StephenAbbate

SummerSessionII
Dr.Papi

PsychologySummerSession
WeeklyJournals

Week1
Thisweekinclass,wediscussedanoverviewofpsychologyincludingitshistoryandvarious
perspectivesofviewingthisadaptablesocialscience.Inparticular,wediscussedthebig
questions.Iinstantlyrecognizedmanyofthesequestions,fromtheirprevalenceinthemedia
andcontemporarysocialdebates.Forexample,thenatureversusnurturequestioniscurrentlyin
thespotlightasaresultofgaymarriagerecentlybeinglegalized.Ifoundthatmostpsychologists
currentviewpointonthedebateisthesameasmypersonalbelief,thatbothnatureandnurture
affectanindividual.Wealsoinvestigatedareallifecasestoryofateenwitharacialidentity
crisis.Icouldrelatetothisbecauseasateenager,Ifaceasimilaridentitycrisis,notnecessarilya
fromaracialperspective,butratherasanoverallstruggletodiscovermyownidentityandwhatI
wanttodowithmylife.

Week2
Thisweek,wediscussedconceptsrelatingtodevelopmentalpsychologyaswellasexplorethe
psychologybehindgenderandsexualorientation.Althoughonlytouchedonbriefly,Isawhow
manyofthesetopicshadapplicationsintheworldtodayandmyownpersonalexperience.For
example,asdiscussedlastweek,thegenderandsexualorientationchapterraisedquestionslike
thoseincontemporarydebatesonthenatureversusnurtureissue.Also,wediscussedsexversus
gender.Isawhowthisappliedtothecurrentdebateovertransgendersandbathrooms,aspeople
debatewhetherbathroomuseshouldbedictatedbyoneschosengenderorbiologicalsex.Also,
inparticularwetalkedaboutdevelopmentalpsychology,andIcouldclearlyseehowthese
conceptsappliedtomyowndevelopment,bothphysicalandcognitive,throughouttheyears.For
example,wewentoverthedifferentparentingstylesandIinstantlyrecognizedthatmyparents
werethankfullyconsistentlyauthoritative.Also,afterlearningEricksonsstagesofdevelopment
andthevariousconflictsfacedatdifferentages,IlookedbackandcouldseehowIhad
unknowinglyfacedthoseconflicts,suchasinitiativeversusguiltandidentityversusconfusion.

Week3
Thisweekwecoveredalotofcontentrangingfromtheprinciplesoflearningtostressand
managingrelateddisorders.Inthelearningchapterwediscussedthebasicformsoflearningsuch
as,classicalconditioning,operantconditioning,andlearningthroughobservation.Although
experimentsstudyingthesetheoriesoflearningweremostlyconductedusinganimals,thesame

StephenAbbate
SummerSessionII
Dr.Papi
basicprinciplesapplytohumanlearning,althoughittendstobemorecomplex.Ihave
previouslyownedadog,andwhendiscussingthesetypesoflearning,Iinstantlysawhowthese
techniquesmakeupthefoundationofdogtraining.Usingoperantconditioning,dogswho
behavewellarerewardedinsomeform,whilethosewhodonotreceiveareward(negativere
enforcement).Alsoinregardstostress,wediscussedvariouscommonstressorsandtheprocess
bywhichushumansreacttointenseorprolongedstress.Myjunioryearwasparticularlydifficult
withApclassesandveryintenseworkloads.Itwasinitiallyverydifficulttoadjust,butIgot
morecomfortableastheyearwenton,developingaresistancetothestress.However,towards
theendoftheyear,thisprolongedstressbecametoogreat,andIwentthroughaburnoutor
exhaustionphase,whereIhadlittletonomotivationtodoschoolwork.

