# data[].attributes.headline
Stages of Information Processing: Deer Hunting

# data[].attributes.subject
Stages of Information Processing: Deer Hunting

# data[].attributes.body
When processing information, there are three stages. The first stage is identifying the stimulus, which is when a person senses a stimulus and identifies it. The second stage is response selection, which is when which is when a person decides how to react to the stimulus. The third stage is response programming, which is when the response is prepared and acted upon. These three stages can be explained by one of my personal stories of deer hunting.

It was the second day of the gun deer hunting season. On a brisk November morning, I decided to go hunting with my dad. We got in the stand when it was still dark, so I sat down and relaxed for a little while. A little later, when the sun was just coming up, my dad noticed a large deer about 200 yards away. He motioned me to slowly get up and told me there was a very nice deer far away in the marsh. My dad was looking through the scope and noticed the massive buck. I could hear the excitement in his voice as he told me. This process of sensing the deer by hearing it moving through the marsh and seeing a figure in the distance, along with identifying the deer as a large buck, is the stimulus identification stage.

Next, my dad asked if I was comfortable with shooting the buck once I got a better shot. I happily agreed to this, so he handed me the gun. I was extremely nervous and excited at the same time. I began shaking a little just thinking about everything. This is part of the second stage, response selection, since both my dad and I decided how to react to the stimulus: we wanted to shoot the buck because it was a huge deer.

The deer started walking into the opposite direction and I was worried I wouldn't get a good shot. It took a lot of patience, but the buck got freaked out from something in the willow brush, which caused it to run the opposite direction towards our hunting stand. Then, the buck stopped right in the perfect spot for me to shoot it. Right in the opening, broadside, I put my eye in the scope, aimed right behind the buck's shoulder, and knocked it right down from where it was standing. It was a exceptional feeling of relief and happiness that I was able to kill the deer and know I didn't miss. This whole process of preparing to shoot by generating the movement of looking through the scope and aiming, as well as telling my muscles to move the gun and pull the trigger, all symbolize the response programming stage.

Below is a picture of the massive buck I shot, as explained in the scenario above. Using the three stages of information processing, I was able to identify the deer as a nice buck, decide I was going to take a shot at it, and prepare myself to physically pull the trigger to kill the deer. This was a very enjoyable and memorable day.

# data[].attributes.headline
Finger Dexterity: Fixing and Adjusting Glasses

# data[].attributes.subject
Finger Dexterity: Fixing and Adjusting Glasses

# data[].attributes.body
My career plan is to become an optometrist, also known as an eye doctor. I have been working at my hometown eye clinic for the past three years. During my first couple of years, I worked as a technician, so I screened patients for the first part of their eye exam. This was a very educational, enlightening, and enjoyable experience because I got to learn a lot about different eye diseases and conditions. I also liked meeting and working with a lot of people. While I still help on the technician side sometimes, this summer I have been primarily learning the optical side of an eye care practice.

Just like working as a technician, working on the optical side is extremely interesting and informative. With this new experience, I have learned a lot of information about prescriptions, glasses, and contacts. I also have been taught some important tips for fixing and adjusting eyeglasses. The funny thing is, this is probably one of the more complicated things I have to do.

Fixing and adjusting glasses can be challenging at times because there are so many small components to a pair of glasses. Some parts include tiny screws, nose pads, temples, and lenses. There are numerous times where a patient or customer comes in and needs their glasses fixed or adjusted. Learning how to perform all of these small and particular tasks is actually a lot to know. First of all, it depends on the type of glasses. There are rimless, full metal frames, and full zyl frames, to name a few. All of these different glasses are manufactured differently, so sometimes it is difficult to figure out the correct way to fix or adjust the glasses. There are several different tools available to fix glasses too, so I have to know which is the correct one to use for each task. I also have to be extremely careful in performing these tasks since I especially don't want to break a person's glasses.

