Final Project Post

Overview:

"Motivation is a desire or want that energizes and directs goal-oriented behavior". In this class, we learned a lot about motivation- its meaning, its sources, and the studies of its nature in human beings. The studies of motivation date back to the ancient Greek philosophers Aristotle and Socrates, to the psychologists of the 1900s such as Freud and Thorndike, and continue to be studied today. Energy, emotion, and internal and external sources help make up the drive of motivation. The behaviors of motivation studied can be anywhere from the positives of exercise and mating, to the negatives of drug addictions. All of the motivation developed can be psychological, physical, or even biological, and can be of human nature ( characteristics not created by surroundings and culture) or universal motives (due to evolution).


Favorite Part:

My favorite part of the class was when we talked about Chapter 9: Personality and Self in Motivation. I was interested in reading this section and hearing the lecture because in psychology, my favorite studies to learn about were that of those connected to personality. I had taken a classes before called Personality, so it was interesting to see in this class with Dr. Berg, the connection between personality and motivation. I learned that people differ in their temperament (result from inherited characteristics through genes) and personality (result from temperament and experience). The differences between the two is what determines the motivating factors in each human being.

Personality traits have a part in self motivation as well. Depending on which traits a person possesses can determine if they will act positively or negatively in their reactions and choices in their live. An interesting tool we got to look at in class was the 5 Factor Model concerning the 5 major personality traits. Personality tests can be taken online to determine personality traits and what type of personality may result from the combinations that link to behaviors. An example of a personality trait we learned about in class would be sensation seeking, which is a trait possessed by a person that seeks experience and sensations on different levels of seeking (can involve also low to high risks).

Environment can affect personality in motivation too. A few terms we learned about in class were trait-environment interaction and trait-environment correlation. A person's reaction to a situation due to a personality' trait's high or low appearance is connected with trait-environment interaction. However, the activity a person does due to the showing up of certain traits are connected with trait-environment correlation. I found this chapter and lecture to be informative and very insightful on the relationship between personality and motivation.

Extension:

When thinking about concepts outside of this course that relate to the topic of motivation, I can see these course concepts relating to real-world situations or issues. Using my favorite part discussion portion, I thought of using personality trait tests or studies to see which type of people are best in each type of working environment. Employers would get a better look at the people they would be hiring and the traits they possess looking at the test results. It would also give a good insight on how to motivate certain types of people already employed in their jobs (* See VIDEO above this paragraph for ways to motivate the traits in the workplace), so that people can be motivated and the work need to be done can be fulfilled.
The chapter learned in class about drug addictions would also be good information to be used to better understand drug addicts and help them along their healing process. This would be suited for those who help people in rehab or in counseling.
The topics learned about motivation in this class has multiple connections and relations to our world and the people we are and continue to become.

FInal Post

General Overview:

When signing up for classes last semester I came across this class and knew right away that I wanted to take it. It caught my eye for several reasons but mainly I wanted to find out what motivates us as human beings. What gives us that drive to continue day in and day out. I wanted to know how to explain it all. I also hoped to be able to take away important lessons for the future in regards to motivation. Now that the course is over I feel as though I have accomplished just that. From the beginning, this was the most interesting course that I took. I learned more information than I thought possible that was related to motivation. Each lesson was intriguing and Professor Berg brought the information to life. There were also power points with clear cut notes and fun videos that related to the lesson. It helped bring the class to life. He also engaged the class in discussions and it was neat to hear the stories the class had to share about the different topics we had covered. One other notable facet of this course is the other book that was assigned. Endurance, although a little slow at first, was the perfect book to pair with the course. It highlighted the hardships that Shackleton and his crew faced and their never ending motivation and endurance to continue and survive. It was a very inspiring story. 

A few of the many topics covered in class were the history of motivation, the biological & evolutionary aspects of motivation, mate selection, addictions to psychoactive drugs, exercising, gambling, and etc, homeostasis, thirst and hunger, stress and how to cope, drives & needs, Maslow's hierarchy of needs, personality and self in  terms of motivation, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, maximizers and satisficers, making decisions and choice overload, and the list goes on. All of these topics are clearly explained in an easy to understand way. This class is not your average boring lecture class by any means. You will be happy that you signed up for this course because I know I was. Motivation can be defined as "to be moved into action, or to decide on a change in action; & the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way." This course will show you that there is much, much more to that simple definition. 

