Motivation Option 2

--Original published at Site Title

I chose to come to Etown because of the small campus and the English program. The location of the College and personalized academics also contributed to my decision. I took both the SAT and the ACT before I was accepted. I had to work vigorously to get into Etown. I always remind myself of how hard I had to work to get into Etown to motivate myself. I also reward myself by taking a break to watch TV after completing large assignments to stay motivated. These strategies have so far been successful in motivating me to keep working through the semester. I can continue to use these strategies to stay motivated until graduation. I can also add more rewards for completing assignments.

First Impression-Motivation

--Original published at Site Title

I am a transfer from another small liberal arts college in Maryland. I did not like the school that I was at before, athletically or academically. I knew if I wanted to have a positive college experience, I would have to transfer. Elizabethtown was the first institution to recruit me for basketball. I remember having a tour at Etown when I was a senior and I thought it was a very nice school. It was in my top three colleges but I decided to go to the college in Maryland because it was closer to my house. When I made my mind up that I was going to transfer, I immediately pictured myself at Etown. I am glad I made the switch because Etown sets me up for success academically and athletically.

I am the most motivated when it is close to the due date. I know that doesn’t sound great, but it is the truth. I have more motivation to study when the exam is close. I have more motivation to do an assignment when the due date is close. This isn’t the best way to handle work in college. It can make you very stressed out. I try to motivate myself to do things earlier so that I won’t be rushing trying to finish the assignment on time. The bigger the assignment is, the more motivation I have to complete it. What motivates me to be successful in school is my G.P.A. I always strive to get good grades so that I can get scholarships for graduate school. The better my grades are the more likely I am to get scholarships. Focusing on the big picture is what helps me stay motivated. As a part of my motivational plan, I will print out a picture of my dream car (a Mercedes G-wagon) and put it up on my wall. So every time I look at my dream car I will be motivated to work hard so that I can be successful enough to afford a G-wagon. I will also write motivational quotes on post its and stick them on my walls. The quotes will motivate me to work hard.

Spotlight Blog 3 Prompts

Regardless of which option you choose, make sure to use the tag “Spotlight” on your post. Also include the tag listed for the option you choose below. The spotlight post is due at 2pm on Sunday, 12/10.

Option 1 – Use the tag “Social”

People are often told to resist peer pressure and think for themselves, but as we’ve learned, this is more easily said than done. Too often, especially for teens, this advice is not followed with concrete recommendation about ways to resist pressure from others. I want you to identify three websites that provide methods for resisting peer pressure and discuss how likely you think the strategies they provide are to be successful. Make sure to explain your rationale using what we’ve learned in class and your textbook. Each of the three websites need to be targeted at a different audience but you may select the audiences you want to use (e.g., college students, athletes, parents, artists). Make sure to include links to the websites as part of your post.

Option 2 – Use the tag “Mental Illness”

Television shows like My Strange Addiction, Intervention, True Life, and others have turned some mental illnesses into entertainment. In particular, the shows Hoarders and Hoarding: Buried Alive showcase people with hoarding disorder trying to get their lives, homes, and relationships back in order. What do you think about this type of show? Is it ethical to do? Does it exploit people with mental illnesses? Here is a sample clip from Hoarding: Buried Alive in case you’re not familiar with how these shows work. Find at least two sources that argue these shows are helpful for the people on the show and/or the general public and at least two sources that argue these shows are harmful. Discuss the evidence each source provides, assess the credibility of the sources, and explain your own perspective on shows like this. Make sure to include links and/or citations for your sources.

Option 3 – Use the tag “Mental Health Treatment”

One of the biggest questions when deciding to seek treatment for a mental health condition is to pick between seeking psychotherapy (e.g., counseling, therapy) and medication. Major depressive disorder is the most common mental illness in the US, and can be treated effectively using either method. Find at least two sources that argue psychotherapy is a better treatment option and at least two sources that argue medication is a better treatment option. Discuss the evidence each source provides, assess the credibility of the sources, and explain your own perspective. Make sure to include links and/or citations for your sources.

I look forward to seeing what you write!

Header image: CC by Flickr user Thomas Hawk

Week 14 First Impression Prompts – Mental Illness

Hand writing on a notebook

Here are the prompts for this week. Regardless of which prompt you choose, use the tag “Mental Illness.” The first impression posts will be due by the beginning of class on Wednesday, 11/29. The refinement posts will be due at noon on Tuesday, 12/5.