I learned quickly that fixing and adjusting glasses takes a great deal of finger dexterity. This can be defined as the ability to make controlled and skillful manipulations of tiny objects. This type of ability is classified as a perceptual motor ability. To have good finger dexterity, a person must have great coordination and be able to perform the task at a generally quick rate. It takes a lot of concentration, small movements of the fingers, and attention to detail. Learning how to fix and adjust glasses was initially complicated and frustrating for me, especially when it was so easy for my coworkers. With working in the optical department for a few months now, I am becoming more and more skilled at fixing and adjusting glasses. My finger dexterity has improved and I am now becoming a much better optician.

Below is a picture of an optician fixing a frame. This task requires finger dexterity because the fingers have to move quickly and make small adjustments to the frame.

# data[].attributes.body
One of my hobbies is weightlifting. There are several benefits to weightlifting, such as increasing strength, building muscle mass, and increasing the ability to do more physical work. One of my favorite types of weightlifting exercises is the bench press. It works several different muscle groups, including pectoral muscles, deltoids, biceps, triceps, and the latissimus dorsi. Bench pressing primarily focuses on upper body strength.

I remember when I first learned how to bench press. I was in seventh grade in a strength and plyometric class. I used to consider this exercise a weakness of mine, but over the years, I have improved my form and built up my strength. Now, I bench press a lot at home and at gyms.

One of the best parts about weightlifting, and in this case bench pressing, is there are many different types of reps that can be performed. An individual can perform longer and slower reps to focus on toning their muscles. Another possibility is maxing out with the heaviest weight possible to focus on bulking and building more muscle gain. This type of bench pressing that includes using maximal force and weights is a great example of static strength.

Static strength is a type of physical proficiency ability that is defined as "the ability to exert a force against an extremely heavy weight or a fairly immovable object". Maxing out on a bench press includes using a lot of energy and effort. When doing this, a person exerts a large force and uses all the strength they have to lift an extremely heavy weight. Static strength is beneficial because it allows a person to improve their strength and stamina in a short period of time.

Here is a picture of a person performing a maximal lift on the bench press. This picture is representing a real-life example of static strength.

# data[].attributes.body
I began playing volleyball when I was in sixth grade. Neither my middle school nor my high school offered a men's team, so I just played recreationally. For many years, my family and our neighbors would play in the backyard multiple times a week. As time went on and schedules got busier, this eventually stopped happening. For the past few years, my friends and I have been playing a lot of volleyball. We've played sand volleyball, water volleyball, and intramural volleyball. I also have been in a couple of sand tournaments.

Volleyball is a really fun and intense sport. I enjoy playing every position: defensive specialist, setter, and hitter. I haven't always had the greatest hand-eye coordination, but playing volleyball for several years has allowed me to improve this coordination greatly. What I like most about volleyball is the intensity, versatility, and teamwork. It requires a lot of communication and hard work to make sure the ball doesn't hit the ground. I like the challenge of trying to place the ball in a tricky spot as well as deciding how to hit the ball (pass, set, or hit).

Volleyball can be described as an anticipation timing task. With this type of task, "the performer has to monitor the environment and decide when to generate a movement in order to reach the target at the correct time". In this case, the target would be considered the volleyball. Its imperative to be able to time everything out in volleyball. There are two types of anticipation required in order to be successful at a task like this. The first type is receptor anticipation, which is a situation in which a person has to watch and accurately anticipate how long it will take the object to arrive. The second type is effector anticipation, which is a when a person has to accurately anticipate how long it will take for them to perform the right movement prior to making contact with the object at the correct place and time.

Volleyball can be applied to this concept. For example, if the ball was just passed and I am the setter, I have to make sure I am positioned correctly to get to the ball and I have to anticipate how long it will take for the volleyball to reach me. This is receptor anticipation. Then, I have to make sure I have enough time to raise my arms and time it out perfectly for when the ball will be set. This is effector anticipation. Depending on the scenario, this processing has to be done in a matter of seconds or milliseconds, which is why anticipating correctly is crucial in these types of tasks.

