not like it but I have to take it in order to do a health connections program through the school. I have had many dates supplied to me in order to take the final test but I keep repressing them in my mind. I keep forgetting to sign up because I do not want to deal with the elderly when they are in the last stages of their life. I continually banish those thoughts into my unconscious mind.
I think that I am easy to like and laid back. Five positive things about my personality are I am giving, loving, smart, willing, and understanding. I think I am those five things because I am always there for my family and friends. I am very understanding when mistakes or problems occur. I love to give. I think I am smart when it comes to solving problems Three negative things about my personality is that I can be very impatient, I worry alot, and sometimes I am very high strung. I get very impatient when things are not done right away and correct. I worry a lot about my future and others around me that I am very close to. I can be very high strung and nervous around new places or surroundings until I warm up to them.
I think I am optimistic or at least I try to be. I tend to think of the positive things. I am very open to new experiences. If anyone ever says anything bad about me I usually shrug it off and forget about it. I try not to care what other people think about me because I am not going to change who I am just to please them. This impacts my life because it enables me to get up every morning and go to school or work. For example If I get a bad grade on an assignment I tell myself that I can do better and keep my hopes up. Another example is if I am waiting for
One of my negative traits that changes is being high strung. Usually around new people or new places I tend to be nervous and not relaxed. But, when I get to know my surroundings or the people I became more open and relaxed. It benefits me because it allows me to get to know the person and how they think before I just jump into a relationship with them. It keeps me safe from possible problems. It helps me gain trust. Another trait that changes is my worrying. Sometimes it is good to worry because it helps you do better and succeed. Other times it is just nice to relax and not think about anything. I think that benefits me both ways because it helps me strive to be better and then when I change I am able to relax and take a break from everything around me.
When I was in volleyball I used to use sublimation to release my anger through an appropriate outlet by hitting the ball. It helped me release stress as well as improve on my volleyball skills. I think it helped from from freaking out over things by just releasing the stress right on the ball. Another defense mechanism I have used is denial. When my cat was seriously injured from being hit by a car, I knew deep down that she wasn't going to make it. I kept telling myself that she will be okay. All of her injuries will get better and she will be with us for many other years, but she didn't she died. I tried to use denial to cope with my feelings instead of just expressing them. Lately I have been using repression. I took a class this summer to become a certified nursing aid. I decided I did not like it but I have to take it in order to do a health connections program through the school. I have had many dates supplied to me in order to take the final test but I keep repressing them in my mind. I keep forgetting to sign up because I do not want to deal with the elderly when they are in the last stages of their life. I continually banish those thoughts into my unconscious mind.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Blog Post #10
Hello,
One thing I learned from Chapter 9 on thinking is that aphasia or an impairment of language is usually caused by the left hemisphere damage either to Broca's area or Wernicke's area. Some people with aphasia can speak fluently but are not able to read. Others can not comprehend what they read but can speak. Some other cases are writing but not being able to read, reading numbers but not letters, or singing but not speaking. A French physician Paul Broca discovered that damage to the specific area of the frontal lobe called Broca's area would cause a person to struggle speaking words. A German investigator Carl Wernicke discovered that damage to a specific are of the frontal lobe called Wernicke's area showed people could speak only meaningless words and disrupts understanding. Today's neuroscience continues to provide research and understanding of the way of our language processes. They have discovered that there are several more sites involved in the way we protray things.
I chose creativity intelligence. Creativity is the ability to produce novel and valuable ideas. On a standard intelligence test a score of about 120 is necessary but not sufficient for creativity. Creativity can not be measured by a standard intelligence test because there is only one right answer while creativity has several answers. Sternberg and Lubart identified five components of creativity. They are expertise or well developed base of knowledge, which furnishes ideas, images, and phrases. Imaginative thinking skills provide the ability to see things in novel ways, recognize patterns, and make connections. A venturesome personality seeks new experiences, tolerates, ambiguity and risk, and perserveres in overcoming obstacles. Intrinsic motivation is driven by interest, satisfaction, and challenge than by external pressures. Then last is a creative environment which sparks, supports, and refines creative ideas.
I think I am more creative intelligent than emotional intelligent. I think it is easier for me to think about something to create, draw, or paint in art then understand some people or the things they do. I think being creative involves lots of things from designing to coming up with a weekend getaway. I think liking math and science helps me be more creative with my ideas and solving problems. I want to seek new experiences and I am driven by my interests. I am creative when doing my assignments in art, figuring out what to do with leftover foods, and solving friend's problems. I think it is a high asset because it keeps my life more interesting. I get to do new things and solve several problems with creativity.
The most interesting thing I read in chapter 10 was about brain size and complexity. Doctors have researched and studied many brains from several different people. They discovered that brilliant English poet Lord Bryon's brain weighed 5 pounds then the normal 3 pounds. They then looked at Beethoven's brain and found numerous deep convolutions. They found out that some geniuses have small brains and some criminals had huge brains. Brain size and intelligence tests scores tend to fall in constant. Activity within specific areas of the brain like the frontal and parietal lobes were found. Einstein's brain was 15 percent larger in the parietal lobe which just happens to be the center of mathetmatical and spatial information. Other areas were smaller than the average. This observation concluded that Einstein was slower at learning how to talk but quick at other things. If intelligence is related to brain size then that would cause differing genes, nutrition, and environmental stimulation as factors.
