First Impression Post: Chapter 7

--Original published at Jayln's Perspective

Over the years, as technology has advanced, arcade-style video games have evolved into a highly violent style of gaming. Violent video games are a substantial facet of today’s culture because they have become apart of many adolescent’s schedules. For example, most teenagers, especially boys, come home from school and play hours of violent video games. It’s a source of stress relief after a long day of school, and for them, it seems to be a form of mindless entertainment. Although I do not necessarily think that violent video games should be banned, I feel as if this type of gaming should be restricted from young children until they can comprehend that there is a difference between gaming and real life. Until children are able to identify the value of human lives and that actions have consequences, they should not be allowed to sit in front of a screen and play countless hours of graphics games.

I believe that barbaric video games are desensitizing today’s youth. If a child is exposed to violence at a young age, even something as standard as a video game, it will negatively affect their view of the world. If children are constantly exposed to killing, then they will not recognize the horror of violence. Raising children on these types of games is counterproductive to society because it is producing a generation that is unphased by the violence that is occurring in other parts of the world. To young children who are unable to distinguish the difference between a video game and the real world, violence is just a part of everyday life. Although playing violent games does not necessarily mean a child will end up aggressive and desensitized, it still may give him or her an idea of what they can do to a classmate, parent, or teacher if they have an issue with them. I do not believe that violent video games should be banned because I think it comes down to the parent’s judgment on what their child is able to handle and at what specific age. When parents are contemplating whether or not they should buy their child a more graphic video game, they should consider their maturity level and if it will have a negative impact on their psychological development.

Chapter 2 First Impression Prompt

--Original published at Jayln's Perspective

For this week’s first impression prompt, I chose to watch Thomas Insel’s, “towards a new understanding of mental illness.”  This TED talk stuck out to me right away because there are so many people who struggle with mental illnesses, and I was interested to hear another perspective. Insel begins his TED talk by using positive statistics about how far science has come in the last decade. Leukemia, heart disease, AIDS, and strokes fatalities have all decreased because of the concept of early detection, early intervention. He then continues to redefine mental illnesses as brain disorders. The brain is such a complicated organ and scientists are now beginning to figure out its complexities. Insel says that science has a long way to go, but in order to really make a difference in decreasing the number of deaths that occur because of these brain disorders is to apply the same concept of early detection, early intervention. Usually, doctors wait until there is any sort of behavioral change to start treatment, but Insel warns against this. By using schizophrenia as an example, he reveals that before behavioral changes even occur, the brain exhibits signs of a brain disorder. If scientists discover a way to detect these changes in the brain, then we will not have to wait until it is too late to diagnose someone. After listening to this TED talk, I am looking forward to studying more types of brain disorders in class. Someday, I hope we are able to apply the concept of early detection, early intervention so people are able to get the help they need to recover.

(2) First Impression Post: Prompt 1

--Original published at Jayln's Perspective

A helicopter parent is extremely focused on every aspect of their child’s life. A tiger parent is authoritative, overbearing, and often only validates their child when they are able to achieve something. On the other end of the spectrum, a jellyfish parent is permissive, unclear with boundaries, and absent in their child’s life.

The terms “helicopter parent,” “tiger parent,” and “jellyfish parent” are all styles of parenting I have been exposed to throughout my time as the neighborhood babysitter. During my early teenage years, I noticed that many of the parents in my neighborhood went about raising their children in different ways, so as the babysitter, I was expected to “mirror” these types of parenting styles. For example, the parents who were overbearing and strict always had me monitoring their child’s sugar intake and making sure their child was in bed by a specific time. But in other homes, where the parents were more relaxed, they were not as focused on these types of things.

I believe that the most effective type of parenting that produces happy, healthy, members of society, is a hybrid of tiger parenting and jellyfish parenting. If children are going to grow up in a home that is too restrictive with no sense of trust between parent and child, they will be more likely to rebel. On the other hand, if a child is predominately allowed to make their own decisions, with no parental intervention, they will most likely make costly mistakes. I think it is important for a child to have some form of structure and rules, but not to the point where they are not allowed to make any type of decision on their own. Trust is something that a child should earn from their parents. Also, a good parent is someone who is willing to listen to their child. This type of honest relationship makes it easier for a child to talk to their parent without fear of getting into trouble. This is positive for the parent, who knows what is going on in the life of their child, and for the child, who receives a vital, loving support system.

There are many ways to parent, but there must be mutual respect between children and parents. As long as they are not ridiculous and unfair, children should respect their parents’ rules and wishes. Parents should respect their children’s privacy (journals, text messages, etc.) as long as the child is honest, following their parents’ rules, and not putting themselves or anyone else in danger.

