Discuss examples of the deliberate alteration of human behaviour: phobias
Discuss examples of the deliberate alteration of human behaviour Behaviour consists of learned responses to simple stimuli. One example of the use of deliberate alteration of behaviour is with phobias. In the learning approach, phobias are seen as the result of maladaptive learning by classical conditioning. If at some time a fearful, even traumatic, event has occurred then, by classical conditioning the person experiencing this may associate it with anything that was around at the time. Behaviour therapy is the means of treating phobias using classical conditioning. Joseph Wolpe (1958) developed a procedure known as systematic desensitisation that consists of three phases: relaxation training, construction of fear hierarchy and counter-conditioning by pairing the feared object with a relaxation response. The patient is first trained in deep muscle relaxation. In this phase, the patient constructs a list of feared stimuli, starting from the least feared, to the most disturbing. In the next phase, the patient is then required to use the learned relaxation technique when presented with the feared stimulus, starting with the least feared, and gradually working up the ladder of fears. This technique is known as systematic desensitisation because it involves gradually desensitising the person to the feared stimulus. This technique does not use classical conditioning alone. The
It can be said that the majority of all significant characters in a literary work have an identity, which is developed in order to convey the author's message. Giving an individual an identity enables it to 'talk' to the reader.
It can be said that the majority of all significant characters in a literary work have an identity, which is developed in order to convey the author's message. Giving an individual an identity enables it to 'talk' to the reader. Therefore, we can see that a character with a personal identity is significant in a literary work, and does not merely coexist with other characters in a literary work. This aspect of personal identity is brought out in Milan Kundera's Identity and in Tim O' Brien's The Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong in 'The Things They Carried'. The loss / gain of personal identity seems to be the common theme in both texts. The character of Chantal in Kundera's Identity loses her individuality due to social conformity and the character of Mary Anne gains her identity, which was also lost due to social conformity. Though both texts deal with the issue regarding one's personal identity, they differ in terms of the flow direction in loss / gain of identity. In Identity, Chantal loses her identity and then regains it later on. But in The Things They Carried, Mary Anne finds her lost identity. In Milan Kundera's Identity, it can be seen that Chantal has her individuality at the beginning of the dream. "Tongues licking each other had always disgusted her". Chantal can be said to be unique because of her expressed disgust towards French kissing. And Jean Marc' s reaction to
Loneliness in the modern age. Loneliness is inevitable; it is crafted out of the modern world and thus is inseparable from it. It is so pervasive that to be human is to be lonely (as cited in Rokach, 2004).
Loneliness in the modern age by Julie Lee Submitted to Mrs. Martin The Woodlands School HSP 3MO-A January 18, 2011 Loneliness is inevitable; it is crafted out of the modern world and thus is inseparable from it. It is so pervasive that "to be human is to be lonely" (as cited in Rokach, 2004). Humankind is "continually struggling to escape the solipsistic prison of ... painful alienation, ... the agonizing pain of loneliness, and its gnawing, saddening, and terrifying effects" (as cited in Rokach). This everlasting battle drives people's lives - the fear "motivates people to attend to and connect with others but ... in a self-protective and paradoxically self-defeating fashion" (Cacioppo, Hughes, Waite, Hawkley, & Thisted, 2006). Social isolation is a more tangible seclusion as opposed to the subjective experience of feeling lonely - which is the longing to fit in and the resultant experience when one cannot. However, both experiences are particularly prevalent in North American culture. Individuals of the contemporary Western society are subject to comparatively high levels of loneliness and social isolation - a result of increasing reliance on technology, selfish ideals, and the pressure culture places to develop relationships. This culminates in poor psychological health and quality of life, creating a cycle of further alienation. Western culture is to blame for
Research into Majority Influence
Describe and Evaluate research into Majority Influence (Conformity) Majority influence, also known as conformity, is a form of influence in which a large group of people influence a smaller group of people to make them behave or believe the same publicly. Asch's line experiment showed how we look to each other to make sure we are doing what a majority of people think is right. In the experiment he used confederates to influence the true participant. He found 25% of the people in the experiment never conformed meaning 75% conformed at least once. On top of this Asch also found 36.8% of responses made by true participants were incorrect. Crutchfield also did a similar task to Asch in which he got participants to decide the size of a stimulus card. Each participant was out of sight of each other but given fake answers which they believed were the other participants. In fact each participant was given the same answers. Crutchfields research showed that even when people weren't in the presence of others they still conformed for fear of ridicule or looking stupid from the experimenter. Crutchfield found conformity levels were 30% when using Asch's line comparison task and also when the tasks became more difficult conformity increased. Zimbardo's experiment was a little different to the others, it involved prisoners and guards. He got 21 students and assigned them a role as a
Theories of Asch and Tajfel
Organisation Behaviour MN20083 Using the theories of Asch and Tajfel, construct a reflective commentary on your experience of IMML to date. Use examples from 'remembered' incidents/ behaviours to construct this account, intertwining theory and practice (i.e. your experiences) to evidence how they relate to each other. When looking at the IMML group as a whole it is clear that within this group there exists several other, clearly defined groups, namely: the 3 formal language groups FIMML, GIMML and SPIMML, the formal division between seminar groups FIMML A and B and finally the smaller formal and informal groups that have arisen within the French subdivision. We decided to all work together on this project as we are all of different nationalities and felt that this would offer us a wider range of opinions and experiences within FIMML. Having never worked together before, we felt that everyone would have the chance to develop their opinions fully as no previous group norms have been established. We will focus upon our personal experience, firstly within IMML as a whole, then FIMML, as well as the differences that exist between FIMML A and B, finishing with the smaller aforementioned groups. We will primarily draw from our own experiences, both individually and as a group to see how Tajfel and Asch's theory of group behaviour apply to our own unique IMML experiences. *
Describe and Evaluate the Psychodynamic approach to Abnormality
Describe and evaluate the Psychodynamic model of abnormality Freud (1856 - 1939) and others developed the psychodynamic model in the later part of the 19th century through their clinical work with mentally disordered patients. They challenged the biomedical view that mental disorders had physical origins. The psychodynamic model views abnormal behaviour as caused by unconscious, underlying psychological forces. Freud believed that all behaviour, normal and abnormal, derived from unconscious forces that psychopathology arose from the dynamic working of the personality (psyche), rather than from physical cases. In other words, psychopathology is psychological in origin. According to Freud, the psyche consists of three interrelated structures, and the id and the superego are bound to conflict. Therefore the ego has a vital role to play if a healthy personality is to develop. Psychological disturbances in adulthood are assumed to be the result of unconscious, unresolved psychological conflicts and experiences that date back to childhood. The ego may be unable to balance the competing demands of the id and the superego. Freud maintained that these internal conflicts occur at an unconscious level, so that we are unaware of their influence. Although conflict between the superego and the id can occur at any time in our life, it is most marked in early childhood because the ego is
Wicked Written by Gregory Maguire & No Way Back Written by Linda Newbery - Is conformity and stability more desirable than individuality and freedom for the female characters in these two texts?
