Part 1:
For your first blog assignment, I would like you to find a news article/video from any major news source (e.g., BBC, NPR, Huffington Post, etc.) that relates to anything we will cover in class this semester. You may want to do a quick perusal of your textbook to familiarize yourself with what topics we will cover. To receive credit for this assignment, please complete the following:
- Provide a link to your article/video.
- Provide a summary (in your own words) of the article/video.
- Provide a description of how the article/video relates to topics we have/will discuss in class this semester.
- Provide your general reaction to the article/video. Reactions can include, but are not limited to, why you chose the article or video/why it interested you, how this article/video relates to your everyday life, whether you agree/disagree with arguments made in the article/video, etc.
There is no specific length requirement for this assignment, but it should demonstrate that you put effort and thought into the assignment. Throughout the semester, you'll better be able to relate the psychological principles we discuss in class to everyday life, and therefore will be able and expected to write longer responses.
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Part 2:
Respond to any 2 existing blog posts (not including this one) to get credit for your "blog comments." Each post has its own instructions to follow in regard to commenting. You can find these posts along the right-hand side of the blog. Note: Replying to other students' comments on blog post does not count toward your grade, although I encourage you to engage in conversation with one another.
Although blog assignments will typically be due on Mondays, because of the Labor Day holiday this coming Monday, the due date for this assignment is Tuesday, September 3, 2013 at 11:59p.
Link to article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/28/stress-emotion-control-cognitive-behavioral-therapy-fear_n_3817411.html?utm_hp_ref=healthy-living
ReplyDeleteThis article highlighted the fact that people that have high levels of stress or do not hadle stress well are less likely to benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy. One of the arguments to prove this point is that stress can impair one's ability to control emotional reactions to certain events. This will result in concepts learned at therapy to not be relavant in the real world. These arguments were all demonstrated in experiments that were conducted by the Department of Psychology and Center for Neural Science at NYU. This article also outlines that people with higher levels of stress are more likely to develop depression, anxiety and chronic health conditions.
This article specifically relates to chapter three in our textbook (starting on page 70) and our week four lecture. The lecture topic specifically states stress and its effects. The article adresses stress when it is not well coped with and the effects that can have on a person both short and long term.
This article was of great interest to me. As a college student, there are many stresses that come with the life. It was interesting to me to look at what effects poorly managed stress can have on a person. I now more fully understand the severity of chronic stress and poor stress management strategies. I believe that this article relates to every student on a college campus and even everyone period. Everybody has stressors every day of their life. Some people can handle these stressors better than others. The ones that can not handle stress as well, can face life-long issues. I agree with the arguments made in this article. First of all, I can see this in my life. When I let my stress get the better of me, I will notice higher levels of anxiety and more negative thoughts. I also do not believe I am alone in these feelings. I thought this was a great article overall.
I thought that the article you found was very interesting and relatable since everyone deals with stress at some point in their life. I agree that being in college can put a great amount of stress on a student, like you said, it is easier for some people to deal with this stress than others. I also deal with a lot of stress when it comes to school, work, friends, and family you are definitely not alone!
DeletePart 1
ReplyDeleteLink to BCC article http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/23811826.
In this article, the author discusses gay relationships in modern day Pakistan. Like the title suggests, sex is readily available, but relationships are hard to find. Pakistani men are expected to marry a woman and have children, but some live double lives, engaging in sex with men in secret. Homosexuality is viewed as a sinful, so most gay sexual relations are kept underground. Despite it being thought of as wrong and immoral, gay sex is very common and easy to find. Gay group sex occurs at holy shrines because it can be disguised in a large huddling group. It is even possible to buy gay sex from a masseur who offers massages if you pay a little extra.
Gay relations are easier between men and women due to the current status of women’s rights in Pakistan. Women feel that they need to fight for basic rights first, such as education and marriage rights, before tackling gay rights. It will take time and patience for change to take place, but many Pakistanis are hopeful for a brighter future.
This article relates to Chapter 10: Marriage and Intimate Relationships, specifically, the section on alternative relationship lifestyles. According to the book, homosexuals prefer stable, long-term relationships. This is different in Pakistan because most men are married to women and have sex on the side. It is also revealed that Americans, in 2008, were equally divided on the controversial topic. It would be interesting to see a similar poll from Pakistan. Gay relationships are often compared to heterosexual couples to see if there are any varying dynamics between the two. In this Pakistan article, it is clear that there are different wants/needs between a married man’s wife and his secret gay relations.
I thought this article was very interesting and insightful because it’s rare to hear about gay rights around the world, especially in areas thought of as traditional. I chose this article because I think it is important to learn about different cultures. In America today, gay rights are an everyday topic, so being informed is crucial.
This was really interesting to me. It shocks me that to this day, people in some countries are still being denied the basic human right to be with who they love. Although the gay rights movement has gained a lot of momentum in recent years, some countries still haven't wavered from their straight-only stance. Reading this opened my eyes to just how much more equal rights action concerning gay rights is needed in other parts of the world.
Deletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/24/stress-attractiveness-_n_3328035.html
ReplyDeleteRecent studies have linked stress to attractiveness. When asked, males believed the less stressed women were more attractive. Stress can make you look just as tired as you feel. Along with making your face less attractive, stress also causes accelerated aging. Negative effects on the body such as weight gain and increased acne can be experienced as well. This all goes to show how much of a negative effect stress has on one's body on the physical level.
Seeing that we will be discussing stress and it's effects, I figured this article would fit in perfectly with this topic.
My reaction to this article was that this is all but shocking news. Everyone should know that stress isn't necessarily good. Having put this knowledge into scientific research is smart, though, so that we can have a better handle on just how bad chronic stress is for the body.
I completely agree that stress has negative effects on the body that are both visually visible and emotionally present. Stress, especially unneeded stress, seems to creep up on us as we continue our day-to-day lives. All of the little things seem to add up very quickly and can become overwhelming just as quickly. Some ways to cope with stress include the following: mediate, stretch, exercise, take a break, listen to music, read, spend alone time, go fishing, socialize with friends, or engage in a hobby. If I am stressed, I like to take a drive and listen to music. The alone time allows me to think and get a new perspective on the situation (or situations). Although I usually would not do so, I know that I can talk with my friends and family to de-stress.
DeleteAlthough stress has negative effects, I also believe that stress has some positive effects on the body, such as the flight or fight response. When you become startled, your body makes a quick reaction to that stress and decides what to do. Some people run away from the stressor or thing that caused the startled reaction, while others decide to fight it off.
Link to video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NjKgV65fpo
ReplyDeleteAfter hearing the song, “Clouds” by Zach Sobiech, over the summer, I youtubed the song and found a video called “My Last Days: Meet Zach Sobiech.” Although the video link is almost twenty three minutes long, I highly encourage you to watch the whole video, especially if you have heard the song, “Clouds.” If you have not heard the song, I first encourage you to listen to the song. I want to share his amazing story and how it relates to this class.
After celebrating his 18th birthday on May 3rd, 2013, Zach passed away on May 20th due to a rare bone cancer called osteosarcoma. In the first couple minutes of the video, Zach says “I want everyone to know that you don’t have to find out you are dying to start living.” This statement struck me as truly inspirational, and the rest of his story proves to be the same. His friends, family, and girlfriend all spoke about how Zach’s smile could change the world whether he was feeling good or not, he always had a smile. Zach had a true compassion for people and life, even those his life was predicted to be short. The doctors gave him only a few months to live, and he continued to write songs and share his love, kindness, and compassion with others until the day he passed away.
Zach’s story definitely pertains to our class, because although he had a very difficult circumstance, he still chose to be happy and work through it. His family all said that he fought against cancer and valued the quality of life. If we were in his circumstances, would we be able to do the same or would we give up? Zach’s story demonstrates what we all predicted this class to be about on the first day of class: adjusting to personal changes and stress. His story also demonstrates the will to be happy, no matter what the circumstances. Happiness is what we will be covering next week in class, and Zach definitely made the world a happier place.
I found the video to be very inspirational. Zach's personality was one that couldn't be forgotten. I found it so great that he still was so selfless even under the worst circumstances. For example, writing music and sharing his talents and story with the world. I definitely can see how the song and the video would relate to the class. I think it would most fit in to the "copping processes" chapter.
DeleteAs Elizabeth said, I agree that this video would fit into the 'Coping Processes' Chapter and that we can all learn something from Zach and his outlook on life. He knew he wasn't going to be here long and he chose to not let that stop him from living an loving his life to the fullest. It shows that even if our life throws unwanted circumstances our way it is still possible to find a way to enjoy what we have been given.
DeleteBlog Assignment Week 2: Part 1
ReplyDeleteLink to article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/05/cell-phone-hurts-relationships-study-university-of-essex_n_1855930.html
This article discusses the negative effects of cell phone presence on socializing/conversing. While we all probably know how frustrating it is to be having a discussion with someone who can't take their eyes off their phone, studies have shown that the mere presence of a cell phone while socializing can provide just as much a distraction as phone use. With our generation's increasing dependency on technology, the presence of cell phones in everyday environments is hard to avoid. However, as stated in the last sentence of the article, we are challenged with using technology to "enhance humanity, not degrade it."
This article seems like it will relate to our discussion of Interpersonal Communication from Chapter 8. The article gives arguments as to how cell phones are reducing interpersonal communication when it comes to face-to-face conversation.
I chose this article because the topic is a pressing concern for our population, and I found it very interesting. It is definitely a distraction to have someone on their phone while you're trying to talk to them, and this article made me realize how guilty I am of such behavior. I never considered the negative effects of something as simple as just having the cell phone present. It is impossible to go anywhere today without seeing people on their phones, and again, I am guilty of being sure my phone is with me at all times. Therefore, I definitely agree with the argument this article is making, and am anticipating the rest of the discussion on Interpersonal Communication.
