Well, it's been quite a ride in Psych 1010. It really was a surprisingly demanding class, but Prof P warned us! I have really enjoyed it and I have learned so much, especially about what has changed in the last few years. In doing research for my project, I found out so much new information that scientists know about the brain and how it works as a correlate of our deepest states of consciousness. It's almost scary -- brain scans may actually be a useful tool as lie detectors now, since some research shows that fMRI's look different when a person lies as opposed to when s/he tells the truth (see http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=mri-study-shows-lying-bra). That's verging on the frightening.
I researched mystical/religious experiences and their non-traditional causes -- drugs, temporal lobe epilepsy, magnetic fields -- as well as the brain imaging data done concerning such experiences. That was an eye opener, and yet at the same time controversial... Does the brain produce the mind, or is the mind an immaterial thing instantiated by but independent from the brain? No amount of imaging will solve that dilemma, well-known in the philosophy of mind. That's one of my main interests, btw.
I'm interested in too many things. Why do we need to sleep, dammit? No one ever really explained that in the chapter on it, because no one really knows... We could get so much more done if we didn't have to sleep. LOL!
Anyhow, this is the last Psych 1010 post, but perhaps not my last post. I know I'm mostly talking to myself, but maybe that will change in the future.
Peace out! :)
Friday, February 25, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Week 11
Wow, the last week! I can't believe how much I've learned in such a relatively short amount of time. And doing the C&Rs and the research for my project, which has involved learning a lot about neurobiology and being amazed at the huge advances in the last ~15 years in imaging techniques -- all that has really piqued my interest that much more. I would love to be able to go into research in this field.
I was going to write a paper for the final project, but I decided to do a powerpoint instead. I hope that was the right decision -- I have trouble expressing myself succinctly at times, and I definitely overdo even when I know it's more than required. The powerpoint is good from that perspective, since it is forcing me to be clear and precise with the information. The drawback is that I feel motivated to explain every point in detail, and you can't really do that with a powerpoint. But, we'll see how it works out.
The chapter on abnormal psych and the next on therapies did yield a few surprises for me. I already knew some of the information, but I had no idea about a few things. For instance, I didn't know that traditional psychoanalysis involved such an intensive and prolonged amount of time. And I already knew there was controversy about personality disorders, but I was surprised to see the low validity and reliability when it comes to using them as diagnoses.
One of the things that really interests me is autism. I have a HFA (high-functioning autistic, a.k.a. Asperger's Syndrome) relative. I am following with great interest the new findings (not in the text) on a possible new drug to mitigate the social difficulties associated with ASD. That would be fantastic for everyone affected. Of course getting this particular person in my family to take any sort of drug is another story -- he is one extremely stubborn adult. But hopefully it can help others, especially children, and can be used in intensive early intervention.
I'm still doing the 16 hour days, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. And I'm hoping it's not the proverbial oncoming train! LOL. I have really enjoyed blogging here, though I don't know who's read it -- except you, Prof. P... :) I forsee more psychology in my future -- especially since I'm taking abnormal ppsych this upcoming quarter. (Even though it doesn't tranfer to UNO -- grr.) So, cheers!
I was going to write a paper for the final project, but I decided to do a powerpoint instead. I hope that was the right decision -- I have trouble expressing myself succinctly at times, and I definitely overdo even when I know it's more than required. The powerpoint is good from that perspective, since it is forcing me to be clear and precise with the information. The drawback is that I feel motivated to explain every point in detail, and you can't really do that with a powerpoint. But, we'll see how it works out.
The chapter on abnormal psych and the next on therapies did yield a few surprises for me. I already knew some of the information, but I had no idea about a few things. For instance, I didn't know that traditional psychoanalysis involved such an intensive and prolonged amount of time. And I already knew there was controversy about personality disorders, but I was surprised to see the low validity and reliability when it comes to using them as diagnoses.
