Month: September 2019

Behaviorism and Being a Camp Counselor

Behaviorism, a theory constructed by John B. Watson, is concentrated on observable behavior. Watson’s theory is built around the idea that behaviors of an individual are shaped by experiences and interactions with stimuli. His theory also states that behaviors are learned from the surrounding enviroment, in which can shape or alter one’s behavior. Instead of trying to measure an individual’s internal mental state, which can be very difficult, Watson believed in analyzing one’s observable behavior. By studying these observable behaviors, Watson found that one’s behaviors are structured to be studided, taught, or even altered. Anyone from any walks of life can have their behaviors taught, no matter where you are from or how you were brought up throughout your life. There are two main types of conditioning for behaviorism, classical and operant conditioning. Classical conditioning refers to unprevoked responses your brain learns that result from experiences that occur before a response. This happens when you learn to associate two different stimuli, and no behavior is involved. On the other hand, operant conditioning refers to changes to one’s behavior as a result of experiences that occur after a response. This learned behavior is followed by either reinforcement or punishment.

This past summer, i had the opportunity to work as a camp counselor at a sleep away summer camp. While working with the youngest age group (ages 6-8) i found that operant conditioning works best while shaping the children’s behavior. After realizing that the cabin we lived in was an absolute mess, I tried again and again to have my campers clean up their areas each morning so the cabin would be clean again. However, i realized that cleanliness wasn’t a priority for children this young. Giving punsihments to these kids didn’t seem like a good idea, so i decided to positively reinforce good behavior by giving the kids extra time to play games at night, as long as they cleaned up their areas without being asked more than twice. After a few days of using this new system of reinforcement, the kids would clean up during the allotted time, and earn extra game time later that day.

The Camera and the Eye

The 5 senses allow humans to gather data about the world we live in. This data makes up our perception, and it dictates how we think and make decisions. The 5 senses include taste, smell, feel, sight, and hearing. Humans rely heavily on their sense of sight. Two hobbies of mine include astronomy and photography and the similarities between the eye and a camera are fascinating. There are also some interesting things I have learned about how the eye works in low light through astronomy that apply to what we have learned.

Our eyes pick up light on the visible spectrum. As light enters the eye it first passes through the cornea which is a clear covering that helps protect our eye and focus the incoming light. It then goes through the pupil which is a hole that can change size depending on how much light is present. The iris is the muscle that dictates how large the pupil is. After the light goes through the pupil it then passes through the lens. The lens focuses the light and it finally reaches the retina. The retina is filled with special neurons and cells that specialize in detecting light. Together these neurons and cells make up the optic nerve which ultimately sends information to the brain telling it what we see. 

In many ways (but not all), this is how a camera works. Photography is all about how to get the proper amount of light to focus on what we want it to. In a camera, the light passes through the lens. The photographer can change how large or small the iris of the lens is. This is referred to as aperture. After passing through the lens it hits the sensor. In digital cameras, the sensor takes the light and converts it into bits of data and ultimately into an image that we can see.

The eye is similar to a wide angle lens with a small focal ratio. The eye can see a relatively large area; however, only a small portion of what we can see is in focus. The function of the retina is also very similar to an image sensor. 

The human eye works slightly different when there is plenty of light verses when there is little light. As I mentioned before, the retina contains optic nerves. These are composed of cells called rods and cones. Cones are the cells that detect detail and color; however, they work best when there is plenty of light. Cones are concentrated in the center of the retina. Rods on the other hand are not as good at detecting detail and color, but they are more sensitive to light. Rods are more evenly spaced out throughout the retina and most highly concentrated slightly off the center of the eye. 

Rods come in handy when observing the stars. Some objects are extremely faint, and when you try to look directly at them they seem to disappear. When you look just to the side of the object though, you can make out the object in your peripheral vision. This is because your rods are more concentrated in this part of your eye and are better at detecting light. This method is called “averted vision”. 

Vision is incredibly important to the way we perceive the world. The way our eyes take in light is fascinating and valuable to understand in order to make sure we can appropriately analyze our surroundings.

Sources:

Course Textbook – Chapter 4: Sensation, Perception & Vision https://askabiologist.asu.edu/rods-and-cones https://vspblog.com/camera-vs-the-human-eye/.

 

Fight or Flight Response

The response of fight or flight amazes me. By definition it is “the physiological reaction that occurs in the presence of something distressing: mentally or physically. This is handled by the sympathetic nervous system.

