I read the article that was entitled "What? Me Biased?". This article explained how the majority of people are subconciously biased, whether they conciously believe so or not. After reading the article, which explained how when tested, most people appeared subconciously racist towards Barack Obama, I could not believe it. Nevertheless, I decided I should engage in the linked activities that calculate one's level of bias. These "quizes" i took were called IATs. Although there were many options, I first chose the weight one, and then the race one. After completely a series of questions and caterogizing words and pictures as fast as I could, my first result explained how I prefer thin people over heavy people, and my second, white people over black people. Although I really dont feel like I am prejudice against either group of people, I feel like my results might reflect the people I am more exposed to.
Another thing I learned about while reading this chapter was that the more derived one is from sleep, the greater their chance is to become overweight. This was always a conflicting idea to me. I understand that while one is asleep, they obviously cannot eat. On the flip side, one burns very few calories while sleeping, so if they are awake and active, they would be burning more calories.
What suprised me the most about this section was that although only 1 out of 10 males' dreams and 1 out of 30 females' had sexual overtones, Freud believed that these sexual dreams are not nearly as erotic as we think.
I highly agree that many of those that use drugs are often influenced by others. I feel as if the majority of drug users do it for status more than anything. This explains why many kids do it with their friends, or do it at a social event like a party, and also explains why many people quit when they start surrounding themselves with friends or family that are drug free.
After reviewing the chapter for a second time, I cannot find anything it contains that I truely disagree with. All of the information is very factual and statistical, and I cannot argue with that. Although some of the statistics seem a little bit exaggerated, I believe I feel this way because of where I live, both geographically and culturally, and also the people I surround myself with. When considering the entire nation, these stats seem much more realistic to my knowledge.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Post #3...
The first game I played was titled "The Prisoners' Dilemma". In this game, the player acted as if they were locked up with another player. Both players had to decided to either "compete" or "cooperate" without knowing what the other player would choose. If both players decided to cooperate, they are both rewarded 3 gold coins. If both players decided to compete, they are both rewarded one gold coin. If one decided to compete, and the other to cooperate, the player who decided to compete recieves 5 gold coins, and the other, none.
I learned that sometimes, the best payout for one person, increases the payout for the other as well. I also learned that there is no single "best" strategy. To maximize one's payout depends on the strategy of the partner.
This suprised me because while playing I thought I developed a strategy. I always chose to "compete" because that way, every time my competitor chose to cooperate, I would gain 5 coins on him/her, and everytime my competitor chose to compete, he would not gain on me.
This can be applied to everyday life because it proves you can not pridict the choice of another player, and there is no particular strategy that is best.
The second activity I chose was "Ambiguous Figures". This activity simply consisted of looking at ambiguous figures, as the title suggests. Ambiguous figures are perspective images that can induce two or more perceptions.
I learned that ALL imputs to the brain are ambiguous, just some more than others. This seems obvious, but it something not often thought about. The brain has the ability to interpret things several different ways. This is what suprised me most.
This can be applied to everyday life because it is a simply explanation to a disagreement between people with contrasting opinions. People simply percieve things differently.
One thing I learned in this chapter was plasticity. I was aware that when part of the brain was damaged, such as one of the senses-like sight, another part of the brain becomes stronger to make up for the loss. I was not aware though, that that part of the brain is not then wasted space. The part that was damaged repairs itself to make up for the loss. For example, if a person becomes blind, the visual cortex will now be used to read, sense, and comprehend Braille.
Another thing I learned was about the potential to regulate a human's brain if something is irregular. If somebody has a severe anger and/or aggression problem, we have tried treating the disorder with therapy and self-control. In the future, we could regulate this problem surgically. The amyglada, which influences aggression and fear, could be removed or repaired to a better, more stable state.
The Man with Two Brains is a fascinating story. As I read about it in my book, it really grabbed my attention. It was slightly difficult to comprehend, because it is so far fetched. It's hard to believe a man could not only survive the procedure, but lead a normal life. I'm sure it takes a lot of therapy and practice to become comfortable with having different thoughts and actions, without knowing why they correlate, but it's very inspirational to know such thing can be done.
I learned that sometimes, the best payout for one person, increases the payout for the other as well. I also learned that there is no single "best" strategy. To maximize one's payout depends on the strategy of the partner.
This suprised me because while playing I thought I developed a strategy. I always chose to "compete" because that way, every time my competitor chose to cooperate, I would gain 5 coins on him/her, and everytime my competitor chose to compete, he would not gain on me.
This can be applied to everyday life because it proves you can not pridict the choice of another player, and there is no particular strategy that is best.
The second activity I chose was "Ambiguous Figures". This activity simply consisted of looking at ambiguous figures, as the title suggests. Ambiguous figures are perspective images that can induce two or more perceptions.
I learned that ALL imputs to the brain are ambiguous, just some more than others. This seems obvious, but it something not often thought about. The brain has the ability to interpret things several different ways. This is what suprised me most.
