Personal Blog

Our chapter is kind of on how people perceive things. Do we really think about everything we see? Sometimes I wonder, how different people take things? A good example. I work at Kwik Trip. Every now and then the cigarette companies send people in to change their signage. Well not long ago the Camel cigarette company came in and put up knew signs. I really didn't pay much attention to them. After they were up for about a week I actually stopped and read it. The sign had a picture of the Camel Crush cigarettes (they are a full flavor and a menthol cigarette in one. you click a button and the taste changes from regular full flavor to Menthol. Which is kind of minty) Next to the picture it said "Have a Two Some". When most people think about two some or three some many people relate it to some sexual manner. At least that is how I look at it. I asked some others to read the sign and tell me what they thought. Multiple people related it to something sexual. But some people understood it was two tastes in one cigarette. Which does make sense, but why word it that way. Maybe it is just me and some people. I know some companies relate their advertisement to some sexual point. I thought it was interesting because I had seen it for over a week but never thought about it. Then when I did, my opinion was different from others. Just shows that people all perceive things differently depending on who they are.

Chap. 6 Sensation and Perception

This chapter was interesting. Before reading it I knew how our mind perceives different things depending on the situation. After reading I see that there is so much more to it. One thing I found interesting was on p. 230 Figure 6.1. I have seen this image before, but even though I remember seeing it before it took me awhile to find the faces. At first I just seen 2 horses and a guy waking through the wild. I like how Figure 6.3 on p.235 points out that our eyes are always moving in order to get the full effect on what is going on. You really don't think about it. I mean if you ever look at a painting or drawing you scan the image over with out even thinking about it. Looking at the whole image is really made up a scanning over little parts of it.

Like I said in an earlier blog. We don't think about how life would be without our sight or hearing because we have it. Try watching television with no sound, or listening to television with you eyes closed. It does give a perspective on what it would be like.

Touch is also important. We learned that Nature and Nurture is important. One thing an infant is known to do is grab at things. A sense of touch teaches us what feels nice what we should touch. Every kid has touch a hot stove before. Or has at least tried to. Touch is important not only for development, but also to distinguish pain. If a part of your body is in pain your body will let your brain know. Good example is Figure 6.21 p.256. By stepping on a tack it causes pain so a signal is sent through a nerve cell right to the brain. Smell is interesting, because I know people who if the had no sense of smell they would probably go hungry. I know some one who can not eat anything without smelling it first. Even if it is like a cracker or fruit. They have to smell it first. I smell things every now and then. Not everything though. So some people use there sense of smell more then others.

Our eyes see what they want to see. Or things we may believe in. Ex: Loch Ness monster, Some people seen a monster others saw a curved tree trunk. Or space ships some people seen space ships others saw weirdly shaped clouds. Every on sees things differently depending on what it is they believe.

As for ESP, I think it may be a possibility just not now. Since we are learning so much about the brains everyday. Maybe one day something will be found. Maybe I watch to much Television. But I believe that not everything is just coincidence. Maybe that is just me though.

Our senses are important I don't think any one should take them for granted

Illusions Blog

1. Stepping Feet Illusion

When the image takes the black lines in the back out, the rectangles look like the are moving at the same pace and time. But then the black image is there it makes them look like some one walking. It is really cool.

I didnt think it would make a difference but it is really cool.

Eyes like to play tricks on us. Illusions are crazy.

Day to day I have to see things it is crazy to think that am image that is there could totally change the image if a part is taken out.

2. Steokinetic Phenomenon

The rotation of the images creates a 3-D effect. The image can either be portrayed as a cone coming out of the screen or a tunnel going into the screen.

This suprises me that you can see it both ways. I would think you should only be able to see one things.

Our brain can change images to what ever we want to see. Or our brain wants to see. I can not see both a tunnel and a cone at the same time it is either one or the other.

a lot of paintings of images like this have an effect on us. You don't think about what is going on until it is done. Art work has an effect on everyone whether they know it or not.

3. Snake Illusion Ad lib

This illusion seems to be expanding when it is really a stationary figure. The repition in design is what I beleive makes it look like it is expanding when you are not looking right at it.

Surprising that the brain can see what it not there.

Sight has many different ways of changing what we see. our brain takes images makes them what it wants then lets us see.

Colors are a big part of life. If patterns cause this hypnosis like state it is crazy.

4.Motion Aftereffect

The sprialing tunnel with the cross in the center is causing me a headache and it is not an image we see all the time. Because we are seeing expanding in the sprialing, when the image of the statue comes up it looks like it is expanding.

