May 17, 2011

MY FAMILY CONCEPT

I think family is an unit of live that has the purpose to raise and educate children, or to have company during your life. They are the ones that will always support you and help you whenever you need it. Tbere is usually a leader that takes the important decisions and is there's also someone who brings money home. It may be the same person too. 
Family is the first source of love, and should be the inspiration and strenght to do something in our lives. For me, family can be called the most important thing in the world.


An example is the Cullen family (also called clan) which appears in the Twilight saga. Even though they are not  really a family (no blood bond) there's Carslile, who is the leader and Esmee, who is the "mother". The rest of them have the role of "children". They get on together pretty well, so they are a nice family.

May 2, 2011

Adolenscence

 FRIENDSHIP
Friendship is a personal relationship shared between each friend for the welfare of other, in other words, it is the relationship of trust, faith and concern for each other feelings. It is a relationship of mutual caring and intimacy among one another. 

LOVE
A feeling of strong attachment induced by that which delights or commands admiration; preeminent kindness or devotion to another; affection; tenderness; as, the love of brothers and sisters. 
RELATIONSHIP
the attitude or stance which two or more persons or groupsassume toward one another relation
an aspect or quality (as resemblance or causality) thatconnects two or more things or parts as being or belonging orworking together, as being of the same kind, or as being logicallyconnected strong relation between genotype and phenotype. 

FAMILY
The collective body of persons who live in one house, and under one head or manager; a household, including parents, children, and servants, and, as the case may be, lodgers or boarders. 
INVOLVED RISKS IN SEX IN ADOLESCENCE
There are thousands of risks when having sex in adolescence. Abstaining from sex and sexual play is the only sure method to avoid catching an STD and to prevent an unplanned pregnancy. Although it may not prevent a pregnancy, having sex within a committed, monogamous, long-term relationship with someone who has tested free of any STDs is also generally considered to be safe sex. 

ADDICTIONS
AN addiction meets two criteria:
You have difficulty controlling how much you use or how long you use. 
You continue to use even though it has negative consequences to your life. 
INTENTIONS WHEN HAVING SEX
Early sexual activity can bring with it serious short and long term health consequences as well as have negative effects on youth, their family, offspring, and society as a whole. It appears that intentions to have sex in the future are not as different between males and females once they become sexually active.

PREGNANCY
The state of carrying a developing embryo or fetus within the female body. This condition can be indicated by positive results on an over-the-counter urine test, and confirmed through a blood test, ultrasound, detection of fetal heartbeat, or an X-ray. Pregnancy lasts for about nine months, measured from the date of the woman's last menstrual period (LMP). It is conventionally divided into three trimesters, each roughly three months long.

ABORTION
medicine, an abortion is the premature exit of the products of conception (the fetus, fetal membranes, and placenta) from the uterus. It is the loss of a pregnancy and does not refer to why that pregnancy was lost.

ILLNESS
Maladity of either body or mind the symptoms of which may be physically unobservable. Within general medical practice, disease is nearly synonomous; however, illness has a more general connotation encompassing the subjective aspects of the patient as a whole rather than just physical or diagnostic symptoms; thus an alternative medical practitioner may prefer to treat illness rather than only the disease.

Movie plot of Juno and Juno's profile


Juno is one of the first films I saw about teen pregnancy and I remember it because it wasn't sentimental and the girl didn't belong to the typical girl profile, because Juno is more into music than into hairsyles and is not very girly. Any way, I recomment this film, because it is funny and has a nice message to spread. 

Apr 22, 2011

Comments on the song “Whatever”

   
  I’m sure everyone has heard this song at least once. If it is in Coca Cola’s TV ad, then it is everywhere. But that’s fine, at least in my opinion.  The song has a message to spread, which is to enjoy life by being free and really making our choices, no matter what other people might think about it. As long as it makes you happy (and doesn’t hurt anyone) it is perfectly fine.

     I love the part where it says: “How long’s it gonna be/ Before we get on the bus and cause no fuss?/ Get a grip on yourself/ It don’t cost much.” The way it is said: Behave and be a grown up, is marvelous! We have to be grown ups in the sense that we have to accept failure, mistakes and imperfections in life. Things can’t be perfect! And we have to understand that and live knowing it.

     So, this is an old song, but which message is never out of fashion, cause life’s still the same. Let’s really feel free and realize we all are different and unique… and that’s just fine!

Stephanie Villegas

Mar 17, 2011

Schools of thought in psychology

Structuralism: was the first school of psychology and focused on breaking down mental processes into the most basic components. Researchers tried to understand the basic elements of consciousness using a method known as introspection. Wilhelm Wundt, founder of the first psychology lab, was an advocate of this position and is often considered the founder of structuralism, despite the fact that it was his student, Edward B. Titchener who first coined the term to describe this school of thought.

