·      2:2 sub : Diagnostic Case Reports

There, you will see twelve different disorders listed. For this module, view the following disorders:

· Borderline Personality Disorder

· Substance Use

After clicking a disorder, click the Diagnostic Overview tab in the left column. This will cover the major diagnostic features of the disorder. After that, click the DSM-5 Features tab. You can then go though the Case History, Interview, and Treatment sections on the website. Finally, in the Assessment section, you can complete an optional multiple-choice quiz. You have to write a case report for each case study. You should use the format provided on the web page. There is a sample report that you can also view by clicking the link in the upper-right corner.

The format for the sample report is as follows:

Your Name
Instructor's Name
Class/Section Number

Background

· Outline the major symptoms of this disorder.

· Briefly outline the client's background (age, race, occupations, etc.).

· Describe any factors in the client's background that might predispose him or her to this disorder.

Observations

· Describe any symptoms that you have observed that support the diagnosis. You can include direct quotes or behaviors that you may have observed.

· Describe any symptoms or behaviors that are inconsistent with the diagnosis.

· Provide any information that you have about the development of this disorder.

Diagnosis

· Did you observe any evidence of general medical conditions that might contribute to the development of this disorder?

· Did you observe any evidence of psychosocial and environmental problems that might contribute to this disorder?

· As per your observations, what is the client's overall level of safety regarding the potential harm to self or others (suicidality or homicidality)?

· What cross-cultural issues, if any, affect the differential diagnosis?

Therapeutic Intervention

· In your opinion, what are the appropriate short-term goals of this intervention?

· In your opinion, what are the appropriate long-term goals of this intervention?

· Which therapeutic strategy seems the most appropriate in this case? Why?

· Which therapeutic modality seems the most appropriate in this case? Why?

Described the major symptoms of each disorder, outlined each person's background, and described any factors in the person's background that might predispose him or her to their disorder.

20

Described any symptoms that were observed that support each diagnosis and any symptoms or behaviors that are inconsistent with each diagnosis and provided relevant information from the case history about the development of each disorder

20

Described any evidence of psychosocial or medical issues that might have contributed to each disorder, identified any safety concerns regarding suicidality or homicidality, and discussed any cross-cultural issues affecting the differential diagnosis.

20

Discussed appropriate short-term and long-term goals of each intervention, discussed the most appropriate therapeutic strategy and therapeutic modality for each case, and presented appropriate reasoning for your selection.

20

Total:

100

Summary  of task Diagnosis overview borderline personality disorder consists of a set of emotional and behavioral traits including impulse of anger and self -destructiveness that create distress from the the individual and for the people around them. Personality disorders are Rico Carty differently than other disorders discussed in this series. I am therefore before discussing Porelin specifically we will explore the concept of person out this order is in general.Our Personality consists of characters patterns of thinking feeling believing and believe behaving. Interns a person is said to have a personality disorder when their doubts and behaviors create long-term difficulties for themselves or for those around them. Teachers orders are usually expressed by early adulthood and seem to produce any and personal styles that is rigid and inflexible.Personality disorders can be divided into three clusters. The first cluster include personalities that are odd or eccentric. The individual might express on usual speed habits and inappropriate or flat emotions . This cluster includes paranoid personality disorder , schizoid personality disorder  , and schizophrenia personality disorder. The second cluster includes personality that are  highly anxious or Fearful . These individuals have very little confidence and they may either be dependent on others or avoid interaction with other people all together. This cluster and close avoidant personality is ordered to pay his personality disorder and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.The third clustering clothes personalities that are highly dramatic and erratic. These individuals might be especially manipulative  aggressive or impulse . This cluster include antisocial personality disorder narcissistic personality disorder and borderline personality disorder which is the focus of this module.Borderline personality disorder usually consist of a wide collection of sometimes vaguely defined symptoms. For example people with borderline personality disorder experiences bouts of extreme anger, depression and anxiety. In turns they sometimes cope with  these emotions by engaging in impulsive behavior , such as reckless driving indiscriminate sex or self mutilating behavior.They also may have vacillation  self images. For example one day they might see themselves as politically liberal but the next day build them selves as controversial. Even their sexual identity might be thrown into question by the almost Ceaseless process of shifting. One week they Maye regard themselves as homosexual the next as heterosexual. The frequent vacillation can contribute to increasing self doubt and decrease self confidence. As you might imagine these behaviors patterns lead to a stable relationships. People with borderline personality disorder will often clean two new France while others misinterpreting  an innocuous action as a sign of potential abandonment . In turn , they can suddenly switch from idolizing a friend to despising them. This is known ass splitting.The cause of borderline personality disorder are not well understood. Psychological research shows that the impulsive behavior seems in seeing if people with personality disorders are correlated with the low serotonin level. How to research suggest that physiological deficits reduce the person ability to regulate their emotions. Interns this leads to a multitude of interpersonal complication to make it even more difficult for these individuals to develop adaptive and interpersonal skillsPsychoanalytic research's believe that  the symptoms of borderline personality disorder results from poor care giving during childhood . Specifically , they believe that the individuals parents encourage the child to be overly dependent on them and thereby inhibited the Chile’s individuation . Therefore as an adult the individual is overly sensitive to the judgment of others. Furthermore when they perceive themselves as billing to achieve their goals they participate self -Mutilation as a mean of self punishment. Borderline is a controversial diagnosis. Some researchers point out that it is this disproportionately diagnosed in women and hence they assert it in a form of discrimination. Others argue that the diagnosis is significantly over diagnosed and that now the diagnosis is assigned to people who are simply unpleasant or aggressive.

