Haley Burton Psych Blog 2023

  Asch Conformity Lines Harlow Monkeys Pavlov's Dog Conditioning and Extinction Milgram Sensory Adaptation Anal Retention

 On the  Short Term Word Memory Test , I scored 12/12 because I made up a story to help me remember the words in a succession of each other. This test was valid because it tests a reasonable number of items in a data set to test short-term memory, and thus is a good indicator of short-term memory capabilities.  On the  Face Memory Test , I scored 6/10 and I think that it is a valid form of visual short-term memory.  Although I do think that it is a bit arbitrary and not as valid of a test as the word one because remembering specific symbols for visual things is not given a name as words are and thus are more susceptible to forgetfulness.  In the  Problem Solving Test , I received a high creativity score, and I do not think that this is a valid test for memory or creativity.  It is not valid for memory because that is not what the questions are centered around, and it is not valid for creativity because it is a self-reported questionnaire that is f...

Theme: political speech/beliefs Compliance - going along with a request or demand; changes public behavior, but not internal beliefs--the lowest level of conformity          ex: People censor their own beliefs depending on the surrounding group's alignment.  In rural towns, liberal party members must suppress their personal beliefs to appear normal among the largely conservative population, despite not changing their own beliefs at all.   Obedience - like compliance, obedience is going along with a request, but obedience requires a difference in power.       ex: At work, people are told to not divulge in political talk and they don't because they might be fired if they are not obedient to their boss's wishes.  In the 1920s, Ford began to pay his workers better but fired those who did not comply with his demands of supporting anti-Semitism, and thus any sympathizers would be forced to remain silent because the position of...

Psychedelic Stigma Since the 1960s Political ploy of the "War on Drugs," many possible medications have been barred from patients and clinical testing.  One such example is the popular psychedelic mushroom.  In these fungi, there is a substance known as "psilocybin," that suppresses existing memories.  This would prove vital for patients currently treated with serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or MDMA (ecstasy), like those who suffer from PTSD, Clinical Depression, and terminal cancers.  While psilocybin alters memory recollection, it has a longer efficacy period and fewer physical risks than similar treatments. Why, 60 years later, are these political choices still affecting scientific research and patient health?  These regulatory delays revolve around legal inertia--what has been enacted continues to be enforced unless met with significant enough opposing force.  It's time that these regulations were done away with and allowed for the testing of pote...

 "Acquired Tastes" going extinct thanks to capitalism Capitalism has seeped into every aspect of decision-making, stunting the developmental growth associated with the progression into adulthood, especially in dietary choices. Today, the bitter tastes our grandparents loved because of low prices are becoming a relic of the past as adults cling to their childish love for sweets and aversions to less biologically-incentivized flavors.  Fruit and vegetable sales are falling, forcing companies to genetically modify them into sweeter versions and coffee is rarely seen without milk and sugar today; why? Humans naturally crave sweet, oily, carb-heavy foods because they contain the most energy--an evolutionary benefit--but the high prices that forced older generations to adopt healthier diets are reversed today.  Per calorie, sugar-loaded foods are infinitely cheaper than produce, so the majority of lower-income adults in developed nations opt for childhood favorites instead of s...

She acquired superpowers in the lamest way possible: drinking too much coffee.  It was one too many late nights spent studying, one too many quad-shots of espresso.  The norepinephrine in her body surged, and instead of caffeine having less of an effect on her, it resulted in permanent damage.  She was always stressed now!  Her heart was pumping, blood coursing through her veins.  Tossing and turning in bed, she wished for just an ounce of drowsiness.  To her dismay, nothing came.  She leaped out of bed, overcome with the need to do something, and found that her usual clumsiness was nowhere to be found.  She ran down the stairs, faster than she ever had before.  There was almost too much energy in her body--it needed to escape. The night air was crisp--cold, damp, breezy.  It invigorated her, allowing her to ascend to a level of alertness she never thought possible.   Against her previous aversion to exercise, she ran.  Ra...