Weekly Blog 10

Course Reflection

Reflective Statement: The above photo was chosen to depict how I believe I increased my knowledge exponentially this semester. Before the semester I believe my knowledge was linearly growing on many fronts; however, through the semester I feel I reached the transition to exponential growth. It was as if I were stagnant on continuing my education and learning (on many things). This course has allowed me to become aware of and better understand so many topics/issues that are applicable in today’s society. The course also allowed me to better understand myself, in ways I didn’t think were possible. In my opinion, this course was truly “eye-opening” and this blog can’t even begin to express/show what knowledge was gained. I think it’s quite ironic the first topic on Blog 1 was “information overload” because I felt that way the entire semester. Each chapter overloaded my brain with a significant amount of information, in ways you cannot imagine. I would like to believe I was able to expand my cognitive ability by continuing to learn through those instances, much like I referenced in the first blog.

Overall, this course absolutely helped meet my course expectations to better understand myself (thoughts/feelings/behaviors), and how social influences can affect me. However, even more importantly (to me now), I realize many of the issues that we are experiencing in today’s society, and what effect they can have on others. The course objectives were met, but the most significant one to me was: To be able to make connections, or integrate learning, between courses and to outside experiences. As I learned each lesson, I was constantly making connections to outside experiences (and what’s occurring in the real-world). Being able to make those connections, and think critically about some issues was a wonderful experience.

My attitude has changed significantly about Social Psychology after taking this course. Before the course, I was mainly focused on how to use the information to reach my goals of becoming a Clinical Psychologist. Even though I believe I was able to meet that, my mindset shifted to wanting to have more of an impact. I believe many of the issues we are experiencing today are able to be overcome with collaboration, and a little bit of work. For example, let’s take a look at a real-world example. Caveat, please try to leave the “politics” out, and just consider the situation/context as I perceive it…..

One of the biggest topics today is the Black Lives Matter movement. Unfortunately, there is a big divide on many fronts of this topic, but I’ll focus on one, and that’s kneeling during the national anthem. President Trump has made it clear that he believes kneeling is disrespectful to our Nation and to those who serve; and at one point in time I felt the same. That being said, I now believe this isn’t a matter of disrespecting our Nation, or those who serve, but is a matter of making a stand when all other options seem to be exhausted. I believe if the President took a different approach to try and understand the context and situation as it is, much like me, his opinion could change. Showing compassion and being able to relate and understand the purpose for such actions could significantly help reduce some issues. And over-time, I believe working together would bring everyone to stand together again.

If President Trump were impartial on the topic, I believe it could improve making progress towards equality, especially with his public position. By stating his opinion on the matter (or acting in a certain manner), he is directly influencing many peoples’ opinion. I recently received a letter for the COVID-19 Economic Payment where the President stated “Every citizen should take tremendous pride in the selflessness, courage, and compassion of our people.” To me, the Black Live’s Matter movement is a direct reflection of showing courage to make a stand. I’m sure during his business ventures, President Trump had to take a stand where most (if not all) disagreed with certain decisions; however, he likely did what he felt was right for the betterment of the business. He’s also likely made decisions relating to our country in the same manner.

I’d like to make it clear, no matter what, I respect the President and his position. As stated earlier, this example isn’t meant to be political. We are lucky to live in a country where everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I was just using a real-world example that includes practically all of the topics learned in the course: biases, media influence, social issues, attitudes, social influence, etc.

In general, I wouldn’t change anything about the course. The structure of the course forced me to read the chapters, and allowed me think critically about each topic/lesson. If the course had been lecture-based, it’s very likely I would’ve never completed the “required readings” and gained the knowledge I have. Therefore, I am very satisfied with how everything worked out. There were many skills gained in the course that I can use in my profession. One of them is being better able to understand individual differences, and how much of an impact emotions can play on interactions.

Weekly Blog 9

e-Portfolio Review

Top 3 Lessons Learned: The above quote explains how I chose the top three lessons learned; I will try to explain…. There are situations that occur from time to time where there is limited information/reasoning for doing something, so it’s hard to make a logical decision. For me, all the topics I’ve learned in the course were relevant and I couldn’t pick my “top 3”. When I noticed my mind was unable to logically solve the problem, I resorted to a sort of “intuition” type thinking. I don’t know how to explain it other than sort of “shutting my brain down”, allow it to be free, and somehow I end up choosing three. It took me a long time to trust my heart and intuition, but in doing so, I’ve realized it’s never let me down.

All of the topic discussed in the ePortfolio were relevant and important; however, for this blog I had to chose three:

1. The significance of media/advertisements that can affect people’s decision making. Unfortunately media/advertisements are many times using their power of influence negatively; either, providing misleading information (in the news), or trying to manipulate people to sell their products (for greed). If only they understood the concept of “treat others the way you wish you be treated”.

2. Learning about the role of heuristics in decision making was also chosen. This topic helped me become aware of how most people rely on heuristics too heavily. I understand why/how they resort to them, but I would argue: they can decrease the role heuristics play, by increasing their cognitive ability. This may sound difficult but an easy place to start is within; learn to become more self-aware of your mind/body.

3. How woman are objectified in advertisements and the detrimental effects it can have was another topic that was picked. This particular blog brought about a significant problem we have in our society, and the potential issues objectifying advertisements can bring. For me, to solve this it goes deeper than “treat others the way you wish to be treated”, especially since there is currency added to the situation. For me, this is a by-product of fundamental issues in other areas of society.

The topic of self-regulation and emotional intelligence (Weekly Blog 7) and the Michael Richard’s tirade analyses (Assignment Takeaway 3) are related to one-another. If Michael Richard’s had higher emotional intelligence, he would have never gotten to the point in which he reacted the way he did. That being said, if Michael took the time to analyze the situation and why it occurred, I am confident he could increase his emotional intelligence and allow himself to not make the same mistake again; although it’s sort of a mute-point now because he gave up stand-up. I’ve had my own outbursts, and have said/done things hurtful because I let the emotions get the better of me, but over-time, by working on myself, I found a way to stay connected with my mind/body. It takes hard work to get there, but once you do, you are able to live more happily because you are synced up on all fronts.

I was able to connect lessons learned from my Pyschology of Adolescence course and this course. In the Pyschology of Adolescence course I learned the importance a child’s cognitive development. I learned how children pick up on lots of information, and how it can affect their cognitive processes in the future. I learned how having a good role model can have a significant effect on their outcome/future. In this course, I learned how media/advertisements influence the decision making abilities of the human brain. If we continue to expose our children to this bias/influence, we are not providing the ability to think on their own. Thus, we are limiting their capabilities by feeding them information “we” want them to see. This is unfortunate, because if you can give a child the capability to dream, and be who they want to be with limited influence, you can see their true potential.

Weekly Blog 8

Uncovering the Mysteries of the Matting Background

Reflective Statement: The above image depicts how differences in males’ and females’ sexual interests can cause relationship (sexual) tension/issues. Men have the stereotype of being less faithful sexually, which typically angers the female. Whereas woman have the stereotype to “hold-back” or abstain from sexual intercourse, which typically angers the male.

The article on uncovering the mysteries of the matting background was an interesting read. In general, men are known to be “cheaters” which can cause irreparable damage to the relationship (both physically and mentally). The article points to the belief that differences in male and female genes causes differences in reproductive interests. The article references that women tend to have less sexual partners because they consider the potential parental investment (i.e. having a baby).

Whether or not that is the case should be backed by scientific studies. Although the article mainly focuses on sexual conflicts, I would argue emotional infidelity can cause just as much damage as physically cheating. From my perspective, both partners have an equal opportunity to physically and/or emotionally cheat. In both instances, the end result is the same, the other partner will end up being hurt.

Woman typically upset their male partner when they abstain from sex. The argument could be made that women abstaining from sex could cause the male to go out and look for other partners to satisfy their sexual wants/needs. A counter argument could be made that because a woman has been cheated on (or anticipates it occurring), she could abstain from it to prevent from getting hurt. Either way, this makes for a vicious cycle. In my opinion the issue is not sexual acts/conflicts, but it’s in not establishing an emotional relationship.

Stable relationships are built both physically and mentally. From my perspective, if you can sync them both up, then you will both be happy. So, if the physical attraction is there, great! Work on the emotional aspect together through communication and you will both benefit.

Weekly Blog 7

Self-Regulation and Emotional Intelligence

Reflective Statement: The screenshot above shows a quick-look at the results of the Emotional Intelligence Test I took on Psychology Today; I’ve actually posted a link with my full results above. I ended up paying $10 for the “full-results” because after taking about 45 minutes to complete the test, the “free” results didn’t tell me too much. Leave it to a psychology website to use a tactic like that…. I love it 🙂 I should’ve known better. doh! I hope to continue to expand my emotional intelligence skills by continuing to assess my interactions with others, take lessons learned, and continuously improve.

Being able to regulate your emotions is very important for overall emotional intelligence. Before you can regulate your emotions, you must understand your emotions. To me, it’s almost like “which came first, the chicken or the egg?” because you need to know and understand your thoughts/feelings/emotions (which is emotional intelligence) before you can control them. So… in order to increase your emotional intelligence, you need to increase your self-regulation, but to increase your self-regulation, you need to increase your emotional intelligence…. Okay, I’m lost.

Emotional intelligence is displayed in everyday interactions. For one, noticing someone’s current mood could have a significant effect on how I choose to interact with a person. For example, say I have some very exciting news I want to share with a person, but upon walking up to them I see they are a little “down”. My emotional intelligence tells me, it is probably not the best time to divulge my exciting news, and I should instead focus on why the person is down and try to cheer them up. Maybe my news would cheer them up, but I would first need to assess their situation and then make the determination if it would help them.

Someone with high emotional intelligence should be highly self-aware and in control of their emotions (as referenced above). The intent is to process information from the amygdala to the pre-frontal cortex, and allow your pre-frontal cortex have an input on your thoughts/actions. In essence, you are “slowing things down” in your brain….. Matrix style. That’s my take on it anyways.

Weekly Blog 6

How Women Are Objectified in Advertisements

Reflective Statement: The image above represents multiple advertisements in which women have been objectified/degraded/stereotyped in media. Unfortunately, this problem has been around for a while (as seen in the old Schlitz ad), and can have a detrimental effect on women’s personalities as they develop.

The Jean Kilbourne video was eye-opening to me. In general, before watching the video I saw how women are stereotyped/objectified in advertising; however, I did not realize the significant effect it could have on young girls as they mature. I understood that girls self-esteem usually lowers in adolescence, but the effect ads could have were overwhelming. Jean mentioned that when women are objectified, there is a threat of sexual violence, intimidation, and the possibility of danger. Those results are scary; especially since advertisements are mainly used subconsciously. To be honest, my mind is blown, and I feel bad for the extra pressures an ad can bring to a young girl/woman. I am curious to know how/if the effects can be reversed over-time.

The Clorox Ad depicts the stereotype of women being the “cleaners” of the house. The skin-tone of the woman in the photo appears to be lightened as well.

The Schlitz Ad depicts the stereotype of women women being the one’s who cook in the household.

The American Apparel ad depicts a woman in a very sexual manner. Also, the “Now Open” text ads another derogatory/humiliating element.

The Four Loko Ad uses the woman’s breasts in a sexual fashion to advertise their product.

The Peta Ad clearly photoshopped the woman’s body tone; you can tell the woman’s legs are darker than her face. Also, in typical advertisement fashion, she is wearing make-up to appeal more attractive (i.e. highlighting high cheeks, wearing heavy eye-liner). I’m not sure why so many people find that attractive… But I guess everyone has their preferences!

Weekly Blog 5

Varied Advertisement Sources

Reflective Statement: The image above represents multiple strategies that are used in advertisement. Advertisers use credible sources, non-credible sources, and attractive sources to persuade viewer’s to invest in their product(s). Each advertisement will be broken down to explain its possible advertisement source.

Credible Advertisement Source: The above photo is an advertisement for Bridgestone Golf golfballs. Bridgestone used a credible source (professional golfer, Tiger Woods) and his quote to provide credibility of their golfballs. Tiger Woods has proven himself one of the greatest golfers of all time; so, if he thinks “the ball is #1. The most important item in the bag is the ball.” then it’s easy for the weekend hackers (like me) to think investing in Bridgestone golfballs could somehow let me play like Tiger. I find the wording of the quote quite interesting. The quote doesn’t state anything specific about the Bridgestone golfball itself, so the viewer must deduce that Tiger is implying the Bridgestone golfball is the most important item in the bag. Obviously the quote was intentional, but I wonder if Tiger Woods had input on how he would be quoted. The reason I think Tiger Woods had input on the quote is because, even if he changes golfball manufacturers/sponsors, his quote would still be “true”.

Non-Credible Advertisement Source: The above photo is an advertisement for Nike shoes. The advertisement implies that wearing the particular sneaker will give you leadership, which is obviously not true. Leadership qualities are built over time, and are varied between individuals; what shoes you wear will not affect your leadership abilities. The ad uses Captain America to persuade you to connect the shoe color combination to a superhero who openly displays leadership. I would love to survey those who purchased this particular shoe and ask them if they purchased the shoe because it would “give them leadership”. I find it interesting that Nike seems to be a company that uses non-credible advertising quite frequently. As a matter of fact, I would say they use it so often they have become the staple on using non-credible advertising. Either way, it seems to work quite well for them!

Attractive Advertisement Source: The above photo is an advertisement for Giorgio Armani’s “Armani Code” cologne. Under the Armani Code text reads, “the ultimate code of seduction for men”. The attractive source(s) were likely picked to trigger certain insecurities of men. Therefore, this advertising can be persuasive because men with lower self-esteem/confidence can think “Hey, if I wear this cologne, I will be more attractive and confident, and an attractive female will be attracted to me.” Although wearing cologne/perfume can have some positive effects, I don’t think it will be on the scale as depicted. I do not find this source of advertisement effective. For one reason, I don’t need cologne to feel attractive, or feel better about myself; I am quite comfortable with who I am. Another reason I don’t wear cologne is people can be quite sensitive to fragrance, and you could do more harm than good by causing an allergic reaction of some kind! Also, I feel it can be used to mask some insecurities; almost as if people need cologne/perfume for people to associate a good smell, and then in return like them….. I’ll leave it at that before I start on a rant. Don’t worry, I still wear deodorant. All that being said, I understand cultural and personal differences, so I can’t judge others on the basis of whether they wear cologne or perfume; however, if I walk away from a conversation because I am having a reaction to your scent, please don’t get upset. We’ve all been around those have taken a few too many sprays…..

Weekly Blog 4

Exam 1 Review

Reflective Statement: The image above represents me during a few questions of the exam. Exams can be quite stressful, especially the first exam of the semester when there are a lot of unknowns. There were a few questions that I had to read a couple of times to make sure I was answering the question properly. When I find myself in the situation depicted above, I make it a point to remind myself to “relax”, calm-down, and take a breath so I do not get overwhelmed.

Preparation for Exam 1: I believe I prepared fairly well for Exam 1. I made sure to read each chapter, and took many pages of notes while using the PowerPoint Slides for each chapter as a baseline. There were some modules where I was unable to watch the “Related Videos” in BB due to YouTube linking issues, but thankfully I wasn’t penalized on this exam. A few days before taking the exam, I reviewed all the notes, and watched the Jeopardy review videos. I think the review videos were a great benefit, especially for the earlier chapters that I hadn’t reviewed for a few weeks. Going forward, I think I will prepare in a similar fashion: first get through each chapter (as thorough as possible), and then watch the Jeopardy review videos a few days before as a refresher.

Review of Exam: I think reviewing the Exam 1 results were somewhat beneficial; although, I believe could be more beneficial… I think it would be more beneficial to see what all the answer choices were for the questions (with the correct answer noted/highlighted). There were some questions that were “toss ups” and by looking at the correct answer (or wrong answer for questions I missed), I am unable to go back and make the conclusion on why I chose that particular answer. Therefore there would be added benefit to know the correct answer to questions I got wrong; especially if some questions are worded a particular way, and at the time I was confused on what was being asked.

Weekly Blog 3

Soul Meets Body

Reflective Statement: First off, I want to say this is the LAST section I wrote for this week’s blog, and I did it on purpose… And boy am I surprised at the outcome. Before I started the blog, I did not believe that music could uncover “values” of a person, but I believe I was proven wrong. I think there is a common theme among many of the songs I chose. I think it’ll be evident as you read on, maybe not…. After going back and reading the importance of each song (even though a lot of information was left out), and reading the lyrics, I think the picture above is something that I value. “Team Never Quit” is a brand owned by former Navy Seal, Marcus Luttrell, who overcame insurmountable odds to survive a mission (Operation Red Wings) in Afghanistan.

Thoughts on Music and Relationships…: I can see how music could have an influence on relationships and bring about common “values” that can be shared for the majority; however, for me, music goes a lot deeper than “values.” Because of my feelings involved with music, people will not understand or know the entire story behind a song. I also understand the feelings involved for people I discuss music with (by trying to put myself in their shoes). In general, my girlfriends have not shared the same taste in music as myself, which doesn’t surprise me. My friends and I shared similar tastes, but even then we were completely different in some areas. I think, in general you hang around people that share similar values and ideals; I don’t think the reason for this is music. I think there is a fallacy involved here…. Music tastes/preferences can change throughout time depending on current moods, current situation, external situations, etc. I think it would be bad to base the “values” of a person on the type of music they may or may not like. Sounds like a stereotype to me.

My Soundtrack

Simple Man (Shinedown Version) – Mom

I am forever grateful for the amazing mother I have. This song reminds me to stay strong, be humble, and to keep pushing forward, no matter what. Just like she has always done for me.

Mr. Jones (Counting Crows) – Dad

I am also grateful for the wonderful father I have. My dad is an amazing singer, and I’ve seen him cover this song a few times, it’s one of my favs. Listening to this reminds me to do what I love, and what makes me happy; just like he does when he sings.

Ramble On (Led Zeppelin) – Myself in High-school

Led Zeppelin is definitely top 3 for my favorite bands. I quoted this song in the high-school year book. I never really fit in my high-school, and was more of a class-clown. Most thought I would be a failure after school (I can’t really blame them), I acted like an idiot half the time. But I knew that I would amount to something, they just couldn’t see it. This quote was my way of telling everyone “Bye” in a politically correct way. “You may have seen me for a few years, but you have no idea who I am” was on my mind when choosing this quote. This song is an example of how it is possible for fallacies to be involved if you judge someone’s values based on songs. For example, to me, there is another meaning for “girl” in this song. Most who listened may assume I was thinking about a female, but that would be completely wrong. Only I know the significance of the “girl” in this song. 🙂

Bow Down (I Prevail) – My workout partners

This song reminds me of my workout partners. The group I workout with are all dedicated to giving everything they have when working out. This songs reminds me of the sacrifices we each make every time we go workout. It also reminds me that we have each others’ back. During our workouts, you can look around and tell we take it to a different level than most. Obviously there’s a lot more to the song than that, but that’s the gist.

Drive (Incubus) – My Outlook (on a lot of things)

Another one of my favorite bands, and a very deep and meaningful song for me. Listening to it reminds me to keep moving forward not matter what the situation. Even when things are perceived as the worst they have ever been, you must “Drive” on. The song also reminds me to not let fear control my life. As a matter of fact, listening to this song helps me to attack my fears head-on, so I move past them.

Riser (Dierks Bentley) – My Outlook on Life

This song is very important to me, and isn’t dedicated to a specific person, but many. It reminds me to be strong, lead, and never give up on those who need me. One thing I pride myself on is never giving up on things that are important. This song is a reminder that when I think “I” can’t take more, I have to be a “fighter” (in the lyrics) for others. This is likely one of the deepest songs on the list, but I think you get the idea!

Weekly Blog 2

What kind of student am I?

General Self-Efficacy (GSE) Results

Reflective Statement: The image above shows the results of my General Self-Efficacy (GSE) Assessment. I chose this image, because it would be difficult to take a picture of me in an academic setting because we are all home due to COVID-19. Speaking of, I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy! The results of the GSE do not necessarily surprise me because I am confident I can handle practically anything placed in front of me. Continue reading for more details on why I feel this way. 🙂

So… What type of student do I consider myself?: Before I answer I’d like to comment that my response would have been quite different had the question been asked when I was obtaining my first degree. In general, I am quite passionate about studying Psychology, so it doesn’t feel like a chore reading the textbook(s), watching lectures, doing assignments, studying, etc. When studying doesn’t feel like a chore, it’s a lot easier to pay attention, and get a lot accomplished. I believe I am a pretty good student, because: I am excited to learn, I am taking the initiative to learn as much as possible (even things not included in the course syllabus), and I am doing my best to stay on top of assignments. This differs significantly than my attitude when getting my Engineering degree; I had to force myself to learn topics I wasn’t interested in (oh the fun… NOT). Overall, I consider myself to be a student who is excited to learn as much as possible about the field of Psychology to help me reach my goal of becoming a Clinical Psychologist.

Confidence level (as student): Similar to the above, this topic would have had a completely different answer had it been asked previously. My confidence is pretty high that I will succeed as a Psychology student. Could it be too high???? Nah. Let me explain…. When I was pursuing my first degree, I never had the drive or passion that I do about the field of Psychology. That being said, if I can suffer through and obtain an Engineering degree (never really wanting it), I know I will be able to succeed in obtaining a Psychology degree. Staying passionate about the topic, and keeping my long-term goal of becoming a Clinical Psychologist will allow me to increase my confidence. Even if I don’t do well in a particular class, I will not allow that to distract me from reaching my goal….. WOW, what a perfect transition into the next section 🙂

Self-Efficacy Results: This section is a good way to end this Week’s blog. I scored a 37 out of 40 on the self-efficacy assessment, which rates me pretty high on the scale. As previously mentioned, I do not find the results surprising. Now, you may think that there may be a self-serving bias present; however, I’d like to note that I’ve thought about each question quite critically, and tried to answer as honest as possible…. I believe being able to overcome difficult times and failures can significantly increase self-efficacy. In almost every accomplishment I’ve obtained in life, there were failures along the way (and in most cases, many failures). Had I given up during the process, I would have never reached the goals/accomplishments. When a failure occurs, the perfect opportunity to learn and adapt arises; turn the failure into a positive, in whatever way you can! I believe this sort of thinking is one reason I scored so high on the GSE. I also use multiple “tricks” to help me during failures/difficult times, I’ll explain one, maybe something similar can help you.

For me, when things get difficult I remind myself “Tough times don’t last, tough people do.” As cheesy at it sounds, it serves a significant purpose, and means a lot to me. During trying times I will repeat that phrase over and over again in my head; I find it allows me to hone in on the situation, not get overwhelmed, and to continue to push-on. When failures occurs (and they will), the phrase reminds me to learn, adapt, and push-forward. Maybe finding your own saying (one that means something to you), and repeating it during tough times will allow you to stay calm, and push-on. If anything, at least your phrase will get your mind off the current issues/difficulties (even if it’s for a short time) :).

Weekly Blog 1

Ahhhhhh!! My brain hurts!

Reflective Statement: The photo “Ahhhhhh!! My brain hurts!” is trying to depict the process of information overload which occurs when excess information overloads the cognitive system. I chose the picture because it is something I’ve experienced, and find the topic interesting. When this phenomenon occurs, the recipient is unable to focus on/process additional information; practically shutting down the brain.

It’s almost like the brain is in a “fog” but not just any fog, imagine the worst fog storm ever, and you are in a zombie-like state. At first, it can be scary to experience such an episode; however, like everything, it will pass. I am curious to test the next time I experience such a state, if I can be aware of what is going on, and find a way to “increase” my cognitive ability.

Course Objectives: Being able to better understand how hypothesis testing is conducted on individuals and groups will help me in a career as a Clinical Psychologist; understanding the tests, and the samples of said test will allow me to use scientific data to apply certain treatment techniques to a certain individual. Also, understanding how attitudes are formed and changed could be quite beneficial as a Clinical Pyschology. For example, a patient could react completely different in a matter of a day depending on social influences that may occur outside of the clinical setting. Overall, I believe many of the course objectives will be beneficial for my career aspirations.

Course Expectations: I hope to gain better insight on how to be more cognizant of what is occurring to myself (in social situations) so I can change my approach to not allow my thoughts/feelings/behaviors affect others. For example, in a work meeting if a comment upsets me, I’d like to know what can be done to make sure I stay level-headed and do not react inappropriately (by my actions or words). In this case, if I am required to respond I want to do so in a non-confrontational manner, and in a way that my response can be well-received.

Course Strategies: In order to be successful in the Social Pyschology course I plan to complete the course modules (not just assignments) by the completion date listed on blackboard. This may sound like an easy task to most, but working full-time can make “simple” tasks more difficult. I have programmed reminders in my phone for due dates for all assignments, artifacts, blogs, exams (with Alerts ahead of time) to assist me. Also, because the course is not very lecture-based, I am taking the strategy of going through each section of the chapters individually, and taking notes that align with the PowerPoints.