BLOG 3 Rainsong Gates - Essay Example

HERE HERE YOUR HERE HERE Blog Responses BLOG 3 – Rainsong Gates I am not necessarily surprised that several empirical studies in the domain of psychology have indicated legitimate reactions within the brain, the region controlling love and compassion, when it comes to smartphones. Modern communications technologies have provided ideal mediums to engage in new styles of socialization and connect with important reference group peers in real-time. In psychological and sociological theory, some of the most fundamental needs and motivations (which are rather universal) include self-esteem from others and establishment of a sense of social belonging (Weiten and Lloyd 226). This new technology enhances one’s social status and the positive responses given from important peers reinforce an ongoing social belonging which are foundational for enhancing one’s emotional well-being. The question as to whether love and compassion are actually directed toward the technology device or the communications that stem from its engagement is a debatable one. I personally believe that the centers of the brain that control love which are stimulated when discussing smartphones might actually be a product of the social outcomes that are enhanced through smartphone technology. In fact, marketing theory shows us that companies are able to use digital marketing (such as sending text messages via mobile devices) to build strong consumer emotional attachments to a company product or service brand. Such activities further give consumers a sense of belonging and stimulate positive emotional reactions to the marketing and relationship-oriented communications being delivered. Therefore, I do not think it is necessarily a negative situation that smartphone owners have built very potent responses to the technology, but just a product of lifestyle and a capitalistic society. Blog entry Wk 4 – Judd Rush That was a very interesting assessment regarding the potential correlation between ADHD and modern technology. You provided very strong arguments and justification for why television (your chosen example) provides such a plethora of images and general information that hyper-stimulates the brain and can be a probable cause for distraction. However, I thought about this phenomenon from a different perspective. In the academic environment today, students are regularly taught about the importance of multi-tasking as a career-related competency and many educators strive to reinforce the importance of remaining focused on completing several tasks at once. Once in the career environment, there is a general expectation from supervision and executives to achieve multiple deadlines and multi-faceted tasks in order to achieve bonuses, gain positive reinforcement, or even advance in their career positions. Even in general lifestyle, one must be diligent in handling multiple tasks within a single timeframe, such as getting grocery shopping completed, dropping off dry cleaning, talking with family members via communications technology, drive their vehicles, and even engage with music whilst all of these activities are occurring. I would think that the ability to engage with multiple activities successfully would also promote a biological, evolutionary response in the human brain which would reduce the prevalence of ADHD. Many have probably seen the commercials on television for Lumosity.com which claims to train one’s brain to be more effective and productive in solving tasks. It seems to me that people in today’s society are so used to having to handle many tasks simultaneously that it is not only a cultural and social outcome of modern life, but makes important changes in the brain that actually make one’s progeny more talented in this aspect rather than being more incompetent. Blog Response Wk 5 – Judd Rush While I absolutely agree that perpetrators of rape or attempted rape should be expelled from the educational environment, I wanted to add my thoughts and knowledge about the drivers of rape. The United States tends to teach men that they need to be aggressive and competitive whilst there is also a social factor that suggests men should expect to receive passive behaviors from females (Pacific Union College 1). Though this might be misguided, many societies around the world have social rules stating that men can demand sex when they offer women gifts or provide them with social recreation. Rape is therefore often defended by male perpetrators as a product of recurring enculturation and society norms. While I completely agree with you that there should be more discussion and candor about rape when it occurs on campuses, I think that in order to create any meaningful change it is necessary to understand what underpins these actions and behaviors. Rather than stating, in most cases, that the perpetrators of these actions should show more self-control, we as a society (and the academic world) should work toward changing fundamental social norms about gender roles and stereotypes that likely leads to more instances of rape in the academic world. Of course penalties serve as deterrents, however the main culturally-driven attitudes about males and females require more adjustment. Social