Monthly Archives: April 2017

Addiction

Drug addiction is a problem that requires a holistic approach. It has been proven time and time again that addiction is unpredictable, and the initial motivation for an addict to seek treatment is not an indicator of how successful their treatment will be. The two main schools of thought behind treating addiction are the abstinence model and the harm-reduction model.

The abstinence model is the “classic” model of addiction treatment e.g. alcoholics anonymous. The idea behind this model is that the chemical/mental dependency that leads to addiction is so great that even a single indulgence can lead to relapse. Behavioral Health compared and contrasted the benefits and drawbacks of both models. It should be noted that the statistics for many addiction programs are flawed due to the nature of the issue. They largely rely on self-reporting, which can easily be influenced by the sense of shame associated with substance abuse. Abstinence-only models report that only 7% of addicts were able to remain sober for at least 90 days over a three-year period (Henwood et al. 2013). Addicts that have been sober for a year or less have an 80% chance of relapsing; that number drops to 34% for those have been sober for three years (Horton). Addicts that have been sober for five years or more have a 14% chance of relapse (Horton). Although these numbers may seem encouraging, many are unhappy with the way in which abstinence programs operate. Many users abandon this type of treatment because they don’t want to completely stop using (Tennison 2010). Even worse, these programs tend to demonize those that relapse, rather than realizing that relapse is an unavoidable outcome for many users (Stoicesu).

The harm reduction model is a treatment philosophy that was popularized by Audrey Kishline. An addict herself, Kishline opposed the ideas of the abstinence model. This model aims to gradually reduce the frequency of use while accepting that relapse may be an unavoidable setback in the battle against addiction (Tennison 2010). Although moderation may sound like an attainable goal, it may be too much of a temptation for some (Horton). Many addicts use moderation as an excuse to relapse (Henwood et al. 2013). Encouraging someone to moderate themselves enables that person to continue a risky behavior. In addition to this, the harm reduction model is insufficient when dealing with “hard drugs”, like heroin or cocaine. These drugs are so detrimental to one’s health and general well being that there is no acceptable amount (Horton). In addition to all of these factors, many of the statistics proving the effectiveness of the harm reduction model are controversial. Due to its arbitrary nature, operationalizing moderation is difficult. What can be said is that around 30% of patients enrolled in a harm reduction course move onto abstinence-only programs (Stoicescu).

Based on the physiology of addiction I believe that the abstinence model should be the golden standard for addiction treatment. Often times moderation can have a snowball effect and quickly escalate into a full-blown relapse. Also, there is evidence that drug addicts are hard wired to respond better to drugs i.e. their reward pathway is more sensitive to the effects of drugs, resulting in poor impulse control (Henwood et al. 2013).

The internet articles I chose to use were found from pages that were specifically related to mental health. Behavioral health had been featured on A&E and CNN, two news outlets that strive to report the most accurate information they can. Harm Reduction International is an institution that works globally to educate people about how the harm reduction model operates. Much of their information comes from top researchers. The other two sources were primary literature articles that presented sound findings.

References

Tennison, L. R. (2010). Abstinence-Based Treatment. Addiction and Substance Abuse, 3-5. Retrieved April 2, 2017.

Horton, G. (n.d.). The Efficacy of Abstinence Treatment vs. Harm Reduction. Retrieved April 02, 2017, from https://www.bhpalmbeach.com/recovery-articles/efficacy-abstinence-treatment-vs-harm-reduction

Stoicescu, C. (n.d.). What is harm reduction? Retrieved April 02, 2017, from https://www.hri.global/what-is-harm-reduction

Henwood, B. F., Padgett, D. K., & Tiderington, E. (2013). Provider Views of Harm Reduction Versus Abstinence Policies Within Homeless Services for Dually Diagnosed Adults. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 41(1), 80-89. doi:10.1007/s11414-013-9318-2


Who Do You Think I Am?

Take the four personality tests linked below, discuss how accurately they describe your perception of your personality, and discuss the credibility of each test. Make sure to use the tag “Personality” on your post.

On the human metrics personality test, I got ESFP. The letter E represents extroversion, which I am only classified as moderate: 50%. I disagree with this as I would like to believe that I am 90-100% extroverted. I like talking to almost everybody, unless I am at a party that involves drinking, where I don’t know anybody because I feel like I cannot communicate with the rest of the people when they’re intoxicated. Also, if I am with lots of adults who are a lot older than me and they give are super successful, I can get intimidated and can freeze. Otherwise, I have little to no problem talking to people. I will often go up to people I don’t know to make conversation. I am not afraid to ask for things either. The next letter S, represents sensing. I got a score of 50%, saying I have a moderate preference of sensing over intuition. I don’t really have an opinion on that. I don’t quite know myself. The next letter, F means feeling, where I scored 66%, says that I have a distinct preference for feeling. I would have to agree. I am very emotional and often let my emotions cloud my judgement and guide my decisions. Lastly, the letter P represents perceiving. I only scored 44%, meaning I have a moderate preference of of perceiving over judging. Further explanations say that my type loves people, excitement and fun. Also it says that I am impulsive and spontaneous and love to entertain. That is true. Also, it says that I can say something then stop mid sentence and jump to something else. Many of my friends actually have pointed this out to me. The test further says that ESFPs in general love to talk and are good storytellers. I would have to agree with that with a huge yes. This test in my opinion would be most accurate when compared to the rest I am about to mention.

