September 2010 Archives

Listen to this episode about testosterone on This American Life http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/220/testosterone (click on stream episode to listen to it for free).

Tell me what you think, and in doing so, answer some of these questions. What do you think these experiences tell us about nature vs. nurture? The self and identity? What aspect most surprised you? Would you want to do a testosterone experiment on yourself (taking more or less than you naturally have)? Why or why not?

Listen to the episode Super Powers from This American Life http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/178/superpowers (click on stream episode to listen to it for free).

How do super powers relate to personality types? Using appropriate personality terminology, describe what type of personality the people in act 1 and act 2 might have. What super power would you choose? Why? What do you think that says about your personality?

Have a movie you love that you think relates to psychology? Have a movie you love, that thinks it's about psychology, but they get it all wrong?! Post your movie review here...make sure to be critical about what the psychology information is, and whether or not they got it right!

Make sure to answer the following in your remarks:

 Name of movie:

 Give a very brief overview of the plot.

 What area of psychology does this movie relate to?

 Describe in more detail, what psychological principles are demonstrated in the movie?

 How accurate is the portrayal of these principles?

 Would you recommend this movie to other students in the class interested in psychology?

Very cool images and information about fetal development

http://www.visembryo.com

click on fetal development in left hand column orange box to see what we saw in class.

By Tuesday 9/21 due by 11am

Yesterday, you watched a video on the brain and heart. What is your overall impression of the film? What did you learn that you did not know before? Which aspect of brain function was explained best (to you)? What aspect do you still have questions about?

Check this out:

http://www.2loop.com/3drooms.html

How does it work?

You can learn a lot by talking to the people who raised you. We live with these people day to day and for so long, but often we don't talk about these sorts of things. You might be surprised by what you learn. Choose one or more of these interview options.

Interview your mother (if available) about her birth experience with you.

Interview the people who raised you about your developmental milestones ("firsts" words, steps, day of school, etc)

Interview the people who raised you about their views on parenting. How did they determine family rules? What were their goals in setting rules and boundaries? What kind of parenting style do you determine that they had/have?

Interview the people who raised you about what was for them the most difficult parenting years with you (babyhood, toddler years, adolescence, now?!)

There are many common sense principles in popular culture that have to do with psychology. Some are true, some are not. Many have a kernel of truth to them, conflicting findings, or circumstances under which they are true (or not).

Throughout the semester, as comments to this post, put forward a popular belief and then clearly explain (supported by evidence) the truthfulness of the belief.

http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/08/mf_qa_singh/

What do you think?

Find something on the internet that you think belongs on our blog? Leave a comment with a description and URL and how it relates to the class and we will periodically add these as full posts on the blog.

Thanks!

Google around (using the images search) and find an illusion that you like. Describe the illusion, post the URL for it, and do some research on why it works, and what sort of perceptual or brain phenomenon it capitalizes on to work. Discuss what you learned.