With our generation growing up with the constant use of technology we forget how distracting these technologies (such as cellphones) can actually be. We have gotten accustomed to texting or emailing a person instead of going to meet that person face to face or even calling that person. Like you and almost everyone else in our society, I am also guilty of constantly being on my phone and always having it with me. I agree with this article, and you, that we have become so dependent on technology it is starting to do more harm than good.
DeleteThe topic I chose was divorce. More specifically, I chose to focus on the topic of whether children of divorce are more likely to divorce themselves versus children whose parents are married.
ReplyDeleteMy article is from the Huffington Post and is written by Robert Hughes, Jr., Professor of Human Development at the University of Illinois.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-hughes/are-children-of-divorce-d_b_799355.html
The article discusses two main factors that play a role in whether children of divorced parents will follow the same path as their parents; how conflict is managed and commitment. Children see how their parents handle conflict and stress in their marriage as well as the means in which they communicate to each other. If children are given positive examples of how to effectively communicate and are shown effective methods to handling conflict, they will imitate such actions. Thus, positive behavior will more likely result in potential healthy relationships for the child. The same theory holds true for commitment.If the child witnesses positive behavior of commitment, they will develop genuine feelings about relationships. Hughes notes that it is important to remember that just because a child's parents divorce, the child will not necessarily experience the same fate.
This article relates to class because the topic of divorce is discussed in Ch.10 Marriage and Intimate Relationships. Also, because the emotional and mental effects divorce has on all involved parties and how they choose to adjust is common topic of psychology.
I choose the topic of divorce because I am a child of divorce myself. I have often wondered if I will face the same fate as my parents but have never explored the topic. I think this article provided interesting insight and I am glad I chose it.
As a child of divorce, I understand what it's like to wonder if you'll have the same experience with relationships as your parents. After being in a few relationships and learning things about myself and others, I can say that my approach to dating is definitely different than my friends and exes who grew up with married parents. I'm much more cautious about being in a relationship, but have also dealt with breakups much more smoothly because I know that relationships can change and end. Endings don't always have to be tragic.
Deletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/29/productivity-to-do-list_n_3830092.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular
ReplyDeleteWhile adjusting to the college life can be difficult, I have found myself using a planner and post it notes like never before. I need a constant reminder of what I need to get done that day. I have found that I feel more accomplished when I have a piece of paper reminding me what needs to get done on that very day. Hannah Morgan recently published an article for the Huffington Post entitled, "What Productive People Do To Get It All Done," and she states how only 11% of professions complete their to do lists on an average workday. While varying on the profession, the study showed that over 83% of agricultural related jobs get their to do list done on an average day to day basis. You may find yourself asking why is that? Well, farmers have a job where their operation revolves around a calendar. When the best time to plant crops is, when to take the cows to pasture, and even when calving will begin, these are all top priorities of the farming community and they need to be accomplished on an every day basis. The medical field was discovered to have a quite lower number of efficiency towards to do lists but their jobs can come more on a moment to moment scale. They need to prioritize their emergencies and respond in the moment when their help is needed. Studies show that the best way to beat this habit is to add structure to your life and prioritize your schedule to effectively complete those crazy to do lists. It takes on average around twenty days to develop a new habit but once this habit is developed you may see a life time change.
I felt like after reading this article it not only applies to everyone's daily struggles of completing tasks but just adjusting to modern life which is the first chapter we will be covering in this class. The act of prioritizing and be self efficient are huge aspects I had to learn in college in order to complete assignments on time and do it in an effective manner. I feel as if this topic was something many people may struggle with especially in their first year of college and how they develop skills they never had to incorporate before.
I chose this article because I am definitely a list maker. I try and make a paper list of things to do for not only my academic path but my daily life, as well. Whether it is tasks to complete around the dorm room or things I need to go out and purchase, I find that making lists are the easiest way for me to stay on track and know that I have been motivated throughout the day. I also found this article very interesting because I was raised by a farmer and a medical professional. My dad worked long hard days on the farm and I can really reflect on how he had to get his tasks done on a day to day basis in order for his operation to be successful. My mom is a surgical technician in the Sanford hospital and every day when she heads off to work she never knows what may be waiting for her beyond those doors. Her job is on a very moment to moment basis. I hope to continue to increase my skills of efficient structure and prioritizing as I start my sophomore year of college and continue to build upon that as I enter my professional life.
I am also a definite list maker. I have always found it very useful and very fulfilling when you cross off completed tasks. My grandpa and uncle were both farmers and they have always had set schedules. They also both constantly make lists as well. I found the statistic from the article to be interesting. I would have thought that more professionals would be successful at completing lists of tasks. I also can see why such a high percent of agricultural professionals can and do complete lists.
DeleteLink:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2013/08/30/217189600/where-u-s-allies-stand-on-a-strike-against-syria
The United States government has been debating taking action against Syria. Syria has recently been using chemical weapons within their country. Other countries were also thinking about taking action to help the civilians against this country. Among these countries Britain, France, Turkey, and Germany have thought about taking action against Syrian ruler. France has decided to take action against Syria. Turkey has announced that if any threats from Syria or anywhere else come that they will retaliate. Germany thinks that action should be taken but that do not want to be the ones to do it. There is still further inspection within the country to confirm the chemical attack, but once confirmed actions will be taken. Overall NATO has still not come to a consensus on how the problem should be dealt with. However, the use of these chemical weapons in Syria still needs to be taken care of.
This is one issue that is related to the topic of personal adjustment in many ways. Not only does this affect Europe, but it affects the United States as a whole. Being a leading world country the United States must adjust to the newly found problem in other countries and take action. The United States possibly taking part in another war will most definitely effect the United States population and most individuals in the country. This will change the economy again and allow for everyone to readjust to living differently. Maybe the United States should take on a naturalistic observation in this situation. As a country we are still recovering economically from the last ten years and I think it is time we let another country take the lead and go to battle. Our country doesn’t need even more enemies and debt.
I chose this article because I think this is almost a worldwide situation. There are so many countries getting involved and it is getting complicated. Other countries think that the chemical weapons being used are wrong but do not want to take action. I think it is important that the United States helps but if no one is going to back us up I do not think we should pursue action. I think that is the United States takes action we will be at risk for backlash against other countries such as Russia and China who seemed to be on the Syrian side. So maybe we should sit this one out. This doesn’t relate to me at the current moment but if the United States were to take action it could have major effects on the country as a whole. I am slightly scared for what could happen especially with all the current enemies the United States does have. Finally I do agree that something needs to be done to make sure these attacks cease, I just don’t think the United States should take action unless it becomes worse.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/29/plastic-surgeon-perfect-woman_n_3831854.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular
ReplyDeleteThe article is called Plastic Surgeon David Matlock Sculpts, Marries His Perfect Woman. This story talks about how a lady went into a plastic surgery office to get one thing done after having a baby. It all started with her going to the office. She is now married to the surgeon and has had many operations. He called it a "wonder women makeover." I think that this goes along with chapter 11 in our book and with the topic on Gender Roles and Expectations. As a female we see that there are certain ways they media wants us to look or how to act. In the article this surgeon turned a women with a pretty face into his idea of what she should look like. The women has a nine year old daughter that understands her mom has done all these surgeries and states in the article that she would not do plastic surgery because she wants to be herself.
I think that you see this happening all over. Everyone gets plastic surgery and tries to look like something they are not (Im not saying that all plastic surgeries are bad). Today you will never actually know whether a person is real or not because so many people are getting everything nipped or tucked or sucked out of their body. It all comes back to the society we live in on what we see in the media and how they tell people how they should look when in reality we should all just be ourselves and look how we want. Nobody is perfect, it is just part of how we were made from the start.
http://live.huffingtonpost.com/r/segment/dont-blame-miley-for-being-overly-sexualized/521bb5a078c90a0e9d00098e
ReplyDeleteThis article focused on Miley Cyrus's transformation from childhood to adulthood. The Huffington Post explains that growing up in the media is impossible. This is because celebrities have a hard time evolving from a teen to an adult. The article mentioned that Miley used "black culture" in her dance as well as in her music video. The article/video went back and forth, they mentioned that the VMA performance from Miley was either a disgusting show or it was like any other college dance party. Although they couldn't reach an agreement on Mileys performance, they all agreed that growing up under the spotlight of the media is impossible.
I felt that I agreed with most of the article. I did see the VMA performance from Miley, and I felt uncomfortable just watching it.. I felt that her performance was inappropriate. However, I can understand how hard it must be for her to live with so much pressure from society and the media. I chose this article because I think as a society, we are so quick to judge. Once I watched this video I realized how difficult it must be to try to "prove" that you are a mature adult.
I think that this article will be prevalent to a majority of the textbook. This is because Miley Cyrus's performance was so controversial and so intriguing. It could most directly relate to the social thinking and social influences chapter as well as theories of personality and lastly, the self.
I agree with this post. Most of the time we see it happen with celebrities and how they let society influence their lives which causes them to spiral out of control. We've seen this happen countless times (Brittney Spears, Amanda Bynes, Miley Cyrus). But this happens in all types of people's lives, not just celebrities. I think there's a lot we can learn from this and why it is that we so easily let social influences rule and sometimes ruin our lives.
Deletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/peggy-drexler/miley-cyrus-and-the-vma-a_b_3818542.html
ReplyDeleteThe article that I read was about Miley Cyrus and her performance at the VMA's that took place on Sunday, August 26th. The article is mainly about the transformation that Miley Cyrus has gone through. From starting as a pop star and playing the role as Hannah Montana in the Disney television show to a women who uses her body image to make herself more famous because sex "sells". According to the article, Miley isn't the only person who will follow that rule.
This article relates to what we will have and will discuss this semester because this article is all about adjustment. The article is about Miley Cyrus adjusting to different personalities. Miley went from being the perfect Disney star, to a women who is known for using her body image to make herself more famous.
