nhulx008: October 2011 Archives

Positive punishment sounds contradicting. Provided a stimulus, it can diminish the behavior and the likelihood that it will occur again. The question is if it is healthy for humans to be positively punished? The answer isn't very clear, the general answer is, it depends.

Barbra has a fear of sitting in a room with 400 students for an hour for lecture so she decides to skip her lectures. Every time she skips lecture she has to watch the lecture online and fill out an extra 10 pages of worksheets. The extra worksheets are positive punishment for skipping lecture. The extra worksheets are helpful in getting her to do extra work and comprehending the material.

Thomas at the age of 17 likes to poop in his pants. His pants contain sensors that detect poop. So now, every time he poops his pants electrocute him to get him to learn to stop pooping in his pants. The electrocution is a positive punishment. This is not healthy because it can cause him stress and physical pain.Although punishment sounds negative, the effects of punishment just depends on what type of stimulus is being presented.

Punishment works but there are a few problems to it such as creating anxiety, or changing the behavior, Thomas takes off his pants and poops on the floor so he avoids the electrocution, and it may cause a child to develop with aggressive personalities. One must remember that because children are punished, it does not mean that it will cause them to be aggressive in the future, correlation doe not equal causation.
According to this article a boy was punished under harsh Sharia law by having his arm crushed under a truck as a punishment for stealing bread. Is this punishment valid? What punishments are actually good for children in the long run, or for anyone?

Here are some articles on positive punishment

http://www.behaviorlogic.com/id110.html
http://phobias.about.com/od/glossary/g/pospunish.htm

Many of us believe that someone who is sleepwalking is walking while fully unconscious and unaware of their actions. Many sleepwalkers tend to drive their car, eat, or have sexual intercourse, but is it possible to murder while sleeping?

In the case of Stephen Reitz, he woke up to see his girlfriend, Eva Weinfurtner murdered on the floor. His reason for her death was that he was sleepwalking and was unaware of anything that happened. Is this a valid legal defense for him to not be convicted of murder?

There are many reasons that can cause one to sleepwalk such as: lack of sleep, stress, and the use of stimulants. Does it necessarily mean that since one has symptoms that may cause sleepwalking, can they commit murder while sleepwalking? How is it possible for someone such as Stephen Reitz to violently murder his girlfriend by severing her spinal cord, stabbing her, throwing her around, and still be unaware of everything till he finally wakes up?

Watch this Video from NBC on the case of Stephen Reitz.
Other addition information on sleepwalking click here, and here!

The thought of being sexually aroused by the smell of a rodent is out of the question. The smell of most mammals, play a huge part in their sexual attraction towards each other. As humans, does our sense of smell plays a strong role in our sexual behavior?

For most mammals, pheromones play a huge role in their sexual behavior towards each other. They've developed a special sense called the vomeronasal organ, to help detect pheromones. Humans are able to detect pheromones differently through a nerve that is able to sense and trigger the arousal regions of the brain. This feature is unique to humans, for most other mammals the vemeronasal organ does this same job.

If you are one to purchase perfumes or colognes in order to satisfy others, don't you wonder why those other people are satisfied by your scent? Why are humans so satisfied by these fragrances?

Many companies producing perfumes and colognes believe that smell is the main trigger to sexual behaviors in humans. In fact, it is not the fragrance of products that triggers arousal, but it is the pheromones, an odorless chemical that sends social signals to one's species. Thus, the pheromones of monkeys will not sexually attract rats due to the distinct type of pheromone for each species.

The website,www.pheromonesattract.net, sells pheromone induced cologne and perfume products. They claim that the addition of pheromones will help seduce, attract and drive others irresistibly crazy for you! Their extraordinary claims mean they need extraordinary evidence!
The evidence is shown through testimonials from consumers who say that it actually works!
"I went out last night and used pheromones and I couldn't believe the attention I was getting from women... Truly Phenomenal! " - T.C-California
"I have always wondered how it felt to become more attractive with a scent of seduction. Pheromones really do work, Thanks!" -Michael- New York

*How is this company's testing of their product proving that it works? Since they rely on the statements made by those using their product. The fact is that in some cases people get what they are looking for simply by looking, so what if the product is simply a placebo?
There could be a confounding variable with the other factors that may have attracted the opposite sex such as physical attraction or the way they approached each other. The product is not an exact cause to "increase in sexually attraction...attention...arousal, affection, confidence" There is way more to sexual attraction than the release of pheromones.

Are you attracted by someone distinctly because of their smell? Next time you purchase a bottle of perfume or cologne, think about I how much it will truly help you meet the girl of your dreams. Don't rely on a bottle of pheromones to get you that sexy person from across the room. They could quite possibly help, but the reality is that smell only goes so far. Appearance, likability, and personality will go much further than smelling good.
"A smile is an inexpensive way to change your looks." ~Charles Gordy

Check out www.pheromonesattract.net for an example of a company selling pheromone fragrances.