Diagnosis features for borderline personality disorderDSM5 list numerous traits of people with borderline this order these traits can be divided into five categories1Emotional traits 2behavior traits 3Traits involving identity 4Traits involved relationship5Trait under conditions of stress
Case history Becky has been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. My conversation with Patty was one of the most compelling every billing interview I have ever conducted. At the time of the interview Becky was 24 years old and she was in rolled in one of my university classes. When she heard about this project she approached me and volunteered to participate. She explained that she wanted to overcome that this order and she thought they practicing in these interviews and being forthright with her problems would help her move towards recovery.As you will see Becky is a bright and ambitious  women. At the same time she is deeply trouble. As an adolescent she remember getting into a vicious fight with her family and friends. She spiraled in and out of relationships first analyzing a person and then scorning them. She was raised in a mourner church well she wants found great meaning in faith she now renounces it.Becky has very little sense of who she is and believes that her Personna is a fraud. For example she currently works in a customer relationships for a loan Corporation. She is quite good at her work and she receive compliments and promotions, but she somehow she believes that she is not really legitimate. Even when people like and it might hurt she feels disingenuous and believes that she has somehow fooled them . As you'll see Becky expresses serious self doubt it internal conflict. In turn she sometime direct this anger towards herself in the form of self-mutilation. Be forewarned that some of description of this self -mutilation can be pretty disturbing, to be frank there was something disturbing about the interview. I remember feeling both disturbed by what Becky had to say and concerned on her behalf.Interestingly the crew reacted differently. The director perceived Becky as contrived it and insincere. She believe Becky enjoyed manipulating people. I do not agree but I will leave it to you to decide for yourself Becky is currently living with her father and while she inmates that this is less than ideal she knows that it is better than living alone. Although she has problems dealing with people she is most self injury us when she lives alone.Interview with Becky Child hood Do you think there was anything out about you when you were a child?Becky‘s response: I was so desperate for my mom to teach and like one on me not her me Napoca seeing on her that I told her that I was Sexually molested by these six grade boys , and I was in the second grade and that never happened and I knew it was wrong what I was saying what I was doing I knew I was doing it for attention .I was hungry for the response she gave me for my whole life I’ve told Phillips like that you know well Phillips is kind of a common way of putting it but you know either you know I’m going in to be tested for cancer or you know I mean I haven’t done it since high school but just this the stories so that I would get her attention. Or with Sean the guy I was in love with their high school I told him that this guy was harassing me when Att worked at Wendy’s just something to get that caring and go get that attention that I need it or wanted . What were you like when you were in high school?Well I was desperate to be alone I grew up Mormon and we stopped or when I was 15 so by the time I was at school I should say we had just moved and I was brand new and high school and I’ve met up with a group of friends that went to a Baptist church so I started going to youth group with them and septic Christ and went through the whole rigmarole going to youth Bible every day Wednesday and going to church every Sunday read in the Bible listen to Christian music And at that point I wasn’t really being my true self but I had a sense of being whole a sesame of belonging having people care about me wanted to do things to take care of them. Knowing that there are better things in life. What do you think is the main cause of your mental problem?Well we can start at the one on the Avenue learn to therapy is that the root of colors of everything and that my mother she grew up in as an abused child married then she was both my mother and father were brought up more me Mary when she was 19 she had got back from his mission so he was 23 she get pregnant with me on her honeymoon she have five kids in six years with some one who didn’t deal with anything and so my mom turned to me to be a confident or of some sort. If she’d get frustrated I was the one that she would take it out on whether it be mentally or physically and just everything about her I was there to reassure her that she was doing a good job that she was a good person but yes I understood about yours and dadsex life that it’s too bad that type of thing you know I remember being five years old and sitting on the toilet next to my mom while she is putting on her make up and telling me about how her  and her father had molested and had sex with two of her sisters and she was very graphic and detail in at five years old I do not realize really think I needed to know that you know question I could be five or six it was kind of fuzzy about the time but so she was just always very  manipulating and parents aren’t perfect I don’t want to be like her but I know in a lot of ways I am.What therapy most effective Open and honesty if miss understood address right away . 
Substance Abuse Summery taskA psychoactive drug is a substance that alter our thoughts feelings and behaviors. A very wide variety of substance have psychoactive priorities including B alcohol marijuana cocaine tobacco and heroin. For the more by definition all of these medications prescribed to treat psychological disorders including lithium right now and antidepressant medication also psychoactive drugs.Psycho active drugs very dramatically in terms of their potential benefit dangerous side effects. In general there is an effort to allow relatively being excepted such as U to remain illegal well dangerous substance such as cocaine and heroin are made illegal. Finally when a substance is dangerous but can’t be beneficial when used judicious it is restrictive and only available up on recommendation of a position.Unfortunately the pattern of legalization is uneven. For example tobacco alcohol two of the most popular psychoactive drugs we may legally and spite of a long history of addiction and lethal outcome.Almost everyone has ingested a psychoactive substance at sometime in their life. For psychologists the question is when does this use become pathology? As you would expect there is no easy answer in this issue has been the debated for decades . the imprecise term addiction is used less often has been replaced by languages that focus on the effect of drugs use of individuals life.  currently the diagnosis and stactical manual identifies four types of conditions related to the use of drugs
What’s the DSM 5 criteria for substance abuse The person experiencing drugs Tolerate as evidence by the need for increased amount of drugs achieve intoxication   diminished intoxication after imbibing  the same amount of drugsThe person experience drug withdrawal Expand with drawl symptoms typically up the substance the use of related drugs to avoid symptoms of withdrawalThe person takes the substance in does that are larger than that attended amount and over a long time them intended.The person has made multiple unsuccessful efforts to quit.The person spends a great deal of time occurring using and recovering from the substance. the person giving up social and professional opportunities to become the substitutes. The person continues to use the drugs in spite of negative side effects and consequences.Case history When Bobby was 16 year old she was living on the street she was a heroin addict and her life revolved around selling her body buying drugs and satisfying and overwhelmingly opiate addiction. When Bobby with nine years old her life was already challenging her mom was mostly absent and Bobby M is that she was desperate for positive attention. In about this time she was sexually abused by men in her household in spite of this she desperately wanted to think of herself as a good girl.I live begin to crumble when she was about 12 years old she feel with an older crowd of kids and began smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol at 13 she started smoking marijuana and ran away from home. And this course of the next three years she experimented with a variety of hallucinogens amphetamines and  barbiturates. Impact her own mother introduced her to HAIR and Bobby’s live quickly spare out of her control and remains cell for the next 10 years.at this time of this interview Bobby had been sober for about 10 years she currently in the squally with her five-year-old son and her boyfriend in a small suburban house. Although she is drug-free she still considers herself and attic amid she is afraid that she might result using drugs for the more she’s deal where is the scars of her previous life. One Bobby junk so I asked her about the track marks on her arm she explains that she was scratched by a cat. She also carries emotional scars when I first met her Bobby seem warm friendly and outgoing a charm and no more me in many respects all of that is true. But I spoke to her gradually it also became clear she is a damaged person. I am not trying to be mean or unkind here and I invite you to watch the video and come to your own conclusion. But it seem to me that she seems happy she is also deeply fighting. While she seems strong willed she will she is also terribly fragile. Bobby is working hard to maintain a normal life for her small family. She has a part-time job and is learning to cope with the special challenges of living HIV. In spite of her many challenges she is determined to live a happy life and for filling life.
Interview Bobby is white and works as waitressMe:what were you like as a child Bobby :And I 9 years old I always knew I wanted attention I wanted to mama my life my mom was in and out of my life . Sexual abuse started at 9  I don’t say anything did think any one would listen .Me: what happen as you got older?Bobby :As I got older I stated to act out more drinking acting out more being promiscuous . I knew it was wrong but I was doing them anyway . I wanted my dad to pay attention to me I Convince myself an early age that that didn’t love me. And he and so he didn’t show it like I show it to my son by the kisses and the hugs a lot of times it was a smack across the face or a knee in the stomach he wasn’t there. So I was trying to get  other people outside to you know boys  the bad girls to pay attention.Me :was your mother a role model for you ? Everybody kept telling me I was like my mom you look just like your mom you’re just you’re just like your mom and that was hard. Because my mom I know the feeling of everybody around me didn’t like my mom. And was very angry with her. And so it was just like I feel bad that message up oh I’m a bad horrible person I must be hurting so many people.
Treatment suggested 

THESE ARE THE RELIGIONS WE TALKED ABOUT THIS SEMESTER

     

WORLD RELIGIONS – REL 212 World Religions

 

 

HINDUISM   & JAINISM

WEEK   2

 

Cosmogony – Origin of the Universe

No specific origin or founder

 

Nature of God/Creator

Gods are in male and female form and   represent many different things

 

View of Human Nature

Karma, what comes around goes around

 

View of Good & Evil

good actions have good effects, bad actions   have bad effects

 

View of Salvation

Moksha is when an enlightened human being is   freed from the cycle of life-and-death (the endless cycle of death and   reincarnation) and comes into a state of completeness. He then becomes one   with God.

 

View of After Life

Samsara-reincarnation

 

Practices and Rituals

Sculptures;images;Home   shrines;Meditation;Ayurveda;Hatha Yoga;Kundalini Yoga;Puja (Pooja)

 

Celebrations & Festivals

Raksha Bandhan;Krishna Janmashthami;Ganesh   Chaturthi;Shiv Ratri;The Onam Carnival;Vasant Panchami;Guru Purnima;Karwa   Chauth;Bhai Dooj;Vasanta Navaratri;The Kumbh & Ardhkumbh

 

Week 2   - Sources

http://www.hinduwisdom.info/Hindu_Cosmology.htm

 

 

 

BUDDHISM

WEEK   3

 

Cosmogony – Origin of the Universe

Beginning of this world   and of life is inconceivable, since they have neither beginning nor end

 

Nature of God/Creator

do not believe in the concept of a personal   God

 

View of Human Nature

Dependent origination, or dependent arising,   is a formulation that is central to Buddhist philosophy

 

View of Good & Evil

Conditions which arise in the mind, producing   results initially in the mind, and from there to external actions and   physical features. Good and evil are innate, inseparable aspects   of life.

