Blog Post #4

I read the article "What? Me Biased?" The article pretty much summed up how we as humans think unconsciously and are more often than not biased. An example they used was comparing the British actress Kate Winslet to the Asian-American actress Lucy Liu. Researchers showed that many people think of Winslet, who is not American, more of an American than Liu just by looking at their faces. They also went on to make reference as to how crucial the 2008 Presidential election was in American history, voting in our first African American President. I found it interesting to relize just how biased we are on a day to day basis, and it's more often than we think.

I found it crazy how much information our senses take in-in just one second! I also read up on the different sleep stages, and our our body almost like loses consciousness. I wish I could get more sleep on a regular basis, and I found out just how much it affects me when I don't get the sleep I need. I think this is what surprised me the most, too. I never realized the different things that you should do in order to get enough sleep, and what all affects you when you don't get enough sleep. I think that perhaps I can make my lifestyle better if I start to get a better sleep pattern.

I agree to why we dream what we dream (to satisfy our own wishes, to file away memories, to develop and preserve neural pathways, to make sense of neural static, or to reflect cognitive development) considering these are the categories all of my dreams would fall into. Overall, I rather enjoyed this section, because I could more directly relate to what they were talking about.

Blog Post #3

The first activity I did was "Chance in Life and The World." A fuzzy screen consisting of yellow and magenta colored dots flashing at you showed up. The visibility started at 50% so both sides were equal, you then had to switch it up towards 100% or down towards 0%. The word "Serendip" would eventually become clear. If you went one way, you would see less yellow and more magenta, while the other way would consist of less magenta and more yellow. The second activity I did was "Seeing More Than Your Eye Does." This was rather intriguing. There was a small picture of a cross on the left side and a dot on the right side. You were to close your left eye while staring at the cross with your right eye. You then gradually moved closer to the computer screen where the dot would suddenly disappear and then reappear. They said it goes to show you have a "blind spot." I learned from these activities that not everything is as it seems and there's more to things that what you can sense, which is your vision in these instances. In my everyday life now, I can use this as to thinking deeper at everything around me, and not just seeing everything as is. If I do this more often in my everyday surroundings, my perception of the world could definitely change, as I probably wouldn't be thinking the same as everyone around me, but in fact, a little deeper.

I learned that neurons help the body to process information, and this is why our bodies function and do the things they do. A sensory neuron, for instance, carries messages to your brain and spinal cord. Another thing I learned about the tools you can use to examine our brains. An EEG or PET scan is an example. With these technological advances, we can research about our brains, as to why we think the way we do. I used to think of the brain as a sometimes big, mushy, gross thing somewhere up there in our heads, but now I can tell how it actually works. I also found it pretty cool how the brain works with "plasticity," how it can help itself after damage has been done.

I found the video "The Man With Two Brains" rather intriguing. It was kind of confusing, but I think I understand it. It's really weird to think that a person can, but at the same time can't, comprehend everyday, simple things with a split brain, having two halves. At the same time, it is a big advance for the researchers involved with the experiment, it's like Christmas everyday, finding out something new and exciting!

Blog Post #2

I believe the importance of reserach is so we can know exactly why or how something happens, and we don't necessarily need to assume it. This way we will have scientific proof and therefore increase our knowledge of the topic. While doing research, we could maybe even accidentally find something else out, which would make the research process even more successful.

I read the article "Why You Can't Help Believing Everything You Read." It was actually really interesting and it pretty much showed how biased we humans truly are. They had set up an experiment where two different groups were given statements about an armed robbery that had occured. Both groups were told that sentences in green were true while sentences in red were false. One group was interrupted while reading, which made them in the end give the robber, on average, double the jail sentence as the other group. The experiment goes on to show that if people are given time to thoroughly think about what they are reading, then they can register if something is really false.

I learned from Chapter 1 that there are many ways to pursue research, and in the end we find out the cause and effect of everyday problems. I also learned that everything in life is at random, even if you try to find or make a pattern. I found it interesting that researchers in some cases find it alright to experiment on humans to gain knowledge. I say it's okay to practice on animals, as long as they are not suffering, but a human being? I believe that is crossing the line.

Chapter 1

Before starting this class, I thought that Psychology was just the study of the mind. However, I never really thought about what it entailed. Now that I've read through Chapter 1, it got me thinking. How do our minds work in specific ways? How do we get to be the people we are? Why do we function the way we do? What would happen if we were all alike? It made me think more in depth as to why psychology is so important, and what life would be without the concept.

I have now realized that Psychology affects my life more than I would have ever thought. For example, hindsight. I can't tell you how many times I've looked back on something saying, "oh I shouldn't have bought that!" or, "oops, I totally forgot all about it!" A time traveling machine would be nice at times like these, but you have to face reality and even if you tell everyone "you knew it all along" that you actually goofed up. Another example the book gave was that humans tend to be overconfident, which is also true, but something yet again we hate to admit. As for the three components of scientific attitude, they take place in my everyday life-curiosity, skeptcism, and humility.

One thing that I learned is the three research methods explained to us in Chapter 1 (descriptive, correlational, and experimental). When I think research, I automatically think, just go on the Internet and Google it. However, I learned ways that you can actually conduct reserach. Descriptive observes and records behavior, correlational detects naturally ocurring relationships, and experimental is set up to explore cause and effect.

Another thing I have learned this chapter is the way we humans perceive order in random events. We are always trying to find a pattern in random data, even though it will always remain random! Flipping a coin for example. You would normally think if you would flip it six times, that 50% would end up heads, and the other 50% would be tails. However, it's the same likelihood that it could be 4 heads and 2 tails, or vice versa, and so on.

Introductory Post

Hi, my name is Rian Lamb. I am a 17 year old senior at Stratford High School. I think my family has shaped how I am today. I have a great family who has supported me through everything and they have helped me become who I am today. I think studying Psychology is important, because it will help me to understand more about how and why humans do the things we do. I think that Psychology is the study of your mind and behaviors.