Does Hypertrophy Make you more Attractive?

--Original published at MentzersBlog

My research study will be on Does Hyperthrophy Make you more Attractive? I believe hypertrophy or making gains makes you more appealing to the people of todays society. I will start off by gathering 10 females and 10 males. Next, take pictures of them before the hypertrophy stage for the before picture. After my participants worked out for three months on a basis of five times per week I will take pictures of the results for their after pictures. Finally, I will go around the city with all the participants before and after pictures and see which one the people think looks more attractive; the before or after. I will do the three times in total to get accurate results. The experiment will take roughly nine months to complete and in the end my question will be answered, Does Hypertrophy make you more Attractive?

Bonus Post

--Original published at Site Title

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 roommates. 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.

Miguel’s feelings of tiredness, irritability and having difficulty focusing can certainly fall into the psychodynamic equation since behavior, feelings, and emotions demonstrated on a conscious and subconscious level may determine how we relate to earlier experiences.

From a behavioral perspective, Miguel’s decision to stir up confrontations with his roommates and his anger that he turns on himself suggests that he is responding to stimulus, a result of his contact with the environment that he finds unpleasant.

When looking at Miguel’s situation using a humanistic perspective, this lens speaks to understanding the reasons a person behaves the way they do based on if they feel safe and cared about, if they feel like their goals are being met and if they feel capable. Although Miguel is a perfectionist, he is having difficulty with his studies and doubts his abilities which show that his sense of belonging, confidence, and self-actualization are in jeopardy.

The cognitive approach can be used to look at Miguel’s behavior because it focuses on how a person thinks and how that process impacts his behavior. Since aggression is a behavior, the neuroscience aspect of psychology also comes into play when Miguel begins to lash out at his roommates because he is feeling low. Interestingly, the neuroscience perspective suggests that no matter how carefully Miguel was raised and even though he may have had great experiences up until this point, his genetic makeup takes over and will rule his actions, not environmental stimulus.

The cultural perspective suggests that Miguel is a product of his surroundings and his background shapes the way he reacts to situations. I think more information about Miguel is needed to fill in the blanks using this approach.

Is Yawning Contagious? The MythBusters Seem To Think So.

--Original published at Ashley's Psyche

As the name may suggest, the MythBusters are a group of people who perform a variety of televised experiments to prove whether widely known statements are true from a scientific viewpoint, or whether they are not. In an episode that I have just recently watched, the MythBusters were testing whether yawning is contagious or not.

To test this theory, the MythBusters created a pop-up structure in public that consisted of three identical rooms. As the test subjects, who believed that they would be waiting for an audition, were ushered in their rooms, one of the MythBusters would yawn in front of two of them, and then shut the door. The third test subject would not be yawned in front of, as he or she would be considered the control. They did this for fifty different people and recorded their results.

From this experiment the MythBusters concluded that yawning is contagious, as there was a four percent difference in yawning that happened between those that received the stimulus and those that did not. However, I would like to disagree. I believe that there were many confounding variables that influenced the MythBusters’ experiment.

This is not to say that the MythBusters did not have many strongpoints in their experiment. Their sample size was large, which lowers the chances of bias. They isolated each of the test subjects, meaning that one subject could not influence another subject in any way. They did not inform the test subjects about the experiment being performed, therefore the subjects were not thinking about yawning and influencing the experiment in that retrospect. And the MythBusters had a control in which they could compare the results of the other two subjects with.

Nevertheless, there seemed to be some confounding variables that the MythBusters did not take into account. The two most notable for me were that each of the subjects may have had a differing amount of sleep the night before, as well as that each of the subjects may have been having a reaction to the room, and not to the MythBuster yawning.

The amount of sleep each of the subjects had the night before can be considered a confounding variable as the less sleep one subject got, the more prone to yawning they are likely to be. In order to eliminate this variable, the MythBusters should have either recorded an average amount of sleep that each person got the night before to reference later, or split up each of the subjects in to categories based on their hours of sleep.

As well, the issue of the color and décor of the room could be a confounding variable. Different colors and amounts of space are known to influence the brain and its attentiveness. A plain white room may have caused many of the subjects to become bored or tired, which would explain why they eventually yawned while waiting. To correct this confounding variable, I would suggest that the MythBusters have rooms set up with different colors and decorations, and then some that have nothing at all, in order to compare the amount of yawns that happen in each.

I would be very interested to see the results of the MythBusters’ experiment if they took my suggestions into account. I feel as though they would come to a very different conclusion than the one they did during their test.

