Welcome to Introduction to Psychology!

By maclink on August 14, 2013 8:03 PM | 2 Comments

Familiarize yourself with the blog. You'll quickly notice that your assignments are listed here (under the Blog tab) in chronological order. There are also some posts that go beyond these listed here for your assignments, and feel free to browse those using the links in the right side menu.

You have two main types of assignments: summaries and impressions of chapter readings, and reflections on psychology in the 'real world' as presented to you via various media (mostly audio from This American Life, and a couple of other activities). Your responses should be range between 350-750 words.  We expect full and complete responses. Answer all questions, provide a rationale for your answers, and link your thoughts and opinion to textbook content. Make sure to include your terms at the bottom of your post. 

If you have a smartphone or tablet, the easiest way to access the TAL audio shows is by downloading the This American Life app. The interface is very easy to use (it is free); you can easily search for the show you want by episode number or title; and listening at that point is very easy :)  You can also go to the This American Life website if you choose. Once you find the show (searching by episode number) you click on launch player to listen. Some assignments require you to listen to only a portion of the show (maybe 10 or 20 minutes long; others require you listening to the whole show (about and hour). So plan accordingly.

You also have a another book (besides your textbook) to read for this class and write a paper on it; as well as 4 quizzes and a final. There is also a 4 hour experiment requirement (you need to participate in 4 hours worth of experiments sometime throughout the semester). More about that in the Syllabus.

The Course Resources tab (near the top of your screen) has important information about this class including the Syllabus which includes ALL information about assignments and course policies; the Course Calendar which shows your assignments, due dates, and in-class meetings; information about your Book Analysis, how to contact your Teaching Assistants, how to access your grades via eLearning, and information about Turnitin where you will post an electronic copy of your book analysis to screen for plagiarism issues. 

By Thursday you are to register for this website (so you can log in and comment to posts). Go to the Course Resources tab and click on the link that says How To Register. The directions are detailed and IMPORTANT. With so many students in the class, I beg you to read them carefully and follow all the instructions. Make sure you have scrolled all the way to the bottom of the document so you follow all the directions. One thing that always comes up (though it says it in the directions!) is that your registration is NOT automatic. I have to go in and activate your account. So please be patient after registering :)  

Please for Thursday also read Chapter 1. You will not have a writing assignment on this chapter, but its content with be on the quiz.

Explore!

http://www.learner.org/series/discoveringpsychology/history/index.html

http://academictree.org/psych/

http://www.bloomberg.com/dataview/2014-04-17/how-americans-die.html 

http://io9.com/10-scientific-ideas-that-scientists-wish-you-would-stop-1591309822?utm_campaign=socialflow_io9_facebook&utm_source=io9_facebook&utm_medium=

publishing 

why isn't academic research free?

Spurious Correlations 

Behavioral Science

Book Selection

By maclink on August 14, 2013 7:59 PM | 142 Comments

I had the bookstore carry a few of the book options for this assignment. However, you are not limited to those titles. You may choose any of the titles from here: http://www.psychologicalscience.com/intropsy/2010/08/books-from-the-real-world.html

Also, the bookstore does not make it very clear about those books beyond the textbook. You only need ONE of them, not all of them; and as I mentioned above, you can choose another book altogether from that link.

You should choose a book that you are genuinely interested in, and consider this an opportunity to read something that you enjoy (even though it is also for a class). There are short books, long books, easier to read books, harder to read books, fiction, and non-fiction books. You can read reviews and summaries of these books through the Amazon links provided on that page.

Many of these books are available at the UNI library and our local Cedar Falls and Waterloo Public Libraries. You may also purchase them at a local book seller like Barnes and Noble in Waterloo, or online at Amazon or other online merchants. Amazon also has digital options for your IPhone, IPad, Nook, or Kindle.

You should order/get your book THIS WEEK.

Guidelines for the book report are here: http://www.psychologicalscience.com/intropsy/2010/10/book-report-guidelines.html. 

Review your calendar and be prepared to choose a Thursday due date sometime this semester. A sign up sheet for due dates will be passed around in class on Thursday.  