This can be applied to everyday life because it is a simply explanation to a disagreement between people with contrasting opinions. People simply percieve things differently.
One thing I learned in this chapter was plasticity. I was aware that when part of the brain was damaged, such as one of the senses-like sight, another part of the brain becomes stronger to make up for the loss. I was not aware though, that that part of the brain is not then wasted space. The part that was damaged repairs itself to make up for the loss. For example, if a person becomes blind, the visual cortex will now be used to read, sense, and comprehend Braille.
Another thing I learned was about the potential to regulate a human's brain if something is irregular. If somebody has a severe anger and/or aggression problem, we have tried treating the disorder with therapy and self-control. In the future, we could regulate this problem surgically. The amyglada, which influences aggression and fear, could be removed or repaired to a better, more stable state.
The Man with Two Brains is a fascinating story. As I read about it in my book, it really grabbed my attention. It was slightly difficult to comprehend, because it is so far fetched. It's hard to believe a man could not only survive the procedure, but lead a normal life. I'm sure it takes a lot of therapy and practice to become comfortable with having different thoughts and actions, without knowing why they correlate, but it's very inspirational to know such thing can be done.
Monday, September 21, 2009
2..Thinking Critically With Psychological Science...
Research is important regardless of the subject matter. When speaking of psychology, research is specifically important because the human race is constantly making new breakthoughs in order to further understand the human mind. Keeping current with one's research allows us to be as knowledgable as possible when studying the information.
An example of research I discovered on Psyblog was entitled "How Long to Form a Habit?". This piece of research is extremely relevent to my life right now, and I am actually happy I stumbled upon it. The researchers recruited participants that wanted to form a new, healthy habit. The goal was to discover, on average, how long it took for the participants to engage in these simple daily activities (such as eating a piece of fruit at lunch or going on a 15 minute run) before the formed the habit. I'm sure this relates to many lives but I really feel a correlation with mine. I put myself on a very strict diet last winter/spring. At first it was difficult, but it then became a habit. I trained myself to eat minimum amounts of healthy food, and anything more physically made me sick. Over the summer, I slowly started eating larger quantities and worse qualites. I am now struggling to make eating healthy a habit again, and although I know I can do it, the habit is hard to sink into again..and I cannot help to wonder how long it will take me this time!
One thing I have learned is that when one claims they knew the answer to a specific question "all the long", there is a specific, scientific explanation for it. After learning about hindsight bias, it seems obvious.
Another thing I was suprised by was how much science is involved with psychology. I have always understood psychology to be a course of social studies or humanities. After reading the few chapters, I can definitely comprehend why science and psychology complement eachother so greatly. I have learned about the scientific method in countless classes, and I was suprised to see it explained, yet again, in my psychology book.
Another thing that I learned was how drastic the difference was between correlation and causation. I understand the difference, but after reading the chapter and reviewing the video, I now understand how important it is to understand how they differ.
An example of research I discovered on Psyblog was entitled "How Long to Form a Habit?". This piece of research is extremely relevent to my life right now, and I am actually happy I stumbled upon it. The researchers recruited participants that wanted to form a new, healthy habit. The goal was to discover, on average, how long it took for the participants to engage in these simple daily activities (such as eating a piece of fruit at lunch or going on a 15 minute run) before the formed the habit. I'm sure this relates to many lives but I really feel a correlation with mine. I put myself on a very strict diet last winter/spring. At first it was difficult, but it then became a habit. I trained myself to eat minimum amounts of healthy food, and anything more physically made me sick. Over the summer, I slowly started eating larger quantities and worse qualites. I am now struggling to make eating healthy a habit again, and although I know I can do it, the habit is hard to sink into again..and I cannot help to wonder how long it will take me this time!
One thing I have learned is that when one claims they knew the answer to a specific question "all the long", there is a specific, scientific explanation for it. After learning about hindsight bias, it seems obvious.
Another thing I was suprised by was how much science is involved with psychology. I have always understood psychology to be a course of social studies or humanities. After reading the few chapters, I can definitely comprehend why science and psychology complement eachother so greatly. I have learned about the scientific method in countless classes, and I was suprised to see it explained, yet again, in my psychology book.
Another thing that I learned was how drastic the difference was between correlation and causation. I understand the difference, but after reading the chapter and reviewing the video, I now understand how important it is to understand how they differ.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
1...Thinking Critically With Psychological Science
Before I started this class, I felt as if I had a pretty decent understanding of what psychology was, regardless of never having studied it. It has always been of interest to me, so I grasped the different elements quite easily. When many people think of psychology, they think of "shrinks". I know there is a lot more to it than that. Aside from the counseling end of things, I knew that psychology is used to conduct studies to determine how people interact with not only others, but within themselves. Although I have lacked important details and correct definitions until now, I understand that psychology includes, but is not limited to, mental diseases, relationships, dreams, determination, personality, interactions, goals, perception, intelligence, emotions, and therapy.