 

View of Salvation

Salvation is liberation from such bondage   through the transformation of our consciousness and our awakening to our true   nature. The Buddhist path to salvation does not go through prayers, but is   rather based on deeds including mental culture through meditation. For a   Buddhist salvation is reaching Nirvana.

 

View of After Life

The Buddhist view is that there is no soul,   as it is understood in the Judeo-Christian or scholastic philosophy   traditions. after death one is either reborn into another body (reincarnated)   or enters nirvana

 

Practices and Rituals

Meditation;Mantras;Mudras;Prayer wheels

 

Celebrations & Festivals

• Buddhist   New Year

• Buddha's   Birthday is known as Vesak or Visakah Puja

• Songkran-(essentially   a cleansing of life by cleaning homes and washing clothes etc.)

• The   Ploughing Festival(May, when the moon is half-full, two white oxen pull a   gold painted plough, followed by four girls dressed in white who scatter rice   seeds from gold and silver baskets. This is to celebrate the Buddha's first   moment of enlightenment)

• Loy   Krathong: When the rivers and canals are full of water, this festival takes   place in all parts of Thailand on the full moon night of the twelfth lunar   month. Bowls made with leaves, candles, and incense sticks, are placed in the   water, and represent bad luck disappearing.

 

Week 3 – Sources

http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma5/goodevil.html

http://www.patheos.com/Library/Buddhism/Beliefs/Human-Nature-and-the-Purpose-of-Existence

http://shindharmanet.com/salvation2/

 

 

DAOISM   & CONFUCIANISM

WEEK   4

 

Cosmogony – Origin of the Universe

It makes some reference to the origin of   the world through the interaction of the forces of Ying and Yang. There are   no stories about the origin of human beings.

 

Nature of God/Creator

They believe that God is loving and benign

 

View of Human Nature

The purpose of existence is to reach one's highest   potential as a human being. Through a rigorous process of self-cultivation   that lasts a lifetime, one may eventually become a "perfected   person."

 

View of Good & Evil

Suffering and evil are inevitable in human   life, and can promote learning and growth. A mistake is not a   "sin," but an opportunity to learn and do better next time.

 

View of Salvation

Confucians don't ordinarily hold convictions   about the individual salvation or condemnation of persons past this life. Death   is neither dreaded nor desired in Daoism rather a person appreciates living.

 

View of After Life

Confucianism regards both life and death as a   responsibility to society, while Daoism (Taoism) holds that both life and   death should be in conformity to nature. 

 

Practices and Rituals

Aside from its important ethical principles,   Confucianism does not prescribe any specific rituals or practices. These are   filled by the practices of Chinese religion, Taoism, Buddhism, or other   religion which Confucians follow.

 

Celebrations & Festivals

· The 28th day of September is the birthday of   Confucius.

· The Chinese Ching Ming Festival, also called,   Ancestor Day

· The Qufu International Confucius Festival is   celebrated annually between September 26th and October 10

 

Week 4 – Sources

http://religions.findthebest.com/q/4/1464/What-is-the-nature-of-god-according-to-Confucianism

http://www.patheos.com/Library/Confucianism/Beliefs/Human-Nature-and-the-Purpose-of-Existence.html#ixzz38hI0maX2

http://www.crvp.org/book/series03/iii-3/appendix_b_theories_of_life_and_.htm

 

 

WEEK   5

SHINTO

 

Cosmogony – Origin of the Universe

In the Kojiki it states:   " At the time of the beginning of heaven and earth" and does not   refer to whatever may have preceded the separation of Heaven and Earth, but   simply suggests that something already existed

 

Nature of God/Creator

Kami are the spirits or phenomena that are   worshipped in the religion of Shinto. They are elements in nature, animals,   creationary forces in the universe, as well as spirits of the revered   deceased. Many Kami are considered the ancient ancestors of entire clans, and   some ancestors became Kami upon their death if they were able to embody the   values and virtues of Kami in life.

 

View of Human Nature

In Shintō it is commonly said that “man is   kami’s child.”

 

View of Good & Evil

Purity is at the heart of Shinto's   understanding of good and evil.

 

View of Salvation

The concept of salvation is based on the   belief that all living things have an essence, soul or spirit known as   "kami."

 

View of After Life

After death, a person becomes a spirit-deity,   eventually joining in a great ancestral collective which is the manifestation   of the great Divine. Shinto followers place little emphasis on death and what   happens after it

 

Practices and Rituals

Shinto rituals are a central component of   most of the national festivals in Japan, as well as of the more specialized   events at particular shrines and other sacred sites. Most often they are   performed by male priests who are assisted by a female shrine functionary   called a miko, who often is a shaman.

 

Celebrations & Festivals

The main Shintō rites and festivals are for   celebrating the New Year, child birth, coming of age, planting and havest,   weddings, and groundbreaking ceremonies for new buildings

 

Week 5 – Sources

http://eos.kokugakuin.ac.jp/modules/xwords/entry.php?entryID=1319

http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/shinto-festivals.html

 

http://lifeafterdeath.com/life-after-death-shinto/

 

WEEK   6

JUDAISM

 

Cosmogony – Origin of the Universe

A Divine singular God   made all that exists

 

Nature of God/Creator

He is a single, whole, complete indivisible   entity. Judaism completely rejects the dualistic notion that evil was created   by Satan or some other deity.

 

View of Human Nature

Humans were created in the image of God. People   have the ability to choose which impulse to follow: the good impulse or the   evil impulse. That is the heart of the Jewish understanding of free will.

 

View of Good & Evil

In Judaism good and evil are spoken of as   light and darkness.

 

View of Salvation

Salvation comes from the Lord and is a favor   bestowed upon the nation as a whole.

 

View of After Life

Jewish teachings on the subject of afterlife   are sparse: The Torah, the most important Jewish text, has no clear reference   to afterlife at all.

 

Practices and Rituals

· Circumcision 

· Havdalah (includes Havdalah service)

· Kashrut (dietary traditions: keeping kosher)

 

Celebrations & Festivals

· Shabbat – considered the most important of   all Jewish holidays

· Rosh Hashanah – Jewish New Year

· Yom Kippur – Jewish Day of Atonement

· Sukkot – seven–day festival celebrates the   fall harvest

· Shemini Atzeret – a festive day after the   week-long festival of Sukkot

· Hanukkah – 8–day Jewish winter festival

 

Week 6 – Sources

http://www.jewfaq.org/g-d.htm

http://scheinerman.net/judaism/Rituals/index.html

http://www.pjcc.org/jewishlife/holidays/jewish-holidays-explained.html

 

 

WEEK   7

CHRISTIANITY

 

Cosmogony – Origin of the Universe

Christianity inherited the Jewish cosmology   that God is the creative force, or power, and created everything himself. God created all things through a series of   acts, or methodology, described in the Bible.

 

Nature of God/Creator

God is unique, distinct, and unlike any other   concept of God. There is only one God, and God the Father, Jesus and the Holy   Spirit are all the same God.

 

View of Human Nature

Each person is a unique individual and has   the power to act under his/her own will. By design, human beings are in relation. They are in relation to their   environment, to God, to their neighbors, and to the larger human community.

 

View of Good & Evil

All goodness flows from God's inherent   character, and evil is refusing to submit to His authority and love and serve   Him. Christians hold that moral evil stems   from rebellion against God, which results in injustice, vanity, pride,   dishonesty, aggression, violence, greed and more.

 

View of Salvation

Salvation is made possible by the sacrificial   death of Jesus Christ by crucifixion. As the judge of all, God will assess   each individual's relationship to Christ; people risk a sentence of eternal   punishment and spiritual death, forever separated from God.

 

View of After Life

Majority of Christians believe in some kind   of heaven, in which the deceased enjoy the presence of God and loved ones for   eternity. A small majority of Christians believe in hell, a place of   suffering where unbelievers or sinners are punished. Catholic Christians also   believe in purgatory, a temporary place of punishment for Christians who have   died with unconfessed sins.