One thing I learned from Chapter 9 on thinking is that aphasia or an impairment of language is usually caused by the left hemisphere damage either to Broca's area or Wernicke's area. Some people with aphasia can speak fluently but are not able to read. Others can not comprehend what they read but can speak. Some other cases are writing but not being able to read, reading numbers but not letters, or singing but not speaking. A French physician Paul Broca discovered that damage to the specific area of the frontal lobe called Broca's area would cause a person to struggle speaking words. A German investigator Carl Wernicke discovered that damage to a specific are of the frontal lobe called Wernicke's area showed people could speak only meaningless words and disrupts understanding. Today's neuroscience continues to provide research and understanding of the way of our language processes. They have discovered that there are several more sites involved in the way we protray things.
I chose creativity intelligence. Creativity is the ability to produce novel and valuable ideas. On a standard intelligence test a score of about 120 is necessary but not sufficient for creativity. Creativity can not be measured by a standard intelligence test because there is only one right answer while creativity has several answers. Sternberg and Lubart identified five components of creativity. They are expertise or well developed base of knowledge, which furnishes ideas, images, and phrases. Imaginative thinking skills provide the ability to see things in novel ways, recognize patterns, and make connections. A venturesome personality seeks new experiences, tolerates, ambiguity and risk, and perserveres in overcoming obstacles. Intrinsic motivation is driven by interest, satisfaction, and challenge than by external pressures. Then last is a creative environment which sparks, supports, and refines creative ideas.
I think I am more creative intelligent than emotional intelligent. I think it is easier for me to think about something to create, draw, or paint in art then understand some people or the things they do. I think being creative involves lots of things from designing to coming up with a weekend getaway. I think liking math and science helps me be more creative with my ideas and solving problems. I want to seek new experiences and I am driven by my interests. I am creative when doing my assignments in art, figuring out what to do with leftover foods, and solving friend's problems. I think it is a high asset because it keeps my life more interesting. I get to do new things and solve several problems with creativity.
The most interesting thing I read in chapter 10 was about brain size and complexity. Doctors have researched and studied many brains from several different people. They discovered that brilliant English poet Lord Bryon's brain weighed 5 pounds then the normal 3 pounds. They then looked at Beethoven's brain and found numerous deep convolutions. They found out that some geniuses have small brains and some criminals had huge brains. Brain size and intelligence tests scores tend to fall in constant. Activity within specific areas of the brain like the frontal and parietal lobes were found. Einstein's brain was 15 percent larger in the parietal lobe which just happens to be the center of mathetmatical and spatial information. Other areas were smaller than the average. This observation concluded that Einstein was slower at learning how to talk but quick at other things. If intelligence is related to brain size then that would cause differing genes, nutrition, and environmental stimulation as factors.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Blog Post # 9
Hello,
Memory is very important in defining who we are as human beings. Without memory I wouldn't know who I am or my family or friends. We would all be the same boring people. None of us would have personality or be able to fall in love. Our memories define us, they make us who we are today. Good and bad memories shape our life. Our world would not have any advancements like technology, acting, music, food, and pretty much everything else. If we don't know who we are, how we got here, or even our names we would be nothing. Our world would cease to exist. First of all Clive's wife loves him and I'm sure it is really hard for her to deal with this, but just because he has memory damage doesn' t mean that she changed the way she feels about him. She probably gets very frustrated because she isn't able to help him or talk to him without him losing all recollection. I bet that she tries every day to get through to him and has tried several applications. If I were in her shoes I would try my best to help him and I would not forget all the memories that we had together before and during the memory damage. I understand that my memory capability is not limitless and I can store tons of material in it but it can become cluttered. Our memory has persisted over time and can be stored and retrieved for later times.
I don't think about how it works differently because I won't be able to change the way I remember things. I don't think of my memories any differently because I have not come to a time that my memory was needed so significantly yet. I think that some of my memories are not accurate, I'm sure I only think about them being the way I thought they were. I know that most of my memories are broad but I can remember some specific detail. I tend to only remember big experiences not the little ones. I enjoy reminiscing about the past because it's fun to remember and to hear others memories. I learned from the interference exercise that everyday we experience interferences that diminish our abilities to remember. Even the president would have a hard time saying his oath if others were talking or interrupting him. I trust my memories because most of them have happened with others and they remember the same things. I think I have a fairly good memory because I can remember certain things for tests and what I ate for breakfast last week. I learned from the short term memory exercise that I remember a lot more things easier if someone tells me, then if I see is written or illustrated. I scored higher on the listening test. I think I am a better listener which helps me store things.
