h8thepatriarchy23

[h8thepatriarchy23]

PSYCHOLOGY JOURNAL

Hello,

Here is my psych journal summative. I hope I used Tumblr correctly because I have never used it before. Happy reading 😁

[h8thepatriarchy23]

UNIT 1: EUGENICS

My first journal was done in class!

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UNIT 3: MALE VS FEMALE BRAINS

The concept that there are biological differences between male and female brains had been largely ignored in the history of psychological research. Dr. Siyuan Liu and Dr. Armin Raznahan analyzed neuroimaging data from two independent databanks to study the biological sex differences. The first dataset was of 976 healthy adults between the ages of 22 and 35, and the second of 1 120 adults ages 44 and 50. The observed biological variations between sexes were that females have greater volume in the prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, superior temporal cortex, lateral parietal cortex, and insula. Males, on average, have greater volume in the ventral temporal and occipital regions. Each of these regions is responsible for processing different types of information.

The prefrontal cortex, at the front of the brain, is implicated in decision making, reasoning, personality expression, and social cognition (Grujičić, 2021). The orbitofrontal cortex is part of the prefrontal cortex just above the eye sockets. It is primarily associated with emotion and reward value (Rolls, 2020). The superior temporal cortex is located near the ears. It is known to process sound. It aids in the recognition of auditory stimuli (like the ability to focus on one sound while there are many), comprehension of language and general verbal abilities. The lateral parietal cortex, in the upper rear of the brain, plays a key role in controlling body awareness and spatial orientation as well as integrating sensory information from visuospatial processing, phonological processing, and touch. The insular cortex is located within the lateral sulcus, which separates the frontal and parietal loves from the temporal lobe. It is linked to empathy, self-awareness, interpersonal experience, and homeostatic emotions such as appetite or anxiety among other things (Insular Cortex | Summary, Location, Structure & Function, 2021). All of these regions were found to be more prominent in females. The ventral temporal region, near the base of the skull, is connected to semantic processing including facial and visual object recognition (Patel et al., 2021). The occipital lobe, located in the back of the brain, is associated with visual processing including but not limited to visual recognition, attention, perception, and spatial analysis. These regions were found to be more present in males. Based on these findings, women would be more emotionally in-tune and inclined to process information. Men, on the other hand, would be more predisposed to effectively encode information. As expected, these biological differences align with and are enforced by societal stereotypes and expectations (Sex Differences in Brain Anatomy, 2020).

I read a book about the differences between biological male and biological female brains called Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong and the New Research that’s Rewriting the Story by Angela Saini. I learned that the differences between biological males and females are so minimal but can also be easily generalized. There can be clear trends showing that males have tendencies for better spacial awareness and a more logic-driven brain because testosterone in the womb stunts the growth and development of the right half of their brain. The right half is the more emotionally intelligent and the left controls logic and reason.

Studies also show that women had to evolve to be more empathetic and intuitive because of their child-bearing roles. However, Saini stated that there are many more studies that contradict such claims and in fact, demonstrate the opposite. It was found that due to neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to change and grow as it rearranges neural pathways and forms new habits, individual development is heavily shaped by external factors. Male and female brains are genetically wired differently in some ways, but general tendencies are not dictated by the biological component at the end of the day and enforced neural pathways are the result of an individual’s environment. For example, certain gender roles that stem from tendencies that are observed in male and female brains have been reinforced in our western society. One of them is that women were gatherers and stayed home with the children while males went out hunting. Because of women’s more emotionally advanced brains, they were meant to take care of their children. Men’s more logic-oriented brains made them good for planning and executing hunts (Saini, 2018). 