Option 1

Schizophrenia is often depicted dramatically in the media, and has been the subject of many major films like A Beautiful Mind, The Soloist, and Donnie Darko. Less frequently, however, do people get the chance to think about the daily life of someone who experiences hallucinations and delusions. Watch this video which simulates the experience of a person with schizophrenia, share your reactions, and compare this to how you typically see schizophrenia in the media.

Option 2

People often associate schizophrenia with the homeless population or mental hospitals, but rarely do we think about people who are professionally very successful. One person who is thriving despite her schizophrenia is Elyn Saks, who received her law degree from Yale and is a professor at the University of Southern California. In her TED Talk, she describes how she struggled with her disorder and was eventually able to manage her condition and take control of her life. Share your reactions to the video, discuss how her story compares to the “typical narrative” of schizophrenia, and discuss why you think she turned out differently than other people with this disorder.

I look forward to seeing what you write!

Header image: CC by Flickr user Caitlinator

Thanksgiving 1st Impression Post- Motivation

--Original published at alanaspsy105blog

For this weeks first impression post, I chose to write about option one which was about an emerging problem in America: orthorexia. A couple years ago, I would have never thought that this would be a problem because healthy eating habits seemed pretty much inexistent in America. It is not only until recently, when I started changing my lifestyle to eat healthier and exercise more often that I discovered how seriously people take their eating habits. My healthy eating involves not eating quite as much bread and not eating ice cream every single night, but I found a lot of people, especially on social media that go as far as to count macros on everything that they eat. That seems too time consuming to me. The criteria to be diagnosed for orthorexia seem like they could be very detrimental to a person’s health. It’s good to eat healthy, but when it starts to consume your every thought, and you stress about what will happen to you if you stray from your strict diet, it is no longer healthy. You can not just cut out entire food groups and expect to stay healthy, even things like fats you need in moderation for normal bodily functions. I think orthorexia should be something that patients can be clinically diagnosed with just like someone can be diagnosed with anorexia. It causes negative problems to the person not only physically, but also mentally. It affects a person’s self image which can lead to other problem like depression and should be taken seriously.

Motivation, Where did you go?

--Original published at Kyle's Gen Psych Blog

I originally chose to attend Etown based solely on the desire to get out of Mississippi. I wanted to be as far away from home as possible. Luckily for me i was offered a large enough scholarship that it made it possible to attend. Although the more time i spend here the more i feel at home. My fellow students here at Etown, new and old, never fail to have a friendly demeanor the first time they meet you. The teachers here i have met are always willing to have a small chat if you feel you can approach them which i feel promotes a healthy learning environment. Overall the sense of community here at Etown has fostered a desired to stay strong than the desire to attend here was originally.

Honestly, this semester i have been slacking pretty hard and I’m still adjusting to find my own rhythm when it comes to studying. When it comes to my own responsibilities i tend to be very lax and unmotivated, convinced that i can do whatever comes my way without any effort put in before hand. I feel this is because during high school i failed to develop healthy study habits and preparation tactics. This has come to plague my performance in school because i know if i actually ever put the effort in i could do so much better than i am currently.

Yet i digress, as i have slowly but steadily made improvements in my performance as the semesters pass. Luckily for me i have a plan going forward already for improving myself and my reliability in classes. I often miss due dates and fail to maintain any reliability or study, yet this semester as i am taking Japanese i have the hiragana and katakana charts posted above my desk and therefore my desktop PC. I feel because this piece of study material was and remains to be ever present in both my work-space and my gaming space i was more easily able to learn and reference it casually. Every time i look up from my computer monitor there it is hanging reminding me of my class work, this is why i plan to replace it next semester with a calendar that will mark what i will accomplish on a daily basis. Through this i will not be able to make excuses for myself and ignore the problems that crop up during the school year. I am very confident that this will improve my work ethic and am excited to implement it into my work space.

First Impression: Motivation

--Original published at Site Title

The reason I chose to go to Elizabethtown College was because I was awarded a large outside scholarship that lowered my tuition to an extremely small rate. I also chose Elizabethtown College because I knew I would be able to graduate within three years instead of four. The significance of those factors is that I’ll be able to arrive at financial independence and stability sooner in life. Independence and financial security will allow me to meet fulfill my own hierarchy of needs, up to the “esteem needs” point, as I will be able to achieve more and live more freely than I do now. Having money and my own living space will allow me to maintain close relationships and live a less stressful life without worrying about student loans. Most of my friends are also in the grade above me, so moving a year ahead and joining them will contribute to my sense of belonging, which is another big emotional and social motive in life.