I chose this article because I felt as if it relates to what we will be learning in class for the majority of the semester. The article interested me because I liked to read about the changes that Miley Cyrus has been going through. When I was younger I loved watching Hannah Montana. I think that it is weird to see the difference between what Miley Cyrus used to be like when she was on that show, until what she is like now. The article relates to my everyday life because everyday I go through changes. Not always as drastic as Miley Cyrus, but each day I adjust to something new in my life. I agree with the arguments made in this article. I think that Miley is just doing what she has to do to fit in with everyone else who is famous.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/0/23590545
ReplyDeleteThis article was really interesting to me because I thought that once our brain has fully developed and our upbringing and experiences have shaped us into who we are, no further changes could be made. I guess I thought that when it came to the brain, what was done was done. After reading this article, I realized that I'm probably wrong. It also made me think more about my prior beliefs/knowledge about psychology and different treatments before taking this class.
Of all the things to change our brain, it isn't a risky medication, but simple-sounding talk therapy. Talk therapy provides individuals with tools they can use long after they have finished therapy. Medication doesn't do this for people. More and more people are realizing how many more benefits come from a specific kind of talk therapy, which is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT is especially useful for those looking to overcome phobias because it gradually works up to exposing that individual to his or her fear and helps overcome it by interacting with that fear and realizing that it isn't going to hurt them.
I think CBT is a good step in the direction of reducing the use of drugs as solutions to solvable psychological problems.
You are right that CBT is a good treatment for phobias, but you are specifically talking about a technique used in CBT (graded exposure/systematic desensitization). CBT is more of an overarching model or way of thinking about and helping clients with their presenting problems but then is, in a way, subdivided into little activities and techniques, such as graded exposure.
DeleteI personally find graded exposure/systematic desensitization super interesting, which it sounds like you do too. Here's a short description of the process, if you're interested! http://www.simplypsychology.org/Systematic-Desensitisation.html
Nonetheless, you found an interesting article this week and bring up some excellent points!
http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/stress-management/SR00031.html?iref=allsearch
ReplyDeleteThis article describes two main types of stress which include acute and chronic stress. Acute stress happens when your body goes into "fight or flight" mode. This occurs when your body is put into a stressful or dangerous situation such as a job interview or going sky diving. The other main type of stress that is discussed in this article is chronic stress. Chronic stress occurs when little stressors begin to pile up and can cause a person to be constantly stressed. This article also goes into detail to show what type of stress you may be feeling and what could be the main cause of that stress in your life.
This article relates to our class when we will be learning about stress and its effects during week 4. This article can also relate to personal adjustment in general. This article not only describes the different types of stressors, but also how to deal with this stress and with the causes of your stress.
This article was very interesting to me because I have never thought about the different types of stress and which kind may be affecting me. I agree with the ideas of this article because everyone deals with certain types of stress throughout their lifetime. Due to this, we must be aware of the different types of stress and how to deal with it.
This is a very interesting article. Knowing the different types of stress interests me. With us being in college courses and other activities, stress can come upon us every day. This article can point out what our main cause of stress is, which could be maintained if diagnosed right. Stress can be a harmful element in our life, and should be taken into close account so that it doesn't affect us in the future.
DeleteLink to article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/13/positive-psychology-insights_n_3745523.html?utm_hp_ref=less-stress-more-living
ReplyDeleteThis article, “3 Insights From The Frontiers Of Positive Psychology” highlights three important facets for a positive psychological perspective on life. First, look to the future for a meaningful life. Interestingly, many stress that happiness is living in the present, but this research suggests a level of meaningfulness concerned with the future sparks present happiness. Second, the article looks at work attachment. While some may attest that being too attached to work will lead to stress and unhappiness, this article suggests if an individual truly values their work and enjoys being a work, a higher level of attachment is acceptable. However, everyone needs to be able to unwind and recharge, so being able to step away from work, even briefly, is important. Finally, the article touches on the importance of environment. Instead of addressing the negatives of an environment, individuals should try to find the benefits, such as the opportunities for social interactions or physical activity.
This article relates to several topics we will be discussing this semester. First, chapter three focuses on stress, and this article discusses aspects that can lead to stress, but it also provides several coping mechanisms which we will discuss in chapter four.
I found this article interesting because it challenged several well-known concepts, but provided research to back-up their statements. I found the first statement particularly interesting. It is a well known saying to “live in the present,” but the concept of meaningfulness is not as well known. I think this is extremely important, and the article provides a very accurate description on how the present and the future are intertwined. Overall, I thought this was a powerful article.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/12/girls-statements-interrupt-mag_n_3582083.html
ReplyDeleteAlthough this article is short it has a great message. The article begins by taking about Cameron Russell who is a model and advocate for real beauty. She founded a magazine called Interrupt mag, in the first issue the cover writer introduces the readers to young girls. These girls explained to her why they loved their bodies. In the world we live in today where it seems like everything is about what you look like it was refreshing to see these young girls have such a different perspective. One 8-year-old girl said, “I like my body. I like my eyes because they help me see different things. I also like my hands because they help me write different things. I also like my feet because they help me walk and have fun.”
This article relates to our readings about self-esteem and also self-image. These beautiful little girls see what is really beautiful about them instead of the negative that so many other women see in themselves. Hopefully these little girls will be able to keep these positive self images throughout their lives and not be torn down by the continuous messages of you must be a certain skin color, you must be a certain weight, you must be a certain height to be considered beautiful. These young girls can remind people years older than them what is really important in beauty. That is why I enjoy this article and wanted to share it for this blog post.
Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/30/health-effects-of-stress-women_n_2585625.html
ReplyDeleteThe article “10 Ways Stress Affects Women’s Health” lists ten different ways that stress affects women. Stress affects men and women differently. Women seem to be affected much worse than men. The ten ways that stress can hurt women’s health are reduced sex drive, irregular periods, acne breakouts, hair loss, poor digestion, depression, insomnia, weight gain, decreased fertility, and increased risk of heart disease and stroke. This article relates to the topic of stress that we will cover in chapter 3 of our textbook: Stress and Its Effects. Chapter 3 talks about major sources of stress, responding to stress, effects of stress, and factors influencing stress tolerance. I liked this article. I agree with pretty much everything it says. I seem to notice these affects in myself when I am stressed out. Hopefully in class we talk about ways to cope with stress and maybe I can come up with a solution and ways to help myself and others be less stressed.
Link to article http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v10/n6/execsumm/nrn2639.html
ReplyDeleteI was looking up effects of stress on the body and found this article which is about how stress during pregnancy effects the baby.
Prenatal stress can have harmful effects on an unborn child. If the pregnant mother has a lot of stress during her pregnancy her body releases a stress hormone that not only affects her body, but is transferred through the placenta and to the baby. These hormones can significantly alter brain development in the baby. The hormones can cause the baby to have learning impairments, sensitivity to anxiety and drug use, and also a higher chanced of having depression at some point in their life.
Stress has an effect on newborns and infants as well. When a newborn is neglected or not properly cared for they have a higher chance of having behavioral problems later in life. They also may have a higher than average stress hormone then a child who was not neglected. The child also has a higher chance of being depressed later in life.
In our book it talks about the psychological problems of stress and impaired task performance which is related to the developmental problems some children have when their mothers are stressed during the pregnancy.
I found this article to be very interesting. I had no idea that stress during pregnancy could affect the unborn child so much. I knew that stress was hard on our bodies, but I didn't know the severity it had. I will remember this article when I start a family and become pregnant. I think that this is a serious issue and more people should be aware of it. I had no idea and I’m sure I’m not the only one.
http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/03/the-weight-of-fat-discrimination/?iref=storysearch
ReplyDeleteI decided to read an article from CNN called “The Weight of Fat Discrimination.” Through this article, Markus Shafer discusses the effects of weight discrimination. Markus actually found that discriminating against a person’s weight had negative health effects on their obesity. People who were discriminated against had a decline in health. Inappropriately discussing a person’s weight among them can do more harm than good physically and psychologically.
Inappropriately approaching a person about their weight could in turn cause that person to develop an eating disorder, which is discussed in chapter fourteen of the textbook. I choose “The Weight of Fat Discrimination” article because I have always been interested in health. Also, firsthand I have seen a lot of people develop an eating disorder or struggle with being overweight and having someone close to them negatively approach them about their weight. I believe health and fitness should be an important concern to people so eating disorders and obesity will decline.
Fitness and eating disorders can go hand in hand, but sometimes not for reasons you may think. Often times, being too preoccupied and involved in fitness is not beneficial for individuals with eating disorders as it is just another way of which they obsess over their body image.
DeleteIn case you're interested, here's an article about fitness and eating disorders. Of course, this is just one article of the many out there (there is even empirical literature in this area).
http://womenshealth.gov/body-image/eating-disorders/
It sounds like you've witnessed others approach individuals with concerns over them potentially having an eating disorder. What was this experience like for you? Do you think there are appropriate and inappropriate ways to approach someone you suspect has an eating disorder? Just something to think about!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/27/stress-cancer-gene-immune-system_n_3804917.html
ReplyDeleteThe article I choose was called "Stress Gene Activation Linked with Breast Cancer Spread in New Study." This article discussed how when individuals with cancer are under a lot of stress from items such as how to pay the medical bills to not being able to work, the ATF3 gene may be expressed by immune cells. ATF3 is a gene that when expressed by cells causes them to self-destruct. When the gene is expressed by immune cells, they self-destruct allowing the cancer to be able to spread.
This article relates to our class topic on stress because it shows one of the negative effects that stress can cause on a person. While not everybody who is stressed out will get cancer, people who already have cancer and become stressed from external factors can have a more difficult time fighting the cancer.
My overall reaction is that this is a sad article. Many individuals who are fighting cancer are under a lot of stress because cancer treatments are not cheap and many times they have to quit their jobs to be able to undergo the treatments or because they are too sick to work. Reading an article that shows how this stress could actually be making the person worse is sad. People who are fighting cancer should have their focus on getting better instead of the stresses of how they are going to pay for the treatment. I choose this article because everybody is affected by cancer in some way whether it be that person, a family member, or a friend fighting it.
