I believe that the area of psychology that I will most remember from here on out, along with the area that I most enjoyed would be social psychology. I believe that one of the biggest reasons that I truly will retain the most of the subject was because the way that professor Gonzales presented to us all in lecture. Areas on the subject like proximity and how social situations influence the behavior of individuals. I think it is also interesting about the concept of mass hysteria. It is just like playing a game of telephone where things can get screwed up so easily. I think that I can relate very easily to this subject because it is just so evident of all the meanings and ideas behind social psychology, so it is very easy for me to compare or see myself in similar situations. I also thought the videos from my discussion section was interesting with the experiment with the different lines and the people part of the study purposely giving the wrong answers to see what the candidate of the experiment would answer and how they would react. It is so interesting to me because I saw how so many people would conform and how many people actually do in real life, but I am so different and unique that I would see myself as being the one that would be the outlier and go against the entire group or be the one to face the people in the elevator when they are in fact standing the wrong way.
assignment 4: April 2012 Archives
Watching the video clip of the anorexia model shared in the psychology discussion, I suddently realized the reflection of myself. I grow up in an international city with East Asian cultures where significant number of girls tried to keep their weight below three digits. I myself was also used to be a high-protein Dieter for two months, though my weight was already medically defined at the border line of the normal weight and under weight. I suffered dry mouth for a while when I was on the high-protein diet. Even worse, since I totally cut fruits and starchy food, I sometimes suddenly felt craving for certain high-carb food and could not help to consume a whole bag of chips by a sudden. Even though I did lose some weight and was able to fit into the smallest size most of the time, I did rethink and come back to normal diet with regular work-out on daily basis.
The review of the passed anorexia model remind me of my own experience. At the same time, it invoked my thinking of what I could help others with the same problems when I finally start my practice in health care profession in the next five years. I think as a future doctor and health care promoter, it is my responsibility to help my patient establish a right attitude towards real beauty and to boost their confidence and self-esteem. That is more important than simply providing them with medication prescription. I may also show the videos from real life that would have a positve effects on their future paths.
Whenever I have been asked the question five years from now.... I never thought that I could or ever would apply it to what I learned in a class. Now that I have to answer this question it has me thinking about everything else I have learned and taken with me in my day to day life for the last five years. For Psychology it is honestly really hard for me to pinpoint just one thing that I will remember above all else five years from now. I think I have to say that I will remember what I learned about conformity the most. Not only was I shocked at the studies and videos we watched on the Asch study and the Milgarm Study, but I found it so hard to believe the staggering number of people that went along with the group or followed a man because he had a lab coat on. Learning about conformity has made me realize that I do tend to be quite agreeable, but I am not sure that I could ever conform as whole heartedly as the people in these studies did. These studies will always remind me that it is ok to do what I think is right no matter what or whoever tells me that I should do something else. I will always remember to ask questions when I am not sure of a situation and for that I thank you Psychology!
I think my favorite topic of the semester was one of the most recent topics about conformity just because I think it has to do with the real world every day. Conformity was very interesting to me because everybody thinks they are different when they see people doing "stupid things". The media is filled with news of groups of people committing crimes or just doing things that are not smart at all. We all think that there is something wrong with them but the truth is most of the time they are perfectly normal people. They probably got caught up at one point or another in conforming to a group or a single person. There were multiple studies that caught my attention but one thing that I loved the most was the Candid Camera elevator scene when everyone in the elevator turned one way and the person just automatically turned as well. I wrote my last post on "stupid diets" that people do and I also think this has a lot to do with conformity as well. People see others taking part in these ridiculous diets so they do as well regardless of how stupid it may seem. This just shows that conformity is and always will be a major part of our lives!
I think one thing that will really stick with me for the next 5 is a topic we just covered very recently. Beauty and what people perceive as beautiful. Even though we just covered this topic, it has been something studied and discussed for years. In places like the United States, our perception of beautiful and fashionable changes like the wind. One day natural color skin is beautiful, the next, it is seen as far too pale and now the expectation is to be tan year round...sometimes almost orange. This is greatly seen in the "model woman" from back in the day and the "model women" of today However our perception of what is beautiful lasts only inside the borders of our country. In other nations, what they see as the ideal person is drastically different whether that be an extra long neck or a very well fed woman. Beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder. 
Clowns are scary. Examine the picture below. He may look colorful and cuddly- but he's a murderous one.
