Dear Students:
Please click the links below to download either the Stress Scale for Youth, or the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (for adults). Both are designed to provide you with insight into your level of stress, and help you decide whether it's time to take steps to cope better. Keep in mind that we can be under great stress and not even notice it, so don't assume that you'll know when you're at risk.
Dear Students:
CLICK HERE to take an introspective measure that will allow you to test whether you fit into the category of Type A or Type B personality. This test consists of 10 pairs of sentences, and should take approximately 2 to 3 minutes to complete.
More information on Type A and Type B personalities can be found HERE.
Enjoy!
-- Sheldon
Dear Students:
CLICK HERE to be whisked away to Discovery Health's web site to take an Emotional Intelligence test. As discussed in class, such tests purport to measure your ability to:
1. know your emotions
2. manage your emotions
3. motivate yourself
4. recognize emotions in others, and
5. handle relationships.
For more information Emotional Intelligence (including the criticisms), CLICK HERE.
Dear Students:
Click the link below to read an interesting article from Skeptic about research on nonhuman primate communication. For decades we've heard conflicting reports about efforts to teach chimps and gorillas (and sometimes orangutans) to "talk" using sign language, message boards, and other means. In the early 1970s, the answer seemed to be that it was possible that they might actually have the capacity to express themselves on something approaching a human level of communication. Since that time, the research has been criticized in terms of its methods, research design, conclusions and, in some cases, even its very authenticity!.
As we will discuss, one of the world's leading researchers in Memory is a psychologist named Elizabeth Loftus. Professor Loftus has published hundreds of articles, reporting the results of work with tens of thousands of subjects' memories. The big lesson from this research is that memory production is "constructive" and malleable. It is not a perfect reproduction of the experience, as many people assume.
Dr. Loftus has been a consultant, or testified, in hundreds of criminal cases that involve memory-based testimony, leading to a great interest in her work, but also a good deal of backlash and hate because she stands up for the truth, even with unpopular defendants (e.g., Harvey Weinstein).
CLICK HERE to listen to my ShelShocked Podcast episode on memory, which includes an interview with Elizabeth Loftus!
Continue reading "Remember The Lessons of Elizabeth Loftus..." »
Perhaps no better example of the success of B.F. Skinner, the training of kamikaze pigeons in Project Orcon in the 1940s and 1950s showed how Operant Conditioning could be used in some of the most extreme conditions imaginable. In it, Skinner shaped the behavior of the birds so well that they could actually guide missiles toward their target (ultimately killing the birds, of course, but they didn't know that).
CLICK HERE to be taken to a website that covers the project in detail, including strategic blueprints, as well as a short video clip that explains its history and problems.
Dear Students:
CLICK HERE to be taken to a story about a young boy with the rare disorder "Congenital Insensitivity to Pain with Anhydrosis" (CIPA) a 
condition that leaves him unable to feel pain, or to regulate his body heat.
Dear Psychology Students: 
Click here to read an article on the creation of the "Mosquito Noise," a 17 kilohertz sound file that was created to discourage young "troublemakers" from hanging out in front of stores, in construction zones, or in other places that they are creating trouble or putting themselves in danger.
Its genius lies in the fact that, generally speaking, only those under the age of about 25 can hear the noise (which I understand is quite shrill and annoying). Presumably, those over 25 years of age are less likely to make trouble, and can go about their business in a mature fashion. It may seem a bit "age-ist" and discriminatory, but initial reports are that it seems to work better than constantly calling the police.
In an interesting side note, clever youth have begun to download this file as a "silent" ring tone for their cell phones, allowing them to receive calls without the "old folks" knowing it. In the game between Youth and Age, I'd say the score is a 1:1 tie, then.
To download file, click below.
CLICK HERE to read a New York Times report about Miracle Fruit (Synsepalum dulcificum), the tiny fruit that "tricks your tongue." Although its active ingredient, miraculin, is still being studied, the experience has been enjoyed by millions around the world.
