Week 6 First Impression

--Original published at Em

I chose option two on addiction counseling styles. Addiction counseling is an interesting topic. Before this post I had not thought much on the topic. I was aware of programs such as alcoholics anonymous but unaware of alternatives. I also was aware of the abstinence program. For example in hard drugs this is almost impossible to simply stop or else this wouldn’t be addiction. In the New Hope article address the differences in counseling styles. New hope does explain the steps to have the patient cognitively understand the addiction. It is a disease. Yet I feel the the process is black and white and very cut and dry. If a person is addicted telling them to stop and never be around it or think about it ever is a lifestyle and  neuro-chemical change. They  know where and who to get these substances from. They may be friends or family with people who partake in these activities. The AA model does allow for  relapses.  The harm reduction model gradually encourages addicts to go towards healthier decisions as this process isn’t all at once. When addicts go to prison and then are forced to quit what psychologically changes prisoners to not want to do drugs besides the chemical reason. There is no program  but gradually weening along with counseling would enable them to do that. When the removing addict gets out of prison there needs to be knowledge in place. In contrast if a loved one was addicted I think the AA approach would be more appealing as the emotional response would scare me to knowingly allow them to continue substance abuse even if it was in a weening fashion.

New Hope Recovery Center . “Addiction Counseling: Abstinence Versus Harm Reduction.” New Hope Recovery Center, 24 July 2014,  Accessed 2 Oct. 2017.


Week 5 First Impression – Memory

--Original published at Em

Not all memories are created equal because of memory decay.  To the best of my understanding memories are on circuits. Memories are created by reoccurring patterns. These patterns are electrical impulses powered by imbalanced in ions? Not quite sure. When we are learning or creating a long term memory we strengthen these connections. I am not sure exactly how my suspicion is rerunning the memory through to strengthen recall. Then perhaps more myelin is applied I think this would just speed up the recall. Memories can be short term or long term. These circuits are rewired so to speak. Memories are forgotten biologically it can be hypothesized. This could be evolutionary. If every little detail was remembered then there would never be a new experience. Memories also are not completely unbiased memories are stronger than others because cause of timing. I believe many people have stronger memories than others are a common life changing event  for example 9/11 was a communal life changing event. Everyone’s life is very unique but this was common group for Americans. People from a certain age all remember 9/11 because this was uncommon event. If you were in college classes were dismissed. My family for example lived on a military base and and went to the beach that day then we could not return to our house. Everyone can immediately recall where they were because it changed daily activities and was unfathomable. The event itself is unforgettable and changed united states policy. Huge events share memories. This is called light bulb memories.


Week 3 First Impression

--Original published at Em

This post is very interesting to me because growing up I had always heard of people saying “ugh my parents are so strict.” My parents were always more of the relaxed type no curfew, more of the just let me know whats going on. Of course this was great for free time. Then the minute my mom said no to me or set a rule without giving me a reasonable answer I did not understand . We always had discussions about rules and I felt I was heard. I think they didn’t really give me much advice on life or big decisions it was kind of you’ll get it.  Which of course I did, even if it was a stressful circumstance. Since then I decided I would be a very strict parent until I rethought it. I would check grades, set curfews, sent kids to summer camps the whole nine yards. The system relaxed parenting left no structure.

Now in retrospect I think it was fine. I do know how to do important adult things.  I learned a lot from those experiences. Now as to the strict parent idea I believe there should be a balance.  If a parent is too strict the child may rebel. A parent needs to be a resource a child can use to learn from and support them. They need to know that you expect them not to do illegal activities but if they are intoxicated and need a ride they can call you. The balance needs to raise a independent child that has support if needed.


Bonus Posts

--Original published at Em

Psychodynamic this point of view would suggest that he is not aware of what is really bothering him such as an unconscious mind theory by Freud. They would suggest something such as a talking cure.

Behavioral point of view would  first only observe him. Then when focusing on observations suggest that Miguel sleep more, get along with his roommate and perhaps put less pressure on himself.

Humanistic point of view would suggest that this is just part of Miguel personal growth and freedom. He may just need some time to get through this. This is just part of his journey.

Cognitive point of view would focus on how Miguel is thinking about these issues. He is the one who is putting so much pressure on himself. Maybe he has a negative thought process. He could form a positive thought process.

Neuroscience would focus on what is going on biologically? chemically even? perhaps he has a imbalance of testosterone making him particularly aggressive and irritable? Perhaps he is depressed and cannot sleep this could cause a lack of sleep leading to these symptoms. Perhaps through medication he could feel better.

Culturally perhaps his surrounding area puts Miguel up against a lot of stress. Perhaps he is at an ivy league school and his parents told him to be at the top of the class or do not come home. Culturally simply refers to a specific area.


Week two First Impression

--Original published at Em

For this post I selected the make your own research project. As far as mental processes one topic that stood out in the syllabus was memory. Memory could be useful for studying for a test or just everyday. I really wonder the scientific reason why some random things we remember forever and other really important miscellaneous details slip my mind. How does something go from short term to long term memory? How long does it take to forget?

For this specific exercise  my research question is how long does it take for 15 words to be forgotten.  My hypothesis is the shorter amount of time the easier it will be for recall. I believe the participants will use the repetition technique to remember words. I predict that perhaps at the 30-45 second limit there may be some long term memory.

My procedure will be four groups. The setting will be a quiet classroom with only the the experimenter and the participant. First all participants will have given full consent to the experiment (18 or over).  There will be equal parts male and female ideally. They will be briefed the best possible explaining that they will be told 15 words. One group will be the control. This group will be asked to recall the words immediately after being told them, next 15, 30, 45. The other group will wait in another quiet classroom. There will be no interaction between the groups after they are tested as to not alert them to the words. The debrief will take place in the hallway.  They will be informed it was a test of memory and that they are free to access their results or withdraw them at any time. I would recruit them by volunteers. I would ask the first years as they need three hours of research time.


Introduction

--Original published at Em

I am a first year from Chesapeake Virginia. In high school I took two year of psychology. I took this class because my schedule was made for me, although I am glad it is in my schedule. When I hear the word psychology I think of the study why people act the way they act. These reasons of why people act the way they act may be sociocultural, biological, or cognitive.

The topics that look most interesting are mood disorder,  stereotypes and discrimination, and classifying mental illness. Disorders and mental illness are interesting interdisciplinary due to chemical imbalances or biological reasons. If stereotypes could be better understood then perhaps they could be prevented. Then classifying mental illnesses because what is and isn’t normal, are there empirical tests?  The three subjects that look least interesting are how to choose a therapist, sleep mechanics,  and why research design matters.  How to choose a therapist seems subjective to the individual therefore difficult to put to a formula. Sleep mechanics seems simple.  Lastly research design also seemly elementary. I suppose a poorly constructed experiment skews results. The question I want answered by the end of the class is how cultural relativism impacts psychological studies.