Are you guilty of distorted thinking? Yup!

It's true, we are all susceptible to cognitive biases, perhaps this awesome song will help you remember the multiple ways in which our homo sapiens brain wrongly perceive the world.

Even when we aren't victims of distorted thinking, we still have the tendency to put obstacles in our way through self-imposed limitations and functional fixedness (this video demonstrates a lack of functional fixedness).   

Perhaps an understanding concept and schema formation would be good medicine for overcoming all these obstacles to clear, objective thinking?

Out of the Mouth of Babes: Language Acquisition

As promised, the video we did not have time for in class; "The Linguistic Genius of Babies". The video is a 10-minute TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) talk. Please watch the video and comment below.

Also, If you have extra time, "Language Acquisition" is a fascinating full length (about 1 hour) documentary on language. At least watch the first ten minute segment.

I almost forgot to post this.... Memory

Mnemosyne, the personification of memory

 Hopefully you enjoyed the in-class memory demonstrations and can now appreciate that our memories are even more subjective than our sensations and perceptions, what's a homo sapien to do?

To start with, take a look at this very short overview of the basics of memory . Then take a look at a longer, more detailed review. (by the way "rote" rehearsal = maintenance rehearsal).

Some of you seem to be really interested in the idea of suggestibility, the reliability of eye-witness testimony and false memories, the following will give you a deeper look:

the video we watched in class
false memories with Photo Shop
problems with eye-witness testimony
false memories with the queen of false memories, Elizabeth Loftus

If you've got some extra time on your hands, you may want to read "How our Brain Makes Memories", a great article from the Smithsonian about traumatic memories and PTSD

Perception.... or "Think that You Might be Wrong"

What is the nature of perception? I think at this point we can all agree that no matter our definition, the word SUBJECTIVE must be part of it. The resources below should help as a review.

From the man who brought us "Hypo the Llamas" and "Wig Dala", a great little video that covers some of the basics and interesting tid-bits of Gestalt principles. If you're having difficulty visualizing all the different Gestalt laws take a look at any of the three following pages, which examine the principles from different....er... perspectives:

• Gestalt laws in web design
• Gestalt in Graphic Design
• Gestalt basic examples
• Gestalt theorists/principles in encyclopedic format

For those of you that were lovin' the illusions, here's the page that we were working with in class. There are over 92 illusions, categorized and explained. Enjoy!

And last, but not least, the assignment. Go to the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes "Seeing, Hearing and Smelling the World". The site does a truly fantastic job in exploring some new areas of research involving sensation and perception. You should prepare your response according to the these guidelines for class on Tuesday.

If a Tree Falls......Sensations and their "Sheisty"* Subjectivity

So, we find ourselves at the end of Sensation and Perception, enlightened perhaps, about what we think of as “real", questioning what we believe we “see”, “hear”, or “feel”… 

I’m hoping that you choose to take advantage of some of the resources I’ve put together to both help you review, explore further and perhaps amuse yourself. Because there are so many links, I've decided to break the posts into two pieces (gestalts???), check again tomorrow for an overview of pereception.

It seemed the hardest thing to wrap our minds around was the idea that our brain has no real access to the outside world. The idea that color itself is merely a sensation and that our photoreceptors are only sensitive to a small portion of the electromagnetic spectrum tripped a lot of ya'll out, but doing a little animal comparison seems to drive home the subjectivity of all sensations. 

If you recall the auditory threshold demos we did in class, the fact that I am too "old" to hear certain frequencies that are obvious to you, should also help cement the idea that sensations are not absolute, objective or stable.

If you're interested in exploring diverse topics concerning smell and taste I highly recommend that you check out these really awesome olfaction and gustation pages.

Last but not least, the experience of pain. If you have any confusion about the Gate-Control Theory, this short paper does an excellent job of clearly explaining the idea in a way that you can apply personally to pain management. You may also want to check out this interview with psychologist Tom Rutledge (UCSD Psychiatry) in which he discusses the way physicians apply Gate-Control in patient treatment.

*Please see Ayanna Jones for an accurate definition of "sheisty"

Brain Anatomy Review

I'll be completely offline until Sunday evening.  Make sure you spend your review time wisely!