If the person anticipates incorrectly and the timing is off, an error will be made. To avoid errors, it is important to understand the relationship between timing accuracy and movement speed. Also known as the temporal speed-accuracy trade-off, it states that accuracy increases as the movement speed increases. This is why its easier for a volleyball player to hit the ball when there is a quick set, versus hitting the volleyball from far away when there is a set at a slower speed.

Below is a picture of me playing in a sand volleyball tournament last summer. This picture demonstrates an anticipation timing task, for in the picture you can see the person anticipating when the ball will arrive and how long it will take to perform the correct movement before touching the ball.

# data[].attributes.body
I used to despise running. I started track in sixth grade and I remember always wanting to run the shortest distances possible or only perform field events. I realized, however, that I was not a very fast sprinter, so I needed to focus on running longer distances if I was going to do some type of running. In seventh grade, I ran the 800 meter run in track. I really disliked it and refused to perform the event in eighth grade track. Right before I started high school, however, I had a few friends convince me to try out for cross country. That decision was one of the best decisions I have ever made and it really changed my life.

During my first unofficial cross country practice, I remember being excited that I ran over two miles without stopping. Over time, I really built up my endurance. Along with the team, we picked up the mileage and began running five, six, and seven mile routes. I began to realize that I actually enjoyed running and I didn't need to be the fastest person to feel like I belonged. This was an excellent feeling, for I continued to improve and push myself to the best of my ability. I began running more long distance in track as well. In the summer, I trained and started making even bigger improvements.

Joining cross country and track changed my whole outlook on running. Over my four years of cross country and track, I improved drastically. I took minutes off my original race times. I went from being one of the slowest guys on the team my freshman year to making varsity my senior year. I won an award for the Most Improved Runner. Today, I still enjoy running. I don't do it as consistently or competitively as I used to, but I still run because it is challenging and an excellent form of cardio exercise. I hope to do a half marathon sometime in the future.

Running is an example of a gross motor skill, which is "a type of skill that requires relatively large musculature in order to produce the action or skill". Less movement precision is needed for gross motor skills compared to fine motor skills because the small muscles are not required for great control. Gross motor skills are classified based on the size of the primary musculature. The reason running is a great example of this is because so many large muscles are involved. Some common large muscles that are used while running are the quadriceps, hamstrings, back, chest, and gluteus. The quadriceps and hamstrings are used to push the runner forward. The back is used to stabilize the upper body. The chest is used when swinging both arms. The gluteus is used to allow the legs to expand in order to increase the runner's stride.

Below is a picture of me running the 3200 meter relay during my senior year of track. I chose this picture to symbolize the gross motor skill of running and because it was one of my last high school sporting events.

# data[].attributes.body
One of my favorite hobbies is biking, which is an excellent form of aerobic exercise. I like both indoor cycling and road biking, however, road biking is my favorite. The reason is because it allows me to explore scenic routes and travel to different places. My dad has been a biking fanatic my entire life. My mom has also been an avid biker for the past ten years. Both of my parent's passion for biking has influenced me, for I have been biking ever since I was little kid. I remember when I first learned how to ride a bike without training wheels. It was one of the best feelings of my life that I will never forget. Over the years, I have gone through a couple of different bikes, but now I use my dad's old racing bike.

My favorite time of the year to bike is in the summer. Most of the time, my mom and I go on bike rides, however, sometimes my whole family goes. We like to bike when we are on vacation because its a great way to explore and be active. I also enjoy biking to my family's cottage, on nature biking trails, and country backroads.

A continuous motor skill can be defined as "a type of skill where the beginning and ending are arbitrary and unpredictable". This type of motor skill is classified based on the distinctness of the movements. Biking is a good example for this because there is no definite start and finish. The motion of a person spinning their legs to propel themselves forward by using the pedals is cadenced and repetitive, so the end of one cycle is the beginning of the next cycle. Also, the cyclist decides how long they want to bike as well as how fast they want to go. All of these factors help classify biking as a continuous motor skill.

Here is a picture of my brother, sister, and myself stopping by the beach after biking in Florida a couple years ago. My family rented bikes for the day and had a great time exploring and touring the Treasure Island area.