I agree that this is a very sad article. A person being diagnosed with cancer is already overwhelming, then dealing with other components creates a stressful environment. This study is interesting though, because if a person with cancer knows about it, they can try to reduce stress. A person could find out what kind of stress they are going though, such as chronic or acute, and then learn how to cope and reduce stressful situations.
Deletehttp://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/11/28/7-surprising-ways-stress-affects-your-health/
ReplyDeleteIn this article, the author lists and explains seven different ways that stress can harm our bodies. It explains that when our bodies are constantly preparing for action due to large amounts of stress, our bodies suffer due to the chemicals released during this time. Also, people who are under stress may crave sugar and fat, which in return can lead to our bodies storing more fat. A recent study also found that people who have stressful jobs have a higher risk of having a heart attack. In addition, stress can lead to insomnia, which is a sleeping disorder, as well as headaches due to tense muscles. Stress can also hinder the ability to retain or retrieve new memories. This article relates to what we will be studying in class because all of chapter 3 has to do with stress and how to cope with different types of stress. Overall, we will be spending quite a bit of time talking about stress.
I chose this article because stress can play a huge role not only in my life, but in the lives of many other college students. Students spend hours studying and worrying about upcoming assignments, projects, or exams, they may have a job on top of school to worry about, or other burdens that come with being a college student. I think that this article does a great job of listing some of the harmful effects of stress. After all, if students stress too much before or during an exam, they may not be able to either encode or retrieve that information effectively. I think that it is important to realize how stress can harm our bodies, and I think that students need to learn how to better cope with stress so that they aren't affected by the health problems listed in this article.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/diane-ravitch/what-did-martin-luther-ki_b_3840696.html
ReplyDeleteThis article is called What Can Martin Luther King Jr. Teach Us About Our Education System? This article focused on how school systems today are ran by mandates coming from D.C. School officials are supposed to make sure that the mandates are followed by having strict school curriculums for the children. However, these mandates have yet to prove that they are working for the better of the children. Instead, children despise going to school and are not getting a better education. This article said that Martin Luther King Jr. would have gathered followers and spoke out against the mandates, despite the laws for them. He would have focused on the true victims in this situation which are the children and let the capitol leaders and governors of D.C hear the movement to better schooling.
I feel that this article best fits in with chapter one in dealing with improving academic performance. Since the article mentioned how school systems today are not happy with the performance that it is making, and related that to making a movement similar to Martin Luther King Jr. I feel that the schools are ready for a change. Our society is constantly making progress towards the future with learning more things. But with these mandates set by D.C are putting children behind and setting them up for failure. Hopefully a movement will be made for the better of the children.
I chose this article because I feel that education is an important aspect of life and it is greatly changing. With new technologies, theories, and teachings it complicates the process of teaching a child. There are so many different ways today that a child can gain an education and it all depends on the teacher, school, and technologies. But either way every child is under the same mandate. They will all be tested and scored in the same subjects to see where they stand at the end of the year. If a school does not have the resources to help every child as they need, that child may fall behind and under the mandate. The problem with these mandates is that it is not just one child, it is a majority. I liked this article because it does show that there can be a change. If it happened before when there were so many against the odds, than it should be able to happen today when education is such a valuable factor in kids.
I'll be posting a link this week for the next chapter that talks about how classrooms are set up more for an extrovert as opposed to an introvert. You may find it interesting!
DeleteLink to Article: http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/08/29/216784944/how-money-worries-can-scramble-your-thinking
ReplyDeleteIn this article, "How Money Worries Can Scramble Your Thinking" by Michaeleen Doucleff, it is explained that being stressed about finances can affect your thinking process. A few different tests were performed involving those who are financially strained and those who aren't, taking IQ tests after answering questions about money or after situations involving money, and their results being lower because of their financial situations.
When we get to chapter 3 in our book, we will learn about stress. On page 78 of our book, there is a "Social Readjustment Rating Scale" that measures the change-related stress in your life. The mean value given to each life event on this table is suppose to reflect the average amount of stress produced by each event. On the higher end of this scale is being fired at work, retirement, change in financial state, mortgage or loan for major purchase, and foreclosure of mortgage or loan. All of these involve finances and money. It's safe to say that money definitely stresses us out.
I can relate to this article as a college student, trying to scrape up the money to pay for school while some kids have families that just simply write them a check. Because I am an athlete and full-time student, I feel I do not have the time to find a job during the school year, and budgeting is hard when you have other things to worry about like class. I remember a time last year when I went through the humiliating experience of having my debit card declined while trying to check out a large amount of groceries, and having my roommate swipe hers for me, because I hadn't been keeping track of my purchases, distracted by other things. That week of school was difficult. I struggled concentrating in class and doing my homework because I just wanted to figure out how I was going to come up with more money to last me the semester until I could go home over Christmas Break and work. I think learning about how we respond to stress and what stresses us out will be interesting.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-solis/social-media-obstacle-to-_b_3815356.html
ReplyDeleteThe article I chose is 'Social Media: Obstacle to Friendship/Love'
This article talks about how throughout the years being a friend/ acquaintance has become more complicated due to the increase of social media interaction. It talks about unspoken rules of friendship and how with different social media comes different unspoken rules (a like for a like) and how feelings seem to be getting hurt more often and friendships are rockier, more complicated and stressful due to all the different inputs we now communicate through.
Friends expect you to reply instantly to any Facebook message, text, tweet due to smart phones and easy access to these forms of communication.
I can relate to this article because many times I can't reply to a text, Facebook message, or even a call right when a friend tries to reach me. I may be one of the few people who hasn't 'upgraded' to the smart phone world which many times causes a delay in my replies to any form of social media outreach from a friend. I can honestly say that most of the time I don't mind it, but my friends and family do. All too often when I check my phone after I get off work I'll have 3 text messages, 2 missed calls and a voicemail and possibly even an alert from Facebook that I have a message, all from my mom. The voicemail always says 'Why did I buy you a cell phone if you never answer it.' This is a great example of others expecting you to constantly be available when it conveniences them. It's no longer a 'call me when you have time', 'write me if you miss me' it's 'answer my phone call when I call' and 'reply to my text message the moment I send it to you.'
I think with all the different ways we interact these days friendships and relationships will only get more complicated and the lack of trust will continue to grow due to our ever increasing reliance on social media.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/03/14/174306213/modern-parenthood-more-equal-more-stressed
ReplyDeleteI chose this article, which deals with stress and this associates with chapter 3.
The article I chose is called Modern Parenthood: More Equal, More Stress. When I first read this title I was quite interested with what the title meant, since most times when we hear that work, in any way, when equal causes less stress on all parties. As I got into this article, it didn't really emphasis too much on what the title of the article was.
This article did have a few very interesting statistics, such as fathers now-a-days are spending about three times more with child bearing then in the 1960's, which completely makes sense if one really looks at the world today. Also, today's mothers spend more time on child care than their mothers did in the 1960s, and it's still double what fathers spend. Their definition for child care, for clarification, is time spent with their child.
Another new statistic is that father's and mother's, about 48%, would both rather not have to work and stay home with the children. Which, in my experience, I have seen more stay at home dads now, than what I remember seeing or hearing about when I was growing up in the early 90's.
I enjoyed reading this article, though more information about the actual stress of parenthood would have been nice. Though it was interesting, as I stated above, about how equal mom's and dad's are about wanting to have part time jobs to be able to stay home with their children.
Link Used: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14251542
ReplyDeleteThe article I chose titled "Is it a good idea to measure stress?" talks about how certain businesses are trying to create products that can help people measure how stressed they are and how that information can be used to develop coping mechanisms. Although, the idea seems great to, the article reveals that the downside to creating such a product is that every single one of us have different stress levels and handle stress differently. The article argues that creating a product that puts everyone in definite categories would not be beneficial to many and its users would likely harm themselves. The article is quite interesting because it focuses on stress and mechanisms being developed to try and deal with it, which relates to Chapters 3and 4 in our book. These chapters discuss issues that causes stress, such as change, and how people handle them. For example, a person might handle living far away from their parents quite well while another panics from just the thought of it. The person can choose to cope with the situation by bearing the brunt and staying in that distant location or give up and go back home. The topic of stress and coping in relation to the article intrigues me mainly because I tend to handle stress in an opposite manner from most people. I tend to stress more about the little things than the big things and I'm curious on why I developed such a coping manner and interested in learning about other people's coping manners.
Link used: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/30/us/law-banning-gay-cure-is-upheld-in-california.html?ref=homosexuality&_r=0
ReplyDeleteThe article I chose is titled "Law Banning 'Gay Cure' is Upheld in California. I chose this article because homosexuality and gay rights have been a hot topic in 2013. This article discusses California's choice to get rid of the "gay cure", or conversion therapy to try to change a person's sexuality.
This article is very interesting in regard to the movement of the acceptance and understanding of homosexuality. Religious and conservative groups have argued for years that homosexuality is a "choice" and the use of conversion therapy was suggested by these kinds of groups to "cure" people with homosexual feelings. However, society has become more accepting in recent years, accepting the biological evidence of homosexuality and voting to give rights to those who are homosexual.
Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/27/optimists-stress-cortisol_n_3641430.html
ReplyDeleteThe article I chose discusses the different ways that optimists and pessimists handle stress. The researchers conducted a study on 135 people (aged 60+) over a six year span. The researchers collected saliva samples to measure their levels of stress hormone cortisol. They also took into consideration how many times the participants felt stressed and what level of stress they typically feel. By comparing the cortisol level changes between the two groups it was shown that optimists' stress hormone levels remained more stable in times of stress than those of pessimists.
This article relates to the course because everyone is faced with stressful situations throughout life and we must learn how to respond to them in the most effective way. Chapter three of the textbook discusses stress in detail and describes the potential effects of stress. It states that stress can cause impaired task performance, disruption of cognitive functioning, burnout, and even psychological problems or disorders. With this in mind, it is necessary for us to be able to better respond to stress to reduce the risk of these problems. The articles shows that by simply having a better view on things you can overcome some of these problems.