On your due date, you will turn a hard copy in to me in class. Given that you are choosing your own deadline, no late papers are accepted. You may change your deadline throughout the semester as long as you provide 2 weeks notice. You must email your request for an extension to me, and if I approve it, include a copy of the email with your final report. You will also turn in a copy electronically to Turnitin.com (information about this is linked under the Course Resources tab).

Allow sufficient time to read your book and write your report.

For this assignment: all you need to do is log in and comment with your book title (you will provide your due date in class on Thursday)

Ch 2 Role of Biology in Psychology

By maclink on August 14, 2013 7:59 PM | 144 Comments

Read Ch 2 in your textbook. 

Don't worry so much about your answers being beautifully written (yet!); focus on reading and understanding the material and then communicating that understanding to us when answering these questions. You should not do a list (pose question: answer it). Your response should be a coherent and cohesive essay, within which you answer the following questions:

From your reading, which topic(s) are most interesting to you?

What does the brain have to do with psychology? Why study brain activity and brain function to understand psychological questions?

What was the most surprising or memorable thing you learned about in this reading?

Provide a list of psychological terms that you used in your comment at the bottom of your post.

Write your response in Word or other word processor, and SAVE IT. Then, click on 'comments' right below the title of this blog post and above the picture. You will be prompted to log in. Once logged on, you can copy and paste your assignment into the box and submit. 

Explore!

Why Do We Yawn?

5 ways social media is changing your brain 

Neurology, not just fancy technology

How Magic Mushrooms Change your Brain

Video Games are Good For Your Brain

Children's cells live in mothers' brains

Handedness

Sex

Testosterone

By maclink on August 14, 2013 7:58 PM | 141 Comments

For this assignment, listen to the Prologue, Act 1, Act 2, and Act 3 of the This American Life episode #220 called Testosterone. If you have a smartphone or tablet, the easiest way to listen to this, and all the other radio shows for the class, is to download the This American Life app. Once you have the app you can quickly find shows (by title or episode number) and listen right then and there. You can also go to the website www.thisamericanlife.org and search on episode number. I've found it for you here:  http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/220/testosterone  click on launch player and listen to the show.

What did you learn about the extent to which human thought and behavior is governed by hormones? Were you surprised? Reflect on how your own behavior may be dictated by hormonal influences. 

Provide the psychology terms you used in your response at the bottom of your comment.

Ch 3 Consciousness

By maclink on August 14, 2013 7:54 PM | 139 Comments

Read Chapter 3.

What really is consciousness? How do all these different topics that are in this consciousness come together to form an all encompassing understanding of consciousness? How has your understanding of consciousness changed since reading this chapter?

From your reading, which topic(s) are most interesting to you?

What was the most surprising or memorable thing you learned about in this reading?

Provide a list of psychological terms that you used in your comment at the bottom of your post.

Write your response in Word or other word processor, and SAVE IT. Then, click on 'comments' right below the title of this blog post and above the picture. You will be prompted to log in. Once logged on, you can copy and paste your assignment into the box and submit. 


Explore!

http://pinker.wjh.harvard.edu/articles/media/2007%20The%20Mystery%20of%20Consciousness%20TIME.htm

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/826263?nlid=58705_2051

Origins of Consciousness

Lucid Dreaming

By maclink on August 14, 2013 7:53 PM | 146 Comments

For this week's assignment, you will need to start several days before the due date. 

The goal is to become more aware the fact that you do dream by remembering that you have dreamt and becoming better at recalling dream content; once that is tackled, you can work on becoming lucid in your dreams (knowing your are dreaming while you are dreaming). 

There are two things you will start doing all at once: 

The first is to keep a dream journal. A note pad or your phone's recording device by your bed side will work. As soon as you wake up, jot down what you remember from your dreams, even if only a few key words. Do this for several days.

The second is to ask yourself during your normal waking day "Is this real? Am I dreaming." The reason being, that you will gain practice at asking yourself these very simple questions. Habit is habit, and you may eventually find that you will spontaneously ask yourself these questions while you are dreaming, which can trigger a lucid dreaming experience. Do this also for several days.

These two things combined often trigger lucid dreaming in people after a few days. You may startle yourself awake the first time you lucid dream. That's ok! Lucid dreaming is a skill, and does take practice.

