This was a very interesting article, and honestly, I didn't really believe the statement upon reading the title.
Personally, I think that the weather effects one's mood depending on how much time the person spends outdoors. I get really anxious when it's sunny outside and I have to be inside. On the other hand, I don't mind when it's raining and I'm stuck indoors.
The study showed that Germans positive moods were not affected by the weather, whether it was sunny and blue skies or not. Good weather didn't make people feel happier at all. (I am the total opposite.)
Negative weather, on the other hand, did make a difference. Less sunshine was associated with greater tiredness, etc. I agree with this- rain and gray skies make me drowsy, especially when stuck in school.
One thing that I think needs to be considered is that this study was taken in Germany. We don't know how much time Germans spend outdoors on average compared with north or south Americans, Asians, etc. Could this make a difference?
Monday, November 23, 2009
Chapter 13 - Personality
This was the first chapter that I disagreed with various points throughout. I thought for the most part it was a pretty easy to read, educational chapter, but at times it seemed like the author was talking in circles and that certain points weren't necissarily always valid.
I found Freud's view of fixation very interesting, and although many of todays psychologists are beginning to doubt the credibility of his theories, I think this one should definitely remain considered. Basically, it said that fixation is a lingering focus of pleasure seeking energies at an early stage creating unresolved conflicts. A great example given in the book was a person seeking oral gratification later in life if deprived of is as an infant. This could include smoking or excessive eating. I realize it is not always true, but I think it certainly could be some of the time.
Regression was another interesting theory of anxiety defense that Freud came up with. It explained how, when put in stressful, high anxiety situations, people revert back to comforts like thumb-sucking or clinging to a parent.
One of the points I highly disagree with in the text was the point made about personal web sites. I don't agree with the author that most people use facebook or myspace as a canvas or self-expression rather than a way to falsely represent themselves. Many people who have added me on facebook are people I know and go to school with, and many of them use their pages to display sexy pictures for guys that have been photoshopped and dont even look like them. Statuses are set to bring on questions from friends, not always to express oneself.
Another disagreement I had with the text was the example given about learned helplessness. It's not so much the theory I disagree with, but the example of how this theory came to be. Who on earth would repeatedly SHOCK dogs to create fear and anxiety just for a psych experiment?! And why on earth was this example the one published and used in chapter 13? This is ridiculous and cruel to me and I wish the book hand't used it.
What did everyone else think of the 2 disagreements I had??
I found Freud's view of fixation very interesting, and although many of todays psychologists are beginning to doubt the credibility of his theories, I think this one should definitely remain considered. Basically, it said that fixation is a lingering focus of pleasure seeking energies at an early stage creating unresolved conflicts. A great example given in the book was a person seeking oral gratification later in life if deprived of is as an infant. This could include smoking or excessive eating. I realize it is not always true, but I think it certainly could be some of the time.
Regression was another interesting theory of anxiety defense that Freud came up with. It explained how, when put in stressful, high anxiety situations, people revert back to comforts like thumb-sucking or clinging to a parent.
One of the points I highly disagree with in the text was the point made about personal web sites. I don't agree with the author that most people use facebook or myspace as a canvas or self-expression rather than a way to falsely represent themselves. Many people who have added me on facebook are people I know and go to school with, and many of them use their pages to display sexy pictures for guys that have been photoshopped and dont even look like them. Statuses are set to bring on questions from friends, not always to express oneself.
Another disagreement I had with the text was the example given about learned helplessness. It's not so much the theory I disagree with, but the example of how this theory came to be. Who on earth would repeatedly SHOCK dogs to create fear and anxiety just for a psych experiment?! And why on earth was this example the one published and used in chapter 13? This is ridiculous and cruel to me and I wish the book hand't used it.
What did everyone else think of the 2 disagreements I had??
Monday, November 16, 2009
Psyblog- Hows Beliefs Influence What tastes Good
This article dealt with how our preconceptions of what we're about to eat play into how we thinkt he food actually tastes.
