In which the term "Spring" means "the time of year when mountains of snow plummet down in order to shatter my dream of napping in my yard."
School Update: I just took two general ed tests and finished a project in my Learning Theory (Read: How to Manipulate Others) course in which I classically conditioned a simulated rat in various ways. Looking at those words makes it seem like such a non-accomplishment, but it was time-consuming and challenging. So stop looking at me that way.
Also, I have three midterms right after I return from break, which means that my break will be spent studying, writing papers, and sending resumes for summer jobs. So I won't be posting next week. I am sorry, commited lurker.
Showing posts with label psychology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label psychology. Show all posts
07 March 2008
04 February 2008
Freud = My Grandmother
The relationship between modern psychology professionals and Sigmund Freud is a lot like how I relate to my racist grandmother. Don’t get me wrong, I’m indebted to my Grandmother. If she didn’t do what she did with her life, then I would not exist. There’s no question about that. But I really wish people wouldn’t listen to her when she speaks in public.
She goes on these rants that make no sense. It’s embarrassing and not an accurate reflection of my views at all.Likewise, modern Psychologists are somewhat indebted to Freud. He made a lot of noise and put psychology on the map with the help of other like-minded psychoanalysts (note: they were not psychologists).
However, all of his hypotheses (he never accumulated enough data to actually make theories) were hogwash. Free Association? Sorry, I’d rather talk about what is relevant and not waste decades of both our lives. Penis Envy? Women didn’t envy men’s members; they envied men’s socioeconomic power and protection under the law. Oedipus Complex? We’re not repressing it. We just don’t want to have sex with our mothers.
What makes this worse, though, is the overwhelming amount of attention his ideas receive in other disciplines and in popular culture. From what I can tell, most people are only introduced to psychology through freshman-level courses or through the media. Proper introductions to psychology tend to spend a healthy quantity of time on history, giving Freud an undeserved amount of the public eye’s attention span. But I may be wrong. Freud may have just created easy to remember misconceptions about human behavior.
Psychology is a science. Teams of scientists throughout the world dedicate their lives testing any hypothesis produced about human behavior. Additionally, psychology has a large, public field of practitioners who help people replace self-destructive behavior patterns and cognitive fallacies with constructive behaviors/thought patterns.
Freud’s unethical treatment of patients and his disregard for the scientific method has rooted into the public consciousness. And it annoys me to no end. I am frequently amazed by good friends of mine who, knowing that I am a psychology major and that I plan on dedicating my career to the study of human behavior, still repeat these public misnomers to me.
1. Ever read a book or watched a TV show where a psychologist falls in love with/seduces a client? I have. Any Psychologist who did that in real life would no longer be a Psychologist, they would be a highly educated yet unemployable bum (“Psychologist” is a legally protected term, those who demonstrate unethical conduct lose that status). But it is a common narrative cliché found all throughout popular culture.
I think this cliché is tied indirectly to the unethical behavior Freud had with his patients. Freud (and his peers) made a lot of noise. Unfortunately, that was all it was: useless, meaningless noise. Freud was obsessed with sex and aggression, which skewed any findings he could have had. Just to make it clear, I am not obsessed with sex and aggression. But I probably would be if I smoked as much cocaine as Freud did!
2. How about the idea that a Psychologist is a paid best friend, there for you to listen to you complain? I have met too many with this misconception, and I am sick of it. Psychologists are trained professionals. They are not advocates. There is a difference between a person conducting a therapy session and a person you go to the mall with.
3. Also, one thing I hear often (usually by those who did not put in the time and effort to finish a Bachelor’s) is that if they had continued their education, they would have gone with psychology. What?! What makes you think that you, who did not have enough patience and discipline to finish a Bachelor’s degree, would be in any way qualified to be a Psychologist? It is currently easier to be accepted into medical school than to be accepted by graduate programs in clinical psychology.
I want to repeat that: One is more likely to be accepted into med school than in graduate level clinical psychology programs (which is a prerequisite for any type of practice, or to receive the legally protected status of “Psychologist”). This is not a field for the short-minded or the unfocused. If you could not drag yourself into class, or could not self-regulate your study habits/job performance, then psychology probably is not a good fit.
So if we are hanging out and you mention Free Association, Oedipus Complexes, Freudian Slips, or the idea that a Psychologist is your friend who will sleep with you because she/he did not work that hard to obtain her/his status, please apologize for the insult you just gave my chosen field. Unless these misconceptions are used in the context of a joke that specifically points out that they are erroneous, then their use is unforgivable.