I learned about interference or something that hinders or is in the way of another thing. I thought it was interesting that as we collect more and more information, our brain never fills up but everything gets cluttered. The ability to tune out all the clutter and distractions helps us focus and concentrate. There are two types of interference. The first one is proactive interference which is the disruptive effect of prior learning on the recall of new information. For example if two people are giving me their phone number at the same time I will most likely not remember it. If only one of them is giving me their number at a time I will most likely be able to recall it. The second type is retroactive interference which is the disruptive effect of new learning on the recall of old information. Information that is presented about an hour before sleep is protected from retroactive interference because there is less of an oppurtunity for interfering events. Researchers have found that the information commited an hour before a good night's sleep is easily remembered. Interference is a very important cause of forgetting things.
Memory is very important in defining who we are as human beings. Without memory I wouldn't know who I am or my family or friends. We would all be the same boring people. None of us would have personality or be able to fall in love. Our memories define us, they make us who we are today. Good and bad memories shape our life. Our world would not have any advancements like technology, acting, music, food, and pretty much everything else. If we don't know who we are, how we got here, or even our names we would be nothing. Our world would cease to exist. First of all Clive's wife loves him and I'm sure it is really hard for her to deal with this, but just because he has memory damage doesn' t mean that she changed the way she feels about him. She probably gets very frustrated because she isn't able to help him or talk to him without him losing all recollection. I bet that she tries every day to get through to him and has tried several applications. If I were in her shoes I would try my best to help him and I would not forget all the memories that we had together before and during the memory damage. I understand that my memory capability is not limitless and I can store tons of material in it but it can become cluttered. Our memory has persisted over time and can be stored and retrieved for later times.
I don't think about how it works differently because I won't be able to change the way I remember things. I don't think of my memories any differently because I have not come to a time that my memory was needed so significantly yet. I think that some of my memories are not accurate, I'm sure I only think about them being the way I thought they were. I know that most of my memories are broad but I can remember some specific detail. I tend to only remember big experiences not the little ones. I enjoy reminiscing about the past because it's fun to remember and to hear others memories. I learned from the interference exercise that everyday we experience interferences that diminish our abilities to remember. Even the president would have a hard time saying his oath if others were talking or interrupting him. I trust my memories because most of them have happened with others and they remember the same things. I think I have a fairly good memory because I can remember certain things for tests and what I ate for breakfast last week. I learned from the short term memory exercise that I remember a lot more things easier if someone tells me, then if I see is written or illustrated. I scored higher on the listening test. I think I am a better listener which helps me store things.
I learned about interference or something that hinders or is in the way of another thing. I thought it was interesting that as we collect more and more information, our brain never fills up but everything gets cluttered. The ability to tune out all the clutter and distractions helps us focus and concentrate. There are two types of interference. The first one is proactive interference which is the disruptive effect of prior learning on the recall of new information. For example if two people are giving me their phone number at the same time I will most likely not remember it. If only one of them is giving me their number at a time I will most likely be able to recall it. The second type is retroactive interference which is the disruptive effect of new learning on the recall of old information. Information that is presented about an hour before sleep is protected from retroactive interference because there is less of an oppurtunity for interfering events. Researchers have found that the information commited an hour before a good night's sleep is easily remembered. Interference is a very important cause of forgetting things.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Blog Post #8
Hello
Classical conditioning is a form of associative learning that links two or more stimuli and then anticipates the events. It was first introducted by Ivan Pavlov in a experiment involving a dog and ringing bells. An example is you eat a new food at a restaurant, a mushroom swiss burger, and then you get sick with the flu. You then become nauseated and ill feeling whenever you smell the mushroom swiss burger and you begin to dislike the food. The nauseau is a automatic response.
Operant conditioning is the use of consequences to change the occurence and form of behavior. An example is a student does very well their first semester of college. Her father then gives her a credit card to use because she did so well. The student then continues to get better grades in her second semester of college. The credit card is given and it creates her behavior to do well.
The differences between classical and operant conditioning is operant deals with "voluntary behavior". It operates on the environment and is maintained by our consequences. Classical deals with preceding events and the way we respond to them, they are not maintained by consequences. I think it is interesting because I have used both classical and operant conditioning in my life many times without even knowing it. One time I had a chicken and bacon pizza for supper and then I got sick. Since then whenever I see it or smell it I feel sick and nauseated. I did not realize that I did that because of classical conditioning. I also do the same thing for operant conditioning whenever I do good in school and I show my report card to my grandparents they give me money. As a result I continue to try and do my best because I know if I do good they will give me money. I think they are interesting because I didn't know that our behaviors are based on these conditions that we learned.
A positive reinforcement occurs when a behavior is followed by a favorable stimulus that will increase the frequency of the behavior. An example is after every week of completing my chores at home, my parents would give me some money to spend on whatever I wanted. I realized if I finished them and did them good I could get a little extra spending money. A negative reinforcement occurs when a behavior if followed by the removal of an unpleasant stimulus therefore increasing the behavior's frequency. Every morning I set my alarm so that I can get up. Sometimes I am so tired that I am too lazy to turn it off eventually I have to because the sound is very annoying. The more I get annoyed the quicker I will turn it off. A punishment is a consequence that causes a behavior to happen less frequently. An example is that I talked back to my mother one time and we got an a arguement. She punished me and I had to do extra chores around the house including laundry and dishes. I learned that I shouldn't talk back to my mother.
