Spotlight Blog 3

--Original published at HuntersCollegeBlog

The first website that I looked at had advice on how teens should go about resisting and dealing with peer pressure. The website talked about who peers are, and how they can influence you. It explained how the idea that not all peer influence is bad, since peers can serve as friendships, advice givers, and so forth. When negative peer pressure arises, the tips that this website gave on how to deal with peer pressure are as followed: listen to yourself- if something seems off, it probably is, plan out how you’ll react to peer pressure before it happens, have some sort of excuse to leave a pressured situation, make it known that it’s okay to say no, be with people that you know won’t pressure you into doing something you don’t want to do, aka people that agree with you and will stand up for you, and if you don’t want to do something, say your parents would not want you to do this. Our psych textbook talk about how people normally do what the other people around them are doing (often referred to as the chameleon effect). This automatic mimicry allows people to empathize with others. This can be considered a type of conformity. Asch found that people are more likely to conform to something if you’re in a group of people who are all doing the same thing, or if we are made to feel like we’re wrong. I think these methods of resisting peer pressure are beneficial, because it’s important to stand your ground, and have that sense of individualism, which is focusing on yourself, but sometimes you will be faced with a group of people that don’t agree with you. In those cases, you have to make sure you stand your ground, and even if you don’t agree with what’s happening, you have to be able to accept their opinions, also known as the informational social influence. These tips can be used especially with teens, because they can be pressured into doing things they don’t want to do, don’t think is right, or even things that are illegal, so I feel that these tips will help you in a pressured situation, especially if other people in the group are using the informational social influence.

The next website talks about how parents can help their kids resist peer pressure. Their strategies are as followed: teach your kids what decisions lead to negative consequences, as parents, don’t fight with your kids about who their friends are, give your kids positive encouragement about making smart choices, and allow your kids to blame you if they don’t want to do something (i.e., my mom would not want me to do that). I think that these tips can be successful, because the parent is able to explain to the kids what the consequences will be if they make bad decisions, which I know for me, if I knew the consequences for something weren’t in my favor, I wouldn’t do something. If your child is made aware and has known that bad behaviors cause negative consequences, they’ll be able to use social facilitation, where the audience (group in this situation) will make them do things better, and the drive theory, which says that this takes place when behaviors are mastered. If your child has mastered the art of saying no to something, then in peer pressure situations, they won’t have a problem with saying no.

The last website talked about how a female athlete was a star basketball player, but then her performance started getting worse because the other girls on the team were jealous of her skill and success, so she would pass to them, or purposefully get less points, and make her own game suffer, just so she would feel liked by the team. In order to fight back against this type of peer pressure, here were the steps given: know that it’s okay to feel how you feel, knowing the right question to ask yourself (i.e. do I really care more about other people’s happiness or my own?), find support from friends, family, etc., remind yourself daily your reasons of resisting peer pressure, and build yourself up. I think these tips can lead to success when dealing with peer pressure, because it allows you to validate your feelings during a situation, and it lets you know that it is okay to not feel the same was as others. Informational social influence can also be used here because you have to accept others opinions as well as your own. These tips can also lead to success because you’ll be able to find support in friends and family, and with this, you’re not doing what other people around you are doing, rather you’re doing what you feel they want you to do. So, if you believe in yourself and tell yourself why you are resisting the peer pressure, you’ll be more successful in situations where you are faced with it.

Media Production

--Original published at HuntersCollegeBlog

Summary:

When taking a picture with a phone, it is often seen as a simple task. Click a button, and you are done. Do those pictures save in our heads like they do on the phone? The term offloading refers to taking the picture, and rather than remembering it in our minds, we rely on our phone to do the remembering for us. This can cause the photo-taking-impairment effect, which means one cannot remember the object that they took a photo of, only objects they look at and see in real life. Each experiment conducted by Soares and Storm shows just how impairing it is to the memory to take a picture on a phone.

