"Self-control" by Victoria Wolford

"Self-control" is explained as the ability to regulate and change responses to avoid undesirable behaviors, to increase desirable behaviors, or to accomplish short term or long term goals. A person with "self-control" is someone who can control their reactions and responses to avoid temptations and achieve their goals. This is also described as someone being "determined" or someone having "willpower. "Self-control is an essential factor to a person's health and a person's well-being. Example of different types of goals is losing weight and exercising, not procrastinating, limited consumption of alcohol, or saving money. (Cherry, 2019).

Roy Baumeister, who is a psychologist and researcher, explained that the "lack of willpower" is not the only reason that some people can not accomplish individual goals. He states three essential aspects when someone is working towards their goals. Baumeister believes that people must have a "clear goal" in their mind. For example, if that person does not have a good idea about what they are trying to accomplish, it can lead that person to failure.  He also believes that people are more likely to achieve their goals if that person tracks their actions towards a specific goal. The achievement of the goal. Lastly, he believes in "willpower." This means he thinks people need to control their behaviors to achieve any goal. (Cherry, 2019).

Cherry, K. (2019, March 11). How to Improve Your Self-Control. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/psychology-of-self-control-4177125

Rewards

A reward is a thing given in recognition of one's service, effort, or achievement. I've learned that positive and negative reinforcement are very effective when it comes to changing a behavior or achieving a desirable behavior. Positive reinforcement is a reward for doing something well. Negative reinforcement is a penalty for not doing something. I practice this technique with my dog since he was a puppy. I always used positive reinforcement. For example, we trained him to pee in his pee pad, every time he does it we gave him treats (rewards) and every time he missed we let him stay in the corner for a couple minutes. After a few days, he learned how to pee in his pee pad and he never made a mess anymore. When our dog did something bad, we put him in the cage to lessen the behavior and this is an example of negative reinforcement. Rewards are very important to everyone because it is wonderful to feel that we accomplished something in life. Rewards give us the motivation to do better.

The Puzzle of Motivation - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrkrvAUbU9Y

Drugs

Drugs are one of the main problems in our society today. It can cause psychological and physical harm. Growing up as a child I experienced being around with someone who was an addict. I did not understand any part of it, what was happening, why is he doing it and as I grew up it made me really angry. Drugs can ruin a life, family, relationships, dreams, and many more. I was interested in knowing why people still do it even though it can ruin their life. I took up different psychology class and it opened my mind. People who are addicted are experiencing chronic disease. They need help, attention and tons of people who will be patient with them because what they are fighting is not easy especially when they are alone. It is important to educate everyone that addiction is not a personal choice but a chronic disease.

Everything You Know About Addiction Is Wrong - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY9DcIMGxMs

Self Control

Self-control is defined as the ability to subdue one's impulses, emotions, and behaviors in order to achieve longer-term goals. I believed that self-control is very important because it can determine whether we will be successful with our goals or not. I know someone who has been trying to quit smoking for years now. He attempted to quit smoking so many times but he failed all the time. he always says "I'll just have one cigarette then that's it". One cigarette turns to two, three, four, until he started smoking again. A year ago, he was diagnosed with a health problem and it requires him to quit smoking. He tried to control himself and avoided all the possible reasons that can attract him to smoking again. he stopped going out, hanging out with his friends that smoke a lot and even tried a different hobby. He succeeded because of his self-control. Having the ability to control ourselves is very important in our daily life because we always have to make decisions that require self-control.

The Secret to Self-control - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTb3d5cjSFI

Tonic Immobility

In the performance section of the slides, tonic immobility is talked about within the Cusp Catastrophe model. Tonic immobility is the freezing of behavior in dangerous situation and it is not talked about enough when a sexual assault happens. When sexual assault victims are asked “Why didn't you just fight back?” it is unfair and derogatory remark yet it is still a common question. The questions that follow when a response of “no” is given is unacceptable especially when scientists and psychologists alike know and understand how tonic immobility works. Not everyone’s reaction is going to be to fight, to scream, to escape. Some people just freeze up and later blame themselves for this involuntary action. To help aide sexual assault victims to understand and know that the assault was NOT their fault, tonic immobility needs to be more talked about. Below is an article that talks about how those who experience sexual assault may experience tonic immobility and how it affects them after the assault.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/sexual-assault-may-trigger-involuntary-paralysis/

