Blog Post #13

The results of these studies are very interesting. I thought that they were also very beneficial in learning how we some people act in certain situations. Asch's conformity study shows that we want to be accepted among our peers. Even though we don't agree with our peers sometimes, we often go with them because we don't want to be different than the group. Milgram's obedience experiment shows that we comply under pressure. When the person involved in the experiment was told they had to give the other a shock because they agreed to the experiment that often complied and shocked them. They even shocked them if the other person was screaming like they were in pain. The Stanford Prison experiment also showed stunning results. When people were givin a role to perform they became overly obessed with it. The college students that were guards became near obsessed with the experiment. They treated the prisoners horribly. The prisoners had to deal with the torture and wrong doing they were put through. Even though it was all fake it became to realistic and the experiment had to be stopped early. All these experiments were very important to psychology.
Social influence means that our surrounding influence us. Who we hang out with and what we do when we are hanging out influences our behavior. My friends influence me in nearly everything I do. Who you hang out with affects your mood and your actions through the rest of your life. I remember one time at halftime of a game, we were losing and because I was considered a leader of the team I gave a speech to get the team going. I don't know how I thought of what to say. It just came out. Because I knew that I was considered a leader I knew I had to do something to get us going. The words just came out.
The most interesting thing that I learned in this class was about all the psychological disorders. I found learning about all their side effects very interesting. I never actually knew what most of the disorders was but now I do. I never actually knew that schizophrenic people heard all those different voices in their head. It was very interesting to learn. Thanks for teaching us all this different psychology stuff. It was very interesting.

Blog Post #12

Not all psychological problems are psychological disorders. A psychological disorder is an ongoing pattern of thoughts, feelings, and actions that are deviant, distressful, and/or dysfunctional (p 594). Sometimes people don't act normal for periods of time. This doesn't necessarily mean that they have a psychological disorder. They may be under stress or just worn out from work, school, etc. A person has a psychological disorder when their mental attitudes cause others or themselves harm or distress. Many people with psychological disorders are unaware of their actions. Their brains don't register the actions as bad actions.
Since I can't really think of anyone close to me having a psychological disorder, then I guess I'll describe depression and its symptoms. Depression is one of the most common psychological disorders in the world. Many people suffer from it when they experience either lots of stress or a traumatic event. They feel like they just can't handle the situation or control it. They are always sad and gloomy. Their lives just put their emotions down. Even though depression makes people feel sad and gloomy, there is some good to it. Depression causes people to take a good look at their lives. They reassess their lives and focus their energy on getting better. I think life with this disorder would suck. I hate feeling sad and bummed. I can't imagine feeling that way for say a month or longer. I think if I was suffereing from depression I would go to my friends and family for help. I believe that they could help me and try to get me back on my feet. If they can't help me then I guess the doctor is my option. There are many treatment options that can get you back on your feet and help you out.
One of the most interesting things I learned in this chapter was about schizophrenia. I had heard people call someone else "schizo" before, kinda just joking around, but I never actually knew what it was. Schizophrenic people have like another person living in their minds. They hear voices and may be delusional. Many also have hallucinations and hear voices in their minds. These voices are like another person that may take control of them. They often can't control all their actions. I guess I think it is very interesting because I have heard about it but never actually knew what it was. I think it would be interesting to study people with this disorder and try to understand what it is like for them. I never realized how common it actually is.

Blog Post #11

I believe I have a pretty good personality. Some of my personality traits that are positive are that I am generally a happy person. I try to make the best out of the bad. Also I am a fun person. I like to have fun and laugh. Another postitive trait of mine is that I feel I am funny. I can make people laugh if they aren't feelin the best and crack jokes with friends. I'm also a very friendly person. I try to be friends with most people that I meet unless I just can't stand them. One other postivive personality trait of mine is that I like to get things done. When I start something I am usually pretty determined to get it done, and get it done right. I don't like to put things off until the last minute. Along with my positive traits, I do have some negative traits. Sometimes I am to sarcastic. Others can get upset with me because I am joking around. Another not so positive trait of mine is that I can be very stubborn. If I don't want to do something, then I'm not gonna do it. Friends and family can try to convince me but I usually won't give in. One other trait that can be negative is that for some reason I like to make small things organized and balanced. Whenever I am messing around with even simple things I try to put them into a pattern or organize them. I'm not quite sure why I do it but I just do and sometimes it can be annoying.

