Blog Assignment - Week 6

Part 1:

Week 6 already?!  Only 8 assignments to go after this!

The topic of Chapter 6 is The Self, which includes a variety of topics including self-concept, self-esteem, social comparison, etc.

If you haven't caught on by now, I often try to present you with multiple views on a subject to evaluate and form your own opinion regarding the topic.  This week, you'll read about the positives related to self-esteem and how to promote self-esteem.  However, for this week's assignment, I want you to take a look at the down side of promoting self-esteem.  

Please complete the following:

• What is the concept of self-esteem?
• Watch this video on YouTube.
• Thoroughly summarize the content of the video.  Be sure to include the pitfalls of promoting self-esteem.
• Provide your reaction to the video.  What really stuck out to you?
• At the end of your post, please create a list of key terms/concepts that you used from the textbook in your response (can be from this chapter or previous chapters).  This will help encourage you to really use course concepts in your writing by making it more visible to you.

On a side note, I found this relevant to previous discussion in class about social media use.  This research was done at my alma mater and examines the effect of texting during class (as many of you admitted to doing on the blog and I see it during class).  It is just a short brief, but is interesting nonetheless.  Read it here.

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Part 2:

As in the previous weeks, please respond to any 2 existing blog posts (not including this one or posts that you have responded to previously) to get credit for you "blog comments."  Each post has its own instructions to follow in regard to commenting. Note: Replying to other students' comments on blog posts does not count toward your grade, although I encourage you to engage in conversation with your colleagues.

Narcissism

"There's a snake in my boot!"

Chapter 6 (The Self) discusses the difference between high self-esteem and narcissism.  Should you choose to complete, please complete the following in relation to narcissism:

• Read WebMD's description of narcissism.
• In your own words, describe what Narcissistic Personality Disorder is.
• Hop on over to The Huffington Post and find an article related to narcissism and social media (you shouldn't have a problem finding one).  I suggest you get a little more creative than using the first article that shows up in the search history.  Please include a link to your article.
• Summarize your article.

I hope you enjoy the photo of Woody taking a selfie and being slightly narcissistic.  He's still the man.

Individualism and Collectivism

The cultural values of individualism and collectivism are often talked about in the world of psychology. Should you wish to learn more about cultural values for credit, please complete the following:

• What are the cultural values of individualism and collectivism?
• How does one's cultural value (of either individualism or collectivism) shape how they view them self?
• As stated previously, individualism and collectivism are utilized often in psychology.  Do a little searching and find something that interests you in relation to individualism and collectivism.  I prefer that you try to find an article discussing some research.  Here is an example of what I mean by an article presenting some research.  Please provide a link to your article.
• Summarize the article you found.

This is very open ended, so have some fun with it!

Is Laughter Really the Best Medicine?

For last week's assignment, you had the option to complete an assignment on the positive effects of laughter. However, these positive effects may depend on the type of laughter one engages in.  Should you choose to complete this week's assignment for course credit, please do the following:

• Read this article on Psychology Today.
• Summarize what you read.
• Name and describe the 4 types of humor.
• Provide a personal (or from experience with friends, family, etc.) example of each type.
• Do you know which type of humor you typically engage in? 
• If you completed last week's post on laughter, try to tie the two articles together (last week's and this one). 

Facebook and The Self

In the previous weeks, many of you have written about the relationships between social media sites and course topics.  As this seems to be of interest to many of you, here is another post related to social media.

Should you choose to complete this assignment for course credit, please do the following:

• Read these two articles and provide a summary of what you read:
• Facebooking with Care: Social Networking Site Can Hurt Self-Esteem
• Why Does Facebook Make Us Feel Bad About Ourselves?
• What is self-esteem?
• What is the social comparison theory?
• How does this article/social media play a role in these to self-related concepts?
• Try to incorporate examples as well as integrate material from previous weeks of the course.

Blog Assignment - Week 5

Just a couple of housekeeping notes:

I would like you all to take a moment and look at your grades on D2L to make sure they are a reflection of the work you've done.  If you think you are missing points for assignments, please email me.  

*Please review the note at the end of this blog before beginning your assignments.

Part 1:  

This next week we will be discussing the topic of coping (Chapter 4).

For this week's main assignment, I want you to explore the concept of catharsis, as it plays a pretty big role in our lives yet is often misperceived.  Please complete the following:

• Define, in your own words, catharsis.
• Based on this definition, do you engage in catharsis?  If so, what activities do you typically do?
• Do you find cathartic behaviors helpful?
• After completing the first three bullet points, please read this article.
• Provide a thorough summary of the article.
• Based on what you've read, have your views on catharsis changed?

