![]() Punishment refers to any event that weakens or reduces the likelihood of a behavior. There are two categories of punishment: positive and negative punishment. Positive punishment weakens a response by presenting something unpleasant after the response. An example of this type of punishment would be giving a child extra chores after they misbehave. Transversely, negative punishment weakens a response by reducing or removing something pleasant. An example of this would be taking away a child’s toy. Both of these methods of punishment will decrease the likelihood that a child will repeat these behaviors; however, there is does not seem to be one style of discipline that is clearly more effective or at least more frequently utilized. To find out the opinions of the local community, six high school students were asked, “what do you think is the most appropriate method of discipline and why?” Out of the six interviewed students, three of them three of them answered with some form of negative punishment. Their responses varied from taking away children’s toys to taking away cell phones and other privileges as a form of punishment for older children. Student A explains, “I think taking away toys is the most effective method of discipline because . . . they'll be more likely to follow directions the next time because they'll remember that you took away something they cared about. When I was younger I wasn't really disciplined, which is probably why I’m like this.” Student A’s response brings up an important point. The selection of high school students as the interviewees was in fact purposeful. This age group was selected because they are entering young adulthood, but can recall the various methods of discipline they experienced or currently experience. Thus, they can attest to which methods they believed are effective and appropriate by considering their own past. Two out of the six students believed that time outs, a method of positive punishment, was the most appropriate. Student B elaborates on the time out method, saying that “time outs are the most effective because it is time to think about what they’ve done, and it gives them time to cool off. And then afterwards asked them what they learned, and if they have no answer send them back. I mean thats what my parents did to me.” The final student did answer with a method of either positive of negative punishment. Instead, they actually answered with the second of operant conditioning forms: reinforcement. Student C believes that “being rewarded for good behaviors is the most effective.” This is classified as positive reinforcement, and is defined as strengthening a response by presenting something pleasant after the response. Even from these small, informal interviews, no clear conclusion can be drawn. Both methods are widely utilized and both seek to yield the same response. Just as in all other parts of parenting, it seems there is no easy answer. So, to all you parents out there, good of luck!
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![]() From a young age, we are taught right from wrong. However, the different methods of discipline vary from different parents. There are two types of conditioning: reinforcement and punishment. Reinforcement works by increasing a behavior while punishment weakens or reduces it. These forms of discipline can either be positive and negative, referring to whether something was presented or removed. Positive reinforcement strengthens a response by presenting something pleasant after the response, like praising a child for good grades, and negative reinforcement strengthens a response by reducing or removing something unpleasant, like taking painkillers to alleviate a headache. Both situations reinforce this behavior to happen again in the future. Conversely, positive punishment weakens a response by presenting something unpleasant after the response, like grounding a child after having a bad attitude, and negative punishment weakens a response by reducing or removing something pleasant, like taking away phone privileges after getting poor grades. I believe positive reinforcement works better than any type of punishment because it makes a person feel better. In order to prove this theory, I asked students at school what method of discipline they find most appropriate and effective. Some agreed that positive reinforcement is the way to go, specifically verbal praise or physical rewards. However, contrary to my belief, the majority of students interviewed felt that negative punishment is most effective. Taking away phone privileges was a common theme mentioned by those that thought reducing a pleasant stimulus was the more compelling method of discipline. Similarly, students felt the next best form of discipline is positive punishment. All who mentioned this type of conditioning said that timeouts would work best for children. While a good amount of interviewees believe presenting an unpleasant stimulus is a good way to weaken a certain behavior in children, all agreed that violence is never the answer. One student suggested that inflicting violent actions might result in aggression and rebelliousness as children grow older. Overall, from the collected data, I found that punishment may be the more effective method of discipline. Whether it is adding an unpleasant stimulus or removing a pleasant stimulus, it can be seen that punishment has a greater effect than reinforcement. Although, the collected data cannot accurately represent the true most effective method of discipline because only teenage girls were interviewed. Research actually shows that reinforcement is more effective. Nonetheless, it still goes to show the impactful effect of punishment in their lives. While every parent is entitled to their own ways of raising their children, the repercussions should be considered. Again, different methods of discipline vary from parent to parent and what is meant to be a punishment to one child might come across as a reinforcement to another. Take, for example, the class clown who gets in trouble. While the teacher will call him out and punish him for being disruptive, he is actually given reinforcement in getting the attention he sought out all along. What then is the best way to discipline a child? https://quizlet.com/_3z0ded
Have a test? Click on this link to see a review of the Cerebral Cortex ![]() How do children develop in their relationship with their caregivers? Psychologist John Bowlby believed that the relationship of a child to their caretaker resulted in all or nothing: either a relationship or no relationship. However, psychologist Mary Ainsworth disproved Bowlby’s theory that attachment is an all or nothing process in her famous and intriguing experiment titled, The Strange Situation. In 1969, she developed a test called the Strange Situation Classification (SSC), designed to root out the differences in attachments various babies have with their mothers. The experiment goes like this: A toddler and it’s mother are placed in a homely room with lots of toys, while the researchers watch through a one way glass taking notes about the child’s behavior every 15 seconds. While the setting is nice and comforting, it is different then what the child is used to, so theoretically, the child should act more attached to their mother in this unfamiliar area.