 

 

http://www.humanmetrics.com/hr/jtypesresult.aspx

On the Jungian Personality Type Test, I also got ESFP. The basic description stated that I radiate warmth and optimism. And am smooth, witty, charming, and clever. I can be fun to be with and am very generous. I apparently could make for a good performer, and love to talk on the phone. All these are scarily accurate in terms of how I perceive myself and how others perceive me (when they do tell me of course). The description says that my type has a huge need to socialize, which could be problematic in school. Hello, freshman year! Also, I still struggle with balancing my time between being happy by socializing with people I care about, while not losing focus of why I am in school: to study. The part of losing liberty is something I disagree on. To the test, SP’s in general resist rules and can feel defiant if they feel like they don’t have freedom. I might have been that way when I was younger, but I think that I have changed throughout college. However, I do agree with the test when it mentions that ESFP’s can become overwhelmed with stress and will thus behave in ways unproductive to themselves and others. I am still trying to work on that, but it is something I face and have to deal and work through. This test was close to how I felt about myself in some aspects, but also not quite there in terms of others, in terms of defiance.

http://www.personalitytest.net/cgi-bin/a.pl

On the IPIP Big Five Test, there are 5 different categories, essentially five big personality traits. The test states that for factor I, I am labelled in the 95th percentile in terms extroversion. Because I scored high in this category, I am said to be outgoing and social. I can definitely agree on this part. I thrive on the constant company of others. Without it, I can feel lonely and depressed, sometimes not knowing what to do with myself or what to do with my time alone. For the second factor, emotional stability, I only scored 5% above others, with a low raw score as well, which means that I am the opposite of being stabile emotionally, I am “negative emotionally”. Although this sounds pretty bad, I also agree with this statement. I have been putting a lot of stress and pressure on myself recently, as I am a junior trying to put together her pieces of her life together while improving my GPA. My emotions really get to me and if I am in a state of emotional instability, or if I am triggered by a thought that affects me a lot, it is not rare for me to break down and cry. Holding in my emotions when I am under a lot of different stressors is extremely hard to do for me. For factor III, the one talking about agreeableness, my raw score was pretty high, but it shows that I am at only 56% more than others. Still, I would say that I am pretty agreeable, although I do feel at times that I am pretty aggressive as well. The conscientious factor, factor IV, is next. I only scored 3% above others on this, and my score was pretty low, meaning that I am impulsive and disorganized. This is very true. I can get very neat and tidy, but as soon as I put one thing out of place, or if I am having a bad day, my room can reflect my state of mind, and look like a total mess in a matter of days. For the last factor, factor V, intellect and imagination is measured. I am in the 28th percentile for this, and scored relatively high in terms of raw score. So, this implies that I am pretty open to new experiences, but others scored higher. I have mixed feelings about what exactly this measures. However, I would still say that yes, I am less conventional and more liberal than most, but the percentile does not reflect that. In terms of reliability, I cannot really measure this and compare it to the other tests because the categories used are not the same. In terms of accuracy, to how I feel I am, I think this test is pretty accurate for the most part. The raw score along with the percentile is pretty deceiving, however. How are you supposed to interpret a high raw score that has a very low percentile?

http://personality-testing.info/tests/IPIP-BFFM/results.php?r=4.5,1.6,3.9,2,3.5#_V

 

 

On the Color Quiz Test, certain parts of my life are supposedly explained, which should tell me more about my personality. For the first category, existing situation, I apparently am authoritative. And I feel that current difficulties are causing problems in my life, hindering my progress. Still, I am determined and commanding and work at my goals despite these obstacles. I would say that those are accurate statements that describe how I feel. I don’t really know how they came up with this based on the order of colors I chose, but ok! In terms of my source of stress, the next category, it says that I am trying to develop my independence and wants to make up my own mind with freedom for my own choices. It says that I want to be seen as one with respected and wise opinions and that its hard for me to admit that I am wrong. Also, this also meant that I am reluctant to accept or respect other’s point of views. I do want respect and be seen as smart, but I am pretty good at admitting when I am wrong. I may not like it, however I do feel as though as I try my best to listen to other’s point of views. I might not be able to deduce or observe their values right then and there, but once they tell me I can react appropriately. The next category is restrained characteristics. The test says that I have high emotional expectations and desire to be the center of attention, which makes it hard to be in a satisfying relationship. This last statement is very wrong of me being cautious and emotionally distant. Otherwise, the part of having high expectations on people, as in what I put in is what I expect to get out is true. Also, I do love and thrive on attention. It’s something I’ve developed as a little girl. The next category is desired objective which essentially says that I want to be known for being accomplished and win people over, showing my emotional, romantic, and sensitive sides. This is all true. Then comes the actual problem category. It says that I am impressed by unique things and different people and in being this way, try to take characteristics she likes and incorporate it to myself. I guess you could say that that is true, but how is that a problem? The second “actual problem” is another category. It says that I long the freedom and plans on my own and use charm to get what I want. I actually no longer yearn for freedom as I feel that I have it. Also, charm does not always work for me. There is no way that I can say that this test is credible. I can’t see how choosing colors and not answering any questions can give all this. I think that the descriptions given were like fortune cookies, vague and nonspecific, which means that it could fit many people in the category.

