Dear Psychology 112 Students:
Please follow the instructions below in EMAILING your Course Papers to me. Failure to follow them perfectly could result in your paper being counted as late or not graded at all.
Continue reading "Submitting Social Psychology Course Papers..." »
Dear Psychology Students: 
Click here to read an article on the creation of the "Mosquito Noise," a 17 kilohertz sound file that was created to discourage young "troublemakers" from hanging out in front of stores, in construction zones, or in other places that they are creating trouble or putting themselves in danger.
Its genius lies in the fact that, generally speaking, only those under the age of about 25 can hear the noise (which I understand is quite shrill and annoying). Presumably, those over 25 years of age are less likely to make trouble, and can go about their business in a mature fashion. It may seem a bit "age-ist" and discriminatory, but initial reports are that it seems to work better than constantly calling the police.
In an interesting side note, clever youth have begun to download this file as a "silent" ring tone for their cell phones, allowing them to receive calls without the "old folks" knowing it. In the game between Youth and Age, I'd say the score is a 1:1 tie, then.
To download file, click below.
Dear Students:
If you're looking for a resource with the very latest information on Bipolar Disorder, I highly recommend 
Dear Students:
Below, please find the list of Phobias we discussed in class. This list of approximately 500 Phobias is by no means comprehensive, but it should illustrate to you that, since they are all learned, the types of Phobias are endless.
In the early 1940s, almost no one had yet heard of multiple personalities, or the disorder that would become known as Multiple Personality Disorder (recently renamed Dissociate Identity Disorder). The case that would shock and educate the world about this bizarre but interesting disorder was that of Christine "Chris" Costner-Sizemore, a young woman who apparently possessed numerous separate, distinct identities, and whose life would be sensationalized in the Academy Award winning film "The Three Faces of Eve."
Some claim that the disorder is attention-getting, play acting, etc. Watch the video below to see Chris exhibit the personalities, and decide for yourself. And click the link below to read a synopsis of Chris' story. Download Eve.doc
In 1971, psychologist Philip Zimbardo conducted what is now one of the best known experiments in the history of psychology: The Stanford Prison Experiment.
Testing the power of the situation, Zimbardo set up a mock prison in the basement of the psychology laboratory at Stanford University, randomly assigning a few dozen volunteers to the roles of Prisoner or Prison Guard. The study was scheduled to last for two weeks, but had to be called off by Day 6 because it had gotten seriously out of control.
CLICK HERE to watch an introductory video about the study, and visit Dr. Zimbardo's web site for more information.
Zimbardo enjoyed a new (unwanted) fame after the events at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq came to the forefront. He and others immediately saw the parallels between the abuses perpetrated there, and the findings of his study decades earlier. Zimbardo's new book "The Lucifer Effect" lays out those similarities, and discusses what could have been done to prevent what happened there.
I had the opportunity to 
hear Philip Zimbardo speak at CalTech in Pasadena in May of 2007. His topic is detailed in a new book entitled "The Lucifer Effect - Understanding How Good People Turn Evil."
As many of you are doubtless aware, Zimbardo became a "rock star" in the field of Psychology after publishing the results of his Stanford Prison Experiment in the early 1970s. In that study, a few dozen middle-class young men were randomly chosen from responses to a newspaper ad to participate in a study at Stanford University. Subjects were then randomly assigned to play the role of either Prison Guard or Prisoner, and were placed in a mock prison in the basement of the Psychology Department at the school. As you can read on Zimbardo's excellent web site, effects presented themselves almost immediately, and things quickly got out of hand. In fact, although it was scheduled to run for 2 weeks, the study had to be ended by the sixth day for fear that something tragic might happen.