Brain Mnemonics Part 1 and Part 2
Brain Atlas and Interactive Explorer
Occiptal Lobe snack about the Limbic System
Get to know your cerebral cortex jus' a lil bit better

Neuroscience Blow Out!

Think that you've got a handle on all things neural? Think again! Take a look at all of the following resources to deepen your understanding and broaden your mind (or perhaps more accurately, stretch your dendrites???).

First, make sure that you understand the basics of neural transmission. Watch this short animation, then take a look at both "Synapses Change" and "The Synapse", both of which are narrated in a slightly childish tone, but do an excellent job of providing an overview of what happens when neurons "communicate". Reward yourself after wards with the "Synaptic Cleft Rap".  This collection of animations can be reviewed as one entry on your summary work due Tuesday.

Next, take a listen to an NPR interview with one of the authors of a new neuroscience book "Welcome to Your Child's Brain". The interview is 16 minutes long. Please take notes while listening so that your summary is detailed and intelligent.


Finally, you may choose between one of the two following options. Option 1 is a National Geographic article, "Beautiful Brains", a really interesting article about the teen brain. If you choose this option, please read the entire article and compose a thoughtful response.
Option 2 consists of two fascinating videos from one of the most well respected neuroscience researchers, V.S. Ramachandran. I won't pretend that the concepts are not difficult, but if you're up for a challenge (again keep in mind that your dendrites will benefit :)) I applaud you. If you choose this option, I recommend a separate review for "The Neurons that Shaped Civilization" and "The Uniqueness of Human Consciousness".


Good Luck, happy learning and I have the utmost confidence in all of you, but particularly those among you who, like Thomas Jefferson, are "great believers in luck" :).

Artificial Selection of... RATS!!!!!

As we saw in class, artificial selection is a powerful tool and perhaps gives us a view on how natural selection works if we had the perspective of millions of years as opposed to decades. Through our simulation we saw how humans have "selected" physical and behavioral characteristics for dogs. Check out this article summarizing an experiment in which researchers selectively bred for aggression in rats. Please respond to this thread with your comments.

Celebrate Labor Day with.... Research Methods and Statistics!

Hopefully all the work you've already done has led you to a greater understanding of Methodologies and Statistics. If not, there's still hope for you!

The 2008 Free Response question will give you the chance to either put everything you know into words, or it will give you the opportunity to figure it all out for the first time. Before you begin, you'll need to give yourself some background on the experiment referenced in the question. Solomon Asch originally conducted this experiment in the 1950s. You should read "The Asch Effect" on pages 571-2 to familiarize yourself with his method and then watch a version of the experiment from the 70's.  The question asks you to think about participant responses in Asch's experiments might be related to the idea of cognitive dissonance (pgs 587-8) and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (p.322). Familiarize yourself with these concepts before you begin your response.

The symbols, formulas and graphs for interpreting statistics that we viewed in class, should assist in calculating the Standard Deviation for 3rd period test scores.

Don't Believe the Hype!

Sorry kids, I know you felt "played" with the personality inventory results, but take it as a warning before you go out into the "real world" next August: "don't believe the hype!"... always ask "How?", "Why?", demand that people like Miss Cleo "show you the evidence".

Before we fully immerse ourselves in research methodologies, take a look at Bill Nye's old episode on pseudoscience (part 1 and part 2). Also listen to this podcast of an interview with Scott Lilienfeld, author of
 50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology: Shattering Widespread Misconceptions about Human Behavior. I think it's important, as we begin to remind ourselves, yet again, that psychology IS a science and should not be confused by all the silly gimmicky things (like the personality test :)) masquerading as "psychology".


The clips are a bit lengthy (Nye = 20 minutes, Lilienfeld: 40 minutes), but what else are you going to do with an hour of your time?

Introducing the Brain

A great first day kids. Please take a look at Stephen Colbert's interview with the author to get a feel for what the book is about. In your comment talk about whether or not your interested in purchasing and reading. Also, in case you've misplaced your guided questions.....

Summer Session Week 1

What a great week! Ya’ll have some real promise as junior psychologists!

Take a second glance at what we explored, let it sink in and please, bring any questions that you need clarity on up in our session on Monday.