The most interesting thing I learned in this section was that us humans may be prepared biologically more to learn some associations easier rather than others. If becoming ill after eating something we tend to not associate with that restaurant or grocery store. Even birds who hunt by sight will become biologically primed to develop the sight of tainted foods. In the book it also explains how men are naturally more attracted to women and the color red without being aware of it. They explained how frequent the pairing of red on Valentine's day and red lipstick enhance a man's attractions towards females. In the book a picture of a women is framed in black and red and the picture in red was found more attractive by men then the other one. I thought this was interesting because all of us associate things in our daily lives, some are noticeable and some we are unaware of. I think we continue to learn because our biology prepares us for several environmental factors. I don't think it changes any way that I think about things because association is just a major part of how we learn and experience life.
Classical conditioning is a form of associative learning that links two or more stimuli and then anticipates the events. It was first introducted by Ivan Pavlov in a experiment involving a dog and ringing bells. An example is you eat a new food at a restaurant, a mushroom swiss burger, and then you get sick with the flu. You then become nauseated and ill feeling whenever you smell the mushroom swiss burger and you begin to dislike the food. The nauseau is a automatic response.
Operant conditioning is the use of consequences to change the occurence and form of behavior. An example is a student does very well their first semester of college. Her father then gives her a credit card to use because she did so well. The student then continues to get better grades in her second semester of college. The credit card is given and it creates her behavior to do well.
The differences between classical and operant conditioning is operant deals with "voluntary behavior". It operates on the environment and is maintained by our consequences. Classical deals with preceding events and the way we respond to them, they are not maintained by consequences. I think it is interesting because I have used both classical and operant conditioning in my life many times without even knowing it. One time I had a chicken and bacon pizza for supper and then I got sick. Since then whenever I see it or smell it I feel sick and nauseated. I did not realize that I did that because of classical conditioning. I also do the same thing for operant conditioning whenever I do good in school and I show my report card to my grandparents they give me money. As a result I continue to try and do my best because I know if I do good they will give me money. I think they are interesting because I didn't know that our behaviors are based on these conditions that we learned.
A positive reinforcement occurs when a behavior is followed by a favorable stimulus that will increase the frequency of the behavior. An example is after every week of completing my chores at home, my parents would give me some money to spend on whatever I wanted. I realized if I finished them and did them good I could get a little extra spending money. A negative reinforcement occurs when a behavior if followed by the removal of an unpleasant stimulus therefore increasing the behavior's frequency. Every morning I set my alarm so that I can get up. Sometimes I am so tired that I am too lazy to turn it off eventually I have to because the sound is very annoying. The more I get annoyed the quicker I will turn it off. A punishment is a consequence that causes a behavior to happen less frequently. An example is that I talked back to my mother one time and we got an a arguement. She punished me and I had to do extra chores around the house including laundry and dishes. I learned that I shouldn't talk back to my mother.
The most interesting thing I learned in this section was that us humans may be prepared biologically more to learn some associations easier rather than others. If becoming ill after eating something we tend to not associate with that restaurant or grocery store. Even birds who hunt by sight will become biologically primed to develop the sight of tainted foods. In the book it also explains how men are naturally more attracted to women and the color red without being aware of it. They explained how frequent the pairing of red on Valentine's day and red lipstick enhance a man's attractions towards females. In the book a picture of a women is framed in black and red and the picture in red was found more attractive by men then the other one. I thought this was interesting because all of us associate things in our daily lives, some are noticeable and some we are unaware of. I think we continue to learn because our biology prepares us for several environmental factors. I don't think it changes any way that I think about things because association is just a major part of how we learn and experience life.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Blog Post #7
Hello,
Sensation and perception involves our five senses; vision, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. Sensation refers to the process of sensing our environment, basically bringing information in from the outside world. We do not have to be conscious to engage in this. The information we receive is sent to our brain and then perception comes to play. Our perception is the way we interpret, organize, and select the senses and figure them out.
The most interesting thing I learned in this chapter was that taste doesn't exist just for our pleasure but it attracted our ancestors to energy or protein-rich foods that enabled their survival. Without taste I probably wouldn't be here because my ancestors would not have gotten the appropriate food to survive. There are five survival functions of basic tastes and they include: sweet-energy source, salty-sodium essential to phsyiological processes, sour-potentiall toxic acid, bitter-potential poisons, and umami-proteins to grow and repair tissue. Taste is a chemical sense and each of our 200 or more taste buds on our tongue catches those food chemicals. Our taste receptors reproduce themselves every week or two, so if you burn your tongue you don't have to worry because they'll grow back. When we get older our taste buds lose sensitivity. That explains why adults like stronger tasting foods while children do not.
I read the article "Best Optical Illusions Online". It started with a man and a woman argueing about weither a illusion was real or not. The woman explained that she should not trust her brain because she could get hit by a car that she thinks is driving away from her but is actually coming towards her. He explained that she was taking it to literal and even though everything we see is an illusion it would not occur in our environment. Our brain works hard to combine all the colors, motion, and lines in order to give us the big picture. At the bottom of the article the author states several optical illusion sites to check out.
