PSY 2012 Guided Writing Assignment

Name: Brielle
Tyler Hudson, Instructor
Chapters 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Please copy and paste these questions to a new document. Answer and then
submit your document through canvas. Don't skip questions! This will hurt
your grade quicker than anything else. You only need to cite your answers
(APA format please) if you use a source other than your text or my lectures.

Short Answer Questions. Answer all questions. (3 – 5 sentences are

usually sufficient): 4 points each
1) In what way are heuristics both useful and not useful?
Heuristics are helpful because it is thinking that happens almost uncon-
sciously, meaning your mind can remain (or continue to be) focused on other
tasks. This thinking is also adaptive and important for survival. This thinking
can be dangerous because it can cause us to do things out of reaction to
things we see, so our perceptions can be blinded by instinct instead of facts.

2) In what way do achievement tests NOT tell us about a person's

intelligence?
If the tests are unreliable, standardized, or have validity, they cannot tell us
about people’s intelligence. Achievement tests can only measure what has
been learned in specific areas, not the areas where people have the potential
to grow their intelligence.

3) Why do we believe that creativity and intelligence are differ-

ent?
Creativity is the ability to generate novel ideas that produce successful out-
comes. Intelligence is the ability to use knowledge to reason, make deci-
sions, make sense of events, solve problems, understand complex ideas,
learn quickly, and adapt to environmental challenges.

4) Why would children playing be an example of intrinsic motiva-

tion?
Intrinsic motivation is the desire to perform an activity because of the value
or pleasure associated with that activity rather than to achieve an external
goal. So, when children are playing, most of the time, they are not doing it
for any reward or goal. Their play is purely motivated for their own pleasure
and happiness.

5) Why do we believe that there is a biological predisposition to-

wards sexual orientation? Does scientific evidence suggest that sex-
ual orientation can be changed through therapy?
The book states that sexual orientation is the nature of a person enduring
sexual, emotional, and/or romantic attraction to other people. Except for ex-
treme cases, gender is biological, and so therefore it would make sense that
there is a biological predisposition towards sexual orientation. In regards to
sexual orientation being changed through therapy, there is no scientific evi-
dence showing that therapy always, 100% of the time works in every case.
Given the amount of information given in the question and the length asked
for a response, I cannot go in detail about the “scientific evidence”. Gener-
ally, yes, there is evidence that therapy works. It always depends on the type
of therapy, the case, the want for change, and overall how the situation is
handled. In all situations, there are ways to mistreat and misuse even with
good intentions (including therapy).

6) Differentiate crystalized intelligence from fluid intelligence.

Fluid intelligence reflects the ability to process information, particularly in
novel or complex circumstances. Crystalized intelligence reflects knowledge
gained through experience and the ability to use that knowledge to solve
problems. Fluid intelligence could be explained as being more book smart,
while Crystalized intelligence would be explained as intelligence that from
past experiences and the ability to apply what you learn.

7) Differentiate anorexia nervosa, bulimia and binge eating disor-

der.
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by excessive fear of be-
coming fat and therefore restricting energy intake to obtain a significantly
low body weight. Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by diet-
ing, binge eating, and compensating behaviors such as purging. Binge eating
disorder is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating that causes sig-
nificant distress. Anorexia nervosa is restricting eating, bulimia is restricting
because of binging, and binge eating is excessive eating without constrict-
ing.

Essay Questions (a more full answer is expected, generally at least

2 – 3 paragraphs in length). 8 points each.
1) Explain the concept of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and illus-
trate how that theory might apply to working with individuals expe-
riencing domestic violence.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is the idea that people are driven by many
needs, with some being more important than others. He breaks them down
into five categories, starting from highest priority to lowest priority. First,
Physiological; this is food, water, warmth, oxygen, and sleep. Second, Safety;
is security, protection, and freedom from threats. Third, belongingness and
love; this is acceptance and friendship. Fourth is esteem; this is good self-
opinion, accomplishments, and reputation. Fifth, is self-actualization; living to
full potential, and achieving personal dreams and aspirations.

