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Jessica Kroese/Takeaway 2 the "The Reflex Arc" ...Fight or Flight !

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Jessica Kroese/Takeaway 2 the "The Reflex Arc" ...Fight or Flight !

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This is my big 27lb cat "Jarvis", as you can see, he fits right in.

Another thing that just kept sticking out that I took away from Week 2 was reading Chapter 2 on the A&P perspective of the Nervous System.  More specifically,  the Reflex Arc.  That specific area, controlled by the spinal cord is so Amazing!
(Figure 2.6) The pain from touching a flame with your finger happens instantaneously because of the Reflex Arc. It happens so quickly, a neuron in your finger sends a pain message to your spinal column from your arm and another interneuron receives the message sends a response telling your arm to pull back. This happens instantaneously because the "reflex arc" in your spinal cord allows for instant response time, imagine if the message had to go all the way to the brain, then the spinal cord, then the arm, the damage done to the soft tissue would be much worse!
OK, boring to some, but science is AMAZING to me.  Im constantly in Awe! I never get bored from the science behind the body.
Then, reading about how the body reacts under duress and stress (fight or flight/sympathetic) vs. normal conditions (eat-drink-sleep/parasympathetic). How the body protects and reacts to stressful situations, pupils dilate, blood rushes to vital organs, digestion slows, lungs/breathing are increased. Adrenal glands release hormones,... It goes on and on, I loved Chapter 2!

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Week 2

Yes that is my baby pepper in the pic.  She's all grown up now, but I have the cutest baby pictures of her, I couldnt resist when Professor said that we could add photos.
One thing that really resonated with me was the video on "Birth in Nepal", that video hit hard. Watching how other cultures view childbirth and that basically when a female is born, that child is not viewed as important as a male child. What is so haunting is that the actual process of childbirth is considered "contaminated" anything involving blood, to include a woman's menses. These young growing female children are basically workhorses, taught to work alongside their mother's,  taught that a man is not happy until one or two males are born into the family. That females are worthless in the eyes of the male, but the scary part is that this is how a woman is taught, that this teaching is right and correct above all.  A culture of woman, living only what they know.  A woman cant just stop , give birth and expect to take it easy afterwards, despite the conditions surrounding the birth.  A woman must have their babies, then return to the hard labors of their life immediatly.  These young children born into poverty are like little "sponges" they will only reflect what they have been taught.  In the video, I saw a woman give birth to a female baby and she reached out to her husband and was saddened by the lack of response from him. She had learned that if she gave birth to another girl, that her husband would not be happy.  This was a very eye opening story about mother's and their babies. Not to mention, what they are taught.

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Did anyone else end up writing way beyond the 3 page limit?  I usually don't like writing, but it was pretty fun linking the material with personal experiences.  I ended up with close to 5!
- David Moreton, 7/6/16

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Hi Becca,

I totally agree with you, I found chapter 4 fascinating. It is neat that you can apply what you learned in this chapter when using your FitBit sleep tracker. I found it interesting to read about the supplement "melatonin". I have taken this before, knowing that it will stimulate the production of melatonin in the brain, but I wasn't aware of how exactly it works and other benefits of it until after reading the chapter. So cool to learn about all of this and be able to apply it to our lives!

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Don't worry about the being late to the padlet - I thought my head wasn't screwed on correctly for the longest time! Anyways, I was intrigued by your idea of not nurturing your children in the same manner that you yourself were. I've often considered how, in times when I was much younger and threw a tantrum over not getting a toy, candy bar, etc, how my parents reacted... and how I reacted in the short/long term. Without getting into specifics, your comments made me more acutely aware of how certain reinforcements, as well as their methods of implementing them, made me feel (and whether or not I felt it helped me learn whatever lesson it was!) at the time.  It definitely makes me consider what my teaching style might turn out to become in the even I have children later on - what would my gut reaction be to endless nights of little sleep or spilt food/drink, etc. by a son/daughter? Would I act in a manner that I myself would want to see if I were the child? And how might I go about reshaping my habits/outlook to ensure that I don't repeat the things that didn't work so well for my parents? My guess is the older you get, the harder it becomes to see things from the child's POV.