One man named Tom Boyle once came across a boy and his bike crumpled under a car’s bumper. Boyle recalled being able to hear the adolescent screaming underneath the car. Suddenly Boyle bent down, grabbed the underside of the vehicle, and lifted with all his strength. The car rose a few inches but the boy was still trapped. Boyle lifted with some more vigor and finally the boy was able to wriggle free. What Tom Boyle did not realize is that he demonstrated an outrageous feat of strength. There is a world recording for deadlifting heavy weight, and that weight is 1,003 pounds. The car (Camaro) that Boyle lifted is 3,000 pounds. What Tom displayed is something called hysterical strength.  This is a display of extreme strength by humans in life or death situations. It is brought on by increased adrenaline production. This relates to fight or flight because that response requires adrenaline as well. Fight or flight can account for super strength, heightened sensual abilities, and more. While I haven’t experienced such an extreme response myself, I find it astounding that the body has an automatic mechanism that packs so much power.

My Experience Participating in a Survey

During summer session II at Penn State, I took an effective speech course that required me to participate in a research study for credit. The study I opted to participate in, was an online survey based on how students at Penn State take care of themselves when they become sick. The researchers conducting the study gathered data of my knowledge of antibiotics, and asked me when I believe it is necessary to use them. In our psychology class, we discussed surveys and how they are a common method in descriptive research. Descriptive research is a type of data collection that focuses on characteristics of a population and what is going on within the population.  A survey is a technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes, opinions, or behaviors of people. Researchers conducting a survey should be aware of the representative sample they are trying to reach. The representative sample is a key factor in conducting a successful study, as the results will only be accurate if the information is gathered from the group in which the study is targeted at. In the survey I participated in, the researchers were looking for information from a very wide representative sample, they wanted to collect as much information from as many Penn State students as possible. This eliminates the possible problem of  being unable to reach the representative group that they were interested in from arising, because the online survey could only be accessed by Penn State students. This is also an example of random sampling, which gives each member of a population, in this case the Penn State community, an equal chance of being selected for this study. The survey first started by asking me questions such as: how often I become ill, what medications I take when illness occurs, if I visit a medical professional right away, and if I ask their doctor for an antibiotic immediately. Then, I was instructed to watch a video about antibiotics that showed how and when to use them appropriately. The video also showed how they can be harmful if I use them when it is not necessary. After the video, I was presented with more questions based on the video, to test my knowledge based off of the information they presented to me. I was then asked questions that were very similar to the ones I was asked before I watched the video, that regarded my personal preferences about if and when I think I should take antibiotics to cure different types of infections. The survey did not use words that would be difficult for students to understand, and was based on a topic that every student is familiar with and has some previous knowledge on. In a survey, it is common for the wording of questions in a survey to lead the representatives to answer a question in a certain way. This survey worded questions in a very straight-foward manner and allowed for students to answer openly and honestly. This study was not trying to sway their participants in a certain direction, but rather collect their knowledge about antibiotics, and educate them. Also, in case any students were unfamiliar with how antibiotics worked, they provided information in the video and even included information that students may not have previously known.

Blog Post 1- Fight or Flight

Katie Perry 

9/19/19 

Blog Post 1 

Professor Joshua Wede 

During the fall, Halloween season, it is always fun to go to haunted trails or houses. What is better than paying to be scared out of your mind? This past October, I went to a haunted trail with two of my friends. It was safe to say that was one of the times I had been most afraid. I experienced the ‘fight-or flight’ response that night. When one of the characters had heard my friends say my name, a creepy “murderer” with a scary mask and fake axe had heard and came up close to me and began singing my name. Even though I knew that it wasn’t real, and I was safe, the two thoughts in my head were to either sprint away screaming or to stay and get ready to fight. I choose the flight response and my friends and I took off the other way. Fight or flight response is when the body’s sympathetic nervous system becomes active when hormones are released. Heart Rate, Blood Pressure, and Breathing rate increase because of this rush of adrenaline in response to acute stress. Other reactions may be dilated pupils, pale and flushed skin and trembling of the body. I took the haunted trail character as a threat, so my body went through these reactions as I decided between running or fighting. Fight or flight is important because it plays a role on how we deal with threats or immediate stress. The tensing of muscles prepares the body to act against the danger, if it needs to start running or beginning to fight. This stress from the potential threat can help you be prepared in a situation when you need to run or act quickly to because your body has already begun to go through physiological reactions. I remember my heart had been beating rapidly the entirety of the walk through the trail. This was because my body was automatically beating rapidly to provide energy and oxygen to the body in case I either had to run or fight. The fight or flight response overall prepared me when I was in a time of fear to be ready to react if I needed to. My body went through the fight or flight response when I was in fear and through this reaction I was prepared in case I had to act quickly. 

