Media Production Project

--Original published at MaddieHinson

Researchers noticed that using acupressure to relieve symptoms for breast cancer survivors has not been considered as a substantial treatment. The focus of this article was to study women who have breast cancer who deal with symptoms of anxiety, pain, and depression. These women are randomly assigned to participate in three different forms of treatment: Standard care, relaxing acupressure, and stimulating acupressure. Acupressure incorporates elements of shiatsu massage as well as acupuncture, however, with these experiments the patients were able to apply this treatment to themselves. Researchers were hypothesizing that these symptoms would be decreased because of this treatment and could improve the lives of people with this disease. The study was done over a ten week trial with 288 women.

The participants in this study were randomly selected women who had stage zero to stage three breast cancer and had done standard treatments in the last year along with experiencing the symptoms listed earlier. These women were also not allowed to be on another treatment plan, or currently have an actual disorder that was untreated so as to not be outliers in the study. Since most people do not know how to give acupressure to themselves, these women were instructed by a certified acupuncturist. To ensure that these women were doing the treatment correctly over the ten week study, they were assessed at the beginning and again at the end of the trial.

The researchers used different scales for each symptom to measure the progress. For example, when measuring fatigue, they used a scale from 1-10 in which the patients would be asked nine questions and depending on what score they received in the end is what determines whether or not their fatigue improved. The other symptoms being monitored in the study were examined through similar scales, based off the patients responses.

The results showed that overall, stimulating acupressure, which is the more intense therapy, improved these symptoms more than standard care did. There were some instances where standard care and relaxing acupressure resulted similarly. Interestingly enough, when it came to depressive symptoms, relaxing acupressure had more impact than stimulating acupressure. These different types of treatments can become confusing, but from this ten week study, there is a general consensus that this therapy shows overall improvements from these symptoms compared to standard care. However, because every patient is different, this treatment can not be clinically prescribed.

Reflection

One of the reasons that I chose this article was because my best friend had past away about a year ago from breast cancer. She was someone who was always looking for alternate forms of treatment. To read about a therapy that is not harmful to the body and could possibly improve someone who is living with cancers’ symptoms or quality of life is important.

Trying to decide what is crucial to the article I found to be difficult. I thought of the five critical questions while writing this piece, which helped guide me through the organization of my paper. In my summary, I included only one variable measurement which was a decision I pondered about. I came to the conclusion that the scales used in the actual article varied and it made the article too complex. In both my summary and the original article we discussed the participants restrictions as well as them being randomly assigned to their treatment groups. The original article did not specifically discuss this experiment as being “True” and neither did I, although based on the explanations that were given through both papers, it meets the criteria for one. In both my summary as well as the original article there are explanations that describe generalization as well. I thought it was important to add that to the end of my paper so as not to give false information that this type of treatment would be guaranteed.

From doing the pop article critique, I learned that what is written on the surface, is not the whole story and that I need to ask questions before coming to any conclusions about a topic. Reading the actual scholarly article, although somewhat challenging, was eye-opening to the actual research and methods used. For this assignment, there were times where I had to look up words or concepts, as well as reread sentences. Being a journal writer can be difficult because you are trying to convey a message on something you have done many months of research on, whereas the reader might know nothing on the subject. I found the data that was in the middle of this article to be difficult to interpret and could have been replaced with other valuable results.

Works Cited

Zick, Maria, S., Ananda, Hassett, Luevano, A., Andrew, . . . Edmund, R. (2019, January 16). Impact of Self-Acupressure on Co-Occurring Symptoms in Cancer Survivors. Retrieved from https://academic.oup.com/jncics/article/2/4/pky064/5288407

Medicine, M. (2019, January 16). Acupressure relieves long-term symptoms of breast cancer treatment, study finds. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/190116140631.htm

Ch 14 First Impression

--Original published at MaddieHinson

Option 1:

Before I watched the youtube video, I thought for a minute about how I perceived Schizophrenia to be like in people. What I knew about it wasn’t much, mostly just what the media has portrayed. I’ve seen a few shows/movies where it has been depicted. In a Grey’s Anatomy episode, a girl had scratches and cuts all over her body, because there were voices in her head telling her there was something inside of her that needed to get out. In another episode, there was a man who would have a psychotic breakdown if his mom wasn’t with him, and the only thing that would calm him down was if he made a list about what to get at the grocery store. Those seemed relatively accurate from as far as I can tell.

