Blog 10
As I originally wrote in Blog 1, human interaction and social behavior are indeed very complex. I am happy to report that I enjoyed learning about many areas of social psychology including interpersonal behaviors, prejudice and discrimination, and perception. However I did not get to delve as deeply into romantic relationships as I would have liked. I may consider exploring that topic in another class at some point in the future. I can say that I have learned a lot about cultural influences on values and social behavior, as well as the concept of self regulation and the effects of memory and mood. I have begun to use the information gained from this course in ways that benefit those I live and work with. For instance I am definitely more conscious of the true value of cultural diversity and I work at consciously improving my office culture to better reflect a more inclusive and respectful environment. I have gained a deeper understanding about myself too, some of the insights I experienced were unexpected but all were important in my path to self awareness.
This photo represents the way I see my progress this semester. The hands represent me and my efforts to keep everything on an even keel. I love that they have a little pop of color with the red painted nails. The board represents the expectations of the semester. The board is clearly not as flexible as the hands are. The little pots of new sprouts represent the academic growth I have experienced this semester. The plants are not as big as I would like them to be but they seem to be healthy. I am sure they will grow into big hardy plants if kept well nourished. The little sprouts are the very beginning of a beautiful greenhouse.
Were I to take this class again I truly think I would not take any other classes simultaneously. I did not allocate enough time to complete all of the classwork as required, nor did I study as deeply as I should have. I would dedicate more of my time to more thoroughly understanding the materials and concepts so that I felt better prepared for the examination questions. I do think I have grown academically, if only that I have realized what is not good success strategy and how to better schedule dedicated study time in the future.
Blog 9
In an effort to boil down a whole semester of information, here are the three things that I have learned about in this course that I view as impactful:
- Emotional intelligence and self regulation.
- Affect and cognition.
- Diversity
Emotional intelligence is a concept that I think of as being intuitive to a degree, something fostered through self awareness even, whereas self regulation is a skill that is built upon and should be continuously practiced. Both are integral to interpersonal communication and social psychology. I briefly discussed these concepts in Blog 7.
Affect and cognition are tied together intrinsically, and I greatly appreciate the ways in which emotions and self awareness help us learn to navigate the world around us. I wrote about mood and memory and how they are linked in Blog 1, and how music is impactful within relationships in Blog 3.
Diversity is such an emotionally charged topic and it is applicable throughout the human experience. In addition to touching upon topics such as racism and prejudice in Assignment Three, I had the opportunity to participate in a discussion about incorporating diversity in the classroom within another class this semester. In both classes I found that adopting a “multicultural perspective” was essential in recognizing the value that a diverse population represents, as well as being able to understand unique challenges that different cultures experience.
Blog 8
Remember that once popular novel “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus”? If you haven’t ever read it I don’t think you really need to, but if you feel like you might want to read it please remember it was written from a male baby boomer’s perspective. The book is all about the authors perceived differences in how men and women communicate and gives advice on how we might improve our efforts when dealing with the opposite sex. It is the epitome of sexist generalizations.
I feel that the article on sexual conflict is written in the same premise, that men and women are inherently different and prone to biologically based decision making. The article states that we create sexual conflict because of the differences in male and female genetic programming. It briefly discusses some of the ways in which each sex communicates to get what they want sexually, again based on biology. There is one line in the article that states “successful heterosexual relationships accommodate these evolved sex differences”. What does that even mean? Biological differences are not as important as compatibility when navigating romantic relationships. I admit to being frustrated with this article, and the afore mentioned book.
I can see how the exercise at the end of the article is useful in stimulating discussion as it essentially pits male against female and female against male in order to highlight the pitfalls of ineffective heterosexual communication. It would be interesting to apply this exercise to same sex couples, removing the gender requirements during the discussion and focusing more on relationship roles, and then comparing the results. Of course I understand that the focus of this assignment is on heterosexual communication and biologically based behavior, I am just having a hard time validating the subject matter.
Blog 7
To me the concept of Emotional Intelligence is the ability to recognize emotions in oneself and in others, and to express or nurture those emotions in situationally appropriate ways. The skill of Self Regulation is the practice of controlling ones emotions and thoughts in difficult situations. The two components are inseparable.