Favorite Part: 

I had a few favorite parts in this course however I'll just focus on two. To start, I really enjoyed learned about mate selection and that whole process. The video we watched in class with the mate selection experiment really had me intrigued. When selecting a mate, we first rate ourselves and then use that rate to pick a partner on a comparable level. Usually we pick a mate that we think has the same "number" we rated for ourselves, or one number higher or lower. We also use mate value. Mate value is the possession of characteristics that are desired by the other sex. Some of these characteristics include ambition, financially secure, attractiveness, shared interests/values, kind, sense of humor, and desire for children. We tend to try and pick mates that possess the characteristics we are individually looking for in a mate. In class we did a live survey and had to text in an answer in terms of mate value. It was really cool to have everyone's results pop up instantly so that we could compare the results. 

*This is a video I found on youtube that pokes fun about choosing a mate and I found it kind of funny. Sadly, especially in younger ages, appearance seems to be everything when choosing someone to date. 

My other favorite part in this course was the economics of motivation. Their is a cost to satisfying a need or goal. These costs include time costs, physical energy costs, psychological costs and opportunity costs. These are all taken into account when motivated to do something. For example, by typing up this assignment and doing other homework for finals I am giving up hanging out with friends. This section also focused on choice and choice overload. Personally, I tend to maximize in many instances. When I am at the mall trying to decide on a new outfit for a night out, or when I am out to eat trying to decide on something to eat. I want to make sure that I make the best possible decision. I have learned that engaging in this way of making choices often results in me not being happy because I feel like I could've made a better decision. Instead, I am trying to be more a satisficer. I try and just choose now instead of debating over a choice for a long time. I have found that I am more happy when I do this and it is not as hard as I thought it would be, especially for the smaller things like choosing something to eat off of a big menu. Barry Schwartz developed the "Paradox of Choice" which simply states that when as the number of choices increases, satisfaction decreases. With all these choices we try and find the best possible one because why else would we have choices if not to find the best. We hold high expectations and when those expectations are not met we become disappointed. 

*This is a video I included of Barry Schwartz talking about his Paradox of Choice theory. He is telling a story about choosing a pair of jeans and how there were so many to choose from. 

Extension:

There are many aspects of this course that could be extended into real life situations. There are several things that I learned throughout this course that I will take with me as well. For instance, I can be a big procrastinator. I like to wait until the last minute to sit down and do assignments. Strangely, some of my best work comes out this way, but I am only stressing myself out more than I need to. I am now going to develop small extrinsic rewards for completing assignments ahead of time and try to motivate myself to not wait until the last day and prioritize my time better. One other extension I have taken from this course is that after reading Endurance, I find myself seeing situations differently. Those men literally went through hell for seventeen months and managed to find the will the survive. Reading this book has made me feel that I can concur issues that I once thought I would give up on. If they can endure without the most basic of needs, I can find a way past my issues and problems. Overall, this class has provided me with very useful information that I am sure I will be using for years to come. 

Final Post

final post

For my final post I chose Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD for short. PTSD is caused by a traumatic event in person’s life. This includes coming home from a war, a rape, a serious vehicle accident or even a natural disaster. It caused the affected person to feel like they have no control over a situation causing them to act like they or someone they know is in danger. Although it is normal for people to have stress from time to time, these feelings can become a hindrance on their everyday lives if they are prolonged.

 

People can experience the symptoms of PTSD in several different ways. One way is reliving the trauma. A person may suffer from night terrors, memories or even flashbacks of the even that happened. Another symptom is Avoidance of situations that is a reminder of that situation. For instance, if a person was in a car accident, they may not be able to go back to that site. Another way a person can know they may be suffering from PTSD is not participating in things that used to be enjoyable. The person may not want to do something they used to because it’s a reminder of the stressor. A person may also feel jittery or over alert feeling like something bad is going to happen at any second.

To treat PTSD, professionals use the help of medicine as well as counseling. A person with PTSD Might be prescribed medication as well. A popular drug prescribed is an SSRI, which is usually prescribed for the depression. Another Prescription that may be used is Prazosin which is used to decrease the nightmares someone may have due to PTSD. Also, cognitive behavioral therapy is used to treat PTSD. Therapists used prolonged exposure to have the patient overcome the fear of that event by repetitively talking about it. They also use cognitive processing therapy, where they try to help you understand how the event has changed your views, opinions and ideas. Also for

 

I chose this topic because I have known a lot of people who suffer from this. I too suffered from this to an extent. For example, I was in a car accident when I was still on my driver’s permit. I refused to go back to the spot where it happened for about a year. Finally, I decided to drive down that road to get over my fears. It was hard at first but I did it. A friend of mine also had a car accident. Not only has she never driven on the same road again, but she no longer has a license and refuses to ever drive again.