Watching the Youtube video, I wasn’t sure what to expect. As the voices started, and the video went on, it definitely got a more creepy, and I can see if you aren’t in your right mind how convincing those voices can get. It also would be very stressful and confusing because you aren’t sure who to believe, and there’s chaos going on in your head most of the time. I thought it was interesting that whenever the caretaker (woman) came home, that everything seemed to go back to normal. I wonder if that is apart of Schizophrenia, when you are around someone you had previously trusted, that the symptoms start to go away. I also would not know how to care for someone with this disease because I feel like you would not be able to tell when they are hearing voices or not.

Ch 11 First Impression option 1

--Original published at MaddieHinson

Stress for me comes and goes in waves. I am mostly good at looking at a problem and saying, “That’s a not right now issue” so I can prioritize what I stress over. Usually, being able to choose what I’m going to be worried about helps me get through every day life. The problem with this method is usually, all of the small things I push off until later choose to pop up into my head at once. That time is usually when I’m sleep deprived and have a few other big things going on, and then they pile up and I get overwhelmed by it. I would say that for this method to be effective is that I can put off stressing about something for a day, but anymore than that and it’s going to be ineffective to me.

Another tactic that I use to give me some stress relief is to just say out loud what I’m stressing about. A lot of times if I tell someone a problem in my life, I’m not looking for them to give me a solution, it’s more of a venting situation. For some reason, being able to recognize out loud what the issue is makes it more visible to me and I don’t have to constantly be thinking about it in my head. This method works well for me when I actually use it. A lot of times I try to keep my problems to myself so I don’t bother my friends with it.

The latest stress reliever I’ve found is running. This one was surprising to me, because generally, I’m too tired or busy to fit running into my schedule, but I’ve been doing it three or four times a week for the last three weeks, and it’s been going very well. I don’t usually think through anything while I run, it just makes me feel more accomplished after I do, plus I’ve found it to be fun especially if you have the right music to go with it.

A stress management activity that I could incorporate into my life is meditation. For most of the day, I am either surrounded by people, or electronics, and it would probably be beneficial to me if I spent a few minutes each day just breathing and listening to calming music, maybe before bed.

Ch 10 First Impression: Option 3

--Original published at MaddieHinson

I chose to analyze the song Wannabe by the Spice Girls. When I was a kid, my sister and I used to listen to this all the time, but I never really thought about the lyrics until recent year. The song starts off by saying “I’ll tell you what I want, what I really really want”. This seems to be a good thing, because all anyone ever wants to know is what someone else wants when it comes to a relationship. Going into the first verse, the line is, “If you want my future, forget my past.” This makes sense, because you can’t really fault somebody for what they did before you met them. Then the song to gets slightly concerning, when they get to the chorus, “If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends”. I can one hundred percent guarantee that no, if you like someone, do not try to “get with their friends”, it’s not what they want.

Also, in the bridge section, it talks about “Easy V” which after doing some research was they Spice Girls reference to ecstasy. Obviously, ecstasy probably isn’t the best thing to be doing, especially when trying to figure out a relationship with someone. Even though the song may have some sketchy meanings behind it, I still think it’s fun to listen to.

Chapter 3 Option 2

--Original published at MaddieHinson

Personally, throughout college I have had very different sleep habits than the rest of my friends. Pretty much every weekend, I have work at Starbucks at 5 in the morning. This was going on both freshman year and sophomore. My routine then would be, I would go out with my friends on Friday and Saturday until about 1 am, and then wake up around 4 to go to work, until I got off at 1pm. Afterwards, I would nap until like 5pm, and then do the whole thing over again. My friends never understood how I functioned during the day, but it was just what I had to do, and I survived. However this year, I have been spreading out when I work in the mornings to about every other day, and that way I don’t have to play “Catch up” after the weekend is over.