In my professional life I use both emotional intelligence and self regulation daily, specifically within the realm of interpersonal communication. I need to be able to accurately perceive the emotional state of each patient I treat, on average eight daily. I also need to interact with coworkers appropriately, and I work with about 30 other women. Anyone who has ever worked with multiple women in close quarters should understand the challenge.
In my personal life I utilize emotional intelligence to manage my relationships with each of my six siblings, my parents, my children, my husband. I am constantly practicing self regulation skills and I like to think that I am fairly skilled in that regard. When I do become upset, really truly mad, I have the unfortunate tendency to cry which frustrates me to no end. I would love to be able to better manage the physical aspects of anger and frustration so that I can hold back the tears and think and respond rationally rather than emotionally. I loved the practice exercises recommended in the video.
I found several emotional IQ tests online and I chose one from PsychCentral.com that was fairly quick and simple to complete. There were ten questions to complete in total. The result was that I possess higher than average emotional intelligence. I rather like to think that I have a good grasp on my EQ, however I am hesitant to believe this particular quiz wholeheartedly as it is an abridged version of a longer, much more detailed quiz. The results are posted below.
Blog 6
~Upcoming~
Blog 5
~Upcoming~
Blog 4
So this blog entry is all about how I prepare for quizzes, tests and exams as well as how I review post examination. As I mentioned previously I tend to procrastinate in most non-urgent areas of my life. However when it comes to studying I am fairly consistent with making sure that I complete the assigned reading as promptly as possible and that I utilize any provided study guides as soon as they become available. I try to have the study guides completed a couple of days before the test so that I can use it for review before the test, as intended. I study sporadically, usually in the evening, catching 30 minutes or an hour here and there to review each chapter one section at a time. Sometimes I jot interesting facts in the margins of documents, other times I scribble notes on printer paper as I read (see photo below).
I never write in my textbook, ever. I don’t highlight either but I do like to use colored pens when taking notes, and I underline or use all caps or bold print, etc…to imply importance. All notes and documents are well organized in a binder so that I can easily find relevant information as needed. I try to read each chapter several times over so that by the time I take the exam I have reviewed all materials at least twice. I usually do a quick skim of all required reading immediately before I begin an exam. This is particularly helpful with recall of dates or other important numbers. As far as where I study, I try to isolate myself in our guest room/office but sometimes I find myself studying in my car during lunch breaks. A girl has to do what a girl has to do!
Generally speaking, it has been my experience that test questions are not routinely made available for the student to review after the test is completed, and so I was pleasantly surprised that the opportunity to review the test was given and encouraged. Usually during exams I try to take mental notes of topics I might need to review again, and then write myself a few notes immediately after I finish the exam, especially if I know the final is cumulative. This time I was able to use the questions I answered incorrectly to specifically pinpoint which topics I obviously needed to brush up on. Yes it took a little bit of extra effort to go back through the text and review but I think it was worth it. It helped to prevent the typical brain dump that happens after testing. I also think the post test review has given me a better idea of what to expect as far as the structure of future exams in this class, as well as how to study and apply the materials more efficiently.
Blog 3
~MUSIC~
Almost every culture on the planet shares the capacity to communicate with sound in some form. Music can cross cultures and spoken language to express and influence emotion. I am awed that music can affect our bodies physically and psychologically. Some people say music is the greatest gift in life. It is definitely one of the things I treasure most.
Have you ever heard something so moving you pause, no matter what you are doing, just to listen and absorb? Do you have a favorite song that always grabs you, and every time you hear it you tune in and adjust the volume? Maybe you have a song that makes you cry, or laugh, or dance, or relax. For me the sound of Tibetan gongs is an instant unwind and anytime Nirvana comes out of the radio the volume goes up!
My husband laughs at my love of Vanilla Ice and I tolerate his appreciation of Alien Ant Farm, however we can meet in the middle with a good country song. In fact our wedding song, which was picked by my husband, was “When I Said I Do” by Clint Black. Yes, it’s a mushy country love song but it is an accurate representation of our commitment to each other. Music has always been a way for us to connect. It’s actually pretty amazing how music can enhance connections within relationships. When we were dating we would go to diskotheks together and now that we are older we enjoy splurging on concert tickets when we can. Interestingly enough, even though my husband and I appreciate different genres of music we are startlingly similar in our values and ideals. I might be slightly more liberal than he is but I’d say in most things we are pretty well matched. We compliment each other. I think we appreciate each others differences and that helps to enhance our relationship.