More than three decades later, Zimbardo found himself reading newspaper accounts of the events at Abu Graib Prison, a complex being used by the U.S. military to house detainees and prisone
rs in Iraq. Pictures taken by guards at that facility were too gruesome to be believed, and echoed the behavior Zimbardo had seen in his own mock prison at Stanford. Recognizing a need for restating the lessons (obviously not learned), Zimbardo is again making the media rounds, being booked for talks, television appearances, and book signings in an attempt to warn us once again about the psychological factors that lead good people to do terrible things, as well as the dangers of concluding that personal disposition is to blame, while ignoring the situational factors involved.
The embedded video below may say "no longer available," but it is. Just click it!
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Philip Zimbardo | ||||
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In the past few weeks, I've received links to this image and have been asked whether it was real. Each time, I replied that I couldn't say for sure, but that it seemed too terrible to be true. Unfortunately, I was wrong...but not as wrong as the "correct" answers on the quiz.
The images below were taken by the mother of a 10 year old girl who (unbeknownst to her) was learning some extremely inacurate "facts" about science at school. Keep in mind, if you pass this test (based upon what's being taught), you have failed (based upon what science actually tells us).
The Story You've Heard:
Many of you are aware of Rosa Parks' famed incident on a public bus in Montomery, Alabama. As you probably know, Parks refused to obey a law requiring Black passengers to give up their seats to White passengers, sparking a media frenzy and bringing even more attention to the ongoing struggle for racial equality known as the Civil Rights Movement.
Unlike the common myth, this was not a spontaneous incident. On the contrary, it was part of a well planned strategy by the NAACP, of which Parks was an active member. She borded the bus with handful of other Black people, planning to insist upon their right to sit where they liked. Parks happened to be the first challenged, and took her rightful place as a figurehead of the struggle for equality.
Claudette Colvin - The Original "Rosa Parks":
What you likely do not know is that another incident took place long before Rosa Parks refused to give up that seat. A young, 15-year old high school student named Claudette Colvin had spontaneously done the same thing nine months earlier, motivated by a paper she'd written for class earlier that week about the fact that Black people could not try on clothes in department stores. Sitting in a section of the bus that required her to give up her seat to a White passenger, Colvin refused and was eventually dragged off the bus by police.
Sadly, altough Civil Rights leaders originally flocked to her defense, they summarily dropped her when they learned that she was pregnant with an older, married man's baby. Seeing her as "unfit" to be a public figure in their movement, her plight was downplayed by Civil Rights leaders and Parks' case quickly replaced it in the public eye.
Colvin suffered for her bravery. She was shunned by many in her community, including Blacks, an attitude even shown to her son, who was born with such light skin that Colvin was often "accused" of having had a White man's baby.
CLICK HERE to read/hear an NPR story about this incredible woman who, as a young girl, defied a cultural tradition of discrimination with no plan, no one backing her up, and no personal gain. Truly a hero.
Dear Students:
CLICK HERE to watch the video of Jane Elliott's 3rd grade class experiment on the effects of discrimination. (Click on "Watch the Full Program" in the pink box on the picture).
Rather than simply lecturing to students about discrimination, Ms Elliott chose to subject her class to differential treatment by separating them by an arbitrary physical characteristic (eye color) and teaching them prejudices based on that characteristic.
Although controversial, what ensued was a lesson that few could have predicted, and one that has created positive effects for the students well into their adult lives.
CLICK HERE to learn more about Jane Elliott and how she has taken this lesson "on the road" in attempts to teach adults the same lesson.
Dear Students:
If you would like to experience a modern-day "Personality Test," click the links below and download the Keirsey Temperament Sorter. Based loosely on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the Keirsey uses a few dozen self-report questions to categorize you into one of 16 different personality types.
After answering the questions, use the KEY to add up the numbers and determine your 4-letter category. Then, look up your "type" on the list of all 16 personalities.
Clicking the hyperlink above will allow you to critically analyze the orignal MBTI and its creators, and to decide for yourself whether these types of tests have any validity.
