Haven't posted on here in so long! A Levels took over my life and then I've spent the summer celebrating freedom.
In less than a month I'm moving to study Psychology at the University of Birmingham! Psychology is one of my favourite things ever and I'm so happy to move away from this town where I've never felt like I fit in. Rejection from Oxford crushed me: funny how all your dreams can be destroyed in one letter that begins with 'sorry' rather than 'congratulations'. But here I am, laughing because I got 397/400 in A Level Psychology and now Oxford can't have me and it's their loss! So so happy with my A level results and so glad all my hard work, stress, brain ache etc. paid off. So excited and so scared!
28 August 2014
29 December 2013
Stuff! (December)
Thoughts about Nelson Mandela
This man was an inspiration to millions of people and his death is a saddening event. It is very interesting to observe the public response - it feels that a sense of communal celebration has resulted from his death, rather than mourning or grief. Compare this to, for example, the death of Princess Diana (another figure loved and admired by many) and there is a strong difference in the response to the death. Perhaps this is because Mandela has been ill for a long while and was an old age but instead of grieving, celebration and honoring of his life have been the main themes over the last week or so.
Gender bias in A Level choice
It had been in the news that there was a distinct gender bias in students choices of A Levels. English, Biology and Psychology were studied a lot more by girls than by boys and the opposite was true for Physics, Maths and Economics. (It seems I am very stereotypically feminine in my A Level choices since I study English, Biology and Psychology, haha!) But this story led me to consider, why this bias exists. Is it influences, whether intentional or unconscious, from the schools? Or perhaps peer influence or social norms? Maybe society's ideas that studying certain subjects makes an individual more masculine or feminine are so deeply engraved that they are not explicitly apparent? These ideas could be enforced from a young age and internalised by individuals, who use such ideas to form their gender schemas during gender development. There is a danger that some individuals, who may have done particularly well in a certain subject, never considered it because it was inconsistent with their ideas of masculinity or femininity. There are real dangers of wasted potential here.
Interesting news stories
Prisoners doing yoga may see psychological benefits
Cutlery 'can influence food taste'
Exercise can reduce chances of depression
More students are seeking counselling
Teachers' concern at child sexualisation
This man was an inspiration to millions of people and his death is a saddening event. It is very interesting to observe the public response - it feels that a sense of communal celebration has resulted from his death, rather than mourning or grief. Compare this to, for example, the death of Princess Diana (another figure loved and admired by many) and there is a strong difference in the response to the death. Perhaps this is because Mandela has been ill for a long while and was an old age but instead of grieving, celebration and honoring of his life have been the main themes over the last week or so.
Gender bias in A Level choice
It had been in the news that there was a distinct gender bias in students choices of A Levels. English, Biology and Psychology were studied a lot more by girls than by boys and the opposite was true for Physics, Maths and Economics. (It seems I am very stereotypically feminine in my A Level choices since I study English, Biology and Psychology, haha!) But this story led me to consider, why this bias exists. Is it influences, whether intentional or unconscious, from the schools? Or perhaps peer influence or social norms? Maybe society's ideas that studying certain subjects makes an individual more masculine or feminine are so deeply engraved that they are not explicitly apparent? These ideas could be enforced from a young age and internalised by individuals, who use such ideas to form their gender schemas during gender development. There is a danger that some individuals, who may have done particularly well in a certain subject, never considered it because it was inconsistent with their ideas of masculinity or femininity. There are real dangers of wasted potential here.
Interesting news stories
Prisoners doing yoga may see psychological benefits
Cutlery 'can influence food taste'
Exercise can reduce chances of depression
More students are seeking counselling
Teachers' concern at child sexualisation
7 December 2013
Recent Research Digest + Guardian Psychology
People with Exceptional Autographical Memory are Still Prone to False Memories
This challenges assumed ideas that those with superior memories are less prone to distortion, thereby showing that memory is more complex than once assumed. If there is more research into why some people have superior memories then perhaps this can have practical applications and can benefit everyone. Could this be applied to other areas e.g. are those with superior intelligence no less susceptible to mental degeneration/illness?
Haste Makes Waste, But Not If You're Neurotic
Faster does not necessarily mean more mistakes are made. This shows how a seemingly maladaptive quality, like neurotisism, can be somewhat beneficial.
There are 636,120 ways to have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Demonstrates the complexity of mental disorder, the difficulties of diagnosis and potential issues with the DSM (this links to those issues explored in Madness Explained by Richard Bentall). Despite increased complexity in diagnostic criteria, some people are still missed and there are still reliability issues. To me, a checklist of symptoms seems a very rigid, in-humane and uncaring way of viewing people with a mental health disorder, however, reliability of diagnosis is an obvious priority.
Where is Language Located in the Brain? There are Two Sides to this Story
"When it comes to the brain though, few things are straightforward". Our knowledge of the brain is even more complex than once suggested, which shows how limitless the study of psychology really is. Whether language is shared by the different hemispheres of the brain, or is dominated by one, differs from person to person.
Not So Easy To Spot: A Failure To Replicate the Macbeth Effect Across Three Continents
Highlights the importance of replicating research. The 'Macbeth Effect' is an interesting concept. Explained the difference between conceptual and direct replications and is a good example of cross cultural research.
http://kids.frontiersin.org/
This is a really great project in order to get children involved with science!
Taking the tablets: a personal guide to anti-depressants
Gives a real insight into people's opinions and experiences of taking anti-depressants
Should all schools have their own psychotherapist?
In answer to this question, I think yes. In addition to what I've read in this article, including a case of a school in the West Midlands with a full time psychotherapist, I think that more mental health support in schools will be really beneficial to the children, encouraging them, from a young age, to seek help with mental problems. It could also be beneficial in reducing stigma of mental health. The links between educational and clinical psychology are demonstrated here.
Online IQ tests: are they valid?
An amusing article that suggests online IQ tests are not to be trusted!
The questionable science of Boris Johnson
Investigated the science behind Boris Johnson's claims in a humorous way
Is Facebook sharing making us more vain?
"Expectations create norms and the central expectation on Facebook is self-promotion." Vanity on Facebook, in the form of uploading pictures of oneself, is something many of us (including myself) are guilty of. After all, the word of the year is 'selfie'. I agree that Facebook, and other social media, makes us more vain and narcissistic. Also, it is very addictive but yeah, it makes you feel good, so is it all bad?
Could a brain scan diagnose you as a psychopath?
