I read an older Psyblog about how weather affects people's moods. I found this article to be interesting because previous to reading this article I thought that the weather did affect people's attitudes. To put it plainly; I was wrong.
The article states that through a number of studies that were performed the weather has a very small impact on people's moods. The studies focused on both good weather and bad weather and found that people on average were just as likely to be upset on a good weathered day than on a dreary one. In fact, the study showed that weather has such a minute impact on our attitudes that it really cannot be considered a factor. With that being said, the weather does have an effect on negativity. If a person is already being negative and the weather is dreary or nasty outside than they are more likely going to think more negatively. (The article did cite however that the majority of us have very indoor lives; so this may have had an effect on the study itself.) Overall, weather does not have a significant impact on a person's mood.
The article also briefly discussed Seasonal Affective Disorder also known as SAD. This disorder causes certain individuals to get depressed during the seasons. The seasons can vary from person to person. Typically when you think of this disorder it is associated that winter= sad and summer = happiness (this is not the case for everyone). This disorder is not caused by the weather but by the seasons and therefore does not fall into the data previously stated above. The vast majority of people do not suffer from this condition.
I liked this article. While I find the results of the studies to be accurate; I wish the participants would have spent more time outdoors to see if the weather (or the time spent outside) truly had a factor on a person's mood. I also liked the point in the article stating that bad weather has the ability to increase a person negative thinking (this happens to me during the winter).
Please, let me know what your opinions are on whether weather affects people's moods or is it just a coincidence.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Chapter Six- Sensation and Perception
In this chapter I learned about thresholds, color vision, and how we form perceptions. I will admit that I did not find this chapter as interesting compared to some of our previous chapters.
Absolute thresholds are the minimum stimulation needed to defect a particular stimulus 50 percent of the time. These thresholds are illustrated through faint stimuli seeing things from a distance such as a light tower or feeling a bug land on us. Absolute thresholds help us to detect particular sounds, pressures, lights, taste and odors. Our absolute thresholds vary with age. This means that as we age we might be less sensitive to a smell or sound than we were at a younger age.
Color vision is what helps us to define a red tomato or green grass. However, these objects really are not those colors. What I am referring to is that all objects have pigments and it is through reflected light that we are able to see those pigments. So for a tomato the light reflects the color red and for most grass the light reflects the color green. Colors can be created through combining waves of light which consist of three primary colors: red, blue, and green. This is where the Young-Helmholtz trichromatic theory comes in, which implies that the cones in our eyes work in groups of three. The retina has three color receptors which is sensitive to a color. This theory makes sense because the retina receptors are red, green, and blue. This means that we are more sensitive to red, green, and blue things. Color deficient people lack red and green cones(which when combined are sensitive to yellow) have problems seeing certain reflected colors. One out of fifty people are "color blind"(color blind is the incorrect terminology for this situation) or color deficient. (These people are usually male and this trait is usually genetically linked through gender.)
Form perception is another thing I learned in this chapter. This section talked about figure-ground and grouping principles. Figure ground is the organization of the visual fields into objects that stand out from their surroundings. Examples of this would include; face detection, recognizing voices, and or other objects. Grouping is the perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups. This allows us to organize our figure-ground data and put it into groups. The principles that follow this idea are: Proximity, Similarity, Continuity, Connectedness, and Closure. Proximity refers to figures being together or near one another. Similarity is where we take similar or like objects and group them together. Continuity is where we perceive smooth, continuous patterns. Connectedness is where items are grouped together because they are uniform and linked. Closure is where we piece everything together and create a whole object. (See figures on page 265 in our text book for specific examples.)
Absolute thresholds are the minimum stimulation needed to defect a particular stimulus 50 percent of the time. These thresholds are illustrated through faint stimuli seeing things from a distance such as a light tower or feeling a bug land on us. Absolute thresholds help us to detect particular sounds, pressures, lights, taste and odors. Our absolute thresholds vary with age. This means that as we age we might be less sensitive to a smell or sound than we were at a younger age.
Color vision is what helps us to define a red tomato or green grass. However, these objects really are not those colors. What I am referring to is that all objects have pigments and it is through reflected light that we are able to see those pigments. So for a tomato the light reflects the color red and for most grass the light reflects the color green. Colors can be created through combining waves of light which consist of three primary colors: red, blue, and green. This is where the Young-Helmholtz trichromatic theory comes in, which implies that the cones in our eyes work in groups of three. The retina has three color receptors which is sensitive to a color. This theory makes sense because the retina receptors are red, green, and blue. This means that we are more sensitive to red, green, and blue things. Color deficient people lack red and green cones(which when combined are sensitive to yellow) have problems seeing certain reflected colors. One out of fifty people are "color blind"(color blind is the incorrect terminology for this situation) or color deficient. (These people are usually male and this trait is usually genetically linked through gender.)