http://colorquiz.com/results.php?code=f,5,3,2,0,1,4,6,7,5,5,2,3,4,1,0,6,7,6&p=full

 

 


Memory in the “Spotlight”

The ability to quickly learn, memorize and recall new material for classes has many improvement methods. Some are reasonable while others don’t pan out due to their flawed components. Unfortunately, not too many of us have photographic memories so how do we maximize our individual ability to learn and remember what we learned? Below are a few tips I found and tweaked a little bit:

Study tips for high school students-

“High School Study Tips: Three Steps to a better grade” outlined and described three tips to improving memorization of information learned in high school classes. The first step, motivation, focuses on using what motivates a high school student to learn, as a tool to increase your memory. Next, according to this article, being organized leads to better memory. Lastly, study habits that focus on being proactive will increase a high school student’s ability to recall learned information as well. The first step includes rewarding oneself as a part of motivated memory. This would work because reward is an example of positive reinforcement. Hyopthetically, if a high school student rewards oneself for doing well on a test, it could motivate them to continue to improve their learining behavior because of the chance at more rewards. Having an organized workplace could lead to improved learning and memory. In context, encoding information pertaining to one subject at a time could increase the retention of that information through the chunking process, or the grouping of similar information together, of transferring working memory to long-term memory. The third step involves dispersed learning as a method to better grades for high school students. Reviewing learned material at different points over a period of time would increase the understanding of that material and result in more of the material being stored in long-term memory. This information stored in long-term memory can be recalled on an exam thus leading to better grades.

Sources: http://study.com/articles/High_School_Study_Tips_Three_Steps_to_Better_Grades.html

Psychology Around Us, 2nd Edition (Richard Comer, Elizabeth Gould)

Study tips for college students-

An article published by Rasmussen College advised college students to improve learning and memory by studying information over-time (i.e. no cramming or all-nighters before a test), using mnemonic devices and taking notes on paper rather than on a computer. Reviewing learned information over-time could increase rentention of and subsequently recall of materila later on. This would work because dispersed learning exposes information to the brain more frequently than pulling an all-night right before a test. Using menomic devices as a way of memorizing information increases the recall of that information later on through associative learning. The brain will relate the acronym, song or any other mnemonic device to the information that its representing which helps with recalling the information later on. Another tip given in the article was writing down notes during lecture instead of typing them on a laptop or personal tablet. This was advised because a science direct study showed that, on average, students used their laptops for stuff other than lecture notes for 17 minutes of a 75 minute class. When writing down notes and eliminating the distractions offered by using a computer, one’s attention is focused mainly on the information that try and be stored in long-term memory and not on information not pertaining to the class. This could increase the retention and recall of the information needed for a particular class.

Sources:

http://www.rasmussen.edu/student-life/blogs/college-life/how-to-study/

Psychology Around Us, 2nd Edition (Richard Comer, Elizabeth Gould)

Tips for parents to improve their students’ studying-

The third article I looked at advised parents to use positive and negative reinforcement as a means of improving study habits for their students. The postive reinforcemnt aspect focused on parents rewarding their teens when they performed well on tests and grade reports. This could encourage the students to study more and thus increase their memory of information. This tip, however, does not gurantee improved results because it does not focus on the actual aspect of studying new material. The article suggested making study time a routine which would increase learning and memory by reinforcing the learned material at set intervals of time. Lastly, the article suggested for parents to have consequences for their teens if they perform poorly on tests or grade reports. Again, this is flawed because the students could experience a decrease in memory and recall by worrying about what is going to happen to them if they don’t do well in school.

Sources:

http://www.ldonline.org/article/5904

Psychology Around Us, 2nd Edition (Richard Comer, Elizabeth Gould)

Overall, the study tips of the articles would work in improving memory and recall because they focused on contiually reviewing information which would increase retention.