There is some information here http://www.lucidity.com/LucidDreamingFAQ2.html#LD that you may find helpful. Not all of this information has been scientifically validated (though some has), but it won't hurt you to read it and make use of some of the techniques :)

There's also some interesting information here: http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2009/09/21/how-to-lucid-dream/

There is also a lot of junk and untested techniques on the internet if you good how to lucid dream. So beware, use common sense, and have fun with it.

For this assignment, you do not need to divulge the content of your dreams :) Rather, discuss the PROCESS by which you attempted to lucid dream, and the progress your made throughout that process.

List your psychological terms at the bottom.

Ch 4 Development

By maclink on August 14, 2013 7:52 PM | 138 Comments

Read Chapter 4.

What factors impact human development? Choose one of the links in the Explore! section below and discuss it.  How has your understanding of human development changed since reading this chapter?

From your reading, which topic(s) are most interesting to you?

What was the most surprising or memorable thing you learned about in this reading?

Provide a list of psychological terms that you used in your comment at the bottom of your post.

Write your response in Word or other word processor, and SAVE IT. Then, click on 'comments' right below the title of this blog post and above the picture. You will be prompted to log in. Once logged on, you can copy and paste your assignment into the box and submit. 

Developmental Interview

By maclink on August 14, 2013 7:50 PM | 130 Comments
For this assignment I would like you to interview one of your primary caregivers. For many of you this will be a biological mother or father; but it also could be an adoptive mother or father, grandmother or grandfather, or other person who raised you.

Now that you've read the chapter on human development, what questions do you have for your caregiver? You could ask questions about your mother's pregnancy and birth experience; specific questions about your temperament as a baby, and various milestones (first tooth, first word, first walking, etc). Possibly your family has a 'baby book' that documents some of these things. Talk to your caregiver about the things you want to know, but also learn about his/her/their experiences in raising you.

Most people find this experience of interviewing pretty rewarding and sometimes surprising. Don't feel badly if your caregiver does not remember certain 'firsts' (like what your first word was!) 

For the written portion of your assignment (posted as a comment to this post) let us know generally what you learned and your experience with the process. Reflect on how your experiences matches or does not match the information presented in the chapter. You do not need to provide your actual Q&A.

Ch 5 Sensation & Perception

By maclink on August 14, 2013 7:48 PM | 134 Comments

Read Ch 5 in your textbook. 

Your comments last week were much improved! Keep up the improvement by proofreading for errors and clarity, making sure you have asked all questions in narrative form, and that you have included your terms. 

While it is perfectly acceptable to read through other people's posts (in fact this is encouraged to some extent so that you can see the viewpoints of your peers, but also how your comment stacks up in terms of detail, argument, and length), you must of course do the assignment yourself. You should not rely on the content of other people's comments to get the content yourself. In other words, you still have to read or listen to the assignment on your own. 

From your reading, which topic(s) are most interesting to you?

What is transduction? Why is this process so fundamental to psychological experience?

What was the most surprising or memorable thing you learned about in this reading?

Provide a list of psychological terms that you used in your comment at the bottom of your post.

Write your response in Word or other word processor, and SAVE IT. Then, click on 'comments' right below the title of this blog post and above the picture. You will be prompted to log in. Once logged on, you can copy and paste your assignment into the box and submit. 

Explore!

What Hurts Worse? Childbirth or Getting Kicked in the Balls?

Where Does the Smell of Rain Come From?

Tetrachromancy

Perceptual Expertise

Is Your Red the Same as My Red?

How the Brain Gets Meaning From Sound

How Animals Hacked the Rainbow and Got Stumped on Blue

Inside the Colorful World of Animal Vision

Synesthesia 

music and taste

taste buds

Batman

The Dress 

Invisible Made Visible

By maclink on August 14, 2013 7:47 PM | 128 Comments
For this assignment, listen to the Prologue and Act 1 of the This American Life episode #464 called Invisible Made Visible. If you have a smartphone or tablet, the easiest way to listen to this, and all the other radio shows for the class, is to download the This American Life app. Once you have the app you can quickly find shows (by title or episode number) and listen right then and there. You can also go to the websitewww.thisamericanlife.org and search on episode number. I've found it for you here:  http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/464/invisible-made-visible click on launch player and listen to the show.