Impression post #1

--Original published at Site Title

This being my first impression post, I’m not quit sure what to write about. Being in the first few classes of psychology has taught me a little more than what I already know. One of the most important things that I learned so far is how important cognitive psychology is. It focuses on all of the major important things that go on within the human mind. Such as how people process information, develop language, and solve problems by thinking it out in their mind. All of these things are involved in our lives every day, but not everyone thinks the same or has the same biological perspective. Why are some people more moody than others ? or why do some people get very mad and angry at small things, but others don’t seem to mind. Everyone has different behavioral genetics. But one of the big questions I have is are behavioral genetics actually inherited ? or are they the reflections of our parents and growing up watching them our whole lives. These are questions that I ask when I look or talk to some one who is angry or has mood issues or is just rude in general. One of the first things that I think of is what kind of parents or siblings does this person have ? If they are very personable and friendly I assume they come from a good family with parents that are caring. On the other hand, If I talk to someone or run into someone that is rude or not very polite, I automatically assume that they come from a family where they were neglected, their parents split up, had a bad childhood, etc. That is my opinion on behavior issues and why people are more angry then others.

First Impression Week 2

--Original published at Site Title

Research design is very important. Without research design, the process could be unorganized, which could ultimately result in confusion. I think what makes a successful experiment is organization. Someone should be able duplicate the researchers steps and get a similar outcome. To have a successful research design for an experiment, it should be well thought out, if not, there could be too many variables. If I were to do a research experiment it would involve human behavior when people are hungry. I have noticed (from personal experiences) that when people go to the grocery store hungry, their eyes get bigger than their stomachs. They seem to buy more food than they actually need. In my opinion, food looks so much more appealing when I haven’t eaten in a while. I believe that hunger has any effect on how much money people spend at the grocery store. If one goes to the grocery store on an empty stomach, then they are more likely to buy more items than a shopper that has just eaten. To test this hypothesis, I would have two groups of people, one would be fed before they go to the grocery store and the other would be deprived of food several hours prior to them going to the grocery store. The subjects are free to buy whatever they want. Once they are done shopping I will analyze their receipts. I will compare the receipts of the group that just ate to the receipts of the group that has been deprived of food. I will conduct this experiment three times to make sure my data is more accurate than just conducting the experiment once. I will be analyzing two things, how much money they spend, and how many items they have purchased.

Week 2: First Impression Research Study (Option 1)

--Original published at Site Title

I selected Option 1 for Week 2’s post, since I liked the idea of developing my own study as opposed to commenting on another.

Research Question: How does the color of a paper exam affect the test-taker’s performance?

Hypothesis: I believe that cool-tone colors of paper like blue or green will result in better test performance. Knowing that red and orange are more stimulating colors that evoke emotion, I think that blue or green paper would lower the stress levels about the test for the students taking the exam, whereas a warm color would intensify any nervous feelings.

Procedure: For this study, I would have a group of students of the same year and rounded GPA listen to a simple lecture and take an exam, some with a different color paper than another. I would likely recruit participants easiest by offering them food. While the students finish the test, I will mark down their finishing time as well for further data.

Difficulties: Some difficult things to control here will be the differences in learning styles in all the participants, regardless of their GPA. There could be learning disabilities to account for as well, and the mental condition of each student at the time. Some students may be tired from other classes, or may be thinking about upcoming classes as well, so it would be best to perform the test after final exams.

“Is Yawning Contagious?”

--Original published at Sarah's Insight

“Is Yawning Contagious?”

For my week 2 First Impression blog post, I chose to dive into the Mythbusters MiniMyth, “Is Yawning Contagious?” and post on my blog the strengths and weaknesses of the methods used in the episode.

Strengths

large sample size
dependent and independent variables
followed the scientific method
had a well constructed hypothesis

Weaknesses

Initiating the yawning
- I think that the way the Mythbusters began the experiment was not a strong start. From what the viewer saw in the video, the woman who started the yawning was not clearly seen by all of the people in the sample size. She was shown yawning while the test subjects were not looking, or while she was closing the door while the subject had their back facing her.
Separating participants
- I personally think that the hypothesis that yawning is in fact contagious would have been more accurately approved if the subjects were in the room in small groups to see if they would influence each other to yawn, almost like a domino effect.
No research prior to exeriment
- The Mythbusters gave a brief lesson on why and what happens when a person yawns, and even though it is a short MiniMyth, I think it would have been more accurate if they had also included some of their research on this topic before conducting the experiment.

Week 2 First Impression

--Original published at Lynsey Wissler's Blog

“Is Yawning Contagious?”