Coincidentally, people tend to take photos on their phones to later remember that snapshot, but according to the studies conducted in this research, the complete opposite can actually happen. Along with the offloading hypothesis is the attentional-disengagement hypothesis, which is where people may actually be more focused on taking the picture, rather than the object they’re photographing, thus making the ability to encode the memory even less. When asked, according to Mols, Broekhuijsen, van den Hoven, Markopoulos and Eggen (2015), people said that when they took pictures of their experiences rather than use something else to capture that experience, they felt more disconnected. When Henkel (2014) conducted a study that this current study is furthering, he found people who took photographs of the objects versus just looking at them remembered the photographed objects less when asked about them later. He suggested that this was possibly due to the offloading theory, which is further tested in the current study.

Within the two studies, both hypotheses were tested. Each person was able to take a picture of the photo on the computer screen, observe them, or take a picture and then delete it soon after. When testing the offloading hypothesis, it was thought the photo-taking impairment would be lessened if participants were not relying on the photos being saved for later. When testing the attentional-disengagement hypothesis, assuming the photos to be saved or not would cause a memory impairment after taking the picture.

In the first experiment, participants used Snapchat to avoid offloading, since the pictures would be sent somewhere instantly. As well as using Snapchat, some participants observed the photos on the screen, while others took a picture of the screen with a regular camera app. With this hypothesis of offloading, it was predicted that people using Snapchat would remember the photos better than those using the camera app. After the participants observed/took pictures of the photos on the screen, they were given a test to see how well they remembered the pictures on the screen, specifically the details. Each participant had fifteen seconds to observe the photo, and those who had to take pictures would take the picture (those using Snapchat would take the picture and then send it to the designated contact), and then use the remaining time left of those fifteen seconds to look at the photos on the computer screen. The test was then completed at the end of the experiment to see how well each trial could point out certain details in the photos on the computer. Participants who only observed the photos scored higher on the test than those who had to take pictures. Surprisingly, people who took pictures with the camera app answered more questions correctly than those who used Snapchat. The photo-taking impairment was present in both those who used the camera app and Snapchat, but it was larger with those who used Snapchat rather than the camera app.

In experiment two, the experimenters gave those taking pictures a full fifteen seconds after the photo was taken to ensure they had the same amount of time to encode the pictures as those who were only observing. A Delete condition was replaced with the Snapchat condition. Instead of using Snapchat, participants took a picture with the camera app and then deleted it immediately. This would show that memory was still suffering, even after having a full fifteen seconds to observe the photo on the screen once participants took a picture of it. Other than the changes mentioned above, the same procedure took place. After participants in the Camera group and Delete group took the photos on the camera, they were given an extra fifteen seconds to view the photos. The test was also taken at the end of the experiment. These results found that those who only observed the photos still answered more questions correctly than those who were taking pictures, but the photo-impairment was still high with those who deleted the photos from the phone. The Camera and Delete conditions were not significantly different, as each group did almost the same on the test.

The offloading hypothesis did not match with the results that were obtained, since every group had a kind of photo-taking impairment. Despite having the extra fifteen seconds, memory impairments were still seen, which could show that it is not distraction that is causing the photo-taking effect, but the entire experience failing to be encoded properly

Reflection:

With this summary, I chose to put in more background information of the study, and why these researchers decided to do the study, because I felt that without knowing that prior knowledge, the study was hard to follow, and it could have become a bit confusing at times. I also chose to include the study that inspired this study, because in the article, it referred back to Henkel’s study, and what these researchers decided to do the same/differently from Henkel’s study. I chose not to include some information at the ending of the research article, because it went into a lot of information about why the study did not work, and the interpretations of the study, because the researchers went into a lot of detail on that, and it became confusing to interpret and understand. I also chose not to include whether it answered the five critical questions, because there were a few that were not present in the research article, and the study cannot be applied to specific populations. The researchers also pointed out a lot of flaws that led me to believe that this study was not completely perfected yet, so the five critical questions could not be justly answered. I feel that my summary covered the majority of the information given in the research article, whereas the news article missed a few important things. My summary was also a lot shorter than the news article, but I feel it still covered the necessary information. The news article was only able to cover a few of the five critical questions, while I chose not to include what critical questions the research article answered, in my summary. Based on each of the three assignments, I learned that it is sometimes difficult for journalists to write about psychology research, because of how in depth and difficult it is to interpret at some points. For the popular article critique, it was hard for me to fully understand what the study was about, because not everything was discussed in full detail, but when I was writing the critique, it was hard for me to determine what should and what should not have gone into the critique. The same goes for the scholarly critique article-some of the information was hard to interpret, which made it harder for me to figure out how to write it and elaborate on it. The media project helped me to see how journalists pick and choose what information to put into their articles. It also showed me how to determine which information has to be included, and which can be left out.

Marczyk, Jesse. (2018, June 11). “Getting Off Your Phone: Benefits? Psychology Today.

Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/pop-psych/201806/getting-your-phone-benefits

Soares, J. S., & Storm, B. C. (2018). Forget in a flash: A further investigation of the photo-taking-impairment effect. Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 7, 154-160

Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211368117301687?via%3Dihub

Johari Window Bonus Blog Prompt

--Original published at HuntersCollegeBlog

https://kevan.org/johari?view=Hunter900

I felt that this process was very interesting. It was really cool to have to pick words that I thought described me, and it was also interesting to see what other people thought I was like. By the end of the process, every word that I had selected for myself had been picked by either one person or multiple people, along with many other words. The other words that people had picked for me also seemed to describe me very well. One word that I was surprised to see was organized. I would like to consider myself an organized person, but I wouldn’t say it’s one of the bigger things that describe me. By this process, I learned that people think about me the same way that I do, and I also learned that there are other traits I display that I didn’t know I displayed as much as I did (i.e. organized). I think this test was a valid measurement of personality, because it had a lot of different traits to pick from. This test also allowed other people to openly choose what they thought you displayed most. With that being said, my friend told me that she could see other people’s responses, so I think that could cause some bias if some people don’t know what to say about you, or if they’re going back and forth between different traits. When seeing other’s responses, I feel that they’d be more inclined to pick what other people have picked, so that would be the only concern I’d have for this. If people weren’t going off of what other people said, then I think this test is fairly valid.

Spotlight Blog 2- Stress Management Strategies

--Original published at HuntersCollegeBlog

Stress is something that people deal with in their everyday lives. Whether it’d be college kids, adults, or athletes, everyone experiences stress in some way. For this post, I will be comparing how three different websites believe college students, musicians, and children should manage stress. Once I gather this information, I will relate it back to what I’ve learned in psych class to see how reliable it is.

The first website explains how college students should deal with stress. It talks about the different effects stress has on college students physically, and ways to help deal with stress. They suggest that eating healthy and exercising can help fight and reduce stress. According to Purdue University Global, eating a healthier diet can give you the nutrition you need in order to fight off the stress. It suggests avoiding foods with high sugar and high levels of caffeine. It also suggests that exercising can help improve sleep which should reduce stress. Having an outlet and having a support system are also two ways that Purdue University Global suggests managing stress. They emphasize the importance on being able to take a break and doing things you like, and having friends and family there to support you. Having an everyday plan in place is also encouraged on Purdue University Global. More calming things such as meditation and aromatherapy are also mentioned. Meditation is said to have stress lowering abilities, and aromatherapy uses essential oils like lavender and lemon to lower stress. Being able to express your emotions and process them is also a way to help manage stress. I feel that these strategies are beneficial, because in class we talked about how regular exercise helps with coping with stress, as well as social support, and self indulgence, like doing things you enjoy in order to cope with stress. We also talked about releasing your emotions (catharsis) and how important that is in relieving emotional stress.

