...The History of Psychology Psychology 310 Judd Smutt November 23, 2010 The study of the human mind and psychology started in ancient philosophy. Greek philosophers such as Plato and Descartes marked the beginning of the science of psychology. Many years later Wilhelm Wundt founded scientific psychology including the first research laboratory in psychology at the University of Leipzig. Wilhelm Wundt’s Gestalts psychology never became mainstream even though it had greatly influenced the beginnings of American psychology. Philosophies Contribution to Psychology Greek philosophers such as Plato Galen and Descartes began to study thought and behavior and form ideas on their observations. Their ideas about human behavior were arrived at by the use of logic, common sense, reason and systematic use of observation. Plato believed that individual differences is evidence that humans possessed different strengths and weaknesses. Some individuals are known for courage other for intellectual abilities and other for motivation. This determined what role each person would play in society. The most fundamental distinction in Plato's philosophy is between the many observable objects that appear beautiful (good, just, unified, equal, big) and the one object that is what beauty (goodness, justice, unity) really is, from which those many beautiful (good, just, unified, equal, big) things receive their names and their corresponding characteristics. Nearly every major work of...
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...Environmental and Evolutionary Psychology Transcript PSYCH/635 February 1, 2016 Dr. John Barker Environmental and Evolutionary Psychology Transcript Introduction The environmental and evolutionary psychology field is the study of how a person’s environment can affect their psychological process. The environmental field helps identify if there is a connection involving the environment of a person and what impact it can have on a person’s life. The evolutionary psychology part of the field does research on a person’s memory, perspectives, and language through the theory of adaptation. Evolutionary theory will focus on the properties of an organism and how the organism functions and it will include information on how the brain functions. Some people will react to certain situations in one manner and someone else in another. It depends on the person and the situation that they are faced with as well as the environment that they were raised in. People will tend to adapt in their environment because of necessity to survive and to become comfortable within their environment. Theorists that study evolution may view a person’s psychological traits to be progressed adaptations. The field of environmental and evolutionary psychology can help a person in understanding how external factors may affect their lives. Some people do not see the outdoors as being therapeutic, but there are a lot of factors of being in nature that can help a person. Spending time outdoors and with animals can...
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...A Beautiful Mind (2002) takes place between the late 1930s and present day. John Nash is a mathematical genius studying at Princeton University with hopes of discovering his own original mathematical theory. John is socially awkward, has trouble getting along with his peers and his only real friend seems to be his roommate, Charles. At the university, John spends an unprecedented amount of time on an original mathematical theory and finally comes up with a theory that earns him recognition. Later, Nash then begins giving math lectures at MIT where he eventually meets his wife and starts his second job. Nash’s second job is top-secret, -and involves a mission to figure out where different bombings around the world will take place. Nash becomes paranoid after he drops off one of his top-secret code-breakers and things go awry. Things take a turn when Nash is supposed to be giving a lecture and people who he thinks are Russian spies start to chase him. The audience learns that these “spies” are from a psychiatric ward, and that they have come to take Nash into their care. These top secret missions and numerous assignments that Nash has been working on are, in fact, the symptoms of his illness -a psychological disorder called schizophrenia. In actuality, the assignments are not based on reality and are instead products of Nash’s mind. The audience notices first sign of Nash’s schizophrenia at this point in the movie, - when Nash is talking to Charles at the ward but in reality,...