Reflect on the experiences of the guy in the hotel room and with his daughter. What do these experiences make you think about? How do his descriptions of what it is like to be blind (for him) change your understanding of the sighted vs. unsighted world? Discuss your insight, perspective and thoughts you have from listening to this show. 

Provide the psychology terms you used in your response at the bottom of your comment.







Ch 6 Learning

By maclink on August 14, 2013 6:07 PM | 137 Comments

Read Chapter 6.

What really is learning? From a psychological science perspective does it really have to do with how you probably think of learning (education, studying, etc)? How has your understanding of learning changed since reading this chapter?

From your reading, which topic(s) are most interesting to you?

What was the most surprising or memorable thing you learned about in this reading?

Provide a list of psychological terms that you used in your comment at the bottom of your post.

Write your response in Word or other word processor, and SAVE IT. Then, click on 'comments' right below the title of this blog post and above the picture. You will be prompted to log in. Once logged on, you can copy and paste your assignment into the box and submit. 


Explore!

human skinner box http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8z2WnC93N64

rat skinner box http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQtDTdDr8vs

phobias http://kusleika.com/breakfast/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/beafraid.jpg

Curiosity 

Teacher Spends Two Days as a Student

Knowledge-Hiding 

Common Core 1

Common Core 2

Behavioral Study Shows Rats Know how to Repay a Favor 

No Spanking, No Problem

Back to School

By maclink on August 14, 2013 6:06 PM | 124 Comments

For this assignment, listen to the Prologue, Act 1 and Act 2 of the This American Life episode #474 called Back to School. If you have a smartphone or tablet, the easiest way to listen to this, and all the other radio shows for the class, is to download the This American Life app. Once you have the app you can quickly find shows (by title or episode number) and listen right then and there. You can also go to the website www.thisamericanlife.org and search on episode number. I've found it for you here:  http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/474/back-to-school click on launch player and listen to the show.

How does this chapter on language and intelligence, and our previous chapter on learning tie into what you heard in this show?  According to what you know about the scientific aspects of language, intelligence, and learning as presented in your textbook, how can our public education system be improved? 

Provide the psychology terms you used in your response at the bottom of your comment.
Explore!

Ch 7 Memory

By maclink on August 14, 2013 6:04 PM | 134 Comments

Read Chapter 7.

Why is it that psychologists have theories for understanding memory? Why can't they simply describe what memory is and move on? What do theories do for our understanding of memory processes?

What was the most surprising or memorable thing you learned about in this reading?

Provide a list of psychological terms that you used in your comment at the bottom of your post.

Write your response in Word or other word processor, and SAVE IT. Then, click on 'comments' right below the title of this blog post and above the picture. You will be prompted to log in. Once logged on, you can copy and paste your assignment into the box and submit. 


Explore!

Scientists discover a process that regulates forgetting 

Study Tips

Infant Memory

Writing lists helps you forget

Why can't you remember being a baby

She can convince you that you committed a crime 

Brian Williams' False Memories 

Remembering a Crime You Didn't Commit


Recovered Memory

By maclink on August 14, 2013 6:04 PM | 123 Comments

For this assignment, listen to the Act 1 of the This American Life episode #215 called As An Expert. If you have a smartphone or tablet, the easiest way to listen to this, and all the other radio shows for the class, is to download the This American Life app. Once you have the app you can quickly find shows (by title or episode number) and listen right then and there. You can also go to the websitewww.thisamericanlife.org and search on episode number. I've found it for you here:  http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/215/ask-an-expert click on launch player and listen to the show.

How did this episode make you feel?  According to what you know about scientific aspects of memory as presented in your textbook, are there elements of recovered memory that make sense or that you think might have some validity? What questions do you still have about recovered memory or the recovered memory movement (from the perspective of practitioners using it or legal scholars trying to fight it)?

Provide the psychology terms you used in your response at the bottom of your comment.
Explore!

Ch 8 Thinking and Intelligence

By maclink on August 14, 2013 6:02 PM | 127 Comments

Read Chapter 8.

Why would language and intelligence be in the same chapter? How does the social context impact language acquisition or development? How does the social context impact intelligence?

From your reading, which topic(s) are most interesting to you?

What was the most surprising or memorable thing you learned about in this reading?

Provide a list of psychological terms that you used in your comment at the bottom of your post.