To motivate myself in my classes, I focus on all of those things I want to achieve. As long as I keep up my academic performance, I can maintain my academic scholarship and proceed through school at a faster pace so that I can graduate at the same time as my older friends. My plan to help myself succeed and graduate early is to reward myself with weekend trips to see my friends a few times a semester. To be able to do this, I will need to complete my schoolwork ahead of time. This semester, I could’ve done better with doing work, but for the rest of my college career, that plan will have to suffice. My current motivation is to maintain my close friendships, as they will be the most fulfilling thing for me as I work my way through school.

Thanksgiving Break First Impression Post – Motivation

Hand writing on a notebook

**In case you need an additional first impression or refinement post to make it to the required 8 for the semester, the following prompts are available for yout to do over break. This material is related to Sections 10.1 and 10.2 in the textbook, but we will not be covering this in class. For refinement posts make sure you read Chapter 10 to incorporate material from the text.**

Here are the two prompts for break. Regardless of which prompt you choose, please use the tag “Motivation.” The first impression posts will be due by the 10pm on Sunday, 11/26. The refinement posts will be due at noon on Saturday, 12/2.

Option 1

America is currently facing an obesity epidemic that some experts have labeled the biggest public health threat we have today. We have all heard the recommendations to eat healthier and get regular exercise. Some people, however, are taking the message of healthy eating too far. A new mental health disorder called orthorexia nervosa has been proposed, in which eating healthy food becomes an obsession. One set of proposed criteria are available here. Look over the criteria and comment on whether or not you think this is a good way to define the boundary between eating healthy and having a mental disorder.

Option 2

Motivation is not a stable force, but often waxes and wanes. Throughout your time at Elizabethtown College, your motivation for school will undoubtedly be higher at some times and lower at others. I want you to discuss why you chose to come to Elizabethtown College originally and what you do to motivate yourself to do well in your classes currently. I also want you to plan an intervention for yourself for how you can maintain motivation to succeed until graduation.

I look forward to seeing what you write!

Header image: CC by Flickr user Caitlinator

Kyle’s Johari Window

--Original published at Kyle's Gen Psych Blog

While going through the process of this Johari window assignment, i was hesitant about what traits i would select to describe myself. After taking the time to select traits, i sent it out to a few of my group chats to get people to help me out. It was extremely interesting to see a live response of what people thought would apply to me. Although it helped me to construct a solid profile of how others happen to perceive me.

For myself i chose traits that i know apply to me but a few i know that i do not exhibit to others. Such as self consciousness, while i also had chosen friendly and extroverted because while i am self conscious i do not let it hold me back. As i predicted no one as of the time of writing had chosen this trait to apply to me. The top ones that ended up being chosen were friendly, silly, energetic & spontaneous . I can certainly see how others would apply these to me because of my outward actions. Though there were some outliers that i knew would answer responses like quiet and warm. I think this is not necessarily the best way to gauge ones personality because it only takes the information the others perceive and that information is also influenced by how well those people know you. If anything it is more of a public image survey.

I learned a great deal about how my friends and those around me perceive my actions and who i am. It also fed a bit into my ego and was nice to see that some people saw me as trustworthy and other positive traits. It was an interesting experiment that helped me learn about myself and my friends and because of that i am glad i took the time to put this survey out there for them to use.

If you would like to my window you can do so here:

http://kevan.org/johari?name=kyle+needs+your+input

Johari Window- Extra Credit Bonus Prompt

--Original published at alanaspsy105blog

The Johari Window was a fun assignment. It not only made me reflect on my own personality it also gave me insight on what other people think about me as well. I just emailed the link to a bunch of my friends and I had eleven people respond to the quiz. I picked the words caring, friendly, relaxed, introverted, shy, and spontaneous. Out of all of those only half were chosen by others: caring, friendly, and relaxed. I sort of expected this though because while I do not act shy around my friends and family, I am not always the most comfortable in a group setting. I just find it very stressful. I do not really talk about it a lot though so it is not something that I thought people would choose. Some of the other words chosen were accepting bold, brave, calm, cheerful, confident, dependable, dignified, happy, idealistic, independent, intelligent, kind, knowledgeable, logical, loving, mature, patient, self, assertive, sentimental, silly, sympathetic, trustworthy, and warm. Overall, it was sort of like a confidence boost because everything that everyone said was very nice. Some of the words I did not think people would choose, like dignified, but when I sat down and thought about the words in relation to my personality I could see many of the words in my personality. I think people chose different words than I did because we view ourselves different and criticize our own flaws a lot harder than others do. It was just interesting to see how other people can view you differently than you view yourself.