For the most part I think I am optimistic. I try to make the best out of things and always think it can be done. One example of where I am optimistic is in football. Even if we were losing by two touchdowns and everyone was giving up, I still felt we could get back into the game and at least make it close. My optimism drove my determination and I never wanted to give up. Even though I am generally optimistic, I also see the reality in things. A lot of people are optimistic in sports and think they can do things that are in reality not very likely. I like to be realistic about it. For instance, I know that the chances of playing in the NFL are slim to none. I'm not gonna pick a college that is very big and possibly make the team in hopes of playing in the pros. I am picking a college that is going to give me a good education, even if their football program isn't very good. I guess if totally optimistic were a 10 and totally pesimistic a 1 I would be about a 7.

My traits change with the situation I am in. If I were in the middle of a huge assignment that was due the next day I would be less funny and joking and more serious and determined. I might be a little more grumpy if bothered because I would just want to get the assignment done, then I could have fun. Another time that my personality traits change is when I either am playing football or wrestling. I become less of a nice guy and a lot of the times I just feel pissed off at the world. The change just happens with the sport. It's the adrenaline rush and the attitude that helps you play. In a football game, if you are just a nice guy that doesn't want to hit and tackle anyone then you are gonna get embarassed. The other team will just run all over you and not respect you. As a defensive lineman I just wanna beat the guy across from me every play. It makes them give up in their mind. They know they can't stop you and pretty soon it gets easier and easier to beat them. It works both ways. If you are being a softy then they know they can beat you and eventually you break down. You give up and they just keep going after you.

Everyone uses defense mechanisms. One example of a defense mechanism that I have used is repression. Repression is when you banish anxiety-arousing wishes from consciousness. One of my grandmothers had a stroke when I was younger. It was a rough time for me because I didn't know why my grandmother was acting strange. Now that I am a little older I just can't remember my grandmother in her stroke state. I can't rember what I felt when I visited her or anything. Another defense mechanism that I remember using is regression. When you regress you retreat to an earlier, more infantile stage of development. Once when I was I think somewhere around the age of 7, I slipped on the ice and cracked my chin open. I cried and went to my mom for comfort. I clung to her knowing that she would try to make me feel better. One other defense mechanism that I have used is displacement. I diverted my agression toward an object that wasn't living and wouldn't feel anything. I remember I was younger and mad at something. I think I was mad at my sister and knew not to hit her. Instead I went to my room and hit a pillow. You can punch a pillow all you want and it's not going to get hurt or be mad at you. It was just a way of relieving my aggression and going back to normal.

