Tag Archives: Spring 2017

Spotlight Post 1

Today, I’m going to be talking about the ever-unpleasant subject of divorce. Divorce rates have been decreasing over the past few years but approximately half of marriages still end in divorce so the effects of divorce on children is indeed an important and often controversial question. The consensus amongst most people is that divorce is detrimental to children and you would be hard pressed to find someone who entirely disagreed with that idea. The question then, is not so much “Does divorce negatively impact children,” so much as it is “How much does divorce negatively affect children?” In order to answer this question, I will be examining both sides of the argument regarding the effects of divorce on children.

First, I am going to lay out the reasons given by those who suggest that divorce is extremely detrimental to children, not only during the immediate proceedings of the divorce, but also for the rest of their lives. Most people who support this argument believe that, in the short-term, divorce has a myriad of detrimental effects on children depending on their age. Young children from 5-9 will often react with fear, anxiety, temper tantrums, and increased dependency on the parent that they live with. Preteens and teenagers will often react with anger, aggressive independence, isolation, and rebellion. These things, however, aren’t really disputed by anyone. What sets this argument apart is the idea that divorce can cause long lasting effects much later in life such as difficulty creating healthy, meaningful relationships, lack of trust, difficulty parenting, and lasting damage to the affected children’s relationship with their parents. People on this side of the argument will point to studies such as the one conducted by Judith Wallerstein in her book, “The Unexpected Legacy of Divorce: A 25 Year Landmark Study,” to say that children of divorce can suffer from various forms of mental illness such as depression in adulthood. This claim is dubious at best because this was a group of a little over a hundred case studies so the findings, while interesting, can not be applied to the general population. Furthermore, only approximately a quarter of the those involved in the studied suffered from long term mental illness. The two sources I used to in my perusal of this argument were “Divorce Hurts Children, Even Grown Ones,” by Jann Gumbiner and “The Effects of Divorce on Children,” from Divorce Source Inc. Gumbiner certainly seems to have done her research and is a licensed psychologist and professor specializing in adolescent and child development so I would say that she is credible. The only issue that I have with her article is that she seems to have a strong bias based on her own personal experience. These experiences should not be discounted but further evidence would be appreciated. Divorce Source Inc. is a website that is organized for the purpose of providing information and resources to those who are considering a divorce. I chose to use it as a source for this argument, despite its sole purpose being to assist those considering divorce, because it strongly encourages other options whenever children are involved unless extreme conflict or domestic abuse are involved.

People who oppose this view generally concede that divorce is indeed harmful at first, but within two years most children are able to bounce back fairly quickly. Typically, people of this persuasion think that any long-term problems that arise from divorce are not so much a result of the divorce itself so much as they are a symptom of improper handling of proceedings during and after the divorce. Otherwise, they agree with that there are usually negative behavioral changes in children following a divorce but that they fade with time and these people can go on to life regular lives. The sources I used for this side of the argument were “Is Divorce Bad for Children?” by Hal Arkowitz and Scott O. Lilienfeld and “The Impact of Divorce on Young Children and Adolescents,” by Carl E. Pickhardt. I found both sources to be credible because they were written by professors of psychology and the gave information that was backed by other studies.

I personally am a child of two divorces and to be quite honest, I haven’t ever felt particularly strong about either of them. I still have an amicable relationship with both of my biological parents and I wasn’t sad to see my ex-stepfather leave. I do understand, however, that not everyone has such a smooth experience and so I think that divorce should be something of a last resort when children are involved but not so much that you put your own health, mental or physical.

 

Links to the articles I read in preparation for this post:

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

http://www.divorcesource.com/ds/children/the-effects-of-divorce-on-children-239.shtml

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-divorce-bad-for-children/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/experts/jann-gumbiner-phd