What surprised me was that the speed of the spiraling figure had an effect on how fast the image would expand I did not think that it would.

We perceive the world through sight. But everything we see or perceive is not always there. It is just what our brain wants us to see. Its like our brain has control on what we can and can not see.

I wonder if street signs were rotating how would that effect what we see on a regular basis.

5. Breathing Square

By putting and image behind another image it makes it so the person looking at it can only see a certain portion of it. So if there is a square you will only see a little bit of it.

Not much surprised me The image was moving around so it made it seem like the square was "breathing" Because it went up and down . In a breathing like motion.

In geometry images are used all the time. By placing an image atop another image, an image could be lost. Or if the top image was transparent you could see both images.

6. Structure for Motion at Equiluminance Effect

There are dots all over a page. When not moving it looks like a bunch of dots, but when the dots are in motion than the dots seem to form a sphere even though it is not there.

Surprising that just setting something into motion changes what is happening. Motion changes everything. You have speeds, velocity, gravity. There is a lot going on in the image.

Each day I see things stationary and I see things in motion. I don't think about the things that are moving as ever being stationary and I don't think about things being moving if they are stationary.

Our brains function usually what we want and what they want. It is interesting. That motion has such a big effect on things we do.

7. Hidden Figures

It is cool to see a hidden dog on an ink blotted page.

An image is the last thing I would think to see in a ink blot.

Interesting to know that some people can not see things that others can.

Eyes see what they want our brain sees what it wants. Very cool.

8. Hollow Faces Even

when a mask turns around you can see a face protruding out even though it is really inverted.

surprising I didn't know that that was true.

No matter which way it is turned if you look at it just right it is a protruding face.

We see faces and masks everyday It is interesting to know the an image of a face flipped over still looks like a protruding face.

Understanding

In chapter 5 it talks about how some people do not understand things like every one else does. Whether they are autistic, deaf, or blind. There life is so much different then ours. We do not see things that same way they do. I was watching CSI this week and it was on a mid 20 year old man who lived at home and went to a special school because he was deaf. He had bought some beer and was walking home. when a couple of boys were driving next to him were asking him to givve them the beer. They didn't know he was deaf. They assumed he was just ignoring them. so they got out of the car and starting beating him up. He was scared and didn't know what was going on. He fell to the ground, when the boys got back in the car they saw him get up so they backed over him. He died. These boys did not know the man was deaf until they were caught for murder. and the investigator told them. This makes a good point from the chapter. Deaf people are no different them us. They just can't hear and have to do some things different then us. But they are still people. The investigator actually sat in him noisy office with cotton balls in him ears just to see what it was like to be deaf. He wanted to understand it more. We did and english assigment once. Just turn on your tv to any channel, but mute it. Watch a hole show with no sound. It is cool but crazy.

Personal Blog

Does anyone feel like they are being pushed to be something that they are not?
This chapter is teaching about growing up, going through life, making decisions whether right or wrong. Have you ever wondered how are we suppose to make those decisions when we have parents telling us what they feel is right. I want to make my own mistakes in life, and learn from them myself. I don't know if it is just me but this year the whole growing up thing really caught up to me. Has there ever been a choice that you wanted to make, but your parents didn't feel it was right so you didn't do it? If we are suppose to become individuals and become our own person how can some of us do that is there is someone breathing down our neck about everything. I am pretty sure we all want to make choices for ourselves. This chapter does make a lot of sense in grwoing up. The hard part is breaking away from the parents. I would like everyones opinion on this.

Developing Through The Life Span

This chapter was very interesting. A lot of it was stuff I already knew but it went way in depth. We go through life sometimes without even realizing what is happening. I mean one day I am a little kid playing with barbies and the next I am a senior in high school. I have a lot of friends that tell me to enjoy high school while I can. Even though I want out so bad, They said no matter what I will misss it when it is gone. This year this has really hit me. College next year then what? It is so hard to wrap my mind around. It is a weird feeling I guess.
Some interesting things I found in this chapter were things like Piaget's test. How children 6-7 years old are to young to perform mental operations. I found this interesting and I tested it.