workers and psychologists can be integral in changing social values and promoting equality between men and women which would teach the new generation of men and women to respect the other gender. Though this would represent a long-term change, it would alter misguided attitudes about gender roles that would likely reduce the prevalence of this terrible problem. Blog response Wk 6 – Zachary Strever I tend to agree with your sentiment in this case. Many models attempt to categorize individuals as if they maintain the same psycho-social behaviors, attitudes, beliefs and values. You described the circular diagram focusing on states of change as a relevant example, stating that this would be impossible based on inherent characteristics that will tend to forbid making meaningful changes, such as having a tendency toward procrastination. I have found this problematic in the domain of psychology. Researchers and professionals tend to take the attitude that people all have homogenous traits and behaviors which leads to the creation of behavioral models (or change models as you mentioned) that are often generically applied to all members of society. In reality, there are so many disparities of attitudes, behaviors and emotions in members of society that it would be difficult for psychologists to justify the relevancy and validity of these models. For example, psychological theory states that people have very strong emotional attachments to products that companies produce because marketers use integrated communications that enhance a person’s perceptions of better social status (Greenwald, Banaji, Rudman, Farnham, Nosek and Mellott 8). However, I can personally say that these tactics are ineffective when directed toward me as a consumer because I have strong convictions about the unethical and deceptive aspects of marketers. Even though marketers use positive reinforcement strategies to prompt a decision to buy a particular product, my uniqueness in attitude and emotion makes any marketing model designed to describe all consumers useless. We cannot all be categorized as the same in any domain of science. Blog Response – Week 7 Janine Johnson I had a very good friend of mine who consistently reinforced that she only needed five hours of sleep every night in order to be productive, well-rested and cognitively efficient. She was highly active and lived a lifestyle where staying busy and productive were established norms that stemmed from parents who were competitive socially and professionally. Mentally and physiologically, my friend was adamant that sleeping more than five hours per day was more detrimental to her performance and productivity. What I found particularly interesting is that she is always talking about the strange and interesting dreams that she has regularly, even though she is only sleeping five hours nightly (and sometimes during the day). Perhaps she has inherent characteristics in the brain or genetically that gives her more REM sleep which defies the need for the traditional eight hours recommended by professionals in the medical field. Data states that the average adult achieves REM sleep every 90 minutes while unconscious (NIH 3). My friend believes she has 10 or more dreams every night and seems to manage to remember them all. In any event, it is a very interesting phenomenon. You mentioned that staying on a regular sleep cycle is beneficial and, from a personal perspective, I tend to agree. If I deviate from an established cycle, I find myself lethargic, unable to concentrate, and in the long-term I am much less productive in recreation and general lifestyle activities. It is very rare when I remember my dreams which might indicate that my REM cycle is much less than the average adult, which is why sometimes even nine hours of sleep is not sufficient. I like many of the recommendations you provided, such as taking vitamins, wearing comfortable clothing, or even candles to promote a better sleep experience. However, I am wondering if we can actually escape our genetics that dictate how we must sleep. If I sleep only five hours, even when making the experience as enjoyable as possible, I will absolutely have many problems over the next couple of days in an attempt to stay focused and productive. I personally believe that I could use any stress reduction activity available, but my body and its inherent genetic make-up will always demand that I have an established sleep cycle of at least eight hours in order to be both well-rested and productive. Works Cited Greenwald, Anthony G., Mahzarin R. Banaji, Laurie A. Rudman, Shelly, D. Farnham, Brian A. Nosek and Deborah S. Mellott. A Unified Theory of Implicit Attitudes, Stereotypes, Self-Esteem and Self-Concept. Psychological Review. Vol. 109, No. 1, 2002. Print. NIH. Brain Basics: Understanding Sleep. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. April 28, 2014. Web. May 30, 2014. < http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/brain_basics/understanding_sleep.htm#dreaming> Pacific Union College. Date Rape: A Power Trip. 2008. Web. May 27, 2014. Weiten, Wayne and Margaret Lloyd. Psychology Applied to Modern Life: Adjustment in the 21st Century, 8th ed. Wadsworth Publishing, 2010. Print. Read More