When someone is experiencing domestic violence, Maslow’s theory shows

that their second highest priority for need isn’t available, and with that, none
of the following needs can be easily reached. I’m not sure if “working with” is
implying therapy and support, or working with them at a job or in school. Ei-
ther way, what I would do in a situation like that is to make sure I can sup-
port them in having all their physiological needs and then try to gain their
trust, helping them know that they are safe with me. This is emotional and
physical safety. Hopefully having a friendship so that I can be an encourage-
ment in their life, giving them support to reach their full potential and growth
and supporting them to get away from domestic violence.

2) How does homeostasis relate to drive reduction theory? Differ-

entiate drive reduction theory from optimal level of arousal. Include
a discussion of the Yerkes-Dodson law.
Homeostasis is the central concept being the drive reduction theory. The
drive reduction theory is a theory that explains how people are motivated to
reduce physiological imbalances to achieve a state of balance, or homeosta-
sis. Optimal level of arousal is a psychological state where a person experi-
ences a moderate level of mental stimulation, allowing them to preform well
without becoming bored or anxious. From what I found, the drive reduction
theory is the action trying to maintain a balance or having peace. Finding the
ways to not have a “drive”. Optimal level of arousal is just a steady state
where there is no drive for anything, but overall they feel well about them-
selves.

3) Discuss how schemas and stereotypes might work for us both

positively and negatively. Give examples.
Schemas are mental structures— collections of ideas, prior knowledge, and
experiences— that help organize information and guide thought and behav-
ior. Stereotypes are schemas that allow for easy, past processing of informa-
tion about people, events, or objects, based on how that information is cate-
gorized.

Schemas and stereotypes can be positive when needing to make quick or

general decisions. It can help to protect ourselves from repeatedly harming
ourselves. For example, we can have a schema that if we put our hand on a
hot stove, we will burn ourselves. Schemas and stereotypes can also be neg-
ative. This can be when making assumptions and assuming stereotypes
about people. We shouldn’t automatically assume the worst or the best of
people, instead, we should be careful and take time to get to know the peo-
ple around us.

4) How does suggestibility of memories in long term storage re-

late to eyewitness testimony?
The suggestibility of memories in long-term storage relates to eyewitness
testimonies by the likelihood of distortion or inaccuracy. The suggestibility of
memories is when memories are altered (intentionally or unintentionally) due
to the influence of the people around you. When giving an eyewitness testi-
mony, the true facts and information will likely be inaccurate or exaggerated.
5) Describe the process of forming a long term memory, provid-
ing descriptions of sensory storage, short term and working memory
and long term storage.
The process of forming a long-term memory begins with the initial encoding
of sensory information. When we encounter new stimuli, sensory storage (or
sensory memory) briefly holds these inputs for a very short duration, typi-
cally less than a second for visual information (iconic memory) and a few
seconds for auditory information (echoic memory). This allows the brain to
filter out irrelevant details and select the most important pieces of informa-
tion to move forward in the memory process. If we pay attention to these
sensory inputs, they are then transferred to short-term memory, which can
hold a limited amount of information for about 15-30 seconds. Short-term
memory allows us to hold onto information temporarily and is often affected
by factors like rehearsal or chunking, where we group pieces of information
for easier recall.

To store information in long-term memory, it must first pass through working

memory, which is an active, dynamic system responsible for manipulating
and organizing information to make it more meaningful. Working memory in-
volves both storing information and processing it, allowing us to solve prob-
lems or plan future actions. As information is rehearsed and encoded more
deeply—through processes like elaboration, semantic encoding, or creating
associations—it can be consolidated into long-term memory, where it is
stored indefinitely and is potentially retrievable for future use. Long-term
memory has a vast capacity and is thought to involve the hippocampus for
the initial consolidation of memories, while later retrieval and storage of
these memories occur in various regions of the cortex, depending on the
type of information (e.g., facts, events, skills). The process of moving from
sensory input to long-term storage is influenced by attention, repetition,
emotional significance, and other cognitive factors that determine the
strength and permanence of a memory.