Form perception is another thing I learned in this chapter. This section talked about figure-ground and grouping principles. Figure ground is the organization of the visual fields into objects that stand out from their surroundings. Examples of this would include; face detection, recognizing voices, and or other objects. Grouping is the perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups. This allows us to organize our figure-ground data and put it into groups. The principles that follow this idea are: Proximity, Similarity, Continuity, Connectedness, and Closure. Proximity refers to figures being together or near one another. Similarity is where we take similar or like objects and group them together. Continuity is where we perceive smooth, continuous patterns. Connectedness is where items are grouped together because they are uniform and linked. Closure is where we piece everything together and create a whole object. (See figures on page 265 in our text book for specific examples.)
Illusions
These are some of the optical illusions that I enjoyed looking at for this assignment:
~Contrast Constancy
~Spiral Aftereffect
~Muller-Lyer Illusion
~Munker-White Illusion
~Pyramid Illusion
~Scintillating Illusion
~Hermann Grid, Curving
~Lilac Chaser
These illusions were very interesting. I never realized how many tricks our eyes play on us until I was going through the illusions for this assignment. I learned that our perceptions may not always be what we might think. For example, in one of the illusions there was picture of a girl sitting in a chair looking out at the night sky. In the sky was the image of a moon. The moon was drawn bigger because that is how we perceive the moon being; however, in actuality the moon was a third or half the size drawn.
I think what surprised me the most when looking at these optical illusions was the vastness or variety of optical illusions. A specific optical illusion that surprised me was the optical illusion called Muller-Lyer Illusion. In this illusion there was a line with a line segment. The goal was to affix the line segment in the center of the line. Well, obviously my perception of the center was completely off from the exact center of the line. So when I clicked ruler I could plainly see that my mark was off by at least an inch.
I don't know if these illusions have really changed my perception of the world; however, it does make think whether or not I am seeing the full picture.
I believe that these experiences affect my everyday life through encouraging me to think more. For example, are those two objects really the same length, are they different colors or are they the same but the shadow makes them look different, or is that really center or in the center? I think these questions will certainly be present more often than they would have been if I had not seen the optical illusions.
~Contrast Constancy
~Spiral Aftereffect
~Muller-Lyer Illusion
~Munker-White Illusion
~Pyramid Illusion
~Scintillating Illusion
~Hermann Grid, Curving
~Lilac Chaser
These illusions were very interesting. I never realized how many tricks our eyes play on us until I was going through the illusions for this assignment. I learned that our perceptions may not always be what we might think. For example, in one of the illusions there was picture of a girl sitting in a chair looking out at the night sky. In the sky was the image of a moon. The moon was drawn bigger because that is how we perceive the moon being; however, in actuality the moon was a third or half the size drawn.
I think what surprised me the most when looking at these optical illusions was the vastness or variety of optical illusions. A specific optical illusion that surprised me was the optical illusion called Muller-Lyer Illusion. In this illusion there was a line with a line segment. The goal was to affix the line segment in the center of the line. Well, obviously my perception of the center was completely off from the exact center of the line. So when I clicked ruler I could plainly see that my mark was off by at least an inch.
I don't know if these illusions have really changed my perception of the world; however, it does make think whether or not I am seeing the full picture.
I believe that these experiences affect my everyday life through encouraging me to think more. For example, are those two objects really the same length, are they different colors or are they the same but the shadow makes them look different, or is that really center or in the center? I think these questions will certainly be present more often than they would have been if I had not seen the optical illusions.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Chapter Five- Developing Through the Life Span
This chapter covered development from prenatal to adulthood and parenting styles. Three things I learned in this chapter are the parenting styles, social identity, and intelligence. I also found the information on autism and dementia interesting because I know people personally who have struggled with them.
The parenting styles I found interesting because I had always thought that parenting styles were unique and different. However, the majority of parenting styles can be split up into three categories; authoritarian, permissive, and authoritative. Authoritarian parenting puts a strong emphasis on strict obedience and leaves no room for interpretation. These types of parents require everything they ask to be completed and right the first time. Permissive parents are the exact opposite. They are more laid back and the children are pretty much in control of the entire situation. The parents will grant their every desires and make very few demands. The last parenting style authoritative is a hybrid of the last two parenting styles. This style combines structure with discussion. The boundaries are set, enforced, rules are explained with reasoning, and everything is open to discussion. This last type of parenting style is the one my parent's use.
I also learned about social identity in this chapter. I found this topic to be interesting because we as individuals tend to base our sense of self around group membership. For example several people adopt their clothing style to match of particular group in an effort to be associated with the group or feel apart of it. (goth, geek, preps, jocks) In addition to clothing we often wonder why we exist, or wish that we were somebody else because we perceive them to be. Several adolecenants are content with their identity while others ponder the previous ideals. Some factors of our social identity include; thoughts and feelings, appearance, and relationships with friends and family. This section made me wonder whether I am really content with the person I am or if I am still searching for my purpose in life (why do I exist).
The parenting styles I found interesting because I had always thought that parenting styles were unique and different. However, the majority of parenting styles can be split up into three categories; authoritarian, permissive, and authoritative. Authoritarian parenting puts a strong emphasis on strict obedience and leaves no room for interpretation. These types of parents require everything they ask to be completed and right the first time. Permissive parents are the exact opposite. They are more laid back and the children are pretty much in control of the entire situation. The parents will grant their every desires and make very few demands. The last parenting style authoritative is a hybrid of the last two parenting styles. This style combines structure with discussion. The boundaries are set, enforced, rules are explained with reasoning, and everything is open to discussion. This last type of parenting style is the one my parent's use.
