Contributions to Misunderstanding Psychology Essay Example for Free

Contributions to Misunderstanding Psychology Essay Rose (1992) has accused psychology of â€Å"Engineering the Human Soul† (p. 351). This is a very odd statement for a sociologist to make because science, whether hard or social, by definition, requires conclusions to be based on use of the scientific method. Alas, the hypothesis that there is a human soul is one that that the scientific method cannot address because there is no way to provide empirical evidence that either confirms or disconfirms it. Indeed, even the phrenologists Gall and Spurzheim (discussed below), who mapped the brain into areas controlling all sorts of human attributes, found an area for â€Å"spirituality† (Myers, 2004), but not for the soul. Rose is, however, in the company of a medical internist with a Ph. D. from Yale in physical chemistry, i. e. , Collins (2007, as cited in Snyder, 2007), who has claimed there is evidence that â€Å"moral law is implanted in our brains by God† (p. 6). Nonetheless, despite psychology being unable to engineer an entity for which there is no scientific evidence, one purpose of this paper is to argue that Rose (1992), along with other critics of psychological research, has failed to recognize that the continued influence of the studies of individual differences beyond the early part of the last century, mainly the development of tests to measure intelligence, i. e. , IQ testing, has not been on psychology, but on education. Indeed, later psychological research on intelligence and cognitive development has been largely ignored in education (Perlmutter Burrell, 1999). There is no disagreement that IQ testing had and continues to have a negative influence on education, but this paper addresses the waning of the influences of IQ testing within psychology itself not long after the development of these tests. What is psychology? Rose (1992) defined psychology as the study of individual differences, based on a â€Å"paradigmatic technique of . . . the psychological ‘test’ . . . (pp. 358-359). The goal of psychology, according to Rose, is â€Å"the isolation, intensification, and inscription of human difference† (p. 359). This definition is not the same as the one used in most textbooks on introductory psychology, where the discipline is defined as â€Å"the science of behavior and mental processes† (Myers, 2004). While psychological questions have been of interest from the time of the ancient Greek philosophers, psychology as a science did not develop until the latter part of the 19th century (Myers, 2004). Psychologists eventually conducted research in areas that began in other disciplines – and also came to be blamed for the wretched excesses of still other disciplines, notably education. In the early 19th century, phrenologists Gall and Spurzheim mapped out brain areas supposedly controlling attributes from acquisitiveness to sublimity and measured people on these attributes by feeling bumps on their heads (Myers, 2004). Despite the embarrassment phrenology caused scientists, late in the 19th century French and German neurologists, notably Brocca and Wertheimer, provided evidence of left-hemisphere dominance in tasks involving language (Deutsch Springer, 1997). They used autopsy findings of those who suffered language deficits following strokes to areas in the left cerebral hemisphere (the dominant hemisphere for more than 90% and 70% of right- and left-handed people respectively). These findings were followed by further research on deficits in spatial abilities following strokes in the right cerebral (usually non-dominant) hemisphere (Deutsch Springer, 1997). In the next century, researchers studied the performance of those who underwent a surgical procedure where the connecting fibers (the corpus colossus) between the two hemispheres were severed to control the spread of severe seizures (Deutsch Springer, 1999). Later research, using equipment such as evoked potentials, was conducted using samples from the general population. The research provided evidence not that only one hemisphere was activated during performance of most tasks but evidence that one hemisphere was more activated than the other, for example, in language comprehension, the left hemisphere is more activated, but the right hemisphere also is activated in comprehending the emotional, metaphoric, and humorous content of language (Deutsch Springer, 1997). Individual differences also were rare, for example, listening to music results in greater activation in the right than left hemisphere, except there is the reverse pattern for trained musicians (Deutsch Springer, 1999). However, the history of research related to the cerebral hemispheres is an example of psychologists falsely being blamed for the nonsense propagated by those in education that there were left- and right-brained people – and teachers somehow were supposed to adjust their teaching for their right-brained students (Connell, 1990). In outlining the history of psychology, introductory textbooks place its beginnings in Wundt’s establishment of a laboratory in Vienna in 1879 for the purpose of applying the scientific method to the study of human mental processes: â€Å"On a December day in 1879 . . . Wundt was seeking to measure . . . the fastest and simplest mental processes. Thus began what many consider psychology’s first experiment† (Myers, 2004, p. 4). However, those in other disciplines, such as Rose (1992), seem to believe not only that psychology began – and ended with the early work of those studying individual differences, but also that research in psychology actually is used in education. Individual Differences One important difference between the early work of neurologists on the human cerebral hemispheres described above and early work on individual differences is that the former research was based on beginning with basic or shared mental processes. Put another way, the law of parsimony is that main effects are studied prior to interactions (Kirk, 1995). The early work on individual differences in intelligence began prior to research on basic cognitive processing. Galton’s definition of intelligence (White, 2006) was based on an assumption drawn from Darwin’s evolutionary theory of the survival of the fittest, both between- and within-species (1859, as cited in Myers, 2004). Between-species, humans clearly are advantaged with superior intellect. However, if human intelligence had been defined as those characteristics that increase the probability of an individual’s survival, predominant attributes would be those related to the attainment of economic and political power. From the beginnings of civilization, world history has been a struggle for power, with members of prevailing powerful groups inhumanely dominating members of less powerful groups (Braudel Mayne, 2003), a concept perhaps best expressed by John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever as â€Å"everybody always has to have somebody to dump on† (Wexler, 1977). Being powerful certainly does enhance one’s chances of survival, but how did anyone reach the conclusion that power was related to what we usually think of as intellect?