I really liked this article because it shows just how important it is to have a stable and positive outlook on life. Those who see the glass as being half empty are the ones who bring on stressful situations because they tend to expect them to happen. I feel that it is extremely important to be optimistic throughout life because life is guaranteed to throw you curve balls, it's how you respond to them that makes all the difference.
Link to Article: http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2013/08/19/213568763/researchers-facebook-makes-us-sadder-and-less-satisfied
ReplyDeleteI chose the article "Facebook makes us Sadder and less satisfied, study finds". This article discusses the study that was conducted at the University of Michigan studying the use of facebook and the affects that it had on college students. The study tested 82 participants over different variables. They would ask the participants over the course of two weeks through txt messaging how they felt while using facebook. The study found to have more of an effect on facebook users who are extremely social outside of social networking sites. The reasons behind this where due to social comparisons. There seemed to always be things going on and many of the participants would compare what was going on on Facebook to what was going on in their life.
This article relates to topics in class because it deals with a study using different variables. It also discusses social interactions and the mood of people under certain circumstances. In personal adjustment I believe that one's emotions and attitudes play a huge role in their life. This study showed one way that our emotions and attitudes can be affected.
I thought that this article was very interesting. I used to use Facebook A LOT but recently have started to not use it so much. It kind of made me think about how I felt while on Facebook or how I felt afterwards and I actually could connect to parts of this study. I agree 100% with the social comparison aspect of this study. I would see lots of pictures with people and their friends and sometimes be jealous of the activities that they got to do. However, I never really found myself becoming more sadder, just sometimes irritated. I think this relates to every day life for sure because billions of people are on Facebook and maybe they should be aware of the affect that it would be having on their life.
http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20130821-why-so-few-women-conductors
ReplyDeleteMarin Alsop is the first female conductor to lead the Last Night of the Proms (the biggest night in Britain’s classical music year). It took 118 years for this to happen. Marin Alsop was very well educated with degrees from Yale and Julliard. Even with this, Alsop had to start her own orchestra to be able to conduct music. Alsop, in this article, speaks about how gender bias is so relevant in the classical music industry as well as, other industries in the nation. Her belief on the subject matter is that everyone has reservations when it comes to woman in certain roles. Alsop even admitted to being hesitant when she sees a woman pilot. This does not mean that everyone is gender bias, but more that society is uncomfortable with woman in certain roles. Alsop believes that no one is perfect, not even men, and everyone needs a place where they can make mistakes and learn from them. She goes on to tell about the groups she has created to give woman a place to make mistakes. There is also an added stress on to woman to look perfect as well. It is not enough that they don’t make mistakes, but they also have to look and act like a lady.The classical music industry has tried to remove gender bias as much as possible. Many orchestras have starting having blind auditions. This way the judges have no idea of the gender or race of the performer. Marin Alsop is role model for all women, not only the ones in classical music. She dreams that one day she will not be known as a female conductor, but just a great conductor of the Last Night of the Proms.
This article relates to psychology of personal adjustment because every day people have to collaborate with the opposite gender. In some cases people must adjust to a certain situation depending on the gender of the people around them. Gender roles, cultures expectations about what is appropriate behavior for each gender, and gender stereotypes, widely shared beliefs about males’ and females’ abilities, personality traits, and social behavior, is everywhere in our culture. This is shown in the article. Marin Alsop might have had a better education and be a better performer, but that wasn’t enough in the classical music world. She has to start her own orchestra just to do what she loves.
I chose this article because I could really relate to it being a female. People are starting to believe that men and woman are equal since it is the 21st century, but that is not the case. I was shocked when I read that it took 118 years for a woman to conduct the Last Night of the Proms. That is an extremely long time. The classical music industry really needs to address this problem. I can see where that might be difficult since classical music is such an old type of music, thus the way of conducting business could be different, but we are in a new era, an era where woman and men should be treated as equals. I think that Alsop is a very strong woman. Not many people let alone woman would have the drive that she did. I really agreed with her when she talked about how woman sometimes don’t have a place to make mistakes without being judged by others, and that they also have to not only make no mistakes, but also look the part as they do this. This is an added stress upon women. I think that it will take a very long time for society to accept woman into leading roles not based on their looks. I hope that one day that society can though. Marin Alsop is truly an amazing woman. I think that people especially woman need to look up to woman like Marin.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteArticle/Video: http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/bestoftv/2013/08/26/exp-michael-herzig-social-services-zurich-switzerland-sex-boxes-drive-in-suzanne-malveaux-quest.cnn.html
ReplyDeleteSummary: In Zurich, Switzerland “Sex Drive-Ins” are now open for business. At this business a person can make an appointment, pull into a garage-like building, and have intercourse with someone. The areas for sex are wooden boxes that are not fully enclosed on one side. The drive-in provides a parking space and a bench that is vertically next to a side wall. The reason for this new business is to protect prostitutes from wandering the streets of Switzerland. Michael Herzig, the director of Social Services for sex workers in Zurich was interviewed during the article. Herzig explains that this subject has been uneasy for many people to understand. He finds that this business will improve the security of trafficking. Armed individuals are outside of the business to protect the prostitutes and even customers. The structure of the business is gated and has an installed alarm system to reduce harm. The business also provides social workers in case a prostituted wants to quit in his/her work.
Relates to topics in class: This video relates to our psychology course in chapter 12. Chapter 12 talks about the Development and Expression of Sexuality. We will eventually talk about the racial differences about sex. Prostitution in Switzerland was ranked higher than other countries. This could be due to the countries government system or the culture of their country.
Reaction: I found this article very disturbing. I have never heard of “Sex Drive-Ins” before, so the title of the article sparked my interested. When listening to why Switzerland created this business, it all came down to the safety and security of prostitutes. I understand that they want to lower trafficking and harm, but morally this is wrong to me. I do not believe in sex for money, whereas this business is demonstrating a new form of prostitution. I hope to read more about this new business in the future to see if it helps the amount of trafficking in Switzerland. This article does not pertain to my everyday life, unless if they bring this business to the United States. Then we all may be impacted by this astonishing new business.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/01/alcohol-breast-cancer-early-adulthood-women_n_3845678.html?utm_hp_ref=@healthnews123
ReplyDeleteThis article is a study done at the Washington University School of Medicine that shows a link between alcohol consumption and breast cancer. According to the study, young women who consume excessive amounts of alcohol between the time of their first period and having their first child increase the risk of getting breast cancer by at least 13%. This statistic is only an average based on drinking one alcoholic beverage a day so the percentage increases with the increase of alcohol consumed daily.
I believe this article will relate to the topics in Chapter 5 that talk about Psychology and physical health. It tells of very real and serious consequences to drinking and making bad decisions as a younger woman.
Seeing the title of this article interested me mostly because I am a woman, and I am interested to know what the studies out there are saying about these topics. Before reading this article I did not know that drinking too much alcohol could increase risk of breast cancer. After reading this I was glad to know because that will be something that I consider when making certain choices in the future. Having a long history of cancer in my family, these are things that I like to know about.
During the first class period, we started to touch on happiness. As a biologist, I wanted to relate the subject of psychological happiness to genetics. I read an interesting article from the New York Times here:
ReplyDeletehttp://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/23/what-our-genes-reveal-about-true-happiness/?_r=0
This article interestingly connected happiness, specifically hedonic vs eudaemonic happiness, with genetic makeup to search for any correlations. Subjects were analyzed via a survey to determine happiness and whether this happiness was particularly hedonic or eudaemonic. Hedonic happiness comes from material goods or processions while eudaemonic happiness will result from helping others or having a sense of higher purpose. First, I thought it was interesting and wanted to point out that the majority of subjects in the study exhibited hedonic happiness. I tried to remember what I listed during class on Wednesday night, but I do not believe I listed anything material. I find it interesting that so many people seem to pull happiness from material things rather than relationships or service to others.
After the survey, blood was drawn and the gene expression in white blood cell proteins was analyzed. Those subjects whose surveys revealed hedonic happiness showed increased rates of a pro inflammatory biological marker associated with the development of cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In addition, lower levels of antibody production were found.
I think the topic of happiness and what makes different people happy is an interesting topic, and I am amused by this article's finding and wonder how large of a sample this experiment included. It is still amazing to see that any correlation was found between these two types of happiness and differential gene expression. Hedonic happiness was found to have biological markers associated with lowered immune system response, which could be an evolutionary mechanism, as exhibiting eudaemonic happiness would be “for the good of the species.”
http://www.today.com/moms/gender-creative-boy-8C11066146
ReplyDeleteThe article/video is about a little boy named CJ who is only six. What is so different about CJ is that he is gender non-conforming. It all began to emerge when CJ found one of his mom’s Barbie dolls and all the sudden “lit up”. Both parents from that point forward say that CJ had connected with something fundamental about himself. CJ’s parents and older brother decided to follow his lead and support and love him no matter what his choices are. Lori, CJ’s mother, started a blog to let other people know what she was going through. Surprising to Lori, she now has a million followers from 17 countries. The parents talk about how it is not their choice to choose who their child is going to be. They worry about what society will say about their child but hope to prepare him for the cruel reactions he might face. They want to do what will make their child happy. As of right now, it is letting him be who he wants to be.
This article relates to chapter 11 which is about gender and behavior. In this chapter, they talk about the four major sources of gender-role socialization. One point is that parents have a huge impact on distinguishing gender. The video relates to this because CJ’s parents choose to not dictate what he likes. They don’t assign specific things to boys or girls. If CJ likes to play with it or dress in it then it is acceptable.
I chose this article because as I was getting ready this morning I saw it on the TV and it caught my eye. I have taken Psych of Sex here at USD and Cindy made many interesting points throughout the semester and one was that many of these things are biological. This video is proof of her statements. This pertains to my everyday life because this is a huge issue in our country today. There is an ongoing debate whether being gay is biological or a choice that is being made. I don’t really have any idea how I feel because I hear stuff from both sides. It is not right to place judgment.