 

Practices and Rituals

Nearly all Christians will have been   baptized, either as an infant or as an adult, and regularly participate in   communion. The cross is important to   Christianity as well as Jesus Christ’s depiction of being hung upon that   cross.

 

Celebrations & Festivals

Lent, Easter and Christmas are the main   religious festivals of the Christian Year. The most important Christian   holiday is Easter, a spring festival that celebrates Christ's resurrection   from the dead. The 40 days prior to Easter form the Lenten season, a time of   fasting and repentance. Christmas commemorates the birth of Jesus on   December 25.

 

Week 7 – Sources

http://www.themystica.com/mystica/articles/c/cosmology_christian.html

http://worldreligions2.tripod.com/id7.html

 

http://www.christinyou.net/pages/understandgod.html

http://people.opposingviews.com/christianity-beliefs-good-evil-2926.html

 

 

WEEK 8

ISLAM

 

Cosmogony – Origin of the Universe

Allah, the supreme being created everything   and everyone

 

Nature of God/Creator

Although the God of Islam has revealed his   will through the prophets, his actual nature remains ultimately unknowable. He   is transcendent and not a part of his creation, and is most often referred to   in terms and with names that emphasize his majesty and superiority.

 

View of Human Nature

Muslims believe humans are the greatest of   all creatures, created with free will for the purpose of obeying and serving   Allah.

 

View of Good & Evil

The Islamic definitions of good and evil are   based on the purposes of creation and the meaning of human life. The   ultimate goal of human life is to become perfected spiritually through belief   in God, the knowledge of God, the love of God, and the worship of God. Whatever   brings a person closer to God and will benefit him in the Next World is good,   and whatever takes a person away from God, and incur His anger is evil.

 

View of Salvation

In Islam, the purpose of life is to live in a   way that is pleasing to Allah so that one may gain Paradise. Unbelievers   ("those who are ungrateful") and sinners will be condemned, but   genuine repentance results in Allah's forgiveness and entrance into Paradise   upon death. Islam teaches that no one can gain salvation simply by virtue of   their belief or deeds, instead it is the Mercy of God, which merits them   salvation.

 

View of After Life

Islamic doctrine holds that human existence   continues after the death of the human body in the form of spiritual and   physical resurrection. Faith in life after death is one of the six   fundamental beliefs required of a Muslim to complete his faith. Rejecting it renders all other beliefs   meaningless. 

 

Practices and Rituals

The Five Pillars of Islam (Arabic arkan   ud-Din, "pillars of the faith") are the five religious duties   expected of every Muslim. 

· Shahada – The first of the Five   Pillars Shahada is the Muslim profession of faith, expressing the two simple,   fundamental beliefs that make one a Muslim: There is no god but   God and Muhammad is the prophet of God.

· Salat – ritual prayer which is performed five   times a day: at dawn, midday, afternoon, sunset and evening.

· Alms tax (zakat)

· Sawm – fasting, commemorates the revelation   of the Quran to humanity during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic year.

· Hajj – At least once in his or her lifetime,   each Muslim is expected to undertake a pilgrimage to Mecca, the sacred city   of Islam.

Before performing certain rituals, most   importantly before prayers, Muslims are expected to perform a form of   purification

 

Celebrations & Festivals

Eid al-Fitr (1 Shawwal): The Celebration   concluding Ramadan. Ramadan, the month of fasting, ends with the festival of   Eid al-Fitr. Literally the "Festival of Breaking the Fast," Eid   al-Fitr is one of the two most important Islamic celebrations (Eid al-Adha is   the other). Al-Hijra, the Islamic New Year, is celebrated   on the first day of Muharram, the month in which Muhammad emigrated from   Mecca to Medina. Ashura is an Islamic holiday observed on the 10th of   Muharram, the first month of the Islamic year.

 

Week 8 – Sources

http://www.religionfacts.com/islam/beliefs/human.htm

http://www.islamreligion.com/

 

http://www.questionsaboutislam.com/

http://www.religionfacts.com/islam/holidays

 

 

WEEK   9

SIKHISM

 

Cosmogony – Origin of the Universe

Sikhism teaches that only the creator knows   the origin of the universe.

 

Nature of God/Creator

Sikhism teaches the existence of one God, Ik   Onkar. First Guru Nanak taught that the creator and creation are inseparable   in the way that an ocean is made up of its individual drops.

 

View of Human Nature

Sikhs perceive human life as an opportunity   to merge with the divine will. However, the core problem is that human   judgment is occluded by a false sense of self.

 

View of Good & Evil

Only humans know the difference between right   and wrong, and can make moral choices

 

View of Salvation

In order to attain salvation one must live a   honest life and meditate on God. Sikhism shows the way to attain salvation   and become One with God. Sikhism instructs that you do not have to fast,   abstain, go on renunciation or enter a monastery in order to meet God. All   you have to do is have faith, recite the Name of God and remember Him for   each possible moment.

 

View of After Life

Sikhs do not believe in an afterlife in   either Heaven or Hell. Sikhism teaches that the soul reincarnates when the   body dies. Sikhs believe that good or bad actions, in this life, determine   the life form into which a soul takes rebirth.

 

Practices and Rituals

Baptism – Amrit; Marriage   - Anand Karaj; Naming of Children

 

Celebrations & Festivals

Guru Gobind Singh's Birthday; Maghi; Hola   Maholla; Vaisakhi; Martyrdom of Guru Arjan; Celebration   of the Guru Granth Sahib; Guru Nanak's Birthday; Martyrdom   of Guru Tegh Bahadur

 

Week 9 – Sources

http://sikhism.about.com/od/sikhism101/qt/Creation.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/rs/god/sigoodandevilrev2.shtml

http://sikhism.about.com/od/sikhism101/qt/Sikh_Afterlife.htm

 

http://www.patheos.com/Library/Sikhism/Beliefs/Human-Nature-and-the-Purpose-of-Existence.html

http://www.realsikhism.com/index.php?subaction=showfull&id=1248309169&ucat=7

http://www.sikhismguide.org/rites.aspx

 

WEEK   10

NEW   RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS

 

Cosmogony – Origin of the Universe

There is a higher being of some form.

 

Nature of God/Creator

Most believe that God is a higher being that   is benevolent and all seeing

 

View of Human Nature

human nature is that of a multitude of   choices in life and choices are made based on one’s beliefs

 

View of Good & Evil

good and evil exist everywhere, and choices   are where we make the choice between good and evil based on our life’s   choices

 

View of Salvation

Salvation can be achieved by attempting to   live a modest, humble life and doing as much good as possible.

 

View of After Life

Afterlife is extremely varied. Some do not   believe and others believe in a place similar to the heaven described in   Christianity and some also believe in a hell.

 

Practices and Rituals

Practices and rituals are very different from   religion to religion. Some believe in meditation, smoking marijuana, wearing   certain colors, etc.

 

Celebrations & Festivals

The celebrations are small and commonly   unheard of.

 

THIS IS THE ACTUAL ASSIGNMENT:

 

Choose ONE (1) category (origin of all things, nature of god, view of human nature, view of good and evil, etc.) from the chart to focus on for this assignment. Consider how the selected category relates to all of the religions covered and to your own social or work experiences.

Write a two to three (2-3) page paper in which you:

1. Select ONE (1) category from the completed World View Chart. Provide a rationale for choosing this category. What is compelling about this category? Why is it important in the study of religion?
2. Describe the selected content and explain the significance of the selected category across all of the religions studied. Show in what ways the category is significant for each religion.
3. Give an example of how you have noticed this category in your life, town or country. What impact does this category have in the everyday lives of people who practice religion in your area? (You do not have to give examples of all the religions in your area, just one you have noticed besides any you practice). For example, in Cincinnati, Ohio we have Hindu, Greek Orthodox, Catholic festivals in the summer. So if my category were "Festivals and Celebrations" I could use those events as my example.
4. Use at least three (3) quality resources as references for the assignment and document your sources using APA Style for in-text citations and references. Note: Wikipedia and similar Websites do not qualify as quality resources.
5. Write clearly and coherently using correct grammar, punctuation, spelling, and mechanics.