Some tests administered tricked the volunteers into thinking they were eating beef when really eating veggie-burger, or vice versa. The same went for a study using pepsi and a store brand cola, but my favorite was the example about whether low or full fat foods tasted better.
So many people, including my own family, won't buy the lowfat milk, whipped cream, yogurt, ice cream, mayo, etc. because they truly believe it tastes worse. Depending on the BRAND, not the fat content, tastes vary, but really, can one honestly tell a major difference between 2% and 1% or skim milk? I don't think so. I think it all has to do with preconceptions.
My mom recently bought low-fat beanutbutter accidentally. I ate it without knowing and couldn't tell the difference, but she was astonished that I even opened the jar! When we dont know that what we're eating is a bit different from what we're used to, I don't think we can percieve a difference. We EXPECT full fat foods to taste better, but why wouldn't we choose the healthy road for a little less flavor (and thats if you can even detect the difference!!)
Currently organic and low fat foods seem to be all the rage...so I wonder what is selling better: full fat, normal foods or the continual supply of new, lowfat concoctions?
Some tests administered tricked the volunteers into thinking they were eating beef when really eating veggie-burger, or vice versa. The same went for a study using pepsi and a store brand cola, but my favorite was the example about whether low or full fat foods tasted better.
So many people, including my own family, won't buy the lowfat milk, whipped cream, yogurt, ice cream, mayo, etc. because they truly believe it tastes worse. Depending on the BRAND, not the fat content, tastes vary, but really, can one honestly tell a major difference between 2% and 1% or skim milk? I don't think so. I think it all has to do with preconceptions.
My mom recently bought low-fat beanutbutter accidentally. I ate it without knowing and couldn't tell the difference, but she was astonished that I even opened the jar! When we dont know that what we're eating is a bit different from what we're used to, I don't think we can percieve a difference. We EXPECT full fat foods to taste better, but why wouldn't we choose the healthy road for a little less flavor (and thats if you can even detect the difference!!)
Currently organic and low fat foods seem to be all the rage...so I wonder what is selling better: full fat, normal foods or the continual supply of new, lowfat concoctions?
Current Event 11-16
I was recently having a conversation about movies that I feel can really pertain to psychology and the way we think.
Basically, a friend and I decided that movies and tv shows are getting extremely crude and mentally deteriorating. Think about it...when we're young and watching disney movies, Cinderella's step sisters trying to steal her shoe and, consequently, her boyfriend prince charming, seems like a real problem. As we get older and start watching more sophisticated movies, we start seeing affairs within families and other corrupt things. Movies we watch when we're young are just leading us into the twisted world we live in today. Where do you think the producers get the story line ideas anyway?
So the question my friend and I were pondering was, what are OUR kids going to be watching someday? Obviously we can't just shut them out from the world, but do we really want them watching what we've watched? Or the sex/drug filled sitcoms we watch now? No way. It wasn't until I was allowed to watch R-rated movies that I started swearing ever. I don't only blame the movies, but they certainly didn't help.
Unfortunately, we learn from what we watch on tv and associate with our own lives. What's worse is that as of right now, there doesn't seem to be a way of fixing it.
Basically, a friend and I decided that movies and tv shows are getting extremely crude and mentally deteriorating. Think about it...when we're young and watching disney movies, Cinderella's step sisters trying to steal her shoe and, consequently, her boyfriend prince charming, seems like a real problem. As we get older and start watching more sophisticated movies, we start seeing affairs within families and other corrupt things. Movies we watch when we're young are just leading us into the twisted world we live in today. Where do you think the producers get the story line ideas anyway?
So the question my friend and I were pondering was, what are OUR kids going to be watching someday? Obviously we can't just shut them out from the world, but do we really want them watching what we've watched? Or the sex/drug filled sitcoms we watch now? No way. It wasn't until I was allowed to watch R-rated movies that I started swearing ever. I don't only blame the movies, but they certainly didn't help.