For Your Information: In my introductory Developmental Psychology course last semester, we spent a total of three minutes discussing the ideas put forth by psychoanalysts. For the first minute, my professor pointed out their ideas about puberty/adolescence as a time of “storm and stress.” For the next two minutes we discussed how stupid, wrong, irrelevant, and non-productive those views are. And then we moved on, never to mention the word “Freud” again.
She goes on these rants that make no sense. It’s embarrassing and not an accurate reflection of my views at all.Likewise, modern Psychologists are somewhat indebted to Freud. He made a lot of noise and put psychology on the map with the help of other like-minded psychoanalysts (note: they were not psychologists).
However, all of his hypotheses (he never accumulated enough data to actually make theories) were hogwash. Free Association? Sorry, I’d rather talk about what is relevant and not waste decades of both our lives. Penis Envy? Women didn’t envy men’s members; they envied men’s socioeconomic power and protection under the law. Oedipus Complex? We’re not repressing it. We just don’t want to have sex with our mothers.
What makes this worse, though, is the overwhelming amount of attention his ideas receive in other disciplines and in popular culture. From what I can tell, most people are only introduced to psychology through freshman-level courses or through the media. Proper introductions to psychology tend to spend a healthy quantity of time on history, giving Freud an undeserved amount of the public eye’s attention span. But I may be wrong. Freud may have just created easy to remember misconceptions about human behavior.
Psychology is a science. Teams of scientists throughout the world dedicate their lives testing any hypothesis produced about human behavior. Additionally, psychology has a large, public field of practitioners who help people replace self-destructive behavior patterns and cognitive fallacies with constructive behaviors/thought patterns.
Freud’s unethical treatment of patients and his disregard for the scientific method has rooted into the public consciousness. And it annoys me to no end. I am frequently amazed by good friends of mine who, knowing that I am a psychology major and that I plan on dedicating my career to the study of human behavior, still repeat these public misnomers to me.
1. Ever read a book or watched a TV show where a psychologist falls in love with/seduces a client? I have. Any Psychologist who did that in real life would no longer be a Psychologist, they would be a highly educated yet unemployable bum (“Psychologist” is a legally protected term, those who demonstrate unethical conduct lose that status). But it is a common narrative cliché found all throughout popular culture.
I think this cliché is tied indirectly to the unethical behavior Freud had with his patients. Freud (and his peers) made a lot of noise. Unfortunately, that was all it was: useless, meaningless noise. Freud was obsessed with sex and aggression, which skewed any findings he could have had. Just to make it clear, I am not obsessed with sex and aggression. But I probably would be if I smoked as much cocaine as Freud did!
2. How about the idea that a Psychologist is a paid best friend, there for you to listen to you complain? I have met too many with this misconception, and I am sick of it. Psychologists are trained professionals. They are not advocates. There is a difference between a person conducting a therapy session and a person you go to the mall with.
3. Also, one thing I hear often (usually by those who did not put in the time and effort to finish a Bachelor’s) is that if they had continued their education, they would have gone with psychology. What?! What makes you think that you, who did not have enough patience and discipline to finish a Bachelor’s degree, would be in any way qualified to be a Psychologist? It is currently easier to be accepted into medical school than to be accepted by graduate programs in clinical psychology.
I want to repeat that: One is more likely to be accepted into med school than in graduate level clinical psychology programs (which is a prerequisite for any type of practice, or to receive the legally protected status of “Psychologist”). This is not a field for the short-minded or the unfocused. If you could not drag yourself into class, or could not self-regulate your study habits/job performance, then psychology probably is not a good fit.
So if we are hanging out and you mention Free Association, Oedipus Complexes, Freudian Slips, or the idea that a Psychologist is your friend who will sleep with you because she/he did not work that hard to obtain her/his status, please apologize for the insult you just gave my chosen field. Unless these misconceptions are used in the context of a joke that specifically points out that they are erroneous, then their use is unforgivable.
For Your Information: In my introductory Developmental Psychology course last semester, we spent a total of three minutes discussing the ideas put forth by psychoanalysts. For the first minute, my professor pointed out their ideas about puberty/adolescence as a time of “storm and stress.” For the next two minutes we discussed how stupid, wrong, irrelevant, and non-productive those views are. And then we moved on, never to mention the word “Freud” again.
LOST
The reason for my existence is back. Lost premiered last thursday after making the fans wait for eight months. Was it worth the wait? Completely.
People ask me why I would like the show, since it primarily exists to turn the audience's expressions into the one Desmond is wearing up there.
