656 words

The nature and nurture of primate learning abilities

Nature or nurture? it's a question that psychologists, medical doctors, sociologists, and parents have been asking themselves since the beginning of time -- what part of a person's abilities, behavior, and personality are learned and which parts are due to biology.

~4 min read

View paper →

933 words

The physical and mental health effects of chronic stress

Stress is a basic fact in everyone's life. Forces from the outside world affect an individual on a daily basis. How an individual responds to stress determines in what ways it will affect the individual.

~5 min read

View paper →

357 words

Attention, working memory, and schemas in cognitive processing

In order for humans to survive there is a constant need to monitor the events that are occurring in our external environment along with the events in our internal environment like our thoughts. This process of monitoring events is known as attention.

~2 min read

View paper →

963 words

Comparing Binet and Terman's intelligence tests and their applications

How do we retrieve content into our awareness from long-term memory? Information is retrieved from long-term memory by tracing through the network of interconnections to the place where it is stored.

~5 min read

View paper →

1,346 words

Short-term and long-term memory in human cognition

There are two types of human memory, short-term and long-term. Short-term memory is often known as working memory. This is where information is stored if it is needed in the following seconds, minutes or hours.

~7 min read

View paper →

1,025 words

The psychological and physiological benefits of humor and laughter

The article chosen for this assignment was written by Steve Ayan and published in the Scientific American on March 25, 2009. Entitled "How Humor Makes You Friendlier, Sexier" Ayan's article takes the position that not only is humor "psychologically beneficial" but it actually can cure diseases.

~6 min read

View paper →

1,004 words

The three stages of human memory and encoding processes

Encoding is the first step in the process that creates a memory. It's a biological occurrence, embedded in the senses, that begins with perception. Memories begin with a perception and are then encoded and stored using electricity and chemicals.

~6 min read

View paper →

330 words

Oniomania: understanding online shopping addiction and its psychological causes

Oniomania also know as a shopping addiction is the compulsive desire to shop. Similar to other compulsive behaviors, people who suffer from this often experience the highs and lows associated with having an addiction.

~2 min read

View paper →

971 words

Habituation and sensitization in simple forms of learning

Learning is the process of acquiring new knowledge, behaviors, skills, values, preferences or understandings. Simple forms of learning involve a single stimulus. A stimulus is anything detectable to the senses, such as a sight, sound, smell, touch, or taste.

~5 min read

View paper →

2,176 words

Psychological perspectives on terrorist motivations and attack strategies

Terrorism Defined: What is Terrorism? Terrorism has been explained variedly both as a strategic effort as well as a tactic; a criminal act as well as a sacred obligation, a reaction which is justified against oppression as well as abomination which is unpardonable.

~11 min read

View paper →