For our first course discussion, I’d like you to share a song that holds a special place in your heart. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Choose Your Favorite Song: Pick a song that you love and that brings back a specific memory for you.

2. Upload the Song: Go to our Padlet page and upload the song. If you can’t upload the song directly, you can share a link to it (e.g., from YouTube, Spotify, etc.).

3. Share Your Memory: On our class discussion board, write a brief post about the memory you associate with this song. It could be anything—a moment from your childhood, a special event, or just a time when this song made you feel a certain way.

Here are a few questions to guide your post:

• What is the name of the song and the artist?

• Why is this song special to you?

• What memory does this song bring back for you?

• How does this song make you feel when you listen to it now?

Feel free to be as detailed as you like. I’m looking forward to hearing your stories and discovering some new music!

Be sure to add your name to ensure you get credit for your post*

This week we will discuss the biology of the brain and how that impacts our behavior. In the spirit of football season, and the new Aaron Hernandez series on Peacock, I would like to explore the interesting case of the worst CTE ever seen in a man of Hernandez's age. Please read the article below, and then respond on the course Padlet page. Be sure that your initial response is a minimum of 300 words, and to earn full credit you must post two responses to your peers throughout the course week (100-word minimum response). I look forward to our discussion!

Article: Aaron Hernandez’s CTE was unusually severe, doctor says | CNN

Prompt:

Aaron Hernandez, a former NFL star, was diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) after his death. Dr. Ann McKee and her team at Boston University found significant brain damage in Hernandez, which was unusual for someone his age. Hernandez had stage 3 CTE, with damage typically seen in much older individuals. This diagnosis has raised questions about the impact of CTE on his actions and mental health.

Discussion Points:

1. Understanding CTE: What is chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and how does it affect the brain?

2. Hernandez’s Diagnosis: What were the specific findings in Aaron Hernandez’s brain, and how did they compare to typical cases of CTE?

3. Behavioral Impact: How might CTE have influenced Hernandez’s behavior and decision-making?

4. Legal and Ethical Considerations: What are the implications of CTE diagnoses in legal cases involving violent behavior?

5. Preventative Measures: What steps can be taken to prevent CTE in contact sports, and how can athletes be better protected?

6. Research and Future Directions: How can Hernandez’s case contribute to the overall understanding of CTE and its prevention?

This week our focus is on sensation and perception; both highly fascinating topics objectively speaking. A key area of research includes the experience of split-brain patients who were surgically treated for epilepsy by cutting their brains, essentially, in half. The genius in this treatment was that it cured epileptic seizures in children. However, there were side effects that later revealed themselves as these patients began to grow up. 

Please read the posted video, and then add a post to the course Padlet page. Ensure that your initial response is a minimum of 300 words; to earn full credit, you must post two responses to your peers throughout the course week (100-word minimum response). I look forward to our discussion!

Discussion prompt:

After watching the video, please provide three ideas from the video that made an impression on you. They can be any three things that stand out to you in the film. You are also encouraged to provide a list of questions that you may have after viewing the video clip.

Again, I look forward to the conversation 🙂

This week we’re diving into Chapter 5: States of Consciousness, which covers a wide range of fascinating topics—from sleep and dreams to hypnosis, meditation, and the effects of psychoactive drugs.

For your discussion requirement, I encourage you to explore any of the following areas and bring your insights, questions, or reflections to the conversation:

💤 Sleep & Dreams

🧠 Psychoactive Drugs

🌀 Hypnosis & Meditation

🌙 Dream Theories

💊 Opioid Crisis & Treatment

🌞 Circadian Rhythms

To help you get started, I’ve curated and attached a list of videos and articles that illustrate these topics in real-world contexts.

Looking forward to your thoughtful contributions!

Today we will be exploring the basic elements of learning. Understanding the difference between Classical & Operant conditioning can be a confusing exploration. To supplement this weeks work in McGraw Hill Connect I posted a breakdown of the two concepts to get more practice.

Please read the posted article, and then add a post to the course Padlet page. Ensure that your initial response is a minimum of 300 words; to earn full credit, you must post two responses to your peers throughout the course week (100-word minimum response).

I look forward to the conversation!