Neuroscientist James Fallon's accidental discovery that he was a psychopath has resulted in consideration as to whether brain scans can diagnose psychopathy. Problems involved in using brain scans to diagnose someone as a psychopath: fallacy of reverse inference (changes in brain activity alone tell us very little since the brain is so complex and the same area has many different functions), confusion of correlation and causation ("We all know that just because two things are associated with each other doesn't mean one of them caused the other. Otherwise we’d prosecute the witnesses of crimes") and potential bias (Francis Bacon - “The human understanding when it has once adopted an opinion…draws all things else to support and agree with it.”). It seems that although understanding psychopaths neuroscientifically is fascinating, it is something to come in the future. This has links to The Wisdom of Psychopaths (Kevin Dutton)
Forget the headlines – schizophrenia is more common than you might think
Headlines portraying schizophrenics as dangerous and terrifying obviously add to the stigma and fear associated with the illness. Problems with the label of 'schizophrenia' - may be a general term for many different illnesses/symptoms. This may seem a bit odd but thinking back to how much we've advanced from our understanding of mental illness 50 years ago, its not surprising that we may still be wrong/inaccurate about some things. Some of the symptoms of schizophrenia may be much more prevalent than what is apparent, because they are not sufficiently bad in most people for them to seek help. "Schizophrenia isn't a specific, relatively rare, and rigorously defined illness. Instead, it covers a wide range of often unrelated conditions, all of which are also seen in people who are not mentally ill, and all of which exist on a continuum from the comparatively mild to the very severe." One statement I very much agree with: "one thing is certain: deepening our understanding of psychotic problems must be a priority."
This challenges assumed ideas that those with superior memories are less prone to distortion, thereby showing that memory is more complex than once assumed. If there is more research into why some people have superior memories then perhaps this can have practical applications and can benefit everyone. Could this be applied to other areas e.g. are those with superior intelligence no less susceptible to mental degeneration/illness?
Haste Makes Waste, But Not If You're Neurotic
Faster does not necessarily mean more mistakes are made. This shows how a seemingly maladaptive quality, like neurotisism, can be somewhat beneficial.
There are 636,120 ways to have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Demonstrates the complexity of mental disorder, the difficulties of diagnosis and potential issues with the DSM (this links to those issues explored in Madness Explained by Richard Bentall). Despite increased complexity in diagnostic criteria, some people are still missed and there are still reliability issues. To me, a checklist of symptoms seems a very rigid, in-humane and uncaring way of viewing people with a mental health disorder, however, reliability of diagnosis is an obvious priority.
Where is Language Located in the Brain? There are Two Sides to this Story
"When it comes to the brain though, few things are straightforward". Our knowledge of the brain is even more complex than once suggested, which shows how limitless the study of psychology really is. Whether language is shared by the different hemispheres of the brain, or is dominated by one, differs from person to person.
Not So Easy To Spot: A Failure To Replicate the Macbeth Effect Across Three Continents
Highlights the importance of replicating research. The 'Macbeth Effect' is an interesting concept. Explained the difference between conceptual and direct replications and is a good example of cross cultural research.
http://kids.frontiersin.org/
This is a really great project in order to get children involved with science!
Taking the tablets: a personal guide to anti-depressants
Gives a real insight into people's opinions and experiences of taking anti-depressants
Should all schools have their own psychotherapist?
In answer to this question, I think yes. In addition to what I've read in this article, including a case of a school in the West Midlands with a full time psychotherapist, I think that more mental health support in schools will be really beneficial to the children, encouraging them, from a young age, to seek help with mental problems. It could also be beneficial in reducing stigma of mental health. The links between educational and clinical psychology are demonstrated here.
Online IQ tests: are they valid?
An amusing article that suggests online IQ tests are not to be trusted!
The questionable science of Boris Johnson
Investigated the science behind Boris Johnson's claims in a humorous way
Is Facebook sharing making us more vain?
"Expectations create norms and the central expectation on Facebook is self-promotion." Vanity on Facebook, in the form of uploading pictures of oneself, is something many of us (including myself) are guilty of. After all, the word of the year is 'selfie'. I agree that Facebook, and other social media, makes us more vain and narcissistic. Also, it is very addictive but yeah, it makes you feel good, so is it all bad?
Could a brain scan diagnose you as a psychopath?
Neuroscientist James Fallon's accidental discovery that he was a psychopath has resulted in consideration as to whether brain scans can diagnose psychopathy. Problems involved in using brain scans to diagnose someone as a psychopath: fallacy of reverse inference (changes in brain activity alone tell us very little since the brain is so complex and the same area has many different functions), confusion of correlation and causation ("We all know that just because two things are associated with each other doesn't mean one of them caused the other. Otherwise we’d prosecute the witnesses of crimes") and potential bias (Francis Bacon - “The human understanding when it has once adopted an opinion…draws all things else to support and agree with it.”). It seems that although understanding psychopaths neuroscientifically is fascinating, it is something to come in the future. This has links to The Wisdom of Psychopaths (Kevin Dutton)
Forget the headlines – schizophrenia is more common than you might think
Headlines portraying schizophrenics as dangerous and terrifying obviously add to the stigma and fear associated with the illness. Problems with the label of 'schizophrenia' - may be a general term for many different illnesses/symptoms. This may seem a bit odd but thinking back to how much we've advanced from our understanding of mental illness 50 years ago, its not surprising that we may still be wrong/inaccurate about some things. Some of the symptoms of schizophrenia may be much more prevalent than what is apparent, because they are not sufficiently bad in most people for them to seek help. "Schizophrenia isn't a specific, relatively rare, and rigorously defined illness. Instead, it covers a wide range of often unrelated conditions, all of which are also seen in people who are not mentally ill, and all of which exist on a continuum from the comparatively mild to the very severe." One statement I very much agree with: "one thing is certain: deepening our understanding of psychotic problems must be a priority."
1 December 2013
All in the Mind
Interesting ideas from a recent episode of Radio 4's 'All In The Mind'
- Psychology is a subject that interests all of us but is also a scientific discipline. Simultaneously, it is considered by, and accessible to, members of the public, but is also highly academic. There are many ways of understanding people and science offers the best!
- Everyone thinks they know what psychology is because its the study of people and we're all people. If results of research agree with what people think they say there was no point in doing it but if results challenge preconceptions, people say they are wrong.
- Psychiatrists are medically trained, while Psychologists are behavioural scientists. The confusion comes because psychologists can specify in clinical work.
- There are many misunderstandings of what psychology is - if you go to a party and say you're a psychologist people assume you will read their mind, psycho-analyse them or hypnotize them.
- It was introduced as A level subject to get more girls into science. (This certainly worked for me!)
- There are lots of occasions when psychologists aren't consulted but can offer a lot of insight and guidance e.g. law, education, economic behaviour.
- Psychologists are very good at not giving definitive answers. All good scientists are cautious.
- Blogging allows communication with broader audience. Psychology can be understood by more people.
- Recently, the allure of neuroscience has increased. Care needs to be taken so that it doesn't take over from psychology. Psychology is still important and different; the two subjects need to be integrated.
Psychology in Films
Psychology is prevalent and relevant in everyone's lives. I like to consider the psychological concepts explored in the films I watch. (may contain spoilers!)
Black Swan
I think this is a brilliant film and very relevant to psychology and mental illness. The film follows ballet dancer Nina (played by Natalie Portman, an excellent actress who has a Psychology degree from Harvard University!) as she prepares for her lead role in Swan Lake. The stress of this is too much for her to cope with and she suffers from psychosis, in the form of horrible hallucinations and delusions. The film also includes ideas of eating disorders, which are often associated with ballerinas. The idea that the pressure of the show triggers Nina's mental breakdown is congruent with the diathesis-stress model of mental disorders i.e. she could be biologically predisposed to such disorders but it takes an environmental event to cause her psychosis.