Coulrophobia- Fear of clowns. Some people consider this an irrational fear, and as rare as it is, I have a friend that panics and has an anxiety attack whenever she sees a clown or an image of a clown anywhere. Reading about phobias in chapter 15- it interested me that this is the most common of all anxiety disorders. Agoraphobia is surprising common, occurring in one in 20 people. This is the fear of social embarrassment. Social phobias are commonly experienced in the milder form- where you are afraid of speaking in public or presenting in front of a small group of people. Magnified by several times would bring you to experience a social phobia full scale. Showing up in public is difficult for people like this as they are constantly surrounded by people and feel the pressure of people watching them. Reading about phobias makes me exceedingly grateful that I live a relatively fear-free life.
But this opens up many other questions like whether phobias can be genetic and the different ways to deal with them. Genetic phobias could be connected to the evolutionary 'mild' fear most people experience when faced with spiders of snakes- as they could pose a threat and be dangerous to ones well-being.
Clowns are scary. Examine the picture below. He may look colorful and cuddly- but he's a murderous one.
Coulrophobia- Fear of clowns. Some people consider this an irrational fear, and as rare as it is, I have a friend that panics and has an anxiety attack whenever she sees a clown or an image of a clown anywhere. Reading about phobias in chapter 15- it interested me that this is the most common of all anxiety disorders. Agoraphobia is surprising common, occurring in one in 20 people. This is the fear of social embarrassment. Social phobias are commonly experienced in the milder form- where you are afraid of speaking in public or presenting in front of a small group of people. Magnified by several times would bring you to experience a social phobia full scale. Showing up in public is difficult for people like this as they are constantly surrounded by people and feel the pressure of people watching them. Reading about phobias makes me exceedingly grateful that I live a relatively fear-free life.
But this opens up many other questions like whether phobias can be genetic and the different ways to deal with them. Genetic phobias could be connected to the evolutionary 'mild' fear most people experience when faced with spiders of snakes- as they could pose a threat and be dangerous to ones well-being.
Clowns are scary. Examine the picture below. He may look colorful and cuddly- but he's a murderous one.
Coulrophobia- Fear of clowns. Some people consider this an irrational fear, and as rare as it is, I have a friend that panics and has an anxiety attack whenever she sees a clown or an image of a clown anywhere. Reading about phobias in chapter 15- it interested me that this is the most common of all anxiety disorders. Agoraphobia is surprising common, occurring in one in 20 people. This is the fear of social embarrassment. Social phobias are commonly experienced in the milder form- where you are afraid of speaking in public or presenting in front of a small group of people. Magnified by several times would bring you to experience a social phobia full scale. Showing up in public is difficult for people like this as they are constantly surrounded by people and feel the pressure of people watching them. Reading about phobias makes me exceedingly grateful that I live a relatively fear-free life.
But this opens up many other questions like whether phobias can be genetic and the different ways to deal with them. Genetic phobias could be connected to the evolutionary 'mild' fear most people experience when faced with spiders of snakes- as they could pose a threat and be dangerous to ones well-being.
One thing in this class I really picked up on was conformity. I am a PSEO student and I remember seeing people conform all the time in high school. I have always been interested in how personalities or answers change with other people as a factor. I also wonder if conformity can change someone's personality. I will never forget watching that video where college students would purposely give something they know to be a wrong answer just because everyone else was giving that wrong answer. What goes through your head when that happens? Would you sit there and try to justify their answer over yours? I think that is what happens when people conform to fit in in high school. It is easy to conform when you are trying to fit in to a clique. I also think the concept of conformity is strange because there are times when people want to stand out for attention. Where do you draw that line I wonder? I also think that there are good times to conform. Such as when you are dealing with an expert on something and your viewpoints clash, it is probably smarter not to stick to my guns and agree with the expert. I am sure that this concept is something that I will continue to wonder about and observe for the rest of my life. I also think that understanding this concept more because of this class will help me in my social experiences so I can identify the good and bad aspects of conformity.
I used to think that personality was directly a product of one's experiences. Despite the fact that I took a biology course in high school, not once did the role of genetics in determining personality come up! Although the book clearly states that the role of genetics in personality is indirect, it is fascinating to me to think that my extroverted-ness or openness to new experiences is somehow related to my parents having those same tendencies. It's also a relief, seeing as i'm sure i will one day be a parent, knowing that babies come into this world with a predisposition to certain personality traits, meaning you can't screw your kids up too much! Also, I have always been a firm believer in the myths about birth order and having a "first born" vs. "second born" personality because I see a lot of those stereotypical tendencies in my sister and I. But the book has convinced me that it isn't true!
