Mr. Dougherty's World of Psychology

Next stop...Bratislava.

2011-06-16T10:01:00.000-06:00

My permanent e-mail address is bdougherty19@hotmail.com Any and all former students needing a letter of recommendation, just let me know and I will be glad to provide one. I wish all of you the best of luck and keep in touch - I am curious to see how each of you navigate through life. See you out there, somewhere in the world.

Apocalypse Averted: Wish I hadn't emptied my bank account...

2011-05-23T10:07:00.002-06:00

Why do so many people chose to believe in each unfounded revelation of the apocalypse? Are humans so starved for a path to follow that they cling to anyone who appears to have solved the mystery of the end of the world? Learn more about the psychology behind the apocalypse:

http://www.aolnews.com/2010/06/10/edited-2012-psychology-of-the-apocalypse-part-1/

The Best and Worst Psychological Studies and Experiments Of All Time

2010-11-09T12:32:00.001-06:00

Psychology has always wondered why we do what we do and think what we think. Studies and experiments have been designed over the years to answer the many questions we have about human (and animal) behavior. While some of these investigations have been very helpful in understanding ourselves, many have gone wildly astray and become infamous for their diabolical nature. Read more about some of psychology's best and worst moments.

http://www.age-of-the-sage.org/psychology/psychology_experiments.html

http://www.spring.org.uk/2007/11/10-piercing-insights-into-human-nature.php

http://www.archetypewriting.com/real/real_research.htm

http://listverse.com/2008/09/07/top-10-unethical-psychological-experiments/

2009-2010 IB-Psychology Test Results - Great Job AST!

2010-08-12T12:55:00.007-06:00

The American School of Tegucigalpa had 51 juniors who completed the Internal Assessment and sat for the year-end exams. (32 students were IB Diploma Candidates and 19 students were Certificate Candidates.)

Internal Assessment: AST had 22 students that earned a grade of 7 on the Internal Assessment! An additional 14 students earned a score of 6 and ten more came in with a very respectable score of 5. There were also three students who scored 4 on their paper. Great job everyone. One student submitted a perfect paper with a moderated mark of 20/20! Two others came in with marks of 19/20 and three submitted papers earning 18/20.

Overall Scores: Of the 51 students who sat for papers 1 & 2 of the exam, 73% (37 students) passed with a grade of 4 or higher. We had three 6's and one 7 on paper number 2.

Great results for a great class of IB students - now, on to 2011!

Study Materials for the IB Psych Exam

2010-04-21T08:09:00.011-06:00

Strengths and Limitations of Experimental Methodology:
http://www.holah.karoo.net/evaluationofexperiment.htm

Learning Perspective Information:
http://www.internationalcounselor.org/Psych/learning_perspective.htm

http://www.slideshare.net/Tank/learning-perspective-2008-presentation

Biological Perspective Information:
http://www.internationalcounselor.org/Psych/Biological/biological_review%20notes.htm

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-biological-perspective.htm

http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/aSGuest1160-96065-biological-perspective-overview-science-technology-ppt-powerpoint/

Cognitive Perspective Information:
http://testbed.cis.drexel.edu/I625/Basics_Cognitive_Perspective.pdf

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-different-types-of-cognitive-treatment.htm

From Milgram to Zimbardo to Abu Ghraib

2010-04-15T09:09:00.004-06:00

How would you respond to orders to hurt another person? Can a person's environment influence them to the point of doing things they once considered "evil"? Studies - often quite unethical - hace been conducted over the years to better understand the human mind, what it is capable of and how easily it can be manipulated. Like most experiments, however, these were born out of of real-life situations that continue exist. Find out about the famous experiments of Stanley Milgram and Phillip Zimbardo as well as the infamous prison: Abu Ghraib.

Does Spanking Result in Aggressive (and less intelligent) Kids?

2010-04-13T11:00:00.004-06:00

The ongoing debate over whether spanking is an acceptable punishment has new fuel. Researchers have concluded that spanking kids at an early age can increase the likelihood of aggressive behavior in children later in life. Oh, and there may be an effect on the child's IQ as well. Find out what the experts say...

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1981019,00.html

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1926222,00.html

http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;101/4/723

Should Students Be Bribed to Be Successful?

2010-04-13T10:54:00.001-06:00

Some schools have resorted to paying students for things such as good grades and even showing up for class. Is this a good solution for failing schools and students?

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1978589,00.html

2010-03-18T13:27:00.004-06:00

An Upside to Depression?