I thought this article was interesting because it provides a common example between two people. The illusions we can see can fool us but overall it can not naturally occur. It doesn't change anything except that I know my brain works very hard to make me understand things better. I can apply this in my life by explaining to others who have questions or don't know about sensation and perception.
Sensation and perception involves our five senses; vision, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. Sensation refers to the process of sensing our environment, basically bringing information in from the outside world. We do not have to be conscious to engage in this. The information we receive is sent to our brain and then perception comes to play. Our perception is the way we interpret, organize, and select the senses and figure them out.
The most interesting thing I learned in this chapter was that taste doesn't exist just for our pleasure but it attracted our ancestors to energy or protein-rich foods that enabled their survival. Without taste I probably wouldn't be here because my ancestors would not have gotten the appropriate food to survive. There are five survival functions of basic tastes and they include: sweet-energy source, salty-sodium essential to phsyiological processes, sour-potentiall toxic acid, bitter-potential poisons, and umami-proteins to grow and repair tissue. Taste is a chemical sense and each of our 200 or more taste buds on our tongue catches those food chemicals. Our taste receptors reproduce themselves every week or two, so if you burn your tongue you don't have to worry because they'll grow back. When we get older our taste buds lose sensitivity. That explains why adults like stronger tasting foods while children do not.
I read the article "Best Optical Illusions Online". It started with a man and a woman argueing about weither a illusion was real or not. The woman explained that she should not trust her brain because she could get hit by a car that she thinks is driving away from her but is actually coming towards her. He explained that she was taking it to literal and even though everything we see is an illusion it would not occur in our environment. Our brain works hard to combine all the colors, motion, and lines in order to give us the big picture. At the bottom of the article the author states several optical illusion sites to check out.
I thought this article was interesting because it provides a common example between two people. The illusions we can see can fool us but overall it can not naturally occur. It doesn't change anything except that I know my brain works very hard to make me understand things better. I can apply this in my life by explaining to others who have questions or don't know about sensation and perception.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Blog Post #6
I thought that the interviewing assignment was cool. I learned some things about my grandpa that were very interesting. He only had to go to school until the 8th grade. His school was held in a one room classroom. His father died when he was young and his mother was in the hospital. After school he had to stay with several farmers on a room and board basis. He worked from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. everyday. He had to work a lot and hardly got to do anything fun when he was a kid. I'm glad that I am able to go out with friends, play sports, drive a car, and do many other things. I think I have it very easy compared to him especially since he didn't have a very good family life. I would not want to live back then, it probably wasn't bad for him because he didn't realize what he was missing. I enjoy being able to relax, hang with friends, spend time with family, school at times, and all the other activities I do. I learned that the times were really different from 5o years ago to today.
I agree with the "Parenting and Adolescence" video. Everyone goes through puberty and at times life is difficult. Our bodies and brains continue to develop and go through many stages. I know when I was younger I would always have fights with my mom for the smallest things. I realize now that I wanted to become more indepent, but that hurt my parents because their little girl was growing up and they wanted me to stay young forever. Honestly, I don't want to grow up I wish I could stay 17 forever. I think it is the perfect age because I am able to drive and have fun, yet I still have several responsibities. I am enjoying my time as a teenager because we all grow up too quick. I think that my family and friends impact me when becoming an adult the most. I learned from my mistakes, but I have so many more experiences ahead of me.
One thing that I learned from Chapter 4 was how interesting it was that at any age we seek to fit in with groups and are influenced by our peers. Even as preschoolers if a certain food that they don't like is placed on a table with a group of children who like it they will eat it. Teens who start smoking typically do it because they model friends and are offered cigarettes. Parents also influence us but not as much as our peers. Parents are more important when it comes to education, responsibilities, and interacting with others. Peers care about the road to popularity and inventing styles.
One thing I learned from Chapter 5 is stranger anxiety. Stranger anxiety is the fear of strangers that infants commonly display, beginning by about 8 months of age. Babies tend to cry and reach for familiar faces when strangers greet them. They don't want to be left alone because they feel deserted. Infants prefer certain voices and faces. When they don't recognize a face they become distressed. My parents told me that whenever we went to visit my uncles, I would cry when I saw them and reach for mom or dad. My uncles both had beards and I was not used to that. My dad didn't have a beard so I was always scared of those who did. It's weird how our brains, minds, and environment affect us mentally and physically.
I agree with the "Parenting and Adolescence" video. Everyone goes through puberty and at times life is difficult. Our bodies and brains continue to develop and go through many stages. I know when I was younger I would always have fights with my mom for the smallest things. I realize now that I wanted to become more indepent, but that hurt my parents because their little girl was growing up and they wanted me to stay young forever. Honestly, I don't want to grow up I wish I could stay 17 forever. I think it is the perfect age because I am able to drive and have fun, yet I still have several responsibities. I am enjoying my time as a teenager because we all grow up too quick. I think that my family and friends impact me when becoming an adult the most. I learned from my mistakes, but I have so many more experiences ahead of me.