This episode focused on Hurley, one of my favorites since his romance with Libby during the second season. Libby was pretty. Libby was into psychology. Libby was into fat men.
To reiterate: Libby was perfect.
But then she was used as a plot device, which makes me scream out loud every time I see the relevant episode. But I digress.
What you need to know: Lost is awesome. You should be watching it. It is allright if you don't get everything, because it is a MYSTERY show. Be mystified and enjoy the experience.
So this thursday night stop everything you are doing to watch the show. It doesn't matter if you are at work, studying, taking care of babies, driving, etc. Stop what you are doing and watch the show.
It's worth it.
30 January 2008
THE REAL Snow White
Snow White, a member of the royal family, must flee from her castle home due to a violent regime change. Isolated in the wilderness, she becomes insane and begins to sing to forest creatures. After a month of holding a bluebird hostage whilst shouting, “My precious, the tree will eats us! The tree hates us!” she stumbles upon a cottage inhabited by an inbred family of little people.
The family consists mainly of six lonely men in their sixties, several of which have degenerative, genetic disorders as well as psychological afflictions. One’s immune system never functions, resulting in perpetual sneezing. Another is narcoleptic. One suffers from generalized anxiety disorder in addition to several specific phobias, which prevent him from easily communicating to others. Another is schizophrenic, but the dopamine overactivity and encouraging hallucinations do not impede his ability to function with others; in fact he is in a continuously good mood. One, with a narcissistic personality disorder, forces the others to refer to him as their ringleader “Doc” despite the fact that he has no training in the medical field.
However, the most extreme case of genetic malady is the second generation inbred, “Dopey,” who never possessed the mental capacities to speak. He is also unable to follow even the simplest of instructions. His birth, forty years ago, resulted in the death of the clan female which terminated the family’s ability to procreate. The incident sparked clinical depression in another little man. The others labeled him with a dispiriting nickname which only furthers his depression.
For a few weeks Snow White and the seven little men coexist peacefully. White fulfills the traditional female role that she has been trained to do, such as cleaning and doing the dishes, while the seven little men hunt/gather food and devise stratagems. When White requests to leave, however, the little men inform her of their plan to use White as the clan female. White, realizing that any straightforward attempt to escape would result in her being overpowered, pretends to fall into a persistent vegetative state. The seven little men divide the day into three eight-hour shifts, therefore at least two men are always on guard in case White’s condition changes.
White desperately waits for her old boyfriend to rescue her…
The family consists mainly of six lonely men in their sixties, several of which have degenerative, genetic disorders as well as psychological afflictions. One’s immune system never functions, resulting in perpetual sneezing. Another is narcoleptic. One suffers from generalized anxiety disorder in addition to several specific phobias, which prevent him from easily communicating to others. Another is schizophrenic, but the dopamine overactivity and encouraging hallucinations do not impede his ability to function with others; in fact he is in a continuously good mood. One, with a narcissistic personality disorder, forces the others to refer to him as their ringleader “Doc” despite the fact that he has no training in the medical field.
However, the most extreme case of genetic malady is the second generation inbred, “Dopey,” who never possessed the mental capacities to speak. He is also unable to follow even the simplest of instructions. His birth, forty years ago, resulted in the death of the clan female which terminated the family’s ability to procreate. The incident sparked clinical depression in another little man. The others labeled him with a dispiriting nickname which only furthers his depression.
For a few weeks Snow White and the seven little men coexist peacefully. White fulfills the traditional female role that she has been trained to do, such as cleaning and doing the dishes, while the seven little men hunt/gather food and devise stratagems. When White requests to leave, however, the little men inform her of their plan to use White as the clan female. White, realizing that any straightforward attempt to escape would result in her being overpowered, pretends to fall into a persistent vegetative state. The seven little men divide the day into three eight-hour shifts, therefore at least two men are always on guard in case White’s condition changes.
White desperately waits for her old boyfriend to rescue her…
22 January 2008
Beginning of the Semester Observations
Ahh, stress, how I have missed thee.
Has it been almost a month since we last were together? I know we briefly got it own while I was visiting relatives. But otherwise I actually rested, read for leisure, and laughed over our break. And we were on a break so don’t look at me that way, I know you moved on to retail business owners, anyway. But now it’s just you and me baby. Say hello again to weekly all-nighters. Not the fun, I’m so drunk I can’t fall asleep and this other drunk keeps smooshing into me , kind of all-nighters but the ones filled with over preparation, anxiety, and thoughts of inadequacies.