One of the things that really interests me is autism. I have a HFA (high-functioning autistic, a.k.a. Asperger's Syndrome) relative. I am following with great interest the new findings (not in the text) on a possible new drug to mitigate the social difficulties associated with ASD. That would be fantastic for everyone affected. Of course getting this particular person in my family to take any sort of drug is another story -- he is one extremely stubborn adult. But hopefully it can help others, especially children, and can be used in intensive early intervention.
I'm still doing the 16 hour days, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. And I'm hoping it's not the proverbial oncoming train! LOL. I have really enjoyed blogging here, though I don't know who's read it -- except you, Prof. P... :) I forsee more psychology in my future -- especially since I'm taking abnormal ppsych this upcoming quarter. (Even though it doesn't tranfer to UNO -- grr.) So, cheers!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Week 10
There are times when the quarter system is just so stressful compared to the semester system. I'm not sure why MCC uses the quarter system. For most classes, it's impossible to attend half-time! Two classes that are 4.5 hours each = three classes that are 3 semester hours each = 3/4 time. And I have to maintain half time or else the underwear gnomes will steal me away in the middle of the night. (<-- gratuitous South Park reference)
So, as everyone is always complaining about, I'm nuts. I'm so stressed at trying to get it all done. The chapter on stress did nothing but depress me. I am trying my best to learn to handle stress as well as I can, but I think a hardy personality is at least partially something you're just born with. The rest of us have to work hard to de-stress -- and paradoxically, that's a stressor! Being told you're coping poorly and it's negatively affecting your health only makes you worry more if you're already coping poorly. Talk about a vicious cycle.
Anyway, personality. And Freud, this extremely influential thinker of the 20th century. I know he contributed an amazing amount to psychology, but I just can't get over his obsession with sex. I find that just offensive and disturbing. Really. Even he said "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar," didn't he? And I find it highly implausible that binge eating disorder is the result of, say, not being breast-fed. Urk. Also, as the text notes on p453, he's been criticized for being sexist and focusing on male development only -- as I understand it, the Electra Complex was almost an afterthought. And on that subject, would gay and lesbian children still develop inappropriate feelings for their opposite sex parent, or would it be the same sex parent?
I 'm really glad that other psychologists de-emphasized the sexual aspect of the whole thing.
I like the trait approach quite a bit, even though it is not explanatory, simply because it tells us what we and others are like so that we know how to deal with others best. It's very useful for learning more about how we deal with the world and with others, and how others deal with the world and with us. I think this helps a lot when it comes to learning how to make the most of our lives and navigate interactions with others. Myers-Briggs personality inventory is mentioned, and I know it's used widely in institutions settings. I like that a lot because a person's type tells me something about their basic reactions and a little bit about their lifestyle. And I'm an INFP, which means nothing to you if you don't know what it means, but to me was an awesome way to further my understanding of myself and the world.
I know the book mentions humanistic theories like Maslow and Rogers as being perhaps overly optomistic, but I would really like to think people work this way. If only more people would behave with unconditional positive regard when we need it! Most people could always benefit from a little more love. :) Kids really, really need more of it and often have a tough time getting it from their parents. At least that's been my observation.
Just for the record, the Rorschach inkblot on page 470? I saw two people, two moose, and a frog. What does that mean?
So, this week: me = crazygonuts, psychology = totally cool and interesting as always, religion class = getting neglected, time = growing sort. Deep breaths. Heh.
So, as everyone is always complaining about, I'm nuts. I'm so stressed at trying to get it all done. The chapter on stress did nothing but depress me. I am trying my best to learn to handle stress as well as I can, but I think a hardy personality is at least partially something you're just born with. The rest of us have to work hard to de-stress -- and paradoxically, that's a stressor! Being told you're coping poorly and it's negatively affecting your health only makes you worry more if you're already coping poorly. Talk about a vicious cycle.
Anyway, personality. And Freud, this extremely influential thinker of the 20th century. I know he contributed an amazing amount to psychology, but I just can't get over his obsession with sex. I find that just offensive and disturbing. Really. Even he said "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar," didn't he? And I find it highly implausible that binge eating disorder is the result of, say, not being breast-fed. Urk. Also, as the text notes on p453, he's been criticized for being sexist and focusing on male development only -- as I understand it, the Electra Complex was almost an afterthought. And on that subject, would gay and lesbian children still develop inappropriate feelings for their opposite sex parent, or would it be the same sex parent?