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Part 2:

As in the previous weeks, please respond to any 2 existing blog posts (not including this one or posts that you have responded to previously) to get credit for you "blog comments."  Each post has its own instructions to follow in regard to commenting. Note: Replying to other students' comments on blog posts does not count toward your grade, although I encourage you to engage in conversation with your colleagues.

*Note: I've noticed that some students' comments are becoming pretty brief (not necessarily in length - I just noticed some students are doing the bare minimum to get by).  As the semester progresses, you should be able to make more connections with previous material, and thus, your posts should be getting a little longer, or at least a little more integrative. While I don't expect a novel, I expect to see some evidence that you are trying to apply not only this week's material, but material from previous weeks of the course.  The chapters we have covered these last two weeks have a lot of commonalities, so this shouldn't be too difficult.  If it helps you, I advise you make a short list of keywords that you have used from the textbook in your post to get a better gauge on how much you are applying course material rather than providing your own interpretation/experiences. While your own opinions and experiences are important as this is a field that is very applicable to your life, you should be displaying knowledge of course material.  Please keep this in mind, as I will grade your comments accordingly.

This assignment is due on Monday, Sept. 23 at 11:59p.   

Mindfulness

The practice of mindfulness has been gaining increasing attention for its benefits.  If you choose to complete this post for course credit, please do/answer the following:

• Read this article about mindfulness.
• In your own words, what is the practice of mindfulness?
• This article outlines 20 benefits of mindfulness.  Please explain and provide your reaction to five of these benefits.

I would like you to read this article too, but realize that you are busy and articles can get lengthy.  But if you are interested, the article talks about mindfulness decreasing burnout and increasing compassion among doctors.  It's a great way to apply the subject, not only to the upcoming chapter, but the chapter on stress we just discussed.

Emotional Intelligence

According to some, emotional intelligence is more important than one's intellectual ability.  But, what exactly is emotional intelligence?

Should you choose to complete this post for credit, please do the following:

• Read this article.
• What is meant by emotional intelligence?
• Why is it important?  Don't simply list the benefits...expand upon them using personal experiences.
• Name and describe two of the emotional intelligence skills.
• Which do you think is more important, emotional intelligence or intellectual ability? Why?

Power of Procrastination

Procrastination undoubtedly gets the best of some of us, but is procrastination always bad?  Should you choose to complete this post for course credit, please do the following:

• Read this article.
• Summarize what you read.
• What are some benefits of procrastination?
• What does your textbook (chapter 4) have to say about the positive effects of procrastination?
• For some of us, procrastination isn't a bad thing - but for many of us, it is.  What are some ways to beat procrastination and use time more effectively?  Please use both your textbook and personal experiences to complete this question.

Laughter is the Best Medicine

"Humor is infectious. The sound of roaring laughter is far more contagious than any cough, sniffle, or sneeze."

You've heard it, laughter is the best medicine.  But why?  Should you choose to complete this assignment, please do the following:

• Read this article.
• How is laughter good for your health?
• Describe a few of the physical, mental, and social benefits of laughter.
• How can you create more laughter in your life?
• How do you use laughter in your life?
• Jump on over to YouTube and find two of your favorite videos that make you laugh.  Please share!

Blog Assignment - Week 4

Please proofread your posts before clicking submit.  Remember this is a piece of academic work - would you hand in a paper without proofreading it?  Probably not, so please do the same on the blog, too!

Part 1:

This week's topic is stress.  For this week's assignment, I want you to critically think about stress - in your life, it's affects, and stress among others.  Please think about and respond to the following:

1)  First, in your own words, define stress.

2)  What types of items/situations/etc. create ambient stress in your current living environment?

3)  Discuss the contributions of culture to the experience of stress.

4)  Which do you think add the most stress to one's life, acute stressors or chronic stressors?  First explain the difference between acute and chronic stressors, then explain your reasoning.

5)  What are some stressors that are unique to college students?  What can be done in the college environment to alleviate these stressors?

6)  What are some positive effects you have experience as the result of a stressful event?  Please give an example.

7)  Do you think there are gender differences in the experience of stress?  Explain.

Part 2:
Respond to any 2 existing blog posts (not including this one or posts that you have responded to previously) to get credit for you "blog comments."  Each post has its own instructions to follow in regard to commenting. Note: Replying to other students' comments on blog posts does not count toward your grade, although I encourage you to engage in conversation with your colleagues.

