Solitary Confinement... not cool, especially for teens.

By now you have most likely heard that Albert Woodfox, a man placed in solitary confinement in Angola in 1972 for the killing of a prison guard has been ordered released, but his release is heing blocked by the attorney general of Louisiana, Buddy Caldwell. Albert Woodfox has been held in solitary confinement for over 40 years. Because humans are social animals, it seems highly likely that solitary confinement would have a significant impact on psychological health. You can watch a video and read about Albert Woodfox here.

Solitary confinement is a practice that is also used with incarcerated teens. It may be especially damaging considering the importance of this period for brain maturation. Check out the article in The Atlantic about the impact of Solitary on the Teen Brain.

Whirlwind Tour of the Senses

So, here's an enormous collection of videos and links to better acquaint you with the senses that you've been using all your life.

Hearing:
A nice clear overview and An animation

Smell:
 a little overview and here's another overview and as we all know, some things just go together so check out this smell and taste combined video.


Taste:
A 6 minute mini-documentary, click on "view"
This might drive you out of your mind, but if you have fast processing speed check it out
Really nice, easy to understand overview of taste

The vestibular sense: 

quick and to the point explanation

The Gate control theory of pain:
Before you do anything else, read this short paper

a longish (7 minute) interview, that will help clarify
and finally, a nutty little animation

Have a Vision

So now that you know that your eyes don't really "see" anything, you should get really comfortable and familiar with what your eyes actually do do. Take a look at this excellent overview of human vision. Also take a look at this short clip from NOVA, it covers much of the same material, but from a different perspective.

Take a look at this excellent site that will give you an understanding of how we process what we think of as "color". Make sure you click on all 3 tabs at the top to get the full overview

SPOILER ALERT: Santa Claus isn't real (and neither is astrology, graphology, ESP, ghosts, etc., etc., ad nauseam)

As Clever Hans, my mind reading scam and those fake personality tests showed us, “extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence”. And let’s face it, there are all sorts of “extraordinary” claims out there, from people trying to sell weight loss pills without dieting, to psychics claiming that they can communicate with dead loved ones.

Believing in pseudoscientific claims can actually hurt people in many ways; physically, emotionally, financially, and last but not least intellectually. Don’t be a sucker and demand to “see the evidence!”

Take a look at the following videos and respond thoughtfully in the comment section.

It’s kind of long, but if you never saw Billy Nye the Science Guy when you were a kid, you’re gonna love his episode on Pseudoscience.

"Therapeutic Touch" was a theory based on a lot of "woo woo", until a nine year old skeptic decided that she wanted some evidence. Check out John Stossel's report on this whack therapy!

So, how do psychics do it?  Watch Derren Brown's "Science of Scams" episode on psychics. The "reading" lasts until 5:28 and then the explanation takes place thereafter. You'll feel less bad about being a victim of the "Forer Effect"

More Sleep!

It's a cliche to say that we spend at least one-third of our lives asleep, but it's true, which probably explains why it's a cliche. Anyway, check out any or all of the following videos on the sleep cycle. They're all relatively short and the more sources you have the better it'll stick!

"The Sleep Cycle" a slow-moving cartoon, but will help
"The Sleep Cycle", not as slow, but with bizarre choice of music
SUPER SHORT! 30 seconds!!!! Sleep Cycle and more

Guess what? Bad things can happen when you don't get enough sleep! Although there isn't a one among you that has ever fallen asleep in my class, you know it happens. Check out this 4 minute NPR podcast on teens and their sleep deficit. There's also a really good Q & A section on the same topic, give it a once over.

And, finally, what would happen if you stayed up for 8 days straight? Staying up 24 hours straight has the same impact as being totally drunk (legally), so how 'bout 8 days? Find out by watching a little overview of the famous sleep deprivation experiment by Peter Tripp, a dj trying to raise money for a charity. Also check out this creepy little retelling of the experiment, shockingly there's actually more information about what happened to poor Tripp afterwards.

Sleep!

Ainsworth and Harlow: the Importance of the Beginning

 As we discussed in our last meeting, developmental psychology is interested in looking at the relationship between heredity and the environment. One question of enormous interest has been how important is the infant-caregiver bond on later development? What can the quality of that bond tell us about the growth and temperament of the individual?

Two psychologists, Mary Ainsworth and Harry Harlow were interested in this question and conducted important experiments in order to examine the importance of these early social interactions. Read a brief description of Ainsworth's work and watch footage of her experiment. You may want to skim this article which provides extensive background on Harry Harlow before watching this video, which includes an interview with Harlow and original footage and this one, which is a bit more appalling. 


After watching both experiments, please complete this task. Extra points for typed responses!

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!