Unfortunately, we learn from what we watch on tv and associate with our own lives. What's worse is that as of right now, there doesn't seem to be a way of fixing it.
Chapter 9- Thinking and Language
I liked this chapter because of it's length. Short and sweet!
I found the discussion about animals and animal studies to be very intriguing. The way they have learned and been trained to develop vocabularies, whether audible or signed, is fascinating!!
I agreed with behaviorist B.F. Skinner in that we learn language by the familiar principles of association, imitation, and reinforcement. I believe that by seeing expressions, hearing words modeled by others repeatedly, and associating lip movement with the sounds we hear are what enable us to develop out own language. I also believe this is what causes accents and usage of certain slang, etc.
Insight was a concept that the book covered pretty thoroughly. Insight and instinct seem to go hand-in-hand in some ways. Instinct is a sudden flash of information to the brain that tells us how to act or deliver a movement, and insight is a flash of inspiration solving a problem much in the same way: suddenly. Intuition also helps smart thinkers gain instant help when needed in making automatic, effortless decisions.
When the book talked about framing I immediately could think of multiple examples. To list a few: when an expensive item is priced half off, it looks more appealing than a regular priced item being 25% off. This is due to framing. Verbally, a friend may set you up or frame their words to get you to do a favor for them by "buttering you up" first. Favors look a lot simpler to complete when you've been complimented.
Overall, this chapter kept my attention better than others. I liked that there were more examples to learn from!
I found the discussion about animals and animal studies to be very intriguing. The way they have learned and been trained to develop vocabularies, whether audible or signed, is fascinating!!
I agreed with behaviorist B.F. Skinner in that we learn language by the familiar principles of association, imitation, and reinforcement. I believe that by seeing expressions, hearing words modeled by others repeatedly, and associating lip movement with the sounds we hear are what enable us to develop out own language. I also believe this is what causes accents and usage of certain slang, etc.
Insight was a concept that the book covered pretty thoroughly. Insight and instinct seem to go hand-in-hand in some ways. Instinct is a sudden flash of information to the brain that tells us how to act or deliver a movement, and insight is a flash of inspiration solving a problem much in the same way: suddenly. Intuition also helps smart thinkers gain instant help when needed in making automatic, effortless decisions.
When the book talked about framing I immediately could think of multiple examples. To list a few: when an expensive item is priced half off, it looks more appealing than a regular priced item being 25% off. This is due to framing. Verbally, a friend may set you up or frame their words to get you to do a favor for them by "buttering you up" first. Favors look a lot simpler to complete when you've been complimented.
Overall, this chapter kept my attention better than others. I liked that there were more examples to learn from!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Diners Spend More In Lavender-Scented Restaurant - Psyblog
This was an...odd...article, to say the least.
It was based off of a study that included dispensing aromas 3 weeks in a row into a small pizzeria to see which week consumers spent more money (the study wanted to relate spendings with the aroma.)
The first week no aroma was dispensed.
The second weed the smell of lemon was dispensed and sales increased minimally.
The third week the smell of lavender was dispensed from the diffusers and sales jumped!!
The lavender and spending were, in fact, directly related, but there was a downside: So were lavender and lingering in the restaurant. I really don't understand why the smell of lavender would make someone's mouth water, and I personally don't think it would work on me. The smell of lavender and pizza would actually make me sick when I really consider it. This article made me wonder if grocery stores diffuse small amounts of a scent in order to make you buy more, or if they rely on the smell of the bakery?
It was based off of a study that included dispensing aromas 3 weeks in a row into a small pizzeria to see which week consumers spent more money (the study wanted to relate spendings with the aroma.)
The first week no aroma was dispensed.
The second weed the smell of lemon was dispensed and sales increased minimally.
