Psychology sem 2

The general adaptation syndrome is a sequence of events in which an organism tries to adapt to stressful situations. Name the three stages of the general adaptation syndrome. Tell what each means and how the organism reacts in each stage

The first stage is called an Alarm Reaction. The body sends out emergency signals that stir it up in preparation for an attack either psychological or physical. The second stage is resistance. The organism tries to fight back against the attack. The organism must restore psychological and physical powers if the stress is removed at this point the body and psych begin to restore themselves to their normal chemical and emotional balance. The third stage is exhaustion. Exhaustion means the battle is over, and we have lost or at least, have quit

When using standardized tests, why is it important to establish reliability and validity?

It is important to understand the differences between reliability and validity. Validity will tell you how good a test is for a particular situation; reliability will tell you how trustworthy a score on that test will be. You cannot draw valid conclusions from a test score unless you are sure that the test is reliable.

Freud divided an individual's inner world into three parts: id, ego, and superego. Define each part and use an example to illustrate each.

A id is the part of the mind in which innate instinctive impulses and primary processes are manifest. An ego is a person's sense of self-esteem or self-importance. An example of ego is the way that you look at yourself. An example of ego is thinking you are the smartest person on earth. A superego is the part of a person's mind that acts as a self-critical conscience, reflecting social standards learned from parents and teachers. An example of superego is, if the ego gives in to the id's demands, the superego may make the person feel bad through guilt.

Briefly explain the purpose of each of the following. a. achievement tests b. aptitude tests c. vocational interest tests Ask your school guidance counselor or a counselor at the high school in your community what types of achievement, aptitude, and vocational interest tests are given at the school. What groups of students take the tests? How are the test results used?

Achievements tests are tests that measure the amount of specific material remembered from the classroom. Aptitude tests are tests that measure one's specific skills. For example, carpentry, medicine and so on. Vocational tests are tests that attempt to predict what occupational area an individual will like. During this summer time and due to COVID-19 I can't get a hold of the school counselors, but I do know that the school psychologist in the past has given me the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT) and the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement (KTEA). The test results help my school team have a a better understanding of what my strengths and weaknesses are and how to better help me learn.

Discuss the halo effect, the reverse halo, and standoffishness and their effects upon interviews. What can be done to offset these effects?

Halo effect is a situation in which a person who has one positive characteristic is assumed to have other positive traits. The interviewer will think these people are bright, helpful, and useful all of which may be false. The interviewer should check if this is actually the case. They should also check for negative characteristics. Reverse halo is when a person with one negative characteristic is assumed to have other negative traits. In this case a person might do something dumb but may have great potential, but it is hidden by this behavior. In this case the interviewer may not see the real person, they are taken in by the reverse halo. Standoffishness is doing or wearing something that is so startling it distracts observers from noticing one's real abilities. For example, a male wearing a red a yellow checkered jacket or a female wearing five inch bird cage earrings will distract the interviewer, who will not notice the qualities the applicant possesses that are right for the job. To offset this effect is to dress appropriately for interviews and double check by asking more questions.

Based on your behavior, are you a type A or B personality?

I am type A personality because I'm an athlete. I am constantly trying to do my best and move forward all the time.

Which factor do you consider more important in the development of personality—environment or heredity? Explain your answer

I feel that the environment plays a more important role in personality. Besides being influenced by our parents we are also influenced by brothers, sisters, playmates, school groups and sport activities.

How does the popular definition of personality differ from the definition psychologists would offer?

Personality is defined as the characteristic sets of behaviors, cognitions, and emotional patterns that evolve from biological and environmental factors. A psychologist is a trained professional who analyzes the thoughts, feelings, and history to reveal the problem.

Briefly explain the personality theories of both the behaviorists and the humanists

Personality theories of behaviorists are focused on acts and behaviors. Our personalities evolve from a series of rewards and punishments. For example, if you drop out of school to get a job, in the long run you will lose a great deal of money. But in the short term each week you will get more money than your friends who are still in school. According to behaviorists these people are getting a continued series of rewards that shape their behavior. Behaviorists John B Watson believed that if he had complete control of a person's environment from infancy, he could make that person become anything at all like a doctor or a lawyer. The best known behaviorists B.F. Skinner believed that everything we do is the result of a mechanical association of events with their consequences. Humanists personality theories emphasize the positive potential of the person. The leading humanist was Carl Rogers; he believed that we are basically good. The biggest problem we have is living up to what he called the ideal self. The ideal self is the closest to perfection that we can accomplish. Abraham Maslow saw humas as having a deep need for beauty, goodness, justice, and a feeling of completeness, which are all hopeful and positive things about human beings. Maslow believed that the fulfilled person is self-actualized. Self-actualized is the state of having brought life to the full potential of our skill

Define personality traits. In assessing Allport's theory of personality traits, use examples to describe the difference between cardinal traits and secondary traits.