Blog Post #10

One thing I found very interesting in the chapter was the section on animal thinking and language. We often don't think that animals are very smart, but they are smarter than we think they are. Apes and chimps have showed the ability to solve problems and to think ahead for the future. Chimpanzees even develop local customs unique to their own group. This is similar to humans' cultural diversity. Scientists have trained apes to use sign language to communicate. Some apes know over 180 signs. They can communicate how they feel and what they want with their trainers that speak sign language. Not only do they communicate with trainers but they can communicate with anyone who knows sign language. I found this amazing. I think it would be really cool to go and talk with some apes and hang out with them for a day. Not only could you help to teach them, but think of all the things they could teach you. They learn how to use different objects as tools to get what they want.
Creativity is the ability to produce novel and valuable ideas. I feel as if I am pretty creative. In my opinion I have each of the five components of creativity. My knowledge is well developed and I am in a somewhat creative environment. Anyone that hangs out with me knows I have a pretty good imagination. I'm always thinking of different ideas. I usually don't actually go through with the ideas but they are good ideas at the time. I am always thinking of fun and creative things to do. I also have a venturesome personality. If there is a good chance that I will survive then ill try it. If you don't believe that I'll do something, just ask a friend that has gone swimming at my pond. Two friends and I built a giant water slide that shoots you into the pond. Yes it has had issues that need to be fixed but overall your risk of injury is probably like 5%. I also have intrinsic motivation. I am drivin to get things done that are interesting. If I have something boring to do I get it done first and fast so I have more time for interesting things. I guess ya the only part of that I don't have is the money part. I like money and ya say are two jobs, one that is interesting and one that pays $100, I am going with the $100. I guess having creative intelligence can be a pretty good asset. You seem to have more fun when you come up with fun, new things to do.
The section that I found most interesting in Chapter 10 was the section on Sternberg's three intelligences. I agree with the idea that there are multiple intelligences. Most of us already know that there are different types of intelligence. In today's world most people call these common sense smart and book smart. Most of us know someone that is really smart when it comes to school, but in everyday situations they seem well stupid. Its the same with kids that are really smart common sense wise, but when it comes to school they struggle. Some people are both book smart and common sense smart. I like the idea in the book about including common sense questions on the SAT and other college tests. Not everyone is book smart and not everyone is common sense smart. This would balance out the test so it is for everyone.

Blog Post #9

Memory is very important in defining who we are as individuals. Our memories and experiences are what shape us to be who we are. If we didn't have memory nothing would matter because we wouldn't be able to remember it. If someone called you a bad name you would just forget it. We wouldn't be able to be students because how would we learn. We wouldn't be able to remember how to do anything. Clive is pretty much just a person that I don't know stands around. He can't remember anything happening. As soon as things enter his minds they just fade to nothing. He doesn't remember if anyone came to visit him or what he did a half hour ago. I can not even imagine being his wife. He remembers that she is his wife but since his memory loss incident he doesn't remember anything else. Clive couldn't even remember his own daughters name. How can anyone deal with that. I mean sure he loves her and strongly loves her but still how can she deal with that. She can visit him 30 times a day in his room and every time it will seem like the first time to him. When she talks to him about his diary he gets upset that she keeps mentioning it because he can not remember writing any of it. I have no idea how I would handle my spouse if they were like Clive. I honestly don't think I could do it. After seeing this video I am very grateful that I have the ability to remember things. If I couldn't I don't know what I would do. Well I wouldn't be able to remember but ya how can anyone deal with that.
After learning about memory in this section of the book and with the various videos, I wonder how accurate my memory actually is. Are all my memories of my young age correct, or are they influenced by stories I have heard about them. I still trust my own memories because what else am I going to trust. I can't trust other people's memories when they may not have experienced it like I did. When I think about it, how much of my memories am I sure are accurate. Look at the case of Ronald Cotton. Jennifer was absolutely positive it was him, but in the end it wasn't. When she saw the real criminal and Cotton next to each other she still thought it was Ronald Cotton. It puzzles me how much our memories can be affected by outside stimuli. One of the memory exercises I did was the penny exercise. When all those pennies popped up they all looked like they coudl be the right one. I thought about it in my mind and when I picked the one I thought was correct, I was wrong. My memory wasn't 100% accurate. Even though it wasn't accurate I still trust it. What would I do if I had no memory. You just have to trust the one you have.
An important concept I read about in this section is on improving memory. Improving your memory is imporant because then you can remember more things. This would fix the problem of not trusting your memory. If you make it better so you can remember more and remember it more accurately then you won't have to worry about not trusting it. There are a variety of ways to improve your memory and most are very easy to do. These can be applied to my real life because if I had enough ambition to actually try and improve my memory then I could have a good memory. Unfortunately I feel that my memory is fine for now and I don't think I will be doing any of the memory exercises.