The concept from psychology that I will remember five years from now I think is the two-factor theory. I still find myself thinking about it and realizing its existence in my every day life, from watching TV/movies to things characters do in books. I almost feel like a person who is aware of this theory could use it to their advantage. Say they really like someone but the feelings aren't necessarily mutual. They could take them on a roller coaster, to see a scary movie, skydiving or bungee jumping, anything to get the person to associate their feelings of arousal to them. Just getting the person to hang out with them once and experience the two-factor theory could create an attraction that might not actually be real. Besides using the two-factor theory as a tool of manipulation, it could also be used as a way to keep things exciting in a relationship where things have become "routine" and "boring." It would be a way for couples to strengthen their connection and enhance their relationship.
After learning about this theory, I realized just how prevalent in every day life it really was. After taking the test where one of the questions asked about it and had watching a scary movie as an answer for being a way to utilize the theory, I realized that it didn't have to be an activity as grand as bungee jumping or flying in a helicopter, any activity that caused arousal would do. So fellow classmates remember, if you feel attracted to someone after watching a scary movie, and you didn't feel it say before during dinner, you might not be attracted to your date, it might just be the movie you watched causing your feelings of attraction.
Everyone's personality is distinct to his or her own self, as is mine. I have always been confused and/or frustrated at some aspects of myself that I didn't like, but I couldn't figure out what was causing my behaviors and how I could change them. All I knew is that it was just how I was. 
After we learned about personality in this class, I realized that all these things I didn't like about myself were simply aspects of my, well, personality. For example, I had never really come across the word "neurotic", or at least knew what it meant, until I took the Big 5 test administered in class. Turns out, that one of my most expressed personality traits (farthest standard deviations out) was neuroticism. After looking up the definition, I saw that it did describe me to a T. I also read the section on defense mechanisms in the textbook, and was so shocked to see that there are psychological terms for what I do. All in all, I will remember these things years from now because I have learned that they are not weird or out of the ordinary. By understanding my personality better, I can accept it or change it, but at least now, I am a little bit more knowledgeable of it than I was before and can make informed decisions in regards to it.
This will be our very last blog entry for PSY 1001 and I must admit, it is a bit heartbreaking to know that the school year is almost to its end (which means I am that much closer to having to declare a major--yikes!). We are asked to write about a concept in psychology that we think we will remember five years from now and why. Though it's difficult for me to choose just one thing (since everything we talked about this semester was so interesting that I doubt I will forget about any of it) one of these things that has surely engraved its self in my mind is the concept of classical conditioning.
This is one of the most basic fundamental concepts of psychology but also one of the most intriguing, in my opinion. It can be used to train animals for anything from lifesaving purposes to childish entertainment. It also shows some of the more basic functions that go on in the human mind, giving us a more simple idea that we can completely grasp as opposed to some of the more complicated things that are not yet entirely understood.
In addition to the concept itself, the way it developed was a good example of how many scientific discoveries arise-- through testing of theories, a few accidents that expand on the knowledge and lots of research.
Between it being a basic fundamental idea of psychology, as well as something I could perhaps attempt someday, I doubt that 5 years from now I will forget what classical conditioning is.
When I think about what I will remember about psychology 5 years from now I have to think about why I would remember that certain concept. In order to do that I think about what I will be doing in the future and how that affects what I am going to remember. Therefore I think that I will most likely remember the concept of positive and negative reinforcement as well as punishment. This is because by remembering these things I will be able to attain my goals easier as well as know how to make something more likely to happen or not happen. This will always be useful in life as I deal with other situations such as raising my kids, having animals, and being in relationships. In order to really get what I want in life I will practice the things I've learned about reinforcement and punishment and when it is appropriate to use each different type to reach my goals. That is why I will remember that concept five years from now and well beyond that.