My younger brother,Riley, is 9 years old and I tested this on him. I used 2 of the same sized glasses and filled them half way with water. When I asked Riley which had more he said that they were equal. So I poured one into a wider glass, so the water level was about half the original. I did this with him watching. When I asked him Which had more he said the Wider glass did. I found this interesting. I repeated the stage about 5 times before I had to tell him the secret.
My younger sister Kendra is 12. I did the same thing with Kendra and she was confused by the question.
When I asked both my parents they comprehended it just fine and said that they were equal.
I found this all very interesting. On how the brain develops with age.
Harlow's monkey test was very interesting also. It kind of fits with the Nature vs Nurture Cahp. on how the monkey reacted with comfort of the cloth covered fake mother. And how he reacted to the plain wire mother. It shows we need nurture and comfort in our lifes to develop coinfidently.
This Chapter was cool to read. I liked learning how we all develope over time. Through out our entire life we are changing whether we know it or not.

Chap. 4 Nature, Nurture and Human Diversity

Things I found interesting from this chapter.

It was very interesting to learnt hat even though identical twins have the same genes they don't always have the same number of copies of those genes. IT is fascinating to find that for this reason is why in some cases one twin may be more subject to an illness then the other. So identical twins may shares the same genes and look the same but in certain ways they are way different.

I learned that in most studies men have a lower threshold for perceiving warm responses from women as a sexual come-on. So even if a women is trying to be friendly, men in most cases (not saying all cases) are more apt to believe it is really a sexual come-on. I find this interesting. In Sociology we learned about how the media portrays women as objets instead of people. Women seem to be shown as sexual objects a lot in the media as well. This is interesting because if a guy gets the wrong message from a girl then this could cause major problems. it could lead to rape or even just a case where the guy won't leave the women alone. I have had guys like that. I don't understand why it is the women can't be nice to a guy without them or someone else thinking that she is into him.

I strongly agree with the fact of experience making us who we are today. I would be nothing if it wasn't for the mistakes i have made in the past. Or the advice I have gotten from friends and family about life in general. For some people they don't have a close relationship with family or friends so it seems that they have to learn from mistakes and experience because they don't have anyone to guide them.

Natural Selection and Evolutionary Psychology

In this video, it shows that all animals have characteristics that are there strong points. Like dolphins swim, moles dig things like that. They are good at that and the characteristic they are good at is often used as a survival tool. I like the part how he says that a human survival technique is thinking or outsmarting the other person. How many people have out smarted a parent or sibling into make something go your way. I know I have. Even when animals adapt to a new surrounding. No matter what they are always trying to survive. It is natural. You do what you need to do. The human body and all animal bodies really are survival tools. Opinions on this please.

Evolutionary Psychology and Sexual Attitudes

Okay, This video I found was interesting. It talks about why most people are attracted to the opposite sex. Psychologist of course have done a study on this. All around the world and found that because we evolve over time. Most people want to have sex with someone of the opposite sex because that is how over time it has been done. I beleive in you know how there is a natural attraction at times. A lot of people have different preferences in the opposite sex whether it is tall, skinny, muscular, smarts or what ever. And yea there are people who like others of the same sex and that is just fine. It just states how a great percentage of people like and want to have sex with people of the opposite sex. It is understandable. And the video I guess makes sense if you really think about it. What are your opinions?

Chap. 3 Consciousness and the two track mind

I learned from this chapter that our conscious ind only views the important things. It only pays attention to the things that a relevent and effect us in some way. I actually agree with this entire chapter. We all live passive lives whether we realize it or not. We do not think about the possibilities that what if there is more to sleep then sleep. Or how a conscious really does work. The sleep stages make sense I mean we can't just lay there five minutes and emmediately hit REM sleep. The drugs used as depressants, stimulants, or hallucinagens. Proof I have. I am a caffeine addict. I can not go a day without caffeine or I suffer from horrible migraines. I have cut back but can not quit. A lot of things in this chapter were things I had already known. Though there was a lot that I did learn I did like this chapter.

Consciousness

The video the Mind Awake and Asleep was interesting. It tells how our minds only notice the things that are relevant or important. We even do it without realizing it. I like how it explains that when we are bored we day dream it is true. It explains how we keep our brains busy when we are not active. Just how our brains keep themselves busy when we are asleep.

A good example of being conscious:

Has anybody ever taken a route so many times you don't even think about it when you do it. I don't know how many times I have drove to work and then forgot a whole section of road. I don't remember driving that stretch of road at all. Can that be healthy? I mean I make it to work but not remembering something like that.

Even the test that I took. I took the Gay people vs. Straight People. My hypothesis was that I would push more toward the straight people because I am straight. I was right. This test was really weird though. I figure because I am straight I would naturally have an automatic preference toward straight people. I don't think that your reaction time should make a difference on which one you have a preference to. I have no problem with gays or straights. I don't have a preference at all. I guess I will have to see how my results are on other tests.