Personality Examination

These tests were enlightening in some aspects, but they don’t completely explain me because they can not be that flexible. It would take much more discussion and probably and actual human to give me an explanation of what I am like and why it is so. The first test calculated that I have an ENFP personality type. The second test told me the same thing which was surprising. This personality type is called the journalist on the second test. I love to write and I feel I do it with ease so I can agree with that. The ENFP personality suggests I am slightly extraverted and intuitive I live by emotion and I prefer to perceive others points of views instead of judge them. Oddly enough This explains me pretty well. The response I got on the third test was boring but basically I’m extraverted.  The color test was surprising to me because I can agree with it pretty well it had half of my issues right but I think it was trying to hard to give me a solution to my mental health. Based on the colors I clicked I am emotional and artistic. I enjoy being around beauty and art. I am looking for a partner who has an eye for beauty and enjoys close loving relationships. I can agree with all that. The test assumes I feel unappreciated and in an unpleasant position. This is not true. It assumes I haven’t found people that reciprocate my emotions and point of view, also false. The test assumes I am unwilling to give myself fully but I want to change my ways and surrender to deep urges. In reality I give all of myself to the people who deserve it. Apparently this makes me feel weak and irritable but that’s not true I love being real with someone I can trust. Sad thing is you can’t trust people these days. A lot of snakes in the grass. Like the response says I do long to be valued, given importance and admired for my personal qualities. Based on the colors I avoid conflict and disagreements. I Prefer a peaceful, calm, and relaxing environment this is true I don’t like stress or drama. People who like drama are the worse kind of people. Find something more important in life than causing mischief with others. This is where I think the constraints of the test come into place my actual problem. Apparently my desire to be respected and to stand out from the crowd is not being satisfied and therefore I feel anxious. My normal friendly self is being held back and I refuse to become involved or participate with others in normal day to day activities. Error, I love others and I get involved easily and believe me the right ones recognize my genuine personality and they definitely let me know I am respected. I am not anxious because of a lack of respect or acknowledgement, I am anxious because of life. Overall I found the tests to be insightful to who I am and slightly eye opening because they made me think about the way I am and why.

 


Spotlight on Divorce

What is a marriage divorce? By definition a divorce in a marriage is when people who are wedded to each other get unmarried. This is a sad occurrence because the individuals who had gotten married wanted to spend the rest of their lives with each and now they are separating. This is a hard experience, not only for the couple who are getting a divorced, but also for the children of these divorced couples who are dealing with a new set of problems and situations. How a divorce is played out and handled determines how these children are affected and turn out.

In a case where a divorce is carried out in an angry, harsh, and argument filled process then there is no doubt that children will be affected negatively. In a Psychology Today article written by Jann Gumbiner, titled Divorce Hurts Children, Even Grown Ones, she talks about how there is no such thing as a good divorce; however, the problem with her statement is that divorce she described was bad divorce about her parents that transpired back in the 70s, a time when divorces were not as common. Because of this Jann Gumbiner’s experience and situation concerning the divorce of her parents might have been different if the divorce had taken place in today’s time period where divorces are more common. The divorce of her parents caused lifelong effects that affected her as a child, affected her marriage, and still continues to affect her and because of these lifelong effects Jann Gumbiner believe that there is no such thing a good divorce. This article is credible source because Jann Gumbiner was telling her story and her thoughts about it, she is a credible source because she is a licensed psychologist and clinical professor at the University of California, where she specialized in adolescent and child development, despite the fact that she does not list any resources as a reference. Jann Gumbiner is describing how divorce was harmful to her as a child and how it can be harmful to other children.

The research article The Effects of Divorce on Children, describes how divorces are inherently harmful to children. This article talks about how the relationship within the family that the child had become strained and how family members were not as close to each other as they used to be. Some of the effects of children of several divorces are that their emotional state had been negatively influenced, meaning they were not as cheerful nor happy as they used to be, these children had become more bitter towards their parents, they were falling in the performance in school, and their behavior towards other had become intimidating. All of these are true possible effects that children can go through in a bad divorce. If these children had gone through a good divorce, then they would have understood the situation more and may not have been as negatively affected. This article is a credible source because it cited several references that can be looked at and supports the content written.

Not all divorces are bad, there are many cases where parents go through a good divorce and the children are not negatively affected as much compared to if they had experienced a bad divorce. In a Huffington post article by Brette Sember, titled Why a Good Divorce Is Better Than a Bad Marriage for Kids, several points are stated explaining why getting a divorce and resolving the issues in that situation is better than having the kids experience a life of arguments, constant fighting, unstable security in their own homes.  Even though divorces are hard for children, because they don’t want to deal with a new lifestyle or the separation of their parents, it is much better than living in a home filled with tension and unstable emotions for most of their childhood. The article stated that parents sometimes stay married for the sake of their kids and will get a divorce once their kids reach adulthood; however, this is not the best decision regarding the sake of the entire family. When parents get a divorce it is because they are unhappy with each other, and staying together for the sake of their children, while sweet and thoughtful, is not fare to their children and to themselves. It is important that children learn to be happy in life and to be true to themselves, even if it means difficult decisions have to be made. This is a credible source because Brette Sember is an experienced author, freelancer, ghostwriter, book coach, editor, blogger, indexer, content provider, social media specialist, consultant and editor who can be looked up online to see if she is qualified to make such statements that she wrote in the article, despite the fact that no resources were referenced.