6) Hypothetical question: you have a professor who you do NOT

get along with and you have difficulty understanding the material in
the class. Describe how you would handle the situation in terms of
primary appraisal, secondary appraisal and EITHER emotion focused
coping OR problem focused coping.
In regards to primary appraisal, I would determine if sitting through the
classes and doing the work would be just a struggle or something unbear-
able. If it would be just a struggle, I would continue on with the class, and
make sure to put in as much effort as I can, without being overbearing and
making sure to balance that coursework with the rest of my courses. If it was
unbearable, I would withdraw or drop the class. When it comes to secondary
appraisal, figuring out how to cope with the stressful situation, I would need
to find ways to cope with the stress and frustration. For me personally, when
I have needed to deal with situations like this, I first make sure to be in
prayer before and after class and in difficult situations. I also seek help and
support from my parents and peers; this can be me ranting and them listen-
ing, me seeking advice on tricky situations, or just finding ways to take my
mind off of the stress and frustration.

When it comes to struggles with college professors, beyond dropping or with-

drawing from the class, there is no way to fix the issues. Trying to address
the issue in this case specifically and the similar cases I have been in, would
cause more harm than good. They are the teacher and so you have to put up
with it. Because of this, I would use emotion-focused coping. Like said earlier
when talking about coping with stress, I find myself often praying and seek-
ing support from people around me. I try to remember to treat the people
around me with kindness and grace, even when they make me frustrated or
when I disagree with them. It really is a hard thing to navigate and we are
humans so it never is handled perfectly.

7) Name three strategies from the end of chapter 11 that you

would like to try to help deal with stress in your life. Explain why
you think that those strategies would work for you.
Three strategies I would like to use to help me deal with stress are 1) keep
active 2) build a strong support network and 3) consider my spiritual life.
Each of these things is already implemented into my life, but I know with
more consistency and intentionally my stress will decrease more. I’ve seen
my stress diminish with several different techniques, but when thinking
about which has been the greatest, these are my top three.

For the first, keep active. I know that when I am active my stress decreases.
Exercise is scientifically proven to help improve your mental health and
mood and so I seek having healthy rhythms of exercise to keep a balance.
When I begin to feel stressed, finding a way to exercise or be active quickly
is something I find to do to decrease stress. I strongly feel a difference in my
mood and attention span depending on how active I have been in the week
so remembering how I feel when I’m healthy is a boost and encouragement
to maintain the healthy cycles.

Second, building a strong support network. My biggest support system, be-

sides my family, is my church and youth group. Over the past few years, I’ve
strived to have people in my life that I can fully trust and lean on through
hard times. Because I know I have those people, it helps relieve stress just to
have confidence that people have my back through any situation I go
through. I know I need to maintain those relationships and reciprocate the
feelings people show me.

Last, but not least, considering my spiritual life. As I mentioned in the previ-
ous strategy, I have a strong support system at my church. But the people in
my church aren’t the only connection in the church that I have to relieve
stress. As my faith and relationship with God have grown as I’ve gotten
older, I find that stress and anxiety in my life are greatly diminished, and I
can find peace in joy in my faith. I know that when I spend time reading the
Bible, in prayer talking to God, or simply listening to Christian worship songs,
my stress diminishes. I know that when I pray and ask God to strengthen me
through stressful times and provide me with everything I need, he hears me
and supports me. I still struggle with stress like every human ever, but the
stress is diminished and I can see God active in my life when I give him con-
trol and trust him with my life.

