Thorndike & Skinner

Thorndike

1.      Edward Thorndike placed a cat in a puzzle box. The cat was required to figure how to get out of the box to reach the food.

2.      Law of Effect: This law states that if a result is positive than the individual is more likely to repeat it.

3.      Law of Exercise: The response is followed by the stimulus hence they are related. This law informed individuals learn better from experience than from watching.

B.F. Skinner

1.      Operant Conditioning: method of learning due to rewards and punishments.

2.      Reinforcement helps behavior to increase.

3.      Punishment reinforces the behavior positively or negatively.

4.      Positive Reinforcement: something is given Negative Reinforcement: something is taken away.

Works Cited:
http://psychology.about.com/od/behavioralpsychology/a/introopcond.htm
http://www.answers.com/topic/law-of-exercise

Article

Article #4

This study was conducted by Jennifer Peszka, PhD, psychology department chair at Hendrix College in Conway Ark., her goal was to find the difference in GPA score from students with poor sleeping habits and those with good sleeping habits. Te results were drawn out from data from 80 students (between the ages of 16 and 20).

Article

Article #2

               The study was authored by, Zaw W. Htwe, MD, of Norwalk Hospital´s Sleep Disorders Center in Norwalk, Conn., and Mary B. O´Malley, MD, PhD was a corresponding author of the study. This research focused on 259 high school students; they were given the School Sleep Habits Questionnaire. The answers reported how much time students slept before and after the delayed school start time. The findings of this study show that a 40-min delay in the school start time increased a 33min of sleep for the students of the institution. Surprisingly the students used the extra time for sleep not for socializing or other extracurricular activities; wake up time was delayed not bed time.

Theories of Psychology

Ivan Pavlov

1.       Pavlov was studying the digestive system of mammals.

2.       The dog would get food and its saliva would get measured. Pavlov found the dog would salivate before getting the food. This was because he would associate the sound as the food was brought in.

3.       The conditioned stimulus was the tone in Pavlov’s experiment. The unconditioned stimulus was the meat powder. The conditioned response was salivation.

4.       This is the gradual weakening and eventual disappearance of the conditional response tendency. Extinction occurs from multiple presentations of conditioned stimulus with ought the unconditioned stimulus.

5.       Stimulus generalization is when a response to a specific stimulus becomes associated to other stimuli (similar) and how other similar stimuli occur to those other similar stimuli.

6.       Stimulus discrimination is learning to respond to one stimulus and not to another.

7.       Pavlov should have had to re-route the dog’s salivary glands surgically, and should have experimented with humans.

8.       Pavlov concluded that when you pair a neutral stimulus with a stimulus that has natural meaning (US) the neutral stimulus takes on the same meaning and becomes conditional.

http://web.mst.edu/~psyworld/classical_conditioning.htm

John B. Watson

1.    At 9 months of age, little Albert was exposed to a white rat, rabbit, dog, monkey, masks with and without hair, cotton wool, burning newspapers and other similar items. After this, at 11 months he was exposed to a white rat which he played with. While little Albert was happily playing with the rat Watson and his assistant made a loud noise by hitting a steel bar with a hammer. Following this, little Albert became frightened to these objects.

2.      Conditioned stimulus: white rat; Unconditioned stimulus: loud noise; Conditioned response: crying.
3.    This experiment was unethical, therefore should not be tested again.  

4.      The more frequent a stimulus and response to occur in association with each other, the stronger that habit will become.

5.      The response that has most recently occurred after a particular stimulus is the response most likely to be associated with that stimulus.

