Week 6: Class Evaluation (Final Week...)

What did you like about the class?
I really enjoyed class discussions and discussions. I like the movies/television shows/videos that we watched. I just like the class in general.
What was your favorite activity or project?
Play-Doh brain for sure. It was great mushing up brain chunks while being able to honestly tell my mom that I was studying.
What didn't you like about the class?
Sometimes Stepping Through the Sections took too long. We got rid of them in the end anyway, so it was ok.
What do you think I should leave out next year?
Nothing. In fact, I still want more. But the course is over... Ike took our movie week...
Do you have any suggestions or ideas for things I could do next year in AP Psych?
No stepping through the sections, more time devoted to each chapter (though 1 semester's time is already rushed), more psych blog for a longer period of time.
Do you have any suggestions or ideas for next semester in AP Econ?
I'm a junior, so I don't really care yet. But grade easy next year please.

I just have to say that I am really satisfied with this class. I am extremely glad that I decided to take it. I enjoyed just about every day of it. The facts that I learned in this were absolutely fascinating, and I a lot about how people think. I also greatly appreciated the easy A for AP credit too. Thanks for a great semester Mrs. Halfen!

Week 5: PTSD + Tetris = Fewer Flashbacks

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (or PTSD) occurs when people experience flashbacks and nightmares after extreme psychological trauma. It often causes long-term social problems. PTSD occurs most often in soldiers and veterans. Researchers have been looking into it, and they have found a semi-cure from an extremely odd source: Tetris. PTSD involves visuo-spatial/sensory-perceptual mental processes. These processes often fully encode events into memory within 6 hours, so disruption of the memory needs to occur before that. Since Tetris is a visual-spatial computer game, the flashbacks would be disrupted while competing with a game of Tetris for mental resources. The end result is that soldiers who play Tetris within 6 hours of a traumatic event experience significantly fewer flashbacks and score better on tests which measure amounts of trauma. This new finding could play a large role in aiding these soldiers with PTSD, and it could greatly reduce the suffering that our soldiers experience. War hospitals might soon be equipped with Nintendo DS's.

Week 4: Personality

You are:
slightly expressed introvert
moderately expressed intuitive personality
slightly expressed thinking personality
slightly expressed judging personality

I felt that the Jung's test was mildly accurate. I never answered in the extremes so my type might reflect that.

EQ Test
Your Score: 42
35 - 44
You have slightly above average EQ - with room to grow! You are likely sensitive to the emotional climate of the people around you - your peers, friends, family and key clients. You are well aware of the effect your behavior has on others. Still, while you may be adept at tuning into others and their needs - you must remember your own! Don't be afraid to honestly communicate these difficult needs and feelings. The world is well stocked with martyrs - it doesn't need any more! Think also about your passion for work (or whatever constitutes your main roles in life - manager of people, doer of tasks, 'meeter' of clients' needs, etc). We spend countless hours in our given roles - sometimes without much joy or satisfaction. In the process we become tranquilized by the trivial. Sedated by the small details of life. Sure, the laundry needs doing, the groceries need getting, the kids need chauffeuring, the deadlines must be knocked off, but we also need to stop and remember what gives us great joy and meaning. If we fail to remind ourselves (on a regular basis), we risk becoming hostile and cynical. We lose our purpose. And this translates to a diminished ability to be effective, at ease and fulfilled.

I felt like this test was pretty close in accuracy. I read the results and I might follow some of the suggestions.

Big Five from Planet Personality
Your Styles
Expressive Style 2.50(Medium)
Style 3.90(High)
Work Style 3.00(Medium)
Emotional Style 3.80(Low)
Style 3.50(High)

Overall I found this test to be very accurate, and it supported my general self-image.

The California Child Q-Set (CCQ)

Personality Scores and Descriptions
Score (0-100)
Personality Dimension
43
Extraversion
60
Agreeableness
69
Conscientiousness
43
Neuroticism
64
Openness to Experience

I'm not entirely sure about this test. Sometimes I found it described me, but often did not.