Write your response in Word or other word processor, and SAVE IT. Then, click on 'comments' right below the title of this blog post and above the picture. You will be prompted to log in. Once logged on, you can copy and paste your assignment into the box and submit. 


Explore!

The Birth of a Word http://www.ted.com/talks/deb_roy_the_birth_of_a_word.html

Battling Functional Fixedness http://sarcasticcharm.com/99-life-hacks-that-could-make-your-life-easier

Why Saying is Believing

Ignore the IQ test

From Brain to Computer

Creative Solutions

Improving Learning 

Memory, Focus and Good Teaching

Cognitive Biases

Rainy Days and Mondays

By maclink on August 14, 2013 6:00 PM | 124 Comments
For this assignment, listen to ct 2 of the This American Life episode #532 called Magic Words/Rainy Days & Mondays. If you have a smartphone or tablet, the easiest way to listen to this, and all the other radio shows for the class, is to download the This American Life app. Once you have the app you can quickly find shows (by title or episode number) and listen right then and there. You can also go to the website www.thisamericanlife.org and search on episode number. I've found it for you here: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/532/magic-words?act=2 click on launch player and listen to the show.

What aspects of the episode can you relate to this week's (or any other week's) chapter reading? What did you find most interesting? What would you like to learn more about?

Provide the psychology terms you used in your response at the bottom of your comment.

Ch 9 Motivation & Emotion

By maclink on August 14, 2013 5:59 PM | 124 Comments

Read Chapter 9.

What does it mean to be moved into action? What are the main sources of motivation? How does learning about motivation from a scientific perspective change how you view your own motivation (or lack thereof) tendencies? How has your understanding of motivation changed since reading this chapter?

From your reading, which topic(s) are most interesting to you?

What was the most surprising or memorable thing you learned about in this reading?

Provide a list of psychological terms that you used in your comment at the bottom of your post.

Write your response in Word or other word processor, and SAVE IT. Then, click on 'comments' right below the title of this blog post and above the picture. You will be prompted to log in. Once logged on, you can copy and paste your assignment into the box and submit. 

Explore!

Amy Cuddy:  Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are  http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are.html

Persistence

http://d24w6bsrhbeh9d.cloudfront.net/photo/aD01MGK_fbthumbnail_v1.jpg 

Elliot Rodger Manifesto 

http://www.buzzfeed.com/leonoraepstein/how-many-basic-skills-do-you-have

Turn on The Motivation Center in Your Brain

Motivating the Teen Brain

Your Goals

By maclink on August 14, 2013 5:58 PM | 116 Comments

I'd like you to consider the following four categories:

TASKS 

Low Importance

High Importance

Low Motivation

 

 

 

 

 

 

High Motivation

 

 

 

 

 

What are some tasks (of low importance and high importance) that you have low and high motivation for? For example, you might have low motivation for cleaning your apartment, but it also, personally, may be of low importance to you, etc. I'd like you to come up with several tasks for each category.

Next, i'd like you to take it to the next level, and consider the following grid:

 GOALS

Low Importance

High Importance

Low Motivation

 

 

 

 

 

 

High Motivation

 

 

 

 

 

For the previous grid you thought about tasks that you do and your level of motivation for them. Now, I'd like you to consider the various goals you have for yourself and reflect on your motivation for them and their level of importance to you.

Describe your experience reflecting on these tasks and goals, your motivation, and their level of importance to you. Has doing this assignment clarified any issues for you? If so, how and in what way?

Ch 10 Health & Well-Being

By maclink on August 14, 2013 5:57 PM | 131 Comments

Read Chapter 10.

How has your understanding of health and well-being changed since reading this chapter? How do you think the information from this chapter can help you in your day-to-day life?

From your reading, which topic(s) are most interesting to you?

What was the most surprising or memorable thing you learned about in this reading?

Provide a list of psychological terms that you used in your comment at the bottom of your post.

Write your response in Word or other word processor, and SAVE IT. Then, click on 'comments' right below the title of this blog post and above the picture. You will be prompted to log in. Once logged on, you can copy and paste your assignment into the box and submit. 

Explore!

Alcohol use

where do they go?