Fight Club
This film contains ideas of multiple personality disorder (or dissociative identity disorder). Like with other cases of this disorder, the different identities have different characteristics and personalities and the sufferer is unaware of the existence of the other identities.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Charlie is an anxious character who shows symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, such as flashbacks to the death of his aunt. Also, it is uncovered that he had repressed memories of sexual abuse by his aunt from this childhood.
Silver Linings Playbook
I really enjoyed this film. The protagonist suffered bi-polar disorder and had recently been released from a psychiatric unit. This included the idea of environmental factors leading to a psychotic break down (his wife cheated on him) and triggers causing the sufferer to panic (in this case a specific song). The story shows how a friendship can be based on neuroses, after he meets someone in a similarly unstable mental state. This film also demonstrated how positivity can be found, even when life seems very negative.
I am planning to watch more Psychology related films and add to this post!
Black Swan
I think this is a brilliant film and very relevant to psychology and mental illness. The film follows ballet dancer Nina (played by Natalie Portman, an excellent actress who has a Psychology degree from Harvard University!) as she prepares for her lead role in Swan Lake. The stress of this is too much for her to cope with and she suffers from psychosis, in the form of horrible hallucinations and delusions. The film also includes ideas of eating disorders, which are often associated with ballerinas. The idea that the pressure of the show triggers Nina's mental breakdown is congruent with the diathesis-stress model of mental disorders i.e. she could be biologically predisposed to such disorders but it takes an environmental event to cause her psychosis.
Fight Club
This film contains ideas of multiple personality disorder (or dissociative identity disorder). Like with other cases of this disorder, the different identities have different characteristics and personalities and the sufferer is unaware of the existence of the other identities.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Charlie is an anxious character who shows symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, such as flashbacks to the death of his aunt. Also, it is uncovered that he had repressed memories of sexual abuse by his aunt from this childhood.
Silver Linings Playbook
I really enjoyed this film. The protagonist suffered bi-polar disorder and had recently been released from a psychiatric unit. This included the idea of environmental factors leading to a psychotic break down (his wife cheated on him) and triggers causing the sufferer to panic (in this case a specific song). The story shows how a friendship can be based on neuroses, after he meets someone in a similarly unstable mental state. This film also demonstrated how positivity can be found, even when life seems very negative.
I am planning to watch more Psychology related films and add to this post!
24 November 2013
BPS Psychology4Students
What a fantastically inspiring and interesting day at the British Psychological Society's Psychology4Students event!Sheffield was a lovely location with it's modern charm, festive lights, pretty water features and cute market.
Before the event had even started, the amount of freebies signaled that it was going to be a good day; BPS notepaper and a torch pen, along with a free copy of The Psychologist magazine is certainly nothing to moan about!
Jim McKenna from Leeds Metropolitan University kicked off the day with his energetic talk on the Psychology of Behaviour Change. He emphasised the importance of taking small steps in order to make greater changes. The bigger the change, the less likely it is that success will follow. This information definitely has practical applications to my life.
Jim McKenna stated that we use Psychology every day and that we have stone age brains living a 21st century life!
I learned that the brain can be changed by exercise, mental stimulation, diet, sleep (9 hours of it! I'm not getting enough oops) and surprise. Neuroplasticity is the capacity of the brain to continually change depending on experience and neurogenesis is the growth of new brain cells (which is boosted by exercise!) Thoughts can change brain structure - "repeated thoughts are like rivers cutting through rock." Brain connections in a novice vs. expert = Cobwebs vs. cables! Brains are amazing! However, they are lazy too. Our brains naturally want to work by habit, making us 'cognitive misers' in an 'autopilot daze'.
"When information is cheap, attention becomes expensive". After showing us a 'magic' trick to demonstrate attention, Jim McKenna explained that there are 3 types of attention: alertness (to affirm/question), engagement (showing we care), capacity (to do required thinking). attention = recruitment and adherence.
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| Dopamine lollipops! |
According to the Broaden-and-build theory of positive emotion, one bad day averages 3 lost days of creativity. We all need more of these dopamine lollipops in our lives it seems!
It is also suggested that willpower, fueled by glycogen, controlled by the pre-frontal cortex, is a finite resource.
Kurt Lewin: B=f(PE) i.e. behaviour = function of (person in environment).
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| The Brain Rules! |
Jim left us with the idea that there are three brain states: 'no brain' state (habit, unaware), '1 brain' state (full concentration on one task) and '2 brain' state (concentration split across different areas).
This was a great start to the day and a fascinating, dynamic talk.
Next up was Helen Fisher from the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, talking about Childhood Psychotic Symptoms: Developmental hiccup or bad omen?
The talk began with the demonstration that we are all slightly psychotic but its okay and normal! Helen Fisher talked about the Continuum model of psychosis, which suggests psychosis ranges from magical ideas/strange experiences to full blown psychotic disorders and explained what the psychotic symptoms are, including hallucinations, delusions and disorganised thoughts. She even showed us what it's like to have a visual hallucination! The bizarre phenomenon of waxy flexibility was of particular interest to me.
According to Helen Fisher, psychotic symptoms are a transient phenomena for most children. But does this suggest they will have future problems? The Dunedin New Zealand longitudinal study is investigating this. It has been very successful, with 96% still in the study after almost 4 decades. Children were interviewed at age 11 about psychotic symptoms, then interviews were repeated at intervals throughout their lives in order to check for a diagnosis. Results show that children with strong psychotic symptoms are 7.2x more likely to have schizophrenia, and 1.5x more likely to have depression or anxiety. In fact, there is only one person with psychotic symptoms at 11 who has no diagnosis at 38.
There are many reasons why children may suffer psychotic symptoms, including genetics, brain connections, trauma and sleep problems. These reasons are not mutually exclusive.
The best part about this research is that it has practical applications. Maybe in the future we will be able to screen for symptoms in childhood and provide early intervention for mental health problems!
Successful research like this is extremely inspiring to me!
Helen Fisher also described her main reason for getting involved in Psychology is because she was nosy, which I can relate to! She told us funny stories about interviewing people about Viagra on one of her first research projects - I guess I've got things like this to look forward to as a young psychologist!
The next talk was by Clinical Psychologist Stephen Hellett about Psychotherapy for Compulsive Hoarding Disorder. Since I had never heard of this disorder before, this was very intriguing to me. While many mental health disorders have internal symptoms, this one differs in that its symptoms are external; its an environmental problem. Also, because this disorder is egosyntonic (i.e. consistent with one's sense of self) often sufferers do not seek help. To demonstrate how objects hold feelings for people suffering this disorder, Stephen Hellett told us a story about a woman who was unable to leave a feather behind on a beach because of the memories it represented. People can have co-morbid OCD with hoarding disorder, or just the hoarding disorder. The DSM's diagnostic criteria for hoarding disorder includes: issues with discard, distress with discard, accumulation in living space and clinical symptoms of distress. Hoarders tend to live alone and not leave their houses.
