Helms - Ohlone Psychology Blog

William C. Dement - World's Leading Sleep Researcher...

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 Society, 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.

In addition to being an icon within the field of psychology, Dr Dement is a pioneer in Sleep Research, having co-discovered the REM stage of sleep, and worked with none other than Nathaniel Kleitman and Eugene Aserinsky!

Each of us got a copy of Dement's latest book,  and both he and I got a little tired as the night wore on.    : )   

According to Dement, sleep research is the most important field of medicine ever, and lack of sleep affects our lives in countless ways (some of them deadly).  I strongly urge you all to look into his and others' work in this field.  It's not only fascinating, but also enlightening and educational! 

Be sure and check out his book, The Promise of Sleep, which compiles over 50 years of his scientific research into one easy-to-read work.

 

Use the link below to download a Sleep Debt test to see if you're getting enough sleep. Then get a copy of Dr. Dement's book and find out what to do about it.

Download Ch 06 Sleep Debt Measure

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Miracle Fruit!...

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.

The fruit (or the tablets made from freeze dried fruit) has little flavor, it causes your taste buds to experience everything as sugar for about two hours after you slosh one around in your mouth. The tablets don't have much flavor at all, and they're certainly not sweet.  But after your taste buds are exposed to the active chemical, lemons taste like sweet lemonade or tangerines. Strawberries become sweet almost beyond tolerance. And a host of other sour or disgusting foods (e.g., rhubarb) become at least tolerable, if not delicious.

You can purchase the plants, but they are notoriously difficult to grow, and slow to fruit. It's best to purchase the tablets, then invite your friends over and "flavor trip" all night. Suggested foods to serve include:

• lemon slices
• dill pickles
• strawberries
• bananas
• blueberries
• grapefruit
• salt-and-vinegar chips
• Sour Patch Kids gummies
• very small cups of vinegar (it may taste better, but it's still vinegar, so don't drink much!)

Little Albert - The Final Chapter...

One of the best known studies in the history of Behaviorism is that of Little Albert, an infant who was used as a subject by psychologist John B. Watson to study Classical Conditioning.  Although it's shocking to us by today's standards and could never be replicated, these studies answered many questions about the principles of this type of Associative Learning.  Perhaps the most enduring question, however, has been "Who was Little Albert, and what ever happened to him?"

After more than 80 years, that question was finally answered by psychologist Hall Beck.  Click the video below to learn what Beck was finally able to determine.

 

B.F. Skinner and his Kamikaze Pigeons...

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.

Introducing Alfred Kinsey...

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.

 

Afred Kinsey's contribution to the field of Human Sexuality research cannot be understated.  In a time when social norms about sexuality were such that the topic was not discussed, research on human sexual behavior was scant.  Kinsey's nonjudgmental approach and fearless activism in the name of scientific investigation helped us understand our sexuality better, and set the stage for many later researchers such as Masters and Johnson, Sandra Bem, Simon LeVay, J. Michael Bailey, and countless others.

To watch the trailer for the 2004 film "Kinsey," click here.

Discrimination and the Trans Community...

As mentioned in class, the word "transgender" is an umbrella term that covers any individual who expresses (through behavior, mode of dress, etc.) the opposite sex from the one assigned by biology. This includes transsexuals, who are different from the other transgender categories in that the sex they were assigned by nature is the wrong one.  In other words, their "brain sex" is truly who they are, while their bodies represent an incorrect assignment by nature.

Some transsexual men and women choose surgery to alter their bodies in ways that match their true gender, while others don't (for various reasons). As a society, it is our ethical responsibility to learn the proper terminology, to accept trans men and women for who they really are, and I think, to fight for equal protection and respect under the law.

And click the link below to download a one-page description to learn how to speak of, and to, trans people with the proper terminology.

Download Transphobia flier

CLICK HERE to read about the lack of legal protections for people in the Trans Community.

CLICK HERE to learn what you can do to help end discrimination against trans men and women.

 

I'm happy to announce that my friend, Cassandra Cass, is one of the stars of a new reality series called "Strut" on the Oxygen Network. Producer Whoopi Goldberg brings us behind the scenes at the world's first Transgender modeling agency.  Check the trailer below.

Mosquito: The Sound of Silence?...

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.

Download 17KHz.wav

Life Without Pain...