I shouldn’t be jumping ahead of myself. It is 1 AM while I write this so I may actually fall asleep tonight. Maybe.
Yesterday was first day of my second semester at my second cheap commuter school. And that is way too many numbers to think about in my current mental state. I have three classes so far Nutrition (ugh), Chemistry (double ugh), and Learning Theory. Let’s take them apart in the order from least to most intimidating:
A) Nutrition is full of Ed majors. And something about their preference to associate with children and their inability to make any decisions without calling their significant, soon to be married to and visibly pregnant by, other (who is always their third fiancé, if you count the ones in high school) makes me want to bludgeon them to death their color-coordinated three-ring binders. But other than that, I should be fine.
B) Then there is Chem. I have one of those professors who, if there were a God, would not be paid. The professor started off the semester trying to make himself relatable by saying “he wasn’t the best student ever”, i.e. he failed every course because he was too busy honing his beer gut. Somehow, he has landed an adjunct position and has chosen to hold his captives to standards that he himself was unable to meet when he was in our position. His idea of homework is for us to do one hundred problems and then he will grade us on the two problems the least amount of people finished.
I tell myself a little mantra to get through the hour, “After this, my only Core Class will be ping pong. After this, my only General Ed will be ping pong.” It makes everything easier.
C) Last, and most worrying is Learning Theory (essentially a course in behaviorism (guys like Pavlov and Piaget)). This sounds fun and interesting and manageable, except that I do not have the three hundred dollars to spend on the textbooks. Oh well, time to start my next crappy job search.
That’s only half of my courses. The other three include Physiological Psych which I took to see if night classes are for me. I like having class when I am actually alert. But I don’t like spending three hours in the same damn room. It makes me want to go insane, which would be good practice for the other psych majors.
Penultimately is Orientation to a Psych Major, which I like because it’s mellow.
Lastly is Sexual Ethics, which I like because we talk about sex.
And that’s the rundown. I wish I could elaborate but I’ve got to study. And get a job. And cure cancer. And prevent the apocalypse. You know, the usual.
Has it been almost a month since we last were together? I know we briefly got it own while I was visiting relatives. But otherwise I actually rested, read for leisure, and laughed over our break. And we were on a break so don’t look at me that way, I know you moved on to retail business owners, anyway. But now it’s just you and me baby. Say hello again to weekly all-nighters. Not the fun, I’m so drunk I can’t fall asleep and this other drunk keeps smooshing into me , kind of all-nighters but the ones filled with over preparation, anxiety, and thoughts of inadequacies.
I shouldn’t be jumping ahead of myself. It is 1 AM while I write this so I may actually fall asleep tonight. Maybe.
Yesterday was first day of my second semester at my second cheap commuter school. And that is way too many numbers to think about in my current mental state. I have three classes so far Nutrition (ugh), Chemistry (double ugh), and Learning Theory. Let’s take them apart in the order from least to most intimidating:
A) Nutrition is full of Ed majors. And something about their preference to associate with children and their inability to make any decisions without calling their significant, soon to be married to and visibly pregnant by, other (who is always their third fiancé, if you count the ones in high school) makes me want to bludgeon them to death their color-coordinated three-ring binders. But other than that, I should be fine.
B) Then there is Chem. I have one of those professors who, if there were a God, would not be paid. The professor started off the semester trying to make himself relatable by saying “he wasn’t the best student ever”, i.e. he failed every course because he was too busy honing his beer gut. Somehow, he has landed an adjunct position and has chosen to hold his captives to standards that he himself was unable to meet when he was in our position. His idea of homework is for us to do one hundred problems and then he will grade us on the two problems the least amount of people finished.
I tell myself a little mantra to get through the hour, “After this, my only Core Class will be ping pong. After this, my only General Ed will be ping pong.” It makes everything easier.
C) Last, and most worrying is Learning Theory (essentially a course in behaviorism (guys like Pavlov and Piaget)). This sounds fun and interesting and manageable, except that I do not have the three hundred dollars to spend on the textbooks. Oh well, time to start my next crappy job search.
That’s only half of my courses. The other three include Physiological Psych which I took to see if night classes are for me. I like having class when I am actually alert. But I don’t like spending three hours in the same damn room. It makes me want to go insane, which would be good practice for the other psych majors.
Penultimately is Orientation to a Psych Major, which I like because it’s mellow.
Lastly is Sexual Ethics, which I like because we talk about sex.
And that’s the rundown. I wish I could elaborate but I’ve got to study. And get a job. And cure cancer. And prevent the apocalypse. You know, the usual.
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