States of Consciousness, Learning, and Memory
Mini Project #1
*Ch 4 “Consciousness” Project: Sleep Journal.
1. Keep track of your sleep for any 3 nights during this module time period.
1A: Describe sleep patterns - Consistent? Sufficient sleep? Or was it disruptive? (E.g., did you wake up a lot, or wake up and can’t get back to sleep etc.)
1B. Optional - Record your dreams - if you have them - so this aspect is optional and you choose what dreams to report.
2. Application: Name and explain 2 concepts that relates to your sleep patterns - for example, does your sleep look similar to a sleep disorder (doesn't mean you have that disorder), or can you relate to other sleep related concepts in the readings? You can't cop out by saying "well, I don't have a sleep disorder so there's nothing to write about." You can always choose information you thought was interesting or surprising (or educational!).
Mini Project #2:
*Ch. 6 Learning Theories - Project: Behavior Analysis
1. Identify an active behavior (habit) you do regularly (inactive = lying around, sleeping, those cannot be used), could be anything simple, like hygiene such as bathing, brushing teeth, to running, driving, working, studying, etc. This 'active behavior' must be something you are doing regularly. So just name this specific behavior (don't choose anything too complex, focus on single actions).
2. Do a 'behavior analysis' - List and define these terms from Skinner’s operant conditioning theory - (1) Reinforcement (2) Punishment; (3) Positive Reinforcement & Negative Reinforcement; (4) Positive Punishment & Negative Punishment. Skinner believes that any behavior exists only due to reinforcements. If there are no reinforcements, we don't do that behavior. Okay don’t be scared, read up on operant conditioning terms you just explained, and then try to identify and explain what the reinforcers are for your active behavior (what makes you repeat that behavior?), and what type of Reinforcer is it (positive or negative) - and explain your answer.
Mini Project #3
*Ch. 8 “Memory” Project: How to Study Effectively
1. Look in ch. 8.4 under the heading “How to Study Effectively.” You’ll find a list of memory strategies.
2. Describe your existing study strategy (in general), and whether you feel it’s working well or not, on 1 to 10 Scale: 1 being not effective and 10 being extremely effective.
3. Choose 2 strategies listed in the book (section 8.4) - name and define them - that you feel you could try for yourself - and explain why you feel it might work for you.
———— Minimum Total Word Count - 450 --------
Reminder notes:
I don’t want an academic paper from you. This is a journal/project, right? So, I’m going to go easy on formal referencing style, like APA, BUT at the minimum you should include “According to our book (or text)” each time you are explaining psychology concepts. Be as creative as you like in your writing, I want to read essays that sound like you, not a formal research paper. So you better not copy and paste from any website, just explain things in your own way (but it still has to make sense!).
Discussion Board
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Chapter 4 "States of Consciousness"
Question 1
1 (a)
My sleep for the three nights was irregular. I had disruptive nights and always found it hard to fall asleep again. I would not say I was thinking about a particular thing, but I could not sleep well. Before going to sleep, I always do a recap of the day's lessons. This makes me go to bed late, but I am used to it.
1 (b)
I remember two dreams from the three nights I tracked my sleep. The first was about my pending assignments. I dreamt that I had not started my assignments and the deadline was fast approaching. I spent the whole night doing the assignment to ensure I submitted it on time because my professor is strict. When I woke up, I realized I had no pending assignments to submit.
The second dream was about my family. I dreamt about a day we went on vacation in England and watched an Arsenal game. Arsenal won, and we were happy because my family supports the team.
Question 2
Two concepts related to my sleep pattern are insomnia and non-Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep. Insomnia is difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep for a long time. People with this disorder stay longer to sleep from when they go to bed and may wake several times within their sleeping time.
Rapid eye movements with active brain activity identify REM sleep. This stage is often where dreams occur. Non-REM sleep is the opposite of REM and often has three stages which I associate more with my sleep pattern. Non-REM happens when transitioning to sleep.
Chapter 6
Question 1
A regular behavior I have is studying
Question 2
According to Skinner's operant conditioning theory, a behavior exists because of the ...