Download keirsey_temp_sorter.doc
As mentioned in class, the word "transgender" is an umbrella term that covers any individual who
expresses (through behavior, mode of dress, etc.) the opposite sex from the one assigned by biology. This includes transsexuals, who are different from the other transgender categories in that the sex they were assigned by nature is the wrong one. In other words, their "brain sex" is truly who they are, while their bodies represent an incorrect assignment by nature.
Some transsexual men and women choose surgery to alter their bodies in ways that match their true gender, while others don't (for various reasons). As a society, it is our ethical responsibility to learn the proper terminology, to accept trans men and women for who they really are, and I think, to fight for equal protection and respect under the law.
To learn more about my friend, guitarist Marissa Martinez, (pic to right) CLICK HERE.
CLICK HERE to read about the lack of legal protections for people in the Trans Community.
CLICK HERE to learn what you can do to help end discrimination against trans men and women.
And click the link below to download a one-page description to learn how to speak of, and to, trans people with the proper terminology.
Sacks' book about this, "Awakenings," quickly became a best seller and was later made into a motion picture by the same title (with some liberties taken in the subplots) starring Robin Williams and Robert De Niro.
Sacks has also written books such as:
An Anthropologist on Mars, and
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat
and a number of other books, each of which chronicles true stories of people with bizarre and interesting neurological disorders. Rather than presenting his patients' stories as "freak shows," Sacks details each with compassion and respect, while also providing a glimpse into the fascinating and mind-boggling complexities of the human brain.
Watch an interview with Dr. Sacks below (fully captioned):
For a more complete listing of Sacks' books as well as some information on his personal and professional life, click here.
Dear Social Psychology Students:
Please join in The Rumspringa Project, a BOYCOTT FOR PERSONAL IMPROVEMENT, by ceasing the use of all forms of electronic communication and entertainment for ONE WEEK. Can you do it? Do you think it will have any effect on you? What problems might arise, and how could you learn to deal with them WITHOUT the use of modern communication devices?
Check out my Facebook page for the details, and then get ready to join the Rumspringa Project for ONE WEEK, between Monday, February 11th and Sunday, February 17th. The following will be off limits:
1. Facebook
2. Twitter
3. Linkedin
4. Internet
5. Video games
6. Cell phones (only landlines are okay)
7. Email
CLICK HERE for the Facebook page.
Click the link below to read details about the written assignment.
Continue reading "Social Psychology: The Rumspringa Project..." »
Spring Semester text books for my classes are shown below. If you use the ISBN displayed here, you can be certain that you're purchasing the exact book I am teaching from.
This information is also available in the Ohlone College Bookstore on campus, with classes organized in the store by department, instructor, and course. Just ask any of the floor staff to help you find the section marked "Psychology," and find the book(s) with my name on the tag.
General Psychology (PSY 101):
- Exploring Psychology, 9th edition (David G. Myers)
- ISBN: 978-1-4641-1172-3
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Social Psychology (PSY 112):
- Social Psychology: Goals in Interaction, 5th edition (Kenrick, Neuberg, & Cialdini)
- ISBN13: 978-0-2056-9807-3
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Abnormal Psychology (PSY 115) BUY BOTH OF THE FOLLOWING:
- Abnormal Psychology, 9th edition (Alloy, Riskind, & Manos)
- ISBN: 978-0072422986
- Science and Pseudoscience in Clinical Psychology (Lilienfield, et al.)
- ISBN: 1593850700
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Note bene: It doesn't much matter to me how you get these books (in the campus bookstore, online, through a friend, etc.), but I cannot hold lectures or tests because you're still awaiting your book's arrival.
As we all experience and share (perhaps a bit too much?) shock over the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, we might do well to take a step back and look at the biggest lesson in the story.
Jobs announced about seven years ago that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and took his time telling Apple's board of directors and shareholders. That created quite a scandal since, as Apple's lead visionary and the "face" of the company, his life was important for more than one reason. What should have created a much bigger scandal, but didn't, was the fact that Jobs refused conventional (e.g., REAL) medical treatment, opting instead to take the advice of a "naturopath," concentrating on treating his cancer by eating certain types of food.