I know that my sleeping habits are different than a lot of people in college, especially if they don’t have jobs on the weekend mornings, but it has just been something that I have adjusted to and my body is used to it. Personally, I still take naps here and there and I think it’s fairly healthy. The unhealthy part about it is that I will almost always drink coffee in the morning and even throughout the day to supplement for when I am feeling tired. I don’t rely on it, but it’s just something that mentally makes me believe that I have more energy to get through the day.

Honestly, everyone is different, and I don’t think there is a set amount of time each person should sleep every night. I believe that you kind of have to monitor yourself, and factor in, how busy your day is. For instance, on Tuesdays, and Fridays, I know I work early in the morning, but I also only have one short class in the afternoon. For those days I don’t feel like I need the full eight hours of sleep to be able to function. If I don’t sleep well the night before, then usually I’ll try to sleep a little more the next night, to kind of supplement for it.

To improve my sleeping habits, I could probably stop watching Netflix right before bed, I know the screens aren’t great for your quality of sleep. I also sometimes stress about what I have to do the next day, and that really effects my dreams, and how “awake” I am during my sleep. To fix that, I should just take a few minutes and clear my mind and not worry about what the next day has in store.

Chapter 6 Bonus Prompt-Synesthesia

--Original published at MaddieHinson

While I was watching the video of Daniel speaking, I was fairly confused throughout it. I was trying to think more analytically, than perceptually. Once he kept talking, I began to understand more of how his mind works, but obviously I can’t know exactly what that’s like. Hearing how another person views something is always an interesting experience, because sometimes it’s something that hasn’t even crossed my mind. In this case, it’s a whole new way of looking at the world, and I think it’s eye opening to see that people live with this condition.

I think it would be hard with all of the different connections going on through your head at once. It’s normally said, that when you make connections with something, you remember it better. However, in this case I think it could just be a little confusing at the least. It seems as though Daniel has learned how to embrace this part of him, and be successful doing it, which is great. I’m sure that growing up, it was probably frustrating learning, because teachers probably wouldn’t understand how his mind worked.

I do relate to him a little bit, when I’m watching movies. Usually, if there’s rain in a movie, I associate that with something sad, or if a woman wears a red dress, it means she’s usually trying to flirt. So I associate some things with emotions and make connections, but I know that’s only a small aspect as to what Daniel does day in and day out.

Chapter 8 First Impression Post-Memory

--Original published at MaddieHinson

Since I was in middle school, I had found that studying with flashcards is the best way to get myself to remember facts and recite back information. That method had worked for me in high school as well, but since I’ve come to college, I have had to tweak that slightly. I do still use flashcards when I need to memorize something fast, and usually reading the cards out loud while I’m studying helps the most. However, in college, exams have been not focussed on memorization, but on explanations. This is where I have had to add different methods to my studying.

What I have found that works is putting a broad topic for a subject on one side of the flashcard, and then some key points about it on the other side. Then I explain out loud to myself each of these points in detail, as if I were explaining it to someone else. This has helped me in past classes really understand the concept as to why I’m learning the material, and not just remembering formulas, or definitions.

For this class, I am doing the same route as I have in the past, except that I have been doing a little bit of both, between memorizing different theorists and what they believed in, and trying to explain the concepts as well. The part of my studying methods that I need to change however, is the amount of time I spend studying, and when I start. Currently for this class, I just made my flashcards this weekend, but haven’t gone over them yet. Usually, since I’m fairly busy, I try to do everything I can that’s due the next day, and then if I have time, try and get more work done, but that’s not always possible. I would’ve liked to have started studying for the exam when I first learned the material, and made sure I was confident with each section, and that’s how I am going to approach the second exam.

Chapter 7 First Impression

--Original published at MaddieHinson

I think there are valid points on both sides of the “Violent video game” debacle. On one hand, I can see how if a child is constantly playing violent video games where there is shooting and killing people that it could be a concern they bring that into the real world. Kids pick up a lot from media, and a lot of times they act like images they see on TV, so why wouldn’t video games make them act more violently? Also, video games almost always allow the players a “Start over” option or have multiple lives where they can redo and try again. To me, if a child isn’t taught the lesson where we don’t have do-over’s or extra lives in real life, it could be a potentially dangerous situation. I can see why many parents wouldn’t want their kids to be exposed to such violence as well.