Mate Poaching vs. Cheating

When learning that there was a name for people who pursue others in a relationship I was genuinely surprised. Within the reproduction slides we learned about what we subconscious go through when looking for a potential partner as well as what we as humans value. Near the end of the slide we learn that “homewreckers” actions have an official name and it’s mate poaching.This then made me question why people cheat if we already went through our value process that put us in the relationship. If we find that in a relationship our partner’s mate value is lower than someone else's why don't we as people leave the relationship and go with the other person.  I understand that that will use the argument of “feelings are involved” however, feelings were always involved though they were not thought about when the cheating action was happening. Below is a study done on who is more likely to involve in mate poaching as well as why it happens.

https://www.truity.com/blog/cheaters-gonna-cheat-here’s-why

Self-Control

Self-Control it definitely a trait that everyone needs to have. Self-Control can be looked at in many different aspects, for example, being able to control your anger and emotions. In a case like that you need to know when to express how you are feeling you don’t want to become overly emotional depending on the situation. Before going over this lecture I never thought that self-control and procrastination would have been put together. But after I thought about it, it makes so much sense! You have to have enough self-control in order to avoid impulsive choices and decisions.  Personally, when it comes to school work I am the biggest procrastinator! At the start of every semester, I tell myself that I need to be on top of all of my assignments and complete them way before the due dates. But as I’m sure a lot of you can relate I find myself rushing at the last minute trying to complete assignments. I know in my head that this adds so much more stress into my plate but for some reason, I just can not break the habit. This upcoming fall will be my last semester so I’m hoping for the better and to have as little stress as possible. 

Here is a ted talk that really demonstrates the college life! https://youtu.be/arj7oStGLkU

Reproduction

This lecture was really interesting. The studies done/shown reenforced some of the negative connotations woman have faced, the gold digging persona specifically. I think it also pointed out how equally shallow males and females can be though, given that men mostly chase looks and women prefer money. I think that's why there is a lot of deception in the beginning of relationships. Each sex knows what the other wants and they try to conform themselves to fit that narrative. All the studies in the world can be done on attraction, but you don't need many studies to show what makes a relationship thrive! Hard work, attention, love, and dedication!!

Check this link out:
https://www.ted.com/playlists/202/talks_that_just_might_save_you

Ed

Food Lecture

I found the food lecture to be very interesting. Especially, how woman eating habits during their pregnancy not only nourishes their baby in the womb, but may have a huge impact on their child food preferences later on in life. I did some further research on the topic and learn how still in the womb, the baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid daily. This fluid surrounding the baby is actually flavored by all the food and beverages the mother has eaten in the last few hours. Studies had shown that flavors like vanilla, garlic, anise, mint and carrots have been shown to be transmitted to the amniotic fluid and even the mother's breast milk. This increases the chances of your baby enjoying these flavors and food later on in life.

Here's a video showing kids trying out their mom's pregnancy cravings:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je8PIGUXFGM

Food

After reading the lecture slides on the topic "Food", it really made me think about my thoughts about food. I'm a big foodie and I like to try different foods and broaden my horizon. I used to care so much about what I ate and how much of it I ate and not mindlessly consuming a big meal. Now, I'm kind of easier on myself about what I eat, but I do try and think about what is actually in my food and I try to cut things out or not eat as much of it like I usually did. I also feel like self control is a huge part of food and how much we consume. I believe that you are allowed to eat whatever you want, but make sure you are not pushing yourself over your limit, especially if it's not the most nutritional meal you put into your body.