This assignment is due on Monday, Sept. 16 at 11:59p. 

TED Talk - Kelly McGonigal - How to Make Stress Your Friend

Kelly McGonigal discusses new research on stress and presents a new way to think about stress to improve your health.

Should you choose to complete this activity for credit for blog comments, please complete the following:

• Watch Kelly's TED Talk here.
• Kelly is a health psychologist.  What is health psychology?
• Discuss the relationship between stress and cardiovascular health. (You may wish to look for additional information elsewhere)
• How does oxytocin play a role in stress? (You may wish to look for additional information elsewhere)
• Around the 10:40 mark in the video, she begins describing a research study looking at the relationship between stress and time spent helping others.  Describe what the researchers did and what they found.  If you completed the blog during Week 2 (Do Good, Feel Good), how do these findings relate to this assignment?
• Did watching this TED Talk change the way you view stress?  If so, why.

Stress and Pinterest/Social Media

"Social media anxiety disorder may not be a recognized mental health issue (yet), but for some moms, social network-inflicted stress has added considerable pressure to parenthood."

Here's a (more) fun blog for all you Pinterest/Social Media buffs!  Users are spending an abundant amount of time on social media sites (see this link for some interesting stats), but are not always aware that these sites are a source of stress.

Should you choose this topic for course credit this week, please complete the following:

• Read this article.
• Give an overview of what you read.
• Do you think you spend too much time on social media sites?  Does social media distract you from work that needs to be done?  If so, do you place restrictions on your use?  For example, do you tell yourself you can get on Facebook after you study for an hour, etc.?
• How has social media caused stress in your life?  What can you do to reduce this stress?

Optimism and Stress

"Ever wondered how it is your optimistic friend always seems to be unfazed by stress? Scientists may have pinpointed a possible reason for why."

Being positive pays off!  Among other benefits, optimism may play a role in the way of which one handles stress.  Should you choose this topic for course credit, please complete the following:

• Read this article.
• Read this article, too! (They are both fairly short)
• Give an overview (in your own words) of what you read.
• Optimism plays a role in other health related areas aside from handling stress.  Describe these other areas.
• Look on the bright side, smile, and treat yourself to something awesome today!

Suicide Prevention

"Suicide is a leading cause of death among college students."

Suicide Prevention Week is observed from Sept. 8 - Sept. 14.  Since this overlaps with our course discussion of stress, I thought it would be a good way to raise awareness while applying course topics.

Should you choose to complete this assignment for course credit, please do the following:

• Read this information, courtesy of the Minnesota 4-H.
• Also, read this information posted through your myU portal.
• How are stress and suicide related?
• What are some warning signs of suicidal ideation?
• What can you do to help someone with suicidal ideation?

If you're interested, here is a really great video from somebody struggling with depression and has contemplated committing suicide.  I think this video is great because it shows you that what you see on the outside is not always what somebody is feeling on the inside.  He also discusses the stigma surrounding depression.  Give it a look!

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If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal ideation, please utilize the resources and services available on the bottom of the myU portal link or below:

Psychological Services Center (free for USD students)
South Dakota Union #112
Department of Psychology
Phone: 605.677.5354

Student Counseling Center (free for USD students)
Cook House
Vermillion, SD 57069
Phone: 605.677.5777
Fax: 605.677.6226
scc@usd.edu 

National Suicide Prevention Hotline - 1.800.273.8255
Emergencies - call 911 (if on campus, dial 9-911)
University Police Department - 605.677.5342

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has a projected lifetime risk (according to DSM-IV-TR criteria) of 8.7%, meaning 8.7% of the population will develop PTSD.  Because of this, it is important to be knowledgeable about PTSD's causes, symptoms, and who's at risk.