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| The House of a Compulsive Hoarder |
After a lunch break, in which we got to look at some exhibitions (including guessing the number of Skittles in jar as a demonstration of how occupational psychologists encourage team work to solve problems, and recognising the face of a criminal using a computer programme developed by forensic psychologists to improve witness/victim recounts), Almuth McDowall, an occupational psychologist at the University of Surrey talked about Work-Life Balance in UK Police.
Almuth McDowall emphasised the importance of work-life balance and how it is of big concern to employers and causes more problems than stress. There have been decades of research on the subject, but, unfortunately, "decades of research don't equal decades of good solutions". In the police force, there are challenges to WLB, such as the spending review, the high risk nature of the job, work-family conflict (illustrated by a heart-breaking story of a police woman who, on her first day back after maternity leave, had to investigate a case of cot death) and bad press. A poor WLB can be a potential cause for burnout and we need research with practical implications; prevention and cures are required. Research into this area uses both quantitative and qualitative methods including behaviour elicitation through interviews > card sort and cluster and refine > survey analysis.
Occupational psychology is an area I've not really considered much but this talk showed me how it can be interesting and important. It led me to think about the subtle but apparent links between AS Business Studies and Psychology. It shows me how pretty much any area of study can be linked to psychology since it is such a prominent topic.
Almuth McDowall told us about the unusual path she took towards psychology (first trained in health and fitness) and how her brief work in retail showed her that, in order to emphasise as an occupational psychologist, you need to know what its like to hate your job!
"In order to go into psychology, you need respect for the human mind and a love of people".
The last talk of the day certainly cheered us all up! Blue-haired Caspar Addyman explained The Seriously Fun Science of Laughing Babies and demonstrated how its important to also focus on positive things in Psychology and not just consider when things go wrong! He showed us many adorable videos and ended the day on a high note.
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| Laughing babies were an adorable end to a great day! |
Smiling and laughing for babies is a form of social interaction. Laughing comes before first words and is a form of communication, which suggests why babies laugh more than adults.
Casper Addyman told us that the funniest game for babies is Peekaboo which serves as a form of interaction and practise for turn taking in conversation. However, while younger babies enjoy the game because of its element of surprise, at 18 months old, the child knows a reaction is needed for the game to work and so laughs for this reason. Babies may also laugh with success, in a similar style to a mad scientist, when learning something new!
Although there has been a lot of research on the topic, there are still many mysteries of baby laughter; there's not always adult explanations for what babies do. Also, does laughter help babies learn language?
Laughing is an interesting subject, especially in babies. It is a social function (it's universal and we laugh more in company). "Laughter is the shortest distance between two people". This talk showed the importance of developmental psychology and studying babies in order to understand human beings.
I also enjoyed the involvement on Twitter: I probably overused the #psy4stu however, I did get retweeted by the BPS, which is a bit of a claim to fame!https://twitter.com/BPSConference
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| Overall, this was a brilliant event! |
18 November 2013
Wisdom of Psychopaths
Today I finished 'The Wisdom of Psychopaths' by Kevin Dutton. This book offered an alternative perspective to studying psychopaths and their behaviour and personalities. Can psychopathic traits be beneficial? In what context and in which situations? What can we learn from psychopaths? These questions, and many more, were answered in this fascinating book. This book really was a brilliant read. Kevin Dutton perfectly balanced entertainment and humour with informative aspects and offered both anecdotes as well as more hardcore research. Controversial, revolutionary, ground-breaking and highly thought-provoking; it is everything someone like me - who is fascinated by human abnormality and who loves alternative approaches and ways of thinking - could want!
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| Also, this happened. That really was the cherry on top of a fantastic reading experience! |
I aspire to one day be the sort of psychologist who is able to write a book of this style. Reading books like these inspires me to write a book of my own in the future. Also, this has completely reinforced my longing to get into Magdalen College, Oxford. To think I might actually get the chance to meet and talk to Kevin Dutton! That would be so brilliant! I can't even begin to explain how much I want to get into Oxford University. I want it more than I've ever wanted anything! But I guess, dreams don't work unless you do!
30 October 2013
Visits to Nottingham Services
The rehab where I volunteer, Studio House, suggested I visit some of the services they work with around the Nottingham area in order to see for myself what is available for vulnerable people.
I've visited a few places now and I enjoy meeting with the people who run them. As well as helping my confidence and communication skills, it makes me feel more connected and more knowledgeable about the help and support on offer around the area in which I am living and working.
Some of the services I've found out more about include:
HLG - a charity offering training, consultancy and support to vulnerably housed or homeless people
Compass - a charity offering support to under 18s concerning substance misuse issues
Recovery in Nottingham and Double Impact - support for those in drug and alcohol recovery
There really are some great services on offer in the area and I'm pleased to be getting involved and working with them.
27 October 2013
News!
Recent Psychological News Pieces that I have found interesting
Research Digest 'Super Week': Since I am so interested in abnormality, I especially like to hear of cases where abnormality is viewed in a positive light, almost as if it is a super-power!
Young children with autism are more trusting than other children: I think autism is a very interesting disorder!
Why it's apt - psycho-acoustically speaking - that Darth Vader wasn't called Barth Vaber: interesting from both a psychological and linguistic perspective
What makes an internet video go viral?: since I love watching youtube videos I enjoyed finding out what makes them so popular
Comparing children's sharing tendencies across diverse human societies: could be interesting to apply to the nature/nurture debate
Want people to trust you? Try apologising for the rain: this could have some good practical applications! Connects to the things I've learned about phatic talk in English Language
Thor doesn't nail it in 3D: since I plan on going to see this film, this article was both helpful and interesting
Brain Gallery: this is really entertaining, I love it!
The 4 Ways You Can Use Body Language To Influence Success: practical tips backed up by psychological facts!
Attractive adults gain the trust of children more easily This is interesting research. I wonder whether it has an evolutionary basis - the more attractive, the less likely someone suffers physical abnormality. This could link to ideas of mental abnormality - those with good mental health are more likely to give trustworthy information and children may instinctively pick up on this.
Racism, mental health and depression: this is quite sad
The role of kissing in choosing a partner: these findings make a lot of sense, they have application in real life
Psychopathic traits young people: Psychopaths seem to be a popular topic for investigation at the moment, the research is compelling
Prenatal depression and the child's health: takes a very biological 'nature' approach to the mood disorder. I have learned about family studies like this for unipolar depression in A2 Psychology and this research links well.
The attractiveness of deeper male voices: it would be interesting to investigate the evolutionary basis to this and also to investigate how these attitudes may have changed over time
Cognitive therapy can help anxious patients: this is interesting as it links to the content of A Level Psychology - anxiety disorders (phobias and OCD)
How students adapt to university life: this was particularly relevant for me, since I will be going to university next year! I am really excited for the change, yet understand the challenges it will pose
The delight of fright: this is appropriate for Halloween (a holiday which I love) and this has always fascinated me - why do we enjoy scaring ourselves with horror films, haunted houses etc. so much? This offered some insight. I would like to find out more on this topic!