Personality traits are more or less permanent personality characteristics each of us has. Allport's theory starts out with the common term that people use to describe one another. For example words like honest, dominant, outgoing and others. Allport then divided these into three categories of traits - Cardinal, central and secondary. The categories go from strongest traits to weaker ones. Cardinal traits are strong personality characteristics that are expressed in everything a person does. They are also quite rare. Very few people have a cardinal trait. When a person does have a cardinal trait, it affects their daily life in many ways, an example is Adolf Hitler ruthless dictator and another example is Mother Teresa relating to kindness. Secondary traits are the weakest and least characteristic group. These traits only appear in certain situations. They do not usually describe the individual very well. For example, a person could be easy going and calm but become highly aggressive when a loved one is threatened.

How is self-esteem different from self-concept?

Self-concept is the image we have of ourselves. Self concept is the images that we have ourselves. Self esteem is the degree to which we think we are worthwhile

In what ways can stress be positive or good?

Stress can help you accomplish tasks more efficiently. It can even boost memory. Stress is also a vital warning system, producing the fight-or-flight response. When the brain perceives some kind of stress, it starts flooding the body with chemicals like epinephrine, norepinephrine and cortisol

List Freud's five stages of development and define each

The five stages of Freud's development are, oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital. Oral stage is birth to age 1 at this stage feeding is the main source of infants pleasure and weaning is the child's main issue. Oral language is the system through which we use spoken words to express knowledge, ideas, and feelings. Developing oral language, then, means developing the skills and knowledge that go into listening and speaking all of which have a strong relationship to reading comprehension and to writing. Anal stage is ages 1.5-2.5. At this stage toilet training is the child's main concern. The phallic stage is the third stage of psychosexual development, spanning the ages of 3-6years, wherein the infant's libido (desire) centers upon their genitalia as the erogenous zone. Latency stage of development in which the child's earlier complexes are hidden or go below the surface. Genital stage is when the individual seeks an appropriate marital partner an early complex reappear.

In what ways do the neo-Freudians' personality theories differ from the personality theories advocated by Freud and Jung?

The neo-Freudians were psychologists whose work followed Freud's. They generally agreed with Freud that childhood experiences matter, but they decreased the emphasis on sex and focused more on the social environment and effects of culture on personality.

Why did Freud compare the conscious mind to the tip of an iceberg? In your description, also define repression

While the conscious and preconscious are important, Freud believed that they were far less vital than the unconscious. The things that are hidden from awareness, he believed, exerted the greatest influence over our personalities and behaviors. Repression is the psychological attempt to direct one's own desires and impulses toward pleasurable instincts by excluding them from one's consciousness and holding or subduing them in the unconscious.

Based on your readings in chapter 16 about alcohol abuse and alcoholism, do you consider alcoholism to be a disease?

Yes I consider alcoholism to be a disease. Alcoholism is a disease because it changes the chemistry in your body. It changes red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Alcoholism makes the body vulnerable to infectious diseases like tuberculosis. It can also cause liver disease, pancreatitis and cancer.

For the following common drugs, briefly tell how each can affect someone who becomes dependent on its use

a. Opiates - opiates are sedatives, which dramatically depress nerve operation in the brain. Some opiates or heroin and morphine. b. Cocaine - cocaine creates a warm "rush", which radiates through the body for about 10 minutes. Cocaine in any form leads to severe hallucinations, mental confusion, and paranoia. c. Steroids - steroids are hormones that occur naturally in the body, some of which promote muscle growth. While steroids do help increase muscle mass, many users experience severe problems. d. Amphetamines - Amphetamines are very dangerous. They create a feeling of excitement, freedom and energy but they also create a heavy tolerance. e. LSD - LSD is a psychedelic drug called a hallucinogen. f. Marijuana - marijuana is a psychedelic drug that distorts or confuses the users perception of the world

Briefly define the following defense mechanisms and give one example of each

a. Repression - The process of pushing a painful even or thought out of consciousness. For example, back in May I had to have a urogram test that was very painful and it's an event that I want to forget. b. Rationalization - A defense mechanism in which controversial behaviors or feelings are justified and explained in a seemingly rational or logical manner to avoid the true explanation, and are made consciously tolerable—or even admirable and superior—by plausible means. A person might account for a bad mood or general rude behavior by explaining that bad traffic affected the morning commute, for example. Someone who is passed over for a promotion might rationalize the disappointment by claiming to not have wanted so much responsibility after all. c. Regression - A process of going backward in behavior and thought to a period when we were taken care of as a child, childish behavior. For example regression is seen in sporting events, when a player lies down on the ground and has a tantrum, just as a child would. d. Denial - The process of refusing to admit that there is a problem. For example, when given bad news, the first thing people say is something like, "Oh no, that can't be true". e. Projection - The process of attributing our thoughts to someone else. For example, if you think a judge gave you a very low score on your floor routine and you say that the judge is incompitant. The responsibility is shifted on to someone else

We're continually faced with choices and conflicting courses of action, which are responsible for many of our frustrations. Explain the following types of conflicts.

a. approach-approach conflict - A conflict involving a choice between two attractive alternatives. b. avoidance-avoidance conflict - A conflict involving a choice between two unattractive alternatives. c. approach-avoidance conflict - A conflict involving a situation with both good and bad features. d. double approach-avoidance conflict - A conflict involving a choice between alternatives, both of which have good and bad parts