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/user/VeteransMTC?v=SqjwV-lsVEs This is a video of people talking  about their own experiences with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

 

Final Blog Post

General Overview:

                Every semester, there is always at least one class I am interested in taking. This semester, I was lucky enough to enjoy all of my classes. When I was picking out classes for this semester, Motivation caught my eye. We do things every day, and sometimes we wonder why we do them. We wonder what motivates us and what keeps us going through even the toughest times.

                Professor Mark Berg found a great way to make this course interesting every class and to make it different from other lecture classes. The class covers a lot of interesting topics such as evolution, addictions, behavior, stress, goals, and economics to name a few. Throughout the course, the class also reads a book called Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage. When reading this book, a person can see the concept of motivation put into action, and they can see just how strong a person’s motivation can be. People might be turned down by the thought of reading an extra book along with book chapters, but Endurance is definitely not a boring book. Professor Berg also found a way to make group work not so bad; you pick a section of the book you want to present on, you’re put into that group, and you do your own short chapter from the section you chose. This way, everyone does a part and it is not left to only one or two people to put together.

Favorite Part:

                It is hard for me to pick a favorite part of this class, because I found every lecture day to be interesting. I liked coming into class knowing there would be an interesting power point. The power points were always full of information and fun facts to remember. What made these power points stand out from other classes is that there were always unique YouTube clips in them. No matter what we learned that day, there were at least one or two crazy videos on that section.

I also really enjoyed our class discussions. It was always interesting to hear people’s stories about how they were motivated by food, thirst, goals and money. One day, we did a virtual in class survey on what men and women most looked for in relationships. It was cool to text your answer in and watch the polls go up and down in what men and women looked for in relationships. Endurance discussions were interesting too. We talked about how some would have given up already and which characters we thought we related to.

If I had to pick a favorite chapter it would be when we learned about why we eat certain foods and why it’s so hard to stop eating the “wrong” ones. My mom is a dietitian, so I hear all the time about what foods you should and shouldn’t eat. It was interesting to relate that knowledge to the class discussion. I also know how hard it is to stay motivated in keeping up with your diet. She is a leader at Weight Watchers, so I always hear her ideas on trying to get people to stick with things, especially around the holidays. We passed around a book one day in class titled “Mindless Eating.” It seemed like an interesting book to read, and a week or two later it was sitting on my counter because my mom had gone to a dietitian convention and gotten a copy.

Creative:

                There is a show called “I Shouldn’t Be Alive.” It is a show that tells the stories of people that survived experiences that they should not have survived. It goes into how they got into the situation, what it was like for them to be in that situation, and their moment of truth in what kept them motivated to stay alive. If Endurance happened in today’s world, their journey would definitely be on this show. This is a clip of two teenage boys who are swept out to sea by a riptide when they are going fishing. They are hungry, dehydrated, have bad sunburn and are freezing at night. They have no way to get in contact with the world and are pretty much stuck in the middle of the ocean with no means of survival.

                                                        

Extension:

                Now that it is getting colder outside, I am relating my life to the lives of the men in Endurance. Sometimes, I think to myself, “This is the coldest/ hungriest/ sleepiest” I’ve ever been; especially now that it is December, I don’t have money for food until I get paid, and it is finals week. However, I would choose my life and current situation over the men in Endurance’s situation any day. I am still amazed that they survived all of that, when sometimes I don’t think I can survive the day. You don’t really think you can be motivated to do something until you are pushed to the limit; that is when you can truly see all you are capable of doing. Whether it is getting an education, losing weight, or even cleaning the house, people can be motivated to do so; they just have to believe they can and accomplish their goals.

I think New Jersey is really motivated right now. After Hurricane Sandy wiped out our beaches, we created “Restore Our Shore,” which has already helped many people that lost everything. Every day, people are donating food, clothes, and time to help fix our beaches. I think this is really good and shows that people can come together to fix a problem. I hope New Jersey never loses its motivation to help others.

Final Post

One of the most interesting topics that we covered in class was the motives behind mate selection and the good gene hypothesis. Naturally, people was to choose a mate who is similar to themselves and possesses the qualities that they would like to see in themselves. The good gene hypothesis definitely affects mate selection.  The good gene hypothesis is a hypothesis that people prefer better looking people because they believe that these traits have good genes, genes in which they want to pass on to their offspring. (Deckers, 2010, p. 57) Since I aspire to be a couples therapist, I am really interested by this hypothesis.

