Fixed Ratio Schedule, Display Rules, Conformity, and Acute Stress
Question 1
(Please follow what is taught in class and the textbook when answering the questions, thank you)
Demonstrate your understanding of the following FOUR concepts by describing and applying them to develop an original cohesive story (fictitious or real). Indicate each concept applied within brackets and in bold font (like this) after the relevant segment of your story. [200-300 word limit for the story]
- Fixed ratio schedule
- Display rules
- Conformity
- Acute stress
Sample story using 2 concepts (not related to Q1) as an example for your reference: Tyranny of choice, hallucination
I developed depression ever since the pandemic started and the lockdown forced everyone to stay home. I lost my job as a waitress and as I live alone, I don’t have any human interaction on a day-to-day basis. Then I started hearing voices. At first, I thought it was the neighbours, but the voices got louder and they started calling my name and kept telling me to jump out the window (hallucination). I decided to distract myself from the voices by going online to shop. I went on AliExpress to look for face masks and there were so many different types and so many nice designs to choose from! After scrolling screen after screen, there were so many that I wanted to buy that I could not decide which ones to choose! (tyranny of choice)
Note: Do not present a jumbled up story and conclude that it was a bad dream.
(40 marks
Question 2
Four-year-old Pam and ten-year-old Sue are shown two rows of beads, as depicted in the picture below. Sue knows that both rows have the same number of beads. However, Pam insists that the bottom row has more beads.
a) According to Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, Pam and Sue are at different stages of cognitive development. Identify the stages that apply to Pam and Sue, and describe the differences between these stages that explain why the girls differ in their responses.
(15 marks)
b) Peter is Pam’s twin brother. When Peter is shown the same two rows of beads, he agrees with Sue that both rows have the same number of beads. Briefly discuss how the criticisms against Piaget’s theory support this difference in cognitive development between the twins.
(15 marks)
Question 3
Jon worries about his exams and occasionally fears that he may not get good grades. Before going into the exam hall, he has a little ritual where he rubs a “lucky” coin that he has kept throughout his schooling years, and this helps to relieve the anxiety that he feels about the exam. At his previous exam, Jon could not find his lucky coin and he was greatly distressed. He could not concentrate on the exam and did badly
a) Beyond the classic symptoms of severe psychopathology which include hallucinations and delusions, what qualifies as “abnormal” becomes a judgement call because there is no clear boundary that separates normal and abnormal thought and behaviour. Use your understanding of the general indicators of abnormality to explain whether or not Jon would likely be diagnosed with a psychological disorder.
(15 marks)
b) Aside from Jon’s “lucky” coin, every time he handles money, he has the urge to wash his hands because he does not want to be contaminated by it. He would immediately wash his hands with soap at least five or six times each time he handles notes or coins. He would then sanitise his hands with copious amounts of hand sanitiser before he feels relieved. Identify which psychological disorder Jon’s behaviour resembles more – phobic disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder, and explain your choice.
(15 marks)
Singapore Social Work Psychology
Author’s Name
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Question 1
Working as an editor in a renowned publications house gave me an experience of work-life balance that I will never forget. Since I was desperate to improve my financial status, I indiscreetly accepted the management’s offer of a salary package based on my daily output of the number of pages I edit; hence, I was paid 200 dollars for accomplishing a designated task of 20 pages daily (a fixed ratio schedule). Even though this fixed payment schedule increased my response rate as I made dedicated efforts to earn at least 400 dollars daily, I soon began to experience frequent burnouts at work, leading to the deterioration of my performance. However, as per my cultural norms as an American, I adhered to my established work ethic and never showed my stress and anxiety during working hours or meetings (display rules). The disturbance in work-life balance I experienced was due to my choice of following the modern trend of maximizing work potential at the cost of personal life and comfort. Therefore, my compliance with this incorrect professional rule became my liability, which disturbed