Should you choose to complete this assignment for course credit, please do the following:

• Read this article from the National Institute of Mental Health.
• Watch this short YouTube clip.
• What is PTSD?
• Describe the signs, symptoms, and causes of PTSD. (See the "please note" at the bottom of this post)
• What types of incidences can contribute to the development of PTSD?
• How do children and adults differ in their experiences of PTSD?
• In the video, Dr. Davidson describes some of the physical symptoms associated with PTSD. What are some of these symptoms?
• Describe a few of the treatment options for PTSD.
• Do you have a personal connection with PTSD (i.e., does someone you know have PTSD)?  How has PTSD affected their social relationships? **Please de-identify this person when writing - do not include a name, you can simply write that you know a person.**

Please Note: The article you'll be reading groups the symptoms of PTSD into 3 categories (re-experiencing, avoidance/numbing, hyperarousal).  This categorization is based on DSM-IV-TR criteria, but the field is now in transition to using criteria from the DSM-5 which was released earlier this summer.  Among other changes, they have placed the symptoms of PTSD into 4 categories as opposed to 3.  These categories are very similar, they have just essentially broken the avoidance/numbing into 2 categories.  The categories for the DSM-5 are as follows:

Re-experiencing
Avoidance
Persistent negative alterations in cognition and mood (this is the numbing aspect)
Arousal

Blog Assignment - Week 3

Part 1:
Your blog assignment this week is to find an empirical research article from a peer-reviewed journal.  As a student, you have access to a plethora of research journals both in the library and form online databases.  To access the library's online databases, follow these steps:

• Go to the library's website.
• Click on the blue "databases" tab.
• From there, you have a variety of search options, either by the name of the database or the subject of information you are looking for.  However, I suggest using psycINFO.  To access psycINFO, click on the small "p" and scroll down and find psycINFO.
• Sign in with your USD username and password (if you haven't already).
• From there, you'll see some search bars where you can put in keywords about whatever you are interested in.
• If you need further assistance, please ask me or a reference librarian for help! 

The purpose of this particular assignment is to familiarize you with academic research. Because of this, you can choose whatever topic you want to research - whatever interests you.  To receive credit for this week's blog assignment, please select an article and complete the following:

• Provide the correct APA citation for the article.  Please consult the APA manual or Purdue Owl for formatting help.  There is also a handout and Powerpoint on D2L that may be of assistance.
• In general, what were the researcher(s) examining?
• More specifically, what was the hypothesis? (there may be more than one)
• Who were the participants?
• If your research is experimental: What was the dependent variable and how was it measured?
• If your research is correlational/survey: What relationship are they testing?
• Results - what did they find?
• What was your overall reaction to the article?  Were you surprised by the findings, do the findings relate to your life, etc.

I encourage you to try to write this post in paragraph form, as opposed to a simple listing of the information asked for in the bullet points.  For example, "College students completed 2 self-report measures related to their college experience.  Specifically, the participants were asked to report information related to their involvement in student groups and the amount of time they typically spend studying.  Results suggest that....."

Reading academic research can be difficult for students who have never done it before, so do not get discourage if you don't understand the article you chose.  If you are having a difficult time understanding the article, try to find one that is more simplistic and/or ask for help!

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Part 2: 
Respond to any 2 existing blog posts (not including this one or posts that you have responded to previously) to get credit for your "blog comments."  Each post has its own instructions to follow in regard to commenting. Note: Replying to other students' comments on blog posts does not count toward your grade, although I encourage you to engage in conversation with one another.  You may comment on posts from previous weeks, but I encourage you to stay up-to-date with what we will be discussing in class.

This assignment is due on Monday, Sept. 9 at 11:59p.

Birth Order and Personality

"How being the firstborn, middle child, last-born, or only child may affect your behavior more than you think."

Chapter 2 briefly discusses Alfred Adler's views on birth order and the development of personality.  Should you choose to explore more about how birth order affects personality development, please complete the following:

• Read this article.  
• Summarize what you've read.
• Discuss whether you fit these assumptions, based on your own family structure.  For example, if you are a first born, do you have the characteristics of first born individuals according to this article?  How do your siblings compare to the stereotypes?
• How much do you think a child's personality development is a product of their biological birth order as opposed to environmental forces (i.e., the way their parents raise them)?

Personality Theories

Chapter 2 of your textbook outlines several theories of personality development (e.g., psychodynamic, behavioral, humanistic, and biological).  Among these perspectives, the book also discusses many of the contributors to the development of the theories.

Should you choose to learn about personality theories for course credit under blog comments, please complete the following:

• Choose 2 of the overarching theories presented in the chapter (e.g., psychodynamic, behavioral, humanistic, and biological) and provide an overview of each theory's perspective on personality development.
• Because there are several contributors to each theory, you may choose to focus on the work of one or more psychologists in each area.
• Which theory do you believe in?  Maybe you tend to agree with one theory over another, or maybe a combination or multiple theories. Please provide reasoning and/or examples explaining why you believe in the theory(ies).

Can Football Make You Fat?