Another interesting topic as part of mate selection is that we as humans like to select a mate who is around our attractiveness. If you consider yourself a 4, out of a scale from 1-10, 10 being the highest, you are more likely to select a mate who is one deviation higher, lower, or the same as you. Therefore, you’ll wind up with a 3, 4, or a 5. This poses a problem to mate selection because you cannot be with someone who you consider to be “better” or “lesser” than yourself. If you choose a mate who is better than you, you’re bound to be more possessive of your mate and think that you are not good enough. If you pick someone who you consider to be less than you, you’ll spend your life thinking that you could’ve done better. It’s a viscous cycle. To further research, I think it would be great to see if these hypotheses have any correlation in homosexual couples.

One of my favorite parts of this class was that we tied in the book Endurance. The novel really helped unify the class. I have not taken a class where the entire class reads a novel collectively since high school, and it was refreshing to share ideas about a common topic and get to know the class’ perspective. Although at first I was not a fan, the book shaped up to be really interesting. It was fun to come to class and designate a time to talk about the book. I feel like the ones who really enjoyed the book in the end liked the class a lot more. In a semester, we were able to build a community in the classroom setting. From this class I have made friends just from talking about the novel, and overall the class was very enjoyable.

I shared this picture because I thought it was interesting if you take it into the mate value perspective. The woman depicted selected a mate who has VERY similar looks to herself. I'm sure there were some Brad Pitt-esue guys ate the mate mart, but she chose a man who was similar to herself.

I shared this video from the movie Beauty and the Beast because it is a movie that depicts the good gene hypothesis. Beast is attracted to Belle because she is obviously a 10, but in his beast form, Belle would probably never go for him. Therefore, he changes his looks and his attitude to try and be more of a 10. I never thought of this before taking this class.

Regret

Regrets-we all have them.

If you are like me, you wander why we make certain choices. You wander why we have counter factual thoughts, which are thoughts of wishing you could have changed a certain variable, the what if, would have , could have, should have. I like to think of the movie butterfly effects when I think of that word.

My worst regret is deeper than the tattoo of my daughters dads name I have on my thigh, by the way, I haven't been with him in 8 years. Yes, a dumb 18 year old mistake. I really don't care about that regret. The regret I have struggled with for almost a year is something that brings me to tears with deeper emotions than just regret. It is the regret that you play over in your mind and takes more than days to get over. 

Last year, my Aunt Katie called me on a Monday to tell me my dad was in hospital and they found a spot on his liver. She also said they didn't know what it was yet and she would call me when they gave her the results. Wednesday, she called me and told me, my dad had stage 4 cancer and that he had less than a month to live. 

I then was determined to go to Florida to see my dad and stay with him till he died. 

First, since I just started my first semester of my bachelors degree, I had to go to my class on Thursday to make sure the professors would allow a month away or if I should drop the classes and start school the next semester. It was only the second day of the semester. Surprisingly they all were okay with me leaving for how ever long. 

Second, I needed to get a flight, so I had a choice of Friday, Saturday, or Sunday... So since I am the worst decision maker in the world and of coarse wanted to go on Friday morning...I analyzed  my choices. I had to get babysitters for my children and so it seemed easiest to go Sunday. This worked out since I needed a day to pack and get all my stuff together thinking I would be there a month. I also had to work on Saturday night and I assumed I would need this money, being I wouldn't work for a month. I also thought I was getting sick so asked my doctor to prescribe me an antibiotic on fri...and xanax to deal with what I was about to go through...

Well I talked to my dad everyday he was in the hospital. Saturday night he sounded confused. He knew I was coming in the morning. As a result to going to work, the bar I worked at was so dead, I didn't sell any drinks in order to make money, so that was a waste of time. 

Sunday 6 a.m. I am on the plane....11 am...I am at the hospital in Florida...I walk into my Dads room...and no one told me he went into a coma!!!!!!!!!!! After going into the bathroom and crying my eyes out, which by the way xanax doesn't help, not even for someone who never took it prior!!! I went to sit next to him till my aunt came and got me at 8 pm. I left with her...and we got to her house to get a phone call that he died as soon as I left!!! The doctor should have said he had less than a week from the day he found out he had cancer. He did come out of the coma for less than a quarter second to look at me half way through me being there, after nurse said your daughters here. So I don't know if it was a drug induced coma or what it was.