One thing that I learned from Chapter 4 was how interesting it was that at any age we seek to fit in with groups and are influenced by our peers. Even as preschoolers if a certain food that they don't like is placed on a table with a group of children who like it they will eat it. Teens who start smoking typically do it because they model friends and are offered cigarettes. Parents also influence us but not as much as our peers. Parents are more important when it comes to education, responsibilities, and interacting with others. Peers care about the road to popularity and inventing styles.
One thing I learned from Chapter 5 is stranger anxiety. Stranger anxiety is the fear of strangers that infants commonly display, beginning by about 8 months of age. Babies tend to cry and reach for familiar faces when strangers greet them. They don't want to be left alone because they feel deserted. Infants prefer certain voices and faces. When they don't recognize a face they become distressed. My parents told me that whenever we went to visit my uncles, I would cry when I saw them and reach for mom or dad. My uncles both had beards and I was not used to that. My dad didn't have a beard so I was always scared of those who did. It's weird how our brains, minds, and environment affect us mentally and physically.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Blog Post #5
Hello,
I learned that obviously mating preferences are different between males and females but I found some interesting things. Males tend to be attracted to women who have waists that are roughly a third narrower than their hips. Which means that is a sign of future fertility. Males also like women who are younger. Women like men who tend to be more mature, dominent, and bold.
I also learned that each cultural groups evolve their own norms or rules for accepted and expected behavior. The British have a norm for orderly waiting in line. Cultures also vary in their expressiveness. If cultures collide there tends to be an arguement that causes invading of personal spaces.
I learned that another key period for sexual differentiation falls during the fourth and fifth prenatal months of the mother. The sex hormones wire and influence the fetal brain. Different patterns for males and female's develop. Recent research discovered that an abundance of sex hormone receptors contributed to the differences. Testosterone influences males while estrogen influences females. Females also have testosterone but not as much.
I though that the videos were interesting and long. The assignment nurture vs nature really made me think about wether our parents to explain the way we will be as adults. Personally, I think my parents make me what I am today. I wouldn't want it any other way.
I learned that obviously mating preferences are different between males and females but I found some interesting things. Males tend to be attracted to women who have waists that are roughly a third narrower than their hips. Which means that is a sign of future fertility. Males also like women who are younger. Women like men who tend to be more mature, dominent, and bold.
I also learned that each cultural groups evolve their own norms or rules for accepted and expected behavior. The British have a norm for orderly waiting in line. Cultures also vary in their expressiveness. If cultures collide there tends to be an arguement that causes invading of personal spaces.
I learned that another key period for sexual differentiation falls during the fourth and fifth prenatal months of the mother. The sex hormones wire and influence the fetal brain. Different patterns for males and female's develop. Recent research discovered that an abundance of sex hormone receptors contributed to the differences. Testosterone influences males while estrogen influences females. Females also have testosterone but not as much.
I though that the videos were interesting and long. The assignment nurture vs nature really made me think about wether our parents to explain the way we will be as adults. Personally, I think my parents make me what I am today. I wouldn't want it any other way.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Blog Post #4
Hello
I listened to Teens and Sleep. Three adults were talking about teens not getting enough sleep. They took a survery and talked to parents about the teens' lifestyles. I thought it was very interesting and relevant to me because I do not get the recommended 9 hours of sleep every night. It is hard to when you have 8 hours of school, homework, a job, family, friends, and a boyfriend. There isn't eough time to do everything expected and also do well in everything. I thought it was very interesting that the average amount of sleep for seniors is 6.9 hours. I typically get around that many hours of sleep but eventually I get completely drained and during most of my weekends I have to sleep in late in order to make up the time.
I also learned from this chapter that our bodies are synchronized with the 24 hour cycle of day and night through our biological time clock called circadian rhythm. Thinking is sharpest and our memory is most vivid when we are at our daily peak of circadian arousal. Bright light at night tends to delay sleep and bright light in the morning tweaks our clock and activates light-sensitive retinal proteins that send signals to our brain. It is hard for me to fall asleep when there is a light on but easy for me to get up when I see light. I agree with this since if I am very tired I usually get a second wind during the day.
I was surprised to find out that there are four stages to our sleep. During Stage 1 you will experience hallucinations and fantastic images. You may also have a sense of falling. Then you tend to relax more deeply and Stage 2 sleep is characterized by sleep spindles or bursts of brain wave activity. Steeptalking tends to occur during this time. Then you will transition to Stage 3 then Stage 4. The brain will then emit large slow delta waves that last for 30 minutes each. At the end of Stage 4 children are most like to wet the bed or start sleepwalking. I thought that was surprising because I did not know that when we sleep so much stuff happens in our brain that causes us to do weird things.
I agree that the age related differences between us depict the amount of sleep we need. I think that sleep may be genetically influenced as well as environmently. With sleep we feel refreshed and tend to be in a better mood. Honestly I agree with everything that the book said.