Research Digest 'Super Week': Since I am so interested in abnormality, I especially like to hear of cases where abnormality is viewed in a positive light, almost as if it is a super-power!
Young children with autism are more trusting than other children: I think autism is a very interesting disorder!
Why it's apt - psycho-acoustically speaking - that Darth Vader wasn't called Barth Vaber: interesting from both a psychological and linguistic perspective
What makes an internet video go viral?: since I love watching youtube videos I enjoyed finding out what makes them so popular
Comparing children's sharing tendencies across diverse human societies: could be interesting to apply to the nature/nurture debate
Want people to trust you? Try apologising for the rain: this could have some good practical applications! Connects to the things I've learned about phatic talk in English Language
Thor doesn't nail it in 3D: since I plan on going to see this film, this article was both helpful and interesting
Brain Gallery: this is really entertaining, I love it!
The 4 Ways You Can Use Body Language To Influence Success: practical tips backed up by psychological facts!
Attractive adults gain the trust of children more easily This is interesting research. I wonder whether it has an evolutionary basis - the more attractive, the less likely someone suffers physical abnormality. This could link to ideas of mental abnormality - those with good mental health are more likely to give trustworthy information and children may instinctively pick up on this.
Racism, mental health and depression: this is quite sad
The role of kissing in choosing a partner: these findings make a lot of sense, they have application in real life
Psychopathic traits young people: Psychopaths seem to be a popular topic for investigation at the moment, the research is compelling
Prenatal depression and the child's health: takes a very biological 'nature' approach to the mood disorder. I have learned about family studies like this for unipolar depression in A2 Psychology and this research links well.
The attractiveness of deeper male voices: it would be interesting to investigate the evolutionary basis to this and also to investigate how these attitudes may have changed over time
Cognitive therapy can help anxious patients: this is interesting as it links to the content of A Level Psychology - anxiety disorders (phobias and OCD)
How students adapt to university life: this was particularly relevant for me, since I will be going to university next year! I am really excited for the change, yet understand the challenges it will pose
The delight of fright: this is appropriate for Halloween (a holiday which I love) and this has always fascinated me - why do we enjoy scaring ourselves with horror films, haunted houses etc. so much? This offered some insight. I would like to find out more on this topic!
Kiss The C*** of a Cow! The Language & Psychology of Swearing!
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25 October 2013
Psychology Review - Sept 2013, Volume 19
Responses to, and notes from, Psychology Review Volume 19
Attachment Style in Adult 'Singles' - Schachner et al. 2008 (Explored by Richard Gross)
Timeline of Behaviourist Approach
1901: Pavlov teaches dogs to salivate at sound of metronome.
1920: Little Albert (the barbaric style of this experiement still horrifies and fascinates me)
1924: Mary cover Jones demonstrates desensitisation to a phobic stimulus
1931: Skinner box - animals rewarded for particular behaviours
1948: Skinner demonstrates superstitious behaviour in pigeons
1961: Bandura demonstrates learning of aggression by imitation of a model
1968: Ayllon and Azrin use token economy system to improve behaviour in psychiatric hospital (makes me think of my own 'reward charts' as a child, which were effective in helping me to behaviour better)
1984: McCormick and Thompson demonstrate role of cerebellum in classical conditioning
1991: Richardson and DeLong demonstrate role of acetylcholine (neurotransmitter) in operant conditioning
Definition of Evaluation: to determine the value of something (from an article to help in essay writing)
Dance Psychology - Peter Lovatt
Evidence that dancing can improve the mood of people with both mild and severe depression (Koch et al 2007) (Jeong et al 2005). Striking a pose can change the way people think (Carney et al.). Some people sat in 'high power poses' and others in 'low power poses' and scientists measured how powerful they felt (those in high power poses felt more powerful/in control), risk taking behaviour (more risks taken by those in high power poses) and hormone levels (testosterone and cortisol - a stress hormone. High testosterone is thought to show dominance and high cortisol is a marker of low power. For those in high-power poses, testosterone levels went up and cortisol went down).
Evidence suggests that body movement can influence flexibility of thought in problem solving - unplanned movements (i.e. improvisation) release people from set patterns of thinking, whereas structured movement (i.e. choreographed routines) speeds up cognitive processes.
Relationship between symmetry of physical features and dancing ability - dancing of symmetrical people rated better than dancing of less symmetrical people. Physical symmetry is an indicator of genetic quality so there may be evolutionary reasons why when looking for a mate humans look for those with symmetry. Good dance is a way of signalling good genetic makeup. If physical symmetry is an indicator of genetic quality and if the way we move signals that genetic quality and influences people's perception of the quality of our dancing, then it seem that dancing is a natural behaviour.
Although I've never been very good at dancing myself, I have a lot of friends who are dancers so I found this very interesting. I have also considered the practical applications of the 'high power poses' and try to employ these when I feel I need a boost of confidence.
Addictive Behaviour - Risk Factors - by Professor Mark Giffiths
Addiction results from interaction between many factors (internal and external). Four main risk factors - Stress, Age, Peer Influence and Personality.
Stress key risk factor in initiation, maintenance and relapse. Addictive behaviours are a way of coping with chronic stress. A lot of research into link between long-term stress from childhood abuse and later development of chemical and behavioural addictions (not everyone who suffers childhood abuse will develop an addiction but it is a well-known risk factor). Stress management is one important intervention in preventing and overcoming addicition.
If someone's friends have highly favourable attitudes to addictive behaviours, this increases risk (most important factor in addictive behaviour during adolescence?). Addiction develops due to normative social influence and reinforcement of behaviour through feeling part of a group. However, individual attitudes towards addiction help determine the sorts of peers to which individuals are attracted.
Young people are at greater risk of developing addictive behaviour. During adolescence, the human brain is still developing so are particularly susceptible to lifetime addiction. Research shows, earlier someone engages in potentially addictive behaviour, more likely they are to develop a problem with it.
Personality: The five-factor model (Costa and McCrae) reflects individual differences that are strongly related to addiction and different addictions are associated with different areas of the model e.g. alcohol positively associated with neuroticism and negatively associated with agreeableness and conscientiousness. Personality disorders e.g. antisocial and borderline also linked to addiction.
I found this article particularly interesting due to my work at an alcohol/drug rehabilitation project. It is also very relevant since we are starting the topic of substance abuse soon in Psychology A2.
Clinical Psychologist - day-to-day life
Very diverse, interesting, a lot of frontline work, elements of teaching and training, working in NHS. Because I am interested in abnormalities this may be an area I'd like to go into. Lots of extra training after degree and work experience required.
Interview with Elizabeth Loftus
Her job and work sounds very interesting. She wanted to study something that had social relevance which I can understand since I feel that it would be important for me that my work had real life relevance. She is very well renowned for her work, famous in the Psychological world. To me, she is a very inspiring figure.
Limerence: obsessive, irrational adoration and attachment to one person involving excessive thinking about and longing for the other and an emotional dependency on them. "Limerance is love as a living nightmare". Not identified as a mental disorder but that may be because of a lack of research?