 

 

 

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Please no plagiarism and make sure you are able to access all resource on your own before you bid. One of the references must come from Flamez, B. & Sheperis, C. J. (2015) and/or Sommers-Flanagan, J., & Sommers-Flanagan, R. (2007). I have also attached my discussion rubric so you can see how to make full points. Please respond to all 3 of my classmates separately with references for each response. I need this completed by 12/22/18 at 10am.

Read a selection of your colleagues' postings. Respond to your colleagues' postings.

Respond in one or more of the following ways:

· Ask a probing question.

· Share an insight gained from having read your colleague's posting.

· Offer and support an opinion.

· Validate an idea with your own experience.

· Make a suggestion.

· Expand on your colleague's posting.

1. Classmate (A.Mor)

Angry Adolescent

In the psychology world being aggressive can be a range of behaviors that can result in both physical and psychological harm to yourself, others, or objects in the environment (D’Acremont & Linden, 2007). The way that you respond to someone who is angry can either make the individual even madder or may be able to calm them down. The video that I decided to watch for this discussion was the Angry Adolescent. In the video instantly the client, Melissa, is showing aggression towards the counselor because she does not want to be there (Laureate Education, 2011).  She states that counseling is dumb, it’s worthless, and that there is nothing that the counselor can do to get her to tell her anything (Laureate Education, 2011). I would like to discuss my reactions to this video and also explain one way to transform a negative reaction into an appropriate therapeutic response. 

Initial Reaction 

While watching this video, I first thought about what I would do with my son if he were showing aggression as such and what I would do. When I thought about what I do, it made me think about different cultures, and how most cultures have a different way of disciplining their child. I know that in counseling I have to be aware of different cultures when responding to certain behaviors (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2007). My positive reaction would have been to of course take a deep breath and realize that Melissa is hurt and her anger is really not towards me. So, I would listen and respond with acknowledging her feelings. By acknowledging her feelings, it will make her feel as if she is heard because it seems like she doesn’t feel like it since she has been forced to come to counseling. My negative reaction would have been to respond by telling her that her she is being disrespectful and that coming to counseling would help her. This response is totally ignoring how she feels about counseling and would only make her angrier. She already does not feel that a counselor is for her so I would need to show her instead of just telling her. 

Appropriate Therapeutic Response 

Since the video is fairly short, it does not give me a real idea of what to diagnose Melissa with. She is explosive with anger so I know that the appropriate response is the opposite of anger. The therapy that I would use is cognitive behavior therapy because it provides professional treatment such as relaxation training, cognitive restructuring, teaching coping skills, behavior rehearsals, and strategies to resist aggressive impulses (Flamez & Sheperis, 2015). A good example of how I would respond is how the counselor did in the video. When Melissa came into the session angry, upset of being there, feeling like this was worthless, and stating that there was nothing the counselor could do to get her to speak to him, the counselor did something that was so amazing. He was able to turn that negative energy around by telling Melissa the positive things that her parents and probation office said about her (Laureate Education, 2011). When she heard this, she was surprised and you can see it actually calmed her down a little bit. She became a little happy by the compliment and the counselor was even able to get her to speak about herself. 

Conclusion

Finding and understanding the right approaches to helping your clients is one of the most important parts in counseling (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2007). Watching this video helps me to really put thought into my own reactions with others and with my child. Depending on our reaction with our client could really help them or tier them away from the growth that we were hoping they would gain. I know that this will be something that I would love to continue to work on because I know that I myself have a quick temper, and this can actually help my situation. 

References

D’Acremont, M., & Linden, M. (2007). Memory for Angry faces, impulsivity, and problematic

behavior in adolescence.

Flamez, B. & Sheperis, C. J. (2015). Diagnosing and treating children and adolescents: A guide 

 for clinical and school settings. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Laureate Education (Producer). (2011). Child and adolescent counseling [Video file]. Retrieved 

 from https://class.waldenu.edu

Sommers-Flanagan, J., & Sommers-Flanagan, R. (2007). Tough kids, cool counseling: User-

friendly approaches with challenging youth (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.

2. Classmate (K.Rog)

Disruptive Behaviors

Main Discussion Post

Once a child or adolescent admits that their life is not perfect, the counselor can begin developing and establishing goals from a counseling perspective (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2007). The challenge is getting the child or adolescent to the point where they willingly admit that life is not perfect (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2007). Most children and adolescents attend counseling with the notion that they have no plans of engaging with the therapist or participating in any way. They are just there to meet obligations that were initiated by parents, school, or even social services. Most clients who experience disruptive behavior will immediately acknowledge that those around them, such as parents, family and school, are the ones with the problems and not them (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2007).

Selected Disruptive Behavior

The disruptive behavior that I have chosen is the blaming adolescent. Unfortunately I don’t think this behavior is unique to only young clients but older clients as well. When knowledge is paired with experience, adolescents’ risk-perceptions actually become more realistic (Chapin & Coleman, 2017). David not only blamed everyone else but he really felt that he did nothing wrong (Laureate Education, 2011). David was angry for several reasons that included attending therapy, his parents’ response to his behavior, the gym teacher, and even his friend who told on him (Laureate Education, 2011).

Development of Therapeutic Relationship

In order to ethically and professionally work with challenging clients general skill, personal in sight, and a good knowledge base that includes constructive or formulated responses is required (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2007). Therefore to build a therapeutic alliance with David, I would try to avoid allowing my body language and nonverbal cues to affect what is being said between us. The fact that David chooses to blame everyone but himself for stealing his teacher’s car would probably garner some type of visible reaction towards from me based on what he is saying. This would definitely not help with building the therapeutic alliance. I could see myself possibly grabbing some water to try to maintain positive body language. It is important for counselors to be aware of their emotional buttons and get help and support as needed to ensure they remain effective and ethical (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2007).

I realize that if David were to see my frustration in my nonverbal cues and my body language that these actions could easily encourage his behavior and he may begin to lash out at me directly. This would add another layer to the challenge of dealing with his anger. Counselors should prepare and plan for aggressive resistance from teenage clients (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2007). Therefore I cannot wear my heart on my sleeve nor can I pass judgment on his actions or lack thereof. To build the therapeutic alliance I must be able to connect with David based on the information that he does provide just as Dr. Sommers-Flanagan did in the media.

Transform Negative Reaction

The constant reminder for me when working with David would be passing judgment. I know personally what that feels like and would not want to do that to any of my clients regardless of their age. Therefore being able to listen to his narrative and build from what he says and not what I think or even what I may already know from other resources close to him is imperative to keep us on the right track. Instead of relying on what I know to be right as well as how others feel about what he did, I have to stay in the here and now with David to work through where and why he feels the way he does in the moment about what he did. In all honesty, the rest will hopefully come later. Older children have an increased awareness of social relationships and therefore an awareness of the importance of these concepts within a non-judgmental therapeutic relationship, creates the opportunity for feelings and emotions to be shared with unconditional acceptance (Gordon & Russo, 2009).

Conclusion

Some teenagers have a gift for destroying their counselor’s confidence (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2007). If a counselor is able to somehow overlook the verbal attack that they receive from teenagers, they can gain important diagnostic and clinical information about their pain and defenses (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2007). Being prepared and knowledgeable of just some of the challenges and obstacles that may happen with children and adolescents, can help to strategically build a healthy therapeutic alliance a little at a time.