Personality Test – Week 10

After taking the four different personality tests, I am able to say that all four were fairly similar in results excluding the second test listed. I feel that the other three were, for the most part, representative of my personality. To my surprise, I think that the color test (the last personality test available) represented my personality well at this point in my life. The opening statement of the personality assessment was capturing because it appeared to read into my thoughts exactly: “[she is] organized and detail-oriented, she has a very precise and methodical manner. She needs relationships which offer her understanding, respect, and approval” (She, referring to me). It assessed parts of my life/personality at this moment fairly clearly. The other personality tests were not as exact as this test, however did give an interesting insight towards my personality traits. I appear to be an extrovert, intuitive, mind over feelings, and consider things in an intellectual way instead of giving in to perception. Each test gave a disclaimer at the beginning of how they may be valid but not reliable, or neither valid nor reliable. It appeared that the second test may have used some sort of constructed validity because at the very beginning it had asked for previous results if the user had already taken a personality test; it is unknown to my behalf if this was used to calculate their own scores or if it was to correlate and compare with other tests besides its own.

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Here are the list of personality tests for others outside of the Psych 101 class to access:


Studying about Studying- Spotlight Post 1

There are three websites listed below that give advice on studying skills. The first, which I will refer to as Method A, is geared toward college students. The second, which I will call Method B, is directed toward middle school students. The last website, which I will mention as Method C, is meant for parents.

Method A: College Students

  1. Ask for help
  2. Block Off Time to Study Outside of Class
  3. Use your Peers
  4. Get organized
  5. Go to sleep
  6. Eliminate Distractions
  7. Maintain Health
  8. Track Your Habits
  9. Stop Procrastination
  10. Work on Your Soft Skill

For the college student advice, points 5 and 7 are health related as it is proven that mental health will come with the right amount of physical health. In the US National Library of Medicine’s article About Sleep’s Role in Memory, we learn that slow wave sleep (SWS) is critical in consolidating memories. In addition, sleeping is the best state for encoding memories as compared to being awake. Overall health is impacted by sleep as the amount of sleep you can affect your immune system which in turn affects your health. As told in the article Sleep and Immune Function, factors that affect your immunity peak during sleep in the night. Examples of this are numbers of T cells and proinflammatory cytokines. Points 2, 9, and 8 have to do awareness and the concept of time management. As discussed in the mini lecture on studying, studying and spreading that over a longer period of time can help create long term memories as well as help us recall better. Similarly, you should not leave things to be done at the last minute as this will put loads of pressure on the student as well as not having the benefit of creating long term memory of what you’ve learned.  Tracking habits sounds like it could help as knowing where you are putting your time is important, however, it doesn’t seem to be as important and helpful in studying better. Points 4 and 6 relate to having a less jumbled mind and being more focused. You need to be organized and have no distractions in order to focus. Being organized can lead to having one less distraction, as if you were focused on cleaning your desk, you would take away energy and time that could be used to study. Also, unless you are focused, information you have in your short term memory will not be stored in your long term memory. Points 1,3, and 10 relate more to utilizing others to benefit you. Asking for help whether that be from professors or in a study group fashion with friends can benefit the student, only if the student first understands the material for the most part and as seen in the mini lecture, practice testing another to get the student to practice test taking. These tips seem very broad and basic, but I believe that they are credible and useful for helping the student study more effectively.

Method B: Middle School

  1. Make academics the focus of your life
  2. If you are struggling ask for help
  3. Talk about assignments with friends
  4. Make your own study guide
  5. Make study cards
  6. Stay organized throughout the year
  7.  Dedicate a space for every class in your book bag
  8. Buy an agenda and use it
  9. Don’t wait until the last minute
  10. Select a consistent place to study

It is true that making academics the focus of your life can make studying a lot easier. Tip #2 of asking for help is mentioned in Method A as well. Tip #3 of studying in groups is also talked about in Method A. It makes sense, as discussing can lead to the possibility of giving meaning to the things studying. Discussion on topics can really increase understanding as well as show what parts of the exam one is lacking in. Tips #4 and 5 are shown in the studying mini  lecture. Writing notes in your own words and creating what seems to be almost a study guide of your own could help engrain the knowledge learned into long term  memory and increase the number of connections made. When trying to memorize definitions or key concepts, writing the word on the front and definition/ key characteristics on the back and then testing yourself to see if you remember, can really be effective for studying. Shuffling the cards and changing the sides that you start with are also good to do as well. Tip #9  of not procrastination is just like Method A. In tip 10, I think changing up the place to study can be more beneficial than going to the same place again and again as you could get bored. This can only help if you are studying in the place similar to where you will take the test. This concept is called state-dependent learning as learned in lecture. Tip #8 is a little more simple and obvious. Most people know by now to write down what assignments are due because we only have a certain capacity of holding information, and not writing what is due every day is prone to forgetting some of the assignments and dates mentioned in class. Tip #7 of assigning space for every subject in the backpack seems unnecessary as well. If that was the case for me, currently, I would always have a overfull backpack, one that I could not carry.