The next website explains how musicians can deal with stress. Being a musician myself, I was very excited to read this one. It talks about how musicians who typically travel often experience tours, performance anxiety, and separation from loved ones. Constant changes in environments can also disturb the bodies stress response. Dr. Stephen Sideroff, a clinical director and assistant clinical professor of the psychiatry department of UCLA worked with musicians on dealing with stress. He suggests that breathing techniques and mediation can help with keeping yourself relaxed. He also suggests exercising as a way to relieve stress in order to let out the tension in your body. Sideroff also said that self-appreciation and self confidence is a great way to ease stress and anxiety when it comes to performing. Taking breaks and taking time for friends and family is also a good way to take away stress and just relax, especially since working gigs as a musician all the time can really take a toll on you. I believe as a musician, these coping strategies are essential. We learned in class how important exercise is, and how important it was to have a support system to contribute to resources and hope. Being a musician isn’t easy, so it’s extremely important to have a support system. In class we also talked about the importance of adapting in a way that creates less stress for you without making it complicated, defined as adaptive strategies, and these ways are definitely easy and applicable.

The last website talked about how children can manage stress. While some people may think adults deal with stress more frequently, children deal with it too, especially if those stressors have a bigger impact on their life (i.e. divorce). Lynn Lyons suggests that “the key in helping kids manage stress is teaching them to problem-solve, plan and know when to say yes and no to activities and commitments” (Tartakovsky). This is super important, because kids encounter problems all the time. She suggests that making time for certain things like play and sleep is essential. It’s also important that kids aren’t over scheduled, that way they have time for downtime and sleep. Teaching kids to listen to their bodies is also important. It teaches them that sometimes your body just needs a break. While we didn’t really talk about these specific coping mechanisms in class, I feel that they are important. Adaptive strategies such as avoiding overloading is important, because it’s able to decrease the problem of overworking kids without making things more complicated. I feel that this adaptive strategies also applies to getting more sleep, because it’s helping to decrease stress by letting the body relax and rejuvenate. Playing can fall under the category of self indulgence, because it allows the child to escape from stressful situations for a little bit. Based on our notes that we took in class, I feel that all three of these websites provide accurate and useful ways to cope with stress.

Purdue University Global (2018). The College Student’s Study Guide to Stress Management. Purdue University Global. Retrieved on November 4, 2018 from https://www.purdueglobal.edu/news-resources/college-students-guide-to-stress-management-infographic/
International Musician (23 September 2015). Don’t Sweat It: Your Guide to Managing Stress. International Musician. Retrieved on November 4, 2018 from https://internationalmusician.org/dont-sweat-it-your-guide-to-managing-stress/
Tartakovsky, M. (2016). 7 Tips For Helping Your Child Manage Stress. Psych Central. Retrieved on November 4, 2018 from https://psychcentral.com/lib/7-tips-for-helping-your-child-manage-stress/

Chapter 9 First Impression Post- Intelligence

--Original published at HuntersCollegeBlog

Throughout my many years of schooling, I’ve definitely had times where I’ve questioned my intelligence. Some classes were very easy for me, and others I really struggled with. But, with the help of my teachers, I was able to overcome those obstacles.

A lot of my teachers took notice when I was struggling in class. They would come up to me afterwards, and would ask me if I understood things, or if I needed help with something. Those teachers were the ones that got me where I am today. There were other times though where some of my teachers were solely there to teach the lesson for the day and then leave. That made it hard for me, because when I would try and ask for help, I either wouldn’t get any help, or they explained it in some complex way that I couldn’t understand. Some of my teachers also made it a point to make the class fun. When they actively tried to engage the students, whether that’d be using games or giving us extra credit for participating, it would help me to learn and remember the material better. I’m the type of person who needs to be actively engaged in something in order to fully understand it, so this engagement was extremely helpful. It was also helpful when teachers themselves were also engaged in the class. There were some teachers that I could tell weren’t passionate about the subject, thus causing me to become less engaged. When teachers were engaged, they were able to keep my interest.

