Does Education Make you Happy?

While we all know that correlation does not imply causality, the strong correlation between level of education and subjective feeling of well-being is certainly interesting. Check out the following blog post and take a look at the scatter plot of level of eduction vs. happiness.

http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/18/does-education-make-you-happy/?scp=10&sq=happiness&st=cse

Does education cause happiness? Does happiness lead to more education? Are there 3rd or 4th variables which cause both happiness and a higher level of eduction?

What do you think?

Framing... it's all in how you ask the question

"As the Obama administration proposes repealing the policy known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” a new New York Times/CBS News poll finds that a majority of the public support allowing openly gay men and women to serve in the military.

There’s less support, however, for allowing homosexuals to serve openly.

Confused?"

See the rest of the story at the New York Times politics blog.

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/11/new-poll-shows-support-for-repeal-of-dont-ask-dont-tell/

Cognition Assignment - Notes due 2/8 and 2/9

Unit 8: Cognition and Language

Reading assignments:

Bernstein Text Chapter 8 Pp. 275-319

Notes Check Pp. 275-319 due 2/08(b-day), 2/09(a-day)

Flash Cards due 2/08 and 2/09

Study Guide exercises due 2/16 and 2/17

Read and take Cornell Notes

1. Skim quickly – pay attention to headings, photos etc. - PREDICT

2. Go back and take your notes.

a. Make sure each heading and subheading is in your notes

b. Make sure you write at least a main idea for each one

c. Make sure all “boxed” definitions are in your notes

d. Draw all important diagrams and label them.

e. Make note of any examples or mnemonics that will help you

3. Carefully read the summary at the end of the chapter and add key information to your notes.

4. Check that you organized your notes to create a new web of meaning in your brain. How are your synapses doing?

Bernstein Study Guide Chapter 8 Pp. Starts on P. 229

(You will be graded for completing and correcting them, not for how many you got right.)

1. Skim outline and key terms: Pp. 229- 238– Make sure you know underlined terms and that they are in your notes. -- Note examples and mnemonics

2. On a separate sheet, do Fill-In-The-Blanks on P. 238 Write the questionand answer it without looking at the book or your notes. Then check your answers. For each wrong answer, write the correct answer and be sure the information is in your notes.

3. Make flashcards of all KEY TERMS – They must have pictures and/or examples in your own words or they won’t count.

4. Do BOTH multiple choice sample quizzes that start on P. 242. Do quiz 1 first check and correct it, review the notes then do quiz 2 and check it. - IF YOU GOT IT WRONG, you MUST write the correct answer and why you picked the wrong one. What were you thinking, how can you change your thinking to LEARN the material.

UNIT QUIZ on 2/16 (a) and 2/17 (b)

Memory Links

The following links will give you more information and insight into the story of H.M. and his anterograde amnesia as well as the controversial implications of the fallibility of eye-witness testimony. There is also a link which provides a great mnemonic device for remembering the 13 colonies which will give you an idea of how to create excellent mnemonics for yourself.

National Public Radio (NPR) story about H.M.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7584970

New York Times (NYT) Obituary of H.M.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/05/us/05hm.html?_r=1

Hartford Courant story about studying H.M.’s brain

http://www.courant.com/health/hc-hm-brain-internet-1129.artnov29,0,976422,full.story

Frontline Documentary “What Jennifer Saw” about mistaken eye-witness ID.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/dna/

Interview with Elizabeth Loftus concerning eye-witness testimony

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/dna/interviews/loftus.html

Psychology Today article about Elizabeth Loftus

http://faculty.washington.edu/eloftus/Articles/psytoday.htm

Mnemonics – 13 colonies and more

http://www.visualspatial.org/Articles/vsstrengths.htm

Yet another way to predict Alzehimer's

We already learned that whether or not a person can be conditioned to blink their eye when a light flashes is an predictor of Alzheimer's Disease...

UCS = Puff of air UCR = Blink
NS = Light Flash No response
CS= Light Flash CR = Blink



Now there is another way to predict this type of dementia through the eyes.

http://topnews.us/content/29904-eye-doctor-will-now-diagnose-alzheimer-s-disease

The identity of Little Albert has been uncovered

This article on the APA website describes how some college students figured out who "Little Albert" really was.

http://www.apa.org/monitor/2010/01/little-albert.aspx

Unfortunately we don't know if is fear of furry things lasted beyond Watson's research.

How to make your AP Psych blog for those who still have not done so!!!

Look at the original assignment that I posted last June.

http://cantorsappsychologyblog.blogspot.com/2009_06_01_archive.html

Mr. C