I thought this article is great at explaining mindful eating and really taking the time to enjoy and reflect about what you eat from day to day.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/mindful-eating-guide#what-it-is

Gut - Brain Connection

A big factor that always seems to control my life is food. I eat food when I’m bored, when I’m happy, sad, stressed- you name it. Unfortunately, many other people have this same issue. Food has become more of an escape than a way to replenish our bodies after utilizing the energy we’ve consumed. Another issue we run into is mindless eating, which is eating without paying attention to your plate, or how full your body is. This can be attained by watching television while eating, or even by trying to finish the over sized portion of food given to you. I’ve recently embarked on a health journey, and have replaced (mostly) all of my unhealthy habits when healthier ones. For example, when I need an afternoon snack, I’ve replaced my bag of BBQ chips that I was eating everyday, for some BBQ flavored sunflower seeds. I’ve always seen a change in my overall mood and energy level, due to my change in diet. So, while I was eating so much junk food in the past when feeling blue, I could’ve chosen healthy options to actually bring up my mood and energy!

This TED talk delves deeper into the gut-brain connection:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awtmTJW9ic8

Mate Value

In today's society, standards are getting higher and higher in all aspects, and more specifically, when it comes to choosing a partner, companion, friend, etc. Whether we admit it or not,  in today's world, the idea of "Mate Value" is pretty prominent. In other words, mate value is how, in a way, we rate others based on their traits and make judgements based on these traits if he or she possess characteristics in a person we'd like to be with. To put it simply, do these characteristics make them attractive to us or not? Mate value is also tied to our own preferences when it comes to choosing a partner. Do they fit our list of standards we are looking for? Are they actually our "type?" Mate value can be dependent on aspects such as physical attractiveness and emotional attractiveness. For example, a mate value could be based on materialistic things like, "Would they be able to put a roof over my head? Can we invest in a house together?" or it could be as simple as: "Would this person be there for me when I need them most? Especially during tough times when I am feeling down?" Someone's mate value is all dependent on the person and how they view this and judge others' characteristics and whether or not this is something that is impressive or unimpressive to them.

For a better understanding, here is a video link where psychologist Jordan Peterson explains on how women rate men: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILNRQ7ekGjo

Impulsive Choices

I found the topic on "Impulsive Choices" very significant. Impulsive choices root from many different circumstances and as people, we tend to make impulsive choices simply because we have a habit of letting our emotions "get the best of us." In other words, our impulsivity clouds our judgement in certain situations, especially in situations that causes us to get emotional, whether these emotions are negative or positive emotions. Whether we are feeling extremely sad, happy, mad, etc. For example, when we are mad, we tend so say things or do things we don't mean simply because at this moment we are EXTREMELY angry and we search for outlets to release this anger, especially in an argument. People say very hurtful things and regret this afterwards, then eventually come to the realization that they were being impulsive. Impulsive choices, in my opinion, are the results of our emotions getting in the way of us being able to assess and judge a situation clearly.  It is all a matter of really dissecting and assessing a situation really carefully in order to avoid, as much as we can, making impulsive choices. In reality, majority of the time, after an impulsive choice is made, regret usually follows after. On the contrary, impulsive choices may also lead to better things depending on the circumstances.

Here is a video that explains why people tend to make impulsive choices: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2EMuoM5IX4

Reinforcement

Human behavior continues to thrive off the power of reinforcement. Reinforcement almost always means that some sort of reward is promoted for the future. This strategy has increased the likelihood of positive behaviors while diminishing the negative ones. For example, when a child knows a new toy is promised if they behave well throughout the school day, they are more likely to be focused on achieving that toy. I can personally say reinforcers had positively worked on me as a child. During one school year when my grades started to slip, my father told me that if I worked hard to get all A’s for the whole year, I would finally get the trampoline I had been begging for. That year I worked twice as hard, because twelve-year-old me really wanted that trampoline! When the end of the year came and I got that final report card with all A’s, it was like I had won a million dollars. I found this article on the different methods and examples of positive reinforcement in operant conditioning. I did not know that there are multiple different names for different types of reinforcers. Natural, tangible, token, and social are just a few types studied. 

https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-positive-reinforcement-2795412

Book Report: The Influenntial Mind

The Influential Mind by Tali Sharot

The book The Influential Mind by Tali Sharot discusses how our brains can influence and change others thoughts and actions and vice versa. The author is a neuroscientist who mentions many different studies of her own as well as others that show how in certain situations, people's decisions, behaviors and beliefs can be influenced by others. She also uses short stories about everyday people that allow the reader to relate to the topic and the situations given. From the studies mentioned in the book, most of them directly relate to how the brain works and how if you approach situations a certain way, you can get people to behave the way you want (it sounds more manipulating than it actually is). 