I 'm really glad that other psychologists de-emphasized the sexual aspect of the whole thing.
I like the trait approach quite a bit, even though it is not explanatory, simply because it tells us what we and others are like so that we know how to deal with others best. It's very useful for learning more about how we deal with the world and with others, and how others deal with the world and with us. I think this helps a lot when it comes to learning how to make the most of our lives and navigate interactions with others. Myers-Briggs personality inventory is mentioned, and I know it's used widely in institutions settings. I like that a lot because a person's type tells me something about their basic reactions and a little bit about their lifestyle. And I'm an INFP, which means nothing to you if you don't know what it means, but to me was an awesome way to further my understanding of myself and the world.
I know the book mentions humanistic theories like Maslow and Rogers as being perhaps overly optomistic, but I would really like to think people work this way. If only more people would behave with unconditional positive regard when we need it! Most people could always benefit from a little more love. :) Kids really, really need more of it and often have a tough time getting it from their parents. At least that's been my observation.
Just for the record, the Rorschach inkblot on page 470? I saw two people, two moose, and a frog. What does that mean?
So, this week: me = crazygonuts, psychology = totally cool and interesting as always, religion class = getting neglected, time = growing sort. Deep breaths. Heh.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Week 9
Angel is down, so here I am blogging and actually not late! HA! I'll get this done since I can't take the quiz right now, which is what I'd really like to be doing.
Sooo, chapters 10 and 11. I am really finding the discussion of labels and prejudice on Angel interesting! I love the concept of the "fundamental attribution error" and the textbook's relation of it to how we view celebrities. When I was a teenager I was a rabid fan of certain celebrities because I loved the characters they played. Now I can tell the difference, and boy, some celebrities are nothing like their characters. It's the characters I like and empathize with when I watch a show -- not the actors behind them. I just don't know the actors! I think many people forget that.
I have also felt stereotype threat in my life. I worked hard to get rid of my southern accent because I know that southerners are perceived as dumb, slow, racist rednecks. I am none of those!! Now I wish I hadn't done that... I like my roots and have very warm associations with my grandmother, and so on. (I do wish the south was not racist, but that's another post.)
I really hate labels. They don't even begin to capture the entirety of a person -- and often they don't fit. I wrote in my discussion post that I could fit many different stereotypes and labels, depending upon what activity I was involved in. And sometimes they contradict each other, which is really entertaining to me when I watch someone else try to figure me out so they can put me in a neat little box. Heh.
And, Chapter 10 talks about the Milgram experiments again. Those disturb me, mostly because all the participants were presumably just average people. It makes me wonder what anyone, including me, is really capable of if we feel pressured by an authority figure. That's frightening, because I would like to think that I would refuse to continue at a certain point and walk out. I think now I would have the strength to refuse, but when I was younger, I would have been much more likely to feel that I had to do what I was told -- I used to be really afraid of authority figures, though I've overcome that since I became an authority figure myself in my work. But, I guess no one ever really knows what they'll do until they're confronted with it.
And Chapter 11 and STRESSSSS!!!!!!! I always feel a lot of stress -- I'm pretty high strung. If I don't have a lot of external stressors, I have plenty of internal ones. :-/ I love the fact that even positive events like marriage and vacation can be stressors -- I guess we get stressed at any change. Holmes & Rahe's Social Readjustment Scale says I'm in a moderate life crisis -- geez, when am I not? Things are always changing around here. Guess I'd better meditate more and remember to take my vitamins. :P
I've written enough... time to go see if Angel is back up!
Sooo, chapters 10 and 11. I am really finding the discussion of labels and prejudice on Angel interesting! I love the concept of the "fundamental attribution error" and the textbook's relation of it to how we view celebrities. When I was a teenager I was a rabid fan of certain celebrities because I loved the characters they played. Now I can tell the difference, and boy, some celebrities are nothing like their characters. It's the characters I like and empathize with when I watch a show -- not the actors behind them. I just don't know the actors! I think many people forget that.