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...The History of Psychology & Scientific Practice Modern Psychology is somewhat regarded as a science, I dispute this but, respect that science has made a claim to the modern practice concerning the control of experiments, the theories made from observations of these experiments and that of the many journals written. Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1926) is known as the father of psychology due to his laboratory (Leipzig, Germany 1879) of experimental psychology being the first to exist. The lab gave way for the controlled environment in which to study and document the experiments of Wundt and his students thus making it a science and not the relative discipline of Philosophy that had been the domination of the former Psychologists that date back to the 4th and 5th Century (Socrates / Plato / Aristotle). Wundts Physiologist method was relatively short lived and by the early twentieth century John Watson had begun to question Wundt and suggested it was behavior that need be studied. Behaviorism of course can only be observed (albeit deliberated actions to gain a behavior result), John Watson of course used his behaviorism studies on his own children and two of which did comit suicide. I cannot see how behaviorism is a science? the only evidence obtained is that of a theorists conclusions, it is biased and the actions taken to create a behaviour are cruel and unjustifiable (in animals and or humans) Most of Watsons work was basically cruel applications of treatment as a means to result in...
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...to be aesthetically pleasing? PSY 472 What is beauty? According to dictionary.com, beauty is defined as the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory manifestations, meaningful designs, or something else. By this definition, anything that provides pleasure to one's mind can be considered beautiful. This concept of beauty is seen as being quite abstract. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” is the phrase that is often heard when discussing the topic of attractiveness but is this true? Does beauty really depend on who is looking? Beauty or aesthetics are often looked at in reference to artwork. Aesthetic means to be “concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty; also the philosophical theory or set of principles governing the idea of beauty at a given time and place (dictionary.com).” These words will be used interchangeably throughout this paper. There are many different opinions on what aesthetic qualities allow a painting to be considered beautiful. Some of these qualities are balance, rhythm, emphasis, proportion, sequence and repetition (Clair, 1939). Another article by Chen (????), measured what participants looked at when deciding whether or not a painting is beautiful and the frequent factors were meaning, brushstroke, style, shape, perspective, mood, originality, balance, and unity. An exhibition at the Birchfield Penny Art Center displays many of Charles Birchfield’s famous...
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...addict, his theories were often ridiculed and were thought to be perceived as hallucinations as a result of the cocaine use. Freud’s theories however sparked an all new era of Psychology. Although Freud’s theories seemed very radical, when put into life situations they actually make perfect sense. Psychoanalytic Literary Criticism refers to literary criticism or literary theory which, in method, concept, or form, is influenced by the tradition of psychoanalysis begun by Sigmund Freud. Psychoanalytic literary criticism is a very common method of analyzing stories such as The White Heron by Sarah Orne Jewett, Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne and The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allen Poe. Sylvia, a shy girl, who is rather naive and innocent. For most of her life has been sheltered from the atrocities of life. Being shielded from the outside world she hasn’t come to the conclusion that people can be bad. However this changes when a handsome and mysterious stranger wanders in her area. At first she intimidated by the man but is very eager to assist the man and wants to make a good impression. When finding the heron true changes begin to form in Sylvia. In sparing the heron she is more confident in her decision and assertive, she is willing ignore a person’s approval in order to preserve a beautiful part of nature. The white heron can represent Sylvia’s purity or innocence. According to psychosexual analysis the tree in which Sylvia climbs can be a phallic symbol for...
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...say, “Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder.” Stereotypes, too, can effect one’s perception of what or who is attractive. If you fit into certain stereotypes it can broaden one’s appeal to some, while decreasing one’s appeal to others. Media, movies and television have caused stereotypes to explode throughout the world. If we believe what we see and hear, then skinny, beautiful women are the only ones who get boyfriends. Guys with “six pack” abs and great hair are the only ones who get girlfriends. When we see this over and over in movies, television, and advertising, we start to believe it is true. So, people start going on diets because one never sees a chubby girl or guy walking down the runway, or getting the guy or girl in the end. Girls start wearing more makeup to cover up perfectly beautiful faces. Guys start wearing clothes they do not like because what they wore before wasn’t portrayed as attractive in the media. We are trained by the media, television, and movies at an early age to know how our society defines physical attractiveness. Everyone has seen a Disney movie or read a story about a beautiful princess, who falls in love with a prince. The princess is always...