Throughout the past 4 months, I have learned a lot about the field of psychology. Combined with my first year of college, something I will most likely remember in five years would be related to the mere exposure effect. The theory that familiarity brings comfort. Throughout my experience at college, I have seen this theory go to work within my group of friends. Whether it is games, friendship, or different situations they are put in, the more often they are exposed to it, they become accustomed to it. For example, the dialects and slang used with some of my friends is somewhat out of the ordinary. Another friend comes down from time to time and he has begun to use the wacky language, kind of strange. It will be easy for me to determine in 5 years whenever someone ponders why they have grown to like something, I can simply refer them to my first semester of psychology, and explain to them the mere exposure effect...if it applies.
Through my experiences in Psychology 1001 this semester, as well as a keen interest in Thomas Dolby's "She Blinded Me With Science," it is likely that I am most apt to remember the six Scientific Thinking Principles. From chapter 1 and beyond, these principles (ruling out rival hypothesis, correlation vs causation, falsifiability, replicability, extraordinary claims, and occam's razor) have played a key role in learning and understanding how psych studies, as well as principles and theories are examined by others. By learning the concepts behind these terms, I have grown keen to critically analyze advertisements and other things in our daily lives that may not hold 100% truth. Like reading the fine print before signing a contract, these principles have opened my eyes to the potentially misleading information present in our society.
Five years from now, I will never forget the chapter on psychological disorders. Since many people throughout the world will at some point in their life experience this, it is important to be sympathetic and considerate to the conditions they face.
Because I currently have many family members as well as friends of mine have some sort of psychological disorder, and I work at a treatment center just off campus with children who have autism, I find that I can be much more sensitive about the language people use when referring to these conditions. So I thought it might be helpful to leave this class by passing on some of the correct terminology to use. It is important to not define the person by the mental disorders by using the disability before the person.
Autism
Correct: "person with autism"
Incorrect: "autistic person"
Intellectual Disability
Correct: "person with an intellectual disability"
Incorrect: "person with mental retardation" "retarded person"
Person without a Psychological Disorder
Correct: "typical"
Incorrect: "normal"
Schizophrenia
Correct: "person with schizophrenia"
Incorrect: "schizophrenic person" "schizo person" "schizoid person"
Down Syndrome
Correct: "person with down syndrome"
Incorrect: "down syndrome person" "downy person"
Psychiatric Disabilities
Correct: "person with psychiatric disabilities" "person with mental disorders"
Incorrect: "crazy" "maniac" "lunatic" "demented" "psycho" "neurotic"
If I had to count the number of concepts we have learned this semester in our introduction psych class, it would take to long. And to define each of these concepts?? Makes me realize how much studying needs to be done before our final exam. But the concept that is the easiest for me to remember and I believe I will remember in five years is the concept of confirmation bias and the idea that we believe what we have always wanted to believe. But this concept sticks out to me not with its name specifically but its definition. Our textbook defines confirmation bias (for those who don't remember) as "the tendency to seek out evidence that supports our hypotheses and deny, dismiss, or distort evidence that contracts them." This sticks out to me merely because it does directly apply with life and when people tell us things and we need to decide what it means and what to make from it. Here we learned that we need to be careful about changing what is told to us to fit what we want them to have told us. This I believe i will remember in five years.
One of the most interesting things I have learned in the Psychology 101 is the concept of consciousness; in particular the biology of sleep. As a busy college student and a soon-to-be busy engineer, I will be battling the constant struggle of balancing work, recreational time, and sleep. Like most people, I usually prioritize the first two over the latter. With the knowledge I have gained from the sleep cycles I will be able to understand my body's needs for sleep more thoroughly. It is better to take a twenty minute nap than an hour nap because of the way the REM cycles work. It would not be a good idea to wake up during the actual REM stage because it would make you more tired. I did a little investigation on how I could wake up during the proper times, and I found an iPhone app that apparently measures sleep cycles, and wakes the user up at a time that allows your body to feel most rested. I plan on trying this app out but I will keep in mind the principles of scientific thinking that I have learned from the text which may help me in deciding the validity of this claim.
The "Big Five" will stick with me for a long time after psych 1001. It was one of the topics that I found most interesting. It's great to know about the different personalities that people have and also to be able to tell what type a person might have. I also think it would be interesting to learn more about how those personalities relate to some traits that each person has. I also think that it will be useful in my day to day life in dealing with all the different kinds of people that I will meet in my lifetime. By learning about the Big Five I will be better able to figure out which category people fit into and how to go about talking to and dealing with them. It will also allow me to work better in groups because it will help with figuring out people's strengths and weakness and how to utilize those for the betterment of the group. Learning about the Big Five is going to be a great thing to carry with me my whole life and I am glad that I got the opportunity to gain some knowledge on it in psych 1001.