Week4
Thisweekwasshortenedandessentiallyonlyincludedareviewandtest.Thustheinformation
wasdiscussedwasthesameasthepreviousweek.However,uponsecondexaminationand
review,Irealizedmoreconnectionsbetweentheinformationlearnedinclassandmylifeandthe
worldtoday.Oneofthetopicswediscussedwashumanintelligence.Thisincludedcognition,
basicsoflanguage,andhowintelligenceismeasured.Onepsychologist,CharlesSpearman,
believedthatintelligencewasverygeneralorbroad.Iagreewiththistosomeextentbutthe
theoriesofmultipleintelligencesseemedmoreaccuratebasedonmyexperiences.Forexample,I
canstrugglewithanalyticalthinkingoccasionally.ButasSternbergtheorized,Iexcelmoreinthe
creativeandpracticalsense.Wealsodiscussedeatingdisorders,suchasanorexia,bulimia,and
bingeeating.Oneofmycousinsusedtosufferfrombulimia,becauseasawrestler,hewas
facedwiththeimmensepressuretostrictlymaintainacertainweight.SpecificallyIrelatedtothe
marksononeshandthatwediscussedinclass,asIvividlyremembernoticingthesescrapsand
callousesonmycousinsknucklesasaresultofhisconstantpurging.

Week5
Muchofthisweekwasdevotedtoinclasspresentationsforourfinalproject,butwestillcovered
asizableamountofmaterial.Wediscussedconceptsinsocialpsychologyandwatchedan
interestingyethorrificdocumentaryontheholocaust.Theinformationshowninthe
documentaryremindedmeoftheprevioustimesthatwehavediscussedtheholocaustinschool,
howeverthiswasmuchmorerealistic.ThedocumentarysparkedaninternaldebateIhadbeen
havingonwhetherornotGermanycaneverbeforgivenforthisevent.Mostofthepeoplewere
brainwashedbyHitlerandhispowerfulnaziforces,butregardlessthissystematicgenocidewas
extremelyatrociousandisverydifficulttoforgiveandforget.Wealsodiscussedvarioustypesof
psychologicaldisordersrangingfromdepressiontopersonalitydisorders,likenarcissism.In
particular,thediscussionofbipolardisorderinterestedme,asIcompletedmyfinalpaperonit
andIhavearelativewhosuffersfromit.Withmycousin,hispsychiatristprescribedmedication
whichhelpedtostabilizehismood,avoidingthepreviouslyrapidfluctuations.Ihavelong

StephenAbbate
SummerSessionII
Dr.Papi
debatedwhetherornotthemaniaorhypomaniastageofthedisordershouldsoughttobe
maintained,asitcanhavenumerousbenefits,suchasincreasedproductivity,motivation,and
overallpleasantfeeling.Butonemustalsoconsiderthedownsideofpreservingthisstate,asa
personmaybecomeextremelyangry,violent,ortakelargerisksinthismanicstage.ThusI
believeitisbettertostabilizeonesmoodcompletelywithmedication,evenifthismeans
suppressingpotentiallybeneficialeffects.

Week6
Thisweekwedidnotreallydiscussmuchclassmaterialrelatedtopsychology.Wemainly
receivedconceptsfromourlasttwochapters,whichwerepsychologicaldisordersand
psychotherapy.Thepsychologicaldisorderswediscussedincludedbipolardisorder,
schizophrenia,depression,aswellasothers.Intalkingaboutthesedisorders,particularlybipolar
disorder,IsawsimilaritiestotheresearchIdidformypaperandpresentationandthemovie
SilverLiningsPlaybook.Irealizedhowaccuratelythemovieportrayedthisdisorder.Also,in
talkingaboutthevariousmethodsofpsychotherapy,Ionceagainsawconnectionstomyproject
andmovie.Thisweekalsoconsistedofalotofpresentations,whichoutlineddifferent
psychologicaldisordersrangingfromautismtoPosttraumaticstressdisorderandtheassigned
movieswhichportrayedthem.Inparticular,thepresentationonStillAlice,whichrelatesto
Alzheimer'sDisorder,resoundedwithme.Mygreatgrandmotherdiedlastyearduetothis
incurabledisease.Iwasabletoclearlyseeherdownfall,asthedisordersteadilyprogressed.She
beganasthepresentationdiscussed,simplyforgettingsmallthings,whicheventuallygotlarger.
Then,shebegantonotrecognizeherfamilyandrepeatsentences.Eventually,shebecame
completelyunresponsive.Asthepresentationmentioned,sincethisdisorderisnotyetcurableor
treatable,itisimportanttokeepthepersonwithit,comfortable.Withmygreatgrandmother,we
madesuretodothis,andinparticularusedhumortohelplightenhermood.Eventhoughthe
disorderdidkillher,asitusuallydoes,sheremainedlargelyhappyandoptimisticuntiltheend,
thankstothispositivetechnique,whichIhighlyadvocate.