Method C: For Parents

  1. Planner
  2.  Know the expectations
  3. Designate a Study Area
  4. Develop a Study Plan
  5. Think Positively
  6. Create a study group
  7.  Practice active listening
  8. Review test taking strategies
  9. Read actively
  10. Look to the future

     

     

    Tip 1 of having a planner is mentioned in Method B. Tip 4 is like this, when you have a planner, you make study plans for the rest of the week. If you want to go way ahead in planning, tip 10 does the trick- looking to the future. Tip 3 of designating a study area is similar to Method B, and one that I disagree with. Tip 8 is interesting as it is in a way talked about in lecture, not the mini lecture. People are prone to get nervous, but as mentioned in the intelligence lecture, how nervous they get before a task, in this case a test, will predict their outcome and performance. So finding methods to destress and calm down before taking the test could really be helpful. I already agreed with tip 6 as shown in Method A. Tip 7 seems to be common sense. Active listening has to do with being focused, and as mentioned before, is essential in moving things to long term memory. Tip 9 I believe is the most helpful tip of this list. Using different and unique ways to think about concepts in class such as forming concept maps and diagrams, can really instill what you’ve learned into your long term memory as you give it meaning semantically. Tip 5 of thinking positively can relate to tip 8 of being calm. This is very elementary to me, but in my personal experience, telling yourself that you can do it can really do wonders. At the very least, I know when I tell myself that I cannot do something or that I am inadequate and not understanding of anything, my test performances seem to not be as good as compared to when I am confident and optimistic in my abilities and time spent on studying. Tip 2 of knowing expectations is obvious in my opinion. If you know what is expected of you and know how much time you need to spend for each class, you can better plan.

     

     

     

    If I had to choose, I would say that Method A was the best, followed by Method C, and then Method B.

    Method A:  https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/slideshows/10-college-study-tips-that-high-school-students-can-master-now?slide=11

    1.  Sleep and Memory:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3768102/
    2.  Sleep and Immune System:

      https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3256323/

     

    Method B: http://www.brighthubeducation.com/teaching-middle-school/3521-study-skills-for-middle-school-students/

    Method C: http://www.sylvanlearning.com/blog/index.php/10-good-study-habits-new-school-year/

     


Spotlight Blog “Memory”

Study tips are basically review tips for how to study efficiently and effectively. These vary from person to person but overall the tips involve many different strategies that involve the same tactics with a little adjustment for each age category.

When discussing middle school students, greatschools.org discusses many ideas of physical discipline to help the student physically stay involved in studying with the help of parents. Some of the ideas discussed involve,

  • Helping your child get organized
  • Provide a place to study for your child
  • Communicate with your child’s teachers
  • Use of a planner

Most of this tips from the website involve personal help from the teacher and outside sources not involving the kids. Although this is a great situation for middle school students, this in fact does not so much involve the student but more the ones helping the students in this situation. The advice on using a planner and delegating a specific study space allow for the student to prioritize school work and make for a solid foundation of study tactics. Although these tips are good for middle school students, I feel as though not involving the student and not making the student the main subject of responsibility is a problem and might help the student in the situation, but will not help the situation in the long run after it is removed from the present.

In terms of high school study tips we see an advancement in terms and ways of studying on academictips.org. These tips focus on the mind of a young adult and specifically state that it is how “you” study, making this more personalized for the student. I agree on many of the topics at hand concerning things such as, determining your concentration span, maximizing recall, and improving your memory, which are all topics of discussing in the article. Determining your concentration span, picks on making sure your brain is actually focused and you are involved in what you’re learning otherwise this information will never making it into long term storage regardless of how hard we try. maximizing recall, deals with how we should space out our learning and not crunch everything into one big study session.This being seen as the space learning process, makes it easier for our minds to process information and encode the information into long term storage. Lastly the article reviews improving our memory, which involves working our mind like a jigsaw puzzles and putting together the information how only we can understand. This can be seen as another way of connecting our research or readings of study material to more relative things in our everyday life, such as anagrams or relating a word or phrase you already know to the new material. I see this source in particular very well rounded and credible due to my previous knowledge of what I have learned through personal experience and exposure in our current psych class.

As for study tips for adults and parents we get into the more helping your student or child succeed role. These study tips aren’t directly pushed towards the parents tidying habits but are coded for them helping their kids succeed. childdevelopmentinfo.com does a great job of offering some basic tips for the parents of these children to make sure they are getting the studying habits they need to be successful these in turn are contributed to,

  • Turn off the TV set.
  • Designate specific areas for homework and studying.
  • Regularity is a key factor in academic success.
  • Organize study and homework projects.

and many more. These basic ideas are very credible in relationship to our knowledge of studying and memorization based on the ideas that these are all prioritizing study and making routines. The goals in these tips are to turn your child’s focus towards the task at hand and make sure the homework and studying is the number one thing on their mind. Again these tips are directed toward what the parent can do to help with the homework situation whether that is organizing the environment or helping the student learn and practice study tips for the future. This guide is a great base for parents who have high school or middle school aged kids and I feel like is a great source based on the key factor that all of these have been proven in our recent readings. This site was credidited by other sources and has many resources that go beyond these basics as well.

