Thoughts of a Psychology Student

Apparently yesterday was 'Blue Monday'.  The concept of 'Blue Monday' derives mainly from a pseudoscientific equation that states the 19th of January 2015 is the most depressing day of the year because of things like the realisation of Christmas weight gain and overall debt levels. Another of these factors is the realisation that New Years Resolutions have most certainly not been kept. The pledge you made to yourself to cut back on carbs and get on the treadmill went out the window when you realised all the left over chocolate from christmas wasn't going to eat itself... This got me thinking about the amount of times I've said to myself I'm going to do something and then not done it... If I had followed through with everything I wanted to do so far in my life, by now I'd probably be a prominent social activist, an author, a well-travelled adventurer, a lot fitter, a lot healthier, and maybe even have become prime minister. The point is...

Wow. So it's been a while. This blog was set up as a cunning ploy to embellish my personal statement in the hope that admissions tutors would think I was a conscientious student who had their shit togoether and deserved a place at university. In case anyone's missed the past 5 or so months, update: I made it to university.  Bath university to be precise.  Studying psychology... I am a psychology student ... and these are my thoughts... looks like we've come full circle. In light of a wondrous christmas holiday in which many a winter walk were taken, the regular dustings of frost got me reflecting on, well, life... Despite only starting a little over 4 months ago, so much has happened in my first term at university I can barely begin to describe the plethora of shenanigans that have taken place. It would appear that I've taken up lacrosse, though I am about as good as lacrosse as I am budgeting for my living expenses. Turns out sainsbury's ba...

It's odd how different two english speaking countries can be culturally. This summer I went to Canada (specifically British Columbia) and was taken aback by how different the lifestyle and culture was despite the same mother tongue.  Vancouver is an incredible city. Some call it the city of glass because of its glossy skyscrapers that reflect the often blue skies overhead.  It's urban architecture is juxtaposed beautifully by the majestic mountains that surround the downtown area. And I suppose, given its idyllic postcard-perfect appearance, it should have been no surprise to me that the Canadian culture is, well, altogether more ' friendly ' than British culture. Whilst us Brits boast of medieval castles and Roman baths, (and don't get me wrong, there's a lot to be said about British history), you only have to endure one morning commute across London to understand what I'm alluding to when I say that British people (generally) are such s...

Discuss psychological explanations of institutional aggression (8+16marks) done without notes - information may be wrong or vague.... One type of institutional aggression occurs within groups in prisons. There are many theories as to why aggression in prisons occurs. One theory is the Importation Model. Irwin + Cressey 1962 state that prisoners bring their social histories and personality traits into prison with them, meaning that they are not blank slates when they enter the institution. Allender + Marcell state that pre-prison gang membership is a significant predeterminate of aggressive conduct whilst in prison. Research from Huff 2008 shows that if you are a gang member, you are 10x more likely to committ murder and 3x more likely to assault someone in public. Therefore if you are violent as part of a gang outside of prison, you will also be violent in prison, showing how insitutional aggression is caused by importation. However, the Deprivation Model suggest...

Discuss 2 or more evolutionary explanations of food preference (8+16marks) Psychologists have carried out much research into the origins of modern day food preferences. The evolutionary explanation of food preferences argues that our likes and dislikes for particular foods have their origins in the way we have evolved. In order to study this, we have to understand the Environment of Evolutionary Adaptation (EEA). The EEA is the environment in which a species first evolved. For humans, it is thought to be in the African savannah 2 million years ago. Early diets would have consisted of foods high in fats and calories as they provided the most energy for humans to survive and find food for their next meal. Calories were not plentiful in the EEA and therefore were in high demand. This explains why even today, we have preference for fatty and calorific foods despite not needing the same amount of energy as we are no longer required to hunt for our food or burn as many calories. ...

Many of you may have seen in the news recently that Boris Johnson has expressed his arguably elitest views on IQ in regards to wealth, education and job opportunities. The flamboyant mayor of London has suggested that people with lower incomes have lower IQs and that inequality is essential to foster a "spirit of envy". He also hailed greed as a "valuable spur to economic activity". In essence, Johnson has sparked off a heated debate of the relationship between poverty and IQ. Whilst some believe that a low IQ results in worse qualifications, less job opportunities and ultimately a lower income, others argue that the relationship could work in the opposite way too. However, forming a viewpoint on this issue heavily depends on whether IQ is a result of biological factors and genes, or whether it is subject to change according to environmental and social factors. Moreover, the Intelligence Quotient has to be a valid test for this debate to even stand ...

When someone says "Psychology" - many people confuse it with "Psychiatry". For some reason, the broad study of how people behave, think and interact, has been narrowed down to the stereotypical - somewhat Freudian - investigation into mental disorders and abnormalities. This stereotype has undoubtedly been reinforced over the years through the portrayal of mental illness in the media. The depiction of mental illness as a terrifying and often violent condition has created a negative stigma around an issue that desperately needs more research and attention in order to better our understanding of this relatively unknown territory. I watched Shutter Island last night after it was recommended to me by countless people. For those that don't know, you begin watching the film under the impression that US Marshall Teddy Daniels has been called to a mental  institution on Shutter Island to investigate the disappearance of a patient named Rachel Solando. As the film ...