Major Structuralist Thinkers:
Wilhelm Wundt
Edward B. Titchner
Functionalism: formed as a reaction to the structuralism and was heavily influenced by the work of William James and the evolutionary theory of Charles Darwin. Functionalists sought to explain the mental processes in a more systematic and accurate manner. Rather than focusing on the elements of consciousness, functionalists focused on the purpose of consciousness and behavior. Functionalism also emphasized individual differences, which had a profound impact on education.
Major Functionalist Thinkers:
William James
John Dewey
Harvey Carr
John Angell
Behavioral psychology: also known as behaviorism, is a theory of learning based upon the idea that all behaviors are acquired through conditioning. Conditioning occurs through interaction with the environment. According to behaviorism, behavior can be studied in a systematic and observable manner with no consideration of internal mental states.
Major Thinkers in Behaviorism:
Ivan Pavlov
B. F. Skinner
Edward Thorndike
John B. Watson
Clark Hull
Gestalt psychology: is a school of thought that looks at the human mind and behavior as a whole. Originating in the work of Max Wertheimer, Gestalt psychology formed partially as a response to the structuralism of Wlilhem Wundt. The development of this area of psychology was influenced by a number of thinkers, including Immanuel Kant, Ernst Mach and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
Major Gestalt Psychologists:
Max Wertheimer
Kurt Koffka
Wolfgang Kohler

Psychoanalysis: Sigmund Freud was the founder of psychoanalysis and the psychodynamic approach to psychology. This school of thought emphasized the influence of theunconscious on behavior. Freud believed that the human mind was composed of three elements: the id, the ego and the super ego.
Major Thinkers Associated With Psychoanalysis:
Sigmund Freud
Anna Freud
Erik Erikson
Humanistic psychology: was instead focused on each individual’s potential and stressed the importance of growth and self-actualization. The fundamental belief of humanistic psychology was that people are innately good, with mental and social problems resulting from deviations from this natural tendency 
Major Thinkers in Humanistic Psychology
Abraham Maslow
Carl Rogers
Cognitive psychology: is the branch of psychology that studies mental processes including how people think, perceive, remember and learn. As part of the larger field of cognitive science, this branch of psychology is related to other disciplines including neuroscience, philosophy, and linguistics.
Important People in the History of Cognitive Psychology
Gustav Fechner
Wilhelm Wundt
Edward B. Titchener
Hermann Ebbinghaus
William James
Wolfgang Kohler
Edward Tolman
Jean Piaget

This video might heelp you to remember this info !

Mar 16, 2011

APPLICATIONS OF PSYCHOLOGY

Whereas basic researchers test theories about mind and behavior, applied psychologists are motivated by a desire to solve practical human problems. Four particularly active areas of application are health, education, business, and law.
   HEALTH
Today, many psychologists work in the emerging area of health psychology. Many of them study psychophysiological disorders (also called psychosomatic disorders), conditions that are brought on or influenced by psychological states, most often stress. Health psychologists also study how people cope with stress. Other researchers in this field examine the psychological factors that underlie lots of behaviors harmful to health.

EDUCATION
Psychologists in all branches of the discipline contribute to our understanding of teaching, learning, and education.
Two fields within psychology focus exclusively on education: educational psychology and school psychology. Educational psychologists seek to understand and improve the teaching and learning process within the classroom and other educational settings. Educational psychologists study topics such as intelligence and ability testing, student motivation, discipline and classroom management, curriculum plans, and grading.

BUSINESS
In the business world, psychology is applied in the workplace and in the marketplace. Industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology focuses on human behavior in the workplace and other organizations. Many I-O psychologists study the factors that influence worker motivation, satisfaction, and productivity.
Consumer psychology is the study of human decision making and behavior in the marketplace. In this area, researchers analyze the effects of advertising on consumers’ attitudes and buying habits. Consumer psychologists also study various aspects of marketing.

LAW
Many psychologists today work in the legal system. They consult with attorneys, testify in court as expert witnesses, counsel prisoners, teach in law schools, and research various justice-related issues.
Studies in forensic psychology have helped to illuminate weaknesses in the legal system. Psychologists in this area often testify in court as expert witnesses. In cases involving the insanity defense, forensic clinical psychologists are often called to court to give their opinion about whether individual defendants are sane or insane. 
   OTHER DOMAINS OF APPLICATION

Psychology has applications in many other domains of human life. Environmental psychologists focus on the relationship between people and their physical surroundings. In a related field, human factors psychologists work on the design of appliances, furniture, tools, and other manufactured items in order to maximize their comfort, safety, and convenience. Sports psychologists advise athletes and study the physiological, perceptual-motor, motivational, developmental, and social aspects of athletic performance. Other psychologists specialize in the study of political behavior, religion, sexuality, or behavior in the military.

Mar 15, 2011

Definition of psychology

The word "psychology" is the combination of two terms - study (ology) and soul (psyche), or mind. The derivation of the word from Latin gives it this clear and obvious meaning:
The study of the soul or mind.
This meaning has been altered over the years until today, this is not what the word means at all. The subject of psychology, as studied in colleges and universities, currently has very little to do with the mind, and absolutely nothing to do with the soul or spirit.


 According to MedicineNet.com it can be defined as: 

 The study of the mind and mental processes, especially in relation to behavior. There are a number of fields of psychology. 
  • Clinical psychology is concerned with diagnosing and treating disorders of the brain, emotional disturbances, and behavior problems. 
  • Child psychology is the study of the mental and emotional development of children and is part of developmental psychology, the study of changes in behavior that occur through the life span. 
  • Cognitive psychology deals with how the human mind receives and interprets impressions and ideas.
  • Social psychology looks at how the actions of others influence the behavior of an individual.
This is just an experiment I'd like to share. It's interesting and cute and the same time. Enjoy! 
The marshmallow experiment is a famous test of this concept conducted by Walter Mischel at Stanford University and discussed by Daniel Goleman in his popular work. In the 1960s, a group of four-year olds were given a marshmallow and promised another, only if they could wait 20 minutes before eating the first one. Some children could wait and others could not. The researchers then followed the progress of each child into adolescence, and demonstrated that those with the ability to wait were better adjusted and more dependable (determined via surveys of their parents and teachers), and scored an average of 210 points higher on the Scholastic Aptitude Test.