Selective Attention

The world around us contains more information than we can interpret and or process at once, therefore people can focus and interpret only specific stimuli at specific timing. This notion is known as selective attention. Selective attention depends on certain factors that may hinder or help ones attention span. These factors may include ideas like mental effort, how tired one may be, and mental capacity. As a student, it is relatively easy to understand the idea of selective attention. I can provide numerous examples of myself in class undergoing selective attention. I remember my 10th grade English class vividly, while my teacher was doing a lecture on diction, I could not stop staring at a drawn picture of a duck on the white board. A student had drawn it and left his initials right under it. I didn’t put in any mental effort in trying to pay attention to the lecture on diction, but I stared at the duck for about 30 minutes out of he 45 minute lecture. It was a rude awakening when my quiz grade came back to me and now I realize that the incident directly represents what selective attention is. I was able to deal with some stimuli (the image on the board), and not other information (the lecture). The diction lecture to me was boring, so I didn’t put in any mental effort into paying attention. Another personal example I have of this was about a year ago when I was crossing a street to meet my friends. My friends were already on the other side, so I was looking straight at them. I was really exited to go get food, but I didn’t realize the enormous tow truck coming right towards me while crossing. I was so focused on my friends that I had blocked out the rest of the setting around me. This reveals that selective attention is probably used commonly, and reveals that selective attention includes factors like mental effort.

Pavlov’s dogs and Behaviorism

In the 1920s, behaviorism became a popular form of psychology. It was the idea that external stimuli triggered mental events and that is how we learn. One very influential psychologist on this perspective was Ivan Pavlov. He created the experiment which is now known as “Pavlov’s dogs.” In this, he would train a dog using a bell. Each time he fed the dog he would notice the dog would salivate. He then introduced the bell in when the dog was being fed. He would place the food down, ring the bell and the dog would begin to salivate. Repetition was key, but over time the dog became accustomed to this bell sound and associated it with food. What Pavlov discovered was that if the dog expected that the sound of the bell was associated with mealtime, the dogs would salivate. He kept conducting this experiment over and over to ensure his data was accurate, and he kept getting the same results. By the end of the experiment, no food was necessary to get the dog to salivate, only the chime of the bell.

When we first got my two westies, everyone in the house made an agreement to train them to go outside. My stepmom had the idea of attaching a bell to the door, so the puppies could get used to hitting it when they needed to go outside. We started by walking them to the door, hitting the bell ourselves, then allowing them to go outside. We did this for a couple of months and then stopped walking them to the door. Because they were so used to the sound of the bell meaning they could go outside, they would walk to the sliding door themselves and hit the bell and wait patiently for someone to let them outside. They learned this behavior just as the dogs in Pavlov’s experiment did overtime and by removing the initial factor. In Pavlov’s experiment it was the food, in us at home version it was us walking the puppies to the door. The bells in both cases acted in the same manner and the outcome was similar. Pavlov believed that you could train anyone to do anything using this method and I do believe he is right. It is fairly simple, the idea is really just having that person associate a certain thing with a particular outcome, and over time it will begin to happen on its own.

Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous Systems

Humans experience “fight or flight” situations quite frequently throughout their lives, and even in their daily lives. This reaction originates in a subsection of the Nervous System called the Sympathetic Nervous System, which lies under a more general subsection called the Autonomic Nervous System. The Autonomic Nervous System is responsible for regulating functions humans cannot necessarily control like heart rate, sweating, and pupil dilation.

This is important to note as one’s body will naturally react when placed in a situation that could be deemed as dangerous or stressful, which is a response of the Sympathetic Nervous System. The body’s reactions are due to the Sympathetic Nervous System’s signals exiting the spinal cord in the mid to lower spine region and transferring to muscles, cardiac muscles, and glands. Reactions can vary throughout the body, especially due to the release of adrenaline. The spike in this hormone causes a higher sense of alert, sweating, faster heartbeat, and short, shallow breaths.

These effects can soon disperse, though, once the Parasympathetic Nervous System takes over. The Parasympathetic Nervous System is a subset of the Autonomic Nervous System and works in conjunction with the Sympathetic Nervous System. It is considered to be a period where one “rests and digests.” This name is appropriate as the system seeks to conserve energy while lowering one’s heart rate and increasing activity in the intestines.

I have had countless moments where my Sympathetic System took precedence, and then eventually the Parasympathetic System took over. One of these moments happened recently. I was at the Career Fair, standing in line to talk to a representative from CVS Health to discuss possible internships. While waiting in line, I felt my heart start to beat both faster and harder. I noticed my hands were beginning to sweat and my breaths became shallower. Thoughts about failure began to run through my head. My body was in this “fight or flight” mode, and I so desperately wanted to “take flight”. However, I made the conscious decision to “fight” and confront my worries and fears. After talking to the representative, I felt my body start going through the Parasympathetic System as my body relaxed. I was finally able to tell myself that it wasn’t that bad, and I continued to talk to other representatives with more confidence.