According to how the child reacted, Ainsworth separated the children into three groups: Secure Attachment, Ambivalent Attachment and Avoidant Attachment. When a child demonstrates Secure Attachment, the child is distressed when the mother leaves and comforted when the mother returns to comfort the child. The child usually ignores the stranger when alone, but with his or her mother, is more likely to interact with the stranger because they use their mother as a safe base to explore their environment. In Ambivalent Attachment, the child exhibits intense distress when the mother leaves, is completely mistrustful of the stranger yet is not easily comforted by the mother in return. The child may even push his or her mother away. The child who displays Ambivelant Attachment cries more and explores less because they cannot depend on a reliable base to explore. Lastly, the child who shows Avoidant Attachment usually is not interested in his or her mother, and plays normally whether the child is with his or her mother, the stranger, or completely alone. The child shows litter preference for the mother or the stranger. Ainsworth’s results give interesting insight to how parenting styles can affect the relationship between the child and caregiver, even affect the child’s personality. https://www.simplypsychology.org/mary-ainsworth.html ![]() Do you think you could live without your sight? Daniel Kish, who has been blind since infancy, explains how he uses echolocation to hike in the mountains, cook and ride his bike. By using clicking sounds similar to bats and dolphins, Kish has tuned his ear and brain to detect variations in the sounds that bounce back at him. For example, if Kish holds a flat glass one arm-length from his face, the echo of the click sound he makes will sound lower when it bounces back to him, than if the glass had been half that distance. For a demonstration, click here. According to smithsonian.com, echolocation provides “flashes” of the surrounding area. One might compare the experience to turning on and off a flashlight. Kish explains that echolocation can help those who are blind in navigating their world. Though echolocation cannot completely replace sight, it allows for the brain to register what is around it, and react accordingly. For example, Kish explains that when he clicks at a bush the sound waves that bounce back can be interpreted in his mind as fuzzy, thin, wispy or soft. Echolocation is not a super-human trait; in contrast, through years of experimentation and practice, anyone can train their brain to recognize distances, depth, shape, even surface textures through the powers of echolocation. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=a05kgcI9D2Q https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=A8lztr1tu4o&feature=youtu.be https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/how-does-human-echolocation-work-180965063/ Picture from: http://discovermagazine.com/2015/july-aug/27-sonic-vision ![]() Stressed out? Instead of binging on TV and chocolate while curled up in a protective ball on the couch, try engaging in the peaceful art of mindful meditation. Mindful meditation is insight, or, “a psychological state of active passivity and creative quiescence”. In other words, it is becoming aware of your own presence, not judging or criticizing in any way, but simply allowing yourself to exist in the present moment. The goal of this practice is by focusing on your presence and your surroundings, gradually thoughts and feelings that are buried in your subconscious will rise to the surface. As feelings and thoughts pass through your consciousness, the focus is on the flow of the process rather than on the anxious thoughts themselves. This allows the brain to slow down and think through the source of the feelings and thoughts, rather than react to them. In a John Hopkins University study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, mindful meditation can help to treat anxiety and depression. According to psychiatrist Dr. Elizabeth Hoag, “people with anxiety have problems dealing with distracting thoughts that have too much power.” Mindful meditation helps to quell these distracting thoughts by helping the person who practices it to become aware of their psychological health, while also participating in calming techniques such as deep breathing. By engaging in this calming ritual, the participant is able to logically review their thoughts, which either leads to recognition of an illogical thought or a calm approach to solving a problem. A study done by Dr. Hoag found that people who participated in a meditation program reduced their anxiety more than the control group that was taught only general stress management. Mindful meditation is beneficial to everyone; not only is it calming, but it also helps to become “in tune” with yourself by getting to know your inner thoughts and feelings. Personally, I can attest to the healing powers of mindful meditation. After dealing with generalized anxiety disorder for many years, learning how to meditate helped me to relax and recognize the thoughts that I was illogically stressing over. After meditating, I would be able to cope with problems in a logical way. So if you are stressed out, need a break or simply would like to get in touch with your inner thoughts, try out a few of these easy techniques: https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/mindfulness-exercises-techniques-activities/ https://www.huffingtonpost.com/sarah-vaynerman/three-easy-mindfulness-me_b_9674614.html https://www.mindful.org/mindfulness-how-to-do-it/ http://marc.ucla.edu/mindful-meditations I hope you find that mindful meditation leads you to living a fuller life! ![]() Late adulthood begins in the 60s, when life begins to come to its natural conclusion. Some older adults suffer from biologically based cognitive impairments that it becomes difficult for the person to continue to function effectively. Dementia, a progressive neurological disease that includes loss of cognitive abilities significant enough to interfere with everyday behaviors, is an example of a cognitive impairment. More specifically, the Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia that leads to a loss of emotions, cognitions, and physical functioning. The disease can be seen in individuals who are 65 and older, and the likelihood develops rapidly after age 65. One in 10 people age 65 and older has Alzheimer’s disease, and according to the figure, the percentage of people with Alzheimer’s disease increases with age. Here, we can see that people who are 75 or older contain 82 percent of the whole. Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are in part heritable, but the environment also plays a significant role. Although Alzheimer’s has no current cure, treatments for symptoms are available and research continues. Older adults who continue to keep their minds active by engaging in cognitive activities, such as reading, playing musical instruments, attending lectures, or doing crossword puzzles, have a lower risk of developing a loss of cognitive ability and have a greater chance of maintaining a healthier mental capacity.