I also learned about social identity in this chapter. I found this topic to be interesting because we as individuals tend to base our sense of self around group membership. For example several people adopt their clothing style to match of particular group in an effort to be associated with the group or feel apart of it. (goth, geek, preps, jocks) In addition to clothing we often wonder why we exist, or wish that we were somebody else because we perceive them to be. Several adolecenants are content with their identity while others ponder the previous ideals. Some factors of our social identity include; thoughts and feelings, appearance, and relationships with friends and family. This section made me wonder whether I am really content with the person I am or if I am still searching for my purpose in life (why do I exist).
How to Avoid Procrastination: Think Concrete
I found this article on Psyblog about Procrastination. I thought this article was so fitting since lately, I have been struggling with this particular problem. I have never really had this problem before until this year. So I thought I would read and blog about this article in case anyone else is currently struggling with this dilemma as well.
The article talks about the history of procrastination and how it has been around since the time of the industrial revolution. The article also mentions that while some people procrastinate once in awhile; there are others that have "chronic procrastination". You may be wondering how big is the scope of this problem. Well, for starters approximately 50 percent of college students have cited their procrastination habits to problematic. This is not just a problem for college students, approximately 15-20 percent of adults also identify themselves as having problematic or chronic procrastination.
Now that we have identified the problem: procrastination, let's look at the ways to help avoid or solve the problem psychologically. The article cites a study that was performed to see how much procrastination was affected by how we construe it. The study looked at two aspects; abstract (imaginary, fanatical) construal and concrete (realistic) construal. In the study participants are split up into two groups. Each group looks at painting involving pointilism. One group sees the full painting and told it was neo-impressionism (example of abstract construal). The group sees a section of the painting; seeing the techinque of pointilism (example of concrete construal). Both groups are then told to fill out a questionaire. The answers on the questionaire are irrelevant, because the purpose is to see how long the participants take in completing the questionaire. The results showed that participants were more likely to return their questionaire in sooner when it was a concrete construal example verses that of an abstract construal.
Now that we know what types of things in life cause procrastination how do we avoid them. Here are some tips the article gives. First of all use self-imposed deadlines and focus on details. Second stick to a task, once it has been started, while still keeping the abstract goal in mind. Third evaluate your progress on hard tasks, and stay focused even if the chance or likely hood of failure is high. Finally, once you have focused and the end of the task is in sight, it makes it easier to focus again on the "psychological choice to choose".
Some simplier ways I found to somewhat cope with my procrasination; is to make to-do lists, use a planner to keep dates straight, and to avoid all possible distractions. I would like to know if anyone else has any tips with how they cope with their procrasination (if they have a problem that is).
The article talks about the history of procrastination and how it has been around since the time of the industrial revolution. The article also mentions that while some people procrastinate once in awhile; there are others that have "chronic procrastination". You may be wondering how big is the scope of this problem. Well, for starters approximately 50 percent of college students have cited their procrastination habits to problematic. This is not just a problem for college students, approximately 15-20 percent of adults also identify themselves as having problematic or chronic procrastination.
Now that we have identified the problem: procrastination, let's look at the ways to help avoid or solve the problem psychologically. The article cites a study that was performed to see how much procrastination was affected by how we construe it. The study looked at two aspects; abstract (imaginary, fanatical) construal and concrete (realistic) construal. In the study participants are split up into two groups. Each group looks at painting involving pointilism. One group sees the full painting and told it was neo-impressionism (example of abstract construal). The group sees a section of the painting; seeing the techinque of pointilism (example of concrete construal). Both groups are then told to fill out a questionaire. The answers on the questionaire are irrelevant, because the purpose is to see how long the participants take in completing the questionaire. The results showed that participants were more likely to return their questionaire in sooner when it was a concrete construal example verses that of an abstract construal.
Now that we know what types of things in life cause procrastination how do we avoid them. Here are some tips the article gives. First of all use self-imposed deadlines and focus on details. Second stick to a task, once it has been started, while still keeping the abstract goal in mind. Third evaluate your progress on hard tasks, and stay focused even if the chance or likely hood of failure is high. Finally, once you have focused and the end of the task is in sight, it makes it easier to focus again on the "psychological choice to choose".
Some simplier ways I found to somewhat cope with my procrasination; is to make to-do lists, use a planner to keep dates straight, and to avoid all possible distractions. I would like to know if anyone else has any tips with how they cope with their procrasination (if they have a problem that is).
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Leaders Emerge by Talking First and Most Often
I found this article on Psyblog about explaining what we as individuals perceive as "leaders" and how they usually emerge. The question, or main point, was what is it about these individuals that set them apart from the others in the group; which in turn gives them the privilege of being the leader (head of the group)?