References

Chapin, J., & Coleman, G. (2017). Children and adolescent victim blaming. Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology, 23(4), 438-440. doi:10.1037/pac0000282

Gordon, M., & Russo, K. (2009). Childrens Views Matter Too! A Pilot Project Assessing Childrens and Adolescents’ Experiences of Clinical Psychology Services. Child Care in Practice, 15(1), 39-48. doi:10.1080/13575270802504396

Laureate Education (Producer). (2011). Disruptive behaviors: Part two [Interactive media].
Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Sommers-Flanagan, J., & Sommers-Flanagan, R. (2007). Tough kids, cool counseling: User-friendly approaches with challenging youth (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.

3. Classmate (N.Jon)

Counseling with adolescents can present many challenges to a professional counselor. Not only can a teenager be resistant to counseling but they can manifest that resistance in different ways. Being able to quickly identify which form of resistance a client is exhibiting and having the knowledge and tools to be able to overcome that resistance is essential to being able to help the client (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2007). Looking first at the adolescent client displaying anger I will discuss why I would be most comfortable in counseling her. Then, I will discuss why I would be least comfortable counseling the adolescent who displays a blaming attitude. Next, I will explain one way that my reactions to the clients might positively and negatively influence the therapeutic relationship with each client. Lastly, I will explain one way I would transform a negative reaction in a more appropriate reaction. 

The Angry Adolescent 

Of the four disruptive behaviors displayed in this week’s resource, the client I would feel most comfortable counseling with is the angry adolescent. Even though the girl is obviously angry, resistant to counseling, and has a low opinion of counseling, she presented defense is not as challenging for me as other behaviors. I personally do not feel threatened or intimidated by a client displaying anger and any anger directed towards me initially, I believe to be displaced. There are many reasons the client could be displaying anger. For instances, she may feel defensive with the thought that I am going to judge her. It may be a learned behavior (Sommers-Flanagan, Sommers- Flanagan, 2007). She may be mad at being forced to do something she does not wish to do. In any case, I believe she clearly needs to be heard and have someone listen and I believe I could provide her that, even in the face of her anger. 

The Blaming Adolescent 

The adolescent that displayed a blaming/denial attitude would be the most challenging for me to work with, at least initially. Having experience working with people struggling with addiction, the first hurdle I often encountered was the client's sense of denial to an issue and blame towards others for their current life circumstances. I always found this obstacle particularly difficult to overcome. Working with adults I often used confrontation; however, when working with an adolescent I do not believe that would be as effective or beneficial to do. I’ve always told people, “you can’t help someone who doesn’t want help.” The adolescent child who displays a blaming mindset is challenging to me as I would initially be unsure of how to best reach him. 

Positive and Negative Influences 

In choosing to work with the angry adolescents I believe my reaction of a calm, quiet demeanor would help offset her angry. Allowing her space and voice to vent without taking what she says about me personally is another step towards building a therapeutic alliance (Sommers-Flanagan, Sommers-Flanagan, 2007). As the client continues to display nonverbal behaviors that are meant to be disrespectful or hurtful (such as eye-rolling, hair flipping, or scoffing) I would first listen empathically and then apply what Sommers-Flanagan and Sommers-Flanagan (2007) describe as interpreting interpersonal relationship patterns. I would ask the client if he felt she was being treated fairly and I would explain to her how her behavior makes me feel. In applying these methods initially, I believe it would have a positive impact on the therapeutic alliance and lay the initial foundational bricks upon which we will build a strong bond. However, one potential negative influence could come from telling her how her behavior affects me. This could cause the client to become shut down, more hostile or aggressive, or switch her into a blaming mode (Sommer-Flanagan, Sommers-Flanagan, 2007). 

Transforming Reactions

Following the hypothetical initial session with the angry adolescent, it is possible that my semi-confrontational comment regarding how her nonverbal behavior makes me feel could backfire. Should the client become more aggressive to my response I could respectfully address the client's behavior again by explaining further how her behavior is affecting me and specifically asking if she has any control over it. According to Sommers-Flanagan, Sommers-Flanagan (2007) the concept of maintaining control and power is important to teenagers, and when faced with an experiment, one might be likely to take up the offer. In doing so, I could take a negative reaction from the client and use it to further serve the therapeutic alliance and build a sense of honesty and trust with the client. 

Conclusion

According to Eliana Gil, children display disruptive behaviors as a way of communicating that there is a problem or that they are in need or some sort of assistance of help (Laureate Education, 2011). While there are some behaviors I find more challenging than others, such as a blaming or denial mindset, other behaviors, such as angry or aggressive, are easy for me to interpret and work with. In working with adolescents who display disruptive behaviors it is important to maintain professionalism by not taking anything personally and to be knowledgeable in how to address and work through such behaviors (Sommers-Flanagan, Sommers-Flanagan, 2007). 

References 

Laureate Education (Producer). (2011). Child and adolescent counseling [Video file]. Retrieved 

from https://class.waldenu.edu

Laureate Education (Producer). (2011). Disruptive behaviors: Part two [Interactive media]. 

Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Sommers-Flanagan, J., & Sommers-Flanagan, R. (2007). Tough kids, cool counseling: User-

friendly approaches with challenging youth(2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: American 

Counseling Association.

Bottom of Form

Required Resources

Please read and view (where applicable) the following Learning Resources before you complete this week's assignments. This page contains the Learning Resources for this week. Be sure to scroll down the page to see all of the assigned resources for this week. To view this week's media resources, please use the streaming media player below.

Accessible player  –Downloads– Download Video w/CC Download Audio Download Transcript 

Readings

· Flamez, B. & Sheperis, C. J. (2015). Diagnosing and treating children and adolescents: A guide for clinical and school settings. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

o Chapter 6 “Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder”

o Chapter 16 “Disruptive, Impulse-Control, and Conduct Disorders”

· Sommers-Flanagan, J., & Sommers-Flanagan, R. (2007). Tough kids, cool counseling: User-friendly approaches with challenging youth(2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.

·  

o Chapter 3, "Resistance Busters: Quick Solutions and Long-Term Strategies"

o Chapter 7, "Ecological Theory and Parent Education Strategies"

· DSM-5 BridgeDocument:Disruptive Behaviors

Media

· Laureate Education (Producer). (2011). Child and adolescent counseling [Video file].
Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

·  

o "Disruptive Behaviors: A Discussion With John Sommers-Flanagan and Eliana Gil" (approximately 19 minutes)

· Laureate Education (Producer). (2011). Disruptive behaviors: Part one [Interactive media].
Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

·  

o Disruptive Behaviors: Part One Transcript

· Laureate Education (Producer). (2011). Disruptive behaviors: Part two [Interactive media].
Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

·  

o Angry Adolescent Transcript

o Withdrawn Child Transcript

o Blaming Adolescent Transcript

o Hyperactive Child Transcript

Optional Resources

· Cochran, J. L., Cochran, N. H, Nordling, W. J., McAdam, A., & Miller, D. T. (2010). Two case studies of child-centered play therapy for children referred with highly disruptive behavior. International Journal of Play Therapy, 19(3), 130–143.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

· Eyberg, S. M., Nelson, M. M., & Boggs, S. R. (2008). Evidence-based psychosocial treatments for children and adolescents with disruptive behavior. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 37(1), 215–237.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

· Powers, C. J.. & Bierman, K. L. (2013). The multifaceted impact of peer relations on aggressive-disruptive behaviour in early elementary school. Developmental Psychology, 49(6), 1174–1186.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

· Pardini, D. A., Frick, P. J., & Moffitt, T. E. (2010). Building an evidence base for DSM-5 conceptualizations of oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder: Introduction to the special section. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 119(4), 683–688.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

RESPOND TO THE 3 POST BELOW WITH A MINIMUM OF 250 WORDS EACH AND LIST REFERENCES USED PER EACH.