CLICK HERE to be taken to a wonderful web site full of illusion
s that will test your perceptive abilities and make you better aware of just how the brain's perceptive abilities work (and don't work) to give us a sense of the world around us. For a preview of such wonders, click the image to the right and stare at it for a moment. Although your brain may tell you otherwise, I promise it's not actually moving.
At least, that's what the proponents of BackMasking would have you believe. This phenomenon is not only predicated upon the belief that we can be affected by subliminal input, but even more outlandishly, that we can be affected by BACKWARD subliminal input.
Continue reading "Sensation, Perception, and the Backmasking Craze..." »
ASOC Need-Based Grant
Are you looking for a way to help pay for your college expenses? Here is your chance!
Apply for the ASOC Need-Based Grant, brought to you by your student government, in collaboration with the Ohlone College Foundation. This grant is ope to ALL Ohlone College students (no residency requirement).
Follow these 4 easy steps today:
Sadly, most of our education lacks a thorough review the contributions of gay men and women in our curriculum (the way such is, thankfully, done for Chicano and African American History).
Until this is done, I offer the following information for my students.
Dear Students:
Please CLICK HERE to be taken to the home page of The Kinsey Institute for Sex, Gender and Reproduction. Once there, you can learn about the institute, its founder, and the ongoing research being conducted.
The life story of David Reimer is a fact that reads like fiction. It regards one of the most personal and mysterious aspects of human life: gender. The detailes of the story were recently released in a book by John Colapinto, "As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised As a Girl."
Continue reading "David Reimer - The Boy Who Was Raised As a Girl..." »
Dear Students:
One of the oldest debates in the social scientists is something we call "Nature vs. Nurture." In it, scientists present arguments about whether (and/or to what degree) certain behaviors are the result of our biology, or are learned.
For the most part, this is a professional guessing game. To some degree, comparisons of adopted children can answer these questions since it can be assumed that the similarity in their behavior to their adopted family members is likely learned, since they share no genes with them.
Dear Students,
Because our text book is lacking a bit in its coverage of Daydreaming and Meditation, I decided to find a couple of resources to give you more information.
Download Daydreaming - Price-Mitchell (2016) to read research on the creative benefits of daydreaming. Although most of us think of daydreaming as a sign that a person is unfocused and unruly, this research seems to suggest that there can be a purpose for this altered state of consciousness.
CLICK HERE to visit a website that discusses research on meditation, and how scientists are beginning to unlock the emotional and even physical benefits of this altered state of consciousness.
Have you ever wished for a better memory? I think it's a very common (perhaps ubiquitous) human desire. Many might even go so far as to envy those who have "perfect recall," the ability to store and retrieve nearly every experience, fact, thought, etc.
As with many such cases, however, the reality of perfect recall, often a result of Hyperthymesia, is far from the rosy picture many of us imagine. The case of Jill Price (The Woman Who Can't Forget) illustrates this quite well. Studied by researchers for years, always under a pseudonym, Price has marveled memory specialists with her ability to recite dates and facts down to the smallest detail, with little or no error. She even corrects entries in encyclopedias and other authoritative sources.
CLICK HERE to read a report about this fascinating woman, and watch the embedded video for additional details about how this "gift" can also carry a "curse."
Click the video below to watch a short documentary about Jill and her life history.
Dear General Psychology Students:
Please click the links below to download the Sleep Debt Measure and the KEY which will allow you 
More information on the importance of sleep can be accessed by clicking HERE.
Download ch_06_sleep_debt_measure.doc
Download ch_06_sleep_debt_key.doc
Since insomnia is often discussed as a possible cause of poor sleep hygiene, I offer the fact sheet below to help you understand the various diagnoses, effects, and possible treatments for this serious problem.