                                                         

One of the first examples the author discussed was how trump's words about 'how vaccines can give your child autism', even when giving false information, made an impact on the public because of how he worded it. In this example it was during the 2016 when Trump (no medical background) and Carson (pediatric neurosurgeon) were debating about whether or not vaccines can cause autism. Carson's tactic during this debate was to talk about how there were many studies done to prove that there is no correlation between vaccines and autism. But, Trump disputed by painting a picture of your precious newborn baby getting a shot with a needle that looks like "it's meant for a horse". He then used a non reputable example of how a two year old got sick and was diagnosed with autism a few weeks after getting their vaccines. What Trump did was plant a seed in the brains of those listening (especially new parents) by tuning into the human need for control while also putting the idea of their child getting sick which induces their fear. 

Another one of my favorite parts to this book was when the other discussed Incentives and how they can be applied to your everyday life. The main example she used during this chapter was about how the medical staff in an ICU in New York was reported to have low compliance with washing their hands even when 'employees must wash hands' is posted throughout the hospital. Researchers then conducted a study by placing electronic boards in each room to count each time a medical staff member washed their hands when they entered or left a room. This gave the workers immediate feedback on how well they were doing and they got to see themselves improve throughout the experiment. Originally the compliance rate was around 38%, then after they installed the feedback boards the compliance rate went up to 90%! They even did the same thing in an additional hospital to ensure their results and the same outcome was observed. The reason this worked so well is because the board motivated the staff members to wash their hands with immediate positive feedback rather than threatening them by stating 'employees must wash their hands'. 

This example is something that I can relate to, given that I have worked in a hospital and know the importance of hand washing and other tasks that need to be done to ensure patient safety. Something that I noticed while working was that on each floor they count the number of days gone by since their last fall and hospital acquired pressure ulcer. There are many ways to prevent these situations from occurring, and it is up to the medial staff to use and record interventions they use to prevent falls and pressure ulcers for every patient. By counting the number each day, it gives the nurses and medical staff an incentive to think about when doing their job. This way, they can do their part to make sure the number doesn't drop back to zero!

The topic of incentives is an important part of this courses curriculum and something that I've learned about the most when reading this book. When relating back to the incentives lecture, the experiment performed in the hospital displayed the proper use of 'reinforces' in order to increase the frequency of the desired behavior (washing their hands). This experiment, along with counting the days since the last fall/ acquired ulcer, also uses incentive values - the attractiveness of an incentive based on objective properties such as a number or amount. This would be either the number of times each person washed their hands or counting the days since the last fall/ ulcer. Lastly, the experiment used in the book could also relate to the contrast-effect of incentive that is discussed in lecture. Positive incentive contrast was used because as the the incentive value increased, the motivated behavior increased as well. 

This video shows how a hospital in Canada did a similar experiment by having someone record the amount of times each staff member washed their hands when entering and/or leaving a patients room. 

 https://youtu.be/QWNFBtH_BcI

Rewards

Operant learning known as operant conditioning is a type of learning methods used to reward children for their positive behavior and punishment when doing something wrong. The operant learning model starts with an idea that behavior is maintained by its consequences. Reinforcement is a formal term for consequences that maintain a given behavior. They’re two kinds of reinforcers known as a positive and negative reinforcer. Positive reinforcers increase the chances of a behavior occurring because something good is present following the desired behavior. Negative reinforcers increase the probability of behavior though the removal of averse stimuli. For example, giving a child a cookie after a tantrum is considered to be a negative reinforcement because the children know in the future when tantrums occur they will be rewarded with a cookie. An example of positive reinforcement is when a child is rewarded with a cookie for cleaning their room. 