Dear Students:

CLICK HERE to be taken to a story about a young boy with the rare disorder "Congenital Insensitivity to Pain with Anhidrosis" (CIPA) a condition that leaves him unable to feel pain, or to regulate his body heat.

Although we often complain of headaches, toothaches, skinned knees, etc., the truth is, without pain to let us know where we need attention, trouble quickly arises.  The heartbreaking stories of children like this remind us how lucky we are to feel pain from time to time, especially when one considers the fact that these children rarely live to the age of puberty.

If you can bare it, a documentary called "A Life Without Pain" was released in 2005 which follows the lives of three girls with this condition.  It's a moving tribute to the perseverance of these girls and their families, and a call for further research in the hope that we can some day treat or cure the disorder.

Experimental Psychology Course Paper...

Dear EXPERIMENTAL Psychology Students:

As discussed in class, you will be writing a Course Paper for credit. Below is a basic description of what I’m looking for.We will discuss these in class with each other at some point so that everyone can learn about each other’s projects, experiences, successes, failures, etc.

Sensation and Perception...

CLICK HERE to be taken to a wonderful web site full of illusions 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.

Sensation, Perception, and the Backmasking Craze...

They say the devil's in the details, but they never warned us that he may also be lurking in your I-Pod.

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. 

CLICK HERE to be taken to a web site where you can hear excerpts from songs of the accused, played forward and backward.  Numerous music artists throughout the years have been accused of "corrupting America's youth" with messages of death, destruction, suicide, and evil supposedly hidden within their music. 

The best defense against the nonsense of BackMasking lies in how difficult it is to determine what the message is before reading the "reverse lyrics."  An area of the brain responsible for language comprehension (the Wernicke's Area) creates this auditory phenomenon.  Ever on the lookout for input, the Wernicke's Area only needs the slightest suggestion to give us the perception of language.  With an almost endless supply of recordings to search, it is almost certain that a combination of sounds will present themselves that are close enough to actual words to be perceived as language, especially once we are prompted to listen for them.

Sybil Exposed...

Many of you have likely heard of Dissociative Identity Disorder (formerly, Multiple Personality Disorder), the disorder in which people exhibit more than one alternating personality.

Introduced to the American public in the 1950s in a film called "The Three Faces of Eve," its popularity increased dramatically after the made-for-television version of the book "Sybil" was aired in the mid-1970s. Since then, thousands of people have been professionally diagnosed as having DID, and countless movies and TV shows have used it as a vehicle for drama, as well as occasional low-brow comedy.

Although always controversial, a new, more detailed indictment was published in 2011, entitled "Sybil Exposed," which accuses those originally involved in the Sybil case of fraud and deceit. Author Debbie Nathan maintains that three women set out to purposely create the story out of whole cloth, duping the world into believing that the Sybil story was real, and lending unwarranted credibility to the existence of the disorder itself.

CLICK HERE to read a short summary on Salon, and judge for yourself.

P.S.  Since the book came out, the real Sybil has admitted in an NPR report that the story was fake.

The Myth of Acupuncture...

Although it seems bizarre, many people believe strongly in the promise of acupuncture, an ancient Eastern technique in which small needles are inserted into the skin at specific points with the purpose of eliminating diesease, pain, emotional problems, etc.

In the video below, psychologist and author Michael Shermer investigates this mystical form of Eastern "Medicine" to determine 1) whether there is any scientific basis for acupuncture, and 2) whether any benefits beyond the placebo effect.

 

Correlation vs. Causation...

One of the most important factors in becoming a good critical thinker (and, often, a good consumer of science education) is the ability to understand that correlates are not always causally linked. In other words, just because two things happen together in a predictable manner, that doesn't necessarily mean that one is causing the other.

THIS WEBSITE contains numerous examples of very strong correlations between variables that are highly unlikely to have any causal link (e.g., how could the number of people who drown in pools over a decade be caused by the number of films that star Nicolas Cage?).

The news media is often to blame for reporting stories that are only correlationally linked as if they have a causal connection. Being aware of this, as well as having a good understanding of the fallacy, can make us better able to understand the science we read or hear about, and better informed overall.

Psych 101 - Sleep Debt...

Dear General Psychology Students:

Please click the links below to download the Sleep Debt Measure and the KEY which will allow you to determine how much sleep you "owe" yourself.

More information on the importance of sleep can be accessed by clicking HERE.

-- Sheldon

Download ch_06_sleep_debt_measure.doc

Download ch_06_sleep_debt_key.doc

Ohlone Psychology Club...