Two studies were performed to test that theory. The first of the two studies observed how "dominant" individuals were perceived by their peers (in the group). The findings showed that being seen as both competent and an equal is very important. If a person is competent, but not seen as an equal with their peers within the group; they will not obtain a leadership role. Also, study found that there is a huge gap between actual competence or qualifications and what others perceive or tend to think. In the second study they focused on problems with competition. This was done through video-taping participants behaviors within the groups. The observations proved that those individuals that were dominant and outspoken were more often than not seen as being competent. This was true when they would make suggestions to the group and behaviors. So, those who spoke most often and first were usually considered competent. In essence, this study shows that those who make a greater verbal contribution usually are viewed as the leaders within a particular group. (This is because others within the group tend to think that those who speak the most will lead them to success.)
In spite of what these two studies show, the article goes on to state, that in reality world leaders and CEO's of corporations tend to have those positions more due to money and power; instead of outspokenness and perceived competence. The studies, however, apply more too informal everyday life situations verses prestigious leadership positions.
While I thought this article had several good points; I found myself differing in opinion on a few things. I consider myself to be somewhat of a leader. I hold various officer positions at school and I don't think that I obtained any of them by being the loudest or by constantly talking. I personally believe that I was elected to those positions; because of my credentials, hard work, and dedication. I would be interested in hearing what you think about this article, along with whether the people you know get informal leadership roles by being outspoken or if they truly deserved them.
Two studies were performed to test that theory. The first of the two studies observed how "dominant" individuals were perceived by their peers (in the group). The findings showed that being seen as both competent and an equal is very important. If a person is competent, but not seen as an equal with their peers within the group; they will not obtain a leadership role. Also, study found that there is a huge gap between actual competence or qualifications and what others perceive or tend to think. In the second study they focused on problems with competition. This was done through video-taping participants behaviors within the groups. The observations proved that those individuals that were dominant and outspoken were more often than not seen as being competent. This was true when they would make suggestions to the group and behaviors. So, those who spoke most often and first were usually considered competent. In essence, this study shows that those who make a greater verbal contribution usually are viewed as the leaders within a particular group. (This is because others within the group tend to think that those who speak the most will lead them to success.)
In spite of what these two studies show, the article goes on to state, that in reality world leaders and CEO's of corporations tend to have those positions more due to money and power; instead of outspokenness and perceived competence. The studies, however, apply more too informal everyday life situations verses prestigious leadership positions.
While I thought this article had several good points; I found myself differing in opinion on a few things. I consider myself to be somewhat of a leader. I hold various officer positions at school and I don't think that I obtained any of them by being the loudest or by constantly talking. I personally believe that I was elected to those positions; because of my credentials, hard work, and dedication. I would be interested in hearing what you think about this article, along with whether the people you know get informal leadership roles by being outspoken or if they truly deserved them.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Chapter Four - Nature, Nurture, and Human Diversity
This chapter was very in depth and I learned so much. I think the three things that have stuck with me the most throughout reading the chapter and working on the assignments are: information on twin studies, nature verses nurture, and genetic environmental influences. The majority of the information in this chapter I had never heard of before or just never really paid that much attention to before now.
Twin studies I found to be intriguing. I had always assumed that twins that looked exactly alike were identical and the twins that looked different were fraternal. However, I was wrong. Although it is true that identical twins usually look alike; fraternal twins can as well. I also learned that identical twins usually have mirror traits. For example in a pair of identical twins; it would not be unlikely for one to be right handed and the other to be left handed. I also found it interesting how people who had been raised as fraternal twins later found out that they were indeed identical and that their bond strengthened based off that information alone. The one thing that I didn't understand is how this correlates to those of us who are not twins, or do not have siblings? I understand that some of this information can transfer especially on the genetics end of things. The studies that I read lean more towards the idea that our genetics are more influential than our environment. (which probably is true) I also wondered if twins have the mirrored qualities what about identical triplets or other multiples? Overall I enjoyed learning about this stuff.
Nature verses nurture fascinates me. I knew that our genes had accounted for our looks and some of our traits but I had no idea to what extent. When working on the activity about this; at times I found myself going back and forth as to whether or not I truly felt that nature played a bigger role or nurture -our parents. I read several articles that claim both have an influence or an affect on your behaviors, traits, and overall self. (they are inter-related) I liked this section of the chapter because it made me think about the influences in my life and what extent comes from my genes and from the influences in my environment. (basically heritability) This would tie in with the genetic environmental influences. I read in an article that they did a study on whether poverty, illiterate parents or mental retardation affected a child's IQ. They found that while it didn't directly affect; that it did have some affect on a child and consequently lower IQ scores. So in that case I guess the environmental factors affected the children more than the genes.
Twin studies I found to be intriguing. I had always assumed that twins that looked exactly alike were identical and the twins that looked different were fraternal. However, I was wrong. Although it is true that identical twins usually look alike; fraternal twins can as well. I also learned that identical twins usually have mirror traits. For example in a pair of identical twins; it would not be unlikely for one to be right handed and the other to be left handed. I also found it interesting how people who had been raised as fraternal twins later found out that they were indeed identical and that their bond strengthened based off that information alone. The one thing that I didn't understand is how this correlates to those of us who are not twins, or do not have siblings? I understand that some of this information can transfer especially on the genetics end of things. The studies that I read lean more towards the idea that our genetics are more influential than our environment. (which probably is true) I also wondered if twins have the mirrored qualities what about identical triplets or other multiples? Overall I enjoyed learning about this stuff.
