Tag Archives: Fall 2018

Neuroscience

--Original published at AlyssaM

I was first drawn to the TED talk: “Rebecca Saxe: How We Read Each Other’s Minds” because it seems like with two people I know, it happens very frequently. It was about how people try to understand what another is thinking in order to understand them and rationalize certain aspects. She described a section of the brain dedicated to this process and that novelist use it often when creating characters. She explained the tiny magnetic pulses that could be used to slightly influence reactions in the brain. I found most interesting that there is a small part of the brain that specializes in such procedures, as compared to woven into another function of the brain. The presenter, Rebecca, I thought was mostly trustworthy compared to other sources. She had a lot of charts to demonstrate her point, although it is unclear how many participants took part in the making of the stats. She also had several examples in an experiment and displayed the videos from different ages. However, she did not point out if she studied more than the few in the videos. I would do a research project similar to what she did with the young children, to see how others see different situations. I first would write various stories that makes a person think deeply about another’s actions. For example, good versus evil and if the evil is justified because of their broken past. Should the good be allowed to destroy the evil, when they were only hurt, or should they try to heal the evil; would be part of the study I would analyze.

First Impression Post- Chapter 2: Neuroscience

--Original published at HuntersCollegeBlog

For this first impression post, I decided to pick the TED talk entitled “Exploring the Mind of a Serial Killer.” I’ve always been fascinated by the human brain, especially serial killers’, because they have different brain aspects that non serial killers do not. It’s fascinating to me that because of these different brain aspects, it can motivate them to do heinous crimes, such as murder.

In this TED talk, the speaker, Jim Fallon, a neuroscientist, and a professor at the University of California, talked about how he recently became fascinated with the brains of serial killers. He begins by talking about the interaction of genes, and epigenetic affects. He said that how you end up as a serial killer depends on when damage to the orbital cortex or the anterior part of temporal lobe occurs (these two parts of the brain were damaged on the serial killer’s brains he examined, there are other parts of the brain that can be damaged). The major violence gene is called the MAOA gene. It is a sex-linked genes and is only on the X-chromosome, so one can only get it from their mother. The gene has to do with too much serotonin during development. When one has that gene in utero, the brain becomes insensitive to the serotonin. In order to express the gene in a violent way, the person has to be exposed to some sort of traumatic violence. Having exposure to that violence, and having that gene is a cause for disaster. Jim Fallon also talked about how his cousin was Lizzy Borden, and the first murder of a mother by a son was his great (x5) grandfather.

From this TED talk, I found it most interesting and ironic that Jim Fallon wasn’t aware of the violent behavior in his family, but was studying the brains of serial killers. I also found it fascinating that damage to parts of the brain, and having the gene, as well as violent exposure can be cause to becoming a serial killer.

I believe Jim Fallon is very knowledgable in this course of study, because he’s been doing neurological work for over 35 years, and studying behavior. He is also a professor, and a neurologist, so he is very well educated in the field of neurology.

For my research idea, I would want to figure out who is prone to having the MAOA gene, and how you can determine before birth if someone has it. In order to conduct this research, I would reach out to different neurologist, and ask them how you can determine what genes you have, and how the MAOA gene is first discovered, I would ask if there was any way to tell before birth if the baby has the gene. I would also ask if predominately men have the gene, since Fallon said that it is an X-chromosome gene, which is given by the mother, which is why mostly men are serial killers.

 

First Impression-Chapter 2

--Original published at Bailey PSY 105 Blog

I have always been interested in the topics of serial killers, and what goes behind the motivation of these killers to commit the crimes that they do. The implications of the genetic structure of the brain contributing to someone turning into a murderer is very compelling to me, so that is why I chose the talk Exploring the Mind of a Killer.

In the TED talk, neuroscientist Jim Fallon goes into detail about the mental structure of a serial killer and how genetics, early experiences, brain structure, and critical timing goes in to the making of a killer. In the talk, Fallon goes into depth about the structure of the orbital lobe, as well as the genetic significance of timing when one is examining what creates a serial killer. For example, the combination of early childhood exposure to violence as well as the MAO-A gene, as well as the overexposure to serotonin when your brain is developing, is what Fallon refers to as “a recipe for disaster.” Fallon also gets into the contributions a family tree has to serial killers, and details his own experiences with several of his own relatives (including Lizzy Borden and the Cornells) that committed gruesome murders.

I found the aspect of the family tree most interesting when watching the TED talk, because I had no idea that the concept of being a killer could run in the family. It does make sense after watching it, though, because if what Fallon claims about the MAO-A gene is correct, and if it keeps getting passed down from generation to generation, the gene would continue to have the same effects if the child was exposed to some sort of violent stimuli early on.

I find the presenter very trustworthy; Fallon is a neuroscientist as well as a professor at University of California, and has dedicated over 35 years to studying behavior as a result to brain and genetic structure. Though he has just recently gotten involved in studying killers, I believe that he has enough of a solid background in the subject to be able to apply it to this field. I also think that the consistencies he has found in the genetics and brain scans of more than 70 examples of violent killers are very sturdy proof of his claim.