I very much enjoyed this issue of the Psychology review.
There are some other articles that I may like to read that I have not got the chance to discover yet, such as:
Are Juries Reliable?
The Social Psychology of Prejudice
Human Behaviour - Nature, Nurture or both?
www.hoddereducation.co.uk/psychologyreviewextras
e-review: www.hoddereducation.co.uk/magazines
Attachment Style in Adult 'Singles' - Schachner et al. 2008 (Explored by Richard Gross)
- Attachment theory: states that attachment behaviour can been seen throughout life and patterns established in child-parent relationships shape later romantic relationships.
- Study explored three main ideas: singles may be more avoidant (independence, self-reliance, employ cognitive strategies to help maintain separateness), singles may be anxiously-attached and have been rejected by partners who cannot accept this, singles may be reliant on attachment figures other than a sexual partner e.g. friends.
- Method: 142 people, mean age 40, 61 men, 81 women, 73 coupled, 69 singles, responded to a newspaper ad, from California. Part 1: questionnaires to determine attachment style, attachment figures, recalled quality of relationships with parents and quality of lives in general. Part 2: interviews about how they dealt with attachment.
- Results: no significant difference in prevalence of insecure attachment between singles and coupled participants. Singles reported worse child-hood relationships with parents and greater reliance on siblings and friends. Coupled participants identified children as key attachment figures (as well as their romantic partners) - this conflicts attachment theory's idea that attachment provides a sense of security.
- Evaluation: issues with reliability of sample and self report rather than behavioral observations.
Timeline of Behaviourist Approach
1901: Pavlov teaches dogs to salivate at sound of metronome.
1920: Little Albert (the barbaric style of this experiement still horrifies and fascinates me)
1924: Mary cover Jones demonstrates desensitisation to a phobic stimulus
1931: Skinner box - animals rewarded for particular behaviours
1948: Skinner demonstrates superstitious behaviour in pigeons
1961: Bandura demonstrates learning of aggression by imitation of a model
1968: Ayllon and Azrin use token economy system to improve behaviour in psychiatric hospital (makes me think of my own 'reward charts' as a child, which were effective in helping me to behaviour better)
1984: McCormick and Thompson demonstrate role of cerebellum in classical conditioning
1991: Richardson and DeLong demonstrate role of acetylcholine (neurotransmitter) in operant conditioning
Definition of Evaluation: to determine the value of something (from an article to help in essay writing)
Dance Psychology - Peter Lovatt
Evidence that dancing can improve the mood of people with both mild and severe depression (Koch et al 2007) (Jeong et al 2005). Striking a pose can change the way people think (Carney et al.). Some people sat in 'high power poses' and others in 'low power poses' and scientists measured how powerful they felt (those in high power poses felt more powerful/in control), risk taking behaviour (more risks taken by those in high power poses) and hormone levels (testosterone and cortisol - a stress hormone. High testosterone is thought to show dominance and high cortisol is a marker of low power. For those in high-power poses, testosterone levels went up and cortisol went down).
Evidence suggests that body movement can influence flexibility of thought in problem solving - unplanned movements (i.e. improvisation) release people from set patterns of thinking, whereas structured movement (i.e. choreographed routines) speeds up cognitive processes.
Relationship between symmetry of physical features and dancing ability - dancing of symmetrical people rated better than dancing of less symmetrical people. Physical symmetry is an indicator of genetic quality so there may be evolutionary reasons why when looking for a mate humans look for those with symmetry. Good dance is a way of signalling good genetic makeup. If physical symmetry is an indicator of genetic quality and if the way we move signals that genetic quality and influences people's perception of the quality of our dancing, then it seem that dancing is a natural behaviour.
Although I've never been very good at dancing myself, I have a lot of friends who are dancers so I found this very interesting. I have also considered the practical applications of the 'high power poses' and try to employ these when I feel I need a boost of confidence.
Addictive Behaviour - Risk Factors - by Professor Mark Giffiths
Addiction results from interaction between many factors (internal and external). Four main risk factors - Stress, Age, Peer Influence and Personality.
Stress key risk factor in initiation, maintenance and relapse. Addictive behaviours are a way of coping with chronic stress. A lot of research into link between long-term stress from childhood abuse and later development of chemical and behavioural addictions (not everyone who suffers childhood abuse will develop an addiction but it is a well-known risk factor). Stress management is one important intervention in preventing and overcoming addicition.
If someone's friends have highly favourable attitudes to addictive behaviours, this increases risk (most important factor in addictive behaviour during adolescence?). Addiction develops due to normative social influence and reinforcement of behaviour through feeling part of a group. However, individual attitudes towards addiction help determine the sorts of peers to which individuals are attracted.
Young people are at greater risk of developing addictive behaviour. During adolescence, the human brain is still developing so are particularly susceptible to lifetime addiction. Research shows, earlier someone engages in potentially addictive behaviour, more likely they are to develop a problem with it.
Personality: The five-factor model (Costa and McCrae) reflects individual differences that are strongly related to addiction and different addictions are associated with different areas of the model e.g. alcohol positively associated with neuroticism and negatively associated with agreeableness and conscientiousness. Personality disorders e.g. antisocial and borderline also linked to addiction.
I found this article particularly interesting due to my work at an alcohol/drug rehabilitation project. It is also very relevant since we are starting the topic of substance abuse soon in Psychology A2.
Clinical Psychologist - day-to-day life
Very diverse, interesting, a lot of frontline work, elements of teaching and training, working in NHS. Because I am interested in abnormalities this may be an area I'd like to go into. Lots of extra training after degree and work experience required.
Interview with Elizabeth Loftus
Her job and work sounds very interesting. She wanted to study something that had social relevance which I can understand since I feel that it would be important for me that my work had real life relevance. She is very well renowned for her work, famous in the Psychological world. To me, she is a very inspiring figure.
Limerence: obsessive, irrational adoration and attachment to one person involving excessive thinking about and longing for the other and an emotional dependency on them. "Limerance is love as a living nightmare". Not identified as a mental disorder but that may be because of a lack of research?
I very much enjoyed this issue of the Psychology review.
There are some other articles that I may like to read that I have not got the chance to discover yet, such as:
Are Juries Reliable?
The Social Psychology of Prejudice
Human Behaviour - Nature, Nurture or both?
www.hoddereducation.co.uk/psychologyreviewextras
e-review: www.hoddereducation.co.uk/magazines
The Brain!
This post will be an on-going one which I will add to as I discover more!
As you would expect from a Psychology student, I am fascinated by the brain! Obviously, I am interested in the mental processes and the more 'psychological' elements, but at the same time this organ interests me from a biological and physical perspective. The architecture of the brain fascinates me - the structure, the chemical element, the physical stuff.
In this post, I hope to comprise information I discover about the brain - I am looking at this from the biological approach to psychology.
Brain Waves
As you would expect from a Psychology student, I am fascinated by the brain! Obviously, I am interested in the mental processes and the more 'psychological' elements, but at the same time this organ interests me from a biological and physical perspective. The architecture of the brain fascinates me - the structure, the chemical element, the physical stuff.
