Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Psychology and Sociology

Phobic Disorders: Types and Definitions

A phobia is defined as an irrational fear that produces a conscious avoidance of the feared subject, activity, or situation. The affected person usually recognizes that the reaction is excessive. According to the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic criteria, phobic disorders can be divided into three types: social phobia (now called social anxiety disorder), specific (simple) phobias, and agoraphobia.

Behavioral Therapies and Classical Conditioning

Behavioral therapies are based on the theory of classical conditioning. The premise is that all behavior is learned; faulty learning (conditioning) is the cause of abnormal behavior. Therefore, the individual must learn the correct or acceptable behavior.... Continue reading "Mental Health Concepts: Phobias, Therapy, and Scientific Status" »

Major Depressive Disorder

Absence of happiness is a more reliable symptom than increases of sadness (response to happy vs. sad faces; aleatory screening of mood during the day). Depression is more frequent in women than in men (around 2:1 ratio). Symptoms: Absence of happiness, Sadness, Helplessness, Lack of energy, Feel worthless, Sleep problems. Nongenetic Biological Influences on Depression (Dp)

• Few cases of Dp are linked to viral infections e.g., Borna disease (farm animals)
• Postpartum Depression: 20% of women after birth. Majority of women recover fast.
• Hormone level changes (e.g., decrease in estrogen or progesterone) can induce depression in women with vulnerability.

Abnormalities of Hemispheric Dominance

Happy mood: increase activity in L... Continue reading "Understanding Major Depressive Disorder, Bipolar Disorders, and Schizophrenia" »

Critical Thinking

Curiosity, Skepticism, Humility

Psychology is a science that studies the human mind and behavior. It is a field that is constantly evolving, as new research is constantly being conducted to better understand how we think, feel, and act.

Major Schools of Psychology

Psychoanalytic (Unconscious) - Freud

Humanistic (Free Will)

Behaviorism (Watson/B.F. Skinner) - Exploration of Behaviors

There are many different schools of psychology, each with its own unique perspective on the human mind and behavior. Some of the major schools of psychology include:

• Psychoanalytic psychology, which focuses on the unconscious mind and its influence on behavior.
• Humanistic psychology, which emphasizes the importance of free will and personal growth.
• Behaviorism,

Understanding Social Compliance Techniques

Introduction to Compliance Strategies

Foot-in-the-Door (FITD) Technique

• Getting someone to agree to a small request significantly increases the chance of agreement to a subsequent, larger request.

Door-in-the-Face (DITF) Technique

• A large, unreasonable offer is made which will surely be turned down; a second, more reasonable offer is then more likely to be accepted (often relying on the principle of reciprocity).

Lowballing (LB) Technique

• Offering a deceptively or unrealistically low bid.

• The initial offer is made at a lower price than is actually intended to be charged, and the price is subsequently raised after the target's commitment is secured, often increasing profits.

Dickerson et al. (1992): Foot-in-

The Tuskegee Syphilis Study: A Breach of Ethical Principles

The Tuskegee Syphilis Study was conducted from 1932 to 1972 near Tuskegee, Alabama. For 40 years, 600 poor, mostly illiterate African American men were monitored; 400 of them were infected with syphilis. While free medical examinations were provided, subjects were never informed of their diagnosis. Despite penicillin becoming a readily available cure in the 1950s, the study persisted until 1972. Participants were deliberately denied proper treatment, instead receiving fake treatments or placebos. In several instances, when other physicians diagnosed subjects with syphilis, researchers actively intervened to prevent them from receiving genuine care. Many participants suffered slow, painful... Continue reading "Unethical Research: The Tuskegee Syphilis Study & Belmont Principles" »

Half-Standardized Procedures

• Critical Incident Technique: With different methods, critical incidents are deduced, where the employee's reaction is decisional for success.
• Job Diary: The position holder is asked to report their work activities over a certain period. Instructions can be given in a more or less standardized way.
• Semi-Structured Interview: An interview guideline specifies the frame of course and content of the conversation. The interviewee is given room to use their own words to describe issues.
• Systematic Observation: The working person's behavior and/or the working conditions are assessed. A more precise observation plan specifies what to observe and how to record.

Standardized Procedures

• Questionnaires: Highly standardized. The interviewees

Overview of Me

Background

• From Mississauga
• Completed first year of Networking & IT Security at UOIT
• Transferred from Humber College after completing my engineering diploma
• Currently in the GAAS program

Family

My family has played a crucial role in shaping who I am today. They instilled in me important values such as:

• Respect
• Courtesy
• Caring
• Honesty
• Understanding

My parents have always been my backbone, providing guidance and support throughout my life. They have encouraged me to pursue my academic goals and explore the world. I am grateful for their unwavering love and support.

Gym Bag

Staying active has always been an important part of my life. I enjoy various activities such as biking, swimming, and playing soccer. Recently, I have gotten into weight... Continue reading "My Suitcase: A Journey of Personal Growth" »

Closure – The effectiveness of these norms depends on society’s ability to impose external situations.
For example, when a child has divorced parents, each parent has a different idea of an appropriate bedtime. Therefore, there is no social norm that is established, and the child lacks the closure needed to make it effective.

Delinquency – The relationship between juvenile delinquency and social networks is described by two different approaches.

Normative Influence (Socialization) – This states that you will behave similarly to the people you consider your friends.

Opportunity for Delinquency – Interpersonal relations are relevant as part of the process by which the social structure shapes the spatial and temporal contours of social life,... Continue reading "Understanding Social Norms and Their Impact on Behavior" »

Psychology

• Definition: The scientific study of mind and behavior.
• Pioneer: Wilhelm Wundt
• Key Work: Principles of Physiological Psychology (book)

Consciousness

• Definition: A person's subjective experience of the world and the mind.

Structuralism

• Definition: The analysis of the basic elements that constitute the mind.

Behavior

• Definition: Observable actions of a human or animal.

Philosophers

• Approach: Do not draw conclusions or seek truth by examining observable events (*empiricism*) but rather by using *rationalism*—drawing conclusions by reasoning and logic.

Nativism

• Pioneer: Plato
• Definition: The philosophical view that certain kinds of knowledge are innate or inherent.

Philosophical Empiricism

• Pioneer: Aristotle
• Core Idea: All knowledge is acquired through

Definition of Gender Roles and Gender Relations

Gender roles are the social definitions of women and men. They vary among different societies, cultures, classes, ages, and historical periods.

Gender relations are the ways in which a culture or society defines the rights, responsibilities, and identities of men and women in relation to one another.

Key Aspects of Gender

• Traits of being male/female are biological.
• Gender is learned and cultural.
• Gender guides a child's socialization according to societal expectations.
• Many differences between men and women are socially constructed.

What Does Gender Mean?

Gender shapes societies and cultures. Most societies are hierarchical, with one or more dominant groups and other subordinate groups. The dominant group... Continue reading "Understanding Gender Roles, Relations, and Power Dynamics" »