Here is a photo of my husband and I renewing our vows in a little wedding chapel in Las Vegas. I love this picture. My husband is not a huge Elvis fan but he knows I am so he arranged for a surprise ceremony. This is true love y’all!
If I were to compile a musical soundtrack that represents the most important people in my life it would look something like this:
“Mercedes Benz” by Janis Joplin (totally represents my mom)
“We Are Family” by Sister Sledge (a shout-out to my five sisters)
“Footloose” by Kenny Logins (for my baby brother, LOL)
“Slow Down” by Nicole Nordeman (for my kids)
“To The Moon And Back” by Luke Bryan/Willie Nelson (for my husband)
“New Shoes” by Paolo Nutini (it’s all about perspective)
“Blue Suede Shoes” by Elvis Presley (I just had to include the King!)
This playlist is a bit eclectic but it fits my life perfectly. Enjoy!
Blog 2
Yes, I admit it freely. I am something of a procrastinator. That image above is a perfect example of my biggest hurdle as a student. Actually if I am being honest here I tend to procrastinate in quite a few areas of my life. I once read that procrastination was a sign of carelessness or laziness but I beg to differ. If done correctly, say in a structured manner, procrastination can improve efficiency…or so I tell myself. For example, it is amazing what I can accomplish when a deadline is fast approaching! Unless mathematics is involved. Then I am quite pitiful.
In most other areas of study I believe myself to be a confident, competent learner. I find that if I am very interested in a certain topic I tend to procrastinate less, which is good for reducing stress. I have also realized that if I am organized and give myself realistic timelines I do better at multitasking than when I am scattered and stressed and winging it. To keep myself on track I use a weekly planner with multicolored erasable pens and I like lists quite a lot. At this stage of my life I have become amazingly good at prioritizing.
The self-efficacy quiz revealed that I achieved an 83.1% for an overall score. This seems to be a true reflection of my scholastic success and task accomplishment rate. As for how I view my learning potential I think I possess the ability to be an A+ student, however my unfortunate tendency toward procrastination holds me back. In a perfect world I would be able to balance self-deception, procrastination and scholastic expectations with more favorable results.
Blog 1
For this first weekly blog assignment a quick review of the course objectives was essential in order to discuss my personal expectations for this course. Human behavior is so much more than instinct and social behavior seems to be very complex indeed. I am not a scientist by nature and I will admit that I am not that interested in learning about research methods or the history of how we came to understand the processes of behavior. However I love to watch people interact and I am fascinated by the complicated ways in which humans behave in social situations. I look forward to learning about interpersonal behaviors such as relationship formation, prejudice and discrimination, and perception. I am interested to see if the subject of emotional love will be explored alongside attraction. I plan to use the information gained from this course in ways that will benefit those I live and work with, and maybe I will be able to dive deep and learn a little bit about myself too.
As for how I am planning for success in this class, I only have one strategy…I have to stay organized. As I work full time in addition to juggling family life, I am hopeful that I will be able to maintain an effective work/study balance so that my free time is both productive and meaningful.
***Feelings shape thought and thought shapes feelings.***
This week I particularly enjoyed reading about “Affect and Cognition” and specifically about how closely mood and memory are linked. It is amazing to me how strong of a role mood congruence can play in altering a persons mood-dependent memory, and vice versa.
My work in the dental field brings me into daily contact with people in all stages of life, and most of them are not that happy to be at the dentist. I cannot tell you how many patients have sat down in my chair and before I have even said hello, they will tell me they hate being at the dentist or that they just hate the dentist. They expect their visit to be miserable and that their mouth will ache for days after. Very often the source of these negative emotions is an unpleasant past event that serves to trigger similar emotions in their present situation. My goal as a clinician is to help those patients overcome the negative emotions surrounding dental care by creating better present day experiences. My hope is that in doing so, reluctant patients will be able to move forward toward better oral health. I believe that by studying the complicated manner in which humans behave socially I will be better prepared to help others help themselves.