Trends with Benefits

By maclink on August 14, 2013 5:57 PM | 124 Comments
For this assignment, listen to the Prologue, Act 1, and Act 2 of the This American Life episode #490 called Trends with Benefits. If you have a smartphone or tablet, the easiest way to listen to this, and all the other radio shows for the class, is to download the This American Life app. Once you have the app you can quickly find shows (by title or episode number) and listen right then and there. You can also go to the website www.thisamericanlife.org and search on episode number. I've found it for you here:  http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/490/trends-with-benefits click on launch player and listen to the show.

What are your thoughts?

Provide the psychology terms you used in your response at the bottom of your comment.

Explore!

Ch 11 Social Psychology

By maclink on August 14, 2013 5:56 PM | 122 Comments

Read Chapter 11.

How do all these different topics that are in this social psychology chapter come together to form an all encompassing understanding of human thought and behavior in the social world?? How has your understanding of social psychology changed since reading this chapter?

From your reading, which topic(s) are most interesting to you?

What was the most surprising or memorable thing you learned about in this reading?

Provide a list of psychological terms that you used in your comment at the bottom of your post.

Write your response in Word or other word processor, and SAVE IT. Then, click on 'comments' right below the title of this blog post and above the picture. You will be prompted to log in. Once logged on, you can copy and paste your assignment into the box and submit. 

Explore!

http://thoughtcatalog.com/timmy-parker/2013/10/30-non-americans-on-the-weirdest-things-that-are-norms-to-americans/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/linda-tirado/why-poor-peoples-bad-decisions-make-perfect-sense_b_4326233.html

Debunking the Myth of Kitty Genovese 

http://www.prisonexp.org/

http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/2014/05/16/boston-college-professor-assigns-students-dates/jHXENWsdmp7cFlRPPwf0UJ/story.html

http://moms.popsugar.com/Should-You-Teach-Kids-Share-27333250

http://www.buzzfeed.com/regajha/how-privileged-are-you

The Biology of Altruism

Posture Makes a Difference

Why Poor Schools Can't Win at Standardized Testing

It's All in the Label

Mommy Problem

Sarcasm

Privilege

Lips

social injustice

whites are biased

The Girl Who Gets Gifts From  a Bird 

Make Yourself Fall in Love

Stereotyping Children

Racism vs Racists

Conformity Starts Young 

Soft Sexism

Soft Sexism 2

Harper High School

By maclink on August 14, 2013 5:55 PM | 119 Comments
488: Harper High School, Part Two
For this assignment, listen to the full shows of the This American Life episodes #487 & #488 called Harper High School Parts 1 & 2. If you have a smartphone or tablet, the easiest way to listen to this, and all the other radio shows for the class, is to download the This American Life app. Once you have the app you can quickly find shows (by title or episode number) and listen right then and there. You can also go to the website www.thisamericanlife.org and search on episode number. I've found it for you here:  http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/487/harper-high-school-part-one  and http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/488/harper-high-school-part-two click on launch player and listen to the show.How did these episodes make you feel?  According to what you know about scientific aspects of social psychology as presented in your textbook, which social psychological principles are operating at this school and in this community? 

Provide the psychology terms you used in your response at the bottom of your comment.

Ch 12 Self & Personality

By maclink on August 14, 2013 5:55 PM | 124 Comments

Read Chapter 12.

What really is personality? Why is testing and categorizing so important in the study of personality? Should it be? How has your understanding of personality changed since reading this chapter?

From your reading, which topic(s) are most interesting to you?

What was the most surprising or memorable thing you learned about in this reading?

Provide a list of psychological terms that you used in your comment at the bottom of your post.

Write your response in Word or other word processor, and SAVE IT. Then, click on 'comments' right below the title of this blog post and above the picture. You will be prompted to log in. Once logged on, you can copy and paste your assignment into the box and submit. 


Explore! 

5 Factor Personality Test http://www.personalitytest.org.uk/

Switched at Birth

By maclink on August 14, 2013 5:54 PM | 123 Comments

For this assignment, listen to the Prologue, Act 1, and Act 2 of the This American Life episode #360 called Switched at Birth. If you have a smartphone or tablet, the easiest way to listen to this, and all the other radio shows for the class, is to download the This American Life app. Once you have the app you can quickly find shows (by title or episode number) and listen right then and there. You can also go to the website www.thisamericanlife.org and search on episode number. I've found it for you here:  http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/360/switched-at-birth click on launch player and listen to the show.