- David Moreton, 7/4/16

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One thing that I found particularly interesting was reading about the relatively short history (compared to other science fields) and how different views within the field were shaped. It's not surprising that there's still much divergence and specialization into how experts can study/treat the mind, knowing that there's so many settings, specialties and perspectives with which they view the world. For example, clinical psychiatrists use a more biopsychological/MD perspective lens to diagnose/treat a patient... Vs. clinical psychologists, who lean more towards the behavioral and cognitive perspectives. Random side note - from what I've learned from a few of my friends who work in either profession for a private practice, patient outcomes usually benefit the most when both sides work together ( there's perceived tension between some psychiatrists/psychologists), as both have the same goal of improving the patient's quality of life, even if through different means.

- David Moreton, 7/4/16

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I found the end of chapter 5 to be very timely, as I pick up my new 4-month old kitten (still undecided on a name) on 7/10! I've had adult/senior felines previously, two of which I think initially trained ME to give them treats whenever they rolled over. But I've never tried to toilet-train any of them because they were so set in their ways... until possibly now. I figure getting the proper "shaping, reinforcement & conditioning" during a more formative age (ie kittenhood, if that's even a word) will give this a shot of actually working.  It wouldn't be the end of the world if it didn't work out, but it'd be pretty cool!

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My major is Justice Studies, and I hope to work in the legal field after graduation. In chapter 4, page 147 provides information about a few cases where individuals committed crimes in their sleep, it caught my attention, because this is related to my major. Since these individuals were not aware of their actions due to their state of mind, it presents interesting cases in court. In order for a lawyer to be successful in these type of cases, they must have an understanding of the psychology and mental state of sleep and sleepwalking.

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I found Chapter 4 particularly interesting, The sleep portion was especially relevant to me. Ciccarelli & White (2014) discussed sleep deprivation and the effect that it has on memory and the ability to think clearly. Being a colleges student, I often stay up late studying the night before a test in order to gain additional knowledge. After reading this chapter, I learned that lack of sleep the night before an exam due to studying can have a negative impact on your memory and knowledge of the material. Helpful information to know for this coming school year!

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You are right parenting styles have changed so much.  I have 4 children from 28-19.  Wen they were growing up my biggest challenge was adjusting my style to fit their individual personalities because they are individuals and all respond differently.

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Hi Michelle,
Children really do learn what they live. They are like little "sponges", for lack of a better term, always soaking up the goings-on in their environment. This, of course, causes much concern especially nowadays with the drug crisis we're always hearing about in the news. It saddens me to think of not only the everyday lives these children must endure, but also the future they will face.

J.Veilleux

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Hi Nora,
I once knew three siblings, two brothers (same mother and father) and a half-sister (same mother, different father). The two brothers, only a couple of years apart in age, were polar opposites despite having grown up in the same home. One of the brothers and the much younger half-sister were practically identical in behavioral comparison. I never could figure that one out.

J.Veilleux

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"You can't fit a square peg in a round hole."

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"You can't fit a square peg in a round hole."

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I found the article titled "Do you choose your role, or does it choose you?" rather telling. Growing up, I felt constant pressure from my mother as she tried in vain to mold me into someone I was not. She expected me to have all the same interests and partake in all the same hobbies she did when she was younger; joining 4-H and playing the clarinet, for example. Up until the "normal" teenage rebellion phase, I never had the courage to tell my mother that I didn't want to do those things. Even if I had, I'm not so sure it would have made a difference.

J. Veilleux

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I had trouble figuring out the padlet thing so now I'm late as well haha but kudos to you for wanting to raise your child differently if you believe your own way of being raised wasn't beneficial to your development. I think it shows that you learned from it and wanted to do better by your kids, and that's great! The way we nurture our children is extremely important, regardless of the environment. The impacts made can be life altering.

-Breanne Davidson Clifford

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That is a great idea that you used for your kids! Bravo! You made it a positive experience and gave them something to look forward to or something to work for. I think those are fabulous way to help your kids try new things. Very cool!
-Breanne Davidson Clifford

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Breanne Davidson Clifford- main response to week 2 content

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Breanne Davidson Clifford- main response to week 2 content

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I found the article about genetics quite intriguing. Especially when it was discussing the fact that gene privacy is an issue. New York representative Louise Slaughter comments that all humans are "unemployable or uninsurable" due to our genetic code. It goes to show that environmental causes are the cause for many diseases because we are all essentially susceptible if looking at our genetic codes. This is why environment is so important for the development of humans and that the way we are raised and how have more of an effect on us than our genetic predisposition ever could. I also enjoyed reading chapter 5 about different conditioning techniques and learning about Pavlov. Very interesting stuff!