There's no scientific basis for thinking that a special diet will cure any type of cancer, including the one Jobs had been diagnosed with. So, doing this, Jobs illustrates that being a creative innnovator in one area doesn't necessarily make you a good critical thinker. For those of you who have heard about the high death rate for pancreatic cancer, and who are thinking to yourselves, "What difference does it make?", think again. Steve Jobs had a rare form of pancreatic cancer called an islet cell neuroendocrine tumor, which is quite treatable if caught in the early stages (as Jobs had) and treated immediately. He could have lived much longer than the decade or so survival rate that is the average in cases like his. Instead, he delayed treatment and ate the food that some wacko "naturopath" told him would cure his cancer. And seven years later, he's dead.
The question of why people choose to believe in "alternative" medicine (there's no such thing, by the way...if it works, it's called medicine) is baffling. It's also one of the many con's that utilizes the psychological persuasion techniques that were discussed in Anthony Pratkanis' talk on October 28th, 2011.
One of the most pervasive myths I've been exposed to since I came to the Bay Area is the "organic food" craze.
Although I've never been able to find a proponent who had done any actual research on the matter, people who advocate for buying "organic" have three basic arguments.
In THIS EXCELLENT ARTICLE by our old friend Brian Dunning of Skeptoid.com, each of those statements is shown to be patently false. Will this change anything about how people make their food choices? It's doubtful. Most people come to these conclusions (like the recycling myth) based upon emotion, not logic and reason. They like the feeling that they are doing something that makes them feel like a good person and helps them fit in with their friends; no research or study was involved in their decision, so evidence against it is useless. Sad, really.
And just in case you're not convinced by Dunning's article, or if you'd like a much more detailed breakdown of the science, CLICK HERE to visit the Skeptic's Dictionary entry on "Organic Food Myths." It contains all the information you'll need to argue with your friends or the next waiter who tries to impress you with the restaurant's selection of "organically grown" food.
Dear Students:
In April, 2012, I was invited to join the JREF by contributing articles that assist people who teach Critical Thinking. If you have a moment, use the links below to check them out. As students of psychology, you are likely already aware of some of the lessons contained in them, but it's always nice to pick up some new details here and there.
Please CLICK HERE to read my article entitled "Your Nervous System Can Fool You." In it, I explain the limitations of the human nervous system, and now our excellent pattern-seeking brains sometimes make errors that lead to extremely convincing experiences that are not real (e.g., pareidolia).
CLICK HERE to read my article, "Your Beliefs Are Malleable." It describes cognitive dissonance, the uncomfortable feeling you get when two of your cognitions (thoughts, beliefs, actions, etc.) contradict each other. In the article, I provide a few examples of the phenomenon, as well as suggest some research that students can use to learn how it applies in everyday life.James Randi's reputation as a magician and escape artist is a matter of world renown. Although he 
occasionally still performs small feats, most of his current efforts involve his work as a tireless investigator and demystifier of paranormal and pseudoscientific claims. Utilizing a keen scientific mind, Randi - as he prefers to be called - examines claims of paranormal powers and activities all over the world.
In 1996, Randi founded the James Randi Education Foundation (JREF) which offers a prize of $1 million for anyone who can, UNDER SCIENTIFIC CONDITIONS, demonstrate supernatural or paranormal abilities or phenomena. Although none of the professionals we see on television have taken him up on the challenge, hundreds of others have applied over the years. Needless to say, the prize remains unclaimed...and I think we all have a good idea why.
If you would like to watch the entire video Secrets of the Psychics, CLICK HERE (it's in 6 parts).
To watch a video introduction to Randi and his work, click the image below.
And if you'd like to get a feel for who James Randi is as a person, please watch teh trailer for the upcoming documentary "An Honest Liar," which chronicles his life and career.
An Honest Liar - Work-in-Progress trailer from Justin Weinstein on Vimeo.