The third week the smell of lavender was dispensed from the diffusers and sales jumped!!
The lavender and spending were, in fact, directly related, but there was a downside: So were lavender and lingering in the restaurant. I really don't understand why the smell of lavender would make someone's mouth water, and I personally don't think it would work on me. The smell of lavender and pizza would actually make me sick when I really consider it. This article made me wonder if grocery stores diffuse small amounts of a scent in order to make you buy more, or if they rely on the smell of the bakery?
Chapter 8 - Realizations
After reading chapter 8, specifically the Misinformation Effect section, I was able to recall a memory of being lost at Art in the Park when I was between 4 and 5 years old. This used to be a vivid memory, because it was the first and only time I was REALLY lost that I could ever remember. With time, the vividness has decayed, but I thought I could remember the important details. To test this, I asked my mom what her account was of what had happened after trying to remember as much as I could myself. Here was my account:
I wandered away when my mom was taking too long at one booth, and ended up not knowing where I was going. I ended up in the more open part of the park and started getting freaked out because I couldn't see my family anywhere. I remember thinking that my mom had always said 'If you get lost, just wait where you are and I'll find you." So I sat down next to an elderly couple on a bench. They were strangers so I didn't respond when they asked me if I was lost. 15 minutes later my mom found me.
Here's how my mom remembers it:
I wandered away (about 30 ft...far enough away that I couldn't see her over the heads of other people, but she could still see me). My mom finished looking at the items of the booth she was at and then caught up with me. She had let me be for about 3 minutes so that I would learn not to wander away again.
Obviously, there's a bit of a difference between our stories. Something tells me that her at-the-time 35-year-old memory was better than my 4-yeard old memory. Being in a scary situation that marked my first experience of being "lost" may have made me misrecall what had actually happened. Many other similar instances have happened, I'm sure, but this was definitely one of my most memorable.
I wandered away when my mom was taking too long at one booth, and ended up not knowing where I was going. I ended up in the more open part of the park and started getting freaked out because I couldn't see my family anywhere. I remember thinking that my mom had always said 'If you get lost, just wait where you are and I'll find you." So I sat down next to an elderly couple on a bench. They were strangers so I didn't respond when they asked me if I was lost. 15 minutes later my mom found me.
Here's how my mom remembers it:
I wandered away (about 30 ft...far enough away that I couldn't see her over the heads of other people, but she could still see me). My mom finished looking at the items of the booth she was at and then caught up with me. She had let me be for about 3 minutes so that I would learn not to wander away again.
Obviously, there's a bit of a difference between our stories. Something tells me that her at-the-time 35-year-old memory was better than my 4-yeard old memory. Being in a scary situation that marked my first experience of being "lost" may have made me misrecall what had actually happened. Many other similar instances have happened, I'm sure, but this was definitely one of my most memorable.
Bloggin Time - Chapter 8
Memory is an inexplicably important asset to who we are as human beings. Who would we be if, like Clive Waring, we could not remember more than 20 seconds into our pasts? No one. We would practically be non-existent if we, in fact, could not REMEMBER our existence. Would we know or remember how to make and raise children? would we remember to eat enough to stay alive, or forget we ate so much that we die of obesity? Would the human race even remain?! Life would be unimagineably difficult. We would be unable to learn the traits of survival and likely become extinct. What a terrible world it would be if we didn't have our precious memories.
This chapter was really interesting because it brought up some confrontational points, such as: is my memory as good as I think it is? Can I, just like many other researchers and ordinary people, fabricate my own memories or fill in the pieces that were never really there to the point where I believe them? Yes, because there are many ways in which memory works with and against us. The 7 sins of memory gives perfect examples of many of these mind operations.