This is a really great article and brings up a very pressing issue particularly with the equal rights movements as of late as you mentioned. I'm a little skeptical that a boy at such a young age would 'identify' with a barbie doll, but of course crazier things have happened. I also think it's great that the parents of CJ are being so supportive of his decisions. Not many parents of this generation are completely comfortable with the gender movement, and it's a very hard and strong decision to make. I think you're right, it does raise more questions about nurture versus nature, and perhaps could provide some key insight for future research. I will be interested in learning more about the aspects of how a family will deal with gender identity, not solely the identifier, but the parents or brother in this case with CJ, how they adapt to their situation in society now.
DeleteLink to article from Huffington Post about attraction and love http://www.huffingtonpost.com/vivian-diller-phd/physical-attraction-is-love-blind_b_1302550.html
ReplyDeleteThis article is about a study done on over 1,000 men and women about physical attraction in long-term relationships. Relationship used to be based on need of financial and parental support. However, lately society doesn’t feel the same as they once did because approximately one fourth of children are raised by singe parents. There are differences in what matters in a relationship between different year gaps of marriage. The 1-7 years of marriage group relies more on appearance and looks. After seven years of marriage, appearance isn’t the main concern and it turns to shared interests and communication. The article finishes by saying that although couples need to work on their emotional connection, physical appearances shouldn’t go unnoticed.
This article relates to chapter 7; Interpersonal Attraction, Close Relationship, and Love. I believe that this topic will be of value to understand close relationships and love when we get to it in chapter 7.
My reaction to this article was a little shocked, but overall an understanding. I realize that appearance is important to attraction and relationships, but I didn’t realize how important it was for the first seven years in marriage. I found this article very interesting and relevant to our society today because one day I plan to get married and this will all be pertaining to my relationship. I agree with this article because attraction is mostly based on appearance at first and then later on, communication and shared interests and activities.
I think this is really interesting, I never knew just how much the attraction (I'm assuming physical) aspect of a relationship was carried over into the first years of marriage. I wonder how long the relationships preceding the marriages were in this study, it would be an interesting contrast, I think, with long-term relationships spanning 5 years or more to those that are 2 years or younger.
DeleteI made a mistake, it's not chapter 7 but instead chapter 10: Marriage and Intimate Relationships. I was looking at a different book, thank goodness it still works out.
Deletehttp://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/09/01/couple-who-died-hours-apart-after-71-years-marriage-described-as-inseparable-by/
ReplyDeleteThis article is about a couple married for 71 years. The article briefly chronicles the lives of Robert and Nora Viands ending with their recent death, merely hours apart from each other.
This article relates to Chapter 10 of our textbook, Marriage and Intimate Relationships. The article directly relates to the idea of marriage, in this instance a couple that was married for over 70 years. It also (briefly) chronicles the relationship from beginning to end.
I found this article very interesting in the fact that the couple in question passed on so close to each other from such different ailments (he from Parkinson’s and she from pneumonia). I thought this spoke directly to the most intimate relationship that can be held by a married couple. Wedding vows speak “til death do us part,” this couple took it to the extreme by never parting for even a day in life and in death for any extreme circumstances.
Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/27/mental-health-benefits-exercise_n_2956099.html
ReplyDeleteThe article I have chosen is “13 mental health benefits of exercising.” The article discusses 13 ways in which any form of physical exercise can benefit not only your physical health but also your overall mental health. The ways the article lists cover a broad range from the basics such as reduction of stress and anxiety, all the way to the more complex issues of helping to control addiction by chemical releases caused by exercising. The other mental health benefits include things like prevention of cognitive decline with aging and helping to boost memory development. The article relates to the material about psychology and physical health covered in chapter 5. It also relates to the material about the effects of stress covered in chapter 3. I personally found the article interesting because the primary reasons I exercise were included on the list.
Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hilary-young/how-to-manage-anxiety-whi_b_3860408.html?utm_hp_ref=less-stress-more-living
ReplyDeleteI chose the article "Manage Anxiety While Caring For a Loved One" from the Huffington Post. The article discussed about the anxiety one feels when taking care of a loved one. It talks about the symptoms that caregivers have to deal with such as depression and ulcers. It then goes on to explain how to deal with the stress such as time management, balance, and home remedies. The article can be connected with chapter 3 which deals with stress and its effects. Chapter 3 goes into detail about what is stress, causes of stress, and factors of stress. I liked this article, because it shows how much we care for our elderly population but as we care for them we need to take care of ourselves also.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-23847777
ReplyDeleteThis article is about a family struggling to come to term with their father being murdered while on vacation. Stephan Mallon, the father murdered, was on a fun and exciting vacation with his two teenage sons at their villa in Spain. An altercation arose while the family was at the bar, ending in the murder of Stephan Mallon. Since the murder the family has had no sense of closer or compassion from the Spanish authorities. The murder happened over four years ago; yet, the family has yet to receive any answers about their father's murder. Although there has been many suspects put under investigation, no arrests have been placed. With the murder happening over seas, the family struggles with closing the case and going on with their lives with their loving father missing.
I chose this article because I recently had a death in the family and I cannot personally fathom having to cope with not knowing how a loved one died. Death of a family member put a lot of emotion tension on a family, especially in such a violent death. This article really interested me for many reason. The first reason being I am personally interested in traveling and the cultures of other countries. From reading this article I learned how corrupt the Spanish government and legal system is ran. Another reason I was interested in this article was because I am a very big family person and I feel their grief.
This article deal with the concepts explained in chapter four over the coping process. The coping process is something all people going through life struggles deal with. The Mallon family experience a very traumatic death and was forced to find ways to cope with the pain. It was mentioned by the spouse of the dead father that the family has struggled with coping that their family member is no longer with them; also, that the Spanish government and legal system is doing nothing to help them with this progress. If the Mallon family did use some of the coping strategies explained in chapter four their lives could go back to normal faster.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/victor-lopez/will-polygamy-have-its-day-in-the-sun_b_3629785.html
ReplyDeleteThis article discusses the relationship that two homosexual men had together along with the addition of another man to their relationship to which they call a "threeo". It discusses the hardships and the judgment that they have received as being in a gay polygamist relationship. The three men have taken a stand on their sexuality and views on polygamy and have fought through the comments and prejudice that they have received.
In chapter 10 of the textbook it talks about marriage and the different aspects of marriage. This will relate to the book because polygamy and homosexuality are both different types of marriage that people take part in. In the book it describes what polygamy and it also talks about homosexual relationships and this article is eye-opening because it discusses the relationship that three homosexual men have together.
When I read this article it was pretty surprising and eye-opening because I had never heard of a relationship like this before. I decided to read this article because it seemed very unique when talking about polygamy and homosexuality. It was interesting reading about these three men because their relationship is so different. I personally don't have any issues with gay marriage or couples but I am more skeptic about the idea of polygamy. I do not think that it is right or fair to have more than one spouse. I believe in the full love and devotion to one spouse. I don't understand the boundaries of polygamy and how the whole process works when relating it to adultery. My personal view is that it is kind of like adultery because you are in a relationship with more than one person although it is not done secretly or behind the other's back. I would not find it personally acceptable for myself because that is not how I function or would like to live my life. I feel that people have their own choices with their life choices so they can choose what they want to do with their lives.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOzsjEmjjHs
ReplyDeleteA little while back I watched a television show about a man named Nick Vujicic. He was born without arms or legs, only a partial foot on one hip, which is how he holds his wife’s hands. And yes, I did say wife. He also has a baby son. He is an inspirational speaker who travels around telling others about his life. This story fits into our class, particularly in the “coping” chapter, and how someone has to come to terms with something that has happened to them or something they were born with.
The video that I chose is only 4 minutes long, but if you looked him up; there are a lot of videos on him. This man has had to learn how to live in a world that is not made for him, and I am sure that he has had his times, where he hates that, but he has learned to deal with his physical handicap and he has become a successful man with a beautiful family.
I think that this story made me step back and think about my life, and all of the things that I complain about. It has also made me think of my brother, who was born with Cerebral Palsy and what he says about his life. He says that he was dealt a hand from the deck of cards, and even though it wasn’t the best card he can’t change it, so he lives the best he can, and deals with the hand he was dealt. My brother chose to live life the best way he knows how, as well as Nick Vujicic did. This story is a great inspirational story and applies well to our class.
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/52910049/ns/local_news-buffalo_ny/t/alleviate-homework-stress/#.UiaQUzasim4
ReplyDeleteThis article is about the association between homework and stress, how homework increases anxiety in kids and how to overcome that particular stress. In order to help the child overcome such anxiety, there needs to be a set plan in place. The article correlates to the stress part of class. Since we will be talking about stress and coping mechanisms, this article goes along with the idea of coping with stress and anxiety. I chose this article because the idea that it was about helping with issue of homework related stress really caught my eye. Since I am a college student, there is always that time at the end of the semester when everything becomes overwhelming and stressful, whether it is homework or studying; I think that they all fall under the same category. Since I am one of those people who have problems with homework and getting stressed over it, I can personally use the tips that were given within the article.
Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-m-barnes/sleep-and-stress_b_3415480.html
ReplyDeleteI chose the article “Lack of Sleep and Stress -- a Vicious Cycle You Can Escape” from the Huffington Post. The article discussed sleep and its impact on stress. It talks about how stress can affect how much stress a person experiences in their daily lives and how they manage that stress. The more stress that a person had, the more they were able to stress and the less stress they had in their life to begin with. This article is relevant because chapter 3 discusses stress, its causes and methodology, and how it can be prevented. I liked this article because as a college student I know that sleep is a valuable commodity and important to managing stress.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2013/08/19/213568763/researchers-facebook-makes-us-sadder-and-less-satisfied
ReplyDeleteThis article talks about how being a Facebook user can contribute to whether you are happy or not. There are millions of people who use Facebook and so that is what called attention to do this study about how it can affect a user’s happiness. Researchers at the University of Michigan did this experiment with 82 people. It says that people, who socialize more, tend to be unhappy than those who don’t log on every day. Those who don’t always use Facebook frequently won’t have the need to stay up to date on everything and everyone. Users can do a lot of comparisons between what they are viewing and themselves, causing unhappiness in what they see and read. The viewer could be unsatisfied with his/her life events or their appearance. This relates to our psychology class about what makes us happy. We are going through this subject right now actually and I’m sure everyone in our class uses Facebook. It can relate to a lot of people.