One of the chapters I found most interesting this semester was Chapter 7, which was all about memory. I have used different tricks for memorization over the years in school. It was neat to read about why those tricks have worked, and to learn some other methods that people use for memorization. My personal favorite methods for memorization have been mnemonic devices, and the keyword method. Infantile amnesia was another fascinating topic addressed in Chapter 7, which is when we cannot remember accurate details of childhood events. I have found myself second guessing events that I think happened when I was younger! Before taking Psychology, I had never really thought about why and what I can remember. Now, especially after learning about memory disorders, I have a new appreciation for the intact memory that I have.
When I (finally) walk away from PSY 1001, I will remember the low accuracy rate of our common sense. I used to try my best to just go with my 'gut reaction' when making had decisions, but now I think twice about what I'm about to do. As soon as I found out that relying on common sense is not always the best decision, I tried my best to quit using it so much, although I had been trying harder to use it because I was so indecisive. Now I'm back to being really indecisive, but I am happier knowing that I have a better chance of making the right decisions by not trying to go with my common sense/'gut reaction' feelings.
If we define sense as being sound judgment, common sense can't even be considered real sense - it's more of a contradiction if anything. Real sense can't be taken away from experience alone because experiences are limited and don't offer enough information to draw reliable conclusions about what the right decision in a situation is.
I can no longer say that it is 'common sense' for someone to do something a specific way, because obviously they do not have the same experiences as I do and they cannot possibly draw the same conclusions about a situation as I would. I will take away these thoughts and keep them in the back of my mind for the rest of my life. No longer will I mistakenly make a poor decision because I relied too much on my common sense.
Five years from now when I look back at old notes from my first introductory psychology course, I think I'll remember when we discussed and learned about language and thought processes. I loved the readings about the way we interpret things and how language is psychologically universal. Although millions of languages exist across the world, I found it amazing how we can all accept the the six, and sometimes seven, different facial expressions without communicating a single word. Our thought processes to understanding different cultures and social norms fascinated me. As an individual who loves learning about the world, the psychology behind language will always be developing and in constant interpretation.
There are many ideas of psychology that may not stay with me as they may prove irrelevant to my everyday life. Some of these things include all of the different parts of the brain, or all the different psychologists and what they did. However, one thing I will remember forever as an important part of my daily life and psychological study is the psychology of sleep. Sleep is an integral part of daily life, especially for college students as we never seem to have enough of it. Our psychology textbook highlighted several important aspects of sleep including the following: the stages of sleep, the idea of consciousness, and disorders of sleep. I will never forget all that I learned about how consciousness is defined. More importantly, however, I will never forget about the different stages of sleep. The first stage is when you're fading in and out and producing theta waves, the second is when sleep spindles occur and our brain activity decelerates immensely, then stage three and four is where we get our best sleep. Lastly, REM sleep occurs periodically and this is essential to getting a good night of sleep. I will always remember that alcohol makes us feel less rested the next day so I never misuse alcohol when I'm simply trying to sleep. It doesn't help. Overall, the psychology of sleep is something I will never forget because sleep is one of the most important parts of a healthy existence.
The concept in Psychology that I think I will remember five years for now is that of stress. I have been told that I am a very anxious person and that I need to relax countless of times. So for me, learning more about the mechanisms of stress and various coping strategies was really interesting and helpful. The types of control that spoke to me the most were behavioral and cognitive control. I learned how behavioral control is the ability to step up and do something to reduce the impact of the stressful situation or prevent its recurrence and that cognitive control is the ability to cognitively restructure or think differently about negative emotions that arise in response to stress provoking events. This is ideal because I have a particular problem with readjusting to things I cannot control or change. It was also an eye opener for me to see how stress truly does affect your health. Long term stressors are especially likely to promote an inflammatory response known to increase the risk of colds and other diseases. Even more astounding is the link between stress and coronary heart disease. Although it is only correlational, high levels of stress hormones triggered by extreme stress can lead to disruptions in normal heart rhythm and even sudden death, as well as atherosclerosis in people who are highly reactive to everyday stressors. These findings have made me want to cope with stress more effectively so that it never has the potential to take my life.