A way that the school system could help with students’ performance in the classroom would be by implicating policies that would include active engagement in every classroom. Whether this would be by review games, or group review projects, it would help to actively engage students, which would help them to retrieve the information, therefore improving performance in the classroom.

Chapter 10 First Impression Prompt-Emotion

--Original published at HuntersCollegeBlog

People communicate not only verbally, but with their facial expressions as well. I thought I was really good at reading facial expressions, but apparently I need some work.

The test that I took online showed you a picture of someone’s face, and you had to pick what emotion their face was showing. In total, I got a score of 11/20. I thought I would’ve gotten at least a 15/20, because I read people’s faces every day. A lot of the questions had the choice of 4 emotions that were very similar to each other, which also made it hard to pick which emotion it could be since they were all very similar. The distinguishing factor between the similar emotions was a slight difference in eye placement, or what the eye muscles were doing, or the positing of the lip muscles or lips themselves. Emotions like sadness, fear, and disappointment were extremely similar, so they were really hard to tell apart. Emotions like anger and frustration were sometimes hard to tell apart as well, since their facial expressions were so similar. Embarrassment, surprise, and happiness seemed to be the easiest ones to distinguish.

I find this test pretty credible, because it explained why a certain emotion was the correct answer, and it showed which parts of the face contributed to that emotion. It would label the slight tilt down of the lip, or the slight raise of the eyebrow in order to explain what emotion it was. It’s also hard if you’re not aware that the slightest lift of the lip muscles can distinguish a completely different emotion than what you may have thought it was. You could use this information in every day life in order to tell how your friends may be feeling based on their facial expression. They may not want to directly tell you how they’re feeling, but a lot of the time their face says it all. You could also use this information to be able to correctly express how you yourself are feeling if words can’t seem to express it.

Chapter 11- First Impression Post: Stress

--Original published at HuntersCollegeBlog

Any college student can attest to this statement: college is stressful. We’ve all had our fair share of mental breakdowns, wondering when all the stress is going to subside. Establishing a routine to deal with stress is crucial, as it may give us some sort of peace and organization.

Currently, to handle my stress, I make it a point to be organized. I make a list of things I have to do, whether that’d be the list of homework I need to work on, or the chores I have to do. Making lists helps me to physically see what I need to do, and crossing things off the list once they’re completed gives me a sense of satisfaction. It also helps to decrease my stress levels, as I now have one less thing to worry about. As well as having a list, I also plan out when I’m going to do things. I self-discipline, and make it a point to get a certain amount of work done in a day. This way, at the end of the day, I know I’ve accomplished something, and I don’t have to worry as much. Studying can also take up a lot of time, and it can be stressful. That’s why I study a while before the test, that way I’m not cramming at the last minute. Along with stress management for school, it’s also important to take time out for yourself to just relax. When you give yourself the time to relax, you’re able to clear your mind, and reduce the amount of stress and anxiety weighing on you. I like to relax by taking a nap, watching TV, or hanging out with my friends. It’s so important to give yourself some time to destress and relax.

My current stress management strategies seem to work pretty well for me. I’ve definitely noticed a decrease in my stress levels since I’ve been at college, and I’m hoping that these strategies still continue to keep my stress levels down. The lists really help because I’m able to see what I’ve accomplished, and the relaxation is also a huge help in making sure I can keep my stress levels down.

Some other strategies that I could see myself incorporating into my stress management skills could be mediation, because I feel that that would not only help with my constant anxiety, but it would be a way to destress and refocus. Another thing I feel I could do would be setting specific times to do things. For example, I could give myself 4 hours to do homework, without stopping, and then give myself an hour to do whatever I want. That way I know I’ve accomplished things, but I can also give myself time to relax.

College is a stressful time, so give yourself time to relax, and always do what’s best for you!