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I have absolutely applied conditioning techniques on my children, especially where food is concerned. I have never given them an option to be picky and they are very adventurous eaters but that has taken much training. I remember they would turn their noses up at something and I would have the same thing on my plate. They would watch me eat it and I would clap wildly and cheer for myself, then look at them expectantly. They would always try the food too, and get the applause and cheer which i would follow up by saying, "You love this food! You Love it!!"  it worked all the time! It was great.
That's how I conditioned them to hike as well. They would poop out and whine/ complain and I would tell them to make it to the tree up ahead where a prize awaits, but only for a kid who loves to hike. They would march that 20', get their treat and high fives, claps and cheers all around. followed by "Good thing we love hiking so much! Yay!" my oldest is now 10 years, the kids hike easily 15-20 miles and...they love it.

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I'm a little late to this padlet thing...It took me forever to find our class! I hope going forward it won't be so obscure. Anyway I wanted to chime in on nature/nurture. Everything that you all have written resonates with me. One thing I have always worked for and hoped to achieve was to NOT replicate much of the nurturing I had experienced as a child. With my own kids, I have put in much effort to be a different sort of parent. I have found that it is possible to choose a way of being and to practice that way and overcome, or at the least work with the imprint that a specific type of negative nurturing can have on a person.

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I can relate to you about being a caregiver. Although I'm not a wife or a mom, I am a waitress too and have worked in restaurants since I was 16. I was raised by my parents to be a hard worker so they have encouraged me to have a job since a young age and be a caregiver.

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I agree that it's crazy that two brothers can end up so differently when raised the same. I think that when we're kids and we're not with our parents that the world opens up and we have new experiences. These experiences were different for the brothers and that's why I think they ended up so different (along with different genes). I find it really interesting that no siblings will have the same DNA if they take a DNA test.

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After the video about the violence I saw the immediate connection between nature and nurture on a child's developing brain. A baby would seem to have no knowledge of violence, because they would be too young to remember. However, a baby that experienced a violent scene had negatives affects 4 years later. I'm not a parent, but if I ever have kids, this video made me very aware of how arguing between parents can seem harmless but it can negatively impact a child and cause them to become violent. Obviously a parent cannot prevent a child from ever hearing an argument  or seeing violence, but they should be aware of it and do their best to prevent it. Thus, the nature and nurture aspects come together to create people as we are today, but some of our environment can be controlled by those around us such as parents.

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Your 4 year-old little brother must be a bundle of joy. But as you said, it must be hard for him with so many adults around. He really needs to be loved and protected from any bad influences that may come his way. Sometimes adults don't realize how they hurt the kids. I had a couple neighbors who were arguing in the middle of the night, screaming at each other and their 2 yr old daughter was screaming hysterically every time the father was coming home. He conditioned her to cry, because he was always causing an argument with his wife. The kid was just scared, abruptly woken up every night by the parents' screaming. They had financial problems, going into foreclosure; the second kid was on the way, he was trying to save what he could, but it was too late - they lost three homes due to irresponsible borrowing. Few years later, I saw them parking their car  to go to  a club downtown. So, they reconciled, but the little girl will have a trauma that will need some treatment.

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I totally agree with you that later in life children form their own opinions and habits; they explore life on their own, so they have their feelings and views on events and things. Yet, the standards and principles learned in the family when kids, will be there for the rest of their lives. Young adults will adapt them to their lifestyle, but they will still be there. In crucial moments, they will recall their guiding principles to assess their situation: "Did I do the right thing?"

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Good remark - indeed it is nature & nurture - we are the result of both inherited traits and nurtured ones.
Looking at your sweet boy, I think you don't have time to be sad, or depressed - you have a great reason and motivation to succeed in life. When I first held my newborn son in my arms, I remember my first thought: "Now his health and wellbeing is depending on me; I am responsible to guide this baby through life and make him a  healthy, sane, and useful man!"
Liliana

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Reply to Karen L./Laurel A. and Desrochers

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Reply to Karen L./Laurel A. and Desrochers

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I agree with the first 7 years of life statement and teaching basic manners and ways to interact with the people around you. While I was out recently I was pleasantly surprised by a young mother (probably about my age) with two young children who she had politely hold the door for me (my children were not with me).  I was all smiles and said thank you to everyone because it was so nice & refreshing! Earlier that day while I was out with my 3 children (two walking/holding my hands and one in my front pack) an older man (like 50-60's) couldn't even be bothered to hold the door for us directly behind him! Maybe he missed those first 7 years!