This is going to be a controversial post. This is because it concerns religion and its history. I have always been a skeptical person. I like facts, I like proof, and I love to explore and think about all possibilities that arise from a situation. A good healthy amount of skepticism is encouraged in the sciences, and mentioned in this very psychology course as well. As you can image, this skepticism that I've grown to embrace leaves me questioning everything, and religion is one of those things.
A topic in psychology that I know I will remember in five years is that which concerns strange experiences and mental disorders. Hallucinations, out of body experiences, mystical experiences, schizophrenia and déjà vu are examples of what I am talking about. We know now the kinds of neurological activity that is happening during these events, and while some of it is still unexplained science has done a pretty good job figuring out why these things happen. Now of course more than two thousand years ago nobody had any scientific ability to deduce what was actually going on, so they explained these strange phenomena with the only thing they could; their faith. What if all the prophets throughout the years suffered from variations of schizophrenia, and the voices that they attributed to God were a product of their psychological condition? What if Moses had unknowingly ingested some kind of hallucinogen when he saw the burning bush? What if every important biblical event that roughly 2 billion people base the actions of their entire lives on all resulted from easily explained psychological phenomena?
Of course, this could never be confirmed or resolved, just pondered. What is important about this is not the idea that religion is a bad thing because the stories may be falsifiable. Religion does amazing things for many people today. What is important about this is the idea that skepticism should be a healthy part of any logical person's thought process. New paradigms of thought grow as civilizations grow, and it seems to me that the scientific one is playing an important role.
The concepts that I will remember most about Psychology were the ones from Chapter 3. This chapter was one of the more difficult ones being that it was about the neurological aspects of the body. I was really intrigued learning about neurons and the brain. It was a breath of fresh air away from business class material. Sometimes when I am out on the weekend I see kids being drunk and stupid and I think to myself, it's okay because their frontal lope isn't fully developed until they are 21 so that is why they are being dumb. Although this shows that correlation doesn't mean causation, I have used this as an excuse to my parents when they question my actions. Another aspect of the class that I enjoyed learning about was the twin studies. I have 4 friends that are fraternal and identical twins. Learning about the differences and similarities in their personalities and thoughts was very insightful. I was recently around them and was able to use my recent knowledge of twin studies to observe how they interact with each other.
Every day I think about this particular aspect of psychology. When I am walking to class, when I am reading a book and even when I am taking a shower. The part of psychology I will remember in five years is a little abstract; I will remember the effects psychology can have both on an individual and on the general public. The countless tales we were taught about both the positive and negative effects psychology research can have will always remind me of the dangers and breakthroughs people can have. For example, the biologist Konrad Lorenz to whom three baby geese implanted will always make me think of the humor and laughter research can have. But on the other hand, the research that used prisoners' nerves by hooking them up to machines and seeing how their facial reactions would play out will always remind me that psychology can hold many ethical and dangerous questions. There is no doubt that overall psychology has changed this world to be a better place. But we must also remember that, in the words of the great Ben Parker, with great power comes great responsibility. In five years, I hope this saying will still ring true for me.
One concept that I will remember from PSYCH 1001 in five years will be the social influences on interpersonal attraction from chapter 11. This includes the psychologically-tested characteristics and factors that can determine who we are most likely attracted too. I figured that I will remember these concepts in the future because I will most likely be on the dating scene looking for a potential wife after college. Remembering the influences on attraction could help ease the process of finding a mate.
If you do not recall, studies have shown that most relationships develop out of proximity - how often you interact and are around someone on a daily basis. From this idea of proximity, it would seem that I am more likely to date a fellow student in my major or even a coworker. Also, similarity between both partners has been found to be prevalent in most relationships. I will always remember from this class that opposites actually do not attract. Once one is in a relationship, reciprocity, or the rule of give and take, can help move things to a deeper level.
It will be interesting to see how many of the psychology concepts from this semester I will find myself recalling or identifying in my future.