Okay so now that I learned that regret depends on the value of rejected opportunities, well it makes sense to me on why I would feel more strongly about this regret than any other regret so far. I feel as though one reason was partially choice overload. I had so many opportunities and different things to worry about before I made the most important decision.

Even though I am very greatful to God and my dad that he held on till I got there, I still regret not being able to be there on Friday or Saturday before he was in a coma. It's helpful though to understand why I feel this emotion now.  

Section 1

I origionally emailed this to Dr. Berg, but I figured I'll post it on the blog as well.


When I had ordered Endurance on Amazon.com and looked at the cover, I had thought that it was going to be one of those strange, incredibly boring novels that you read in the third grade. Upon my surprise, I am actually taking a liking to the book. The author Alfred Lansing, does a great job of using vivid imagery, as well as descriptive detail. The story line is also very easy to follow. In the first chapter, the author was able to hook me in by using a flash-forward to let the reader know what is to come in the future. Before even reading the book, it was highly predictable that something traumatic would happen to the ship. If nothing happened, then the book would probably be a flop and wouldn't sell too many copies, so why not give away the most exciting scenes in the beginning and let the reader read and build up to what is to come in the future?
The captain, Sir Ernest Shackleton is someone who I would describe to be a very bold man. He is also very highly motivated. He has had a large amount of experience in the past, therefore he was very motivated to lead the crew of 28 men across the Antarctic. Shackleton purchased a ship, originally named Polaris for $67,000, which in today's economy would cost around $700,000 to $1,000,000. I was surprised that someone would make such a risky purchase, but Shackleton had set his dream, and who can put a cost on a dream? It also helped that he was heavily funded for his voyage. I have really taken a liking to the Shackleton. He has a sense of humor, as well as a great leader. When Perce Blackboro was found to be smuggled on board, Shackleton did not seem too angry. He simply said that if there was no more food left and the crew had to eat someone, he'd be the first to go.
When the ship had encountered itself to be stuck in ice the first time, I was very surprised to see how the team worked together to try and pull the ship out of it. Day by day, moment by moment, the team worked together for the entire day to pull the ship out. Eventually, they had found a separation and were able to pull through, but that would not have happened if the entire crew weren't on board to get the ship out. Overall, I am really taking a liking to the book. It's no 50 Shades of Grey, but at least it isn't War and Peace.
-Milo Campanella

Section 5

As the crew has touched land, one cannot help but wonder if this will turn to be a better situation for them, but the natural resources of the land seems to keep them alive. After being on board of the ship for over a year, their immune systems have depleted, but overall, the men seem to get better as time goes on. Shackleton led the entire journey with confidence, and it amazes me that at this point, he lets his hope deplete. I think this is because he had always unconsciously had no hope for the voyage past Section 3. Now the crew members are able to eat the meat of animals that live on the island; this helps them recover from weakening for the journey. As a whole, the group helps build a shelter for themselves, but of course this shack that they built would have problems. Imagine moving all these men into a small shack that is made from rocks and wood. This shelter is crowded, dark, and cold. The weather outside is much worse though, as it is below freezing with intense winds that blow through the cracks in the hut. Where will this journey take us next?

Final Project.

Winston Churchill once said, “When going through hell, keep going.” But as humans in nature, motivation drives us to proceed the behaviors and ideas we have. Our motivation is what will change our behavior to act upon or do. Motivation over history has changed its content but not the way it works. People may act the way they do depending on their environment, culture, genetics and many other things. As humans though we have universal motives that we all share such as sex, food, and hydration. We are all motivated to do things whether it be intrinsic or extrinsic.

            Motivation helps us understand addictions and disorders such as eating disorders. Many things motivate us such as incentives, which can play a large part in our lives. Different things drive us to do different things whether or not the drives consists inside of us or are present in our environment around us. Understanding motivation and how it works can be very powerful. For example Hitler was able to influence and motivate an entire country to try and exterminate thousands of people. He created drives and goals for Germany that made people do unspeakable things. Motivation is very powerful and forms who we are and what we want to be in life.

            Intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation was my favorite chapter discussed in this course. There are many different things that motivate us and it generally falls under two categories; intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation is drives within ourselves, for example, teach myself to cope with death better. An extrinsic motivation is a drive that is outside ourselves in our environment. For example I want to study more to get a better grade on my test. Intrinsic motivation is something only I can feel inside me. An extrinsic motivation is something that is found in our surroundings it could be for example money, or rewards.