Desrochers - Sorry I don't see your first name and I can't remember it! Definitely agree! And the things they learn at school! One time we were out and my daughter was like "Mommy it's Dora" and my only response was how do you know who Dora is, we don't watch that show/get that channel!! haha I also need to watch what I say! Very nice picture of you and your son! :)

-Nicole Gordon 7/1/16

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After reading some of the current articles posted I find the one about roles interesting.  I have always been a caregiver since I was young and continued to be a caregiver in a sense with my first job as a waitress.  Today I am a caregiver at work (healthcare) still, just like at home as a wife and mother.  I think perhaps I am the way I am due to the way I was raised by my own parents, which also ties into the nature vs. nurture portion of this current week.

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I really enjoyed reading how everyone reacts to things to differently and how everyone has a different parenting style. Looking back at how I was raised and how some kids are raised today, is almost a total 180! It really made me realize that everyone is taught different things as a child, but they are still able to form their own morals and opinions about things. I really enjoyed last weeks chapter!

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I love how we can relate this class to our lives. I also have a FitBit tracker that I use to look at my sleep cycle. From that chapter I found the concepts of 'micro sleeps' very interesting. I have a family member who described something very similar to this the other day. Fun to talk to that person about this new information I have.

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I agree that this class has a lot of ties to parenting. I have not only looked back at my childhood but looked at my sons life after reading many of the chapters. observant learning definitely ties into parenting because children are always watching what is going on around them. There are things I do or say that I know I have not taught my child but he has picked up from watching me. This kind of learning also taught me quickly to watch my mouth :p

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I am really interested in the concept of 'nature v. nurture' I have always wondered if I was placed in the care of another family at a young age would I be the same behaviorally and personality wise that I am today. I tend to think that I am who I am because of the nurture aspect. There is so much that goes into who we are as people and it is very interesting to learn more about it. As I read I think it is less 'nature v. nurture' so much as nature and nurture. As a person who has depression I know a lot of my personality comes from the 'nature' side while my sarcastic, strong willed tendencies come from the nurture side and the environment I was raised in.

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I agree with what you said. I have an older sister and we are three years apart and people tell us we look so similar but our attitudes and emotions are oh so different. Although we have grown up similarly, we have gone our own separate ways, therefore shaping us as individuals and I think the nature vs nurture topic is very interesting for anyone to look at.

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I too found that specific chapter fascinating. My mom and I have always discussed how we get that "jerk" feeling right before we fall asleep and after I had read that chapter her and I discussed it and it was interesting! I have always found dreams to be so interesting so I am glad we got to read about it in this class!

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This week, I have to say I really enjoyed the topics more than I thought I would. My favorite part was definitely reading and learning about the different sleep cycles and what happens in each one. In the beginning of the summer I got a FitBit and it has a feature that tracks your sleep (how many times you were restless and awake) throughout your sleep period. And every morning I look at mine and by reading the chapter about sleep I can now understand that chart on my FitBit more accurately. Another subject this week I found thoroughly interesting was just how many ways of development there are and how they have been studied. I would have never thought so much was involved in that from the first day of our lives. I look forward to learning more!

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Liliana- great comment! I also find the nature vs. nuture argument incredibly interesting. I would say it's accurate to assume that our genes give us the "barebones" of our behavior, but that our experiences and the people we associate with contribute more to our outlook on life, a good portion of our health, and how we perceive the world.

- Laurel A.

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I agree with the belief that the first 7 years of life are absolutely crucial to later assimilate into society. In  those few years, the child will learn to speak, eat, walk, write, and read, which are essential human traits. Speaking from a Millennial's point of view, I think it is so important that parents and kids alike put down the technology as much as possible so that kids can learn to communicate face to face instead of with a screen. Another interesting thing about raising a child in the US is how most children only learn one language, English, while, as my French professor once told my class, European children learn multiple languages by the time they are in high school/college. Learning multiple languages makes a person more able to assimilate and communicate with people of other cultures, but is there some benefit that American kids are missing by not being exposed to different languages until high school, maybe middle school at the earliest?