Alright, so first we explored evolution and natural selection and many of the misconceptions that the general public have about this "theory". Carl Sagan's classic video does a nice job of providing the basics. Then we attempted to get a grip on natural selection by first understanding how artificial selection operates. We "bred" foxhounds and also read an article about breeding for genetic tameness in foxes and rats as well as watching video footage of Belyaev's domesticated foxes.  To better understand our own evolutionary history, we memorized (hopefully:)) human taxonomical classification. In order to clear up confusion about what "survival of the fittest" actually means, ya'll read the "Survival of the Sneakiest" comic and found what it means to have "game" (if you're a cricket).

We also got a grip on the unit that natural selection works on, the gene. I think the Genetics 101 cartoons did a great job of spelling things out in an easy to understand way. Perhaps you were shocked to discover that "slightly more than half of everything you are" is thanks to mom, this was artistically revealed in the Biologists Mother's Day song.

Finally we took a look at the basic unit of communication within the body, the neuron. I think everyone was shocked by my incredible flow demonstrated in the neural transmission song. To top off an awesome week we recorded a skit depicting neural transmission in which it was revealed that George Lopez, is in fact, a sac.

Last minute cognitive awesomeness

OK kids, last minute stuff, but really good.

Check out the cognitive dissonance song/cartoon if you've had any trouble with the concept.

 Also, the cognitive bias song will help you sort out all the various biases (availability, hindsight etc.)


Please get a good nights sleep, eat well in the morning (no refined sugars or heavy starches). I suggest you bring a bottle of water, a small healthy snack (almonds, pecans, cheese stick etc.), sharpened pencils and your flow!

Study Sessions

What do you all think about Thursday noon - ??? Comment and let's see who can do it. Also, City Park on Sunday? Times that work for you?

Would You Do Something to Help? The Bystander Effect and Final Guided Questions

Take a look at this short documentary outlining the case of Kitty Genovese, a young woman murdered in the presence of 38 witnesses. The term "bystander effect" was coined after this crime. Then read this article by Dr. Schwartz about a 2009 case of bystander effect. You may even remember hearing about this in the news.  After taking a look at these cases, respond to the post and discuss what factors you think might help in reversing the bystander effect.

Any other comments are welcome as well. Remember once again, it's easy to think that the people we read about involved in, or witnesses of such heinous acts are simply "evil" and that we would never sit by and allow things to unfold the way they did.

Also, here are the last guided questions. They aren't due until Monday, but if you're feeling it you can get a jumpstart! (However, part 1 questions are, in fact, due Monday)

  

Obedience: Would you keep pulling the switch?

Stanley Milgram's classic experiment proved that it's not just the evil, stupid or the weak who are willing to follow orders. Ordinary, mentally healthy people are likely to comply with authority as well. You can take a look at the original footage of the procedure or you can watch a replication of the experiment done in the UK in 2009 Of course, you can watch both if you choose!  Both versions have three parts. Please watch all three parts, you'll gain a greater understanding, it's interesting and you'll never forget the experiment.

After you've watched one of the experiments, read the 2008 article in the New York Times about the lasting power of the experiments and respond to this post with brilliant insights! Discuss what you think this demonstrates about human nature. Remember, everyone always thinks that they wouldn't go all the way, how 'bout you?

Disorders and Therapy: The Week Ahead

So, a little change of plans. In retrospect, I've decided having the much postponed Chapters 11 and 12 test immediately upon our return wasn't such a hot idea. Instead, Monday we'll have a review session in the style of a modified quiz bowl. I'll also be including Chapters 1 and 2 so that we can start our final review. Also on Monday we'll chat about the retreat.

Please try to have your therapy treatment plan for your groups' two case studies complete by Monday as well. I'll accept them Wednesday, but it would be good for you to have nothing but the upcoming test to worry about after Monday. To assist you in finalizing your therapy plan, check out PsychCentral's section on disorders.

Additionally, you should complete your comparison on empathetic versus non-empathetic statements by Wednesday.

On Friday we'll start our final topic, Social Psychology. I'll try to post the guided questions here before the weekend is up for those of you that may want to get a head start.

If you're smart you'll start reviewing on your own from the very beginning right now!

Again, next week's schedule:

Monday: Quiz Bowl: Chapters 12, 13 and Chapters 1 & 2
Wednesday: Test: Chapters 12, 13, 1 and 2. Therapy Plans Due. Empathy Comparisons Due.
Friday: Intro to Social Psychology, First Guided Questions Due.