I have also felt stereotype threat in my life. I worked hard to get rid of my southern accent because I know that southerners are perceived as dumb, slow, racist rednecks. I am none of those!! Now I wish I hadn't done that... I like my roots and have very warm associations with my grandmother, and so on. (I do wish the south was not racist, but that's another post.)
I really hate labels. They don't even begin to capture the entirety of a person -- and often they don't fit. I wrote in my discussion post that I could fit many different stereotypes and labels, depending upon what activity I was involved in. And sometimes they contradict each other, which is really entertaining to me when I watch someone else try to figure me out so they can put me in a neat little box. Heh.
And, Chapter 10 talks about the Milgram experiments again. Those disturb me, mostly because all the participants were presumably just average people. It makes me wonder what anyone, including me, is really capable of if we feel pressured by an authority figure. That's frightening, because I would like to think that I would refuse to continue at a certain point and walk out. I think now I would have the strength to refuse, but when I was younger, I would have been much more likely to feel that I had to do what I was told -- I used to be really afraid of authority figures, though I've overcome that since I became an authority figure myself in my work. But, I guess no one ever really knows what they'll do until they're confronted with it.
And Chapter 11 and STRESSSSS!!!!!!! I always feel a lot of stress -- I'm pretty high strung. If I don't have a lot of external stressors, I have plenty of internal ones. :-/ I love the fact that even positive events like marriage and vacation can be stressors -- I guess we get stressed at any change. Holmes & Rahe's Social Readjustment Scale says I'm in a moderate life crisis -- geez, when am I not? Things are always changing around here. Guess I'd better meditate more and remember to take my vitamins. :P
I've written enough... time to go see if Angel is back up!
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Week 8
Week 8 post behind, like everything else. But I'm going to get this done if it kills me. And it just might. At least my head is clear right now. Better than yesterday -- so sleep deprived I got an awful headache and lost most of the day. And I also had to drive to Lincoln to pick up my baby kitteh from vet. Poor sweetheart -- she's been spayed and now must wear the Cone of Shame because she keeps trying to pull her stitches out. She is very, very unhappy.
I did learn a lot of things I didn't know in Chapter 9. I remember years ago when a friend of mine with a Ph.D. in child psychology was tickled pink over seeing the stages of development she'd studied so intensely happening in her own child. She showed me what she meant when she was feeding her daughter in the high chair and put a napkin over a cookie to see if the baby would look for it or not -- object permanence!
I like what the textbook has to say about Piaget possibly underestimating when infants acquire object permanence, since it is a precursor necessary for symbolic thinking and language. I talked very early, according to my mother, and she loves to tell stories about it. I had a pretty large vocabulary by 6-9 months, according to my baby book. I think that's nifty... of course, I was also a "difficult infant," as the text describes it. I needed a lot of attention and mom says I never slept like an infant is supposed to.
Popped out talking and haven't shut up since! Hah!
I did learn a lot of things I didn't know in Chapter 9. I remember years ago when a friend of mine with a Ph.D. in child psychology was tickled pink over seeing the stages of development she'd studied so intensely happening in her own child. She showed me what she meant when she was feeding her daughter in the high chair and put a napkin over a cookie to see if the baby would look for it or not -- object permanence!
I like what the textbook has to say about Piaget possibly underestimating when infants acquire object permanence, since it is a precursor necessary for symbolic thinking and language. I talked very early, according to my mother, and she loves to tell stories about it. I had a pretty large vocabulary by 6-9 months, according to my baby book. I think that's nifty... of course, I was also a "difficult infant," as the text describes it. I needed a lot of attention and mom says I never slept like an infant is supposed to.
Popped out talking and haven't shut up since! Hah!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Week 7
Wow, it seems to me like Chapter 8 skimmed over quite a bit of information without really getting indepth into anything. From eating all the way to sex and love... I think a lot more could have been said, but I know this is just an introduction, soooo...
And Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, too. I found it interesting that the authors of our book pointed to Bono as a person striving for self-actualization. I'm not so sure what I think about that! I used to be a huge U2 fan back in my adolescent idealistic phase, but now he comes across to me as just a little... well, pretentious.
Mother Theresa is a better example, but the text fails to mention the book Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light, published in 2007, that is a compilation of her letters to spiritual confidants and reveals a truly spiritually tormented person who had lost her faith and apparently never got it back. She called her smile a "mask" and even doubted God's existence. She never felt his presence.
That's sad, and I'm not sure what it means that she continued to do such great works. She said in these letters that she feared she was a hypocrite for extolling faith and God while holding on to what some have called such intense "spiritual darkness."
It's so strange to find such sharp cognitive dissonance that she seems to have just "learned to live with." I wonder about what she actually thought about her work -- it clearly was work for the good, and she helped so many people, but did she do so out of what she thought was some "noble lie?"
I find the psychology of religion really interesting, and I'm looking at neurology and religious experience for my final project.
If anyone's interested in knowing more, you can find articles on it like this one: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1655415,00.html.
And Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, too. I found it interesting that the authors of our book pointed to Bono as a person striving for self-actualization. I'm not so sure what I think about that! I used to be a huge U2 fan back in my adolescent idealistic phase, but now he comes across to me as just a little... well, pretentious.
Mother Theresa is a better example, but the text fails to mention the book Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light, published in 2007, that is a compilation of her letters to spiritual confidants and reveals a truly spiritually tormented person who had lost her faith and apparently never got it back. She called her smile a "mask" and even doubted God's existence. She never felt his presence.
That's sad, and I'm not sure what it means that she continued to do such great works. She said in these letters that she feared she was a hypocrite for extolling faith and God while holding on to what some have called such intense "spiritual darkness."
It's so strange to find such sharp cognitive dissonance that she seems to have just "learned to live with." I wonder about what she actually thought about her work -- it clearly was work for the good, and she helped so many people, but did she do so out of what she thought was some "noble lie?"
I find the psychology of religion really interesting, and I'm looking at neurology and religious experience for my final project.
If anyone's interested in knowing more, you can find articles on it like this one: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1655415,00.html.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Week 6
Well, what a coincidence that we've been talking about memory, since I appear to be suffering from "CRS" these days. I know we're technically on week 7 now, but I'm not there yet. And I FORGOT to do Module 4's C&R!!! How does that happen?
Actually, I know exactly how that happens. Too much to do and too little executive functioning. :P
One thing I've found particuarly interesting is the part about encoding specificity. The textbook mentioned the experiment done by Godden & Baddeley (1975) about divers learning lists of words while underwater and being able to recall more of them while underwater than while on the dock.
This explains something I've known about me, and probably other people, for a while. I grew up in Georgia but now that I'm an adult I have worked hard to make my accent the typical neutral Midwestern. However, whenever I talk about my childhood, I apparently lapse back into a thick Southern twang. Thing is, I usually don't notice. The people around me, however, find it really amusing, say it really is thick, and (DH especially) just love to point it out.
If I encoded these events in my memory during the same time I and everyone around me were speaking with a certain accent, then that's a really good explanation. Wow -- as Stan or Kyle would say, "You know, I learned something today!" :)
Actually, I know exactly how that happens. Too much to do and too little executive functioning. :P
One thing I've found particuarly interesting is the part about encoding specificity. The textbook mentioned the experiment done by Godden & Baddeley (1975) about divers learning lists of words while underwater and being able to recall more of them while underwater than while on the dock.
This explains something I've known about me, and probably other people, for a while. I grew up in Georgia but now that I'm an adult I have worked hard to make my accent the typical neutral Midwestern. However, whenever I talk about my childhood, I apparently lapse back into a thick Southern twang. Thing is, I usually don't notice. The people around me, however, find it really amusing, say it really is thick, and (DH especially) just love to point it out.
If I encoded these events in my memory during the same time I and everyone around me were speaking with a certain accent, then that's a really good explanation. Wow -- as Stan or Kyle would say, "You know, I learned something today!" :)
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