Dear Students:
In 2010, I was honored to receive an invitation to become part of a collaborative effort to educate the public about the importance of sleep. This group, now called the Stanford Sleepwell So
ciety, operates under the auspices of one of the biggest names in sleep research, Stanford University professor/researcher William C. Dement, MD, PhD.
In a previous semester, several members of the Ohlone Psychology Club and some of my other students attended a talk by Dr Dement.
Continue reading "William C. Dement - World's Leading Sleep Researcher..." »
Dear Students:
Please click the link below to download the sheet explaining how to access and use Canvas and ConferZoom video conferencing.
Download Welcome Letter and Remote Instruction Information
It is with a heavy heart that I inform you tonight of the passing of my dear friend, and friend of the college, Magda Brown, who passed away late last night. She had been hospitalized for some time due to a recent injury, and at the age of 93, it was more than her body could take.
Magda visited Ohlone College on several occasions, and was one of the most popular guests in our Ohlone Psychology Club Speaker Series. A survivor of the Holocaust, she devoted the past several decades of her life to fighting against the rise in Holocaust denial around the world, and to spreading her message of love and acceptance to everyone she met. She was a tireless educator, and her calendar was always incredibly packed, sending her traveling to schools, colleges and universities, church groups, mosques, temples, and public auditoriums of all sorts, making clear in each of her talks, “I do not tell you to hate, or not to hate. All I ask is this: think before you do so. Always think.”
James Randi's reputation as a magician and escape artist is a matter of world renown. Although he occasionally still performs small feats, most of his current efforts involve his work as a tireless investigator and demystifier of paranormal and pseudoscientific claims. Utilizing a keen scientific mind, Randi - as he prefers to be called - examines claims of paranormal powers and activities all over the world.
A few years ago, I was asked by the James Randi Educational Foundation to contribute to part of their educational efforts. The result of this collaboration was three chapters in their e-book, "Magic in the Classroom." In it, I wrote chapters on the following topics:
Click here to visit the download page where you can get a FREE copy in multiple formats.
Dear Students:
Many of you laughed when I mentioned the Flat Earth Society in class (and it is, indeed, laughable). But believe me, I'm not kidding. There are litereally thousands of otherwise normal, everyday folks around the world who believe that our planet is flat.
This view of the world is ancient, and derives from staggering ignorance. Even Christopher Columbus knew that the world was a sphere (regardless of the children's tale that says otherwise). To find people who believed this, you'd have to go back much further than the 1400s. In fact, it was the Greek philosopher Pythagoras who first proposed a spherical Earth in the 6th century (the 500s)!
CLICK HERE to read a report about the Flat Earthers and their ridiculous beliefs. Then, consider what other beliefs people hold (homophobia, Creationism, sexism, anti-GMO, racial superiority, vaccine denial), as well as any that you yourself may hold that aren't supported by the facts.
I'm pleased to announce that my long-awaited podcast has finally aired. Each week, my co-host Amanda DeVaus (from the Australian Skeptics) will cover a different topic from science or skepticism, and feature interviews from famous scientists, authors, critical thinkers, etc.
NOW AVAILABLE in the iTunes store! Just search for "ShelShocked," then subscribe so that episodes will download automatically each week FREE.
CLICK HERE to join our Facebook fan page where each new episode will post, and related information can be found.
In addition, you can listen to (or download) episodes directly from my website HERE.
Dear Students:
I'm happy to report that Operation Bumblebee (San Jose) was a rousing success. Several of us to took part have written up articles about the experience, and some are already taking part in podcast interviews to spread the word. In addition to tricking self-described psychic Chip Coffey into connecting with our fake dead relatives, we also hoped to spark skeptical activism in our community. When you have a moment, click the link below to read (or listen to) my take on the evening. It was an emotionally exhausting experience, but very gratifying, nonetheless.
CLICK HERE to read a report of the evening's events (also available in audio format on that page). We have some interest from several major publications and a TV show, and I'll keep you posted about those as they develop.
Stay skeptical!