I listened to Teens and Sleep. Three adults were talking about teens not getting enough sleep. They took a survery and talked to parents about the teens' lifestyles. I thought it was very interesting and relevant to me because I do not get the recommended 9 hours of sleep every night. It is hard to when you have 8 hours of school, homework, a job, family, friends, and a boyfriend. There isn't eough time to do everything expected and also do well in everything. I thought it was very interesting that the average amount of sleep for seniors is 6.9 hours. I typically get around that many hours of sleep but eventually I get completely drained and during most of my weekends I have to sleep in late in order to make up the time.
I also learned from this chapter that our bodies are synchronized with the 24 hour cycle of day and night through our biological time clock called circadian rhythm. Thinking is sharpest and our memory is most vivid when we are at our daily peak of circadian arousal. Bright light at night tends to delay sleep and bright light in the morning tweaks our clock and activates light-sensitive retinal proteins that send signals to our brain. It is hard for me to fall asleep when there is a light on but easy for me to get up when I see light. I agree with this since if I am very tired I usually get a second wind during the day.
I was surprised to find out that there are four stages to our sleep. During Stage 1 you will experience hallucinations and fantastic images. You may also have a sense of falling. Then you tend to relax more deeply and Stage 2 sleep is characterized by sleep spindles or bursts of brain wave activity. Steeptalking tends to occur during this time. Then you will transition to Stage 3 then Stage 4. The brain will then emit large slow delta waves that last for 30 minutes each. At the end of Stage 4 children are most like to wet the bed or start sleepwalking. I thought that was surprising because I did not know that when we sleep so much stuff happens in our brain that causes us to do weird things.
I agree that the age related differences between us depict the amount of sleep we need. I think that sleep may be genetically influenced as well as environmently. With sleep we feel refreshed and tend to be in a better mood. Honestly I agree with everything that the book said.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Blog Post #3 The Brain and Behavior
Hello,
The first activity that I did was "Seeing more than you eye does". I had to stare at a cross mark and watch a dot disappear that was placed next to the mark. It disappeared as I got closer to my computer screen because of the hole in my photoreceptor sheet of the eye. The second activity I did was called "Contrast/Color Illusions". I had to look at a checkerboard and a Rubik's cube and decide wether the colors were the same in the shaded areas or different. I realized that the brain gives us an informed guess upon which color it actually is. The wavelengths and intensity of the light cause our brain to distinguish the color.
I learned that the brain is complicated and distinguishes everything from different perspectives. I was very surprised to know how the brain actually can affect the way you see a color or how our eyes actually have blind spots. I can apply what I learned into everyday life especially knowing that the color is always different depending upon the intensity of light and the wavelengths. If I ever buy a couch or another piece of furtniture I would have to apply the color illusions in order to determine the right one that would look best in my house. I would also use it in Art class when I am painting or coloring a picture in order to depict the right color.
Doing these activites doesn't really change the way I think about the world and what I see. I knew the brain was complicated and perceived what we see into thought. Several others may be affected but I believe that everything happens for a reason and you can't change it.
I learned from Chapter 2 that we spend about six years of our lives dreaming. Dreams are in the REM stage of our sleep. The story line of our dreams usually is about manifest content or incorporates the traces of previous days of experiences and preoccupations. I think dreams are very interesting and would like to know what some of my dreams mean. I also learned that the endocrine system is very beneficial to our existence. It releases hormones into the blood stream to target cell receptors. When hormones act on the brain they can influence our interest of sex, food, and emotions. We have several glands all over our body that have a certain mission. For example the pituitary gland regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands. I also learned that the recovery from brain damage depends on the age of the person as well as how bad the damage actually was.
I thought the video " The Man with Two Brains" was very cool and interesting. The tests they put him through were very informative. If we looked at those pictures we could of determined the right answer, but when the man does his left and right hemispheres of his brain tell him differently. Its interesting that because he had epileptic seizures and the doctors peformed surgery to disconnect the hemispheres from working together he still was able to function. He didn't even realize the differences of before and after. I enjoyed watching the video and would like to watch more of the series.
The first activity that I did was "Seeing more than you eye does". I had to stare at a cross mark and watch a dot disappear that was placed next to the mark. It disappeared as I got closer to my computer screen because of the hole in my photoreceptor sheet of the eye. The second activity I did was called "Contrast/Color Illusions". I had to look at a checkerboard and a Rubik's cube and decide wether the colors were the same in the shaded areas or different. I realized that the brain gives us an informed guess upon which color it actually is. The wavelengths and intensity of the light cause our brain to distinguish the color.
I learned that the brain is complicated and distinguishes everything from different perspectives. I was very surprised to know how the brain actually can affect the way you see a color or how our eyes actually have blind spots. I can apply what I learned into everyday life especially knowing that the color is always different depending upon the intensity of light and the wavelengths. If I ever buy a couch or another piece of furtniture I would have to apply the color illusions in order to determine the right one that would look best in my house. I would also use it in Art class when I am painting or coloring a picture in order to depict the right color.
Doing these activites doesn't really change the way I think about the world and what I see. I knew the brain was complicated and perceived what we see into thought. Several others may be affected but I believe that everything happens for a reason and you can't change it.