Dear Students:

As many of you may know, we have a thriving Psychology Club here at Ohlone College.  One of the most visible and active clubs on campus, the Psychology Club regularly hosts guest speakers, organizes off-campus field trips, has regular fund raisers, and engages in regular discussions related to the field of psychology.

 

Our meetings are held every Wednesday, from 3:30 - 4:30 pm.

ROOM FP-03

 

Abnormal Psychology Presentation Info...

Dear Abnormal Psychology Students:

READ THIS ENTIRE POSTING!!

The primary goal in this assignment is to "provoke" your classmates to learn, process, and utilize the material in the chapter.  You may do this by numerous methods of your own choosing, including lecture, in-class assignments, formal or informal quizzing, memorization exercises, handouts, etc.  Whatever method(s) you choose will be up to you as individuals and as a group.  I choose this "Collaborative Learning" format because 1) you are adult students who do not need to be spoon-fed the material, and 2) my experience is that it is more entertaining and effective than a straight lecture format.

Psych 102 - Survey Teams...

Dear Experimental Psychology Students:

Below, you can also find an instructional sheet that will guide you through using Google Docs to construct your surveys. Many thanks to my former student, Carlos Hernandez, for creating this form!

Download Google Forms Survey Instructions

Ramachandran's Books - All Psychology Students...

A recent discussion in some of my classes led me to look further for sources to answer some questions my students brought up.  In the search, I was reminded of V. S. Ramachandran's amazing works (which see).  Although Dr Ramachandran specializes in neurology, don't let that put you off.  He writes in the style of Oliver Sacks (one of his biggest fans!), and Richard Dawkins (who wrote the forward in one of his books), making the information accessible to the professional and layperson, alike.  My advice is to purchase only ONE of these books.  They have a great deal of similar content, so you won't get much more if you buy them both.

SEE THE VIDEO BELOW TO GET YOU STARTED!

Type A / Type B Personality Test...

Dear Students:

CLICK HERE to take an online version of the Jenkins Activity Survey, an introspective measure that will allow you to test whether you fit into the category of Type A or Type B personality.  This measure is based on research by Jenkins, Ayzanski, & Rosenman (1971), and consists of just 30 items. 

More information on Type A and Type B personalities can be found HERE.

Enjoy!

-- Sheldon

Personality - Keirsey Temperament Sorter...

Dear Students:

If you would like to experience a modern-day "Personality Test," click the links below and download the Keirsey Temperament Sorter. Based on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the Keirsey uses a few dozen self-report questions to categorize you into one of 16 different personality types.

After answering the questions, use the KEY to add up the numbers and determine your 4-letter category. Then, look up your "type" on the list of all 16 personalities.

Clicking the hyperlink above will allow you to critically analyze the orignal MBTI and its creators, and to decide for yourself whether these types of tests have any validity.

Download keirsey_temp_sorter.doc

Download color_calculation_sheet.doc

Download keirsey_types.doc

Accessing Ebscohost Database for Course Paper Research...

Dear Students:

As you already know, your Course Paper is to be constructed using peer-reviewed journal articles only as your scientific source material. To that end, please use the Ohlone Library's databases to find these. Click the link below to open this blog post and follow the instructions:

Correlation and Causation...

One of the most common logical mistakes people make when interpreting research findings they read online is to assume a causal relationship based on correlational information. In other words, they read that two things happened at the same time, and they assume that one must be CAUSING the other. That's not always true.

A silly, but illuminating, example is the correlation between Pirates and Climate Change. You can easily chart the disappearance of Pirates from the seas along with the increase in Climate Change, and create a beautiful (and misleading) pattern. It's definitely true that Climate Change has dramatically increased over time, and that Pirates have dramatically decreased over that same time period. Does this mean that a solution for the problems of Climate Change is to bring back the Pirates? Obviously not. Both of these variables have their own causes, and they're simply not causally related to each other (one did not cause the other).

A related mistake occurs when people misunderstand the Direction of Causality. For example, there's a causal relationship between roosters crowing and the sun coming up. But it would be wrong to assume that the rooster's crow CAUSES the sun to come up. Instead, the Direction of Causality goes the other way; the sun coming up causes the rooster to crow.