6.      Watson stated psychology was the study of behavior, instead of the human mind. Therefore people could be studied objectively like lab rats.

http://nobelprize.org/educational/medicine/pavlov/readmore.html

http://www.forerunner.com/forerunner/X0497_DeMar_-_Behaviorism.html

http://teachnet.edb.utexas.edu/~Lynda_abbot/Behaviorism.html

The Teenage Brain

We usually tend to believe our brains go through  change and development only during the early years of our lives. At least I did, but in our Psychology class we watched a video on the teenage brain this week and learned other wise. Apparently when we reach adolescence our brain isn’t fully developed yet, and the frontal lobe overcomes many changes during these years especially. Because of the changes occurring teenagers tend to feel and behave in ways their parents don’t get. The typical behaviors reported on teenagers are, thinking nobody seems to understand them (because they don’t), forgetting certain tasks they were asked to perform, and most teenagers suffer from sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation is a huge damage to the brain, especially in a teenager’s brain since it needs the rest because of its changing. According to studies an adolescent needs 9hrs of sleep per night; when they don’t you can tell with their moods and performance.  Another characteristic of teenagers is there pursuit for thrill; this leads them to poor decision making, teenagers are reckless and irresponsible (that seems to be the stereo type). Do to this quest for thrill adolescent years is a time of high risk, since decision making is very impulsive. These decisions may lead to lifelong consequences; therefore parents should be cautious when dealing with a teenager.

Picture:
http://www.google.hn/imgres?imgurl=http://kevinbeirne.webs.com/Drug%2520graphic.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.dictionaryfordads.com/drugaddictionprevention.htm&usg=__XwOKXSyTNNRqhs72vL4ClZLHJCQ=&h=374&w=374&sz=46&hl=es&start=0&sig2=1HnZ1Mth7lF_H080R02hpQ&zoom=1&tbnid=50XMQAsKiwaqCM:&tbnh=128&tbnw=127&ei=xAWkTK-QFMH78Abj7KjLCQ&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dteenagrs%2Bdrugs%2Band%2Balcohol%26hl%3Des%26biw%3D999%26bih%3D307%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=300&oei=xAWkTK-QFMH78Abj7KjLCQ&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=10&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:0&tx=82&ty=60

How our Brains Work

1.      The brain is divided into two hemispheres; they both work together but have different functions.

2.      The main difference from one side of the brain to the other is creativity and logic. The left side of the brain deals with logic, sequential rationality, and analytical objectivity. The right side of our brains is more random, intuitive, holistic, synthesizing, and subjective. It is also important to note that the left side of our brain looks at parts as for our right brain which looks at things as a whole.

3.      The corpus callosum is nervous tissue which connects the left and right sides of your brain; by this arched bridge both hemispheres to communicate.

4.      Paul Broca had a patient who could only say tan, therefore he called his patient ‘’Tan’’.  When Tan died he studied his brain and discovered his left frontal cortex was damaged. This part of the brain is now known as the "Broca's Area."

5.      Roger Sperry made a breaking change in medicine, the life for epileptic patients changed because of him. In the 1960s he changed epilepsy by cutting the corpus collosum, this way he was enabling any energy transfers, this way the patient would not suffer from any epileptic attacks.

6.      Karl Wernicke, following Paul Broca’s studies, became involved and discovered speech was also related to the temporal lobe.

7.      The occipital lobe of your brain is responsible for vision.

8.      Hearing and language is controlled by the temporal lobe.

9.      The frontal lobe is responsible for math calculations.

10.   As well as for math we use our frontal lobe for judgment, reasoning and impulse control.

Sources:

http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/split.html

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_corpus_callosum

http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/lang.html

http://www.google.hn/imgres?imgurl=http://www.brainhealthandpuzzles.com/images/labeled_diagram_human_brain.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.brainhealthandpuzzles.com/diagram_of_brain.html&usg=__ODAhzybZTYAVn9-OXv0F6Zni-Ec=&h=330&w=440&sz=25&hl=es&start=0&sig2=i67CtLlk2mMh4-P4pn0bkQ&zoom=1&tbnid=oulaeW5N8SRm-M:&tbnh=126&tbnw=167&ei=046eTN6IAoT58Abu5MCBDQ&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dthe%2Bparts%2Bof%2Bthe%2Bbrain%26hl%3Des%26biw%3D666%26bih%3D205%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=500&oei=046eTN6IAoT58Abu5MCBDQ&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=8&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0&tx=27&ty=44