8) Differentiate the central route processing of a persuasive mes-

sage from the peripheral route. Which is more likely to develop
stronger attitudes?
The central route processing of a persuasive message would be trying to per-
suade someone by “facts” or “logic”. Central route processing of a peripheral
route would be trying to persuade someone by the use of emotions, attrac-
tiveness, or tone. Although using emotions to persuade someone is more
likely to persuade someone, that persuasion is most likely shallow, resulting
in the person to not fully be changed in their thought process. This means
that the central route is more likely to have a greater effect on actually
changing someone’s mind. However, sometimes the “facts” presented to
some cant be false and misleading, causing them great confusion and great
misinterpretation. This is why it’s very important to do your own research on
credible sources to make sure the information you believe is accurate.

9) It is suggested that stereotypes often lead to prejudice and dis-

crimination for four reasons (or combinations of these.) According
to one theory, only certain types of people are prejudiced. Accord-
ing to a second theory, people treat others as scapegoats to relieve
the tensions of daily living. According to a third theory, people dis-
criminate against others to protect their own self-esteem. Finally,
according to ingroup/outgroup bias theory, we tend to discriminate
against people who we perceive as threats to our group. Which
theory do you think makes the strongest argument and why?
Each of these theories bring up great points and ideas when it comes to the
reasoning behind discrimination and prejudice. Overall, each of them can be
seen in different situations and are applicable. I think that the third theory,
the theory stating that people discriminate against others to protect their
own self-esteem makes the strongest argument.

As humans, we constantly are comparing ourselves to others and trying to

make ourselves seem better. Because of this, we constantly tear others
down and make others took bad so that we can look better. This can be a
physical or emotional comparison. When we see someone who might be bet-
ter than us or maybe even a threat to or morals and challenge us, our first
reaction is to attack their character and self. This can lead to mistreatment,
prejudice, and discrimination. It isn’t always because of our own self-esteem,
but I think this is a huge reason. Also, I strongly believe that it is not always
intentional.

Extra credit: 2 points each

1) What are Gardner’s nine multiple intelligences or frames of
mind? Provide a one sentence description of each.
The first is naturalism. This intelligence is with understanding living things
and reading nature. The second is musical. This intelligence is discerning
sounds, their pitch, tone, rhythm, and timbre. The third is bodily-kinesthetic.
This intelligence is the ability to coordinate your mind with your body. Fourth
is logical/mathematical intelligence. This is the ability to quantify things,
make hypotheses, and prove them. The fifth is interpersonal. This is the abil-
ity to sense people’s feelings and motives. The sixth intelligence is intra-per-
sonal. This is the intelligence to understand yourself, what you feel, and what
you want. The seventh is linguistic intelligence. This is finding the right words
to express what you mean. The Eighth is spatial intelligence. This is the abil-
ity to visualize the world in 3D.

2) What is positive psychology? What is your opinion of its use-

fulness?
Positive psychology is the study of the strengths and virtues that allow peo-
ple and communities to thrive. To be honest, I don’t fully agree with the
whole “happiness” movement. It truly depends on what people are doing to
find happiness. Because of my beliefs, I don’t think people should be doing
whatever their heart desires and what they believe would bring them happi-
ness. Yes, it is important to study what we seek and want, but overall, we
shouldn’t be doing whatever we want. I believe there is a moral standard and
that there are a lot of wrong things that this society and culture do that are
glorified and said to be good things when, in actuality, they are very wrong
and detrimental. For example, getting drunk. At the moment, you might find
happiness in the “high” of being drunk, but in reality, you are destroying
your liver and have to deal with a hangover in the morning. In reality, most
of the things generally that make people “happy” are momentary and not
sustainable. This is why finding the true meaning and purpose of our lives is
very important.

3) What does Stanley Milgram’s experiment say about our obe-

dience to authority?
Stanley Milgram’s experiment says that people are very likely to obey au-
thority, even when it conflicts with our morals. It highlighted the internal
struggle people often experience when tasks are given to them when they
directly (or indirectly) go against their morals and beliefs.