Chapter 3 (Drugs Section) First Impression Post

--Original published at HuntersCollegeBlog

Medicinal and recreational marijuana are a hot topic of discussion now a days. In terms of medicinal marijuana, I believe that it should be legalized in all states, because in my opinion, if that’s the best proven thing, and the only thing that best helps conditions such as muscle pain, then I believe it should be legalized. Why would you want to keep something away from people, and forbid them from using it if it’s going to help them? As long as it’s being legally distributed from a doctor, and being taken responsibly, then I see no issue with it. I do however believe the recipient of medicinal marijuana needs to follow strict instructions, such as not distributing to other people, and be responsible. If this is not followed, this could be a downfall of medicinal marijuana. A downfall could also be that despite being prescribed, people could abuse the privilege of having it as medicine.In this case, it’s being used as perscribed medicine, so it should be treated as such.

In terms of recreational marijuana, I believe it should be illegal. When using recreational marijuana, I think that since people aren’t viewing it as medicine, it could be used irresponsibly. I also believe that recreational marijuana could be dangerous, since it isn’t in a specific amount of dosage, like medicinal marijuana. It can also be dangerous if young people get their hands on it, since they may not be aware of all the affects it has on them. It can affect different people different ways, and some of those ways could be harmful, especially if the user gets in a car to drive. Although I believe it should be illegal, some pros include it can make you feel a different way. Overall, I believe medicinal marijuana should be legal, and recreational marijuana should be illegal.

Spotlight Blog 1- Effects of Divorce on Children

--Original published at HuntersCollegeBlog

Divorce is something that many kids have to go through. My parents are divorced, and it’s not easy. But how does divorce really effect kids today? Are they really effected by it, or is it something that they can just move on from. The following articles explain how they feel divorce impacts children, if at all.

In the article entitled “The Psychological Effects of Divorce on Children,” Amy Morin, LCSW explains that 48% of children are living in a house with one parent, as a result of divorce, by the age of 16. She argues that kids normally struggle within the first one or two years after divorce. She says that some kids can bounce back from it, but others have a very difficult time with it. Kids can experience anger, anxiety, and even lifelong problems due to a divorce. Depending on their age, children can experience confusion about going back and forth between house, guilt, and anger towards one or both parents. Studies showed that the mother is often less supportive and her discipline becomes decreased after a divorce. Studies have also shown that kids that have gone through a divorce may have increased psychological problems, regardless of age or gender. Studies also show that children of divorce are at a higher risk for anxiety and depression. The author also writes that while divorce is tough on children, staying in the marriage just for the kids may not be the best option. The author made it clear numerous times that kids of divorce are at a higher risk for mental health issues. This source is credible, because the author has her LCSW, and the reviewer has their MD. The website has a medical review board that are all licensed and trained professionals, which is why I think this source is credible.

In the next article, Wendy Paris, an author, and someone who has had her articles appear in many news sites like Psychology Today, and The Washington Post, writes about how you can still raise happy kids, even after a divorce. Paris writes that a study done by Mavis Hetherington, who followed 2,500 children, showed that 80% of the kids were doing well. Michael Lamb’s meta-study done in 2012 also showed that children are well when they have good relationships with both parents, but the parents don’t have to be living in the same house in order for that to be true. Lamb’s general overview was that marriage isn’t what makes a child’s wellbeing- its the loving relationship between the parent and the child where the parents aren’t constantly having problems. Paris’s own points include making sure that stability is still being obtained by creating new routines, and creating positive moments for the children without involving the parents’ relationships. I believe this was a scholarly article because it included studies by Michael Lamb, who is a professor at Cambridge University. Wendy Paris was also a senior editor for Psychology Today, and has published articles in The New York Times, and Los Angelas Review of Books.