The concept of memory repression (or lack thereof) interested and surprised me. We hear about traumatized people repressing tragic memories in the news, magazine interviews, and often we even know someone who seems to do this is their mind. What was intruiging about this concept in the text was that an increasing number of memory researchers think repression rarely, IF EVER, occurs. People often succeed at intentionally forgetting certain material, but not when the material deals with emotions. Trying to forget emotional material actually leads to intrusion of memory, creating persistant replays of a traumatic event.
This chapter was really interesting because it brought up some confrontational points, such as: is my memory as good as I think it is? Can I, just like many other researchers and ordinary people, fabricate my own memories or fill in the pieces that were never really there to the point where I believe them? Yes, because there are many ways in which memory works with and against us. The 7 sins of memory gives perfect examples of many of these mind operations.
The concept of memory repression (or lack thereof) interested and surprised me. We hear about traumatized people repressing tragic memories in the news, magazine interviews, and often we even know someone who seems to do this is their mind. What was intruiging about this concept in the text was that an increasing number of memory researchers think repression rarely, IF EVER, occurs. People often succeed at intentionally forgetting certain material, but not when the material deals with emotions. Trying to forget emotional material actually leads to intrusion of memory, creating persistant replays of a traumatic event.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Psyblog- Getting Closer: The Art of Self-Disclosure
This was an awesome blog!!
I wish all internet daters would read it...not because it gives a big old dose of reality, but because it could probably save a lot of broken hearts. If you're not willing to leave your photos the way they are (without touching them up) or pad your profile, how will a relationship ever work? The same is true for reality shows like the Bachelor or Dating in the Dark. Self-disclosure is key, and it is often not possible on national television.
To summarize, the blog talked about how self disclosure must be odne the right way at the right time. It is vital for relationships to prosper, and even to be liked in school or at work. If one gives too much information too quickly, the reciever of the information will likely freak out and run ( I have experienced this with guys before. Some just take the "sensitive guy who opens up" role WAY too far...). The same goes for two members of the same sex, just looking to be friends. If one gives her life story and deepest darkest secret, the other probably senses a lack of trust to be had.
Another interesting point was that as serious romantic relationships lengthen, self-disclosure decreases. I have been dating the same guy on and off for 5 years. After about 3 years we had a really hard time talking to eachother and could never figure out why. At the time, my family was entering a rough situation and I think I chose to shut him out. Lacking the self-disclosure we had always had was probably what tore us apart for a while, and I realized that as time went on. This is probably a major factor in divorces as well.
This was a great blog. I think we should all read it because I believe we can all probably relate and maybe even improve relationships if we put serious thought into it!
I wish all internet daters would read it...not because it gives a big old dose of reality, but because it could probably save a lot of broken hearts. If you're not willing to leave your photos the way they are (without touching them up) or pad your profile, how will a relationship ever work? The same is true for reality shows like the Bachelor or Dating in the Dark. Self-disclosure is key, and it is often not possible on national television.
To summarize, the blog talked about how self disclosure must be odne the right way at the right time. It is vital for relationships to prosper, and even to be liked in school or at work. If one gives too much information too quickly, the reciever of the information will likely freak out and run ( I have experienced this with guys before. Some just take the "sensitive guy who opens up" role WAY too far...). The same goes for two members of the same sex, just looking to be friends. If one gives her life story and deepest darkest secret, the other probably senses a lack of trust to be had.
Another interesting point was that as serious romantic relationships lengthen, self-disclosure decreases. I have been dating the same guy on and off for 5 years. After about 3 years we had a really hard time talking to eachother and could never figure out why. At the time, my family was entering a rough situation and I think I chose to shut him out. Lacking the self-disclosure we had always had was probably what tore us apart for a while, and I realized that as time went on. This is probably a major factor in divorces as well.
This was a great blog. I think we should all read it because I believe we can all probably relate and maybe even improve relationships if we put serious thought into it!
Random Blog - chapter 7
I wanted to blog about one specific part of chapter 7 and wasn't able to in our chapter 7 assignment blog, so here it goes.
