AP Psych: Eyewitness Testimony video

Part One: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4852659n

Part Two: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4852677n

AP Psych: Memory Lab

First, some games:

http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/cardtr.htm

Next, visit http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/games/memory-game and play one or two of the games.

OR

http://www.thepcmanwebsite.com/media/simon/

Don't spend more than five minutes playing games.

Don't be sheepish...visit this site: http://www.exploratorium.edu/memory/braindissection/index.html and read through the text. (Thanks, K.O.)

Now, visit http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2007/11/memory/brain-interactive. Read through all of the content under each of the three tabs. On a piece of paper, answer the following prompts. (Click here for a Word doc with these questions.)

Making Memories: What synonym for "sensory memory" does this page use? What synonym for "short-term memory"?

Storing Memories: On what part of our brain do our habits and motor skills rely?

Forgetting: Write down one interesting fact you learned on the "Normal Aging" page.
What are the symptoms of moderate Alzheimer's Disease? To what part of the brain has it spread?

Next, visit http://bcs.worthpublishers.com/myers7e/content/psychsim/chapter08.htm

Stop at the "Paired Associates" task. It's not worth your time.

If time remains, read the article at http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2007/11/memory/foer-text

World History: Thanks for checking this blog!

Here are the words from today's brainstorm, in no particular order: The Middle East, swine flu, landfills, immigration, smog, poverty, population boom, the divide between rich and poor, China, India, city life, entrepreneurs, unemployment.

Your homework for tomorrow is to think about these two questions:
*Which of these current-day topics are most interesting to you?
*What makes them interesting?

AP Psych: tonight's Homework

Go back through Chapter 9 (or your notes) and find eight different and explain HOW they apply to the playing of the game Taboo.

All AP Psych classes meet in Lab 321 tomorrow. Feel free to e-mail me a link to a good memory-related website that I might include for tomorrow's lesson.

Peace.

World History: Webquest Sites

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/launch_gms_cotton_millionaire.shtml

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/launch_gms_muck_brass.shtml

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/launch_gms_victorian_dress.shtml

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/launch_gms_womens_rights.shtml

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/victorian_britain/

AP Psych: I Told You Positive Reinforcement is Better!

http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-43701020091105

AP Psych: Schedules of Reinforcement practice

http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~mdlee/Teaching/OCexercise2.html

World History: Essay Assignment

In a clear, coherent and well-planned essay, respond to the following question:

Was Napoleon a child of revolution, or did he overturn its ideals?

Requirements:
*Use “5 paragraph” essay format: introduction with thesis statement, supporting paragraphs (3 or 4, each with clear topic sentences) and a conclusion.
*Clearly argue for ONE side of the question above. Make a strong argument.
*Include a title that suggests what you will argue. (Not Napoleon Argumentative Essay.)
*Use Times New Roman or Arial font, 12 point, double-spaced with one-inch margins
*Proofread your work before submitting. Careless grammar and spelling errors only detract from the quality of your final draft.
*Cite any reliable outside sources.

Notes on the thesis statement:
*It states what you will attempt to prove in your essay.
*It should be strong, powerful and direct.

Other notes on writing:
*Your introductory paragraph can contain introductory material (about what the revolution stood for, about what Napoleon stood for, or how he came to power). However, be sure to make it relevant to your essay.
*Your conclusion should wrap up the thesis statement and not bring up new points.
*Paragraphs should relate clearly to your thesis and should not have any extra topics within it.
*Do not use “I,” “me,” “we,” or “you.” State your thesis then prove it with examples

Friday, November 6; Out of 50 points

Grading Rubric:
*Thesis Statement is present, clear, and coherent – it answers the question posed above and provides direction for the essay.
*Information used/cited is accurate and relevant (used to prove the thesis, not simply included to add length.
*Ideas are detailed, well developed and clearly explained.
*Writing is fluid with no grammar and spelling errors – sentence structure is varied and transitions between paragraphs/ topics are smooth.
*Formatting is correct.
*Final essay shows effort, understanding of material, and completeness.

AP Psych: Learning Webquest

You will be doing this in class, not from home.

Go to http://nobelprize.org/educational_games/medicine/pavlov/

Click Play Pavlov’s Dog game. Can you condition the pooch to salivate?