notes from class

Phineas Gage

In the mid 1800s a man by the name of Phineas Gage worked on a railroad. One day, while sealing a hole with sand and pressure with a tamping iron the dynamite which he was tamping caught fire. This caused the rod to penetrate his left cheekbone, into his eye, and out his skull going threw his frontal lobe. Luckily Gage survived this dreadfully accident. According to the people who knew him before and after the accident Phineas Gage’s personality changed drastically. But most people ask themselves, how did he survive something so drastic? Scientists today tell us it’s because we can live without function from parts of our brain; as Phineas Gage who lived the rest of his life with his frontal lobe damaged and without function from his left eye.

sources:

http://www.google.hn/imgres?imgurl=http://ettf.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/phineasgage.jpg&imgrefurl=http://ettf.net/archives/6593&usg=__hN0krSVgISp8z351Dw_2jarO5UE=&h=499&w=450&sz=73&hl=es&start=32&sig2=VjgnhtdudkCeecIxKqVsog&zoom=1&tbnid=po8GkpP64QLT5M:&tbnh=117&tbnw=104&ei=cKCaTIntH8uNjAfz9NiACg&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dphineas%2Bgage%26hl%3Des%26biw%3D666%26bih%3D227%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C1029&itbs=1&biw=666&bih=227&iact=rc&dur=109&oei=pJ6aTIfPB8OI4Qbug-H1Dw&esq=4&page=4&ndsp=10&ved=1t:429,r:8,s:32&tx=94&ty=36

http://www.google.hn/imgres?imgurl=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif_klye462-RSG0hdtAjWfBdxWAniP8ukqz0O1H4nexYD8ekIYd34QHh6VcGKi0vPj6gBWtRftIwAqzs-bu1fPsSTDzaF1i5YDVkSYtHGfDMbKeDm3AImIeawpVGfI34MwNSqhKT1wQ_in/s400/Phineas+Gage.jpg&imgrefurl=http://desdeelmanicomio.blogspot.com/2009/07/phineas-gage-el-hombre-que-cambio-de.html&usg=__DcPsJJBTb5h-0QB0OhqnvCKDggI=&h=400&w=294&sz=22&hl=es&start=0&sig2=__QgTmxb4PTYv2hjnPFlFA&zoom=1&tbnid=do4RDccQBEyl3M:&tbnh=124&tbnw=84&ei=TaGaTLu6EpT_4AbYqLEG&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dphineas%2Bgage%26hl%3Des%26biw%3D666%26bih%3D227%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=1501&oei=TaGaTLu6EpT_4AbYqLEG&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=11&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:0&tx=51&ty=42

http://facstaff.gpc.edu/~bbrown/psyc1501/brain/loclat.htm

Hotly Debated Topics in the Nature/Nurture Debate

Why are you gay?



       What is nature vs. nurture? This topic is a scientific debate; it relies on what is the root of the way humans are, is it or genes or the environment in which they live in. An issue discussed whether it is nature or nurture is homosexuality. Are gay people gay because they were born this way or are they gay because of the surroundings? Many scientist and theologians have been trying to determine whether homosexuality is nature or nurture? I consider homosexuality to be caused because of biological causes as well as environmental.


       Zach O’Connor, a homosexual, always felt different from the age of 5 or 6. His case leans towards having an environmental cause. Apparently, the majority of his friends were girls, and asked his parents for a Barbie Dream House. On the other hand, the parents of David, another homosexually oriented man, believe their son is gay since birth. They’ve known David’s sexual preference since the age of 3. There is a theory which says ‘’a first-born son has 3 percent chance of being homosexual…the fourth sons chance of being homosexual doubles to about 6 percent’’ (Silverman). These percentages are due to males developing before birth in females, they have different chemicals and are different to women; therefore it alters their sexual preference. This was proven after the first theory scientists had about sexuality and older siblings, at first they believed it was related to the interaction boys had with their older brothers after birth. Except, as Anthony Bogaert a researcher and study author stated, ‘’In fact [the gay men] had more biological older brothers who they were never reared with, which mean there’s probably some biological parental factor to account for this older brother effect’’ (Silverman). But what about those homosexually oriented men who don’t have any older brothers? These could have been raised to become homosexuals.


