Extra ...STRESS!

Get prepared for Tuesday's class by checking out some of these links dealing with stress. Here's a little animation that does a pretty good job of explaining  what happens physiologically during the stress response.

Also, you should check out this general overview of stress and then click on the "Stress Assessment". Tally up your results and respond to this link discussing your current stress level.

Although I think I could guess which of you would qualify as "Type A" personalities, there's nothing like fun psychological questionnaires to self-diagnose! It's a fairly long test, but if you're up for it, respond with an overview of your score and your opinion about it's validity.

big scary ancient stressor!

For those of you really ready to explore the wide world of stress and earn a little extra credit towards S2, check out the APA's page on stress, chose an article and respond.

As always, when you respond make sure that you clearly state which piece your response is about. Also for those of you who haven't already done so, PLEASE finish your break work, which is all conviently located in the post below.

Break Assignments: Updated 12/28

Questions for the last part of Chapter 8 posted


Chapter 9Questions RIGHT HERE

 start reading "How and why do we experience stress?" pages 336-353. Then check out "Psychological Development" pages 359-394, an easy chapter I believe in which you'l find some things you've encountered before.


Here's the  Chapter 8 "How and why we Experience Stress" Questions.

If the AP Exam were today....

As requested, the results:

If the REAL AP Test were given today, the following people would receive passing scores:






TAYLOR VANCE (5)

 Joellen Quinn, Deshandalyn Meridy, Cravionne Hatcher (4)

Shawn Baptiste, Janae Taylor and Terrian Augustine (3)

Mizer, Landon, Edric, Willie, Brianyell, Jazmine and Jazmine are VERY close to passing scores.

Having said that, 4 out of the 7 people with passing scores purchased the AP review book, there seems to be a positive correlation.

Please do not be discouraged. We're only half way through and haven't really started serious review. I'm totally convinced that most of you will be able to pass the exam in May, but not without work. From here on out ALL of you need to not only be focused on our current topic (over the break: Stress (Chapter 8, part 3) and Development (Chapter 9)), but also regularly take a look back on EVERYTHING we've already covered.

Although the scores could have been better, only 5 people scored below a 70 (modified)  and 15 people scored above 80 (not as a percentage on the exam, but as translated). I'll let whoever is motivated calculate the mean, median, mode and SD!

Break assignments given tomorrow or Friday and posted here.

Hunger and Motivation: Check it Out

Just in time for the holidays: can thinking about eating help you eat less? This was on NPR this morning and speaks directly to Hunger motivation. It's a short and sweet little treat.

Taylor, Derrick and other undercover artists should love this animated piece about the effect of rewards on motivation.

Share what your thoughts!

Take this one to Heart! (or to the Cerebral Cortex, or wherever)

What's more important brains or determination? You may or may not be surprised by the findings of a research team from the University of Pennsylvania.

Read the article "Self-Discipline Outdoes IQ...."  . This article is typical of some that you may find yourself encountering next year, so I'd like to hear your opinion about three things; the results of the research, how it is related to what you've looked at withing the field of motivation and how you feel about the level of the article itself (comprehension difficulty, presentation of statistics etc.)

This Emotional Life

 PBS ran a really cool series at the beginning of this year called "This Emotional Life". Take a look at the companion website.

Click on topics, scroll down to see all that are available, choose one (example “Anger”, “Forgiveness”, “Grief and Loss”) and then select a subtopic (if necessary). Read the overview of the topic provided by PBS and then find the area within your topic that is titled “Additional Resources” and select an article that looks interesting to you. Read the article. Respond on this blog in the form of a short review.

If you're truly interested in the topic and want to take it a step further AND could use a lil extra credit, read three of the articles, prepare a 2-3 minute INTERESTING overview and presentation for one of my General Psych classes.

Memory, Cognition, Language Review

Can you imagine how hard it was to find an image that actually connected turkey and Cognition?

I've got quite a few sites for you to peruse at your leisure, some of them, like the one that outlines the seven sins of memory are purely academic, while others, like the memory experiments and the creativity tests are amusing while helping to illustrate the concept at the same time.

I've already provided the language link in your Thanksgiving assignment, but here it is again.

Also, I was going to make some of the Elizabeth Loftus experiments part of your break assignments, but instead just take a look at the overview of her work on suggestibility and implantingof false memories.


So have a lovely day, chew slowly and analyze the emotional and cognitive states of all around you!

Thanksgiving Break Assignments

For the very few of you who did not receive the handouts at school last week, here they are. I'll be posting several links for Memory and Components of Thought tomorrow.

Does it seem like you've read this exact same thing before?

So what does this monkey have to do with deja vu? I'm not sure really, but when you do a google image search for the term, this little thief pops up.

Anyway, as per the discussion in class today, thought you might find this article from Discover interesting, it goes along way in normalizing such a strange seeming phenomena.

Learning Review

Although there is a part of me that would like to postpone the test until next Monday, I realize that I would only be negatively reinforcing your behavior. By taking away something that you don't like I would only be increasing the likelihood that the next time you don't want to take a test, you will also not do your homework en masse.

Having said that, here's a review of some key concepts:

This is a study sheet comparing the particulars of classical and operant conditioning.

This is an explanation to the seven examples of classical and operant that most of you attempted to conquer. In other words, the "answer sheet". For those of you who haven't turned it in yet, at this point, don't bother.