The most fascinating thing I learned about, and something I'll probably always remember, is twin studies. When I first started reading about all the twin studies my senior year in high school I just couldn't stop telling people all about them. I remember coming home the first day after learning about them and telling my mom about the twins that were reared separately and then were reunited some 40 years later and how similar their lives turned out to be. The twins I first read about ever went by the name of Jim Lewis and Jim Springer. They grew up in different families in different states but had eerie similar lives. Here's an excerpt telling all about their similarities. "When the two first met, Lewis described it as "like looking into a mirror." For starters, both had the same first name. They were physically identical. But when they got talking, the similarities were astounding. Both had childhood dogs named Toy. Both had been nail biters and fretful sleepers. Both had migraines. Both had married first wives names Linda, second wives named Betty. Lewis named his first son James Allen, Springer named his James Alan. For years, they both had taken holidays on the same Florida beach. They both drank Miller Lite, smoked Salem cigarettes, loved stock car racing, disliked baseball, left regular love notes to their wives, made doll furniture in their basements, and had added circular white benches around the trees in their backyards. Their IQs, habits, facial expressions, brain waves, heartbeats, and handwriting were nearly identical. The Jim twins lived apart but died on the same day, from the same illness." When I first read this I think you know why I found twin studies so fascinating. I don't think I'll ever forget the two Jim's, at least not for a very long time.
Although there are a multitude of interesting things I have learned from this class and will undoubtedly remember in the future, I would say the things that interested me the most were cognitive development and shaping of behaviors. I hope to someday work in the criminal justice system at the federal level (such as the FBI) and so behavioral psychology is relevant to my interests. Although I knew that manipulating the behavior of animals was incredibly easy (considering how much I have worked with horses), I was not aware that it could be done fairly simply with humans as well. Although I had never thought about it before, the world really does work on a reward/punishment system. Most animals, and humans as well, act in a way that will either reward them or avoid negative consequences. Using this, you could train just about anyone or anything. I also find it fascinating that humans can grow to be such complex, intellectual beings when they start out as such simple, helpless creatures. I enjoyed learning about all the stages of development that we go through and how children and infants think about the world. I know this is something I will think about often as I begin getting to the age where I start having children and a family.
After taking this introductory psychology course, the one concept I feel I will remember five years from now is social psychology. Although I experienced a high amount of interest in most of the concepts covered in class, social psychology seemed to be the most applicable for me. While reading the chapter in the textbook and discussing different aspects and applications in our discussion section, I was able to self-reflect and in a sense connect with the material. More specifically, the section covering social influence was for me the most interesting section in the entire textbook. Before learning this material, I never fully understood the true, deep meaning of conformity or obedience. But upon learning their definitions and reading about different examples throughout the course of history, I was aware of their true meanings and implications to the field of psychology. Not only did I simply understand the definitions, but I was able to relate them to real life experiences and everyday occurrences I personally face. For instance, I notice a lot of conformity just in my group of friends, where others will argue against their beliefs simply to avoid argument. I am almost certain that five years from now, I will remember this information and still be able to apply it.
Five years from now I think the concept I will remember the most is the Big 5 personality characteristics. These 5 traits I think can describe everyone so well that it is important to know what type everyone is. When you know what type of personality a person is it is much easier to deal with the person. Whether you are going to sell them a car, serve them food, or treat someone for some sort of illness they may have a lot less conflict will arise and an easier sale, job, or diagnosis it will be. Not to mention how much happier your client will be when you cater for their personality. Therefore, becoming a pro at the Big 5 will help me the most in my career path, no matter which one I pick. 
Over all, there has been so many things in psy 1001 that I have found interesting or looking up for more information, but I think what I will remember 5 years from now is from chapter 7. Having a broader knowledge about something so complex, but yet can make such simple mistakes, is crazy to think about. Knowing more about the different processes and kinds of memory will come in handy when I learn new things and focusing on points that I will need to remember will be easier by knowing some of the tricks they suggested in the book, such as mnemonics or the values of having schemas. I also thought the section about implanting false memories was especially interesting because it shows how easily something we rely on so heavily to be accurate, can be influenced incorrectly.
What will stick with me most upon completion of Psych 1001 relates to the six principles of scientific thinking. Within each chapter, fact, narrative and case study presented in the textbook this semester were woven in questions to the readers. Is this replicable? Is this correlation or causation?? Does it rule out rival hypotheses?!?! Each question screamed out to the readers to question whether or not the information was to be trusted. As we read on, it was all made clear. But now, even when I'm not reading this text, I find myself asking these same questions. Hmm... the Jamba Juice I had just made me have so much more energy. Did the smoothie give me energy? Or did I just sleep well last night? Who knows?! The six concepts: Extraordinary claims, Occam's razor, Replicability, Falsifiability, Ruling out Rival Hypotheses and Correlation vs. Causation are all arranged in my thinking processes now and take turns assessing the realities of the information I intake.