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...According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of conflict is a mental struggle resulting from incompatible or opposing needs, drives, wishes, or external or internal demands ”(Merriam-Webster) Victims of the German Concentration Camps had positive attitudes towards conflict. The author of Night, Elie Wiesel a young boy who had a positive attitude towards conflict. Keeping a positive attitude helps you in any situation. There were some personal letters from Dear Miss Breed: True Stories of Japanese American Incarceration During World War Ⅱand a Librarian Who Made a Difference that show why being positive can help you later in life. It is best to have a positive reaction towards conflict in time of war. First, Louise Ogawa is one person...
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...How do I think television affects your psychology or that of someone I know? James Sudler August 15, 2012 Psychology 1010 How do I think television affects your psychology or that of someone I know? Television as we know it has brought much attention to society, regardless to it being positive or negative. Honestly, in my opinion, the negative attention that television brings can be explained with psychology. But on the positive side of things, television and psychology can show and explained how people response to different situations. As we all know, psychology plays a very big role in our cognitive thinking. We are taught how to live life through experiences or someone’s opinion. In this paper I will show you how television and psychology plays big with children and adults. When a child is watching cartoons, all children think it is okay to hit another individual with a bat, a rock, or any type of weapon, until that child is told that it is not okay. Psychology it affects a child’s thinking, when they are not properly being trained to do the right thing. When children sit in front of a television for more than six to eight hours, we must ask ourselves who are teaching our children? Certain shows teach children things that are not true. For examples, the cartoon, Popeye the Sailor, teaches children if they eat a can of spinach, instantly he/she will become strong just like he does and can beat his opponent without breaking a sweat. Now we simply know this...
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...of Ideas that can only be grasped by the philosophers. • What you start with at the bottom are simply dreams... as you climb up the ladder you move from the world of dreams to the world of Doxa(opinion/ordinary common sense) until you reach the epistemei(the only kind of knowledge that gives you Truth) • Plato says that you can never find the perfect justice. You cannot find perfection since perfection is only found in the abstract form of justice. • The ideal of the early Greeks was the perfect male model like hipieus. • Socrates tells hipieus and asks him what beauty is? • Hipieus answers that beauty is a beautiful woman... he thinks that this is obvious • But Socrates continues to challenge him that beauty is not just related to women • Is there a reason why use the same adjective with regards to women, monkeys, horses etc? o You might call a pot beautiful just for because the pot maker did a better job • What Plato is really saying that if you really want to know the meaning of something, firstly you have to find the definition that works always and lacks nothing • Plato thought that ordinary people spend their...
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...“I have always believed in numbers. And the equations and logics that lead to reason…”(A Beautiful Mind). The movie, A Beautiful Mind captures the life of a mathematical genius' John Nash. In Nash’s early twenties, he studied at a prestigious school called the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The signs of mental illness started to unfold as Nash created his imaginary best friend named Charles. Another character he created is named Parcher, who works for the Central Intelligence Agency and desperately needed his assistance in deciphering Russian messages. “Diagnosed paranoid schizophrenia [at the age of 31], Nash spent the next three decades in and out of mental hospitals” (www.pbs.org). Throughout that time he eventually overcame the struggles of the disorder through his intellectual mind. Schizophrenia is a chronic, more or less debilitating illness characterized by perturbations in cognition, affect and behavior, all of which have a bizarre aspect, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders fourth edition. “A more modern definition of schizophrenia describes it as a long-lasting psychotic disorder (involving a severe break with reality). In which there is an inability to distinguish what is real from fantasy as well as disturbances in thinking, emotions, behavior, and perception” (Ciccarelli & White, 2012). In reference to the DSM-IV-TR, the characteristic symptoms of criteria...