Psychology affects my life drastically. Not only I, but many of my friends and family have experienced the effects of mental and emotional disesases and the help of counseling. Also, psychology affects me just for the mere fact that I am a part of this world. I strongly believe that a better understanding of psychology will solve a lot of the world's issues today. I think if everybody has a better understanding and acceptance of how the mind works and what drives others to act they way they do, the world would be a much more peaceful place.
I found it very intriguing that the book admitted how silly and obvious some of most breakthrough thoughts or ideas are. Since psychology is a realitively new subject and course of study for many individuals, a lot of the breakthroughs that have made seem exceptionally obvious. I am so interested in this, I cannot wait to learn more about what psychologists today are discovering. With the vast amount of tools, resources, technology, and interest, the advances today must be phenomonal.
I also find "Perceiving Order in Random Events" facinating. From little on, we were all taught that if we received a good hand in cards, or got lucky playing a game, it was rare. The truth is, we were taught wrong the entire time. Sure, its special to get a certain hand of cards, but what many fail to realize is that it is just as likely as any other hand. It feels special to us because we are watching for order in the random data. It is amazing how confusing it can be to understand such a simple concept, just because the correct concept is not what we were originally taught to understand.
**I would like to mention that some of the things I mention in my blogs may seem personal, but I feel willing to open up merely because it is how I relate my information, and I feel that when I use my own experiences and/or opinions, I can express more knowledgable answers to the questions given. Thanks for reading, and thanks for understanding.**
Psychology affects my life drastically. Not only I, but many of my friends and family have experienced the effects of mental and emotional disesases and the help of counseling. Also, psychology affects me just for the mere fact that I am a part of this world. I strongly believe that a better understanding of psychology will solve a lot of the world's issues today. I think if everybody has a better understanding and acceptance of how the mind works and what drives others to act they way they do, the world would be a much more peaceful place.
I found it very intriguing that the book admitted how silly and obvious some of most breakthrough thoughts or ideas are. Since psychology is a realitively new subject and course of study for many individuals, a lot of the breakthroughs that have made seem exceptionally obvious. I am so interested in this, I cannot wait to learn more about what psychologists today are discovering. With the vast amount of tools, resources, technology, and interest, the advances today must be phenomonal.
I also find "Perceiving Order in Random Events" facinating. From little on, we were all taught that if we received a good hand in cards, or got lucky playing a game, it was rare. The truth is, we were taught wrong the entire time. Sure, its special to get a certain hand of cards, but what many fail to realize is that it is just as likely as any other hand. It feels special to us because we are watching for order in the random data. It is amazing how confusing it can be to understand such a simple concept, just because the correct concept is not what we were originally taught to understand.
**I would like to mention that some of the things I mention in my blogs may seem personal, but I feel willing to open up merely because it is how I relate my information, and I feel that when I use my own experiences and/or opinions, I can express more knowledgable answers to the questions given. Thanks for reading, and thanks for understanding.**
Sunday, September 13, 2009
introducing myself...
Hellooooo, Intro to Psychology! I am Tiffany Marie Kafka. I am currently 17 years old and attend Stratford High School, and man, I CANNOT wait to get out! Although I'm counting down the days until graduation, I am glad to have spent my entire education (thus far) in such a great school district and an even better town.
Many things have shaped me as a person, and I truely believe I am still finding myself. The process is a constant struggle, trial and error. Those people closest to oneself definitely hold the largest impact on one's life, regardless of who you are. I am no exception. My friends and family have really shaped me as a person. In my early years, my parents and nanny had the biggest impact on me. Now that I am older, I am finding that I am becoming more and more impacted by my older brother and friends.
Other than those around me, I have been extremely impacted by the things I have experienced. Whether they be positive or negative, with each and every experience, I somehow gained a new outlook on life.
I think studying psychology is EXTREMELY important. Without a strong understanding of our own race, how can we manage to advance in anything? The world needs to understand eachother in order to progress, regardless of the differences that separate us.
From what I have previously learned, psychology is the study of the mind. Psychology focuses on the way the mind works, and what makes each mind work differently. It also focuses on relationships, personalities, beliefs, goals, priorities, etc.
Many things have shaped me as a person, and I truely believe I am still finding myself. The process is a constant struggle, trial and error. Those people closest to oneself definitely hold the largest impact on one's life, regardless of who you are. I am no exception. My friends and family have really shaped me as a person. In my early years, my parents and nanny had the biggest impact on me. Now that I am older, I am finding that I am becoming more and more impacted by my older brother and friends.
Other than those around me, I have been extremely impacted by the things I have experienced. Whether they be positive or negative, with each and every experience, I somehow gained a new outlook on life.
I think studying psychology is EXTREMELY important. Without a strong understanding of our own race, how can we manage to advance in anything? The world needs to understand eachother in order to progress, regardless of the differences that separate us.
From what I have previously learned, psychology is the study of the mind. Psychology focuses on the way the mind works, and what makes each mind work differently. It also focuses on relationships, personalities, beliefs, goals, priorities, etc.
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