Nature verses nurture fascinates me. I knew that our genes had accounted for our looks and some of our traits but I had no idea to what extent. When working on the activity about this; at times I found myself going back and forth as to whether or not I truly felt that nature played a bigger role or nurture -our parents. I read several articles that claim both have an influence or an affect on your behaviors, traits, and overall self. (they are inter-related) I liked this section of the chapter because it made me think about the influences in my life and what extent comes from my genes and from the influences in my environment. (basically heritability) This would tie in with the genetic environmental influences. I read in an article that they did a study on whether poverty, illiterate parents or mental retardation affected a child's IQ. They found that while it didn't directly affect; that it did have some affect on a child and consequently lower IQ scores. So in that case I guess the environmental factors affected the children more than the genes.
Live Happy with New iPhone Application
I came across this article on the Psyblog website mixed in with older posts. It caught my attention when I saw the words live happy and iphone. The article talks about how happiness is influenced by three factors: genes, our circumstances or situations, and our actions/reactions we choose everyday. The first two factors cannot be changed. I mean you can try to avoid certain circumstances or situations but you will always have circumstances in your life. (genes obviously cannot be changed .... unless there is some scientific method to do that which I am unaware of) The only factor that can be changed is the third. You can change how you act/react towards situations.
There has been recent psychological research done that proves certain or particular types of activities can increase a person's happiness levels. The happiness levels can be improved for long and short periods of time. However, it may be a struggle to continue or keep up the activities that make a person happy. So here is where the iphone and ipod touch comes in. Signal Patterns, in conjunction with Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky, have created an application for your iphone and ipod touch called Live Happy which uses positive research to help brighten people's days. The application allows people to set goals, evaluate them, and keep track of them; directly express gratitude; keep a gratitude journal; reminisce back to happy days, picture yourself at your best or the best you can be; remember acts of kindness; and it also has questions that you can ask Dr. Lyubomirsky.
I think this is an interesting way to use technology. I would never have thought that by downloading an application or acting on some of the simple things listed above would improve a person's level of happiness.
There has been recent psychological research done that proves certain or particular types of activities can increase a person's happiness levels. The happiness levels can be improved for long and short periods of time. However, it may be a struggle to continue or keep up the activities that make a person happy. So here is where the iphone and ipod touch comes in. Signal Patterns, in conjunction with Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky, have created an application for your iphone and ipod touch called Live Happy which uses positive research to help brighten people's days. The application allows people to set goals, evaluate them, and keep track of them; directly express gratitude; keep a gratitude journal; reminisce back to happy days, picture yourself at your best or the best you can be; remember acts of kindness; and it also has questions that you can ask Dr. Lyubomirsky.
I think this is an interesting way to use technology. I would never have thought that by downloading an application or acting on some of the simple things listed above would improve a person's level of happiness.
How Rewards Can Backfire and Reduce Motivation
I read this article on psyblog about how rewards can sometimes backfire or reduce motivation. Two people from the University of Michigan did a study with 51 preschoolers between the ages of 4 and 3. These ages were chosen because this is usually the age where parents are most likely to bribe their child to get them to do a desired task.
The preschoolers were divided into three groups: 1)expected a certificate for drawing, 2)surprised with a reward which was a certificate for drawing, and 3) no reward. For this study to be successful it was imperative that the children like to draw. The students were told to draw for six minutes and then depending on what group they were in received a reward or not. Over the next few days they observed the children through one way mirrors to see if they would have the motivation to draw on their own and if the promised reward would be an incentive to draw, or would they neglect drawing all together.
The study showed that approximately 5% of the children in group one had the motivation to draw. So promised rewards might not be very motivating. Approximately 15% of the students from group three that did not receive a reward took the initiative to draw. Surprisingly 20% of the students from group two were more motivated to draw with a surprise reward. According to the article the same results were true in a different study with smokers trying to quit.
The article goes on to discuss what happens when you add another variable into the situation. The variable they are talking about is money. The article explains that often when we use rewards we give them out for people who have completed a hard, painful, or even somewhat tedious task. An example of this would be work ... even though we need money to pay for food, clothing, shelter, and other necessities in order to survive. What the article is referring to is when you pay people to do something that they enjoy they tend to lose interest for it because subconsciously or psychologically we tend to associate rewards for accomplishing tedious, painful, or hard things. I found it interesting because I personally have never associated rewards in that sense before.
The preschoolers were divided into three groups: 1)expected a certificate for drawing, 2)surprised with a reward which was a certificate for drawing, and 3) no reward. For this study to be successful it was imperative that the children like to draw. The students were told to draw for six minutes and then depending on what group they were in received a reward or not. Over the next few days they observed the children through one way mirrors to see if they would have the motivation to draw on their own and if the promised reward would be an incentive to draw, or would they neglect drawing all together.