The Scarlet Letter Essay -- Literary Analysis, Nathaniel Hawthorne

Sin. The word itself is synonymous with evil, shame, and a host of other negative connotations. Everyone sins. Still, each individual copes with his or her sin uniquely. Do they burrow their ignominy inside or do they confess their wrongdoing? Which one is more preferable over the other? Author Nathaniel Hawthorne takes a stab at answering some of these profound life questions in The Scarlet Letter. Through the events that occur in the lives of the characters Roger Chillingworth, Arthur Dimmesdale and Hester Prynn, Hawthorne conveys his opinion that confessing and repenting sin is better than hiding sin. Roger Chillingworth’s character serves to represent the detrimental side effects that are conceived in a life as a result of continuing in sin without confessing. Chillingworth realizes what he has become due to his sinful vengeance when he says, â€Å"No life had been more peaceful and innocent than mine; few lives so rich with benefits conferred. Dost thou remember me? Was I not, though you might deem me cold, nevertheless a man thoughtful for others, craving little for himself, -kind, true, just, and of constant, if not warm affections? And what am I now? I have already told thee what I am! A fiend!† (Hawthorne 118). Roger is enslaved by his desire for revenge towards Dimmesdale, and in doing so, transforms himself from a wise, peaceful man, into a revenge-driven monster. In fact Hawthorne writes that, â€Å"This unhappy man had made the very principle of his life to consist in the pursuit and systematic exercise of revenge†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (177). During Arthu r’s death scene Roger has, â€Å"†¦a blank, dull, countenance, out of which life seemed to have departed† (Hawthorne 175). He also explains that, â€Å"†¦old Roger Chillingworth’s deceas... ...nt as each of the men feel in their own hearts. While Dimmesdale’s extreme depression most likely causes his fatal disease, Chillingworth’s vengeful attitude towards Arthur mutates him into a gargoyle whose sole purpose is to frighten away any joy that may exist in Dimmesdale’s life. On the other hand, Hester emerges victorious in the denouement of the tale, counseling countless other hurting women and successfully raising a daughter, Pearl. There is no doubt that Hawthorne utilizes the incidences in the lives of Arthur, Hester and Roger to illustrate that keeping your sin from the rest of the world is not the way to go, and that, to receive the most from life, like Hester, you must confess your sin. In the words of Nathaniel Hawthorne-â€Å"Be true! Be true! Be true! Show freely to the world, if not your worst, yet some trait whereby the worst may be inferred!† (177).

Importance of English in Pakistan Essay

As time is passing, the language of the English men and Americans seems to grow in significance. English is becoming the most common form of communication in the world and most of the countries in the world have their academic curriculum being taught in English. It is time for Pakistan to also make a shift from the Urdu medium system of education to the English system because it’s the need of the hour. Since independence, Urdu was promoted to become the language to be used in all factions of the country. However as time passed people started realizing that international standards required them to learn a language which is understood by majority of the world. The people of Pakistan realized that for their country to develop they need to know how to communicate in English or they will be lost in the competing forces of the world. The British education system was introduced after few years of independence. People started shifting from the local Urdu medium education to the British education system. However the transition took a lot of time as private school sector was very small in the beginning. Only the elite could educate their children with the British education system as it was very expensive. However when the trend of private schools began to emerge, students from a British educational background were preferred for jobs all over the country. The government of Pakistan realized the growing importance of English and then made English as a compulsory language to be taught in all schools. English continues to be the source of communication in both the private and government offices. In this era of globalization with increasing amounts of international trade one needs to know how to communicate in English. People in Pakistan are in continuous contact with international traders and all of them have to communicate in English. The various business software used in organizations such as Multinational Companies and Banks are all in English and one needs to be totally familiar with the language to operate them. There are various critics who believe that English is harmful for the country. They argue that our culture and our traditions require Urdu to be the language for all purposes. They say that by adopting English we are going to forget our culture and lose our identity as English is not what defines us. The trend of communicating in English has grown to the extent that the elite of the country use English as the medium to communicate with their friends and family in daily life. The younger generation feels inferior if they can not communicate in English properly. Many of the young children have a stronger grip of English than Urdu. Majority of the population in the country now prefers the British education system and public schools are only filled by people of the lower income class who could not afford private education. No doubt learning English is very important for the people of Pakistan but they should not forget that it is not the language which defines them or their culture. English should be used as a medium of education but the value of the mother language Urdu should not be undermined.

Disorganized Vs. Disorganized Schizophrenia Disorder

Disorganized Schizophrenia Disorder Hunter Boumans Central Louisiana Technical Community College †¢ DEFINITION- Also called hebephrenia, disorganized schizophrenia is one of the main 5 subtypes of schizophrenia. These patients generally have extreme disorganized behavior as well as other disorganized symptoms; however they do not have traditional symptoms of schizophrenia such as delusions and hallucinations. †¢ POSSIBLE CAUSE- Exact cause is unknown. It is believed that hormones place a role in other types of schizophrenia. In this type of schizophrenia, physical degeneration is mostly responsible for symptom. †¢ RISK FACTORS- According to Mayo Clinic: Abusive childhood Trauma while still in the womb Paternal age older than 40 Contracting a disease while in the womb Use of drugs and alcohol Brain injury Closed head trauma Chemotherapy †¢ SIGNS/SYMPTOMS- According to American Psychiatric Association Mayo Clinic: Symptoms are similar to catatonic subtype, therefore catatonic schizophrenia should be eliminated first. Symptoms include: Disorganized speech (such as rambling, not able to understand) Disorganized thinking Flat affect Childish mannerism Grossly disorganized behavior Inappropriate emotion- either no emotion or non-fitting emotion Inappropriate facial resaponses Anhedonia Active behavior Avolition- lack of motivation †¢ TREATMENT- Patient will need treatment for the rest of their life. 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