Heres a link further explaining Operant conditioning: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wmopen-psychology/chapter/reading-operant-conditioning/

The Honest Truth About Dishonesty - Jackie Kawich

Dan Ariely’s,  “The “Honest Truth about Dishonesty” is an eye opening and humorous look at dishonesty and what we say to ourselves to justify it.

I always thought of myself as a pretty honest, morally upright woman. However, after reading this book I question where my “honesty gauge” lies. Yes, I have embellished on my taxes, returned a coat after wearing it, ate some cherries out of the bag before paying for it, but for the most part I don’t lie, I’m just awful at it. I never put much thought into my honesty “tweeks”. . . until now. 

As I was reading Chapter 6, “Cheating Ourselves”,  I couldn’t help but to think of Social Media, “the necessary evil” (my opinion). Don’t get me wrong, I honestly believe there are so many positive things about it. It’s a fantastic way to give people a voice, create communities, business marketing, generate job opportunities, connect with people. But when it comes to other areas, I think it gives people a huge opportunity to cheat themselves. 

Have you ever filtered a photo before sending it? Photoshop? Use a face enhancement app? '

'Whoa! I don’t have to look that bad? I can fix it...no one will know. '

Is it that people feel so “less than”, that we must change who and what we are before the world sees us? 

Sometimes it’s just the moment. You don’t have to pose, filter, retake, it’s just the honest-to-God moment! 

For others, I wonder. Before you got the image that shows the world you and your life are perfect, what did it take/cost for you to get there?

https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/facebook-post-young-mom-pool-photo-shoot-viral

How many times you’ve seen a picture or video where someone, you may or may not know, looks the most beautiful, loved by all, is the absolute happiest, wearing the most fantastic and (wait for it) envy steps in? Congratulations, you have been “SM Trapped”!

I've recommended this book to many people, not only because it's a great read, but if you pay close attention to your everyday actions and words, you can see you aren't as honest as you thought you were. This book has made me become more aware, and I look forward to being better.

Side note: There is a section on “white lies” - I learned about them from my mother who I caught in a lie at the young age of 6.

“It’s only a white lie, it doesn’t really count.” she said

Wwhhhhattt??!? Did my ears deceive me? There are levels and colors of lies?

And the fun began! (along with being grounded, a lot!) 

Just a word of advice,  NEVER, NEVER…. EVER give your child a window of opportunity to lie.

Don’t break it down into anything that will make you feel better.

At the end of the day, a lie, is a lie. 

Drug Abuse vs Addiction

Drug abuse is when you use legal or illegal substances in ways you shouldn't. For example, you may take more than the regualr dose of pills or use someone else's prescription. Many drug abuser use drugs just to ease their stress, to feel good about themselves or just to avoid reality. Abuse of drugs inculde herion, methamphetamine, anabolic steroids,marijuana, opioids and several other variations.
Addiction is a disease that affects your brain and behvaior. Being addicted to drugs means that you can't resist the urge to use them even when it puts your health in danger. Drug addiction isn't about just herion, cocaine, or other illegal drugs, but you can also be addicted to alcohol, nicotine, opioid painkillers, and other legal substances.

The link below best decribe the reasoning behind substance abuse and addiction:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whSrQESC4AU

Rewards

I found the topic on "Rewards" interesting. Rewards come in many different forms and as much as we don't like to admit it, human behavior, most of the time is influenced, and more or less, driven by rewards. For example, a little kid might be more inspired to do even better on his or her next exam given the fact that there will for sure be a reward for getting a high score. In addition and in relation to this topic, having "reinforcers" in one's environment is also a significant factor. Reinforcers are categorized depending on their influence on a certain behavior. In other words, reinforcers are labeled depending on their overall assessment: some that are beneficial and some that are not. As people, we warm up to positive reinforcement faster. Personally speaking, as a college student, positive reinforcement is extremely beneficial. I become more motivated and effortful in the things that I do and it leads me to want to achieve more goals and I'm sure this is applicable to others as well.

Here is a video that better explains reinforcement through operant conditioning:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ut1zmfolM9E