However, I believe that a violent person did not just learn to be violent through the work of technology. That person had to have other bad influences in their life as well. I think having a child play violent video games could be an okay parenting decision as long as they are being taught the right lessons in real life. A lot of times when I was really young and I watched a violent movie or one that involved things like drugs, my parents would have a discussion about what I Just watched to explain to me the difference between the movie and real life. They would use the examples in the movie, like doing cocaine, and explain how that can mess up your life, and make sure I understood or asked if I had any questions about it. I think that as long as the parent is involved in the child’s life and is making sure that they are learning the right lessons that it is okay to view violent movies or play violent video games.

I don’t think that banning violent video games would have a positive effect. For one, just because something is banned, does not mean that it is not obtainable. I’m sure it would just make prices of already violent games or ones made in other countries skyrocket. Also, I wouldn’t be sure how it could be controlled. Would the police enter homes and raid houses randomly to make sure there isn’t any violent games? I feel like that is a waste of time and resources.

Chapter 4 Impression Post: Option 1

--Original published at MaddieHinson

Being raised in a household that was more strict than my friends growing up, I would always say, “When I have kids, I’m never treating them like this.” That would especially be the line when my parents wouldn’t let me do something, or made me do my homework or chores. However, now that I have moved out of their house, and gained a little knowledge and perspective from being an adult, I can see how their parenting methods made me the person who I am today, and I am grateful for it.

I think that you can read all the books and do as much research you can on being the “Best” parent, but you are never going to be prepared for it until it is actually happening to you. I think that it’s helpful to have someone by your side that has similar values as you kind of as a support system throughout this experience. I also think it is important to realize that you are not going to be perfect and make a few mistakes and that you can tell that to your child. It’s good for them to know that you are still learning about life also, and you can admit that.

Another part of being a parent is to spend time with your kids, and make them a priority. When you have a baby, your life is not about you anymore and in order for your relationship with your child to grow, you are going to need to make sacrifices for them. Then from those sacrifices you can teach your children how to be grateful for what they do have and to be humble and not selfish.

I do think although it would be my least favorite part, that discipline is something every kid needs to have growing up. There’s some controversy over the types of discipline, but I think whatever is most effective for your child is what’s best. They need to learn respect, because that will carry with them throughout life, into school, and then in jobs. I think that teaching your kids a good work ethic is extremely important as well.

Another part of parenting that is important for long-term relationships is the open communication between the parents and the child. I think it’s important that a child should feel like they can come to their parent with any problems or issues they can be having and know the parents are there for them. Being a parent, you have an advantage because you have experience growing up and probably had a lot of the same issues their kid is going through, and so it’s easier to relate to them and share the knowledge of how to get through it.

Do Waitresses Get Bigger Tips When They Have Bigger Breasts?

--Original published at MaddieHinson

For this experiment, they had a woman dress up in a different breast size each day to determine if people would tip more with a bigger breast size. They had the woman wear the same clothes, and work the same time shift, and the only thing changed was the size of her breasts. One of the issues with this experiment is that there could be different days of the week where this coffee shop is busier. Yes, she could’ve gotten more tips on a Wednesday when there was more customers, versus on a Thursday, when it was slower. A solution could be to do the experiment on each Saturday at the same time, so it would be a closer estimate to the amount of business.

Another issue I noticed was the fact that it’s hard to determine the reasons behind a customer tipping. It’s hard to know for sure, that the reason the customer gave a tip was because she had big breasts. A possible solution to this would be to give a survey after they tip, to determine the reasoning behind why they did it.

I also noticed that they split up the tips between men, and women, and gave a statistic that women tipped 40% more when she was wearing the bigger breast size. Again, I don’t think it’s accurate to say that, unless they had an equal number of women customers coming each day of the experiment.

I think Mythbusters did a good job of monitoring the experiment to see the reactions of the customers. Filming the customers faces, (especially some of the men) was interesting to see because they were clearly checking her out, and could possibly be the reason they gave her a larger tip.