I realize that these principles of scientific thinking shouldn't be over analyzed, but right now since I am still in "psychology mode" they are very prevalent in my mind. I guarantee that these processes will stay with all of us for at least the next 5 years and will probably even stay for the rest of our lives at least resting in the back of our minds, folded up neatly, stored safely and used when necessary.
One of the most interesting units during the semester was Chapter 9 on Intelligence and IQ testing. I was intrigued with our debate during the discussion section about whether or not IQ testing alone should be used by hiring managers in order to determine a if a candidate is suitable for the position. Here at the University of Minnesota I am planning on majoring in Human Resources and therefore I was able to really apply this discussion to my life. I believe that in the future, working in a human resources department I will remember the concept of IQ and how it can be used to help predict life outcomes. Although, IQ alone would not likely be used when hiring candidates, it can be a good predictor for real world outcomes. For example, our psychology text states, "The correlation between IQ and job performance is higher in more mentally demanding occupations, such as physician or lawyer than in less mentally demanding occupations, like clerk or newspaper delivery person" (333). I believe that in the future, when interviewing or deciding between candidates that IQ is not everything but can be a good predictor for how a persons behaviors and attitudes will be.
One of the biggest sticking point for me in this course was the six principals of scientific thinking. Although in five years I probably will not remember that they are ruling out rival hypothesis, correlation versus causation, falsibility, replicability, extraordinary claims, and Occam's razor, I will remember the basic principals behind them and how relevant they are to real life. We are inundated with claims that aim to shape how we view the world and if we can't look at the underlying factors of these claims we may become the victims of our own society. So as the textbook pointed out continually, we need to step back and take everything we are told with a grain of salt. Refuse to accept everything you are told to be true and look for alternate explanations. Just because a study has shown something to be true it doesn't mean that it actually is. Dig deeper and look at how the study was conducted and if any of the principals of scientific thinking can be applied. This is very important due to the rate at which claims are made that aren't backed up by scientific evidence. It's shown in the political world, in advertising, and almost every aspect of our lives. We have to become educated consumers that make our own decisions on how to think, not let others do that for us.
What will I take with me from the Psychology 1001 course? The answer is simple- question everything. Even when reading the text, many findings are simply theories at best; they are not yet proven to be an ultimate truth. The human brain is extremely powerful and skilled in many domains, yet the one domain where our brain repeatedly fails us is overcoming our own biases. From the representative heuristic to the availability heuristic, the hindsight bias to the confirmation bias, our own cognition can blind us from truth. However, this realization in itself is extremely powerful. Recognizing that our brains are flawed and that we have biases is the first step to overcoming them. Overcoming such biases allows us to become more worldly individuals who have the ability to grasp not only our own interpretations of the world, but other's interpretations as well. Doing so allows us to undergo accommodation of our experiences to create harmony based on ultimate truth rather than perceived truth.
Many topics of the Psychology course were very intriguing, and I enjoyed learning and discussing them. I've learned that the study of psychology is an ongoing process, continually being tested and altered to make sense of our complicated world. From the course, I will always remember to see experiences, opportunities and even people in a new light- never resulting to the first thought that comes to mind.
My grandpa was an alcoholic. His father was an alcoholic. My father is an alcoholic. Notice a pattern here? Several chapters covered in class mentioned various issues involved with addiction. We learned how addiction can be treated through the use of Pavlovian conditioning, where the addict is exposed to the conditioned stimulus but is not able to feel the rewards of the conditioned response. We've learned that genetics play an influential role in keeping the cycle of addiction alive.
We can't learn from a textbook, however, how difficult it can be to break this cycle. I am sure that my father had no intention of being an alcoholic when he was growing up. I'm sure my grandpa didn't intend to die as a result of years of excessive damage to his liver. The break in the cycle of addiction is something we cannot simply learn from reading a text book, but is an effort that one must be conscious of making on a daily basis. For example, despite attending the University of Minnesota-- a school known for its wild frat parties-- I do not drink. Not that I ever have, though. I had to make the decision to stop drinking, as simply fun and harmless as it seems, because I know that one does not simply intend to become addicted to substances-- it creeps up from under us and grabs hold.
In all aspects of our lives, we must make conscious decisions of how choices can affect us in the future-- from what cereal to eat in the morning to deciding to pick up that bottle or needle. Those of us who are predisposed to the disease of addiction need to be especially careful when deciding what is needed in order to have a 'good time.'