I can agree on this study that Facebook can cause some unhappiness to its users. Not everyone is comfortable and confident with how they look and seeing other people that they think look better than they do can cause some unhappy feelings. If someone goes on extraordinary trips and buys the most expensive clothes can be envied by those who can’t do those things. The users who see those things on Facebook more often will make them feel unhappy even more than it would if they logged on every so often.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20130821-lady-gaga-dressed-for-success
ReplyDeleteCH11 Gender Roles and Expectations
The article I read was Lady Gaga:Dresses for Success written by Katya Foreman. The article discusses how Lady Gaga is seen by some as a fashion icon rather than a pop star. But whether its her music or her crazy costumes that catch people's attention she is definitely getting it! The very beginning of the article brings up the fact that we are in the generation of you can be and do whatever you want. But I couldn't help but think about the fact that I wouldn't want my daughter dressing like that. In today's society I feel we kind of have a double standard. We look at these so-called pop stars that simply dress outrageous and we practically applaud them for it while we tell our children they can be anything they want but then they are criticized for being different. In a way I feel stars set kids up for failure. We have male stars going tanning, dying their hair, wearing large amounts of jewelry and so on and its perceived as cool; then our boys and young men follow their trends and are teased because of it. Our female stars that play as role models for our girls and young women are displaying their bodies very, very freely by wearing extremely provocative clothing showing off their near anorexic bodies. I chose this article because who our children look up to really means a lot to me and there are some stars out there that I would do whatever I could to keep my kids from seeing them! Our children are our future but they are growing up with the adults they see now as role models, I want them to be good ones.
http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=217975350&m=217964640
ReplyDelete“When Stress Takes Over, Employee Burnouts Can Set In” is an article that discusses the affects stress is having on US businesses and there employees. It is focused on how stress is causing employees to burnout. Burnout is when people experience physical and mental fatigue or breakdown from work related stress. It is causing older employees to retire earlier and younger employees to look for work elsewhere. This is making companies look for ways to make the workplace more stress free while continuing to be productive.
This article focuses particularly on the accumulation of stressors in the workplace that can together cause employees to burnout. In chapter three, “Stress and its Effects”, our book talks about what researchers believe to cause employees to burnout and the consequences of it.
I chose this article because I think stress is something that affects most Americans more then it probably should. We put so much pressure on ourselves in all parts of our lives, both home life and work life. I think it relates to a lot of people because we need to figure out how to reduce the stress in all aspects of life so we are just generally more happy society.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nancy-brown/labor-day-weekend_b_3838868.html?utm_hp_ref=stress
ReplyDeleteThis article talks about how strenuous stress can be on a persons health both mentally and physically. It gives different ways to cope with stresses and urges people to take holidays like Labor Day weekend to sit back and relax and enjoy their own company. It states many different factors in someones every day life that can directly effect how stressed they are each day and before they go to sleep at night. It also has a connection with the quality of sleep which can greatly affect a persons health and wellness.
This article goes along well with Chapter Three in our book talking about stresses and how it can effect every day life. I chose this article because I am someone who has dealt with a large amount of stress throughout my life whether it be with family, friends, work or school. Everyone reacts to situations differently. As an athlete, I have always found great release in working out when things just don't feel like they are going quite how I'd like them to. Exercise gives me time to think and also releases a lot of those stresses as well as helping with my own body health. It interests me in seeing how much stress can change a persons attitude. When things are going right they can be the happiest person in the world, but once something changes and things start to fall out of place it is as if the end of the world is near in their eyes. With as many different ways to reduce stress and cope with it, I am awed by the fact of how many people let it alter their lives and attitudes. Everyone has their own way of being happy and I feel like if people learned to react and deal with situations in a better manner there would be a lot less stress in their lives and they would be that much happier.
Link to Article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-22984708
ReplyDeleteThe article is about an 18 year old girl named Beth who has struggle with an eating disorder for four years. Beth talks about how some people think that eating a cheeseburger will ‘fix’ an eating disorder; Beth explains that they are wrong and there is more of a psychological effect. She explains how this ‘person’ inside her head started to take over her thoughts.
Beth was admitted to a hospital that treats people with eating disorders. After about three months of refusing to get help, she was sectioned. Under the 1983 Mental Health Act Section 3, Beth was legally detained to the hospital for six months. It wasn’t until after she went through the appeal process that she realized she needed to get better. Beth was discharged six months later, healthy and ready to tell her story. She is writing a book about her journey in which she states, “Why hide something that makes me unique?”
This article relates to Psychology of Personal Adjustment because we will be talking about psychological disorders in which eating disorders are classified. With her four years of struggling with her eating disorder, she had to make adjustments in order for people not to notice. At the end of the article she says in the preview of her book, “Why hide something that makes me unique?” I feel that that is a powerful statement and something that would be very difficult for her to do. I chose this topic because I know someone who suffered from an eating disorder. I am also interested in finding what the best effective treatment is, what makes them want to recover, and how to prevent eating disorders. I know that the majority of people who suffer from eating disorders start recovery because of their family and friends. However, it is totally up to that person when they really want to recover. I feel that preventing eating disorders will not happen, but I am interested in finding ways to help treat them before it is too late.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/therese-borchard/why-so-many-mental-disorders_b_960336
ReplyDeleteMy article discusses the concept of "Normal" and psychological disorders associated with trying to be normal. The stress of trying to be normal can trigger depression and mood disorders, while modern lifestyles are not helping us physically with less exercise and more bad food, combined with a toxic environment leave people predisposed to depression at great risk. The article also discusses the over diagnoses of ADHD and major depression because the doctors are rushed and lazy.
Near the end of the semester we will be discussing psychological disorders and I think that depression and over diagnosis of serious disorders would fit in quite well.
I chose this article because i believe that we are becoming a nation quick fix, pill poppers, because that is easier for some people. I don't believe that every kid who is more active than the rest of his class has ADHD, maybe they just like to move. I do agree that stress and poor diet can lead to depression.
Link to Huffington Post Article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/27/optimists-stress-cortisol_n_3641430.html
ReplyDeleteThe article I chose to blog about is "Why Optimists Handle Stress Better." The article discusses how scientists may have pinpointed a possible reason for why optimistic people seem to handle stress better. Researchers from Concordia University found that people who remained optimistic had stress responses substantially lower than those who were pessimists'. When dealing with a fair amount of stress, Pessimists' had much more trouble bringing their cortisol levels back down to a normal level, whereas optimists' cortisol levels remained more closely to a normal cortisol level on stressful days.
This article relates to class material because it talks about stress and how different people deal better/worse with stress than others. There are several chapters in the class text that cover stress and discuss different ways in which stress may or may not affect someone.
I thought this article was very interesting and relatable. As a college student, I feel like I deal with a fair amount of stress, but I never really thought to make a connection between stress levels and optimism/pessimism. I feel like personally I endure a fair amount of stress between school, work, and my family/social life. I also feel as though I am a very optimistic person and this may be why I am actually quite good at managing stresses/stressful situations and therefore can completely understand the connections made within this article. There are certain times I feel as though stressing about something is inevitable, so along with being optimistic I am very eager to learn about other ways in which stress can be managed.
From Samantha K.
ReplyDeleteTonight while brainstorming my article of choice, I decided I wanted to read about a topic that I am super interested in: living a healthy lifestyle.
The debate with myself about whether I should sleep in for that extra hour and a half resting period or getting my butt out of bed and hitting the gym, is always a struggle. After reading this article discussing the signs on how regular physical activity helps improve your sleeping, I have seen a new light. I always thought waking up early and working out is best because it improves your daily metabolism. But the studies shown in this specific article shows that working out in the afternoon may actually help you sleep better, giving you a better chance of sleeping throughout the night.
So now, I have a much better reason to sleep in an extra hour and a half every once in a while! I think I may start participating in my own personal research and change my workout routine to see if my sleeping habits change.
This article pertains to Psychology of Personal Adjustment because in chapter 5 habits, lifestyles, and health is discussed. While reading pages throughout, I noticed more negative thoughts about bad lifestyle choices, but I figured putting this positive spin on living a healthy life still pertains in a way that everyone can relate to. After all, this class is all about personal adjustment.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this article because it pertains to my everyday life. I love reading healthy lifestyle articles and pinterest blogs. I truly believe that educating ourselves on how to lead a healthy lifestyle is what gets us ahead.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/28/benefits-exercise-sleep-science_n_3823526.html?utm_hp_ref=@healthfitness123
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/27/optimists-stress-cortisol_n_3641430.html
ReplyDeleteIn the article "Why Optimists Seem to Handle Stree Better" the author wrote that compared to an pessimist an optimist's level of cortisol stayed low or average. This was tested (and proven) in a study of 135 people 60 years and older for six years. During this period each participant had their saliva tested for the level of the stress hormone cortisol five times a day twelve times in the six years. After the saliva was taken and tested it was tested against the "average" level of cortisol that was experienced throughout the study. Along with testing the participants saliva, they were also asked how often they felt stressed and how bad the stress was. The last thing that was adked of the participants was if they felt like they were an optimist or a pessimist. The results showed that those with an average cortisol level leaned to being an optimist and those that were stressed more often causing their cortisol level to go up were pessimists. At the bottom of the article there was a slideshow that gave examples of benefits of being an optimist. The slideshow included a healthier heart, better cholesterol, a stronger immunity, low stroke risk and a few other positives of being an optimist.
This article relates to this semester not only in class but in life. Stress can be an everyday challenge for some and a breeze to get past for others. We are planning on talking about stress and its effects; which in the article stated that if you are an optimist you will be in better health.