It seems that the majority of you do not really understand schedules of reinforcement. The following links provide some good explanations and examples of the various schedules;
fixed ratio  ,   variable ratio ,   fixed interval,   variable interval

And finally, many of you have blown off the work of the cognitive learning psychologists (Bandura, Kohler, Tolman). We haven't spent much time discussing them, but here you will find an excellent overview of cognitive learning theory. It's 10 pages long. If you find that overwhelming (hope you don't plan on a rigorous university next year) read at least the first three pages.

Good Luck!

Beating Dolls, Terrifying Children, Slobbering Dogs and More!

All the famous experiments in Learning in one convienent location!


Get paired with this stimulus as Pavlov rings your bell!

Be amazed as a fat baby learns to become terrified of small furry things in John Watson's famously naughty "Little Albert Experiment"

Gasp in wonder as pigeons become addicted to gambling via the wonders of operant conditioning in a radical "Skinner Box".

You'll find yourself saying "a-ha!" as the mysteries of insight learning unfold in this goofy re-enactment of Kohler's gifted chimps.

And what list would be complete without children mercilessly beating a helpless clown with anything they can get their hands on?

Saturday School... It's not just for Suckers any more!

I will make an extremely rare appearance at 3019 Canal Street on Saturday, October 9, 2010 from noon until 2pm. We'll review Sensation and Perception and have a little introduction to Consciousness. Be there.

You Actually Don't "See" This!

I hope that after today's class you're either congratulating yourself for keeping up, or kicking yourself for falling behind.  Either way, you need too get with these videos about auditory and optical processing. 

First up, vision; here's an incredibly simple and incredibly short path to understanding trichromatic theory. Feeling childish? Here's a cartoon that makes pretty easy work of comprehending how light enters the eye and works its way to the vision cortex. I'm ALWAYS of the opinion that examining the same thing from two different sources is helpful, with that in mind, check out "How the Human Eye Works".

And last but not least, for those of you truly devoted to the study of Psychology and a general understanding of life, a Darwinian take on how the eye may have evolved. (Choose either QuickTime or Real Player).

And now, for Auditory Processing, this video is a bit long, has more detail than you really need, but the animation is outrageous and sublime. Watch the entire thing for a deeper understanding of how vibrations turn into what we call "sound".

Sensation and Perception Introduction

Alright kids, by Monday you should have the I & II a and b (Vision and Hearing) completed on the outline. You should also have the questions distributed Thursday in homeroom complete.

And just in case you have some extra time on your hands, here's a collection of short essays exploring the ways in which our sense organs translate the world into messages the brain can understand.

Also, I chose this image because of it's demon-like ways.

Three Layer Brain Cake for Dessert

An incredible interactive tool for understanding where all the structures are located within the three layers.

I beg you, for all that is good and holy, click this link, fool around with clicking the different layers and structures within. Undoubtedly you'll come away with a much clearer understanding of where everything is.

Your Big Fat Brain and All It's Funky Parts

Oh Yes! It's Mr. Britt, don't play with him. I promise you that if you faithfully watch part one and part two, you WILL become one with most parts of the brain!


OK, here are some other links to bring the point home:


Visually cool (let your occipital lobe be the judge), but kinda slow video 'bout the limbic system


You already know all of this thanks to Mr. Britt, but it never ever hurts to review with different
images, so without further ado, the superstars of the cerebral cortex.


I insist that you watch this video. I already know you're gonna rib these kids. Yes they're trying to stunt in an Acura, but still, their "Brain Map Rap" is incredible, it's accurate, funny and it rhymes. I challenge you to do better (I would be sooooo proud).



And here's the truth: with the flashcards, the videos, your AMAZING AND ESTEEMED PEDAGOGUE, your text and your time there is no way you won't be a master and lord of brain anatomy!

Neurons: their messages and potential!

You can find an excellent and really detailed review of how neurons communicate at Psych Sim. It's a bit more than you actually need to know (for example, no need to get hung up on axon chemistry and all that) but provides great diagrams, interactives and a summary.

I highly reccommend that you also watch some of the following videos:


A generalized introduction, this clip doesn't get into specifics about neurons until about 1:51, but the intro will serve you well.

This is a summary that is useful if you can deal with the British spellings ("neurones" in particular drove me crazy) and the "club soul?" music.

Straight up action potential, force yourself to watch it.

Get to know your neural synapses.

An instant classic: Neurotransmitter Love Song

The more of these you can watch, the better. They're all pretty short and should help you get a better grip on your neurons.

Don't Squander Your Dopamine!

Perhaps Rick James said it best, "cocaine is a hell of a drug", but why? It impersonates one of our loveliest neurotransmitters, dopamine. This article in the NY Times examines new research on the lasting effects of drug abuse on the nervous system. The possibility that we could be sabotaging our bodies capacities for the natural dopamine highs is one of the best anti-drug messages I've heard in a long time.

Also check out this wonderful overview of the effects of Psychoactive Drugs on the Nervous System

Evolution and Natural Selection

Hi kids,
After talking with Dillon at lunch, I'm not sure how productive our conversation was. Obviously it's a topic most of us have strong feelings about. Having said that, we need to practice a method of discussion that's focused on listening as well as talking.

If anyone feels like they want to see the Carl Sagan videos again feel free:

Natural Selection or the human calendar thing.

For those of you who might be interested (from the conversation, Sarah, Garyelle, Derrick) you may want to check out some of the interviews with Richard Dawkins on youtube. WARNING: this guy is an atheist, so if that bothers you, watch at your own risk, but he does an excellent job of explaining the logic of scientific thinking and evolution.

Also, for those of you that may be in need here's the outline