Nicholas Kinnaird Text 1: Wicked Written by Gregory Maguire Text 2: No Way Back Written by Linda Newbery Is conformity and stability more desirable than individuality and freedom for the female characters in these two texts? Word Count: 1002 Throughout both Gregory Maguire's Wicked and Linda Newbery's No Way Back it is clearly shown through key female characters that conformity and stability are more desirable than individuality and freedom. These characters are Glinda and Elphaba from Wicked and Ellie and Natalie from No Way Back. Both Glinda and Ellie look for conformity and stability and Elphaba and Natalie desire individuality and freedom within their texts. Maguire's key female character, Glinda, looks for conformity and stability throughout her life. Being from Gillikin, Glinda is expected to marry into a rich social strata and to be the ultimate socialite. She conforms to this expectation and the reader is manipulated to think she is happy. "She [Glinda] reasoned that because she was beautiful she was significant..." [page 65]. Glinda has always known that she was significant and this later on causes her to a the socialite. "Just put this on Sir Chuffrey's account...have them sent along to our rooms in the Florinthwaite Club...content to be a good partner for my Chuffrey..." [page 208-209]. All the key elements in this quotation tell the reader that Glinda is
Homosexuality has become a large issue in our lives today - But is it Nature or Nurture?
Hannah Williams Homosexuality, Nature or Nurture? Homosexuality has become a large issue in our lives today. Gay Rights activists have been making their voices heard; this has attracted the attention of the population making them take notice of their cause. The church has not been able to get away from the powerful political and social pressure of homosexuality. Some churches have accepted homosexuality but many still do not accept homosexuals, saying it is unnatural and not what 'god' intended of man. The church claims that what ever decision has been made, it has been done so on the basis of Christian moral principles. The Old Testament clearly forbids homosexual practices and in Leviticus 20:13 it reads: "If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death." (Pyne, 1992, http://www.probe.org/docs/homosex1.html) To address the issue of whether homosexuality derives from biological determinism (nature) or from the influences experienced from the environment around them (nurture), in 1973 the APA (American psychiatric Association) through much pressure from the Gay Rights Activists, classified homosexuality under the heading of sexual orientation disturbance. Sexual orientation refers to an individual's sexual attraction towards persons of a particular gender.
Outline and evaluate one or more institutional expnations of agression
Institutional aggression is a significant problem; as a result of this various explanations have been proposed in an attempt to combat this. For example, the Importation model and the Deprivation model. Firstly, the Importation Model suggests that the prisoners themselves become violent, as they bring to prison their own social traits, which results in the subsequent aggressive behaviour. For example, Mills, Kroner and Weekes found that higher levels of misconduct in prison were associated with severe levels of alcohol dependence - which supports the theory that the prisoners are the aggressors, not their environment. Additionally, Kane and Janus found that lack of education and greater periods of unemployment were also connected with higher levels of aggression, however, this is a correlation so a distinct cause and effect cannot be established. Furthermore, Irwin and Cressey recognised the importance of subcultures in prison, identifying repeat offenders as members of subcultures such as 'The Convict subculture' who are more likely to be aggressive, whereas one time offenders ('The Straight subculture') are less likely to be aggressive. Again, this supports the theory that it is the prisoners themselves that choose to be aggressive or not, therefore the Important Model supports free will as opposed to determinism. The model has been criticised for having little practical
Psychology First Impression
Abstract The aim of the research was to carry out a similar study of Luchins(1957) which found that the first piece of information received about an individual often bears more weight ( stronger ) than information gained later so as to see whether first impression is relevant in the 21st century. The alternative hypothesis is that there will be a significant difference in the number of positive and negative ranting between the positive primacy group and the negative primacy group. This study was a field experiment with an independent groups design The independent variable was whether positive primacy story or negative primacy story given to the participant and the dependant variable was the number of positive or negative rating given to the character (Bob).On 21st June 2008 at about 12:30 pm, we went to the Chester - le-street front street, an opportunity sample of 30 participants (15 participants in each groups) 16-59 years old were used. There were two groups of participants reading either positive primacy story or negative primacy story. For positive primacy story, the character (Bob) was described as extrovert first, then introvert and for negative primacy story, Bob was introvert first, then extrovert. Afterwards they were given a questionnaire to rate Bob in terms of certain personality traits. A chi square test was used to analysis