If I were to do a research study based on the information presented on the talk, I would look more deeply into if there is a way to correct the damaged structure of the orbital region of the brain through sessions of therapy, or prescription medications. I would take previous offenders who displayed this type of behavior and brain structure, as well as people that had not yet committed a violent crime and split them into a control and experimental group. I would then submit the control group to sessions of talk therapy as well as pharmaceuticals. Finally, I would test and compare the way that both groups responded to various stressful and perhaps violence-inducing situations (in a controlled environment) and see if the drugs or therapy had made any difference. I would also preform repeat brain scans to see if the actual structure of the brain had been edited at all since the start of the correction attempts.

Chapter 2 First Impression Prompt

--Original published at Jayln's Perspective

For this week’s first impression prompt, I chose to watch Thomas Insel’s, “towards a new understanding of mental illness.”  This TED talk stuck out to me right away because there are so many people who struggle with mental illnesses, and I was interested to hear another perspective. Insel begins his TED talk by using positive statistics about how far science has come in the last decade. Leukemia, heart disease, AIDS, and strokes fatalities have all decreased because of the concept of early detection, early intervention. He then continues to redefine mental illnesses as brain disorders. The brain is such a complicated organ and scientists are now beginning to figure out its complexities. Insel says that science has a long way to go, but in order to really make a difference in decreasing the number of deaths that occur because of these brain disorders is to apply the same concept of early detection, early intervention. Usually, doctors wait until there is any sort of behavioral change to start treatment, but Insel warns against this. By using schizophrenia as an example, he reveals that before behavioral changes even occur, the brain exhibits signs of a brain disorder. If scientists discover a way to detect these changes in the brain, then we will not have to wait until it is too late to diagnose someone. After listening to this TED talk, I am looking forward to studying more types of brain disorders in class. Someday, I hope we are able to apply the concept of early detection, early intervention so people are able to get the help they need to recover.

Chapter Two First Impression

--Original published at David's Blog

For this weeks impression post I chose to watch a ted talk titled “Exploring the mind of a killer” do by Jim Fallon. The reason I chose this ted talk was because I enjoy trying to figure out what goes on in a psychopathic killers mind. I also enjoy shows like Law and Order where they deal with stuff like this every episode. They try and dive into the mind of a killer and figure out there thought process to solve a case. Things I’d like to know would be do they feel emotion, do they understand there actions, and what got them to this point. Fallon explained that making a killer starts young, if they have to much of serotonin in there system the become numb to it and can’t clam them selfs. He also stated that if someone is exposed to something traumatic when they are young they are even more likely to grow up to be a killer. It would be very interesting if we can do more research on killers brains to possibly find anymore cause of there behavior, or even find a way to stop people from becoming killers early on.

Chapter Two First Impression~NeuroScience

--Original published at Taylor'sEtownCollegeBlog

I chose the talk that about “Exploring the Mind of a Killer” because I find it highly interesting as to why people are the way that they are. I also watch many CSI and crime investigation shows that analyze why and how people become psychopaths and such. The talk spoke about how different injuries to the brain and the time period in which they occurred impact the way that you develop as a human. The scientist that was speaking analyzed several brains and how they were similar and or different. He found that there is a correlation between injuries in certain areas of the brain and behavior. He also found that there is a gene that is passed down on the X chromosome that carries the gene for violence. This gene is often found in males and therefore, more men turn out to be psychotic and serial killers. What I found most interesting in the video was that there is more than how you are raised that impacts a person’s personality, right down to their genes. I found this presenter trustworthy because he is a professor at the University of California and is a neuroscientist that is known around the world for his studies of the brain. Also, the reputation of TED talks is very god because they hire and broadcast videos and documents that are traditionally presented by those of quality work and study.
For myself personally, I would be interested in finding what the top causes of injury to the brain is that causes someone to become a psychopathic killer. I would conduct this research by taking all the known psychopathic killers and taking a scan of their brain and looking at their health record and getting information from family about the life and major psychosocial events in the psychotic person’s life. Then I would take all the information that I was given and compare it. The other way that I could possibly do an experiment for this question is by taking children who carry the gene for violence and watching them grow and develop into adulthood. I could also then watch for psychotic tendencies and see if there was a correlation.

~Taylor

Chapter 2 First Impression Prompts – Neuroscience

Hand writing on a notebook

Regardless of which prompt you choose, please use the Tag “Neuroscience” on your post.

For your blog prompt this week, you are to choose one of the following TED talks:

Each talk focuses on a different aspect of the brain. In your response, address the following issues:

  • What drew you to choose the talk you did?
  • Briefly summarize the talk.
  • What did you find most interesting about the talk?
  • How trustworthy did you find the presenter and the information she or he presented? Explain why. (Note: you must go beyond talking about the reputation of TED talks in general)
  • Come up with a research idea of your own based on the information presented in the talk and briefly outline how you would conduct it.

For refinement posts, I want you to focus on critiquing the assessment of why the presenter was or was not trustworthy and the research design for the proposed study your classmate creates.

I look forward to seeing what you write!

