Final Thoughts

My perspectives regarding this course and the concepts of psychology are somewhat changed since I have taken this course. I use to believe that psychology was a psychologist and a patient sitting there in an office discussing the patients problems.

Now I see quite differently, for instance the mind of a murderer is not at all normal. Reduced activity in the frontal lobe of the brain, which helps control impulses was found in the brains of murderers. Their levels of arousal are lower than normal. The higher the stress level the more arousal a person has. These are all very interesting things that I learned from unit eight.



During this course I also learned from unit seven, psychological disorders. The four different kinds of disorders and their symptoms. I also learned about the mood disorders which were very interesting to me. I had often wondered what could possibly make a person happy one minute then in the next they flip out and start crying, within a matter of minutes. I also learned a great deal about schizophrenia and it's causes and symptoms.

I unit six I really appreciated the information about memory. How we encode information in our brain and later retrieve it as needed. I learned how memories are stored in our brain and the center for our memory is the amygdala. I now understand why I think of certain things when I hear see smell or even taste something. And that sometimes certain memories do not just go away.

Our forgetting information is our failure to encode information for entry in our memory system. Memories are not stored as exact copies so they are not retrieved as exact copies.

I learned how to solve problems in an effective way by taking on a new fresh perspective.

In unit five I learned of Sigmund Freud's treatment of emotional disorders and his view of free association and dreams. Freud believed that children develop through psychosexual stages. He suggested that our personalities are influenced by how we have resolved conflicts associated with these stages and whether we have remained fixated at any stage. But ther ewere those who argued Freud's ideas. They argued that we have motives other than sex and aggressin, and that ego's conscious control is greater than Freud supposed.

I learned of the five personality factors and how they genetic and biological factors influence these traits.

I learned attitudes predict behavior only under certain conditions, as when other influences are minimized., when hte attitude is specific to the behavior, and when people are aware of their attitudes.

Unit four was also helpful bringing out our senses, how they are used, why and how the brain signals the receptors in order for us to be able to use these senses. Perception was also a big topic in this unit. even bringing out how a baby has depth perception.

Sleep disorders was another something I learned from this unit. Why we sleep, dreams and REM sleep modes.

In unit three development of humans proved to be helpful in learning how a person's mind develops from infancy. Social, cognitive, and physical development were studied in this unit.

In unit two the difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist were distinguished. The different types of psychologist were mentioned. and theory and hypothesis were discussed.

I learned that the master gland was the pituitary gland and parasympathetic and sympathetic
nervous system. Perceptual tasks like pictures are recognized in the right hemisphere of the brain. And damage to the hippocampus could cause an ill-tempered person to become rather mild.

I really found this course to be very helpful as I pursue the rest of my studies. I feel as though it was well worth my time and energy. I will use this knowledge that I have learned everyday and always. I truly enjoyed this course.

Unit Wrap Up Unit Eight

From this unit I learned of the physiology of hunger, what causes it and how it can be different for everyone due to their body chemistry. I learned about the psychology of sex how explicit materials may lead people to perceive their partners as comparatively less appealing and to devalue their relationships.

I learned about a persons sexual orientation, how it is neither willfully chosen nor willfully changed.
Evidence links sexual orientation with genetic influences, prenatal hormones, and certain brain structures,

Regarding sex and human values I learned that our need to belong and to feel loved is only natural.
I learned that expressing anger can actually make us angrier.

I also learned of happiness how a good mood boosts people's perception of the world and their willingness to help others.

Women and Deppression

The large difference for women experiencing depression at twice the rate as men is due to the cycle of depression. When trouble strikes, women tend to think men tend to act

I really feel the difference can be both biologically and socially based because a women suffers more than a man. Women can ruminate about anything and everything, about appearance, our family, our career, our health.

I do feel that it is possible that women are simply more willing to admit to being depressed than men. As a researcher I would asses men and women who have gone through similar traumatic situations that would could possibly cause depression. I would record how likely or unlikely a women would be willing to admit and even seek medical attention for depression.

I would choose this method because it best rates and measures between men and women which one are more willing to admit they are depressed.

The measures I would take to minimize the anticipated reporting problems would be a reinforcer or bonus. maybe offering a reward some material item or something extra to help minimize their depression.

The biological factors that might account for womens greater susceptibility to depression could be because women have more vivid recall for both wonderful and horrid experiences.

The social factors that might account for womens greater susceptibility to depression could be the fact that women worry and ruminate more about how they are compared to others. Their families, career and health are all a part of it too.

Depression becomes much more common in women after adolescence, a womens period and hormonal changes within her body may account for this change.