Lynsey Wissler

Strengths

having a control
having someone start the yawning
constant observation
cameras in every room
tested a large sample (50 people)
identified questions
developed hypothesis
analyzed and collected data
dependent and independent variable

Weaknesses

having someone start the yawning
- this could be a problem because they didn’t initiate the yawn on themselves. WHen the myth buster put the participants into the room, yawning was almost like cheating. To resolve this they could have not yawned every time they put someone in the room.
only observational, not scientific evidence
- they did not have any scientific evidence that the yawning was contagious. The only evidence they had was from their observations leaving a wide range of other possibilities for outcomes. They could have researched more on the topic.
not thinking of cofounding variables
- There could have been variables outside of the experiment that was impacting the yawning and the effects they had on each other. They did not consider these and if they would have they could have tried to eliminate them.
did not review the literature
- They did not research before the experiment to see the literature that goes along with it. This could have helped build a stronger experiment.

Extra Credit Blog Post

--Original published at Lynsey Wissler's Blog

Psychodynamic
- This approach focuses on the hidden mind. This approach to psychology would assume that Miguel’s behavior is motivated by childhood experiences and hidden drives or conflicts. It shows how unresolved feeling shape our life conflicts. It could be that something he is not even still thinking about is driving his behavior.
Behavioral
- This approach can be explained by classical conditioning. It says that behavior is shaped with punishments and rewards. It is believed that everything we do is not driven by thoughts or feelings. It also is stated that psychological problems are best treated with behavioral patterns. This being said, from a behavioral approach Miguel is acting this way almost out of habit. At some point in his life, he was taught that this was okay.
Humanistic
- This approach shows that our behaviors are strength based, that people are inherently good. They belive that your reality is how you construct it. This approach would believe that Miguel, deep down inside is innately good. If Miguel discovers this side he can change how he acts.
Cognitive
- This approach focuses on internal process. How we as humans solve problems and think. This approach would believe that if Miguel changed his thoughts that he can change his feelings towards a situation and perhaps not be as hostile and angry.
Neuroscience
- This is a biological perspective which is becoming increasingly popular. This perspective includes behavioral genetics and evolutionary psychology. The behavior of this is explained by the brain chemistry, meaning that it is the chemicals in Miguel’s brain that are driving this behavior.
Cultural
- This perspective shows how mental processes and behavior are changed by the influence of setting, situation, and culture. This approach would say that Miguel’s behavior is from his setting and cultural background.

Miguel’s Hypothetical Situation

--Original published at Ashley's Psyche

Described below are the hypothetical behaviors and mental processes of a boy named Miguel. What follows are the interpretations of Miguel’s behaviors and mental processes from the viewpoint of six of the main theoretical lenses in psychology.

Psychodynamic Perspective:

Miguel may have had a traumatic experience when he was a child, where he made a mistake that had severe consequences or caused him to be harshly reprimanded by his parents. Now he fixates on every mistake he makes as a means to prevent himself from having that experience again. This has created a “perfectionist” complex in Miguel, which he likely tries to repress. That act of repression then causes Miguel to be irritable and tired, but unable to fall asleep as his unconscious mind is still focused on his insecurities about completing simple tasks.

Behavioral Perspective:

Miguel may not be in an effective learning environment, which is influencing his ability to study. The lighting and decor of the room may be distracting him, or a lack of color and lighting could be putting him in a bad mood. The same can be attributed to Miguel’s lack of sleep. Miguel’s roommate may make a light of noise, keep his or her light on late at night, or talk to Miguel into the early hours of the morning. This would explain why Miguel picks so many fights with him or her.

Humanistic Perspective:

Miguel is struggling with his coursework and cannot get to sleep because he is not happy with who he is as a person. He needs to stop worrying about the past mistakes he has made, and believe that he is more capable of doing right than wrong. If he takes strides to believe in himself and focus on how he can succeed in the future, he will no longer have problems sleeping or doing homework, which will put him in a better mood overall.

Cognitive Perspective:

Miguel may not be fully developed cognitively. Miguel’s cognitive processing systems may get overloaded and shut down easily, causing him to have difficulties in paying attention and completely coursework. He also many not be fully developed in the problem-solving and decision-making regions of his brain. This can be concluded as Miguel is a perfectionist and doubts he can do anything right, meaning that he cannot properly come to solutions and be confident and content with them. These factors are most likely why Miguel is in such a foul mood and cannot sleep.

Neuroscience Perspective:

Miguel may have a genetic predisposition towards being a perfectionist. It is likely that Miguel was born this way, or inherited his perfectionist nature from his parents, who may show perfectionist tendencies as well. Miguel likely is always in a foul mood and cannot sleep because there he cannot find a way to stop being a perfectionist, as it is ingrained in his genetic code to act that way.

Cultural Perspective:

Miguel may come from a culture where making mistakes is not socially acceptable for children. Many cultures hold children to high standards and do not hold a very positive view of the mistake-making processes. Miguel may feel this pressure to conform to his culture’s social norm, therefore he beats himself up over any mistake he makes, leaving him unable to sleep well and extremely irritable.