For what I consider the most challenging situation to study for, college students, we turn to collegetips.com. This website offers some great insight on some advanced tactics that work well in the college situations for studying.

  • Create Mnemonics
  • Make Flash Cards
  • Remember to Take Breaks
  • Get lots of sleep
  • Avoid Studying on Coffee, Ritalin and Adderall

All of these specific situations are more prescribed towards the college students frame of mind. Obviously a middle school student would not be thinking of addrerall or pulling all nighters frequently worrying about how much sleep they are getting. These tips I have found to be very useful and easily backed up by the information we have previously received as far as mnemonics being able to help your brain in the encoding process, making flash cards for the same reason, and getting sleep to allow your brain to process this information. As far as the drug use goes prescription or not prescription it is always best to stay away from these if you are able to like the article says. No one knows how they will react and it could affect your habits and overall performance. The most important of these tips for college students especially is the use of sleep. With many college students opting to substitute an hour of sleep for more studying time we see these results constantly fail so its good that this site reminds the students of this exposure. ne thing I do not agree with on this site is the advice to study during the week. Although many students do have lives on the weekend I believe that studying throughout the week as you wish is the best way of retaining information and not putting any effort in on the weekends could greatly affect you. Overall I found this article to credit many of the things we have discussed in class and has given me great insight on my own study tactics.

http://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/study-skills-for-middle-school-and-beyond/
http://academictips.org/study-skills/improving-your-learning-ability/
https://childdevelopmentinfo.com/learning/tips-for-helping-kids-and-teens-with-homework-and-study-habits/#.WOHMyIWcH4g
http://www.collegetips.com/college-classes/study-tips.php

 

 


Spotlight Blog #1

http://www.rasmussen.edu/student-life/blogs/college-life/how-to-study/

This website article is an info graphic on study tips for college students. The post talks about taking effective notes, studying those notes, getting enough sleep and which study techniques are best for college students to use.  They first talk about notes and how 64.3% of college students use laptops to take notes.  And taking notes is an essential process for effective studying, however students who used laptops to take notes reported that they are distracted when taking notes which takes down the quality of  the notes they take because they are distracted by things like games, the internet, testing and email The website gives tips against being distracted in class, which is helpful for memory because good notes equal easy ways to study.  Next the website lays out ways to study: review your notes every day, set aside 30-50 minutes to study with a 10 minute break, read notes, rewrite notes, highlight notes, make flashcards and make up examples. All of these study tips are fantastic for helping students memorize. Reviewing your notes each day is a great way to study because you have a longer amount of time to study and commit the material to memory, and scheduling study time in chunks with breaks in between is very good.  However, it is mostly recommended that you study material for 20 or so minutes and take a small break. 30-50 minutes may be a rather steep amount of time to study at once, so shortening it may be more effective. Reading through and rewriting notes is another very effective way to study because writing things down multiple time helps commit it to memory and this will be especially helpful if a student has taken notes on a laptop. The next tip of making up examples is very help because it is based on the way of studying that is called elaboration which helps people associate concepts in their mind with real life stories and helps them remember.  The infographic also warns against cramming the night before an assessment and talks about the benefits of getting enough sleep.

http://www.brighthubeducation.com/teaching-middle-school/3521-study-skills-for-middle-school-students/

This website has an article that talks about 10 studying tips for middle school students as given by teachers. The first tip is to select a consistent and calm place to study. The environment that one studies in can vary from person to person and each student needs to develop that perfect place to study: with music or without, a desk or a bed, the bedroom or the library. And once the perfect study place is found, it needs to be used pretty regularly. The next tip is to not cram when studying and to studying a little every night, which is a good tip because you have more time to commit things to memory. Avoid cramming and get a good nights sleep will help you perform better on you exams. The next tip is my personal favorite for studying well and staying organized is to buy a planner and write all your assignments in it so that you remember what is coming up and what you need to get done. Most students have too much on their minds to remember everything without writing it down. Another tip on the this site is to make flash cards or a study guide and practice with them each night leading up to the test so that you know what you will be tested on. This is helpful simply because it is an effective way to study but you can also divide it into what you know really well and what you need to practice more so that you are focusing on what you actually need to practice. This article also recommends forming study groups if that is something helps you and to ask for help from other students or teachers if you’re struggling.

http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/homework.html

The first article I looked at was study tips for parents and more specifically for parents of elementary school students. It laid out 10 tips that included: knowing the child’s teacher, setting up a homework area, regular study time, homework plan, minimizing distractions, letting kids do their own work, monitoring and motivating kids, setting an good example, praising them for good work and working with their teacher if there is an ongoing issue for the kid. For the most part, these tips are good. Some of these tips don’t fall under the sphere of helping a child’s memory though, some are simply there to promote parental involvement with a young child’s education. However, a child who is positively encouraged by his/her parents and by his/her teacher will tend to do better in school. (ADD A LINK) In terms of studying and memory, the tips about a study plan, minimizing distraction, and regular study times is very good and can help with memory. Having a set way and plan to study, even from a young age can benefit memory and how well kids study. Also, minimizing distraction is essential to the effectiveness of studying. When you sit down to study, it is not at all effective if you are constantly distracted by other people, the TV, or other electronics like the phone or iPod.


