Scientific Attitude and Critical Thinking
A scientific attitude occurs along with curiosity. A passion for a person to to find out answers requires critical thinking. After forming a theory, using observations, and the process of proving the theory correct has to use critical thinking. Critical thinking is a complex step in analysing an idea and if it is proved right, it is then a fact. To be able to successfully conduct a theory and prove it right, the scientist or psyhcologist must be open-minded to new ideas and all the time, be able to change their ideas if they find it to be incorrect. Because the basic ideas cannot answer all questions, the complex ones need to be answered by critical thinking.
“Best of the Century” The major changes in psychotherapy in this century are obviously significant. In this century, psychotherapy has become more and more popular and a greater number of people have been engaged to the program, both individually and in groups. There has been a lot of technological improvements for example, cassettes and it is being accepted widely by psychologists. Psychotherapy at this century is being able to reach all areas: education, business, etc. Also, there is an improvement in medication for those patients with disorders. The most important aspect is that it is now cheaper than what it use to. This means that almost all people from every social class would be able to afford psychotherapy.
Five most important breakthroughs:
The theory by Elizabeth F. Loftus which states that eyewitness testimony is unreliable. This is important because it affects pretty much everyone in society. The result of a case in a courtroom is so significant because not only does it judge one person’s life but also everyone else’s around the person as well as the society. If a criminal is found innocent and being let out into the outside world, he or she might possibly commit more crimes. On the other hand, if an innocent person is put to jail, it can affect his or her poor family and also the guilty criminal is still free to hurt more people (either physically or mentally). Therefore, in knowing that false memories can be easily implanted in a witness, the judges should not only rely their judgments on the alibi but also take those other evidences into account.
According to Robert Epstein, a creative process is orderly and predictable. It also mentioned in the reading how a kindergarten school teacher points out that kids entering first grade lose all the fun in school because they have so much to learn. Parents and teachers should also take notice of each kid’s ability on whether who’s an artist or scientists, or whatever talent each kid possesses. The curriculums in most primary schools focus on all academic skills: math, language, science and social sciences but not as much on creativity as it should.
Marian Diamond’s experiment with rats has proven that being in an enriched environment could develop the rat’s brain into a more complex one. Considering the result of this experiment, the situation could be applied to humans as well. Being in an enhanced environment might alter the human’s brain into a more complex one as well.
Erik Erikson believes that intellectual and emotional development occurs throughout lifespan. This is important because it also mean that humans are capable of learning new information no matter how old the person may be. A person may learn to love at the age of 60 even though not knowing what it is earlier.
Based on Martin Seligman’s experiment, unconditional punishment has emotional effects. Although this experiment was tested on dogs, I believe it may have a similar effect on humans as well. Children, who have been severely punished either by parents or others, will most likely result into a more violence adult compared to the one who has been less punished. It is important to understand children at the developing stage because it will determine how he or she would be like in the near future.
Why AP Psychology?I have always thought that the most challenging task in a person's life is to understand his or her own behaviors and thoughts. The ways of thinking cannot be explained using "Mathematics" or "Science", but it is possibly understood by theories of Psychology. The highest goal I could be achieving or at least hope to achieve in this AP Psychology class is to first of all understand myself and in the future, maybe to also understand others around me.
To me, I don't have much knowledge about what psychology is aside from the definition-that it helps explain "why people do what they do". That simple phrase is interesting enough for me.
Many of the times, I have made decisions, bad decisions and although knowing that I will regret it one day, I still went with it. Being a senior and thinking day and night about college and universities, without knowing who I really am or realising what I really want and why, college seems miles away.
When I take a look at others around me-either family members, friends, or strangers, everyone has an unexpected behavior or attitude all the time. I guess that explains the fact that we are humans. The bigger question and a more difficult solution to those behaviors is "why" and I am hoping to find that out in this class.