"Here's something to chew on as the National Football League prepares to kick off a new season Thursday night: sports fans turn to junk food to console themselves when their team goes down to defeat, new research suggests."

The unofficial start of fall is here - professional football season!  But can watching football make you fat?  Check out what a research study found.  This assignment is a fun way to use your psychology knowledge to everyday life.

Should you choose to complete this assignment for course credit, please do the following:

• Read this article posted on WebMD.
• What is meant by emotional eating?  How can emotional eating relate to *next week's* topic of stress?
• Are you a victim of emotional eating? (Only respond to this particular question if you feel comfortable with others seeing your response).  If yes, what can you do to kick the habit?
• If you're a football fan, are you going to gain weight this season (granted these results hold true)?  In other words, how is your team looking this year?  

Happy football watching!  May the odds be ever in your favor :)

Big 5 Personality Test

In class we will be discussing theories of personality and personality assessment.  One of the theories we will cover is the Five-Factor Model of Personality (aka The Big Five) posited by Robert McCrae and Paul Costa.  

Where do you fall along the Big Five dimensions?  Take an online personality test here to find out!  Should you choose to take the test for course credit for blog comments, please do the following:

• Take the personality test linked above.
• Explain each trait outlined in the Big Five.
• How did McCrae and Costa arrive at the 5 higher-order personality traits that make up the Big Five?
• What are some advantages/disadvantages of self-report inventories when assessing personality (Hint - use pp. 65-66 in your text).
• Provide your reaction to the results of your personality test.  Do you think your results accurately describe you?

For even more fun, you can fill this out about your roommates, friends, family members, or significant others. :)

23 Signs You're Secretly an Introvert

"Think you can spot an introvert in a crowd? Think again. Although the stereotypical introvert may be the one at the party who's hanging out alone by the food table fiddling with an iPhone, the 'social butterfly' can just as easily have an introverted personality."

What does it really mean to be an introvert?  An extrovert?  You probably have an idea of whether you are an introvert or an extrovert, but as this article via the Huffington Post explains, you may be unaware that you are indeed an introvert.  Check it out!

Should you choose to comment on this post for blog comment credit, please complete the following:

• Read the article attached above.
• Summarize what you've read.
• Did this article dispel any myths you once thought about introverts?
• How is the information presented in the article similar and/or different than the information presented in your textbook about introversion and extroversion?
• Do any of the "telltale" signs describe you?  If so, why and/or how?
• Did your idea of yourself as an introvert or extrovert change after reading this article?  Why or why not?
• Provide a general reaction to the article.  (This may or may not be covered already as you complete the bullets above).

And, as always: 
Your responses will ideally follow paragraph form as opposed to a listing of bullets for each of the sections listed above.  In other words, rather than first summarizing the article followed by providing examples from your everyday life, you can interweave this points to form a coherent paragraph.  

Remember, you should be writing these comments as if you were going to print them out and hand them in. Thus, spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc. is important!  

Myers-Briggs Personality Test

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is another form of personality test.  Should you choose to complete this personality test for course credit, please complete the following:

• Read about and take the MBTI here.
• What is the MBTI?  How do you arrive at your "type?"
• What type describes you? (e.g., ISTJ, ESTP, etc)?  What type of personality does this type describe?
• Do you think these results accurately describe you?
• If you also took the Big Five personality test (here), how do the results from the MBTI compare? Which is more accurate, in your opinion?

And just for fun for all you Harry Potter fans - find out what character shares the same MBTI profile with you here.

TED Talks: Susan Cain - The Power of Introverts

Susan Cain is a renowned speaker and writer in the field of introversion.  With over 4.8 million views, her TED Talks video on the power of introverts has people talking.

Should you choose to respond to this post for course credit, please complete the following:

• Watch Susan's TED Talks video.  (It's about 19 minutes long).
• According to Susan Cain, how many people are considered introverted?
• How does she contrast shyness and introversion?
• When describing the introvert/extrovert spectrum, she proclaims that ambiverts have the "best of both words."  What does she mean by ambivert?
• Susan provides quite a few examples of how our world is created for extroverts rather than introverts. Describe at least 1 of these examples and provide your opinion about the matter.
• At the end of the video, she provides some advice - do you agree or disagree with her?  Please explain.
• What are your general thoughts about this video?  What did you learn?

Near the end of the video, Susan briefly talks about the book she published about introverts.  In case you are interested, this is the book that she is talking about.  I personally haven't read it yet (it's on my list), but it has rave reviews on Amazon!