Go to http://www.ar.cc.mn.us/biederman/courses/p1110/examples1.htm

Read through at least three of the examples. Then click the link for Set 2 at the bottom of the page. Follow the instructions at the top of this next page.

Go to http://www.worthpublishers.com/myers5e/content/psychsim/

Click the “Operant Conditioning” link. Then, click “Reinforcement” on the next page. Click next as you finish each page.

Go to http://psych.athabascau.ca/html/prtut/reinpair.htm

Read through at least two of the examples. Then, click “On to the practice exercise” at the bottom of the page. (Don’t worry if you answer incorrectly; these are tough!)


Ready for a quiz?
Try http://allpsych.com/tests/psychology/learning.html

If there’s time, visit https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/

You’ll need to register with an e-mail address (valid or not). Then, click on the Demonstration link.

AP Psych: Behavior Modification Program

In class, we have discussed (or will discuss) a number of methods for altering undesirable behavior or increasing desirable behavior. In this project, you will design and implement a self-modification program based on the principles of learning.

This project consists of five steps:
1. Choosing a behavior
2. Observing and recording a baseline of the behavior (4 days)
3. Designing a behavior modification program
4. Implementing the program
5. Writing a brief paper

You will turn in:
*a histogram (see below)
*a 2-page explanation of your program and its effectiveness


STEP 1: Choose a Behavior
Select a simple behavior of yours the frequency of which you would like to increase or decrease. Examples of behaviors worthy of increasing include picking up trash, petting the dog, or giving compliments. Behaviors such as punctuating sentences with “okay?” or “you know,” biting your nails, or watching TV should be decreased. I will only read ten Facebook-related papers this year; if you plan to decrease the amount of time you spend on FB, e-mail me first for my approval.


STEP 2: Observe and Record a Baseline
Before you can begin a behavior modification program, you must determine the normal rate of the behavior you want to change and the conditions under which it appears. This process is called establishing a baseline.

A baseline provides a control condition against which you can compare the effects of whatever training method you choose. It also provides information about the possible motivation and discriminative cues that control the behavior. This information is important when designing an effective program.

Typically, observation and recording are done by someone other than the subject, in part because observation of your own behavior can change the behavior and distort the baseline. For our purposes, self-observation is acceptable.

Establish your baseline by recording and charting your chose behavior for at least four days. Behaviors can be recorded by frequency or duration. Choose the method that seems appropriate for your chosen behavior. For example, if the behavior is the habit of saying “you know,” you will want to record how many times you say it in the course of conversation. If the behavior is TV watching, you will want to record in minutes or hours per day. You will also need to consider whether the behavior is particular to a situation or more generalized.

For the greatest reliability, you should record the behavior as it occurs, rather than store the data mentally until the end of the day. (Perhaps you could carry a pen and pad with you, or make a note in your cell phone.) Be sure to note the circumstances under which the behavior occurred.

Plot your baseline data on a histogram (bar graph) with “Day” on the x-axis and “Frequency (or Duration) of behavior” on the y-axis.


STEP 3: Design a Behavior Modification Program
Design a program to change our chosen behavior that incorporates the behavioral principles in this chapter. Think carefully about why you are choosing a particular method or methods, and not other methods.

STEP 4: Implement the Program
Implement the program over a 3-day period. Observe and chart any changes in your behavior. Plot this data on your histogram.

STEP 5: Write your Paper
Write a 2-page paper (12-point Times font, double-spaced) in which you do the following:

Describe the behavior under the baseline condition. Mention any discriminative stimuli you observed and types and/or schedules of reinforcement. Be sure to demonstrate your ability to apply the concepts discussed in class.

Describe the training program that you designed. Explain how you altered the contingencies controlling the behavior. Make specific references to concepts of classical or operant conditioning (positive/negative reinforcement, schedules, conditioned stimulus, shaping, extinction) where appropriate. Be sure to demonstrate your ability to apply the concepts from the chapter.

Reflect on the effectiveness of your program. How well did it work? Why was it effective or ineffective? What changes might you make to your program?

Be concise. I will not read more than two pages.

Out of 75 points; due Thursday, November 12. (Section 2/1 take note: your class does not meet that day.)