In this post, I hope to comprise information I discover about the brain - I am looking at this from the biological approach to psychology.
Brain Waves
Our brains cycle through four types of brain waves, referred to as delta, theta, alpha and beta. Each type of brain wave represents a different speed of oscillating electrical voltages in the brain. Delta is the slowest (zero to four cycles per second) and is present in deep sleep. Theta (four to seven cycles per second) is present in stage one when we're in light sleep. Alpha waves, operating at eight to 13 cycles per second, occur during REM sleep (as well as when we are awake). And beta waves, which represent the fastest cycles at 13 to 40 per second, are usually only seen in very stressful situations or situations that require very strong mental concentration and focus. These four brain waves make up theelectroencephalogram (EEG).
- Obringer, Lee Ann. "How Dreams Work" 27 January 2005. HowStuffWorks.com. <http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/human-brain/dream.htm> 19 October 2013.
The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat
In this post, I intend to write a bit about Oliver Sacks' marvelous book "The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat".
I want to summarise each chapter, not only for my own sake (to provide a sort of reference and reminder) but to also inform others and persuade them to read this book.
Part 1: Losses
1. The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat - the case of Dr. P, a man who suffered visual agnosia, rendering him unable to recognise faces and other 'whole objects'.
2. The Lost Mariner - Jimmie G, sufferer of Korsakoff's Syndrome, making him unable to form new memories, meaning that he was 'stuck' in 1945 and believed things were still as they were then.
3. The Disembodied Lady - story of Christina, a woman who lost proprioception i.e. her sense of the positions, and ability to operate, her body parts. This left her almost paralysed, feeling as though she had no body, and she had to learn how to properly move her limbs again.
4. The Man who Fell out of Bed - the story of a man who woke to find what he assumed was a foreign leg in his bed, but, after throwing it out and falling with it, discovered it was his own! (although he was unable to recognize it as belonging to him)
5. Hands - case of Madeleine J, a blind woman unable to use her hands, described them as 'lumps of dough' that did not feel a part of her. Her hands were not physically impaired but she could not use them to do anything or recognise anything with them. This was due to the fact she had never used her hands, so began to learn to use them at the age of 60.
6. Phantoms - a phantom, in these cases, is a persistent image/memory of a lost body part.
7. On the Level - Mr MacGregor struggled with walking upright due to loss of his innate sense of balance, due to Parkinson's-like symptoms causing damage to his inner ears. He constructs a pair of glasses incorporating a spirit level to allow him to judge his own balance!
8. Eyes Right! - Mrs S, after suffering a stroke, had issues with her right cerebral hemisphere and had, as a result, lost the concept of 'left'. For example, she would not see food on the left side of her plate and would have to rotate in order to see it.
9. The President's Speech - about a ward of patients suffering aphasia (disturbance in the comprehension and formation of language) and/or agnosia (loss of ability to recognise certain things) watching the president's speech. Although unable to understand the speech, prosodic features were enough to cause the patients to laugh and enjoy it.
Part 2: Excesses
10. Witty Ticcy Ray - discussion of Tourette's syndrome, in particular in the case of a man called Ray who suffered multiple and explosive tics. He found, after taking a drug to relieve his symptoms, that he sometimes missed his tics, and that they were part of who he was.
11. Cupid's Disease - 90 year old Natasha K, who suddenly became more energetic and 'frisky' in her old age, as a result of neurosyphilis (colloquially known as Cupid's Disease)
12. A Matter of Identity - the case of William Thompson, a sufferer of Korsakov's, who had issues with memory and trouble identifying people, and would identify people wrongly several times, each time he met them.
13. Yes, Father-Sister - Mrs. B, as a result of a cerebral tumour, had a change of personality, becoming 'indifferent' and always 'joking' e.g. calling the doctor 'father-sister' and not knowing left from right
14. The Possessed - a woman on the street, 'possessed' by 'tourettic impulses', causing her to frantically and uncontrollably imitate passers-by. An example of 'Street-neurology', a sad case in that she seemed to have completely lost her sense of 'self'
Part 3: Transports
15. Reminiscence - Mrs. O'C awoke from a strong reminiscent dream of her childhood in Ireland to find she could still hear, and was unable to stop, the music of her childhood inside her head. It was not a problem with her ears or insanity but due to temporal lobe seizures causing hallucinations. There was a similar case of Mrs. O'M and, while Mrs. O'C's music eventually faded, Mrs. O'M's got worse and was a cause of great annoyance.
16. Incontinent Nostalgia - forced reminiscence, caused by L-Dopa, as displayed by a 63-year old woman, who, when released from Parkinsonism experienced psychomotor excitement and increased libido, as if she was young again.
17. A Passage to India - Bhagawhandi P, an Indian girl with a brain tumour causing seizures in which she would feel 'dreamy' and reminiscent and experienced visions of her home in India. The seizures took over, getting longer and more intense until she died.
18. The Dog Beneath the Skin - the case of Steven D, who, after using many recreational drugs, awoke to find he had a heightened sense of smell.
19. Murder - Donald killed his girl and, due to amnesia, had no recolection of the murder. However, after sustaining a severe head injury, his consciousness grew clearer and his memory came back, meaning he was forced to a state of reminiscence of the murder.
20. The Visions of Hildegard - Hildegard, a nun born 1098, experienced and recorded countless migrainous visions, interpretted as religious
Part 4: The World of the Simple
21. Rebecca - suffered cerebral and mental defects, making her clumsy, incapable of learning certain things but still able to form deep attachments and connect with the world in spite of her handicaps. She showed deep and meaningful appreciation for nature, deep grief when losing her grandmother and her movement problems did not affect her ability to dance.
22. A Walking Grove - Martin A, a man with severe mental retardation but an incredible musical memory, and knew by heart, amongst other things, Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians.
23. The Twins - autistic twin brothers, who are severely impaired in terms of reading and arithmetic but have an incredible ability to 'see' or 'perceive' numbers e.g. working like calendars, seeing how many matches fell out of a box, sharing 12 digit prime numbers.
24. The Autistic Artist - the case of José, a young man with mental retardation, who suffered seizures. The found that drawing was his way of connecting with the world around him and to express himself.
This book was brilliant and I have written more about my views on it on my 'things I have watched/read' page.
I want to summarise each chapter, not only for my own sake (to provide a sort of reference and reminder) but to also inform others and persuade them to read this book.
Part 1: Losses
1. The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat - the case of Dr. P, a man who suffered visual agnosia, rendering him unable to recognise faces and other 'whole objects'.
2. The Lost Mariner - Jimmie G, sufferer of Korsakoff's Syndrome, making him unable to form new memories, meaning that he was 'stuck' in 1945 and believed things were still as they were then.
3. The Disembodied Lady - story of Christina, a woman who lost proprioception i.e. her sense of the positions, and ability to operate, her body parts. This left her almost paralysed, feeling as though she had no body, and she had to learn how to properly move her limbs again.