However, this is not always the case. Lions share all responsibilities and both males and females hunt, protect the pride, and take care of the cubs. Additionally, male seahorses are the ones to get pregnant and care for their young as they grow. The baby seahorses are not taken care of by either parent once they leave the father’s pouch (Seahorse Fathers Take Reins in Childbirth, 2002). These differences in gender roles are not only seen in animals. In other societies such as the Martu tribe in Western Australia, gender roles are different and women hunt alongside men, sometimes even carrying their children with them. This disproves the biological gatherer role that was originally thought to be ubiquitous (Saini). Based on all of this information about biological differences, neuroplasticity, and environmental influence on brain development, I believe that the only reason we still have gender roles such as women being birth-givers and men being breadwinners is because of the patriarchy. Because of neuroplasticity and differing levels of testosterone in the womb, both sexes are able to have a wide variety of interests and roles in society.

[h8thepatriarchy23]

Here is an exquisite song hating the patriarchy 👍

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UNIT 3: ANGER

I am very good at managing my anger and I rarely even get angry to begin with. I do not know how, but I have learned to deal with my anger very quickly and I never take it out on anyone. I have seen many people who are out of control when they become angry, and I wonder how anger affects people and why it is expressed differently depending on the person. Anger is an emotional response to environmental stressors or threats. It is characterized by antagonism toward someone or something that has caused upset in one’s life. When one is in a seemingly dangerous situation in which there is no escape, it is  also likely that the emotional response will be one of anger— it can be thought of as the “fight” part of the fight or flight response. Frustration can additinally trigger anger. 

An angry response begins with the amygdala stimulating the hypothalamus. The amygdala is an almond-shaped structure that is responsible for processing and responding to emotions, specifically anger, fear, sadness, and aggression. In the amygdala, an immediate reaction is triggered with no consideration of its impact. Because the amygdala is so quick, it pushes us to react before the prefrontal cortex is able to monitor and consider the actions being taken. The amygdala then sends signals to the prefrontal cortex, which provides a judgment on our irrational, anger-driven thoughts and behaviors. However, anger management is a skill that has to be learned. Practice using the prefrontal cortex can make it easier to control anger when it arises because we are not born with a fully functioning and developed prefrontal cortex but are instead wired to act impulsively when angry.

As an individual becomes angry, neurotransmitter hormones called catecholamines are released, which increase one’s heart rate, blood pressure, muscle strength, breathing rate, and mental alertness. The hormones also cause short bursts of energy that last several minutes. These bursts are the reason for the desire to take immediate action when angry. The brain then releases several more neurotransmitters and hormones, among them adrenaline and noradrenaline. The former triggers the body’s fight or flight response, and the latter increases and maintains blood pressure.

One begins to relax again once the trigger of the anger is no longer accessible or an immediate threat. However, it is difficult to return to a state of relaxationa fter beign angry. The neruotransmitters and hormones released stay in the system for a long time after the dissipation of anger, which makes it easier for the individual to get angry again. This could occur if the individual faces minor irritations that normally may not affect them. To get over anger more speedily, one should undertake relaxation techniques, which decrease amygdala activity and emotional arousal, and cognitive control techniques, which practice using judgement to override emotional reactions. Nevertheless, it takes a while for one to return to their resting, relaxed state (Physiology of Anger, 2022).

Based on this information, I probably have a significantly developed prefrontal cortex. I also have tactics to stop being angry such as removing myself from the situation and taking deep breaths to lower my heart and breathing rates as well as my blood pressure. There were also some sociocultural and upbringing influences that caused me to be a less angry person. In that regard, I think that I have always been good at regulating my anger, and my emotions in general, because I was never in an environment where emotions were encouraged. I just learned out of necessity because I was never allowed to express what I was feeling. I was raised like this, so I very quickly learned not to even become angry to begin with. Long-term, this resulted in me rarely getting angry and being able to dispel anger quickly if I do.

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UNIT 4: SCHEMAS AND STEREOTYPES

The Schema theory, developed by Frederic Bartlett, states that everyone has cognitive representations of their previous knowledge about and experiences in the world. These are schemas, and they are patterns in the long-term memory. Any incoming information will be encoded within the schema that it best associates with. This limits the amount of information that needs to be remembered and subsequently improves encoding, storage, and retrieval. Schemas are inevitable. The brain cannot compute every single piece of information, so it builds these schemas. Though we are then able to remember more information, it may be distorted by pre-existing schema patterns. Schemas enable stereotyping, which occurs when one assumes the traits of an individual based on a group the individual belongs to. Stereotyping is, like schemas, inevitable. They can be harmful when outwardly enforced on others.