RESPONSE 1 (SYLVIA): Part 1
One experiment that always stands out in my mind in terms of ethics is Milgram’s experience on obedience and authority. Perhaps this draw comes from the almost militant quality this experiment has in the regards to how far the human psyche can be pushed in response to authoritative prompting. Another fascination I have in regards to this experiment is that Milgram sought out to test how far someone could be pushed past their own personal coconscious beliefs when prompted by an authority figure in an effort to bring some insight to the German soldiers who stated they were just following orders during the horrific events that took place during WWII. In doing so he pushed volunteers from differing backgrounds and professions to administer increasing levels of shock to another human being (or so they thought) as directed by an experiment authority figure. While no individual was actually shocked during this experiment, there was psychological harm done to those who were being directed to administer the shock. Many of these individuals had saw some of their darker potentials to inflict harm on another human being (something that they did not think they were capable of prior to this experiment) and suffered short- and long-term psychological distress as a result. While I do believe there is undeniable insight gained from this experiment and the potential we all have in respect to how far we may go when we believe or trust the person of authority above us, I can see that it came with a cost. Looking back, I think that perhaps the participants could have been better prepared by informing them that they may be put in “high-stress” situations which may affect them after the testing has been completed. I believe an immediate de-briefing could have been done to allow the participants to be fully aware that no individuals were harmed during the testing and have proper support on hand to help resolve any traumatic activations that may have taken place during the experiment, as well as long term access to these professionals should they have further questions or need further support. If I were the researcher this is the route I would have taken to ensure first and foremost my volunteer participants ar3e taken care of to the best of my ability. 

Part 2
This course has been a great expansion of my knowledge in regards to the influences that social culture has on the field of psychology. One element that stands out to me is the influence of pop culture and marketing persuasion on our culture. Although the documentary video we had watched covering this topic was quite dated, it was eye opening to see how far the reaches of pop culture had on the way we act and interact within our communities on a pretty deep level. It was also startling to see how far some of these major companies were willing to go to capture the next “big thing” in what is considered to be “cool” and exploit it. The same could be said for our discussion on the perceptions we have of beauty, and how someone’s physical appearance effects the way we interpret many other things about them (such as intelligence level, economic standing, perceived level of niceness or rudeness, ect.)  and build our expectations, perceptions and opinions of others in a single instant without knowing anything else about them. I also found some great insight from our discussions on prejudice and some of the ways and reasons it arises in our communities. I was also able to recognize some of old programing from my childhood that I was not conscious of that brought me some awareness’s and final releases of unjust prejudices that had been planted by parents and grandparents’ generations. Sometime it is the subtle ones we still carry that get overlooked because they are not blatant and obvious and I am always thankful for these subtle opportunities for growth and understanding of myself and others. 

RESPONSE 2 (MARIE): A class divided:
    A class divided is a controversial experiment that was performed with the purpose of revealing a number of factors about human propensity for prejudice and discrimination. The main subjects in the research were elementary school children and laid focus on the concept of psychologically distressful situations. The accuracy and authenticity of the process, in this case, remain an issue of consideration in the current regime because guardians and parents of the small children involved were not involved in any way (Class Divided, 2017). In this case, the main controversy in the "Blue Eyes – Brown Eyes Experiment" is that the psychological status of small children is widely influenced by their upbringing, which is widely influenced by parents and guardians who act as the primary caregivers at their tender ages.
Professor Henry Murray Experiments:
    An example of a controversial experiment conducted by Professor Henry Murray, a personality theorist, took place between 1959 and 1962. At this time, he led a series of tests with 22 participants, undergraduate men at Harvard University in the USA. The experiment was meant to measure how individuals respond to interpersonal confrontations that were stressful in nature while making use of mock interrogations.
    I think the study should have been conducted. However, the choice of individuals and the method applied is quite controversial (Morris, 2015). With the need to determine which type of men would withstand brainwashing, the choice of university participants completely questions the integrity of intellectual individuals at the University level.
    From the study, the knowledge gained from this study has played an essential role in future studies of psychology. However, it does not in any way justify the discomfort of the 22 participants that were brought on board for the actual process.
    If the experiment’s negative impact on subjects was only temporary, we could not say that the ethical problems are diminished and, therefore, acceptable to a certain level in my opinion ("Five principles for research ethics," 2018). While all studies and experiments might have their related problems, it is crucial to maintain the respect and integrity of the participants and the process involved.
    The primary standards of ethics that I would adhere to if I were a researcher are intellectual property concerns, being conscious of multiple roles, and finally respecting confidentiality and privacy. 

When it comes to the takeaways I personally feel I learned the most in the  forums and the subjects that I will use the most in the future and will apply are: conformity, Aggression, Perception, and judgment

Throughout the course, I understood the role that conformity plays in life…  Although it is a factor that affects one's decision it is important to teach that it is just fine to go against the grain. If something feels wrong to not just agree or stay quiet. It is something one may work on.It will not be an easy thing to do but it can be worked on. I see myself standing against conformity in the future.

Aggression: I have realized that aggression can manifest itself in many ways. One of the takeaways is that aggression can be positive and negative. And being aggressive does not make you a bad person. In the future, I would like to teach others how to channel their aggression in a more positive avenue. 

Perception and judgment: taught me to not be so quick to judge. I was quite disappointed at myself to have had those thoughts about the women form. the video. Without knowing their storiesi made up my mind about them as if it was set in stone. I will take that experience to teAch my daughter better. teach her not to be so quick to take her time amd not let society influence her judgment.

Reference

A Class Divided [Video file]. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/class-divided/

Five principles for research ethics. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/monitor/jan03/principles.aspx

Morris, N. (2015). Providing ethical guidance for collaborative research in developing countries. Research Ethics, 11(4), 211-235. doi:10.1177/1747016115586759

RESPONSE 3 (JASON): Part 1

This is our final week for this class, as we come to an end of 2018!  For this week’s topic part one, we are to pick a study we were exposed to in this course and discuss it from an ethical perspective. I chose the Stanford prison experiment for my topic. This study was conducted with 24 college study volunteers to be randomly assigned being either prisoners, or prison guards to explore situational variables on human behavior. The experimenter also took part in the experiment as the prison warden. Even though this study was approved by the board and met ethical standards for 1971, it could not be conducted today as it would not meet ethical standards in place today to limit psychological harm. In my eyes, I do not think this study should have been performed as it was carried out, as it was supposed to last for 2 weeks, but had to shut down in 6 days due to how the guards were mistreating the prisoners. The experimenter himself stated that, the study should have been monitored closer and stopped sooner.  Even though the participants signed informed consent, they were not informed that they would be arrested at their homes, and were not reminded throughout the experiment that they could quit at any time without penalty. The information gained from this study did provide insight into the effects of situational variables to on human behavior, was it worth the cost in human psychological harm caused by the experiment?  I think it does not as it would not meet ethical standards to even be conducted today. If I were to perform this study, I would have provided clearer instruction to the students about the study, would have reminded the students throughout the study that they could exit the study at any time, and would have an objective monitor or monitors oversee the study to aid in preventing no harm to the participants. This may not have eliminated harm to participants, but could have lessened the harm.

PART 2:

I really enjoyed our learning material in this class, as Social Psychology was a very interesting class. It is amazing how as humans we are designed for and crave being a part of a social circle. The lengths we go to ensure that we fit into some social network are very interesting to me. It is interesting how we identify with those similar to us, and focus on their good qualities, while we focus on the negative qualities of those who are not in our tribe or group.

How we rationalize behaviors of ourselves and others is interesting as well. How engrained prejudice can be and how hard it is to overcome, and how immersion with a common goal helps to break this barrier is something I will take from this course as well.

Effective communication with expressing emotions and needs is not something new to me, but is definitely a good reminder to me to keep at the forefront of all I do, especially as I spend time with my grandchildren and help them on their journey to become well-adjusted social creatures.

I wish everyone the best in their academic journeys as well as their personal journeys into this brand new year!

Peace Joy and  Blessings,

Jason

References

Aronson, E. (2011). The Social Animal [Kindle iOS version]. Retrieved from Amazon.com

Cherry, K. (n.d.). The Stanford Prison Experiment Is Still Infamous Decades Later. Retrieved December 24, 2018, fromhttps://www.verywellmind.com/the-stanford-prison-experiment-2794995

More Information. (n.d.). Retrieved December 24, 2018, from https://www.prisonexp.org/faq/

PSYC 515 Weekly Forum Student Responses.