78
Ravenclaw
Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose intelligence is surest."
Ravenclaw students tend to be clever, witty, intelligent, and knowledgeable.
ORDER: Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Slytherin

The scores were relatively close for Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Gryffindor. Maybe it represents diversity? I took the test without preferring to be in any particular house, but I think Ravenclaw is a good fit for me.

Week 2: Anxiety Disorders

Case Study 6: A 28-year-old woman was walking through her local shopping mall when she began to feel intensely anxious. The anxiety was accompanied by sensations of choking, smothering, and a sudden sense that the people and stores around her were unreal. She began to fear that she was going crazy and the more she worried about this the more anxious she became. A guard, seeing that she was in distress, brought her to the mall office where she was able to lie down. A few minutes later the symptoms began to subside. She went home after leaving the mall but she did not tell her husband what happened. A week later she had a similar attack while she was walking down the street. She was able to reach her house where she lay down until the attack ended. In the following three weeks she had two or more attacks. Between attacks she was constantly worried about having another attack. The patient was finally forced to tell her husband about the problem because she was so fearful of not being able to get help if an attackoccurred that she would not leave her house alone or travel on public transportation.

It seems as though this woman is suffering from Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia. Evidence can be found in the facts that: the woman feels physical effects of choking, smothering, and irreality, she becomes afraid of losing sanity, she has an attack within a month, she worries that she will have another attack, she has issues leaving her house without a companion, and she fears traveling alone.

The woman should seek some professional help. Her therapist might put her through cognitive behavioral therapy (making the fear seem unreasonable by using logic), or her therapist might put her through exposure therapy (creating a stressful situation and helping patients overcome fear). Hopefully, the woman will be able to resume her normal life without fear of a panic attack.

Week 3: Personality Disorder

Hey Mom and Dad,
It's me Andrew. I just wanted to write back to you about my first semester at college. I have to keep this letter kind of short, because I do not want anyone else to know that I am writing this letter. It would be so embarassing if my roommate saw me... So far I haven't found any clubs or groups to participate in because they probably wouldn't like me anyway. There's this cute girl in my Psychology class, but I'm kind of scared to do anything. One time I gave her a sheet of paper, but I'm sure that she doesn't know I exist. I have the highest grade average in the class, but all the other students are probably better than me even if they have lower grades. I just hope I don't embarass myself more than 50 times this year...
Your underachieving son,
Andrew

Week 1: Harriet Tubman: Narcoleptic

In the years leading up to the Civil War, Harriet Tubman secretly operated the Underground Railroad to help slaves escape to the North. Tubman was born a slave herself, but eventually escaped. From there Tubman fled to Philadelphia and planned several trips back to the South to guide her relatives to freedom. Because she was so succesful at her work (over ten journeys freeing hundreds of slaves), she gained the nickname "Moses." During the Civil War, Tubman served as a cook, nurse, and then as an armed scout and spy. She even led a raid that freed seven hundred slaves.

During her early childhood, Tubman was struck over the head and injured. Though her injury healed, she had head trauma and brain damage. For the rest of her life, she suffered from hypersomnia (excessive sleepiness) resulting from her narcolepsy (sudden sleep attacks sometimes accompanied by seizures). During her bouts of sleep attacks, she would often claim to have religious visions. These visions/premonitions actually inspired her to continue her work because she believed that God would protect her from harm.

Even though such an illness as narcolepsy would seem to be a major hindrance for a regular person, Harriet Tubman managed to turn her weakness into strength and determination. She is a national hero, and I admire her for her bravery. In many cases, narcoleptics are held back from the things that others can do. For example, driving can be hazardous if you fall asleep intermittently. For this reason, Harriet Tubman's story is inspiring and I hope that narcoleptics can achieve their goals regardless of their condition.

http://faculty.brenau.edu/lewis/tubman.html

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p1535.html