I chose this article because I have dealt with stress a lot last year. It interested me to read it and chose it because it made vaild points of who is affected by stress more than others. The only thing I wish the article did was go into more detail about the study. Overall I enjoyed this article and the short reasoning of how stress can dictate our lifes.
Link to article: http://blogs.wsj.com/atwork/2013/09/04/what-to-do-when-work-stress-eats-up-the-evening/?mod=e2fb
ReplyDeleteThe article "What to Do When Work Stress Eats Up The Evening" talks about a study in which, participants took a short time before they left work to reflect back on the positive aspects of their day to reduce stress. The study showed that generally when someone took the time to write down things that gave them joy throughout their day actually lowered their level of stress. It didn't matter whether or not it was even work related. Anything from eating a homemade lunch to having a great meeting.
This article relates to what we will be talking about this semester because it talks about stress and how to deal with it. It literally is talking about adapting to something in your life, which is exactly what our class is about.
I chose this article because stress is something that plagues a lot of people at sometime during their life. I believe that finding a way to cope with stress is always a good thing. I really enjoyed this article, because it is something i can try in my own life.
From Allyson Lee:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/03/happiest-healthiest-american-cities-prevention_n_3825029.html?ir=Healthy+Living
This article reveals the top ten healthiest places to live within the United States. Rated number one is San Jose, CA because of the plethora of organic foods there. With eighteen community gardens in the city, the people of San Jose are committed to eating healthy. Coming in second was Salt Lake City, Ohio thanks to the low rate of cancer. This may be due to the healthy influence of the high Mormon population in the area. Minneapolis-St. Paul takes third place because of the top scores for heart health. In fourth place is Anaheim, CA and San Diego is in fifth place both because of the high percentage of people who stay fit and workout regularly. Sixth place is in Fargo, ND. There, many people attend church on a regular basis as well as a strong sense of community. San Francisco takes seventh thanks to the variety of cultural experiences there. Because of its highest scores in low crime rates and its affordable fresh produce, Madison, WI is in eighth place. In ninth place is our very own Sioux Falls, SD! Beings that the majority of people ranked their own health as "good or better". Lastly, in tenth place stands Honolulu for the obvious reason of pure bliss and happiness there which in turn leads to great mental health.
This article can be related to different chapters in our book because of the health benefits through cities. These are things that I never really thought about before.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/03/happiest-healthiest-american-cities-prevention_n_3825029.html
ReplyDeleteThe Article I chose to review titled 25 Happiest, Healthiest Cities In America. I found it interesting because it related your health to your happiness; happiness being a major topic of psychological health. In the Huffington Post, it listed reasons why people said they were happier and/or healthier, and what factor contributed to this belief. The reason this article caught my attention is because both Sioux Falls and Minneapolis made the top 10 list, 9 and 3 respectively. For Sioux Falls, they were list because it proudly claims the highest level of self-reported good health, and when you believe you are healthy, you act healthy and actually feel healthier (as argued in the article). We also have a low crime rate and a strong community feel. And a good sense of community strengthens the social health. Minneapolis made this list due to its great overall heart health. And as was discussed, when one is healthier physically, they are more likely to be mentally healthier and happier. I was very excited and proud to see the Midwest so close to home heartily represented. When something I close to home it is more real and relatable; make you feel as though it is within reach.
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ReplyDeleteArticle: http://www.pbs.org/programs/killer-stress/
ReplyDeleteWebsite: http://killerstress.stanford.edu/
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZcTvFqzxA0
For over three decades, Robert Sapolsky has been working to advance human understanding of stress by studying baboons and their social hierarchies. Every year for the past 30 years, he takes a trip down to East Africa to study the interactions between the baboons that live there. Because of his dedication he has a lot of data from his years of research which produced some very surprising results. For example, the troop he had been following for years had a very stratified society much like our own (but on a more primitive scale). The big, brawny, and mean males would pick on the weaker males. Dr. Sapolsky’s baboon group found a large pile trash that belonged to a nearby village. In the trash were chunks of meat that had been infected with tuberculosis. Half the population ended up dieing as a result of eating the trash. Most of the baboons that had died were the larger males who had got the best parts of the trash, while the smaller males had to pick through the leftovers. Sapolsky was worried that the group would eventually perish without the guidance of the alpha males. This is the part that I really enjoyed: the group of baboons actually started to thrive without the bullying alpha males around. In the aftermath, there were about twice as many females as males. Not only that, but most of the males were in lack of a better term, “Good guys”. With no alpha males, the group became much less aggressive towards each other and became a sort of Utopia. Wandering alpha young adults would join the group and at first would try to express the dominance, but after about 6 months would assimilate the peaceful teachings of this new group.
This article relates to the lecture topic about stress and its effects that is subject of chapter 3 in our books, and of your lesson plan for week 4. The article focused mainly on stress effects, “in the beginning it (stress) saved our lives, making us run from predators and enabling us to take down prey. Today, human beings are turning on the same life-saving physical reaction to cope with 30-year mortgages, $4 a gallon gasoline, final exams, difficult bosses and even traffic jams”. Stress has multiple effects and in my summary is a good example of how it can affect communities.
I really enjoyed this video; Dr. Sapolsky really made it easy to understand what he was doing, why he was doing it, and what he was learning. The case of the baboons was especially interesting, because it showed that that a society with no social hierarchy can exist. Not only can it exist, it may even prosper to a prosperous and stress-free environment.
article http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/11/stress-avoidance-strategies-taking-your-mind-off_n_3575211.html
ReplyDeleteThis article speaks of the benefits of taking your mind off your problems to reduce stress rather then dwelling on the tasks you have piling up. the process makes the person more able to deal with the stress much more effectively. the article states the key is in temporary avoidance rather then escapism, like recess when we were children, having time to temporarily relive yourself from your problems makes them much easier to cope with later. there was a study done on students who were balancing the conflicting demands of work, school and family life which found those who used avoidance strategies were better at managing conflict and getting more enjoyment out of the work they did.
this article applies to our classwork because it talks about coping and stress two topics we will discuss.
I liked this article because it help reinforce my strategies of coping with my own stress and relives the pending feeling of guilt I sometimes get when i'm temporarily running from my problems. so in this way I feel it has helped me to better cope with my stress in the future.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Mh7QwQMkUU
ReplyDeleteThis video is really cheesy but it goes into a couple different aspects of behavior. For one it goes into stereotyping right off the back in a couple different ways. First, in a small group usually people tend to work better when they are similar but in real life this is not how it really goes. Most groups have these stereotypical members that hold the group together. This video first goes into just explaining what kind of stereotypical members make a small group. The rest of the video is just how these members work together and how they communicate with each other. I think this is an interesting video because many time you have many of these stereotypical members in a small group. Now most are not to this extreme but they posse many of these qualities and the challenge of working through them.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mequilibrium/stress-is-good_b_3998259.html
ReplyDeleteIn this article, stress is looked at in a more positive way stating that our fear of stress could actually be making things worse. Terri Trespicio actually states that she wouldn’t accomplish anything without stress. She states that stress is only detrimental to your health if you think about is as something to fear or despise. She goes through the symptoms of stress in a positive way such as heart pounding preparing yourself for something exciting rather than panic and the urge to call your mom as something you are wired to do rather than feeling inadequate about yourself.
I believe this article describes stress as healthy rather than hurtful, which fits this class because it is more beneficial to think of stress as healthy. I am always stressed out it seems, so seeing stress as a positive thing may help my attitude on a lot of things and prevent a lot of my mental shut downs.
This article titled How Other People’s Stress can Kill you, examined how stress can be as contagious as a yawn or a laugh. It has to do with mirror neurons which fire of a simulated version of an activity as if you actually did it. In even simpler terms, other peoples stress is directly correlated to our own stress, if we let it. This helps us connect with others emotionally, and build relationships with one another. This can be positive, but more often than not, if dealing with stress, is actually very negative. The article stated that research has proven that stress can spread between co-workers, significant others, friends, etc. just like a disease. Negative emotions are even more viral than positive ones. It’s also discussed how to positively deal with mirror neurons, and that you can actually turn this into a good thing. We as individuals just have to realize that stress is only as big as we make it out to be and we must use our coping skills to prevent this. Although social support is great when it’s benefiting us and needed at times, it can actually have the opposite effect.
ReplyDeleteWe have talked a lot about stress throughout the course of this class. This story brought up a lot of really great information, as I did not know how contagious stress actually is. In fact, I have never really thought about it in that manner, but now that I do it makes a lot of sense. I will have to start paying attention and not letting other individuals stressors get the best of me. I find myself becoming engaged with others lives often, and have never realized that this may actually be contributing to the amount of stress I am feeling on my own, about my own life. I found this article to be really interesting and definitely relates to course topics!
Key words: stress, stressors, correlation, coping, social support
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joe-robinson/dealing-with-stress_b_4097921.html?utm_hp_ref=less-stress-more-living
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jennifer-rosen/speaking-up_b_3807704.html
ReplyDeletePart of this assignment was to choose a topic to discuss in which we will have eventually touch base on in class material. So what I did was opened my book to a random page, telling myself I would find an article depending on whatever topic the book fell open to. It must have been a sign from God because I opened the book to page 298: talking about shyness. I am not a shy person when I am around people I am comfortable with. I am shy, however, in classroom setting where I am inclined to raise my hand and state an answer or opinion. I get too nervous for myself when I am in front of an audience. I searched "shyness" on HuffingtonPost and the article popped up first about not wanting to get called on. The input I received from reading this article was eye-opening. The woman's therapist at the time told her she was being selfish by not allowing the rest of the people in the room hear her perspective. Because even if the other students weren't already thinking the same thing she may have just opened their minds to a whole new level. I totally agree with what the therapist had to say even though I had never thought that to be a good reason to start raising my hand. Now, I probably won't start raising my hand anytime soon but just thinking about it in this way will one day give me enough courage to let my voice be heard in a classroom setting.