4. The Man who Fell out of Bed - the story of a man who woke to find what he assumed was a foreign leg in his bed, but, after throwing it out and falling with it, discovered it was his own! (although he was unable to recognize it as belonging to him)
5. Hands - case of Madeleine J, a blind woman unable to use her hands, described them as 'lumps of dough' that did not feel a part of her. Her hands were not physically impaired but she could not use them to do anything or recognise anything with them. This was due to the fact she had never used her hands, so began to learn to use them at the age of 60.
6. Phantoms - a phantom, in these cases, is a persistent image/memory of a lost body part.
7. On the Level - Mr MacGregor struggled with walking upright due to loss of his innate sense of balance, due to Parkinson's-like symptoms causing damage to his inner ears. He constructs a pair of glasses incorporating a spirit level to allow him to judge his own balance!
8. Eyes Right! - Mrs S, after suffering a stroke, had issues with her right cerebral hemisphere and had, as a result, lost the concept of 'left'. For example, she would not see food on the left side of her plate and would have to rotate in order to see it.
9. The President's Speech - about a ward of patients suffering aphasia (disturbance in the comprehension and formation of language) and/or agnosia (loss of ability to recognise certain things) watching the president's speech. Although unable to understand the speech, prosodic features were enough to cause the patients to laugh and enjoy it.
Part 2: Excesses
10. Witty Ticcy Ray - discussion of Tourette's syndrome, in particular in the case of a man called Ray who suffered multiple and explosive tics. He found, after taking a drug to relieve his symptoms, that he sometimes missed his tics, and that they were part of who he was.
11. Cupid's Disease - 90 year old Natasha K, who suddenly became more energetic and 'frisky' in her old age, as a result of neurosyphilis (colloquially known as Cupid's Disease)
12. A Matter of Identity - the case of William Thompson, a sufferer of Korsakov's, who had issues with memory and trouble identifying people, and would identify people wrongly several times, each time he met them.
13. Yes, Father-Sister - Mrs. B, as a result of a cerebral tumour, had a change of personality, becoming 'indifferent' and always 'joking' e.g. calling the doctor 'father-sister' and not knowing left from right
14. The Possessed - a woman on the street, 'possessed' by 'tourettic impulses', causing her to frantically and uncontrollably imitate passers-by. An example of 'Street-neurology', a sad case in that she seemed to have completely lost her sense of 'self'
Part 3: Transports
15. Reminiscence - Mrs. O'C awoke from a strong reminiscent dream of her childhood in Ireland to find she could still hear, and was unable to stop, the music of her childhood inside her head. It was not a problem with her ears or insanity but due to temporal lobe seizures causing hallucinations. There was a similar case of Mrs. O'M and, while Mrs. O'C's music eventually faded, Mrs. O'M's got worse and was a cause of great annoyance.
16. Incontinent Nostalgia - forced reminiscence, caused by L-Dopa, as displayed by a 63-year old woman, who, when released from Parkinsonism experienced psychomotor excitement and increased libido, as if she was young again.
17. A Passage to India - Bhagawhandi P, an Indian girl with a brain tumour causing seizures in which she would feel 'dreamy' and reminiscent and experienced visions of her home in India. The seizures took over, getting longer and more intense until she died.
18. The Dog Beneath the Skin - the case of Steven D, who, after using many recreational drugs, awoke to find he had a heightened sense of smell.
19. Murder - Donald killed his girl and, due to amnesia, had no recolection of the murder. However, after sustaining a severe head injury, his consciousness grew clearer and his memory came back, meaning he was forced to a state of reminiscence of the murder.
20. The Visions of Hildegard - Hildegard, a nun born 1098, experienced and recorded countless migrainous visions, interpretted as religious
Part 4: The World of the Simple
21. Rebecca - suffered cerebral and mental defects, making her clumsy, incapable of learning certain things but still able to form deep attachments and connect with the world in spite of her handicaps. She showed deep and meaningful appreciation for nature, deep grief when losing her grandmother and her movement problems did not affect her ability to dance.
22. A Walking Grove - Martin A, a man with severe mental retardation but an incredible musical memory, and knew by heart, amongst other things, Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians.
23. The Twins - autistic twin brothers, who are severely impaired in terms of reading and arithmetic but have an incredible ability to 'see' or 'perceive' numbers e.g. working like calendars, seeing how many matches fell out of a box, sharing 12 digit prime numbers.
24. The Autistic Artist - the case of José, a young man with mental retardation, who suffered seizures. The found that drawing was his way of connecting with the world around him and to express himself.
This book was brilliant and I have written more about my views on it on my 'things I have watched/read' page.
24 October 2013
Critical Thinking
Since I'm doing my Oxford Thinking Skills Test (TSA) in a couple of weeks, I've been trying to understand some critical thinking stuff as a way of preparation.
At first glance it all seems very deep, complicated and confusing. But, by working through 'Critical Thinking For Students' by Roy van den Brink-Dudgen, I've started to get my head round it. This book has been great in that it introduces me to the subject in small steps, tests what I've learned, then adds things on.
It's really very logical now that I've begun to get the hang of it. I'm glad that I'm learning this skill, not just because it will help with my TSA but because I feel that I can apply it to all of my subjects and all elements of life. Being able to analyse and evaluate are key skills. And since, although I considered Critical Thinking AS, I chose EPQ instead I think its good that I'm being active in developing such a skill. It will help me in Psychology no end, it evaluating and considering various approaches, explanations and pieces of evidence.
Overall, I am enjoying learning this skill (even if I am getting nervous for my TSA!)
At first glance it all seems very deep, complicated and confusing. But, by working through 'Critical Thinking For Students' by Roy van den Brink-Dudgen, I've started to get my head round it. This book has been great in that it introduces me to the subject in small steps, tests what I've learned, then adds things on.
It's really very logical now that I've begun to get the hang of it. I'm glad that I'm learning this skill, not just because it will help with my TSA but because I feel that I can apply it to all of my subjects and all elements of life. Being able to analyse and evaluate are key skills. And since, although I considered Critical Thinking AS, I chose EPQ instead I think its good that I'm being active in developing such a skill. It will help me in Psychology no end, it evaluating and considering various approaches, explanations and pieces of evidence.
Overall, I am enjoying learning this skill (even if I am getting nervous for my TSA!)
22 October 2013
Magic Number 7!
Ever since we first learned about 'Miller's Magic Number 7' I have been intrigued by its simplicity. I like the fact that such a simple experiment can measure such a complex process as short-term memory and that it can be replicated and get consistent results time and time again.
The concept is simple: to test capacity of short term memory by digit strings that increase in length by one digit each trial ie. seeing how many digits and individual is able to hold in their STM. Miller stated the average number of digits was the magic number 7 (+/- 2).
I replicated this experiment with 4 of my friends today. Although conditions were not controlled and there was little ecological validity, I enjoyed playing the role of an experimenter and got the expected result. 3/4 of my friends recalled digit strings up to 7 numbers long (the magic number 7) and 1/4 recalled 5 digits (7-2). It's great how this simple experiment works so well!
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