But often we don't really know which direction the correlational link goes. Take a recent study on the use of Facebook, for example. In it, the researchers followed 5,000 subjects for 2 years, checking in with them regularly to measure their mood and emotional state. Their results indicated a strong CORRELATION between 1) amount of time spent each day on Facebook, and 2) overall well-being. In other words, it seemed that the more time you spend on Facebook, the worse you feel. But wait a minute! This is a correlational study! Isn't it also possible (and logical) that people who feel worse are more likely to use Facebook? Facebook is a convenient way for people to connect with their friends and followers. It makes sense to me that, when people are feeling down, they reach out on social media and thus spend more time on sites like Facebook. This Direction of Causality issue was completely lost on most people reporting the study, and thus the majority of people (who will never read the original study) will come away with a very different conclusion than the data actually suggest.

Psych 101 - APA Take-Home Test...

DO NOT EMAIL THIS ASSIGNMENT TO ME.

BRING IT TO CLASS AS INSTRUCTED BELOW ON THE DATE LISTED IN THE SYLLABUS.

Dear Social Psychology Students:

Click the link below to download the APA take-home test.  Be sure and read the instructions thoroughly before filling it out  This a TEST, and must be turned on ON TIME, on the day it is due. I do not accept late tests, so you must be on time to turn it in to receive credit.  Do not email it to me.

Psych 101 - APA / Course Paper Documents...

Dear General Psychology Students:

These are the documents you will need to write your Course Paper. They will remain on the blog for the entire semester, so if you lose them, you'll always have a back-up. Just click the link below...

Psych 101 Course Paper Films...

Dear General Psychology Students:

Below, you will find trailers for the 6 films that you can choose from for the basis of your Course Paper. Please note that you should select one that interests you, and also do a bit of research on the disorder it claims to portray BEFORE the deadline in the syllabus indicated as "Paper Topic Due."  On that date, you will turn in a full sheet of paper with your name, the specific class you are enrolled in, and the paper topic you have chosen from the list. Once you have turned that in, you may NOT change your topic.

Student Data Sheet...

Dear Students:

Please download and complete the Student Data Sheet below, then bring it to class next time we meet.

IT REQUIRES A CLEAR FACE PICTURE OF YOU.  You can insert a picture of yourself and then print it out on the sheet, or just staple a picture to the sheet if that's easier.  Please make sure it's one that allows me to recognize you (no big sun glasses, artistic turns of the head, etc.).  I'm using these to get to know my students by name and face, in the hope that the information will help me adjust my teaching to students' needs and backgrounds.

Thanks!

-- Sheldon

Download Student-data-sheet 2019

Fall Textbooks...

Dear Fall Students:

Information about required textbooks for your classes is available in the Ohlone College Bookstore on campus, with classes organized in the store by department, instructor, and course.  Just ask any of the floor staff to help you find the section marked "Psychology," and find the book(s) with my name on the tag.  To assist you, however, I have included the information below.

If a book is available in e-book format, that's fine.  I don't usually require their use in class, and if I do, there are usually enough students with a book that can share.

Nota bene:  It doesn't much matter to me how you get these books (in the campus bookstore, online, through a friend, etc.), but I cannot hold lectures or tests because you're still awaiting your book's arrival.

 

Fall Syllabi...

Dear Students:

Please use the links below to access and/or download the syllabi for my classes.  Take care to download the syllabus for the class in which you are enrolled. Even if the topic is the same as another, the dates will differ.

 

Psych 101 - MW 11:00 - 12:35

Download Psych 101 - MW 1100-1235 finalized

 

Psych 101 - TTH 9:00 - 10:35

Download Psych 101 - TTH 900-1035 finalized

 

Psych 101 - TTH 11:00 - 12:35

Download Psych 101 - TTH 1100-1235 finalized

 

Psych 102 - TTH 12:45- 2:20

Download Psych 102 - TTH 1245-220 finalized

 

Psych 115 - MW 12:45 - 2:20

Download Psych 115 - MW 1245-220 finalized

Magic In The Classroom - An e-Book from the JREF...

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:

1. Your Nervous System Can Fool You (Chapter 25)
2. Your Common Sense Can Fail You (Chapter 26)
3. Your Beliefs are Malleable (Chapter 28)

Click here to visit the download page where you can get a FREE copy in multiple formats.

Introducing James Randi...

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. 

And you thought I was kidding....

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.

ANNOUNCEMENT: ShelShocked Podcast Airs!...

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.

 

Coffey Talk - The Success of Operation Bumblebee...

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!