Opinion on Sleep Medication

I am someone who is on medication for chronic headaches. My medication is also used as an anti depressant and as a sleep aid. I have to take it right before bed. It creates drowsiness. Because we are learning about sleeping. My Question is why do people take sleep aids? or How does the sleep aid help people? Do any of you believe that a sleep aid helps with the bodies chemical balance? In my opinion the aid does help me. If I don't take my medication I do not usually get a good nights sleep. I think I will test it in my sleep study for this class. one week I will take it another week I won't take it. Lets hear your opinions on this.

Personal Post

Okay you know how in class we were talking about how when we are sleeping our brains don't go to sleep. They just keep themselves busy until we get up. Well last night I went to bed really early like 8 o'clock and I was awaken at 3:00 am by a text from my ex boyfriend that i don't talk to anymore. I turned 18 Thursday last week. He text me saying that for no reason he just woke up last night and remembered it was my birthday Thursday and had to tell me. I thought it was pretty interesting. I mean is it possible that our brains get so bored sorting stuff out, it starts going through old compartments? That is how I thought it to be. I even told him that. So I just want your opinions is it possible for our brain while we are asleep to start rummaging through our past lives?

The Brain and Behavior

I did the pattern activity, strategy activity, blindspot activity, and the ambigious figures activity. What I learned from the activities was that we our brains have a blind spot. Some people see the world different then others, in this activity I found the blind spot just fine, but my boyfriend couldn't. It was cool. I also don't understand Patterns that much from the activity.

I knew that people perceived things different but I really didn't think that it was on this high of a level I guess you could say. These activities were very helpful.

In everyday life we are faced with choices in which we have to use stategies to figure out. In school and work we are all faced with patterns even though we don't realize it. And just the fact that how you see something does not mean that is how someone else will see something too.

This definately shows that people see the world on whole other levels then others. More then what I thought, These activities were very insightful.

This chapter better explains how When the Spinal cord is severed anything below that area can not be responsive all because the signals can't be sent to the brain.
I think it is very interesting how the Right hemisphere controls the Left side of the body and the Left hemispere controls the right side of the body. I honestly thought the brain worked mainly as a whole. Which it does but then again it doesn't.
Also the way that parts of the brains can substitute for removed or damaged parts of the brain is really mindboggling. Like a blind person not needing to see to the sense of touch which he needs takes his sight sense over. Crazy.

The man with 2 brains video was very cool. the drawing the shapes which different hands is crazy. I tried it just don't work. It was so much fun trying though. My boyfriend kinda got mad at himself. He is someone who wants to excel in anything that involves thinking outside the box. It was a lot of fun. And the word flashing was really cool. Or the faces mad out of stuff and depending on which side it was flashed to determined what he would say it was face or fruit.

Rat Experiment Results

The rats were put through a basic small 2 feet T mase. (Start from the bottom go straight then choose left or right). in between each trial the rat was put into an individual box for 30 seconds. They were tested about 7:30 at night so after a bunch of sleep because my rats sleep all day. they are both female and both the same age. My thoughts were that the timid rat would be scared and not want to move, and the hyper one would run right through. I also thought that a treat would matter to because I used my rats favorite treats. Little Pretzel sticks made for rats.
Result:
Rat #1
Carmen (Timid, slightly larger then rat #2)
w/no treat: w/treat at left: w/treat at right:
Trial 1-Right Trial 1-Left Trial 1-Right
Trial 2- Right Trial 2-Right Trial 2-Right
Trial 3- Right Trial 3- Left Trial 3-Left
Ran right through the maze did not hesitate at all. Not sure if treat really mattered, She just nibbled it a little bit.

Rat #2
Lovey(hyper, upbeat smaller rat)
w/no treat w/treat at left w/treat at right
Trial 1- Left Trial 1-Right Trial 1- Left
Trial 2-Right Trial 2-Stopped in middle Trial 2-Right
did not choose
Trial 3-Left Trial 3-Stopped in middle Trial 3-Left
did not choose
Lovey moved a lot slower, she observed her surroundings a lot more. Throughout the test she started going slower and observing more. She actually found a 1/2 inch hole and went through it and got out of her compartment box. The treat in this case didn't matter at all. The left test in the end she didn't even want to choose a side, and just stood up in the middle and looked around. Weird I know.

Anyway those were my first maze results let me know what you guys think. (They were both rewarded with a Crossant treat after there hard work)