The study showed that approximately 5% of the children in group one had the motivation to draw. So promised rewards might not be very motivating. Approximately 15% of the students from group three that did not receive a reward took the initiative to draw. Surprisingly 20% of the students from group two were more motivated to draw with a surprise reward. According to the article the same results were true in a different study with smokers trying to quit.
The article goes on to discuss what happens when you add another variable into the situation. The variable they are talking about is money. The article explains that often when we use rewards we give them out for people who have completed a hard, painful, or even somewhat tedious task. An example of this would be work ... even though we need money to pay for food, clothing, shelter, and other necessities in order to survive. What the article is referring to is when you pay people to do something that they enjoy they tend to lose interest for it because subconsciously or psychologically we tend to associate rewards for accomplishing tedious, painful, or hard things. I found it interesting because I personally have never associated rewards in that sense before.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Current Event # 2
Since our current events are supposed to coincide with the chapter. For this week I am going to talk about one of the dreams that I have off and on for about a year and half.
Something you should know before I tell you about this dream is that I am deathly afraid of heights.
In my dream I am wondering through a forest which I have never seen before and I come upon a tiny bridge that is quite a distance up without any railings on it. It is a nice day out but the area where this bridge is located in a heavily dense forest with a pond underneath it. At first when I approach the bridge I contemplate on whether I should cross it or turn around. I always choose to cross the bridge. As I am crossing the bridge I notice that I can see my reflection in the water below and stop to peer at myself. In doing so, I get too close, lose my balance and start free falling head first towards the water below. Just before impact however the water turns into sharp, jagged rocks. I have no idea how the dream ends; whether I die or survive the treacherous fall. I usually wake up screaming, kicking, and on some occasions I have fallen off my bed. When I fall back to sleep I dream about something else.
My friend took this class last year and received a packet of things that are common to appear in dreams and tried to interpret or translate my dream for me. This resulted in her saying that I am at a crossroads in my life and near an early death. I don't think there is a lot of merit to this dream; however the ironic thing is that since this dream has started I have had two surgeries. Obviously this is a coincidence, but I would like to know if anyone thinks that our dreams tell us something or if they are just affected by things that happen throughout our day?
Something you should know before I tell you about this dream is that I am deathly afraid of heights.
In my dream I am wondering through a forest which I have never seen before and I come upon a tiny bridge that is quite a distance up without any railings on it. It is a nice day out but the area where this bridge is located in a heavily dense forest with a pond underneath it. At first when I approach the bridge I contemplate on whether I should cross it or turn around. I always choose to cross the bridge. As I am crossing the bridge I notice that I can see my reflection in the water below and stop to peer at myself. In doing so, I get too close, lose my balance and start free falling head first towards the water below. Just before impact however the water turns into sharp, jagged rocks. I have no idea how the dream ends; whether I die or survive the treacherous fall. I usually wake up screaming, kicking, and on some occasions I have fallen off my bed. When I fall back to sleep I dream about something else.
My friend took this class last year and received a packet of things that are common to appear in dreams and tried to interpret or translate my dream for me. This resulted in her saying that I am at a crossroads in my life and near an early death. I don't think there is a lot of merit to this dream; however the ironic thing is that since this dream has started I have had two surgeries. Obviously this is a coincidence, but I would like to know if anyone thinks that our dreams tell us something or if they are just affected by things that happen throughout our day?
Chapter Three - Consciousness and The Two Track Mind
This chapter discussed consciousness, how consciousness and the brain are related, the four stages of sleep, affects of sleep loss and sleep disorders, dreams, hypnosis, addictions, and near death experiences. The importance of knowing about our consciousness so that we as individuals are able to be aware of our environment.
So far this has been my favorite chapter to study. I enjoyed reading about selective attention, sleep stages, sleep loss, sleep disorders, dreams and theories that coincide with them, along with the information on addictions. After reading this chapter, I finally have an explanation as to why I am so "blind". This true especially when I am focused on one particular task that needs to get done. I try to multitask and I am usually fairly decent at it, but occassionally if I am multitasking and have several things going on at once I tend to overlook or not notice something that is important. This would associate with what the text book refers to as change blindness and inattentional blindness. The book also refers to a video where a group of teenagers is playing basketball and a man in a gorilla costume comes in and starts to play. When I saw this video in driver's education I was told to focus on the basketball. Due to my concentration I completely failed to see the person in the gorilla costume. My instructor's point was that you need to be paying attention at all times and cannot afford to be focused on just one thing but several. (I guess this would be a real life example of how change blindness and inattentive blindness could be used0
I had never realized that there are four stages of sleep. I always assumed that once you feel asleep that a person immediately was in REM sleep (Rapid Eye Movement). I also never realized that when you are sleeping you move from one stage to another and then back to the stage of sleep you were at before. Also, I learned that each individual is different when it comes ot the number of hours of sleep a person needs. For example I might need 9 or more but someone else might only 6. I also never realized that through sleep depervation a person can gain weight, feel stressed, depressed, and lowers immunity. I found the sleep disorders to be interesting. I had no idea that nightmares could be caused from sleep apnea. I always had associated them with a trick of the imagination.
