Author Archives: cakatch

Chapter 8 First Impression

--Original published at Courtney's College Blog

Throughout middle school and high school, I have established several studying techniques that work for me. An essential one is that I take notes from the lecture, take notes from the book, then compile the information in to a master study guide. This is my first college course, so this is helping me to organize a large sum of material, that I did not have in high school. If the exam has much vocabulary, I utilize flash cards. These really help me because I have to produce the definition without context. If I can produce the definitions without context, it makes me more confident when I enter an exam. For processes like action potential and synapse, I like to draw out the steps. It takes away the complexity of understanding something abstract, since I have a visual guide. These methods have helped me throughout high school, but there are several things I need to improve on before I am a full time college student.

Sometimes I focus too much on specific information, I forget to analyze the big picture. This happened to be in my Anatomy and Physiology course last spring. Although I impressed my teacher with specific details and definitions, they were not necessary to understanding the process as a whole. Another studying flaw that I have is studying in the wrong environment. I have a busy schedule, so I like to spend time around my family, even if I am just simply studying in their presence. My brothers are 15 and 12, so this environment can get loud, and I would be better off studying in a quiet space like my bedroom. Relating to my busy schedule, many times I find myself studying at extreme hours of the night. Since I am extremely tired, I am not very productive in my studying. Because this course is online and mostly at your own pace, it has helped me combat this flaw. I need to learn to combat this flaw before my 8am biology lecture in the fall.

For the first exam, I compiled my notes from the lectures and the textbook to create a massive study guide. It was essential for me to include examples for different topics. For example, I put an example of a case study in my study guide so I can further understand what that research method is. I got ahead of schedule for the first exam so I could spend an entire day reading over my notes and going through my flashcards. One thing I. would change is that I studied in a loud environment. For the next exam, I will find a quieter space to focus on the material. I will definitely implement these strategies for the next exam.

Chapter 7 First Impression Post

--Original published at Courtney's College Blog

I believe that violent video games should be permitted, as long as parents use the correct precautions. Young children are easily influenced by their environment, but once they enter the formal operations stage, they can handle it responsibly. Around age 12, children have the capability to understand that even though they can engage in violence in a video game, they can not engage in it in the real world. Piaget’s formal operations stage allows children to think abstractly. This is why their brains can distinguish between what is appropriate for a video game and real life.

I have two younger brothers, ages 12 and 15, and they have been engaging in violent video games for years. For one of my brothers’ eighth birthday, he wanted Grand Theft Auto for his Play Station. My parents were hesitant, so they asked some of their friends with children of the same age. An overwhelming amount of those parents allowed their children to play violent video games, so my brother received the game for his birthday. He is not a violent child, no more than any typical boy, but that is only one case.

Before video games are permanently banned, there should be a research study of the correlation between violent video games and violence in the real world. There can be longitudinal study with three groups: children exposed to violent games before age twelve, after age twelve, and not at all. If there is an overwhelming correlation between video game players and violence regardless of age, then they should be banned. If there are much less children that were over the age of twelve that engaged in violence in the real world, video games should be permitted as long as parents use the correct precautions. When the child becomes interested in these types of games, parents should ask them why they want the game, and determine if they are responsible enough to handle it.

Chapter 2 First Impression

--Original published at Courtney's College Blog

For this assignment, I chose to analyze Jim Fallon’s TED Talk, “Exploring the Mind of a Killer.” I was compelled to this video because I was interested in what factors create a psychopathic killer. It is something I had never thought about before, so I was surprised when Fallon mentioned that the interaction of genes, biological and environmental factors, and how these situations are timed perfectly, is how a psychopathic killer can arise. He analyzed 70 killers and determined that all of them had damage to their orbital cortex and the anterior temporal lobe. The gene aspect of what makes a psychopathic killer is the presence of the MAOA gene. This gene is sex-lined, and is maternal. This describes why mostly men are psychopathic killers. It causes too much serotonin when the person is in utero, which makes the brain insensitive to it when the person is born. In order for the MAOA gene to be expressed, the person had to experience a traumatic event sometime before puberty. Fallon ended the talk with how he determined that his father’s side of the family had several psychopathic killers. He tested his family by PET scans, EEG tests, and genetic analyses. Fallon found two of his family members had suspicious similarities to psychopathic killers.

I found the fact that the gene that causes psychopathic killers is sex linked most surprising. I had always wondered why there are many more male murders than female ones. I had always assumed that it had something to do with testosterone levels and societal norms.