At the beginning of the year, we talked about Carl Jung’s twelve different archetypes: the creator, the sage, the caregiver, the innocent, the jester, the magician, the ruler, the hero, the regular guy, the rebel, the explorer, and the lover. While I would not necessarily argue these to be an inaccurate representation of people, I do not believe that pushing these archetypes on people would be beneficial. This only causes people to change themselves to better fit the stereotype of whatever group they associate with. I have already seen this among people I know concerning things like zodiac signs and MBTI personality types. It is important to find a balance between finding comfort in an in-group and basing your personality around its stereotypes.

Personally, one of the stereotypes I hold is that old white men have discriminatory views on certain groups of people and disagree with my opinions on human rights issues. This is because they obviously lived during a time when certain discriminatory opinions were socially normal and they grew up with a system that served them. They were told that white men are superior to all people, and then they had to give up that entitlement for people that some of them did not even consider people. I find it hard to believe that all old white men simply decided to believe in equality because younger generations are pushing so hard for it. This is also because I do not believe that most people can change their fundamental beliefs and behaviours. Moreover, my experience with old white men has been very supportive of the stereotype that I hold. As unfortunately expected, many people are still stuck in the past.

Another one of my stereotypes is that pretty people will automatically fill in the criteria for my version of an “ideal person,” at least loosely. This is called the halo effect. The halo effect is a type of cognitive bias in which one’s initial impression of someone else influences how they view the person’s character. It is usually based on attractiveness because physical appearance is often the first thing that people notice when meeting someone new. Nevertheless, it can be based on other traits. For example, if I meet someone and I find them funny, I would also be inclined to find them smart. Society talks a lot about “pretty privilege” and it is, in fact, the halo effect. People want to believe that those who are physically attractive will also be desirable in other ways (Cherry, 2020).

In my opinion, stereotypes are harmful because they remove the space needed for personal expression and individual identity. There have been many discriminatory and limiting stereotypes that are in the process of being abolished— people are now open to the idea of individuality. However, I also do not think that stereotypes will ever be gone. Our brains force us to form schemas and view people through stereotypes as an immediate, intuitive response to seeing someone new. Even through rational thinking, we will always have preconceived notions regarding others before we get to know them. It is important not to pretend that fact does not exist, but to acknowledge it and know that there is nothing we can do about it internally. Externally, these stereotypes should not be pushed on anyone and we should be open to adapting our own schemas as we receive more information.

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UNIT 4: PHONOLOGICAL LOOP AND DIGITAL MEDIA

Based on the working memory model, which illustrates the ways in which information is encoded and processed in the brain, the central executive is the destination for all sensory memory. The central executive selects which information to encode and send somewhere else and which to reject, so it is always being used. The central executive encodes information in the form of the visuospatial sketchpad, which processes the intake of visuals, and the phonological loop, which processes the intake of sound. The episodic buffer aids in integrating memories that are both visual and auditory as a single memory that includes both senses. In a time of digital media, the use of the phonological loop has been amplified so much that it has been overused and reduced. This is because our sounds are constantly being produced by digital technology and our loops are always being used. Using this technology causes us to hear a stream of what should normally be unexpected or off-putting sounds, which become normal to consumers. 

On TikTok, for example, consumers see a new video with a wildly different sound than the previous one every few seconds to a minute. The phonological loop is constantly being stimulated and the brain then becomes used to these unexpected sounds, which translates into real life. When generations who have grown up on cell phones and digital auditory stimuli start driving, it can be observed if their over-stimulated phonological loop slows their reaction time to sound cues on the road such as horns, skids, approaching cars, etc. Their ability to focus would also likely be impaired. If one requires constant sound to pay attention, then their phonological loop is occupied and they cannot effectively register what they are being told. Conversely, if they are not being phonologically stimulated, their central executive may reject the auditory information because it is so used to getting rid of other sounds. 