2010-03-15T11:30:00.002-06:00

Does depression serve an evolutionary purpose? Some psychology professionals are beginning to believe it does. You decide for yourself.

http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2010/03/01/the-myth-of-depressions-upside/

I Don't Like Mondays

2010-03-05T08:02:00.005-06:00

You've probably all heard this song - written by Bob Geldof in 1979 and performed by his band, The Boomtown Rats. Most of us think we can relate to the song, but thankfully none of us really do. Not sure what I mean? Listen to the song and see if you can figure out it's true meaning. If not, look it up...it's dark and sad and probably not what you thought.

The Psychology of Revenge

2010-03-04T13:47:00.003-06:00

Revenge has been around since man first walked the earth. Is it part of human nature or is it cultural? Why are some of us more bent on exacting revenge than others? There are many factors which may play a role...

Can Money Buy Happiness?

2010-03-01T08:47:00.004-06:00

Some researchers say money can buy happiness, but perhaps not in the way you are thinking. Unfortunately, it is also the source of much unhappiness.

A New Approach to College Admission

2010-02-23T12:24:00.004-06:00

With admissions to colleges and universities continuing to be ultra-competitive, creative students have stumbled onto a potential goldmine when it comes to setting themselves apart from the crowd. Technology appears to be the key to impressing admissions officials.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/23/education/23tufts.html?ref=us

Are you sleep deprived?

2010-02-20T21:22:00.007-06:00

Chances are you are likely in need of more sleep than you are getting. Does your cat wake you up throughout the night or do you stay up too late after procrastinating with your homework? No matter the cause, you are functioning (somehow) with too little REM sleep and it is having negative impacts on your life. How can you tell that your sack time is not enough? Check out the article...

http://health.msn.com/health-topics/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100254292>1=31036

What did you say? Drivers have hard time listening, study finds

2010-02-16T19:41:00.001-06:00

You can drive while you talk, and talk while you drive, but you will perform worse at both. http://www.apa.org/news/psycport/PsycPORTArticle.aspx?id=knightridder_2010_02_11__0000-4577-SL-What-did-you-say-Drivers-have-hard-time-listening-study-finds-0211.xml

What Your Stuff Reveals About You

2010-02-16T19:31:00.001-06:00

Our choices in books, movies, music, and art go to the core of who we are. What your tastes reveal about you. http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200906/what-your-stuff-reveals-about-you

Do You Spend Too Much Time Online?

2010-02-04T10:13:00.001-06:00

A recent study found a correlation between excessive internet use and depression. Find out more:

"Researchers found striking evidence that some users have developed a compulsive internet habit, whereby they replace real-life social interaction with online chat rooms and social networking sites. The results suggest that this type of addictive surfing can have a serious impact on mental health."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100202193605.htm

Whatever Happened to Little Albert?

2010-02-03T12:38:00.008-06:00

Hall Beck, a psychologist from Appalacian State University, spent the past seven years researching the true identity and life of "Little Albert." He used census data, interviews with the little boys family members, and even FBI facial recognition testing to form his conclusion:

"'Little Albert' and his mother moved away from the university, his identity was lost and for years psychologists and historians have wondered what happened to the unwilling star in one of the landmark studies of the 20th century. The first step was to find out exactly when the experiments took place and then to try and identify Albert's mother from the information given in Watson's original studies.

Careful sifting of financial and residency records put the researchers onto a campus wet nurse called Arvilla Merritte, but there the trail went cold.
There were no others traces of Arvilla Merritte but a search for her maiden name, Arvilla Irons, revealed that her married name was likely fictitious to hide the fact that her baby was illegitimate.

However, Irons' baby was not called Albert, but Douglas, and it wasn't until the Irons family got in touch to send a photo of the baby that the researchers could try and make a physical comparison.

The photos were blurry and they recruited the help of an FBI forensics expert to compare the images. The comparison suggested that the photos were likely of the same person and with the other matching biographical details it seems very likely that Douglas Merritte was indeed 'Little Albert'.

The story has a tragic ending, however, as Douglas Merritte died when only six years old after developing hydrocephalus, a build up of fluid in the brain, possibly due to a meningitis infection.
Beck finishes the article on a melancholy note, reflecting on his own part in the story, Little Albert's short life and his visit to his grave:
As I watched Gary and Helen put flowers on the grave, I recalled a daydream in which I had envisioned showing a puzzled old man Watson’s film of him as a baby. My small fantasy was among the dozens of misconceptions and myths inspired by Douglas.
"The sunbeam’s smile, the zephyr’s breath, All that it knew from birth to death."
None of the folktales we encountered during our inquiry had a factual basis. There is no evidence that the baby’s mother was “outraged” at her son’s treatment or that Douglas’s phobia proved resistant to extinction. Douglas was never deconditioned, and he was not adopted by a family north of Baltimore.
Nor was he ever an old man. Our search of seven years was longer than the little boy’s life. I laid flowers on the grave of my longtime “companion,” turned, and simultaneously felt a great peace and profound loneliness."
www.mindhacks.com