Media Production Project

--Original published at Robert's Psychology blog

There is a study coming from the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry correlating between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and the volume of the caudate portion of the brain in 9 to 11-year-old boys of European descent. In this study the specific there were 5 psychiatric disorders, schizophrenic disorder (SCZ), bipolar disorder (BD), major depressive disorder (MDD), autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), and ADHD, and two cognitive traits, educational attainment (EA) and intelligence.

The participants for this study were selected from the Generation R Study, an ongoing study of a population based child development. In order to be studied, the participants needed to satisfy a few criteria. These criteria included; usable MRI’s, European ancestry, and usable genetic data. The study used an MRI to study the volume of the different parts of the brain, including cortical gray matter, total white matter, subcortical gray matter, ventricular volume, amygdala-hippocampus complex, caudate, putamen, and thalamus brain volumes. The study used polygenic risk scores based on genome-wide association studies, which identifies one’s genetic susceptibility for a given disorder or trait.

The study originally showed there to be a correlation between Major depression disorder, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, educational attainment, and intelligence, but after the data was fitted the only correlations shown to be significant were ADHD in boys, educational attainment, and intelligence.

The author of this study stated there is not much research done in this field of study and the only way to understand the correlation between brain morphology and genetic susceptibility I children is to do more research. They also state, “Our results should be interpreted in the context of several strengths and limitations.” Meaning the study is a good start but it is not perfect and can be made better with a better understanding of the field.

Memory

--Original published at Robert's Psychology blog

People can remember a large amount of information but there is some limitation of memory. Some of these limitations are memories fading, memories being false, and only being able to remember a limited amount of information at a given time.

As time passes people tend to forget some information and details of a memory. For example, try to remember the name of your first-grade teacher or the color of their hair. If is hard to remember everything that has happened in one’s own life. I believe this is true because every second of every day we have the potential to for new memories and if it all this information was turned onto memories then it would quickly overwhelm our brains.

There are some memories which are stronger than other memories. For me the memories that are stronger are typically associated with stronger emotions. This is way it is easier to remember happy event is your life. I believe this is what causes that feeling of nostalgia or the feeling the past is worst than what it was.

Though people can understand various number of new situations by using their memories, the new memories they form can be very different of someone else who experienced the same situation. I’ve noticed that the way my friend and I formed very different memories of the same situation, and sometimes it leads to arguments of who’s memories are correct. The human brain is not like a computer with its memory, the memories are not perfect accounts of the event that have happened but can be warped by our own viewpoints.

With the aid of technology people are about to store information that people are susceptible to forget. This can be does with computers, books, or images. These forms of information can last much longer but the last the memory itself, just an account of the memory.

Introduction

--Original published at Robert's Psychology blog

Why you chose to take this class?(It is okay to be honest)

I took this course as my ssc because it’s a topic I’ve not had much experience in, and I’d like to learn more about it.

What background, if any, do you have in psychology?

I have no background with psychology.

What do you think of when you hear the word “psychology”?

When I hear the word “psychology” I think of how the minds of people and animals react to various stimulants. By stimulants I mean different chemicals in the body, whether produced by or introduced to, which interact with the brain, as well as emotions and experiences.

Look at the course schedule on the syllabus.

Which three topics look the most interesting to you? Why?

The three topics look the most interesting to me are; Classical Conditioning, Operant Conditioning, and Observational Learning, because these topics relate to learning how the world works around us and adjust ourselves, so we are better able to function in it.

Which three topics look the least interesting to you? Why?

The three topics look the least interesting to me are; Scientific Method, Personality Assessment, and Personality & Culture. I am a physics and engineering major so the section on the scientific method doesn’t interest me because I have gone over it many times. The reason for the other two is because I just don’t find personality information interesting.

What question about psychology do you want to answer by the end of this class?

What practical everyday uses will there be for someone who doesn’t study psychology, with the information learned in this class?