Jim Fallon is a trustworthy source because he studied psychopathic killers for years. He is a neuroscientist at a brain imaging center, and a professor at the University of California Irvine School of Medicine.

A study that I would conduct is determining what types of trauma were common to fulfill the environmental aspect of a psychopathic killer. I would interview the family and friends of as many killers and I can. I would ask questions about the killer’s childhood to determine if a certain type of trauma is commonly present. This information can help society to determine who is at a greater risk of becoming a psychopathic killer.

Chapter 4 First Impression Post

--Original published at Courtney's College Blog

I have become opinionated about parenting over the past few years through observing the styles of my parents and those of my friends. I believe that parents should find a middle ground between strict and laid-back parenting.

When parents are too controlling, their children do not know how to take care of themselves. I have some friends my own age that do not have time management skills, because their parent plans out their day for them, minute by minute. Their thoughts are constantly put down by their parents, whom are viewed as far more superior. This results in the people being incapable to formulate their own opinions, which can be detrimental in adulthood. I understand why parents do not want their children to experience failure, but failure is essential to learning. Parents can not always be a “safety net” to take away all of their problems. Children, especially young adults, should learn to solve their own problems, a practical skill in the adult world. I believe that strict parenting strains the relationship between the child and the parent. The children may fear the parents or not feel as close to them, because they are micromanaging their life. The children may be feared by the parents’ excessive punishments. Strict parenting has its upsides because the children know that the parents care about them, since they are exerting so much energy in to improving their lives. Strict parents keep the child focused on their dreams. They make sure that no assignment is turned in late and that no sports practice is skipped.

Parents should not be too permissive either. It is essential for children to be loved, in order for other psychological needs to be met. If parents are barely involved in the children’s lives, the children do not get the basis of being loved. Children with unrestrictive parents may not know how to respect authority, because they did not have any authority while growing up. The laissez-faire parenting style is not fully a terrible thing. It teaches children to learn on their own. I have observed that children with permissive parents learn to cook, clean, and take care of themselves at an earlier age. The bond between the child and parent are usually stronger when unrestrictive parenting is used. These parents usually just want to please their children, resulting in minimal conflict.

Finding a mixture between these two parenting styles is ideal. This results in the child feeling cared for and self sufficient, while also having guidance. A parent should serve as a guide in a child’s life. They should be involved, but not in an authoritarian way.

Chapter 1 First Impression Post

--Original published at Courtney's College Blog

Question: How does summer vacation affect the intelligence of children from different social statuses?

Hypothesis: I would expect children from wealthy families to increase their knowledge, and children from poorer families to decrease their knowledge because wealthy families have the resources to allow their children to expand their education during the summer.

Procedure:

  1. Establish three groups of children: those from wealthy, middle class, and lower class families. The more children involved in the experiment, the more reliable the results will be. To keep variables controlled, children should be in the same school and grade level.
  2. Administer an educational test at the end of the school year, and record each child’s score. The test should be made up of mathematics, reading, writing, science, and social studies.
  3. At the beginning of the next school year, have the children take a similar test.
  4. Evaluate the results to see if social class has an affect on educational improvements over summer break.

Introductory Blog Post

--Original published at Courtney's College Blog

My name is Courtney Katch, an upcoming senior at Hempfield High School in Landisville, PA. I am hoping to attend Elizabethtown College next year with a major in biology, on a pre-medical track. I am taking two classes this summer to introduce myself to college-level coursework, while gaining college credit.

I am taking this course to complete a required course for my major. Also, I am considering obtaining a minor in psychology, and I am hoping that this course will give me a clear response as to if I should do so.

I have limited background in psychology, although I am very interested in the subject. I have taken Biology, Anatomy and Physiology, and Child Development in high school, which touched upon psychology.

When I hear the word psychology, I think of the science behind emotions and daily processes.

I am looking forward to learning about mental illness, because it is something that has affected by life. Since I am pursuing a career in medicine, I am interested in neuro-imaging, and psychiatric medication.

While looking through the course schedule, I was delighted to see how much I was interested in. I am least excited to learn about the scientific method, and why research design matters. Although these concepts are important, I am eager to dive in to material that is specific to psychology. Another least interesting concept is personality and culture, because it is less intriguing than other topics, like mood disorders and treatment.

At the end of this course, I hope to have a clear understanding about the basics of psychology, because I am taking psychopathology in the fall. I hope these courses let me know if I should to follow through with a psychology minor.