How did this episode make you feel?  According to what you know about scientific aspects of nature vs nurture as presented in your textbook, which was most influential in the development of these children into adults? How were these people's personalities impacted by this switch?

Provide the psychology terms you used in your response at the bottom of your comment.

Ch 13 Psychological Disorders

By maclink on August 14, 2013 5:53 PM | 122 Comments

Read Chapter 13.

Why are psychological disorders so inherently interesting to people? What are the main causes or sources of psychological dysfunction? How has your understanding of psychological disorders changed since reading this chapter?

From your reading, which topic(s) are most interesting to you?

What was the most surprising or memorable thing you learned about in this reading?

Provide a list of psychological terms that you used in your comment at the bottom of your post.

Write your response in Word or other word processor, and SAVE IT. Then, click on 'comments' right below the title of this blog post and above the picture. You will be prompted to log in. Once logged on, you can copy and paste your assignment into the box and submit. 

Explore!

http://www.thefix.com/content/cory-monteith-addiction-treatment-maintenance-therapy8023

http://www.ted.com/talks/andrew_solomon_depression_the_secret_we_share.html

http://www.iflscience.com/brain/schizophrenia-revealed-be-8-genetically-distinct-disorders

Scientists Identify Genes Associated with Violent Crime

Defense mechanisms


Edge of Sanity

By maclink on August 14, 2013 5:50 PM | 118 Comments

Listen to the full show of the This American Life episode #52 called Edge of Sanity. If you have a smartphone or tablet, the easiest way to listen to this, and all the other radio shows for the class, is to download the This American Life app. Once you have the app you can quickly find shows (by title or episode number) and listen right then and there. You can also go to the website www.thisamericanlife.org and search on episode number. I've found it for you here:  http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/52/edge-of-sanity click on launch player and listen to the show.

What did you learn in this show about the distinctions between mental health and mental illness? Are these strict categories? Do people fluctuate in their mental health status?

Ch 14 Psychological Treatments

By maclink on August 14, 2013 5:45 PM | 104 Comments

Read Chapter 14.

What are the basic methods for treating psychological disorders? What are the biggest obstacles? How has your understanding of psychological treatment changed since reading this chapter?

From your reading, which topic(s) are most interesting to you?

What was the most surprising or memorable thing you learned about in this reading?

Provide a list of psychological terms that you used in your comment at the bottom of your post.

Write your response in Word or other word processor, and SAVE IT. Then, click on 'comments' right below the title of this blog post and above the picture. You will be prompted to log in. Once logged on, you can copy and paste your assignment into the box and submit. 

The Psychopathic Test

By maclink on August 14, 2013 5:44 PM | 120 Comments

Listen to the Prologue, Act 1, Act 2, and Act 3 of the This American Life episode #436 called The Psychopath Test. If you have a smartphone or tablet, the easiest way to listen to this, and all the other radio shows for the class, is to download the This American Life app. Once you have the app you can quickly find shows (by title or episode number) and listen right then and there. You can also go to the website www.thisamericanlife.org and search on episode number. I've found it for you here:  http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/436/the-psychopath-test click on launch player and listen to the show.

What do you think about a score on a test having so much power over people's impressions or even someone's life? Are there some psychopathic tendencies that aren't so bad or even useful in certain circumstances? How do you think you would score? 


Provide the psychology terms you used in your response at the bottom of your comment.

Perfect Evidence

By maclink on December 8, 2010 4:57 PM | 113 Comments


For this assignment, listen to the Prologue, Act 1, and Act 2 of the This American Life episode #210 called Perfect Evidence. If you have a smartphone or tablet, the easiest way to listen to this, and all the other radio shows for the class, is to download the This American Life app. Once you have the app you can quickly find shows (by title or episode number) and listen right then and there. You can also go to the website www.thisamericanlife.org and search on episode number. I've found it for you here:  http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/210/perfect-evidence click on launch player and listen to the show.

What was the most surprising thing you learned after listening to this show? How can psychological science help improve the real world problem of wrongful convictions?

Provide the psychology terms you used in your response at the bottom of your comment.

Explore!
The Innocence Project http://www.innocenceproject.org/
Archives