Psychological Disorders: Guided Questions

Hey everyone, I promised that I'd have these questions posted by 3pm. They are not totally complete, but they are definitely enough to get you started. I'll update later this evening or tomorrow.

Guess What? Quiz Chapter 11 Tomorrow

I suggest you review on Study Island, Section Reviews etc. Probably about 30 questions. Cheaters will be subjected to the same torturous conditions experienced by Harlow's monkeys.

Intelligence, Controversy and Testing

There are few topics that create as much controversy as intelligence. How is it defined? How can it be tested? Should it be tested, and if so, how should the results be used? What connections, if any, exist between intelligence and achievement? Should people of widely different aptitudes be educated identically? Why do individual differences exist in the first place? The website "Human Intelligence" does an excellent job providing an overview of the topic. Particularly, I want you to take a look at "Current Controversies" aka "Hot Topics" in Intelligence. There are 14 subtopics listed. Choose one, read the material and then comment.

Also, please read the "The social cost to academic achievement". Don't comment here, but be prepared to discuss on Monday.

And, if you're interested, the little mini IQ sampler we played with on Thursday was taken from the website of Mensa, the oldest high IQ society in the world (minimum of 132 @ +2.2 SD). Scroll down towards the bottom and click on "mental workout" if you've nothing else to do.

As promised...

So here's the "clues" or "questions" or whatever, some of them have the terms following, some don't, no need to guess a number 1 - 100 ( 2 and 12 Shanda.. all the way).

Development Jeopardy


Personality Jeopady

Don't forget to work on your paper, with delay of game, due Friday 1/28, also those 4 questions?, Due Wednesday. The test for chapters 9 and 10 is also Friday. If you're lucky I'll post short answer hints here in a day or two, IF you're lucky.

For class Friday let's chat about moral development and Kohlberg. I think ya'll need a brush up/review with Piaget too. Also, let's  review differences between different schools of thought with personality theory (Psychoanalysts, Humanists, Behaviorists (or Social-Cognitive/Social-Learning, Trait Theorists)).

Please get your collective act together.

Personality Theory: Psychodynamic: Freud and Jung

Jung's "Red Book"

Freud, chillin'

Let's start Chapter 10 by taking a focus on the first fully developed theories
of personality. You've only got 10 questions that you need to deal with by Tuesday. The focus is on the Psychodynamic perspective, particularly Freud and Jung, you can give yourself a super easy to understand overview of their theories, once again created by Michael Britt. Click on "Personality Part 2". 

Piaget and Erikson: Stages of Development

Get to know Piaget a little better with this brief overview from UC Berkeley. The take a look at the following series of videos that demonstrate Piaget's Stages:
 Stage 1 - Sensorimotor, Object Permanence (1:03)
Stage 2 - Preoperational, Lack of Conservation (2:16)
Stage 3 - Concrete - Reversibility (0:56)
Stage 4 - Formal - Deductive Reasoning (0:58) 

So Piaget's focus was on Cognitive Development, but Erik Erikson was more interested in how our personality and social relationships interact to influence our development. He believed that all humans face common obstacles at different points in our lives. He worked out 8 basic stages of Psychosocial Development common to all. To gain true understanding of the stages of development you should read all the relevant info in your text. You may also want to check out this overview. The following video will MAKE you remember each and every stage of Erikson's for life, but you have to watch the entire thing at least once and give it your full attention. Force yourself yo connect to everything Mr. Britt is doing. It's 18 minutes long, deal with it.

And last but not least, these Developmental Psych Cliff Notes provide an EXCELLENT overview of lifespan development. Click around on the tabs on the left for more detail

Baby Ducks, Tortured Monkeys and a "Strange Situation": UPDATED HARLOW LINK

Please make sure you watch all three of the following videos. They relate to pages 370 - 373.

Konrad Lorenz and Imprinting

Mary Ainsworth and Attachment Studies

Harry Harlow and Contact Comfort, UPDATE: sorry about the bad link earlier. The following article appeared in the Boston Globe a few years back and does a good job explaining the impact of Harlow's research on both Psychology and the Animal Right's Movement.