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...The Psychology of Eating Disorders Does the saying “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” stand to be true? For some the answer to this question would be yes. But, to the many health aid companies who advertise in popular teen magazines, commercials, movies, and television shows the answer might be different. The companies that sell “health aide/beauty products” have made a science of understanding the most effective way to advertise and market their products. They spend hundreds of millions of dollars per year targeting specific age groups and races to make sure that their voice and opinions on the best way to attain those “movie star looks” are heard. However, in my opinion, this mass advertising crosses the line when every magazine in a newsstand promotes unhealthy body images and ways to lose weight. Young woman, who are not wise enough to know that everything they read or see is not always true, can take many of the promises that such health/beauty aids promotes to a whole new level. What these girls/young women fail to understand is that there are sellers of products, who in some cases are more concerned with their profits than the health and well-being of the consumer buying their products, . A large portion of the female population has felt the pressure to look or act a certain way at some point in her life. The real problem is how these girls deal with that pressure. More often than not, they will resort to doing extreme things to their bodies. Actions that...
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... he still has a wonderful life with his spirits of optimism. When Nick was a child, he always got laughed at other children because of his defects. Thanks to his parents, they taught Nick using an optimism, positive attitude to face everything, and he did it. He has tried everything he could to experience a normal life, he plays sports, like swimming, surfing, diving, playing golf and so on. Furthermore, Nick graduated from Griffith University with double majors when was 21 years old. He also married a beautiful woman. Moreover, he has given speeches around the world to encourage people live with optimistic, positive, passion, and enthusiasm. Nick has such a wonderful life which beyonds everyone’s expectations. His story tells us the power of optimism! Optimism is a mental attitude, which interprets everything and every situations with the best parts. From the textbook Organizational Behavior which wrote by Fred Luthans, “optimism is a major construct in positive psychology and has long been recognized by both psychologists and people in general”. Before we introduce optimism we...
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...Why People Hate Dove's 'Real Beauty Sketches' Video Dove's "Real Beauty Sketches" campaign is supposed to be an uplifting message that shows women that they are more beautiful than they think they are. In the viral video, an FBI-trained sketch artist draws women first based on their own and then on strangers' descriptions. While many love the video, others found major flaws in the ad. A slew of articles have point out why the ad isn't entirely on-message, with headlines including "Beauty Above All Else: The Problem With Dove's New Viral Ad" and "What's Wrong With Dove's Real Beauty Sketches Campaign?" These are some of the main complaints: The video only focuses on a very small subset of women. Kate Fridkis of Psychology Today describes the concept of the video: "Some lovely, thin, mostly white women who are all pretty young describe their appearances to a forensic artist." In fact, most of these "real" and "beautiful" women are white. DoveDove's ad has been criticized for mostly showing white, traditionally attractive women. Blogger jazzylittledrops wrote a passionate blog about the video's lack of diversity. She noted, "Of the main participants: all four are Caucasian, three are blonde with blue eyes, all are thin, and all are young (the oldest is 40). ... We see in the video that at least three black women were in fact drawn for the project. Two are briefly shown describing themselves in a negative light (one says she has a fat, round face, and one says she’s getting...
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...Ashford University Social Psychology Stephanie Anderson Have you ever been able to persuade someone into doing something? What about being persuaded by someone. You probably didn’t even know there were several different techniques when it comes to persuasion. Persuasion can be a powerful tool. It can be used in a positive way or a negative way. Knowing the characteristics of the persuader, the message that’s being persuaded and the characteristics of the audience can be a benefit to you. If you’re the one doing the persuasion you must have certain characteristics about yourself. People need to know that you know what you’re talking about and they can trust you. A communicator with expertise is one who appears to have knowledge and is able to communicate it (Feenstra, 2013). You can have all the expertise about something, but trustworthy is the most important. A trustworthy communicator is one we believe is giving us accurate information. (Feenstra, 2013). Another characteristic about being a “persuader” is physical attractiveness. Believe it or not people tend to go with someone who is more attractive than someone who is not. If you were going to buy a phone or even just to look at one you are more than likely to be persuaded by someone who is attractive. People respond more to people who are attractive due to the fact they would rather interact with them more. If you have ever seen hooters commercial or a billboard ad you will notice they’re beautiful attractive woman. Their...
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