Sleep deprivation has been a prevalent habit among many adolescents and adults of the 21st century. Is sleep deprivation the public health crisis of our generation? Have factors such as technology and our night routine interfere with our natural sleep cycles? We have the answer for you right here.
The definition of sleep is: a periodic, natural, reversible, and near total loss of consciousness. Sleep helps with recuperation, growth, and mental function to help stable our body growth and health. This also increases rates of learning, memory, mood, and reaction. It is pertinent for our bodies to be fast asleep throughout the night. However, did you know that in the United States this period in time, 30% of adults and 66% of adolescences are sleep deprived? This is worrisome because teenagers should have at least nine hours of sleep per night, but end up sleeping less than that. Even having less than six hours of sleep can increase the chances of having a stroke by 4.5 times than those getting a normal dose of sleep. Hallucinations, inflammation, and other psychological disabilities can start rummaging through your mind. It is almost like going through your day being drunk because you are so fatigue. One example would be staying up late to study for your test, but ended up failing it. Many parts in the brain would be affected once a person goes through sleep deprivation. The prefrontal cortex, which is in charge of planning and complex behaviors, would be working overtime to keep awake. Also the chemical adenosine, which is the incline to sleep would not be working with chemical melatonin. It could lead to disorders such as insomnia or dementia later in life. Technology could play a big role in why adults and adolescents are not getting as much sleep as they should. Using your phone in the evening may make it harder to drop off to sleep and the quality of how you slept which in return, can make you feel sleepier the next day. This is because humans can perceive artificial light as a natural light to keep us awake and distracted. The impact of sleep “are relating to both the stimulating effects of interacting with a device and the effects of light from the screen.” Another reason is that our society, such as teenagers, wants to be more engaged with other people so they won’t “miss out” on anything. There are some ways we can reduce the effect of technology in our sleep cycles. During the night time, make sure to change the white light on the screen to “night shift” to turn the screen yellow and pressing do not disturb. Another way, is to have a technology-free period before sleeping and charging your phone in another room. Though sleep deprivation has been a major health crisis in our generation and technology could be a main reason why, sleep is crucial to maintain our health and to keep our sanity. Hypnosis is a trance-like state of consciousness, usually induced by a procedure known as hypnotic induction, which consists of heightened suggestibility, deep relaxation, and intense focus. Hypnosis can be considered and confronted because it is only an attempt to make unconscious emotions conscious. Therefore, the best participants are who are willing to be hypnotized, who are able to focus their attention, and open eyes to new experiences and fantasy. When hypnotized, one feels conformity, relaxation, obedience, and suggestion. There are several misconceptions about hypnosis, and here are some of them.
First, many believe that hypnotized people are faking and lying about being hypnotized. However, professionals used measures of skin conductance to test this idea, and it has been proven that 90% of the hypnotized subjects truly believed that they were hypnotized. Another misconception is that the hypnotist is able to take control of the patients and can make them perform certain behaviors. However, it has been proven that patients could refuse to comply with the hypnotist’s command since they still retain awareness and control of their behaviors. Moreover, another common belief is that hypnotists can lead people to forget the things that happened to them while they were hypnotized. Although researchers have found that posthypnotic amnesia, which is when people forget where they had learned information that had been told to them while they were under hypnosis, was active for some people, it did not hold strong effects. Furthermore, some believe that hypnosis can retrieve memories. Some people have used hypnosis to remember events such as childhood experiences or details of crime scenes. However, people who are hypnotized and then asked to relive their childhood do not accurately recall the things that occurred to them in their own childhood. |
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