 

Bonus Blog Prompt: Miguel Case Study

--Original published at Jayln's Perspective

Miguel has been struggling with his coursework lately. He has felt very tired in recent weeks and has found it difficult to focus on his studies. Even though he is always tired, he has trouble falling asleep at night, is irritable during the day, and picks fights with his roommate. He is a bit of a perfectionist and gets mad at himself when he makes even tiny mistakes. It’s gotten to the point where he doubts his ability to do anything right.

  1. According to psychodynamics, Miguel’s issues with his roommate and his course load are not at the root of what is actually bothering him. Instead, there is an issue that he is harboring within his unconsciousness. This type of psychology deals with problems that arrive as a result of internal conflict. Miguel may have had a relationship with a parent or relative that negatively impacted him in his adolescence, and is now eating away at him.
  2. Since behavioral psychology only focuses on observable behaviors, such as fighting with a roommate, it is possible to conclude that Miguel’s negative behavior towards his roommate is a result of observing others conducting themselves in the same manner.
  3. According to humanistic psychology, which focuses on personal growth and freedom to choose, Miguel does not feel of value since he is struggling heavily with his course load. This type of psychology could explain why he is so negative towards himself, and as a result, those who live with him.
  4. Based on cognitive psychology, Miguel could have issues with paying attention in class. When there is a lot of information being thrown out in a college lecture, the brain must focus on what to pay attention to. As a result, Miguel being unfocused in class could be an explantation of why he is struggling with his course load.
  5. According to cultural psychology, Miguel may have been raised in a home where he was pressured to do well in school at all costs. This strict upbringing could explain his need for perfection and validation.
  6. According to neuroscience, Miguel’s actions could be a result of behavioral genetics, which are genetic linkages that explain behavior. This means that he could have inherited high levels of stress from a parent. Therefore, this theory could also explain his irritability in class.

(1) First Impressions: Cognitive Psych

--Original published at Jayln's Perspective

After our first week of classes, the branch of psychology I am the most fascinated by is Cognitive Psychology. Although there are a lot of topics that could be researched in this branch of psychology, I am specifically interested in studying attention. In psychology, attention is a mental process that deals with how humans process or react to what is happening around them. When a lot of stimuli is occurring around humans, I believe that the brain prioritizes what it will pay the most attention to.

My research question would be: out of a room full of stimuli, what objects/sounds/colors/etc. does the human mind pay the most attention to? My hypothesis would be: in the average young adult’s mind, specific sounds and objects are picked up on more than colors and shapes are.  However, when testing a different population, one in which toddlers were being observed, I believe they would pick up on colors and shapes rather than specific words or sounds.

In order to test my hypothesis and begin my research, I would need to gather a good amount of participants: a group of young adults and a group of toddlers. I would ask my peers in my FYS if they would participate in my study on young adult minds. Then, I would ask a kindergarten teacher from my old high school if I could come in and run a quick test on the toddlers to test their attention spans. I would place 10 college students in one room, and 10 toddlers in another, providing each room with the same amount and the same exact kinds of specific stimuli. I would play light rock music in the background, have building blocks of all different shapes, sizes, and colors in the front of the classroom, a computer read out a list of various words, and a powerpoint running through a slideshow of 10 different colors on the front whiteboard. After 2-3 minutes, I would gather the students one by one and ask them to give me a detailed list of everything they saw or what all they heard in the classroom. I would record their age at the top of the paper and then write out their answers. At the end of each interview, I would go through the papers and compare the different age groups and which common stimuli was partial to each group. I would then see if my hypothesis was correct based on which group paid attention to which details.

 

Introductions

--Original published at Jayln's Perspective

Hello! My name is Jayln Maulfair. I am a first year Biology student at the college this year, which means my first semester consists of: a Biology 111 lecture/lab, an English 101 course, a Harry Potter seminar, and of course– an introductory level Psychology class. I did not choose to take this Psychology class if I am being completely honest; instead, it was simply just a class I was assigned. However, since I am a Biology student who is pursuing a job in the medical field, this class will be extremely beneficial in understanding societal patterns and also humankind in general. I am looking forward to this learning experience since I have no background in Psychology. That being said, I believe that Psychology pertains to a person’s behavior and how their mind works. This area of science helps people get to the root of why they act a certain way. After looking over the syllabus, I am most looking forward to learning how to: cope with stress, classify mental illnesses, and to get a closer look at how the brain works. First, I think that learning how to cope with stress is not only an interesting academic topic, but it is also an applicable, necessary life skill. Second, I believe  that classifying mental illnesses will be captivating because it directly correlates to the diagnostic aspect of the medical field. Lastly, learning how the brain works is fascinating because it helps us further understand our behaviors in an anatomical way. In comparison, I am the least interested in studying observational learning, the Attachment Theory, and the scientific method because all three of those topics seem more on the bland side of Psychology, and they also do not seem as interactive as the rest of the topic appear to be. After this course is finished, I hope that I can have a better understanding of why people behave a certain way in relation to their upbringing and societal pressures.