I learned from Chapter 2 that we spend about six years of our lives dreaming. Dreams are in the REM stage of our sleep. The story line of our dreams usually is about manifest content or incorporates the traces of previous days of experiences and preoccupations. I think dreams are very interesting and would like to know what some of my dreams mean. I also learned that the endocrine system is very beneficial to our existence. It releases hormones into the blood stream to target cell receptors. When hormones act on the brain they can influence our interest of sex, food, and emotions. We have several glands all over our body that have a certain mission. For example the pituitary gland regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands. I also learned that the recovery from brain damage depends on the age of the person as well as how bad the damage actually was.
I thought the video " The Man with Two Brains" was very cool and interesting. The tests they put him through were very informative. If we looked at those pictures we could of determined the right answer, but when the man does his left and right hemispheres of his brain tell him differently. Its interesting that because he had epileptic seizures and the doctors peformed surgery to disconnect the hemispheres from working together he still was able to function. He didn't even realize the differences of before and after. I enjoyed watching the video and would like to watch more of the series.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Blog Post #2 Thinking Critically
Hello,
Research is very important in our lives. The more we know and gather information the more we gain knowlege. With the information we recieve we can make decisions and future plans. Research is used by students, professors, businesses, parents, and many others. Research can help solve problems and increase our awareness. Research helps us make educated decisions.
A piece of research that is valuable to me right now is researching colleges. I plan to go on to school and getting some sort of medical degree. I have been researching the University of Wood and several other UW systems in order to find the best one for me. I have looked at their courses and what they offer for credits. I also took into consideration how far these universities were away from my home and if I could afford it. Research is a vital part of my life especially in the case of my future. A relevant article to me from psyblog.com was "Essentials of Group Psychology". This article explained how a group can influence everyone's decision making skills, creativity,and productivity. I believe this is true because I have experienced this. Groups can persuade and manipulate what you think because eventually it will have to come to a majority. It feels good when others think the same as you and are considered on "ur side".
Some other things I learned is that critical thinking helps us assess someone elses ideas and brings forth new questions to research on. It helps us further understand somethings that might be interesting or something we are not quite sure about. Another thing is that the Scientific Method is a vital tool used to explain and organize our observations and form educated decisions. From the Scientific Method we are able to experiment and gain confidence in the explanation. I also learned that our culture shapes our behavior. It influences our life because of the shared ideas and behaviors that were passed on from generation to generation. We have to be aware of our culture and others because it continues to grow. Overall research is very important and without it we would not be where we are today.
Research is very important in our lives. The more we know and gather information the more we gain knowlege. With the information we recieve we can make decisions and future plans. Research is used by students, professors, businesses, parents, and many others. Research can help solve problems and increase our awareness. Research helps us make educated decisions.
A piece of research that is valuable to me right now is researching colleges. I plan to go on to school and getting some sort of medical degree. I have been researching the University of Wood and several other UW systems in order to find the best one for me. I have looked at their courses and what they offer for credits. I also took into consideration how far these universities were away from my home and if I could afford it. Research is a vital part of my life especially in the case of my future. A relevant article to me from psyblog.com was "Essentials of Group Psychology". This article explained how a group can influence everyone's decision making skills, creativity,and productivity. I believe this is true because I have experienced this. Groups can persuade and manipulate what you think because eventually it will have to come to a majority. It feels good when others think the same as you and are considered on "ur side".
Some other things I learned is that critical thinking helps us assess someone elses ideas and brings forth new questions to research on. It helps us further understand somethings that might be interesting or something we are not quite sure about. Another thing is that the Scientific Method is a vital tool used to explain and organize our observations and form educated decisions. From the Scientific Method we are able to experiment and gain confidence in the explanation. I also learned that our culture shapes our behavior. It influences our life because of the shared ideas and behaviors that were passed on from generation to generation. We have to be aware of our culture and others because it continues to grow. Overall research is very important and without it we would not be where we are today.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Section 1
Hey
I think Psychology encompassed the studying of the mind and the human behavior. I realize now that I was very close to the actual definiton but it is more complicated than just that. Psychology affects my life because it is a part of me and everyone I am involved with. Psychology explains how I get through each and every day. I learned that Aristotle started researching about Psychology a long time ago, which I thought was interesting since it was over 2000 years ago. It was also interesting to see that Psychology is broken down into certain subfields for further research and explanations. I think so far Psychology is intriguing and I am interested in learning more.
I think Psychology encompassed the studying of the mind and the human behavior. I realize now that I was very close to the actual definiton but it is more complicated than just that. Psychology affects my life because it is a part of me and everyone I am involved with. Psychology explains how I get through each and every day. I learned that Aristotle started researching about Psychology a long time ago, which I thought was interesting since it was over 2000 years ago. It was also interesting to see that Psychology is broken down into certain subfields for further research and explanations. I think so far Psychology is intriguing and I am interested in learning more.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Introductory Post
Hello My name is Kaylee McGhee. I'm from Stratford High School and I am 17 years old. My dad always tells me that whatever you put your mind to you can do it and never say never. I try to stick to this as I go through life. Psychology is important because it involves everyone in this world today including the past and the future. I believe Psychology means the study of the mind, how each and everyone of us thinks and reacts.
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