Answer each response with a minimum of 250 words. Must list references used.

RESPONSE 1 (Kenneth): Using "straight talk" so routinely at home has resulted in me being more direct with others both at work and in general social, interpersonal relationships.  As stated in the textbook, the biggest and scariest part of being open and honest and direct when speaking with others is vulnerability and fear of rejection, or of hurting someone we can about (Aronson, 2012).  This is why people avoid honest comments or open conversation.  This fear is also why it seems "everything" offends someone, and political correctness is the standard, not an exception.  Being in the Army, I know that an obstacle I routinely face, on a daily basis, is simple conversations with others.  I tend to be very raw and open in my speech, to include peppering in the occasional swear word, for flavor.  Truthfully, most people enjoy this about me.  However, not everyone is as accepting.  I think what has helped me to understand my interactions with others better is I that when I meet people, I let them know what they can expect from me, and should I perhaps say or do something that may offend them, just come and talk to me, one-on-one.  I make it clear that I am not trying to be intentionally offensive, but instead, I want them to know that when I say something, that its real and honest and in no way is to meant to hurt or tear down anyone.   Ultimately, I believe that fear of reprisal and fear of unknown consequences is what keeps people from honestly expressing themselves.

I encourage my oldest daughter to express her emotions openly.  She is four years old, and everything about her is unregulated, uninhibited, and raw.  Truthfully, I am jealous.  I don't want her to lose that mindset as she grows up, and I don't want other people imposing false boundaries on her.  Yes, I realize that later in life, as she hit middle school and high school, this may become a problem.  For now, I tell her to say what she is feeling, talk to Mommy or me about what is making her happy, or sad, or angry.  Just as my wife and I strive to be examples of communication and straight talk, we do our best to install those virtues in our daughter.  When our youngest is old enough, she will be taught the same things.  This adds a level of authenticity to them that their peers may not share.  It will also make them more apt to be vulnerable with their closest friends, allowing them to build stronger relationships (Aronson, 2012).

There indeed are times when I felt that it would be unwise to be 100% raw and unfiltered in my dialogue with other people.  This primarily occurs at work, when I am dealing with Soldiers.  Specifically, this is in group settings.  When I interact with others in a one-on-one environment, again, I make it clear that everything is on the table, that real conversation will be had, and they can expect me to be engaged and not just provide them with empty platitudes and generic advice.  However, when I am in a group setting, I am careful about what I say, how I express emotions, and that my words are driving to a desired goal and message.  This difference in verbal content is because when I am dealing with a signal person, it's simple to get them to understand and accept my particular style.  In a group setting, it's not as easy, and therefore, it's smarter to guard my words.  Like anybody else, I do this primarily to protect myself from others who may misconstrue my message, or twist my words to later use them against me.

References

Aronson, E. (2012). The Social Animal. New York: Worth Publishers.

RESPONSE 2 (Teaera): For this weeks forum post we were assigned to discuss “straight talk” and why it seems to be uncommon in relationships. We are to discuss the personal and social issues that might need to be overcome in order to utilize “straight talk” and discuss if children should be taught how to utilize this method while in school. Lastly we are to discuss if we believe there are certain circumstances in which “straight talk” should not be utilized.

     I believe that some of the reasons why “straight talk” is uncommon in relationships is because of how vulnerable this makes the person using it. This would likely be an even more considerable barrier for men. As stated in our reading “straight talk” is really about utilizing feelings, clearly stating how you feel, not just lashing out at the other person (Aronson, 2012). I feel this also goes against the typical American image and makes it difficult for men and women to utilize this method. We tend to take things very personally and therefor lash out in an attempt to also personally attack our partners. My husband and I have been in a relationship for over 12 years and it took many, many years of trial and error to stumble into “straight talk” but I can definitely say that it has made our relationship better.

     I touched on some of the personal and social issues that would need to be overcome in the last paragraph. Utilizing this method would cause feelings of vulnerability which as stated in our reading is something that we have been taught to avoid (Aronson, 2012). We believe that this protects ourselves when really it just makes our relationships harder to maintain and stabilize. Another issue is in many instances people are not even fully aware of their feelings and the reason they are reacting in a certain manner, this makes it very difficult to convey to your partner.

     I absolutely feel that children should be taught to utilize good communication methods while in school and I feel this would overall enhance the school experience. I see no reason that these methods could not be practiced with teachers and authority figures. Speaking to those above you is something everyone has to do for the rest of their lives. The other children could also be utilized to practice peer to peer communication.  

     For the final question, if there are times where “straight talk” should not be utilized, I can not really come up with anything. I can imagine that there would be times and places where this kind of communication would not be taken in the best light but I would put that down to a negative environment. I feel that in a healthy society this kind of communication should be encouraged and endorsed. Perhaps in certain working environments, such as during high stress interactions, with the military or the police, this kind of communication would not be feasible but I feel this is very much a minority. 

RESPONSE 3 (Jason): This week’s topic is another great one to discuss.  Communication is key to healthy relationships and appears to be the number one thing to break down in a relationship. The concept of straight talk is an important factor for healthy communication which leads to healthy relationships. Our text book describes straight talk as having a person being vulnerable with another person in expressing their feelings, wants and needs in a nonjudgmental and open manner. In our culture, being vulnerable isn’t promoted which is why straight talk isn’t utilized more.  Our society has promoted independence, strength and the importance of looking good on the outside. Utilizing straight talk is counterintuitive to this theme. I think that is one reason why the divorce rate is so high in the USA as miscommunication or no communication breaks down the relationship, and it is easier for people to end the relationship than work to learn how to communicate effectively with each other. I am glad that I and my wife attended pre-marriage counseling that evolved into 3 years of continued counseling in our marriage. The first thing we learned was the importance of learning to communicate our feelings and needs to each other. This was not comfortable at first, but it sure helps in the long run, as me and my wife have never had a fight or even an argument in coming up on 10 years of marriage.

In an article by Esere, Yeyeodu, and Oladun, (2014) effective communication was studied with 660 couples in Africa. Obstacles to effective communication were identified as lack of time, negative or intense tone of conversation and rehashing past events. We have learned from our text the importance of immediacy in expressing feelings and concerns to prevent buildup of emotions. Solutions identified in this study were considering the other spouse’s opinion, contribution, and having trust in that person.  The findings of this study suggest that community education through seminars and awareness campaigns could increase effective communication in couples on a larger scale.  

Education for children in effective communication and conflict resolution is very important. If we do not know how to communicate effectively, how do we get our needs met effectively, and build lasting relationships?   In an article by Dion (2008), the importance of strengthening the institution of marriage to reduce the number of single parent homes was discussed. This article discusses the need to modify current curriculums to be more available to lower income population needs.  The need of education with promotion of utilization of communication skills through a community effort would be beneficial. If the youth are all encouraged to engage in effective communication, it would be easier for them to practice what they are learning.

I think there are occasions in which you do not utilize straight talk, such as when first meeting someone and not having trust built, or if you feel the person could use the information against you. A police man or other people in authority would not be wise to express their emotions openly in a crisis situation. I know as a counselor/Program Director,  I do not openly practice straight talk with residents or staff that I supervise. We may not want to express our emotions when we are in the middle of the emotion to our superiors either.

Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

Jason

References

Aronson, E. (2011). The Social Animal [Kindle iOS version]. Retrieved from Amazon.com

Dion, M. R. (2008). Healthy Marriage Programs: Learning What Works. Future of Children, 15(2), 139–156. https://doi.org/10.1353/foc.2005.0016

Esere, M., Yeyeodu, A., & Oladun, C. (2014). Obstacles and Suggested Solutions to Effective Communication in Marriage as Expressed by Married Adults in Kogi State, Nigeria. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 114, 584–592.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.12.751