{"id":8,"date":"2020-09-03T23:56:50","date_gmt":"2020-09-03T23:56:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/psyc420template\/?page_id=8"},"modified":"2020-12-16T04:53:08","modified_gmt":"2020-12-16T04:53:08","slug":"weekly-blog","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/weekly-blog\/","title":{"rendered":"Weekly Blog"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h1 class=\"has-text-align-center has-white-color has-text-color has-background wp-block-heading\" style=\"background-color:#003343\"><strong>Weekly<\/strong> Blog 10 | Final Blog<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>First of all, it feels like this semester has flown by. It\u2019s hard to believe it\u2019s the end of the semester, but when I think about how hot it was at the beginning of the semester and how cool it is now, it sets in that time has passed as normal; as normal as the changing of the seasons. It certainly was an eventful semester, so perhaps that made time feel like it has passed at super sonic speed as well.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"662\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20503\/2020\/12\/D83AEB66-15FD-465C-948A-233E7187D6B5.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-220\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20503\/2020\/12\/D83AEB66-15FD-465C-948A-233E7187D6B5.jpeg 1000w, https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20503\/2020\/12\/D83AEB66-15FD-465C-948A-233E7187D6B5-300x199.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20503\/2020\/12\/D83AEB66-15FD-465C-948A-233E7187D6B5-768x508.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/unfinished-wall-804392\/\">https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/unfinished-wall-804392\/<\/a><br>My academic growth feels like taking on the arduous and laborious project of flipping a dilapidated house, little by little, piece by piece, Enjoying the milestones along the way, making progress.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>When I look at the expectations I had in Blog 1, I stated that I expected this class would help develop a cultural perspective to apply when learning topics in my other psychology courses, and I believe this course has achieved just that, as well as achieving the course objectives.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I only developed an initial impression after looking over the syllabus at the beginning of the semester, and my impression then was this course will help keep my perspective open when learning about other topics in psychology, as I knew I\u2019d be learning psychology topics through a western lens, especially research and theories. I would say that impression held true, and even evolved from an impression to appreciating the value of the perspective cross-cultural psychology instills that can\u2019t be unseen. In my Human Factors class, it helped me think about accessibility, diversity and inclusion in designing products. In my Research Methods class, it helped me think about universality of data and experiments. In my Cognitive Psychology class, I also thought about universality by leaving room for thinking about if the outcome of some of the experiments may have differed if performed in another country with a different set of values, norms, lifestyles and worldviews. Mainly able to keep straight that what I am learning is western psychology and does not always translate the same for nonwestern countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If I were to take the class again, I would definitely journal to reflect more, and do further research into topics of interest while covering the module, so the information is still relevant. There are a plethora of scientific journals that can help expand my understanding and learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One way I have grown academically is learning how to study effectively in ways that work for me, and actually taking notes on what\u2019s an effective learning method and what is not. So really catering studying for myself, rather than trying to force common study tactics to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The class has impacted my professional life as well, currently and for the future. I work a call center job, and I talk to people from all walks of life. What I have learned has helped gain knowledge and understanding as to why they may behave a certain way, and honestly even understanding western customers on a deeper level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I have also expressed interest in teaching abroad in Japan, so learning theories and principles in a cross-cultural perspective that takes differences into account, I feel better equipped with the knowledge to understand the basics behind the difference of behaviors. What I\u2019ve learned in the textbook has even helped ease my concerns of immersing myself in Japan, dissolving the ignorant mindset that I would have compromise my differing norms and values, to one of understanding the differences, why they are, what to expect and neither culture\u2019s norms and values are better or worse than the other.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thank you for a great semester!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--nextpage-->\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"has-text-align-center has-white-color has-text-color has-background wp-block-heading\" style=\"background-color:#004d65\"><strong>Weekly<\/strong> Blog 9 | What I&#8217;ve Learned<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>For this weeks blog we are invited to reflect on the top 3 things I have learned throughout the semester.&nbsp;They are as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>Self Construals&#8211;Very interesting framework that has opened my eyes to how other cultures think and operate in comparison to others<\/li><li>NEO Personality test&#8211;It&#8217;s amazing to see how many personality tests exist, and the different things they measure and why<\/li><li>Self Determination Theory&#8211;This can applied to anything, and helps with reflecting on aspects of life<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20503\/2020\/11\/IMG_5916-793x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-208\" width=\"424\" height=\"546\" \/><figcaption>I drew this in my iPad to help visualize what I wanted to focus on; how I worked through organizing the content for this blog.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Drawing a connection between a blog post and another assignment:<\/strong> <em>Self Construals and ATA2 with examining American ideals<\/em>. Assignment 2 was an eye-opening one, because thinking about the ideals shaped by North American culture in the lens of immigrants, and thinking about it in the context of the entire world by comparing and contrasting was also incredibly eye-opening. It\u2019s not as black and white as fitting completely into interdependent or independent, but again provides some framework to make predictions, and give oneself context to loosen the grip on our cultural ideals of being \u201cuniversal,\u201d as some with national pride may believe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Drawing a connection between a blog post and another class<\/strong>: <em>Cognitive Psychology, specifically perception and top-down processing.<\/em> Our reality is shaped by the knowledge we gain in our environment, which is why cross-cultural psychology is so important understanding psychology in a larger perspective than just Western psychology. Culture shapes distinct, specific norms and knowledge that influence our perception and view of the world. Without having learned about perception in cognitive psychology, I probably would\u2019ve questioned the significance of cross-cultural examination in psychology rather than it being classified as sociology or anthropology. This semester is my first semester of higher level psychology courses, so drawing the connections helps clear up underlying ignorance or burning questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--nextpage-->\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"has-text-align-center has-white-color has-text-color has-background wp-block-heading\" style=\"background-color:#006989\"><strong>Weekly <\/strong>Blog 8 | Emotions<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This week we are asked to reflect on emotional expression and perception through a cultural lens. Expression and emotion are ultimately forms of communication as social creatures, they&#8217;re important agents in order be understood and to understand another human being beyond language and words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20503\/2020\/11\/EFB43E6F-0498-46EC-9A72-5B4F3C17D0BC_4_5005_c.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-196\" width=\"460\" height=\"469\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20503\/2020\/11\/EFB43E6F-0498-46EC-9A72-5B4F3C17D0BC_4_5005_c.jpeg 302w, https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20503\/2020\/11\/EFB43E6F-0498-46EC-9A72-5B4F3C17D0BC_4_5005_c-294x300.jpeg 294w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 460px) 100vw, 460px\" \/><figcaption>https:\/\/images.app.goo.gl\/5nEZp35hXcgJJFx9A<br>There are six basic emotions we share with primates, and universal emotions and facial expressions shared with cultures all around the world.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Earlier this year I did a few months of tutoring to learn Japanese through an app called Italki. The tutor was a Japanese native and was very helpful in learning the basic structure of Japanese (I still have a lot to learn). One thing I noticed that caught me off guard was how openly expressive she was at expressing confusion. Not so much verbally, but with her facial expression. It was subtle furrow of the eyebrows and slight tilt of the head, not an exaggerated, scrunched up face akin to that of disgust or disdain that I&#8217;m used to here in the U.S., but it communicated when I had said something incorrect. This is one interaction, so I cannot say this for the entire culture, but I definitely found it interesting and had to remember to not take it personally, and found it to be quite helpful in a one-on-one learning environment. She was also vocal with showing that she was paying attention with nodding or saying &#8220;oh,&#8221; &#8220;mm,&#8221; or saying &#8220;I see&#8221; in Japanese by saying <em>souka <\/em>or <em>sou<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Asking myself if these behaviors are similar or different from my expectations prompts another question: where do my expectations of a person from another culture come from? Stereotypes? Media exposure\/representation? Mainstream or popular entertainment from the culture? For me, the expectations came from mainstream Japanese entertainment, such as Japanese dramas and reality shows and news. I knew better than to expect Japanese people to act like anime characters, that&#8217;s ridiculous. The behavior my tutor exhibited of being vocal in showing that she was attentive was one that I had already known from watching NHK, a Japanese news broadcast, in where when they would interview people the interviewer was similarly vocal and expressive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I would say cultural display rules explain these experiences, as Japan being a more collective culture, they are more wired to make sure others feel supported or heard by showing that they are paying attention, or can be easily understood, through expressive facial expressions but still try not to appear &#8220;rude.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--nextpage-->\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"has-text-align-center has-white-color has-text-color has-background wp-block-heading\" style=\"background-color:#0088b1\"><strong>Weekly <\/strong>Blog 7 | Norms and Tales<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This week&#8217;s blog we are invited to reflect on the messages that fairy tales convey to their young audiences. I probably should not admit this, but I have not watched too many Disney movies in their entirety or at all. That seems to be a child&#8217;s foundation into fairy tales. I watched more Pokemon movies growing up than Disney.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, I would agree that yes, fairy tales do reflect cultural norms and values of the time that they are written\/created&#8211;just like any other literature. The norms and values are developed in the minds of the creators\/authors and is fairly difficult to keep their creation and values\/worldviews separate. Though vivid and imaginary, and mostly for entertainment as opposed to fables, fairy tales still carry some moral weight in the representation of the characters, as well as interactions between the characters and the plot. Especially for young audiences whose minds are still sponges soaking up everything without a grain of salt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20503\/2020\/11\/GettyImages-1136585530.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-172\" width=\"676\" height=\"361\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20503\/2020\/11\/GettyImages-1136585530.jpeg 430w, https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20503\/2020\/11\/GettyImages-1136585530-300x160.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 676px) 100vw, 676px\" \/><figcaption><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/search\/photographer?assettype=image&amp;family=creative&amp;license=rf&amp;page=3&amp;photographer=Richard%20Drury&amp;phrase=geometric%20shapes&amp;sort=mostpopular\">A row of geometric blocks of different shapes and colours<\/a><br>No one fits in a box, every one is unique in their own way and it needs to be accounted for. Representation is very important.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>As culture progresses and norms\/values shift, change and pivot, I think it&#8217;s important for the main character to reflect the modern times, even if it challenges residual norms clung onto by the generation that was raised within it. As for Belle&#8217;s representation in the 2017 <em>Beauty and the Beast<\/em>, I think it&#8217;s wonderful that she was given a more contemporary twist, as modeling these modern norms can serve as meaningful representation for the young girls watching the movie. It&#8217;s important that little girls have strong women role models in which to be able to see themselves. I also think it&#8217;s wonderful that the topic of homosexuality is becoming less taboo (although the stigma is still very much needing progress) to be able to show in children&#8217;s movies to show young boys that it&#8217;s okay and nothing is wrong with them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Again, I did not grow up watching a lot of Disney movies. To be quite honest, I can&#8217;t jog my memory enough to even remember an example of a movie or novel where I felt profoundly affected in a positive way in my childhood years&#8230;.But I can speak on more recent years of teen-hood. Youtube was in it&#8217;s prime, to the point that the &#8220;dark side of Youtube&#8221; became a thing because there was so much content, on everything. <em>Everything. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I had always been called an &#8220;Oreo&#8221; or &#8220;white&#8221; despite being a very dark-skinned girl just because of my personality. And I could not for the absolute life of me find a black female actress that was not stereotypical in some way. I strived to find a trait of &#8220;awkwardness&#8221; in a black female actress being represented in media. One that was not always feisty, always had the right thing to say at the right moment, and the list goes on. That was not, and still is not me to this day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But on Youtube, the Holy Grail of everything that existed and didn&#8217;t exist, I found a webseries called &#8220;Awkward Black Girl&#8221; and it <em>changed my entire life.<\/em> FINALLY! There I was, watching myself trip on my own words, trip over my feet, fumbling through life, buried in books and living outside the stereotypical box I couldn&#8217;t mold myself into. Thank goodness for Issa Rae.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--nextpage-->\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"has-text-align-center has-white-color has-text-color has-background wp-block-heading\" style=\"background-color:#00a0d1\"><strong>Weekly <\/strong>Blog 6 | SDT<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This week we&#8217;re assigned to reflect on the Self Determination Theory proposed by Deci and Ryan (2000) as to how we satisfy the three psychological aspects&#8211;autonomy, competence and relatedness&#8211;academically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Autonomy\u2014Being a transfer student at ODU this year will my third attempt at completing a college degree. I don\u2019t know how I don\u2019t give up, but no matter the obstacles, I feel this deep sense to try again because I know I won\u2019t succeed if I don\u2019t keep trying. It took me some time to fully realize I am in control of myself, and in doing so it fueled my already existing goal for myself to pursue knowledge, continuing to grow and develop as a human being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Competence\u2014after overcoming many personal challenges and obstacles, I started to feel empowered in my ability to do anything I set my mind to. Again, it took some time to gain a level of confidence in my academic ability after always feeling inept and detrimentally comparing myself to others, but once I built the momentum it kept going. Now even when I\u2019m low energy, I keep pushing on because I know I have the competence and problem solving skills to work through the challenges of college and life in general.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20503\/2020\/11\/862D4B2D-8F7E-4370-83B2-D19A04849CF5-1024x404.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-183\" width=\"652\" height=\"257\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20503\/2020\/11\/862D4B2D-8F7E-4370-83B2-D19A04849CF5-1024x404.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20503\/2020\/11\/862D4B2D-8F7E-4370-83B2-D19A04849CF5-300x118.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20503\/2020\/11\/862D4B2D-8F7E-4370-83B2-D19A04849CF5-768x303.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20503\/2020\/11\/862D4B2D-8F7E-4370-83B2-D19A04849CF5.jpeg 1476w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 652px) 100vw, 652px\" \/><figcaption>https:\/\/images.app.goo.gl\/K8fSWF9mn2nzbvbE6<br>I chose this picture to represent autonomy and competence as a humorous example because he looks so confident in his ability to walk himself. But also relatedness, because although it looks like he can do it on his own, he still has his human companion for support.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Relatedness\u2014in my search for a sense of belonging, I have joined clubs to get a sense of which interests I feel more committed to participate in. Ideally, I would have liked to attend clubs and social gatherings on-campus but that is not possible given the pandemic. I would love to find study groups and people to share ideas and discuss topics with. Since I\u2019m new to the area and this school, transferring in the midst of a pandemic has made the social and connecting aspect of the academic experience difficult. However, fostering a support system over the years has also helped me feel positive and confident in myself as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--nextpage-->\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"has-text-align-center has-white-color has-text-color has-background wp-block-heading\" style=\"background-color:#0fb5e8\"><strong>Weekly<\/strong> Blog 5 | Self Construals<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This week we were assigned to reflect on 10 \u201cI am\u2026\u201d statements, then sort them into <em>independent self construal<\/em> or <em>interdependent self construal.<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A prominent and recurring concept throughout our text so far has been the perspective of collectivism vs. individualism. This was also explored in Assignment 2 with reflecting on distinct American values. I have not given this but shallow thought until reading the chapters in our text and reflecting in recent assignments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20503\/2020\/10\/Grass-in-Driveways-56a5940d3df78cf77288e2bb-1024x768.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-161\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20503\/2020\/10\/Grass-in-Driveways-56a5940d3df78cf77288e2bb-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20503\/2020\/10\/Grass-in-Driveways-56a5940d3df78cf77288e2bb-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20503\/2020\/10\/Grass-in-Driveways-56a5940d3df78cf77288e2bb-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20503\/2020\/10\/Grass-in-Driveways-56a5940d3df78cf77288e2bb-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20503\/2020\/10\/Grass-in-Driveways-56a5940d3df78cf77288e2bb.jpeg 1769w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>https:\/\/www.thespruce.com\/grass-in-driveway-patio-sidewalk-cracks-2153097<br>Symbolic of resilience and adaptability.<br><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\">Out of the 10 \u201cI am\u2026\u201d questions I\u2019ve categorized per characteristics in our text:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>6<\/strong> as independent                                                                                                                                                   and <strong>4<\/strong> as interdependent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Based on the above, I identify more with the independent self construal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\">Some proverbs\/idioms I can think of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-style-default\"><p>Birds of a feather flock together<\/p><cite>Interdependent<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>The apple doesn\u2019t fall far from the tree<\/p><cite>Interdependent<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>Trust your gut<\/p><cite>Independent<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>Early bird gets the worm<\/p><cite>Independent<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>It was actually easier for me to think of the Interdependent category first despite identifying more within the independent self construal. I suppose this tendency is because I believe a balance of interdependence and independence is healthy&#8211;to know the role that one plays in the lives of others, to foster cooperation, empathy and acceptance, but to also know that your own well-being is your sole responsibility and not depend on others for things you should do yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-background has-luminous-vivid-orange-background-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Drawing connections between Cognitive Psychology and Cross-Cultural Psychology:<\/em> Our top down-processing influences our perception and interaction with the world so profoundly that it\u2019s impossible to ignore the influence of the priming and conditioning one receives in their culture and at most basic level, household.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Further reflection:<\/em> It\u2019s becoming increasingly evident that it\u2019s important to remember that how we, as Americans, perceive something doesn\u2019t make it \u201cright\u201d or \u201cbetter\u201d just because that\u2019s how we\u2019ve been primed. With how we promote uniqueness, it can be easy to inflate one\u2019s ego and feel vastly different from the rest of the world, but it\u2019s incredibly crucial to keep the mind open to other perspectives because they&#8217;ve been primed just as we have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--nextpage-->\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"has-text-align-center has-white-color has-text-color has-background wp-block-heading\" style=\"background-color:#54cdf2\"><strong>Weekly <\/strong>Blog 4 | Exam 1 Reflection<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After seeing the results from the test, it confirmed my thought that \u201cI can do better.\u201d The struggle for me is not the material, it\u2019s more so learning how to study in a way that works for me personally. I\u2019m in an experimental stage with figuring this out as it is something I have never learned or was encouraged to learn in the past. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20503\/2020\/10\/4A2DB80E-3D2D-4B15-8F90-CDBBCD69E68C_4_5005_c.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-151\" width=\"513\" height=\"405\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20503\/2020\/10\/4A2DB80E-3D2D-4B15-8F90-CDBBCD69E68C_4_5005_c.jpeg 380w, https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20503\/2020\/10\/4A2DB80E-3D2D-4B15-8F90-CDBBCD69E68C_4_5005_c-300x237.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 513px) 100vw, 513px\" \/><figcaption>https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/pin\/371547038007635696\/<br>Me after seeing my test score&#8230;.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m learning that beyond the time I put aside for studying, I have to organize and interact with the material in a way that makes my studying time fruitful. Initially working through the modules helps the information become familiar, so by the time I study it has the opportunity to set in to where I can recall it for a test. But simply filling out the study guide and reading over it was not effective for me, I\u2019m learning. Reflecting on the tactics I used this time will help me iterate my studying tactics for the next test, as I will go beyond just the study guide as studying material.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I have learned effective learning techniques from my Cognitive Psychology class regarding effective encoding and retrieval, so I will definitely implement a few of these strategies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--nextpage-->\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"has-text-align-center has-text-color has-background wp-block-heading\" style=\"background-color:#7ad3ef;color:#2c2c2c\"><strong>Weekly <\/strong>Blog 3 | NEO Personality Test<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20503\/2020\/10\/C68F7DA4-B57F-41C5-BEF8-A52602F8B2E4-1024x576.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-142\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20503\/2020\/10\/C68F7DA4-B57F-41C5-BEF8-A52602F8B2E4-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20503\/2020\/10\/C68F7DA4-B57F-41C5-BEF8-A52602F8B2E4-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20503\/2020\/10\/C68F7DA4-B57F-41C5-BEF8-A52602F8B2E4-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20503\/2020\/10\/C68F7DA4-B57F-41C5-BEF8-A52602F8B2E4.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>This image represents how each person&#8217;s mind\/personality is as unique as their outward features. What it doesn&#8217;t show however, is the factors that create our elusive &#8220;personality.&#8221;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This week, we were assigned to complete the NEO personality assessment and reflect on the results. This assessment, created by Dr. Costa and Dr. McCrae, is among many personality tests, but this test in particular measures ones tendencies toward neuroticism, extraversion, openness, conscientiousness and agreeableness. I answered as honestly as possible, although there were nuances that could not be taken into account with general questions. Here are my results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>OPENESS<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>High<\/strong> | Open to new experiences. You have broad interests and very imaginative.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I agree, I imagine this is where adaptability and flexibility falls under. I am aware that in order to grow, I need to be open to new experiences and get out of my comfort zone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>CONSCIENTIOUSNESS<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Low<\/strong> | Easy-going, not very well-organized, and sometimes careless. You prefer not to make plans.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is true, although I would say more moderate than on the extreme end of not planning anything at all. I do tend to be a more \u201cfeelings\u201d driven person, so I\u2019m learning overtime to balance rational and feelings and not be overpowered by emotions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>AGREEABLENESS<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Low <\/strong>| Hardheaded, skeptical, proud and competitive. You tend to express your anger directly.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I would also say this is more moderate than on the level of this extreme. I am critical, analytical and try to view the world through a philosophical eye, but I am more than willing to see an argument from another POV. Although I have had to be very hardheaded and strict with my family in order to create distance and remove myself from them to create my own path, this is where agreeableness has been scored low. I was thinking of the perspective of where this is directed, but otherwise I love cooperation and collaboration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>EXTRAVERSION<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Low<\/strong> | Introverted, reserved and serious. You prefer to be alone or with a few close friends.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is very true. Any personality test that measures introversion or extroversion has consistently determined that I am introverted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>NEUROTICISM<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Average<\/strong> | Generally calm and able to deal with stress, but you sometimes experience feelings of guilt, anger or sadness.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I have improved over time. As I have mentioned before, I am learning balance between rational and feelings. If I had taken this test 3 years ago, this category would have been very high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>I will continue to reflect as I progress and develop over time, so having this insight as a reflective point has been helpful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--nextpage-->\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"has-text-align-center has-very-dark-gray-color has-text-color has-background wp-block-heading\" style=\"background-color:#a0dcef\"><strong>Weekly <\/strong>Blog 2 | A Brief History<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">The tale of a koi fish. The meek little carp that kept swimming upstream, against the current and overcoming every obstacle in their way\u2013a stringent test of endurance to achieve their goal of transforming into a mighty dragon. Against all odds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"http:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20503\/2020\/09\/Koi-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-130\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20503\/2020\/09\/Koi-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20503\/2020\/09\/Koi-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20503\/2020\/09\/Koi-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20503\/2020\/09\/Koi-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20503\/2020\/09\/Koi.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Koi fish<br>https:\/\/images.app.goo.gl\/ZLdcM6GuXwR97wZH9<br>Koi fish seem like mere carp, but one would be surprised at how durable and resilient they actually are.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We create\/adopt stories to give ourselves something to believe in, and those stories we create (or choose to believe) are what shapes us in our environment, it is how we choose to interact with our environment. What we choose to see\/pay attention to. Negative stories, negative outlook. Positive stories, positive outlook. To give us strength. To keep you down. To give ourselves reasons to keep trudging on. To give ourselves reasons to give up. A reason to not give up when life feels like it\u2019s going to swallow you whole. A reason to succumb to the inevitable turmoil of life. We have so much control over the quality of our lives, and I feel that isn\u2019t understood as profoundly as it should.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My academic track record before coming to ODU had been rough. I was not in a healthy environment and every aspect of my life took a toll. My outlook on life was up and down, because I did not have the luxury of any kind of stability. However I endured, escaped the situation and pursuing education again because I know I have to ability to succeed, I was just in the wrong environment. So I left so I can find an environment where I can succeed, progress and grow as any human is capable of doing. I believed in the story of the koi fish\u2013although I don\u2019t have a body of muscle to showcase my strength, I\u2019ve overcome many obstacles because I believed in the story of strength, endurance and perseverance. Against all odds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While my immediate family played an overall negative role in my life, I would not have developed the strong value system I have today if it was not for that experience. Most importantly, I have developed some close friendships and bonds outside of family that serves as my support system to this day. I have a lot to be grateful for, I\u2019m content with where I am, and looking forward to where I\u2019m headed\u2013upstream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--nextpage-->\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"has-text-align-center has-very-dark-gray-color has-text-color has-background wp-block-heading\" style=\"background-color:#c3edfa\"><strong>Weekly <\/strong>Blog 1 | Enter: Cross-Cultural Psychology!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The course objectives are academic as well as personal development. This course will help me in a variety of ways\u2014each module and chapter in the book already connect with a topic in another psychology course I\u2019m taking as well. I\u2019m very interested to see how the knowledge will build together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"676\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20503\/2020\/09\/1233e407858166932c8a8f7570e1b92f-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-124\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20503\/2020\/09\/1233e407858166932c8a8f7570e1b92f-2.jpg 676w, https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20503\/2020\/09\/1233e407858166932c8a8f7570e1b92f-2-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 676px) 100vw, 676px\" \/><figcaption>https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/pin\/565905509424860246\/<br>I chose this picture because I&#8217;m also reading <em>Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind <\/em>by Yuval Noah Harari and I think evolutionary psychology adds another layer of depth of understanding culture by taking into account how humankind developed cultures and tribes.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I am also currently taking a Human Centered-Design, Intro Cognitive Psychology and Scientific Methods and I\u2019ve already been able to draw connection between the 4 courses. I expect that this course will develop a cultural perspective with the topics I\u2019m learning in my other courses for a well rounded cultivation of the field of psychology in my Junior year and onward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m hoping to gain knowledge I can use in my everyday life and in the field. We are all human, but knowing the differences in how we interact with our environment due to multiple factors is just as important to understanding the complexities of humans as other subfields of psychology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What will help me be successful is again, drawing those connections to really synthesize the information. Also, completing work ahead of time\u2014it took some time to get adapt to the pace of the course but I\u2019m figuring it out. There is time to plan ahead and complete work ahead of schedule as well.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Weekly Blog 10 | Final Blog First of all, it feels like this semester has&#8230;<\/p>\n<div class=\"more-link-wrapper\"><a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/weekly-blog\/\">Read the post<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Weekly Blog<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":18252,"featured_media":69,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18252"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":276,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8\/revisions\/276"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/69"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/blue-psych420\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}