Blog Post #8

Classical conditioning is a type of learning in which one learns to link two or more stimuli and anticipate events. An example of this is when a cat hears a can opener and they come running for their food. The sound of the can opener is associated with opening a can of food so they think they are going to get fed. Operant conditioning is a type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher. An example of this is when a puppy sits they get a treat but when they pee in the house they get yelled at and put outside. The difference between the two is through classical conditioning an organism associates different stimuli that it does not control and responds automatically to those stimuli, while through operant conditioning an organism associates its operant behaviors (those that act on its environment to produce rewarding or punishing stimuli) with their consequences. Both these learning techniques are interesting because of the way the deal with our minds. With classical conditioning, once we are trained to react a certain way we just do it automatically without thinking about it. Some animals can be trained to do weird things just by hearing a bell or seeing a light. Operant conditioning deals a lot with our lives. Our parents use operant conditiong when we are younger to teach us what is right and wrong. When we would do good things we would get praise and bad things let to some sort of punishment. We also use operant conditioning when we train pets to pee outside and not to bite.
Positive reinforcement is a type of reinforcer that strengthens a response by presenting a typically pleasureable stimulus after a response. An example of this is when you are training your puppy to sit, you give him a treat when he sits. The puppy then thinks that if he/she sits then they will get a treat so next time you say sit they sit. Eventually you don't give them as many treats but they continue to sit when told. Negative reinforcement is a reinforcer that strengthens a response by reducing or removing something undesirable or unpleasant. An example of this in my life is when I get into my car. If I don't buckle my seat belt my car starts to beep. It's very annoying so I buckle up to make it shut off. Now when I get into my vehicle I automatically buckle up because I don't even want to hear my seatbelt beeper thing. Punishment is just the opposite of a reinforcement. A punisher is any consequence that decreases the frequency of a preceding behavior. An example of a punisher is an electric fence. When an enclosed animal touches the fence, it gives them a shock and they learn not to touch the fence again. It can also work with young kids. Most of us as kids probably have touched an electric fence. For most of us the shock was enough to teach us not to touch it. Some of us still touched it even though it shocked us but it is supposed to teach both animals and people not to touch it.
The most interesting thing of this chapter for me was learning about observational learning. Not only do humans learn through observation but so do animals. Monkeys will copy other monkeys that get rewarded, even if by copying they get nothing. I also found it interesting that little kids will give their dolls spankings after seeing their parents give them or their siblings spankings. Also I liked how the book explained our mirror neurons. I always thought it was interesting how when we see something that looks painful we somehow feel a sense of pain ourselves, even though nothing is being done to us. I find it interesting how our minds cause us to feel these sensations.

Blog Post #7

Sensation is the process by which our sensory receptors and nervouse system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment. It is what we see, hear, touch, smell, and taste. Perception is how we organize those senses. It allows us to recognize meaningful objects and events. Perception is how we perceive things as good or bad. If we sense a stove as hot our perception perceives it as something we shouldn't touch.
The most interesting thing I learned in chapter 6 was about pain, specifically the section on controlling pain. Pain is both physical and psychological and is treated physically and psychologically. I found it interesting how in some experiments, people with pain were given fake drugs and they felt better. The fake drug caused the brain to dispense real pain-killing chemicals. I always hear stories about people just blocking out pain and I always found it interesting. There are some people out there that have a huge pain threshold. I personally knew a guy that had his jaw broken, doctors wired it shut, and two days later he cut the wires off himself with a wire cutter. It is almost like he feels no pain at all. I finally understand that either he must be really good at just blocking the pain out or he is just crazy.
The article I read was called "Seven Ways Music Influences Mood." The article talked about how music can be connected to and influence our emotions. Music appeals to our senses and can influence our mood greatly. I agree with many of the things mentioned in the article. Music can either calm me down or get me pumped up for a game. I think music applies to all of our lives. We all listen to music and we all have experienced how it can affect our mood. Many of us listen to music when we work out to get us going and pumped up. Others listen to it when we are alone to help us relax and stay calm.