            I did a lot of thinking of a good example of either an intrinsic motivation or an extrinsic motivation. I decided to use a clip from one of my favorite movies. The 1995 movie Billy Madison starring Adam Sandler is the story many know of an immature male who is very wealthy from his father’s business. But his father is retiring and there is a dispute between the son and the ceo of the company of who is going to run the company. They decide that if Billy Madison who is played by Adam Sandler can beat the ceo in a questionnaire of high school material. Of course at the end Billy Madison wins but he passes on the job to the guy who helps him the whole time who Billy thinks should really win it.

            It is very obvious that there is an extrinsic motivation for the more he studies, the better chance he will get the company. But there are also specific scenes from the movie that show the more he studies he also gets quicker and sooner awards. These quicker and sooner awards will also make him work even harder.

            Along his journey he falls in love with one of his teacher’s who is a good looking blonde woman named Veronica Vaughn. In this one specific scene Billy gets to study then when he is done she gives him an assessment to see how much Billy has learned. There is an immediate reward to every question Billy gets right, Veronica Vaughn removes one piece of her clothing for every question Billy gets right. So the extrinsic motivation to study would be a better chance for Billy to see more of Veronica Vaughn. At the end of this scene one of my favorite scenes is that Billy replaces Veronica Vaughn with the famous Chris Farley also removing a piece of clothing for every question Billy gets right.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aF3x3Bad2Wk

Final Project

Motivation Psychology was a class I was very interested in taking. I was hoping it would teach me the skills and techniques I would need to use while in school and in the work force to get ahead; and I was right. While taking this class, I learned the theories and perspectives of true human motivation. Our studies varied from human emotions, personality, addictions, managing stress, homeostasis and behavior arousal. Each subject sparked interest and appealed to me on the basis of human nature. Not only did we learn the theories, but also the inspected the research to support it. Having statistical evidence to back each theory made it much more concrete and exciting. I think a course such as Motivation is important for anyone to take because it touches upon human elements that relate to everyone. Whether you are a student in school striving for a degree or a plumper striving for work; each human is driven by something or someone. Motivation is a soulful quality which spans across the globe as a reoccurring value in people of any race or ethnicity. Professor Berg also makes the subject matter exciting and significant to your life. I really enjoyed this class and all the knowledge it gave me. I even found myself researching further into topics we discussed in class to show to other people!

Although many of the topics were all unique and important, my favorite section was on stress, coping and health. With the amount of expectations in today’s society, stress is inevitable. Ranging from the slow economy, rising tuition levels, decrease in jobs and lack of social security; stress in indicted across all ages and social statuses. And if stress goes untreated or detected, it can lead to health concerns and even early death. Something as overlooked as stress can really put a dent in your quality of life. I feel this was my favorite chapter because I related the most to it and learned a great deal to cope from it. I am currently a 21 year old female college student who bites more off than I can chew. I am involved in numerous clubs and activities, takes five classes and works 30 hours a week in retail store to help pay for my college. Although I may be slow to anger, I am swift to become stressed out. My body use to become run down after my lack of sleep and nutrition throughout the week. Feeling sick and tired all day is not how I planned on college being. Thus, I have trying to cope better with my stress.

I would like to exhibit how I began to cope with my stress and maintain my health while at school. Coping refers to how a person manages or deals with life events or stressors, and here is how I like to relax: 

 going for bike rides

 taking hikes

 listening to music

 reading books

 outdoor activities

 volunteering at local animal shelters

To extend this topic outside of class I have recently engaged in secondary appraisal. Secondary appraisal is making an inventory of appropriate resources to cope with the demand. I have recently been involved in helping create a new club at Stockton this past semester with my friend Jenn. It is a support group with students who have a loved one with cancer. My mom has been a fighter of cancer for many years and it is very difficult to cope with the stressors it brings. Although talking to friends and family helps, it is very eye opening to talk to an individual who is going through the same events you are. The support group has been launched this past semester and we meet at 8:00pm on Tuesday in the Campus Center meeting room 3 if anyone is interested. I have found this experience to be monumental for me and helps me cope with my home life stressors.

The Final Project

General Overview:

              This semester in class was pretty cool. I chose this class because it seemed easy and it was available, also one of the courses i need. Going in, i didnt know what to expect. Professor Berg is a really cool teacher. On our first lesson on motivation, i thought this class was going to be really easy, but my first test score said otherwise. