#10

Hello and welcome to blog 10, the final blog of the Psyc 304 summer semester. It has been a great semester and I enjoyed being able to provide these weekly update posts to be able to read later on. At the beginning of the semester, I was excited to be taking this course and I had a few expectations for the course. I thought I would learn about myself, other people, and how we all interact with each other. After being in this course for the last couple of months, I can confidently say I learned exactly that. I had always hoped to find out more about myself in terms of how and why I may react to situations the way I do and being in this class helped me to expand my knowledge on the subject. I feel that I learned the course objectives very well and am now able to apply what I have learned to the real world. My attitude towards social psychology never really changed throughout the course because at the beginning I did think it would be somewhat difficult just because it is a new topic however, I found that it was what I was expecting it to be, and I learned what I was hoping I would learn.

If I were to take this course again what I would do differently is starting the next week’s assignments immediately after submitting an assignment for the previous week. One way that I have grown academically over the last couple of months, as I have said multiple times in previous blogs, is that I have been able to find more ways to back up my work with visual representations. I believe that gaining this new skill is going to be greatly beneficial to me in my professional life. I learned so much more than I thought I would. I think what helped me to gain this knowledge was having assignments that did not feel like a chore. The assignments in this course were fun and educational. This was definitely one of my favorite classes I have taken at Old Dominion. I am incredibly grateful for the experience I had with each of my professors and teaching assistants. The semester was wonderful and it is a shame that it is ending so soon. Until the next time we meet again, blog.

Visual Artifact:

#9

Hello and welcome to blog entry number 9! It has been great having these weekly blogs to reflect on what I have learned in the course and apply it to the real world. It is so crazy that the semester is almost over. After this week’s blog, there is only one blog left to write! I can practically see the finish line! But before I get ahead of myself, let’s talk about this week’s entry. This week we will be keeping things nice and simple and just discuss my top three favorite things I learned throughout the course.

The first, and my favorite, was during module 7 when we discussed attitudes. I loved the quizzes that went with the module archive so much that I had my family answer the quiz as well. I really felt like I learned a lot about myself and my family during this week. I learned that there are a lot of inconsistencies in my life and that I want more consistency I have to take action. Nothing will change for the better if I don’t do something about it. The second thing I learned was during module 3, the very first archived assignment. this module was about social psychology in general. This was when we were first dipping our toes into what we would study all semester. My favorite thing I learned during this week was how to provide visual representations to my work and how it can improve my work by doing so. Having visual representations in each assignment has honestly been one of my favorite things about the course. I loved being able to get creative and speak my mind through my work. The third, and final favorite thing I learned was during module 4 which focussed on social cognition. again, another huge favorite for me. this week was great. I learned a lot about fears and how ridiculous fears and the media is. the video we watched during module 4 titled, “Are We Scaring Ourselves to Death?” was amazing! I don’t think I have ever felt so interested in my assignments as I have with this course. What I learned was that what people fear is very far from what they should actually be fearing. This is because of how information is presented and how big the media blows it up. A lot of people are easy to convince but it is often hard to make them believe anything else despite the information being untrue.

Throughout the course assignments, there were several concepts that related to other assignments. One of which was with blog #3 and also module 3 archive 1. These two are very closely related because the blog was based on the assignment. It had also reminded me of an earlier assignment I had in “Intro to Psychology.” In that course, I had to think of something that reminded me of another person and with the assignment, we had in this course I had to think of a song that reminded me of someone. So, the two assignments in the two classes were almost the same.

Visual Artifact:

#8

Welcome back to blog number 8! There are not too many blogs remaining, so let’s make this one a good one! For blog 8, we read an article titled, “Sexual Conflict: Uncovering the Mysteries of the Mating Battleground.” After I read the article I felt that I understood it perfectly. All of my life I would see my grandparents, or my parents, or even me and my boyfriend butting heads. Although differing opinions is absolutely normal for any relationship, romantic or not, it can still get annoying for any person involved. Some ways my boyfriend has angered me are when I ask for him to put something away and he argues his way into not doing it so I always have to. It’s also annoying when I ask him to clean up a certain way and he “half-asses” it. As I’ve said before, I have OCD and I like things a certain way and if it’s not done the way I like it then I will do it all over again to get it to my standards. This just so happens to be something that annoys him. I am so picky with how I like things organized, clean, and up to my high standards. But let me slow down before I write 10 pages worth of “things that annoy us.” Women tend to annoy men because men think women ask for a lot. Women are usually annoyed by men because they can’t seem to do simple things. It’s not always the case when assigning a gender to a role but more often than not that’s the case.

I liked this assignment and I found the article to be very interesting. I could definitely relate to it 100% and I could think of times where I have experienced the exact same stages it talked about for relationships. It also got me thinking about my childhood. Growing up and watching my parents and grandparents arguing with their spouse wasn’t the best influence on a child but it still showed me that people with different opinions can still be happy with each other. Well, not for my parents because they both got divorced twice and divorced each other, but that’s a different story. Until next time, blog!

Visual Artifact:

#7

Hello, and welcome back to the blog! Today makes blog number 7 which means the end is near! This week we have been going over self-regulation and emotional intelligence. The relationship between self-regulation and emotional intelligence (EQ) is a strong relationship. If one’s self-regulation is weak, one can be expected to have less emotional intelligence. While this may not always be the case, more often than the two will always have a positive relationship, meaning when one is high the other is too, and when one is low so is the other one. To me personally, emotional intelligence is not my number one priority, but I do think it is an important ability to possess.

I think of myself as an emotionally intelligent person. I may not be the most intelligent emotionally, but I constantly strive to better myself. There are times when I catch myself in these moments where I am realizing I am practicing my EQ. This is usually when my boyfriend and I are having a fight and things start to get a little heated and I pause for a minute to actually think about what he just said and what I will say next. I used to have a habit of saying things I may not actually mean but I say it because I get caught up in the heat of the argument. Taking the time to evaluate my emotions and actively thinking before speaking or doing something that I might regret has been one of the best things I have started to incorporate into my life. To improve my EQ, I could do more breathing exercises as Linda Ferguson said in the video, or I could practice paying attention to how I’m feeling and when I start to feel myself get irritated and do something about it before things escalate.

Visual Artifact:

#6

Welcome back again, Blog! This week we are watching and reacting to a Ted Talk by Jean Kilbourne titled, “The Dangerous Ways Ads See Women.” Before even watching the YouTube video, I actually found myself nervous to watch it because I was not exactly sure what to expect. As a 20-year-old woman who has been a victim and a survivor, I know firsthand just how cruel and disgusting the world can be towards women. A lot of advertisements targeted towards women give off the impression that we are not good enough how we are and that we need to change things about ourselves to feel beautiful. Ads assume that women need validation from others to be confident and comfortable in their own skin and this is not actually the case.

After watching the video, I was genuinely shocked. I was not expecting it to be as funny as it was considering the topic, but I do feel it was almost necessary to include the humor to take the edge off. But then again, with a topic like this one, it should be taken seriously and not turned into a joke. Now going into what Jean discussed in the Ted Talk, women and girls are objectified and sexualized now more than ever before and the effects this has on self-esteem and confidence for women and girls is astronomical. I know I have definitely noticed the distorting of images and dehumanization of women for many years. I can remember always wanting to look like these photoshopped people because they were advertised to me, and I was told I had to look like them to be beautiful. I am glad I know now that angles, filters, photoshop, and everything else affect how we see ourselves more than I originally thought.

This video opened my eyes to all of the different ways men and women are represented in today’s age and even before then. Women are seen as dainty objects waiting for a man, while men are strong rocks looking for a woman. I find it sad that this is the world our children are growing up in. This is what society has normalized. They have normalized unrealistic bodies and shamed what nearly every woman goes through and has. But that is all for this week. Until next time, try to pay attention to advertisements you regularly see and see how women and men are treated in your ads.

Visual Artifacts:

#5

Welcome back to the blog! This week we are covering the types of advertisements and credibility. In the age of social media, anyone and everyone can make accounts on social platforms to spread any information they chose. Some of which are credible and can be trusted, others are only spreading information to get a reaction from people. There are three main types of advertisements that people can use. The first being advertisements from a credible source, the second is advertisements from a non-credible source, and the third is advertisements from an attractive source. A credible source is a source that you can trust. They deliver information without showing bias, they are well-known or are professionals in the topic they are discussing, and their information is up to date. A noncredible source is one that is the exact opposite of a credible source. Noncredible sources typically have a lot of bias in the information they spread. Most noncredible sources can be found in blogs, random websites, and outdated books or articles. An attractive source is just how it sounds. They are a source who usually is advertising a product, but the person advertising is one that most people would find attractive. They can be both credible and noncredible

Picture A represents a credible source because, in this screenshot image from the World Health Organization’s (WHO) official Twitter account, they can be seen sharing information regarding the coronavirus. The information in which they are sharing can also be confirmed by multiple different sources. I believe WHO to be a credible source because they are a globally known organization that delivers information that has to do with health-related concerns. They are also verified on Twitter and other platforms, and they were founded in 1948 by the United Nations.

Picture B represents a not credible source because, in this screenshot from Kaitlin Bennett’s Twitter account, she is seen showing her political bias while spreading information on a public platform. She is known for her controversial political opinions and outbursts, and frequently discusses politics with other people. I believe Bennett to be an example of a noncredible source because she is not verified, she has an extreme bias, and she has been called out several times for spreading false information.

Picture C represents an attractive source because, in this advertisement, Kim Kardashian is promoting her personal brand by posing in silky outfits with her equally famous and beautiful sisters. Judging by the number of promotions she has for this specific sale, and the number of followers she has, and her net worth, I would say the attractive source is usually a successful source. People want to see a beautiful person selling products because they think if they use the products this person is selling, then they can look like them too. I believe Kim Kardashian to be an attractive source because of her obvious beauty, popularity, and wealth.

Visual Artifact:

Picture A

Picture B

Picture C

#4

Hello, Blog and welcome to the fourth official blog entry! This week we will be discussing our first exam of the summer semester. To preface, I am incredibly happy with the grade I earned on the exam! One thing I do every time I take a test is take note of how many questions I wasn’t 100% sure of so that I can prepare myself for the grade I get after submitting the assignment. For this exam I was only unsure of 4 out of 50, so I was expecting at least an A-, but to my surprise, I actually only missed one question. I scored a 98%! I was proud of myself because I spent a solid week studying the material for the exam, and clearly, every single minute was worth it.

After looking over the exam, I was able to find the problem that I answered incorrectly, and I went through the PowerPoint slides and double-checked the textbook to find the right answer. I also wrote down this question with the correct answer, and the other three questions I was originally unsure of. In the past, using this as a reinforcer of the material has always helped me. For the next exam, I will use the same study techniques I used the first time but I will also be sure to write down the questions I do not know the answer to so I can read them over again before submitting the test. And if I use the same study method as before, I will not have anything to worry about! Now, the next exam is still a little bit away, but wish me luck anyway! That is a wrap for this week’s blog, I will be sure to update next week!

Visual Artifact:

#3

Welcome back to Blog #3! After reading the article titled, “Soul Meets Body,” I began to think about the connection between our relationships with others and music. According to the article, we actually can become more attracted to a person just by learning about their music taste. I view music and relationships as one of the best combinations for happiness and peace. This is because when you meet new people, having music in the background helps to break the awkward silence and can get you talking about other songs you like, and you can find out you and someone else have more in common than initially suspected. There are also times when you may be arguing with someone and you both hear your favorite song come on, helping you to get past the argument and enjoying each other’s company and time again. I have noticed a lot of my friends have vastly different taste in music from me. I listen to more pop and R&B, my boyfriend listens to rap, and my best friend listens to K-pop, so we all clearly have different styles of music we enjoy. But there are always a few songs that we all love listening to and singing together. I personally do not think taste in music is that important as long as there are a few songs we both have, and as long as their favorite genre isn’t country, then I’m all for listening to new music!

            There have been so many people in my life that I share a love for music with. Music is great for building relationships and bonding over a common interest. There are actually several songs that I can think of that remind me of some of my favorite people. The first song is “Rather Be,” by Clean Bandit released in 2014. Every time this song comes on, I think of my mom, because in the summer of 2014 when I was visiting her in South Korea, we could only play the songs we had on our phones and this one was her favorite so we listened to it everyday for about two weeks straight, and to this day whenever our song comes on we always sing it together. Another song that reminds me of someone is the song “Maneater,” by Nelly Furtado released in 2006. This song is almost as old as me! As a kid I would go to Texas every summer to visit family and I would absolutely cherish the moments I got to spend with my older cousin, Allie. I remember sitting in the front seat of her car jamming out to this song for years! It’s been a while since we’ve played this song together but every time I think of her I think of that song.

            Moving on to the next song, which reminds me of my old friend, Milly, is “Slow Dancing in the Dark,” by Joji released in 2018. She and I were having a sleepover after she had gotten mixed in with the wrong crowd and she kept requesting to hear this song, which I had never heard of at the time. Long story short I fell in love with this song because of her, but sadly we do not talk as much as we use to, but the song still reminds me of her. The next song that reminds me of someone is “To the Top” by Lil Baby released in 2017. This someone is an incredibly special person to me, my lovely boyfriend, Steven. At the start of our relationship and for the first couple of years he would listen to this song nonstop. I was never a fan of the song, but my boyfriend was, so we heard it a lot. Thankfully now he has new songs that he likes more, but every time “To the Top” comes on it always brings back memories.

            Another song that makes me think of someone is “Old Town Road,” by Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus released in 2018. This song was a hilarious unexpected hit the summer it came out and for the next year. Whenever I hear this song I think of my kid stepbrother, Gabe. When this song came out, he was 3 years old turning 4 and he would sing it in the cutest way! He did not know all of the words so he would say, “I’m gonna take my horse to the old town horse and riiiidddeeeee!” Now, if you know the actual lyrics then you will understand how funny it was! Definitely one of my favorite memories and still one of Gabe’s favorite songs. The final song that makes me think of someone is “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri released in 2011. This someone isn’t actually a person, but they were one of the more important beings in my life at the time. This someone is my late dog, Junior. After he passed away in 2014, I decide I wanted to make a video collage with a bunch of pictures of him with this song as the background music. The video still brings back so many emotions for me and every time I hear this song, I have to try to hold back the tears.

            This blog definitely got a lot out of me. It was probably the most I’ve shared in a blog since we have started this. Hopefully, you can relate with some of the songs or meanings they have to me. That is all for this week, tune in next week to learn some more about me and psychology!

Visual Artifacts:

“I have died every day waiting for you
Darling don’t be afraid
I have loved you for a thousand years
I’ll love you for a thousand more.”

~Christina Perri

This song quote was included for my late dog, Junior. One of the best souls I have ever met in my life.

“Yeah, I’m gonna take my horse
To the old town road
I’m gonna ride ’til I can’t no more.”

~Lil Nas X

Quote included for my younger stepbrother, Gabe. It has been his favorite song for about two years straight.

“We’re a thousand miles from comfort, we have traveled land and sea
But as long as you are with me, there’s no place I’d rather be
I would wait forever, exalted in the scene
As long as I am with you, my heart continues to beat.”

~Clean Bandit

Quote included for my amazing mother. This was our favorite song for a few years and is still a classic.

#2

Hello again, and welcome to week 2, Blog! This week we are discussing “The Self.” For this weeks’ blog, we will be focusing more on confidence and the “self-efficacy quiz.” To begin, I would first like to talk about my personal confidence and how I think of my confidence as a college student, then I will discuss the results of my “self-efficacy quiz.”

The way I think of myself as a student is that I am a quiet student who can sometimes fall behind, but also manages to do well in courses overall. My usual confidence level as a student before college was a 9.5/10. Now, as a college student, I would say my confidence level as a student is a 7/10. I believe the change in my confidence came from the time, energy, and focus homework takes when you are in college, high school didn’t require as much attention on material. A few factors I believe could increase my confidence levels as a student are devoting more time to my school work, managing my time better to focus more on school, and study groups.

Visual Artifacts:

This was a fun and simple activity, until next week, blog!

#1

Welcome to my first weekly blog of the summer semester. This week we will be discussing several objectives that will be covered throughout the course. Some of the topics we will go over have to do with attitude changes everyone goes through, where prejudice comes from, and my personal favorite, learning how we attempt to understand each other. I believe learning these objectives will help me in the future by teaching me to dissect information and become more self-aware of everything going on and it will also encourage me to try to figure out why certain things are the way they are. I especially want to know more about how we try to understand others because we interact with new people every single day. I believe that taking the time to understand why someone may react the way they do can be so beneficial when working with people and understanding myself more. Like I said in my introduction, I have always had an interest in psychology, and I think part of the reason why I love it so much is because the mind is so powerful. Thinking positively makes a huge difference in a person’s overall happiness, and discovering how to accept yourself and others will get you so much further in life.

When it comes to my expectations for the course, I expect to learn a lot about myself and how interactions with others can affect everyone involved. I hope to gain an understanding of the world that I never had before. My expectations are not just black and white, I am open to learning any and everything. I think it makes it more interesting when I’m learning something I had no idea about, but it is also exciting to be able to comprehend all of these things I had thought about but never knew the answer to. To allow me to have as successful of a semester as I possibly can I plan to keep my planner updated, check blackboard daily, and most importantly, I will space out my assignments so I can produce the best work that I can. Waiting until the last minute is never worth it. It’s not worth the stress, it’s not worth the bad grade, and it’s not going to be something a Professor or T.A. would want to read.

Visual Artifacts:

Pictured above are two visual artifacts I have chosen. Both of which are pages from my notebook that I use for Psych 304. The first image is a copy of the survey I conducted for our first item to archive. The second is the notes I wrote when I was completing assignment 1. I chose to include these two to show how I like to take my notes, and how I use color to help keep me focused and organized. The colors I chose aren’t as important as how I use them, but I chose to use various shades of blue, as well as green and yellow. Which colors I use for what changes sometimes just because I don’t like to always do the same thing but usually I will start with the darkest color and move on to the second darkest, then the two lightest colors. I find myself not understanding my notes as much if I use all one color ink because I can’t tell where one thing starts and where the next one ends, and I also just think it’s boring. when I use color in my notes I am able to keep things more organized even when I run out of room on a page. I like having fun colored notes because it helps me to stay on track and makes note-taking more enjoyable. Writing this blog has been great. This is just the first of many, so until next week, Blog!