       Wrapping up, we can’t say for sure judging by the past observations, homosexuality can be biological or environmental. I believe it depends on the person, some homosexuals are confused and still aren’t sure what they are attracted to. Nobody can say for sure why a person is gay, but nobody can tell you why your beliefs are what they are or why someone kills mercilessly. Surely soon enough we’ll be able to know the roots of homosexuality. This is a very interesting topic and hopefully these people obtain the freedom to be who they are in the near future. Parents shouldn´t freak out if one of their children tell them who they are; like Cindy O’Connor told her son Zach, when he told her he was gay, ‘’Zach you know what? Who you choose to love is your business’’ (Sherr, Diamond). Being gay shouldn’t be thought as a disease but more as a way of life similar to being a vegan.

Sources:

SHERR, LYNN, and Jeff LastDIAMOND. "Is There a 'Gay Gene'?." ABC News 20/20 . N.p., March 26, 2008. Web. 10 Sep 2010. http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=4529843&page=1.

SILVERMAN,t, MICHAEL I. . "Men with Older Brothers More Likely to be Gay." ABC News/Health. N.p., June 26, 2006. Web. 10 Sep 2010. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=2120218&page=1.

Anderson, Inge. "How Do People Become Gay?." God's Love-Our Witness . N.p., 10 May 2010 . Web. 10 Sep 2010. http://www.glow.cc/isa/become_gay.htm.

Pictures:

http://images.mylot.com/userImages/images/postphotos/2207156.gif

http://www.vieiros.com/enlaces/novas/imx/grande/0194545001234348430-duas-imaxe-empregadas-polo-bloco-de-esquerda-na-sua-campana-pola-legalizacion-do-casamento-homosexual.jpg

Charles Darwin

            Charles Darwin was born on February 12th 1809 at Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. He was the son a wealthy man from England. He was taught Greek language based classics curriculum at Shrewsbury, he then went on to study medicine, but did not obtain this degree. After this, his father encouraged him to study theology in Christ's College, Cambridge. His time in Cambridge didn't result in him pursuing theology either, but instead he fell in love with fox-hunting, game shooting, collect plants, insects, and geological specimens. Professors and other scientists encouraged Darwin to pursue a degree in science. He had no paternal support but his uncle spoke in Darwin’s behalf so he could join the HMS Beagle; this meant taking a different path from the Church.


           Darwin embarked the HMS beagle with captain Fitzroy, a journey that lasted about five years going around the world and studying species from different islands. Form these species his theory of Evolution was born. He came up with the idea because the animals he was studying were alike but had different characteristics. He then came up with the theory of natural selection, this referred to that animals had to reproduce to produce and keep their genes.


         Charles Darwin had a hard time deciding whether or not to publish his book on his theory because everyone believed in the creation of God. Therefore anyone who spoke differently was accused of heresy and had consequences.

Source: http://www.age-of-the-sage.org/philosophy/charles_darwin.html

http://www.myclassiclyrics.com/artist_biographies/Charles_Darwin_Biography.htm

http://www.ebookchm.com/screen/miscelleanous/darwi52ljq5.jpg

What is Psychology? Why should we study about it?

       According to an article from the New York Times "research in psychology seeks to understand and explain thought, emotion, and behavior. Applications of psychology include mental health treatment, performance enhancement, self-help, ergonomics, and many other areas affecting health and daily life." (Cherry, Kendra) In my opinion it’s imperative for us to study Psychology to be able to understand our selves and others. This way we know the cause behind our actions, and it is easier to find a solution.

Cherry , Kendra . "What Is Psychology?." 2010: n. pag. Web. 17 Aug 2010. http://psychology.about.com/od/psychology101/f/psychfaq.htm.