I listen to music when I work to fill the space, and I am usually listening to music no matter what I am doing. Consequently, I find that I am not bothered by noises that I randomly hear. My sister, on the other hand, does not usually listen to music or have any social media such as TikTok, so she has a different experience. For example, my mother will sometimes change the radio station in the car if the one we are listening to is playing advertisements or a song she does not like. My sister notices right away and gets upset because the sound change was so off-putting. I, however, rarely even notice when the radio station is changed. My sister and I were not raised with digital technology, so I am interested in seeing how the generation that always knew the sound of screens will turn out.

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UNIT 5: CONFORMITY

Conformity is the idea that one aligns with socially acceptable norms to assimilate into their environment. The factors influencing conformity include the group size. It was found that fewer than four people engaging in a certain behaviour has no effect on whether the behaviour will be further copied. Also, as soon as one person deviates from the collective behaviour, conformity is greatly lessened. Finally, there are different cultural situations that would make it socially possible or impossible to conform. This concept was spearheaded by researcher Solomon Asch. In every social situation, there is an option to conform and one not to. People consistently and generally choose to conform. That is because conformity has been shoved down our throats in an indirect way our whole lives, whether it be through our parents, in the media, from teachers and role models, etc. What I think is the most interesting is that we are forced to conform in a “different” and “diverse” way, meaning that we are told that people’s specific differences should be celebrated. We are given different ways to express ourselves and choices to follow various paths in life. However, all of these options fit into a small, restrictive box that is deemed acceptable in our society. No one wants to believe that they are conformists, but they continue to dress, talk, act, and even think a certain way to be desirable.

I would say that conformity is one of the biggest influences on one’s personal identity, if not the biggest. When one conforms, they erase the parts of themselves that do not fit the mould of society. This inhibits individuality and authentic self-expression. Moreover, conformity is harmful because every instrumental discovery in human development was made by outside-of-the-box thinkers. It is astounding how many times new ideas were rejected because they did not align with social norms. These range from human rights issues to scientific innovations. 

Especially in the age of social media, conformity is much easier to achieve on a wider scale. Because there is only one perspective in individually-consumed media, people view the associated behaviours as a necessity to be liked socially. Moreover, people who disagree with the majority opinion do not usually cause a decrease in conformity— they are instead “cancelled” and hated by the rest. Social media algorithms additionally show the consumer a single narrative that caters to their point of view, so it seems that this small stream of information is, in fact, a global consensus. During the pandemic, there was an insane rise in conformity in my opinion because many people were spending their time on social media, which constantly gave users one specific type of person to aspire to be. For example, last year I saw one very popular clothing style all over social media and I immediately convinced myself that I liked it, and adopted it. As I was in quarantine and had few other sources of information, I believed that this was the only good way to dress. 

Now that quarantine is over, we are collectively conforming less with a single, specific ideal, but we are still playing into the general idea of the “acceptable person,” and more so than before. I watched an interview where the interviewer picked a random sample of people and asked them if they would be okay with someone saying they were a different gender, then different race, then height, then age, and it continued. The people answering repeatedly said that the person can choose who they want to be and how they identify. The interviewees were then asked if a grown man who identifies as a seven-year-old should be allowed into a first-grade classroom with the students— the responses were uncomfortable and uncertain. The interview reminded me of the conversation we had in class once about transgender and transracial people. As determined during this conversation, I obviously do not have the answers to how people should change themselves to be true to who they are. However, I do not think that an adult man should be allowed into a first-grade class as a student. 

I think that society has pushed for acceptance and individual expression so much that we no longer know where to draw the line. People are too scared to even say that a grown man cannot be seven years old because they feel the need to conform to the standard of acceptance that our society has imposed, especially in my generation– people are afraid to be labelled as discriminatory. As I write this, I’m worried I am being too controversial by saying the man cannot be seven years old, even though that is what I believe. The societal obligation to conform is threaded into many people’s thoughts and beliefs. However, abolishing conformity is an impossible situation because if no one conformed to society’s standards, then society would effectively have different standards and everyone would still be conforming. There will always be a “norm.” Incidentally, I do not believe that conformity is a bad thing— it is impossible not to have it. Instead, I think that the standards to which people conform should be changed. Differences of opinion should be heard and debated so that perspectives are not washed away and no one has complete power over what people are allowed to think. Having more than one narrative allows individuals to think for themselves and to learn about certain topics more holistically, which I prefer.