Header image: CC by Flickr user Caitlinator

First Impression: Parenting

--Original published at Cecilia's Thoughts

There are many kinds of parenting styles, some similar and some very different and then some in between, from lighthouse to helicopter parenting. Lighthouse parenting is basically to love your children infinitely and let them make their own mistakes and learn from them. On the opposite end of this is helicopter parenting which is called this because the parent hovers over the child’s life from birth on throughout their whole life. This type of parent plans out their child’s life from the very start and micromanages their child with everything. Somewhere in the middle of these two is known as dolphin parenting, this means that the parents set rules and have expectations, but they allow their children to also have independence and to make their own mistakes.

To raise the most successful and happy children I believe parents must be somewhere in the middle of the spectrum, like a dolphin parent. In order to have a this outcome for your child, the dolphin parenting is the best option because it allows the child to see boundaries, rules, and guidelines in a sort, but the child also has enough freedom to make their own mistakes and learn from them themselves. This gives the pathway for a child to know right from wrong because of what their parents taught them, but he/she is not being micromanaged to the point where they experience nothing for themselves. It is important to have guidance from parents, but not everything planned out for the child. Dolphin parenting sums up what I believe is best when raising a child, which I think will raise a happy, healthy, and successful person.

 

First Impression ch4

--Original published at Carly's College Blog

When it comes to parenting styles, I think it can be hard to pin point just one perfect style. I feel that when parenting, there should be balance between strictness and how laid back to be.

I want to start with helicopter parents. Helicopter parents hover their child’s every move and decision. They need to know absolutely everything all the time and can even become overly controlling. I think this could cause the child to develop anxiety. It could give them a suffocated feeling and cause them to be constantly worried about the decisions they are making and how they are handling every day situations. However, I don’t think parents should be totally laisse faire. There are certain disciplines in a child’s life where I think parents should be more controlling than in others, such as monitoring their child’s school work.

This brings me to the “jellyfish” parent. Jellyfish parents are extremely laid back and let their children do whatever they want. There are no set rules or expectations. although this gives the child an extreme sense of freedom, I think they tend to have a poorer sense of self discipline. They don’t need to meet any expectations, nd without parents giving them some guidance, may not fully understand which actions could be considered “right’ or “wrong”. Lastly, we have the tiger mom. I view this more overbearing than helicopter parents, personally. They strive so hard to push their children to succeed. I think this can even lead to depression in children who are not meeting the expectations of the parent or parents that are putting the extra pressure on them.

Overall, I think having balance and open communication between child and adult is the key to successful parenting.

Chapter 4 First Impression

--Original published at Chey's Blog

I chose to make an eight stage development cycle like Erik Erikson did previously. It goes as follows:

Infant to 18 Months: Safety vs Fear

18 Months to 5 Years: Moral vs Immoral

6 to 7 Years: Inclusive vs Exclusive

8 to 14 Years: Individuality vs Group Mentality

15 to 20 Years: Identity vs Anonymity

20 to 36 Years: Control vs Crisis

35 to 60 Years: Fulfillment vs Dissatisfaction

60 and Older: Contentment vs Discontentment

Safety vs Fear: When infants are beginning to develop they trust easily, but when they are afraid of something they lose that sense of trust as well as any sense of safety they felt. When there is safety there is no fear. But in the absence of safety an infant would feel fear. An infants interaction with the world around them would teach them what to fear and what not to fear. Parents play a role in that teaching as well.

Moral vs Immoral: Children are taught by their parents what is moral and what is immoral. When children do something ‘wrong’ they are disciplined by their parents. If they do something ‘right’ they are often praised. In early childhood morals are one of the basic concepts taught by parents and that moral compass tends to follow children throughout their lives.

Inclusive vs Exclusive: Children learn what they do and don’t like pretty early in life as well. If children like something they will include it into their lives. If they don’t like something they will exclude it from their lives. For example, if a child doesn’t like peas, but does like grapes, they will include grapes into their diet and exclude peas.

Individuality vs Group Mentality: As children develop into adolescents they learn how they want to express themselves individually. But they won’t always express themselves as individuals. Society targets adolescents with standards and norms to make them feel as though they need to follow the crowd and be part of a group. Their individuality could be hidden by the group that they associate with.

Identity vs Anonymity: During this stage people are figuring out what their identity truly is along with their sexuality. People often express their true identity during these years more than they did during previous years. In opposition to that some people don’t want to be noticed. They blend in with others and avoid being their own person, which is where the anonymity portion comes in.

Control vs Crisis: During this period adults want to have control of their lives. They want to have a plan that is full-proof that they can continue on for the years to come. If they don’t have a sense of control there will be crisis. A lot of people refer to this as a ‘mid-life crisis.’

Fulfillment vs Dissatisfaction: At this stage in life an individual has completed the goals they’ve set for themselves. They’ve done what they set out to do in their life. Either that or they haven’t accomplished these goals and they’re dissatisfied with their life. They can still try to reach these goals or they will settle with feeling despair due to the outcome of their life.

Contentment vs Discontentment: In the late stages of life individuals feel content with their lives. They are satisfied and aren’t wanting for more than what their life has offered them. In contrast they feel discontent. They aren’t happy with the outcome of their life and they end up being unhappy with their last stages.