The dream portion I found interesting but also confusing because there wasn't a validation as to which theory is the cause or source of our dreams. Some of the theories that I read seemed plausable but it doesn't sound like there is a concrete reason for them.
Overall I found the chapter interesting and learned some very interesting things.
So far this has been my favorite chapter to study. I enjoyed reading about selective attention, sleep stages, sleep loss, sleep disorders, dreams and theories that coincide with them, along with the information on addictions. After reading this chapter, I finally have an explanation as to why I am so "blind". This true especially when I am focused on one particular task that needs to get done. I try to multitask and I am usually fairly decent at it, but occassionally if I am multitasking and have several things going on at once I tend to overlook or not notice something that is important. This would associate with what the text book refers to as change blindness and inattentional blindness. The book also refers to a video where a group of teenagers is playing basketball and a man in a gorilla costume comes in and starts to play. When I saw this video in driver's education I was told to focus on the basketball. Due to my concentration I completely failed to see the person in the gorilla costume. My instructor's point was that you need to be paying attention at all times and cannot afford to be focused on just one thing but several. (I guess this would be a real life example of how change blindness and inattentive blindness could be used0
I had never realized that there are four stages of sleep. I always assumed that once you feel asleep that a person immediately was in REM sleep (Rapid Eye Movement). I also never realized that when you are sleeping you move from one stage to another and then back to the stage of sleep you were at before. Also, I learned that each individual is different when it comes ot the number of hours of sleep a person needs. For example I might need 9 or more but someone else might only 6. I also never realized that through sleep depervation a person can gain weight, feel stressed, depressed, and lowers immunity. I found the sleep disorders to be interesting. I had no idea that nightmares could be caused from sleep apnea. I always had associated them with a trick of the imagination.
The dream portion I found interesting but also confusing because there wasn't a validation as to which theory is the cause or source of our dreams. Some of the theories that I read seemed plausable but it doesn't sound like there is a concrete reason for them.
Overall I found the chapter interesting and learned some very interesting things.
Are you a Liar?
I recently found this article on PsychBlog asking the question "Do really lie 3 times within 10 minutes of meeting someone new?" I found this study to be interesting because usually within the first seven steps, seven words, and seven seconds people have already formed an opinion about the new person they met. So this got me thinking what if the new people that we are meeting are not telling us the truth about themselves; hence we are forming incorrect conclusions or judgments about them. Also, what types of lies are these people telling or why are they telling these lies in the first place?
The article refers to a study that was conducted. The study is composed of 121 participants broken down into three groups. These people were told to have a conversation with someone they had never met before for 10 minutes. Each group was given a task or a goal that they were supposed to convey while conversing with this new person. Group 1 was supposed to convey the image that they were competent. Group 2 was supposed to convey the image that they were likeable or outgoing. The last group, Group 3, was supposed to be themselves. They did not have to convey a special message or image. They were video taped while doing this and after the 10 minutes were told to watch the tape and write down how many times they lied and what they lied about . When the study was concluded the results came back that 40% of the participants that were involved in this test had lied in some way or another. The other 60% claim that they did not lie. The approximate number of lies in 10 minutes was just under 3 which is close to the article's key question. Gender also did not play a factor; putting the old adage that men lie more than women to rest.
The lies were catagorized into five groups: feelings, achievements, plans, explanations, and facts. The study showed that lies were generally associated or linked to feelings. Women however were more likely to tell lies about being competent and Men told more lies trying to appear likeable.
The article then talked about the infamous white lie. The key question was is it morally acceptable to tell a white a lie in pro-social environments. Generally when people think of lies they associate them with malicious or harmful things. What about the lies we tell when someone asks us how we're doing and we reply with fine. We automatically say this because we know that the person asking generally doesn't care how we are doing but it is common courtesy to ask. The article later went on to say that without these tiny white lies our social lives would more painful. They also frequently referenced the show House about a doctor who searches for the truth to save his patients lives.
Overall I found this article fascinating and wonder how many times I have been lied to when meeting new people. Or vice versa if I have ever over-exagerated or plain lied to seem more competent or likeable. It is weird how it is acceptable or almost encouraged to lie when it is for a social reason but not acceptable at all for something malicious or bad (for lack of a better word).
The article refers to a study that was conducted. The study is composed of 121 participants broken down into three groups. These people were told to have a conversation with someone they had never met before for 10 minutes. Each group was given a task or a goal that they were supposed to convey while conversing with this new person. Group 1 was supposed to convey the image that they were competent. Group 2 was supposed to convey the image that they were likeable or outgoing. The last group, Group 3, was supposed to be themselves. They did not have to convey a special message or image. They were video taped while doing this and after the 10 minutes were told to watch the tape and write down how many times they lied and what they lied about . When the study was concluded the results came back that 40% of the participants that were involved in this test had lied in some way or another. The other 60% claim that they did not lie. The approximate number of lies in 10 minutes was just under 3 which is close to the article's key question. Gender also did not play a factor; putting the old adage that men lie more than women to rest.
The lies were catagorized into five groups: feelings, achievements, plans, explanations, and facts. The study showed that lies were generally associated or linked to feelings. Women however were more likely to tell lies about being competent and Men told more lies trying to appear likeable.