- Laurel Armes

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I really enjoyed the content of this past week. One of my main takeaways was on the Ch. 4 contents focused on consciousness; particularly about the sleep cycle. I learned that during light sleep, where the sensation of a "hypnic jerk" occurs. I get this "falling" feeling quite often and thought it was interesting that the reasoning behind this is an evolutionary caution to protect us from falling out of a hypothetical tree. I enjoyed reading on REM sleep as well. I found it coincidental that during REM, our body system is functioning most similarly to when we're in a waking state and that we dream most vividly during this stage. It's interesting that the feeling you get during a dream- when you try to move but you can't- is actually us being aware of our sleep paralysis. Another part of this week's content that I enjoyed was watching the video on violence and a developing child's brain. The video emphasized how first experiences are highly applicable to the brain and how violence in front of babies is more likely to inspire future violence than displaying violence in front of older children, just because of how spongy and receptive an infant's brain is. This video has inspired me to be extra attentive to treating my 4year old brother with love and patience, and to remember how hard it must be for him to be the youngest child in a family of much older siblings.

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In my country people say about ill-behaved children that "They are lacking the 7 years from home" - meaning the basic education and manners that parents should seed in a child: how to greet, thank, ask politely, to acknowledge the people around them, respect their peers, how to eat, dress, their obligations and roles in the family and in school, plus the ethics - not to lie, steal, cheat, and so on. With this baggage they can walk out into the world safely.
I've seen in my life all sorts of children and parents. A boy at the age of 8 can be over-confident in his super-hero features (stronger, braver, smarter etc.), or he could be  spoiled by the parents; but many times this kind of aggressiveness indicates a hidden fear, which leads to anger and ultimately to expressing himself by being aggressive, or bullying other kids. For instance, sometimes single children get jealous when a new baby comes in the family, from fear that they would lose parents' love. They feel "forgotten" in the corner, so they accumulate some anger; parents should notice and neutralize that anger, assuring the child that he is equally loved, and giving him some small tasks related to the baby. Being a parent is more of an art than a science, empathizing with your children and comparing how you felt in certain situations when you were their age would help build some confidence in the child, rather than fear or anger.

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I agree Liliana, I think Psychology would help before people have their kids.  In my case I took all the other psychologies and now have to go back and play catch up.  I get the perspective of using this class to evaluate my parenting skills.

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I agree Liliana, I think Psychology would help before people have their kids.  In my case I took all the other psychologies and now have to go back and play catch up.  I get the perspective of using this class to evaluate my parenting skills.

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Karen L.

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Nature vs Nurture really intrigues me. There used to be a school of thought that a child's ideas, impressions, even personality was formed in the first eight yrs of life. Based on Chapter 5 and the different schools of thought I have found that is no longer the case. I work in a daycare, we have an 8yr old boy and his 4yr old sister. I know the parents. He has an unpleasant demeanor. He will snap at you as he walks through the door, grab other kids, even take their toys from their hands. His sister, always smiling, laughing and sharing. I would like to think that Nature has had a bigger impact on him, but he is still so young to be that angry. It is encouraging to read that with perseverance and a behavior modification program maybe he could change.

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I am fascinated by "nature vs. nurture", or the relationship between heredity and environmental factors that determine development.
How two brothers, born and raised by the same family, sharing all the experiences, end up so different in time? Each one becomes himself, shaped by their own experiences, friends, aspirations. Because each one of them has their own genetic inheritance, traits that modify their perceptions, thinking, and behaviors.

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I felt the same while reflecting on my life, it transported me back in time, reviewed a lot of events, people, my brother being born and me acting as a second mom for him, then raising my son, and raising our dog. It brought me the best memories and thinking if I made the right decision at certain moment, if I could have done better, why did that thing come out the way it did back then, and so on.
Really, psychology is key when raising children.
Liliana

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Last week I looked back on my life while writing my reflective assignment.  While I was researching and reading for the assignment I was able to find a lot of connections between my childhood and my own kids.  It was fun to learn things that I could relate to as a parent of young children.  I also was able to relate chapter 5 to my life when it came to cognitive and observant learning.  I didn't realize how many ties this class would have to parenthood, and I think I am really going to enjoy this course more now! Below are my 3 crazy kids! :)