This third article explains how divorce can negatively effect children. Emery writes that divorce can be stressful for kids, and can strain the relationship between parent and child. He says that the transition between marriage and divorce can really impact the child, depending on how stressful, or chaotic it is. He also writes that kids can be of higher risk for psychological problems, anger problems, depression, and suffering school achievement. He says that a lot of children can get through divorce without having emotional or psychological problems, but children still report pain and worry about divorce and relationships. A study that Emery and Laumann-Billings did in 2000 showed that 73 out of 99 college students who’s parents had divorced 3 or more years said they’d be a different person if their parents weren’t divorced. 48 out of 99 said they had a more difficult childhood then most. This article was scholarly because the author, Robert E. Emery has a Ph.D. and is a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia.

In the last article, the author argues that while divorce can be difficult, it is better to get a divorce then stay in the marriage when there is constant fighting and arguing. The author argues that staying in the marriage when there is constant conflict and even possibly violence makes the children have to cope with the everyday affects of it. The article says that while divorce is hard on the kids, when it finally does happen, it can often serve some benefits to the children. These benefits include reduced fighting, since the parents are in two separate homes, and the child doesn’t have to be around negativity, things seem to become calmer after the divorce settles. Other benefits include happy parents, so their happiness can rub off on the kids, and the kids learn more about compromise, and using it as a skill. This article is a good source because Brette Sember, has her B.A. and J.D., and describes the other side of divorce, which is the side that most people don’t see, aka the more positive affects on divorce. This article was also written in the Huffington Post.

Overall, I feel that divorce hurts children, based on the readings, because there are so many different things that can result from a divorce, including psychological and behavioral problems. As a child that comes from a divorced family, I can attest to the fact that it’s a very emotionally stressful thing, and it can affect you, even long after the divorce has happened. I feel that the studies presented in these articles also leaned more towards the side of how divorce can negatively impact a child.

Morin, Amy, LCSW (2018, August 24). “The Psychological Effects of Divorce on Children: Take steps to help kids bounce back faster.” https://www.verywellfamily.com/psychological-effects-of-divorce-on-kids-4140170
Paris, Wendy (2015, March 17). “Yes, You Can Raise Happy Children After Divorce: What kids really need to thrive.” https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/splitopia/201503/yes-you-can-raise-happy-children-after-divorce
Emery, Robert E. (2006-2018). “How Divorce Affects Children.” http://emeryondivorce.com/how_divorce_affects_children.php
Sember, Brette (2017, December 6). “Why a Good Divorce Is Better Than a Bad Marriage for Kids.” https://www.huffpost.com/entry/why-a-good-divorce-is-better-than-a-bad-marriage-for-kids_b_6925236

Chapter 8 First Impression Prompt- Memory

--Original published at HuntersCollegeBlog

Study habits. We all have certain study habits that we may do well at, or that we may need to improve. When I study, I normally need to be in a quiet environment. I can’t have the tv on, and I can’t be distracted by anything like my phone. I can however have music playing. When I study, depending on how big the exam is, I normally try to study at least a few days in advance. I believe when I study, I’m good at keeping all distractions away from me, and I’m good at establishing goals for myself. I believe though there are things I need to improve. When I study, I need to do so in a way that will help me remember the material the most. I need to stay focused, and keep from getting frustrated when I’m still not able to remember something after an hour of trying to. One thing that helps me are group studies. They are a way to really help me stay focused on studying. I also need to work on finding a solid way to study (i.e. flashcards, writing the material down a bunch of times, etc.)

For the first exam in class, I started studying a few days before the exam. I studied by using Quizlet. Although it seemed very helpful at the time, when I got the exam in front of me, I could not remember a thing. I completely blanked. Part of that may be due to my anxiety of taking tests, but in this case I don’t believe it was. When I had another big exam in another class, I made my own flashcards from index cards and studied them. When I got the test in front of me, I remembered everything. So, for this next exam in psychology, I’m going to start making flashcards after going over every chapter. For example, since we’re through chapter 7, I’ll start to make my own flashcards and study them, that way I feel fully prepared, and so I have enough time to study them prior to the test. After the next chapter, I’ll do the same thing. Physically writing down the information seems to help me engrain it into my brain, and helps me to remember it better. For this next exam, that’s what I plan to do. Happy studying!