 

Lanese, Nicoletta. “Fight or Flight: The Sympathetic Nervous System.” Live Science. 9 May 2019. https://www.livescience.com/65446-sympathetic-nervous-system.html. Accessed 19 Sept. 2019.

“Parasympathetic nervous system.” Science Daily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/parasympathetic_nervous_system.htm. Accessed 19 Sept. 2019.

“Sympathetic Nervous System vs Parasympathetic Nervous System.” Major Differences. https://www.majordifferences.com/2017/03/9-differences-between-sympathetic.html#.XYMBXChKhPY.

 

Nico Munson-Illusory Correlation

Illusory correlation is when a person finds connection, or correlation between two random events that share no actual correlation. This could be thinking you got an A on your exam because you wore green that day. People enjoy finding order in the chaos.

My friends and I were talking last week about weird phobias. I have one friend afraid of thunderstorms, and another afraid of toes. I then said that I am afraid to throw up. This sparked a conversation that relates to psychology. We all talked about certain foods that we cannot eat anymore because we associate eating them with being sick or throwing up. My one friend cannot eat ice cream anymore because she thinks eating it causes vomiting. I cannot have Nutterbutter’s. We all consider these foods to cause or be a precursor to becoming sick.

We also learned in class that correlation does not mean causation. I am not allergic to peanuts, chocolate, or wafers. This mean there was no way that a Nutterbutter caused my illness. I probably caught a disease and happened to eat that beforehand.

After talking about weird illusory correlations, my other friend explained how she is certain that the Steeler’s win because she wears the same socks every time they win. She explained how she also thinks that because she sleeps on her left side, she will get an A on her tests the next day. She insists this is the only reason that she does well on exams.

We all try to find the correlation between things to explain the  chaos in our lives. It is comforting to think that as long as we avoid chocolatey snacks or cold creamy desserts we won’t get sick anymore. It is nice to think that we helped our favorite team win because of our socks.

Can You tell the Difference between when the Sympathetic vs Parasympathetic Nervous System is Working?

Have you ever stopped and thought about how our bodies and brain just know what to do in certain situations? Well you can thank your autonomic nervous system for playing a large role in allowing our body to work in the way it does. The autonomic nervous system is a control system that regulates many bodily functions like heart rate, digestion, respiratory rate, and pupillary action. There are two main components of the autonomic system called the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system controls homeostasis and the bodies rest and digest response. This means that it controls the body’s response while at rest. These neurological pathways are longer and slower. The sympathetic nervous system’s main purpose is to mobilize the body’s fight-or-flight response. This system prepares the body to react to stressful environmental factors. When the sympathetic nervous system is active it results in muscle contraction, increase in heart rate, and pupils to dilate. These two systems do not usually function at the same time. This is because when each system is in action it requires more blood for the organs it has control over. When scared the body will divert blood from the digestive tract to sympathetic nerve functions to be able to carry out muscle contractions or run.

You can probably recall moments that you remember you sympathetic or parasympathetic nervous system in action. I can recall a moment last week when my roommate scared me. I walked into my apartment very late at night and did not think she was there. It was very dark and quite as I walked into my room. Once I was in my room, I heard the floor boards creaking and movements in the other room. I got so scared that my palms turned sweaty and I could feel my heartbeat racing. I thought a burglar was in my home. She then called my name and I immediately felt relief. My heart stopped beating hard in my chest and I all my tense muscles immediately relaxed. When I was scared my sympathetic nervous system kicked in which resulted in sweating, increased heart rate, and muscle contraction. Once I realized I was no longer in danger my parasympathetic nervous system took control. This explained why I felt more relaxed and stopped sweating.

This is just one simple example of the parasympathetic vs sympathetic nervous system. If you pay attention to your body throughout your daily life and can probably be able to tell when your sympathetic vs parasympathetic system is working.

Bibliography

Low, P. (n.d.). Overview of the Autonomic Nervous System – Brain, Spinal Cord, and Nerve Disorders. Retrieved from https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/brain,-spinal-cord,-and-nerve-disorders/autonomic-nervous-system-disorders/overview-of-the-autonomic-nervous-system
Parasympathetic vs Sympathetic Nervous System. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.diffen.com/difference/Parasympathetic_nervous_system_vs_Sympathetic_nervous_system
Sympathetic vs. Parasympathetic. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.softschools.com/difference/sympathetic_vs_parasympathetic/143/