The section I found most interesting was Applications of Classical Conditioning. The part about former drug users being advised to stay away from people or places they associate with previous highs was what caught my eye. I have not had experiences like this myself (pertaining to drugs) nor have I witnessed someone having withdrawal issues in a particular place or with a particular person, but after reading this section of the chapter I realized that situations such as this may happen quite frequently. For example, I have a friend who never knew her father. I avoid talking about dad's or fatherly figure with her because it makes her upset and sad. It is unlike the severity of the drug association the book gave as an example, but I feel that it is the same concept. In order to avoid negative associations, we use common courtesy.
I think we all need to keep other people's associations in mind when speaking about our opinions. I'm certain we've all had an incident or two where we make a comment like "you're retarded" to someone with a mentally retarded relative or friend and immediately think "open mouth: insert foot." Psychology really does play into every area of our lives.
The section I found most interesting was Applications of Classical Conditioning. The part about former drug users being advised to stay away from people or places they associate with previous highs was what caught my eye. I have not had experiences like this myself (pertaining to drugs) nor have I witnessed someone having withdrawal issues in a particular place or with a particular person, but after reading this section of the chapter I realized that situations such as this may happen quite frequently. For example, I have a friend who never knew her father. I avoid talking about dad's or fatherly figure with her because it makes her upset and sad. It is unlike the severity of the drug association the book gave as an example, but I feel that it is the same concept. In order to avoid negative associations, we use common courtesy.
I think we all need to keep other people's associations in mind when speaking about our opinions. I'm certain we've all had an incident or two where we make a comment like "you're retarded" to someone with a mentally retarded relative or friend and immediately think "open mouth: insert foot." Psychology really does play into every area of our lives.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Learning - Chapter 7 Blog
I loved this chapter!!
A) It was interesting.
B) It was SHORT!! I was able to keep reading without daydreaming or getting bored with the information!!
I found quite a few aspects of this chapter interesting. One was onion breath being related to sexual arousal. This study and the man's account of onion breath "turning him on" completely baffled me! I wanted to laugh hysterically, but it was really interesting! It relates to so many things in life like, when you're at the store and you smell gingerbread, you automatically think of (are conditioned to associate) Grandma's Christmas cookies. You spontaneously recover that tidbit of forgotton or seemingly extinct information when you sniff that first whiff of ginger.
An example of something I've been conditioned to is red Ford Rangers (a type of pickup truck). I associate these trucks with my father, who drives one. There have been several unfortunate incidents that have occured in/with this truck of his, so whenever I see one while driving, I immediately tense up and expect to see him in the driver's seat (Classical conditioning/ unconditioned response to the truck). This stimulus gets me every time and is extremely annoying, but the same response takes place every time.
This chapter helped me realize why I react the way I do to many things and was extremely informational in how I would like to one day raise my children. I took lots of notes!! :)
A) It was interesting.
B) It was SHORT!! I was able to keep reading without daydreaming or getting bored with the information!!
I found quite a few aspects of this chapter interesting. One was onion breath being related to sexual arousal. This study and the man's account of onion breath "turning him on" completely baffled me! I wanted to laugh hysterically, but it was really interesting! It relates to so many things in life like, when you're at the store and you smell gingerbread, you automatically think of (are conditioned to associate) Grandma's Christmas cookies. You spontaneously recover that tidbit of forgotton or seemingly extinct information when you sniff that first whiff of ginger.
An example of something I've been conditioned to is red Ford Rangers (a type of pickup truck). I associate these trucks with my father, who drives one. There have been several unfortunate incidents that have occured in/with this truck of his, so whenever I see one while driving, I immediately tense up and expect to see him in the driver's seat (Classical conditioning/ unconditioned response to the truck). This stimulus gets me every time and is extremely annoying, but the same response takes place every time.
This chapter helped me realize why I react the way I do to many things and was extremely informational in how I would like to one day raise my children. I took lots of notes!! :)
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