Dear Students:
As many of you may know, we have a thriving Psychology Club here at Ohlone College. One of the most visible and active clubs on campus, the Psychology Club regularly hosts guest speakers, organizes off-campus field trips, has regular fund raisers, and engages in regular discussions related to the field of psychology.
Our meetings are held every Tuesday, from 3:15- 4:15 pm.
We meet in Room 7107 (in the new Student Services Building).
Please join our Facebook page (see sidebar on this blog) for more info and updates.
Past events have included:
- Carol Tavris, social psychologist, author of "Mistakes Were Made (but not by me), and authority on the phenomenon of cognitive dissonance.
- James "The Amazing" Randi, world-renowned magician, and founder of the James Randi Educational Foundation, which offers $1 million to anyone who can show, under proper observing conditions, proof of any paranormal or occult powers or phenomena.
- Anthony Pratkanis, UC Santa Cruz professor of psychology, who discussed the psychology of persuasion and con-artists in "How to Sell FlimFlam"
- Eugenie C. Scott, anthropologist and proponent of Evolution who battles creationists who want to bring religion into the science classroom
- Philip Zimbardo, author of the famed Stanford Prison Experiment, about Evil vs. Heroism
- Brian Dunning of Skeptoid.com called "Health Scams and Myths"
- Kim Peek (The Real Rain Man) and his father Fran
- Michael Shermer, best-selling author, skeptic, and psychologist speaking on "Why People Believe Weird Things"
- a field trip to the 2011 SkeptiCal conference on science and skepticism
- a field trip to the Body Worlds exhibit at the San Jose Tech Museum
- a visit by representatives from Furry Friends Pet Therapy (and their humans)
- a talk by local psychiatrist Dr John Cotrufo on schizophrenia and mental disorder diagnosis
- a field trip to hear Stanford University's Dr William C. Dement, world renowned sleep specialist
- a field trip to meet Kim Peek, a man with Savant Syndrome, and the inspiration for the movie "Rain Man"
- touring the Glankler School for children with autism and other behavioral difficulties
- regular "Donut Days" sales to raise money for the club, and many other fun events
See you there!
-- Sheldon
Dear Students,
CLICK HERE to be taken to the wonderful Brainz.org website where they summarize what they describe as "The Ten Most Revealing Psych Experiments" in history. Although some might add (or subtract) from the list, it certainly contains some extremely interesting and enlightening studies, some of which you might know about but would like to know more.
1. Robber's Cave - Social Identity
2. The Stanford Prison Experiment - Power Corrupts
3. Milgram Shock Machine - Obedience to Authority
4. Solomon Asch - Conformity
5. Lying to Ourselves - Cognitive Dissonance
6. Elizabeth Loftus - Memory Manipulation
7. George Miller's "Magic Number 7" - Short-Term Memory Limits
8. Mass Panic - War of the Worlds
9. The Bargaining Table - Why Threats Don't Work
10. Risky Behavior - Prospect Theory and "The Framing Effect"
Enjoy!
-- Sheldon
I'm never quite sure how posts like this one will be approached by my students. After 25 years of being immersed in Psychology, one tends to lose perspective on whether something is exciting to the general public or only to those of us in the field.
At any rate, I recently ran across one of the most valuable web-based collections of historical documents from the history of Psychology. CLICK HERE to visit a site that houses dozens of original journal articles and other writings from some of the biggest names in the field: Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Gordon Allport, Muzafer Sherif, B.F. Skinner, Harry Harlow, Carl Rogers, Ivan Pavlov, Abraham Maslow, Wilhelm Wundt, John B. Watson, Fritz Heider, and Alfred Binet, just to name a few!
Although many of these names may be unfamiliar to you (and some may be downright foreign), the contributions of these people to our understanding of human behavior and the inner workings of the mind cannot be overstated. In this collection, we find some of their most important works, all easily browsed by name or by category of study.
Enjoy!