This week is all about memory and the errors that can cause us to misremember things. Those things include interference (proactive & retroactive), failure to encode, amnesia, and even the way we are asked what we remember.

The attached Ted Talk (I love Ted!) discusses the curious ways that our memory is impacted, how memories can be implanted, and false memories among other interesting tid bits.

Please watch the posted video, and then add a post to the course Padlet page with your general thoughts about the topic. Ensure that your initial response is a minimum of 300 words; to earn full credit, you must post two responses to your peers throughout the course week (100-word minimum response). I look forward to our discussion!

Please now take the time to find your own example of motivation in film. Please upload your own movie trailer, and provide your analysis guided by the questions below:

For each theory of motivation, provide an example from the film and explain how it applies:

• Instinct Theory:

  • Example:

  • Explanation:

• Drive-Reduction Theory:

  • Example:

  • Explanation:

• Arousal Theory:

  • Example:

  • Explanation:

• Incentive Theory:

  • Example:

  • Explanation:

• Cognitive Theory (Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic):

  • Example of Intrinsic Motivation:

  • Explanation:

  • Example of Extrinsic Motivation:

  • Explanation:

• Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs:

  • Choose a character and describe how their actions reflect their progression (or lack thereof) through Maslow's hierarchy.

  • Needs Demonstrated (with examples):

    • Physiological Needs:

    • Safety Needs:

    • Love and Belongingness:

    • Esteem Needs:

    • Self-Actualization:

As you get ready to write your literature review for PSYC 2301, it’s important to think critically about the process of selecting, evaluating, and synthesizing research. Let’s use this space to reflect and share strategies.

Prompt Questions:

1. Share the psychology topic you are considering (or one you might be interested in exploring). Why does it interest you, and how might it connect to your future career or personal goals?

2. What challenges do you anticipate when searching for and evaluating scholarly articles (e.g., finding enough sources, understanding methodology, identifying gaps)?

3. Based on the assignment guidelines, what do you think will be the most important skill for success in this project—organization, critical analysis, or something else? Explain your reasoning.

4. After reading the assignment description, what questions do you still have about expectations, APA formatting, or the writing process?

✅ Participation Requirements

• To earn full credit:

• Post one initial response to the discussion prompt (minimum 300 words).

  • Post two responses to your peers throughout the course week (minimum 100 words each).

I'm excited to introduce you to the field of positive psychology. I started my teaching career at another university, teaching this topic, and I love the concept of viewing psychology through the lens of happiness.

In the past, psychology often focused on what goes wrong—mental illness, trauma, and suffering. Positive psychology takes a refreshing, complementary approach: it's the scientific study of what makes life most worth living.

It's about understanding the strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to thrive. Instead of just fixing problems, we explore concepts like:

• Happiness and well-being

• Personal strengths and resilience

• Optimism and positive emotions

Essentially, it's about shifting the focus from 'getting people from minus ten to zero' to 'getting people from zero to plus ten.' It offers practical ways to build a richer, more fulfilling life.

Please read the posted article, and then add a post to the course Padlet page with your general thoughts about the topic.

Try to identify at least 3 things that stand out to you, and why.

Ensure that your initial response is a minimum of 300 words; to earn full credit, you must post two responses to your peers throughout the course week (100-word minimum response). I look forward to our discussion!

Abnormal psychology is the scientific study of unusual patterns of behavior, emotion, and thought, which may or may not be understood as precipitating a mental disorder. It asks big questions:

What does it mean to be ‘normal’? How do cultural, biological, and psychological factors shape mental health? And how do we classify and treat disorders in a way that helps rather than harms? This week, we’ll examine these questions through multiple lenses—medical, cognitive, sociocultural—and explore the major categories of disorders outlined in the DSM-5-TR.

After, viewing the attached video please address the following questions with your initial response:

Ethics and Empathy

1. Dyshae mentions strategies for interacting with others. How do these strategies reflect the core traits of ASPD?

2. Should society treat individuals with ASPD differently than those with other mental health disorders? Why or why not?

3. How can empathy be fostered toward individuals diagnosed with ASPD without excusing harmful behavior?

I look forward to hearing your responses!