Imitation

The majority of people almost automatically mimic what they see. For example, we smile when we see someone else smile, and we grimace when we see a person in pain. To a normal person these reaction may just be a way of responding to an image, but reseach has discovered that such mimicry helps people, especially women, to quickly interpret the other person's expressions.

Dutch psy­chologists Mariëlle Stel and and Ad van Knippenberg performed a study in which 62 research participants were shown a series of faces, each for less than a tenth of a second. After seeing them, the viewers had to press a button indicating if the image they viewed was positive or negative. For half of the trials, the participants were instructed to not make any facial expressions while viewing the pictures by clenching their teeth together. In a controlled envirnment, the participants were told to hold their shoulders down while tehy viewed the pictures ( the psychologists believed that this would be as distracting as clenching their teeth). The results showed that the women responded faster than the men when they were free to make facial expressions. When the contraint was put on the participants, the men were not affected, but the women's speed to respond went down to the men's level. Stel and Knippenberg believe that this shows that the women use facial expression as a "fast route" to determine the expression of someone else.

I thought that this article was interesting becuase I never knew that facial expressions helped people recognize each other's mood. I thought it was just something people did out of habit, like me! haha. Here's the link to my article!


http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=when-imitation-is-more-than-flattery

JUNG TYPOLOGY TEST

-TYPE=ISFJ
Introverted-33
Sensing-38
Feeling-25
Judging-44

This test says that my best career fields are pertaining to social service, health care, customer service, and art/technical. Some jobs include nursing, being a medical records administration, and a translating. The famous people of my "type" include Jimmy Carter, Frederic Chopin, and Jane Fonda. When I first saw these results, I was not very surprised because I favor scientific resaoning over feelings. Also, the jobs that showed up were some that I have considered before. Overall, I think this test is pretty valid.

WHICH HARRY POTTER HOUSE?

-Hufflepuff! =)

Hufflepuff students are friendly, fair-minded, modest, and hard-working. A well-known member was Cedric Diggory, who represented Hogwarts in the most recent Triwizard Tournament. I was surprised when I saw this result because this house was one of the ones I was sure that I didn't fit in. However, after I read the desciption, I somewhat agreed that it matched me. I think this test is pretty valid also, though it may make too much overgeneralizations.

YOUR SIM PERSONALITY

-Neat(vs. Sloppy) and Nice (vs. Grouchy)

Neat, tidy Sims typically enjoy cleaning up the house or grooming themselves in front of a mirror. There's always something to be done around the house and they'll more often than not be found doing it; great for a house, but it can tire Sims out. I agreed with this because I like cleaning and making sure everything is in their place. When things are messy, I tend to feel uncomfortable.

Encouraging and generous, nice Sims tend to be easy to get along with and very positive. They'll listen to what other Sims have to say whether it's interesting or not and clean up after dirty roommates. If they don't watch out though, other Sims may take advantage of their good nature. I can relate to this also because I like to listen to problems that my friends have and give them my advice. Overall, this is a pretty valid test.

ATTRACTION TEST

-According to the test, I most prefered people who portrayed cheerfulness and least preferred those who were counter-culture. I think this test is pretty accurate because I tend to prefer people with more positive personalities.

PERSONALITY TEST

-Openness to Experience

High scorers tend to be open to new experiences. They have broad interests and are imaginative. High Openness is associated with earning better grades, scoring higher on general intelligence tests, playing a musical instrument, holding liberal political opinions, and with preference for rock, heavy metal, classical, jazz, blues, and folk music.

I think this describes me well and that this test is reliable because I like to try new things, and the results describe how I feel about myself.

Which Personality Disorder Am I?

Dear Mom and Dad,

How' s everything at home? Is everyone doing okay? It's almost Christmas break, and I'm excited to be coming home soon! In a few days I will be taking my finals. I'm not worried at all, and I'm actually kinda looking forward to them. I have high A's in all my class, as always, so they should be pretty fun. I could probably fail all of them and still have an A for all my semester grades. Yes, I know this is a very high achievement, but don't get too proud just yet- I have more good news to share! I befriended the college dorm manager a few weeks ago, and since I have natural smarts, I've spent a few hours everyday tutoring her on the basics- trigonometry, calculus, comtemporary cultural anthropology, physics 5, and the like. Hopefully by the end of the year all my time will pay off, and I'll have some special advantages over the other students :) :) Okay, I don't want to spoil everything and tell you all the good news. I can't wait to see what I get for doing so well!

- Your #1 daughter forever and ever,
Nina !

Case Study 7

Case Study 7: A 35-year-old clothing salesman was showing a particularly fussy customer a suit 2 months ago and suddenly began to sweat profusely. His heart started to pound, he felt dizzy, and became fearful that he was about to die. The customer didn’t notice his condition and continued to question him about the suit in minute detail. The patient, feeling faint, abruptly left the customer and went to lie down in the back of the store. The customer became insulted, complained to the manager, and left. When the manager found the patient he was slumped in a chair in the back room trembling. Approximately 10 minutes later the patient’s symptoms began to subside. He saw his physician the next day who found no evidence of any medical problems. Two weeks later, he had another similar unexpected attack. Since that time he has worried continuously about having another attack. His friends and colleagues have noticed that he is no longer as spontaneous and outgoing as he had been in the past.

-According to http://www.behavenet.com/capsules/disorders/dsm4TRclassification.htm#Anxiety, this 35-year-old clothing salesman has panic disorder. Some symptoms of panic disorder include shortness of breath, trembling or shaking, sweating, feeling dizzy, and heart palptations, which the patient is all observed to have. According to http://www.helpguide.org/mental/panic_disorder_anxiety_attack_symptom_treatment.htm, cognitive behavioral therapy is the most effective form of treatment for panic attacks, panic disorders, and agoraphobia. This type of therapy focuses on the patient's thinking patterns and behaviors that are causing the panic disorders, which helps the people see their disorder in a realistic point of view. I also recommend exposure therapy, which is when the patient experiences the physical feelings of panic in a safe and controlled environment. By have more "practice" at the panic sensation, the patient can learn healthier ways to cope with it.

Justin Timberlake

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE. Almost everyone can recognize this name when they hear it. Who wouldn't know who this talented musical sensation? Justin Randall Timberlake was born on January 31, 1981 in Memphis, Tennessee. He had his very first stage experience when he auditioned for "Star Search" at eleven years old. He got more showbiz experience when he was signed to the Disney Channel's 90's remake of the Mickey Mouse Club starting in 1993. When he was fourteen, Justin became a member of the boy band N Sync, which eventually became a huge hit around the world. In 2002 Justin worked on his debut solo album, which included many well-known songs including "Cry Me River" and "Like I Love You." Very eclectic, Justin is a pop singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer, and actor. Today, he is recognized as a successful solo singer and loved by countless fans.

In an interview, Justin Timberlake said that he had a mix of OCD, or Obsessive Complusive Disorder, and attention dificit disorder. These limitations affect Justin's life. He must always make sure that things are lined up perfectly. Also, the refrigerator can only be stocked with certain foods. However, despite the confinement of this disorders, Justin continues to sing and do what he enjoys. He stated that he still "loves to perform and it doesn't stop him from living."

Although OCD may seem less severe than many other disorders, it can greatly impact and take over a person's life. It is very unfortunate that such a well-known and diligent singer is limited by this disorder. His determination to continue with his career in spite of this is a feat that should be greatly admired.

Sources Used:

http://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/famous-ocd.shtml

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005493/bio