Spotlight 1- Memory

As college students, our lives revolve around learning and memory. I am always on the lookout for new study tips and the most effective ways to study for certain courses. Study tips are never in short supply either. They can be found all over the internet, blog pages, YouTube, Pinterest, etc. Just like most other things, not everything we read about study tips on the internet is true.

A few years ago, The Huffington Post published an article called “9 Awesome Study Tips For College Students”. Many good tips were included in the article such as the use of flashcards. Flashcards are a great tool since they allow you to practice retrieving information. They also make it very easy to interleave content. By shuffling the flashcards, the material can be studied out of order. This allows the student to practice recalling the material with fewer retrieval cues such as the word right before it or its location within the chapter. Another good tip was to take multiple tests. This is great since it allows the student to learn and practice in a method similar to the real exam. This is part of the context effect which explains that we can better remember things in an environment similar to where we learned the material. This then leads to another tip that was given. The article stated that it is best to “alternate study spaces”. This may not be the best idea because of the context effect. If possible, it is best to study in the place where the exam will be taken or in a space similar to the classroom.

A second article I read was targeted towards high school students. This article also contained useful advice. One of the tips was concentration. It talked about staying focused in class and paying close attention to what is being taught. I though tis was very interesting because this is a very true and helpful tip that is not usually discussed. Our sensory memory allows us to take in information about our surroundings. This information, however, only lasts about a second if it is not used. Therefore, attention will determine what comes out of our sensory memory and into our working memory. If the student is paying attention to his or her phone and only faintly listening to the teacher, then he or she will most likely not retain the material. Another slightly unusual tip was given which was making flashcards using colored index cards. I’m not sure exactly how much this would help. The colors may stimulate the brain but the studies regarding this would have to be looked at since no evidence was provided in the article.

The third article I read was targeted towards parents. Since it is best that the students do their own work without their parents doing it for them, most of the tips revolved around creating a good study environment for the student and helping them get organized. One of the tips was to help the child create a plan to split up large projects or multiple homework assignments. This is a good tip since distributed practice is a great method for effortful encoding. By studying material in smaller chunks the material can be properly organized. Studying a small amount daily will also strengthen the connections in the brain. Another tip was to set up a “homework-friendly area” where the child can complete their work without any distractions around them. This goes back to attention discussed in the previous article and how attention determines what makes it into our working memory.

Overall, all of the articles I read had a lot very good tips, many of which I saw in all three articles. I think it is important to check the credibility of a source when investigating study tips. Also, each person has different preferences and organizes things differently so study methods should be tested since a method that works for one person may not work for all. It is best to test what works best for you personally and as long as study habits are established and proper time management skills are exercised, the student will be very likely to succeed.

Articles:

9 Awesome Study Tips For College Students. (2011, May 25). Retrieved April 2, 2017, from The Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/08/study-tips-for-college-_n_709096.html

Gabor, E. J. (2015, January). Top 10 Homework Tips. Retrieved April 2, 2017, from KidsHealth: http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/homework.html

WISE Study Tips Top 10 Skills for High-School Students. (n.d.). Retrieved April 2, 2017, from Auburn University: https://cws.auburn.edu/shared/content/files/50/WISE_Study_Tips.pdf

 


Personality

I took 4 personality tests and two of them had similar results.The first test labeled me INFJ and the other test said ISFJ. I guess some traits are relate-able but then I wonder how accurate these tests are since I had different results on both tests. The second  test described me as a working and loyal person which i do agree with that.The results lacked more information because I feel it only provided some traits not all of them. The third test had different results since it labeled my personality as an , extrovert, emotional stability, agreeableness, conscientiousness,  intellect imagination. These results were somewhat accurate since I am organized and do socialized when I want. This test is accurate in most of the traits that explains my personality and it did provide some feedback comparing the score of the test to other test results that have lower results.

The fourth personality test was just about choosing colors and did not ask questions.The outcome of the test was not accurate at all.It said, that I was not a responsible person and not organized which i disagree with those results. It was an easy test by just choosing colors, but I feel it was not accurate at all since by just clicking on colors can determine a person’s personality.Overall I think the most credible test was the third test.


Children of Divorce

 

Throughout the years, the amount of divorces in the U.S. has seemed to increase significantly.  This has led parents to question whether or not divorce is the best option for their family in the long run.  Divorce is not something that only affects the two people involved, but it can dramatically change the lives of their children, as well.  As this question of whether or not divorce is the best decision for children of bickering parents began to surface, many people reacted by assuming the worst.  Rumors began to spread that the children of divorced parents were worse off than if their parents had stayed together.