Despite the fact that many children are negatively affected by their parents’ divorce it is still possible to raise happy children.  In other a Psychology Today article written by Wendy Paris, titled Yes, You Can Raise Happy Children After Divorce, the author lists ways that parents can help their children through divorces so that they can still have a happy childhood. Paris Wendy talks going through a divorce and wondering how her child will be affected by this. She talked about how children of divorced couples still do generally well in everyday life and in school, and she even lists several ways and principles to keep a child happy in a divorce. This usually includes making sure the children keep a good relationship with both parents, both parents lead structurally stable lives after the divorce, and the children are receiving the basic requirements needed such as love, food, shelter, and good health. This article is a credible source because in the writing Wendy Paris talked about a meta-study by Cambridge University professor Michael Lamb, talks about other research results to support her argument, and exemplifies that children can come through a divorce without serious consequences.

After reading all these articles on divorce I argue that the children of divorced couples can come through a divorce without serious consequences. I believe this because I am one of these children. My parents got divorced when I wasn’t even six years old and I have been raised by my mom, though I have kept in contact with my dad. My mom did everything to make sure my sister and I grew up to be happy and to be great individuals as well. I still wonder what my life might have been like if my parents had stayed together, but currently I am happy with my life, how my sister and I turned out to be, and grateful to my mom.
Works Cited

Gumbiner, Jann. “Divorce Hurts Children, Even Grown Ones.” Psychology Today. N.p., 31 Oct. 2011. Web. 01 Apr. 2017. <https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-teenage-mind/201110/divorce-hurts-children-even-grown-ones&gt;.

“An Overview of the Psychological Literature on the Effects of Divorce on Children.” Pardon Our Interruption. N.p., May 2004. Web. 01 Apr. 2017. <http://www.apa.org/about/gr/issues/cyf/divorce.aspx&gt;.

Paris, Wendy. “Yes, You Can Raise Happy Children After Divorce.” Psychology Today. N.p., 17 Mar. 2015. Web. 01 Apr. 2017. <https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/splitopia/201503/yes-you-can-raise-happy-children-after-divorce&gt;.

Sember, Brette. “Why a Good Divorce Is Better Than a Bad Marriage for Kids.” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 24 Mar. 2015. Web. 01 Apr. 2017. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brette-sember/why-a-good-divorce-is-better-than-a-bad-marriage-for-kids_b_6925236.html&gt;.

 

 


Spotlight post: Divorce

 

When it comes to the topic of divorce there are many opinions on what the repercussions of the situation can be on the kids involved. Divorce is a very common topic in many American households in this time period because it has become more socially acceptable.  I think society has become more open minded as time  has progressed which has caused families to see divorce as an everyday thing. In many families; such as in minority families, the topic of divorce is very controversial because family ties and reputation is very important. Marriage in Latino communities for example is highly tied with God and religion therefore making it harder to approve of divorce. I think that Americans are more likely to consider divorce because they have a more liberal mentality than compared to minorities, in my opinion. Today I found 4 different online sources that talk about this controversial topic and differ on the idea of what the divorce consequences are.

In a college study that took place in Bridgewater State University , the student talked about the effects of divorce on academics. Based on this source I discovered that divorce leads many children to face depression while the divorce process is taking place which in turn causes a detrimental decline in their focus on their education. This source mentioned how the behaviors of the parents affected the actions of the children during childhood and how it could continue on into their adulthood. This source also used a lot of quotations from different scientific studies to back up their data. Another point mentioned here was that the emotions and behavior of the children are highly tied with how strong their relationship is with their parents. Another source that talked about the negavtive effects of divorce was one from public.iastate.edu. This source mentioned that one of the major effects of divorce is the pressure that it places on children to decide which parent they want to have their custody. It mentioned how the limited amount of time spent with the parents drastically effects the ties  between parent and child relations. This post mentioned that children that go through divorce are more likely to develope social problems and have a harder time maintaining intimate relationships due to what they experienced at home. These two sources both urge that divorce is highly detrimental to the behavior and state of emotion of children that experience custody battles and the unhealthy pressures of divorce. I think these two sources are credible because they back their statements with many research papers, books, and journals. They base their ideas around primary sources that present the effects of divorce.

On the contrary, their are many people that believe that divorce does not have a long-term effect on children. A source that backs this up is an article from Scientific America titled, ” Is divorce bad for children?” The main topic behind this article is that children only undergo a short-term effect when presented with a divorce. This article backs this idea up with the 2002 study from psychologist E. Mavis Hetherington suggesting that the negative reactions to the divorce often diminish after the second year. This article suggests that with discipline and adjustment these children can become well adjusted adults later on. A second source supporting the idea that children can endure the effects of divorce is one from Kidshealth.org. This article claims that having a routine and adjusting to a new living environment right away can properly help kids understand the situation they are in which makes it easier for them to adjust. This article mentions that encouragement, support, and consistency help children cope with the idea of a loss of union in the family. Even though these two sources take an opposite stance on the controversy of divorce they are credible as well. These sources are credible because they use back up support from many psychologists, research, and online organizations that deal with helping families with divorce.