# data[].attributes.body
Soccer was a big part of my life for eight years. I really enjoyed playing this sport because it was a good team sport that was very competitive. I played in many different leagues, such as indoor soccer, competitive soccer, and junior leagues. I played a variety of positions, but my primary role was always a fullback, or also known as a defender. I enjoyed playing this position because it was aggressive and required a lot of focus. Even though the ball was not always on our side of the field, it is essential for fullbacks to constantly be paying attention to where the ball is, since its position can change really fast.

Many people consider soccer to be an active, aggressive, and physical sport that requires a lot of skills. While these qualities are true, soccer also requires a great amount of thinking and focus. As I mentioned earlier, this was extremely important for fullbacks. When playing defense in soccer, it is important to be quickly responsive and aware of the surroundings. For this reason, soccer is a great example of the Psychological Refractory Period, or PRP.

The Psychological Refractory Period is "a delay period during which a person seems to put planned action 'on hold' while executing a previously initiated action". This can be applied playing defense in soccer because there are several circumstances that occur. The first step of the PRP is the presentation of the stimulus. In soccer, the stimulus would be the opponent who has the soccer ball. In order to play good defense, I would have to react to what the opponent is doing. For example, if the opponent is facing me, and cuts left, I would have to make a decision by responding to the stimulus. One way I could react is by cutting to the right and trying to steal the ball. A second stimulus may be presented next. I can't respond to the second stimulus, however, until after I respond to the first stimulus. This amount of time between the presentation of the first stimulus and the presentation of the second stimulus is known as stimulus-onset asynchrony (SOA). So, say I am unable to steal the ball after the first stimulus, so I now have to react to the opponent's next move (the second stimulus). Some possibilities are the opponent may try to pass the ball to another teammate, may try to dribble past me, or could try to score a goal. I have to react accordingly, but as the PRP states, my reaction to the second stimulus can't occur until after I respond to the first stimulus.

Below is an image of a defender (#28) reacting to a stimulus (player from Qatar with soccer ball). I chose this image because it symbolizes a soccer defender during the psychological refractory period.

# data[].attributes.body
Throughout my life, I have learned how to play three instruments: the guitar, piano, and tenor saxophone. The instrument in which I found the most challenging and engaging was the piano. My parents encouraged my brother, my sister, and myself to give it a try. When I was in fourth grade, we found a piano instructor that was willing to give us lessons once a week. I still remember the first day of lessons. He brought three sets of books and told us three that we could each pick whatever set of books appealed to us. I remember being excited to learn the piano but I was a little nervous about the lessons.

Learning how to play the piano was a fun, but demanding, task. After learning all about the keys on the piano, I remember playing simple melodies of songs such as "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" and "Yankee Doodle". Once I mastered these beginner melodies, I started moving onto short songs and eventually longer, more complicated songs. I enjoyed expanding my musical knowledge, but my favorite part was playing popular songs I knew prior to playing the piano.

Learning how to play the piano is an excellent example for asymmetric bilateral transfer, which can be defined as "the transfer of learning that occurs between two limbs, where the person learns a skill using one limb before learning it with the contralateral limb". This was exactly how I learned to play the piano. I began by learning how to play with my right hand, which was my dominant hand. Then I learned how to play with my left hand. Finally, I was able to combine playing with both hands, and eventually started to use the pedals.

Bilateral occurs when a non-preferred limb (my left hand) presents a performance increase for a motor skill due to the skill being practiced by the opposite, or preferred, limb (my right hand). My left hand got better at playing the piano since my right hand improved. Learning this way was more beneficial to me because my right hand mastered the technique, then my left hand achieved proficiency, and finally, I was able to use both hands to perform intricate pieces. I believe asymmetric bilateral transfer optimized my ability to have the greatest transfer of learning.

At the bottom is a video of "Yankee Doodle", which was the song I memorized and performed for my first piano recital. It is one of the few songs I still have memorized on the piano (for it is pretty simple).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Play "Yankee Doodle" (Easy Difficulty) on Piano / Piano & Solfege - Key of C