Freud

Freud's studies still matter today because he started the foundation of psychology. For example, he started the whole idea of talking about your problems to feel better; something we use frequently still today. He was correct that humans are naturally going to destroy themselves and that the dark side of the subconscious mind definitely exists. If he were alive today he would likely warn us that more wars will break out because of non-peaceful ties in Israel and other countries not getting along. He might also comment on the fact that sexuality is a lot more talked about and open today and why that is, since he spent a lot of time talking to his patients about their lusts.

Guys vs. Girls

It seems as though women have a tougher adolescence than men do. The articles talk about a period in which girls go through what the author called "The Bermuda Triangle," a time in which girls go through a stage of decreasing grades, loss of assertiveness, and a need to rebel. Sometimes junior high school for some girls is described as the time they have "died." However, in our group discussions I talked with the girls about this subject and none have them said they could relate to this. I realize the stage probably happens to the young woman populous, but nobody can relate to this stage. Personally, I do not remember going through many hardships growing up as a young boy. The only real thing I can remember having a hard time with was making sure my emotions do not show and that I maintain my status as a growing man, not a boy.

Birth Order

Being the youngest in my family has helped out my stress life. It makes me feel as though I am not counted on for many burdens and have less weight put on me. It allows me to learn from my older sister's mistakes as they first pave the road. Having a good relationship with my older sister has allowed me to be more prepared for life. She tells me how people change around her age so that I expect it later on. She tells me how college life is so that I can be more prepared for the feeling and the experience. Rarely anything takes me by surprise anymore except for the interests that I have that my sister does not share. I have learned how fortunate I am to being in this position, but it does not benefit me in every single way. For instance, my needs often come second, as my sister must deal with things first. My sister was able to get a car, but I will not be able to because there will be no place to park it now that the driveway is taken up. There must be sacrifices and pros and cons for everything so I have learned to accept it.

Intro Questions

1. How important have your early childhood experiences and relationships been in shaping who you are today?

-They are relatively important in the sense that my parents’ early divorce may have shaped me in some way.



2. How does the way you have been rewarded, punished, and disciplined over the course of your life affect who you are today?

-My awards have shaped me in a positive way and have uplifted my confidence. The way I have been disciplined has shaped me into a respectful and responsible person.



3. Explain how the following factors have influenced who you are today: religion, ethnicity, gender, hometown/state, country.

-I am not a religious person, so this does not factor into the person that I am. My ethnicity has affected how I eat and some of the people that I know. My gender has put me into the role of being the man of the house and of the qualities that come with that role. My residence has allowed me to feel as though I have a more fortunate life than others do, so I should be grateful for everything that I receive.

Psychologist Career Fair Questions

A. Rank your 3 favorite psychology professions and why.

Sports Psychologist - They study how the brain works when a person is playing a sport and why they enjoy it so much. This appeals to me because I am very interested in sports and I would find it interesting to learn how I am thinking when I play them.

Consumer Psychologist- They study why people buy the products that they do. This interests me because I find it interesting that people walk into a store and buy things that they see on the way because it suddenly catches their eye. I would like to know how they are thinking when they do this.

Developmental Psychologist- They study the stages in which people live their lives. I find this interesting because people change constantly and it is interesting to observe how much a person changes in a given amount of time mentally and physically.

B. Do you think that you might consider majoring in psychology? Why or why not?

Yes I am considering it because I have always observed people and wondered how they work, why they do the things they do, why they say the things they say, why they act the way they act, and I have always looked to have a career in this field.

C. In what ways do you think that the study of psychology is useful outside of work?

I feel it is useful if somebody is going through a hard time and they need some helpful advice and somebody to talk to. I feel it is also useful if a person is acting strangely and possibly may have a psychological disease but does not know about it.

Drug and Alcohol Abuse Explanation

In my opinion I believe drug and alcohol addictions have to do with moral failures in life. I feel most people start drinking and doing drugs possibly because of depression through failures and they believe doing drugs and drinking alcohol will fix these failures. A lot of these failures could be due mainly by the effect the person’s parents had on them. If the parents were bad influences and irresponsible people, it may lead to irresponsible actions.

Another way of looking at it would be that these addictions are brain diseases. These people have mental diseases that can only be cured by rehabilitation. These mental diseases make it too tempting not to try drugs and alcohol. Once people get into the habit and repeat this pattern, they become hooked much faster than they thought they could be.

The Brain: A User’s Guide

1. Premature babies will run into problems later on in life, such as prioritizing and learning. This is why it is very troublesome for any person prematurely born. I chose this insight because it is very important in relation to the development of the brain later on in life and is very useful to know, especially if you are part of the select group that was born prematurely.

2. It can be said that children are “citizens of the world” because they can hear differently than older people with more developed brains. This means they can distinguish small differences in sound that adults would only be considered “citizens of the country.” They can understand the differences in sound between world languages, even with words that sound exactly the same to most people. This is important because it is interesting to know why children can hear differently than the more developed brain.

3. It is also important to know what happens to the brain’s ventricles and the prefrontal cortex in a schizophrenic’s brain. The brain maintains harmony and acts as the conductor. Instead of hearing music, it is more like just noise. They cannot reason correctly, their ventricles are slightly bigger, and there is evidence that other areas are smaller. I chose this insight because it is important for people to know why these people act the way they do.

Nature vs. Nurture

I think that most people in general are affected by nature and nurture almost equally. I noticed that I, myself, have characteristics that match characteristics that my parents show. I have patience and consistency from my father and artistic and athletic ability from my mother and her side of the family. Yet, I would not say that I am more of a person like my father or my mother. Rather, I am my own person, which is where nature comes into play. I developed my own ideals and characteristics from the people and events around me. Through this I feel nature depicts me more as a person.