When presented with these two different views I think that I agree that divorce can be very harming to children. I can take this from personal experience. Many times my parents have had conflicts and many times I have been scared of them getting a divorce. I think that if my parents were to get a divorce I would greatly be affected emotionally, mentally, and academically because the bond that I have with both parents would be broken and I would be exposed to a negative view on marriage that could possibly later on take a toll on my investment with relationships.

 

 

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-divorce-bad-for-children/

http://m.kidshealth.org/en/parents/help-child-divorce.html?WT.ac=

Odenweller, Bri any. (2014). Does Parental Divorce Have an A ect on a Child’s Education?. In BSU Honors Program eses and Projects. Item 48. Available at: h p://vc.bridgew.edu/honors_proj/48 Copyright © 2014 Bri any Odenweller

http://www.public.iastate.edu/~rhetoric/105H16/cova/jlscova.html

 

 


PERSONALITY

What are personality tests? A personality test is a questionnaire or other standardized instrument devised to uncover qualities of an individual’s character or psychological makeup. Earlier this week I took four different personality tests in order to better understand myself, personality tests, and just how accurate these tests are. The four tests I had taken were a Jung Typology Test, a Personality Type Questionnaire, a IPIP Big-Five Factor Markers personality test, and a ColorQuiz test.

The Jung Typology Test, I believe described me pretty accurately overall because I was told my type was a ESFJ. Being an ESFJ means I have marginal or no preference of Extraversion over Introversion (3%), I have slight preference of Sensing over Intuition (9%), I have moderate preference of Feeling over Thinking (47%), and I have moderate preference of Judging over Perceiving (25%). I find this test to be very credible because it lists how this test is performed and that it is based on Carl Jung’s and Isabel Briggs Myers’ personality theory, not based on just a random theory that barely has any support.

The Personality Type Questionnaire, I thought described me alright but was not completely accurate. This test said I was a ISFJ “Conservator” meaning I am service and work oriented as well as very loyal. It also said that ISFJ “Conservators” are good nurses, teachers, secretaries, general practitioners, librarians, middle managers, housekeepers, and make up six percent of the total population. The reason I do not agree with this test is because it said I was more introvert than extrovert, while find myself to be more of an extrovert with introverted tendencies. I do not find this source to be credible because it does not state what this test is based upon or what references are used to support it.

The IPIP Big-Five Factor Markers personality test I believe described me pretty well overall.  On the IPIP Big Five Test, there are 5 different categories, essentially five big personality traits. The test states that for Factor I my extroversion was at a 50, meaning I am half introvert, half extrovert, and that I am neither really outgoing and social nor a shut in. For Factor II the test shows that my emotional stability is at a 30. That does not seem right to be because I am emotionally stable and if I have problems I have family and friends I can turn to help or to just listen to me. For Factor III the test states that my Agreeableness is at an 80. I am a little unsure about this because this means that I am super agreeable, and while I can be agreeable, this does not sound like me. For Factor IV the test shows that my Conscientiousness is at a 41. Again this does not sound like me, because I view myself as a very conscientious individual. For Factor V the test states that my Intellect/Imagination is at an 11. This does not sound like me and personally sounds a little insulting, even though it is just a machine telling me my results. Overall, I do not think this test described me very well at all. I find this source to be very credible because on the home page of this test it describes the test, the procedures used, other info, as well as sources and references to support that this personality test is legit and accurate.

The ColorQuiz test I originally though was a very weird test because it just asked me to pick certain colors in a group in the order that they make me feel the best, and then I had to do it again, at first I believed I would just be given a random answer; however, as I read the results of my Colorquiz test I was shocked by just how accurate that test describes me. It said things about me that I do not tell other people about, and though I feel that some of the comments were a little inaccurate, it was mostly spot on. This test surprised me the most because out of all the personality tests that I remember taking in my life not one personality test has given me a description like this test did and be able to hit so close to home. This source is very credible because on the home page of this test it is stated that the test is based on the work of Dr. Max Lûscher and has been used by many different individuals of various occupations worldwide since the 1950’s and a link is displayed to provide more information on this test.

All of these personality tests were fun to take, and I learned more about myself and which tests provide more accurate results.

 

Works Cited

http://colorquiz.com/

http://personality-testing.info/tests/BIG5.php

http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes2.asp

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

 


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/