As I researched this topic, I found very different opinions on how divorce affects kids and, especially, how parents should handle their dilemma.  I first stumbled upon the rumored negative affects that divorce seems to have on children, while reading “How Divorce Affects Children” by Dr. Robert Emery.  He presented four points on how divorce impacts children and what parents can do to help their children through this difficult time.  First, he addressed that in almost every situation, divorce is a stressful time for both the parents and the child/children.  He said that sometimes the parent-child relationships can become strained or contact can become lost between one of the parents and the child.  Dr. Emery presented the method of making the legal process go as smooth and stress-free as possible.  This will significantly help the child make the adjustment to this dramatic change in their life quicker and easier.  Dr. Emery also stated that divorce will often increase the risk of the child developing psychological and/or behavioral problems down the road, not to mention, a lack of motivation for school or other activities.  Children can sometimes become depressed, anxious or overly responsible; where they end up wanting to care for their parents, instead of letting their parents care for them.  Later in the article, Dr. Emery diseases the negative emotional impacts divorce can have on children and how it can still affect them in adulthood.  He refereed to a survey, done by himself and Lisa Laumann-Billings, in which college students who had experienced their parents divorce, as recent as three years ago, were asked to choose the description that represented their current emotional pain level from the divorce.  Although, she held less resentment/pain than others, almost all the students believed that their life would have been different if their parents had stayed together.  This does not necessarily mean it would have been a better life though, as we discuss this later.

In the second article I read, titled “The Impact of Divorce on Young Children and Adolescents”, the negative impacts of divorce on children were given based on their particular age and Dr.Carl Pickhardt discussed how they might react in different ways to their parents’ separation.  He explained how a child’s world is very dependent on his/her parents or legal guardians.  Their social and everyday activities revolve around what the parent is doing or wants them to do.  An adolescent’s (or teen) life, however, is a more independent one and the circle of friends they form becomes a big part of their life along with their parents and other outside influences.  Dr. Pickhardt goes on to describe the different ways a child and an adolescent will react in a divorce.  For a younger child, seeing the love of their parents be broken by a legal document shakes their trust.  The child will often feel confused, as they visit each parent separately in different households.  This change in routine, can create a sense of instability and anxiousness within the child’s life, which will often lead to the child crying at bed time, breaking practiced toilet training, wetting the bed, and more frequent crying and tantrums.  Although, most of these anxieties will fade over time as the child adjusts to life with divorced parents, this process can still be very traumatic for the child stuck in the middle of a difficult separation.

In one of the Huffington posts, titled “7 Ways Divorce Affects Kids, According to the Kids Themselves” seven different responses were given from children (young and old) of parents who had gotten divorced in their life.  Many of the negative affects it had on the children, seemed to be either minor or temporary and the article focused on both the negative and somewhat positives that can come from a divorce.  Some of the children who were interviewed said when their parents first got divorced, it was a very hard experience for them.  They often wanted to blame their parents for putting them through this and for many, having to go back and forth between different houses was a hard concept to grasp and to get used to.  Although, the process of divorce can be a confusing and hurtful time for the kids, something good can come from it.  One girl said that although, it was distressing at first to see her parents divorce, she was happy to see them thrive afterwards.  She said her dad seemed more full of life and energy after the divorce and both parents were, overall, more content with their lives.  One person said that they were relieved once their parents finally got divorced, even though they (the child) had to wait until their early 20’s until it happened.

In another Huffington post, titled “Why a Good Divorce is Better Than a Bad Marriage for Kids” multiple points are given as to why getting a divorce and working out the issues of that situation is much better than putting your kids through a life of arguments, fighting, and emotional instability under one roof.  One of the points the article made was that even though, yes, divorce will be difficult for the children, it is much better than living in an aggressive, combative home, full of anger and resentment for most of their childhood.  Many parents stay together for the kids sake and will decide to divorce once the children are adults.  As the article points out, this may not be the best decision for the children’s sake.  When parents decide to divorce, they are an example to their children, in a positive way, showing them that they value personal happiness.  In this way, the children can learn from their parents’ actions that it is important to be happy in life, even though it might mean making hard desicions about their future.

In all four of these articles, it is shown that divorce is not an easy thing to go through as a family, especially the confused children in the middle of it all.  I believe, however, as the Huffington post articles suggest, that if the parents work together to make things go as smooth as possible for the child and for themselves, good can come from divorce.  In the end, the parents who had to make a hard decision about their futures, choose their own happiness, which doesn’t mean they will neglect their child’s happiness and well-being.  I believe that a family can make it through divorce and come out the other end (although separated) stronger and happier than ever.

 

Sources:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/28/kids-and-divorce-_n_5730980.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brette-sember/why-a-good-divorce-is-better-than-a-bad-marriage-for-kids_b_6925236.html

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/surviving-your-childs-adolescence/201112/the-impact-divorce-young-children-and-adolescents

http://emeryondivorce.com/how_divorce_affects_children.php