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UNIT 5: COMPLIANCE

We learned about compliance, which is when one is directly asked to align with a specific behaviour. We also talked about the way to essentially manipulate people into doing what you ask of them, or complying. The criteria to successfully achieve compliance are that the one asking is an authority figure, the person is likeable, the one being asked feels the need to reciprocate something, the ask is consistent with existing expectations, it is the popular consensus, and/or it is a scarcely appearing opportunity. I do not generally ask things of people because I was taught to do everything myself. However, when I learned about compliance, I realized that I have implemented many of the manipulation tactics to get what I wanted from my parents. I learned these tactics from them, including likeability, reciprocity, and consistency. 

I always comply with everything people ask of me. I will never not sacrifice myself if someone asks me to and the rare times I do, I feel bad. At this point, I doubt any of the manipulation strategies would be needed to receive my compliance. Actually, I think that is because of the lifetime of my agreeing to comply and now I am used to it— it is consistency. Right now, school is demanding so much of me and so are my parents, who have set insanely high expectations for me (perfection) that I continuously fail to meet. I know that I am struggling every day to get work in on time, I rarely sleep a normal amount of hours, and my life feels like one continuous blur of school work. The other day I had an epiphany that I no longer do anything for fun. Not a single thing. I have abandoned all of my hobbies, relaxing activities, and free time for school. I am so tired and burnt out. I worry for my future because I know the grades I get now matter for university and I was raised on getting good grades and going to a good university. My parents ask me to try harder in school and I comply because they are authority figures, it is the popular consensus, and I feel like I owe it to them. I receive assignments from teachers and I comply for the same reasons. It is really hard to start choosing myself after a lifetime of anything but that. Sometimes it doesn’t even feel like I am fully awake because I just let other people tell me what to do since they will anyway. Other times, I am hyperaware of everything being asked of me and I worry that I will not be able to complete every demand. Still, I comply.

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Works Cited

Cherry, K. (2020, July 19). Why the Halo Effect Affects How We Perceive Others. Verywell Mind. Retrieved May 25, 2022, from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-halo-effect-2795906

Grujičić, R. (2021, December 30). Prefrontal cortex: structure and function. Kenhub. Retrieved May 25, 2022, from https://www.kenhub.com/en/library/anatomy/prefrontal-cortex

Insular Cortex | Summary, Location, Structure & Function. (2021, August 24). The Human Memory. Retrieved May 25, 2022, from https://human-memory.net/insular-cortex/

Patel, A., Biso, G. M. N. R., & Fowler, J. B. (2021, July 31). Neuroanatomy, Temporal Lobe - StatPearls. NCBI. Retrieved May 25, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519512/

Physiology of Anger. (2022). MentalHelp.net. Retrieved May 27, 2022, from https://www.mentalhelp.net/anger/physiology/

Rolls, E. T. (2020, November 16). The orbitofrontal cortex: reward, emotion and depression. Brain Communications. Oxford Academic

Saini, A. (2018). Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong-and the New Research That's Rewriting the Story. Beacon Press.

Seahorse Fathers Take Reins in Childbirth. (2002, June 14). National Geographic. Retrieved May 25, 2022, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/pages/article/seahorse-fathers-take-reins-in-childbirth

Sex differences in brain anatomy. (2020, July 28). National Institutes of Health (NIH). Retrieved May 25, 2022, from https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/sex-differences-brain-anatomy

What Happens to the Brain in Alzheimer's Disease? (2022, May 19). National Institute on Aging. Retrieved May 25, 2022, from https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-happens-brain-alzheimers-disease