The article then talked about the infamous white lie. The key question was is it morally acceptable to tell a white a lie in pro-social environments. Generally when people think of lies they associate them with malicious or harmful things. What about the lies we tell when someone asks us how we're doing and we reply with fine. We automatically say this because we know that the person asking generally doesn't care how we are doing but it is common courtesy to ask. The article later went on to say that without these tiny white lies our social lives would more painful. They also frequently referenced the show House about a doctor who searches for the truth to save his patients lives.
Overall I found this article fascinating and wonder how many times I have been lied to when meeting new people. Or vice versa if I have ever over-exagerated or plain lied to seem more competent or likeable. It is weird how it is acceptable or almost encouraged to lie when it is for a social reason but not acceptable at all for something malicious or bad (for lack of a better word).
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Serendip Activities
The activities that I completed were: Seeing more than your Eye Does, The Free will Problem, Voyage to Serendip, and Prisoner's Dilemma.
I learned that our eyes have blind spots; I never realized how big the blind spots were until I completed the Seeing more than your Eye Does activity. I also learned that there are two or more ways to look at a situation and our perspective is usually based off former experiences. I didn't really notice that there were two sets of arrows until I read the description and looked at the picture from a different perspective. Hopefully that is a transferable skill; so that I look at various situations from both perspectives before making judgements. I will also be checking my blind spots more often while driving. I wouldn't say that this changes the way I view the world or my outlook on life. I think hopefully I will just be more aware of my surroundings.
Miscellaneous things that I learned in this chapter was that there are parts in the brain that control our emotions, thoughts, actions, and interactions with people. I knew that our brain controlled these to an extent but I never realized how big of a role it played until I read this chapter. I definately learned more about the central nervous system, the left and right hemispheres of the brain, and the advantages and disadvantages to "handedness". Overall this was a very interesting chapter.
I learned that our eyes have blind spots; I never realized how big the blind spots were until I completed the Seeing more than your Eye Does activity. I also learned that there are two or more ways to look at a situation and our perspective is usually based off former experiences. I didn't really notice that there were two sets of arrows until I read the description and looked at the picture from a different perspective. Hopefully that is a transferable skill; so that I look at various situations from both perspectives before making judgements. I will also be checking my blind spots more often while driving. I wouldn't say that this changes the way I view the world or my outlook on life. I think hopefully I will just be more aware of my surroundings.
Miscellaneous things that I learned in this chapter was that there are parts in the brain that control our emotions, thoughts, actions, and interactions with people. I knew that our brain controlled these to an extent but I never realized how big of a role it played until I read this chapter. I definately learned more about the central nervous system, the left and right hemispheres of the brain, and the advantages and disadvantages to "handedness". Overall this was a very interesting chapter.
Chapter Two- The Biology of the Mind
This chapter discusses the brain, its functions, and how they affect people's lives. This is important because without this organ you would not be able to survive. Also every part of the brain has a significant impact on how a person thinks, acts, feels, remembers, or interacts with others around them. If one part is not functioning properly than it will affect other parts of your body such as your muscle movements or your speech.
I learned so much from this chapter. I found it interesting how each part of our brain has a purpose and if one part is not functioning correctly it could affect the parts of the brain. An example of this would be the man with two brains. It was intriguing to see how he can draw separate shapes with each hand. I also took for granted how complex our brain really is. As humans we have more association areas we have compared to those of a mice, cats, and chimpanzees. I also never realized how if the frontal lobe of the brain were to get damaged it could change your outlook on life or become less inhibited and act on our impulses instead. Look at Phineas Gage who was kind and soft spoken before his accident and then he became irritable and dishonest. I also found it interesting that our brain shape is not necessarily determined by genes but also by our experiences. This is through brain plasticity which allows the shape of the brain to modify itself when some types of damage occur or through experiences that a person has. These changes especially take place during childhood. However some parts of the brain are not able to adapt such as the temporal lobes which are used for facial recognition. However in a blind or deaf person the brain makes space for other senses that would have normally been used for sight or sound. These are just a few out of the numerous things that I learned in this chapter.
I learned so much from this chapter. I found it interesting how each part of our brain has a purpose and if one part is not functioning correctly it could affect the parts of the brain. An example of this would be the man with two brains. It was intriguing to see how he can draw separate shapes with each hand. I also took for granted how complex our brain really is. As humans we have more association areas we have compared to those of a mice, cats, and chimpanzees. I also never realized how if the frontal lobe of the brain were to get damaged it could change your outlook on life or become less inhibited and act on our impulses instead. Look at Phineas Gage who was kind and soft spoken before his accident and then he became irritable and dishonest. I also found it interesting that our brain shape is not necessarily determined by genes but also by our experiences. This is through brain plasticity which allows the shape of the brain to modify itself when some types of damage occur or through experiences that a person has. These changes especially take place during childhood. However some parts of the brain are not able to adapt such as the temporal lobes which are used for facial recognition. However in a blind or deaf person the brain makes space for other senses that would have normally been used for sight or sound. These are just a few out of the numerous things that I learned in this chapter.
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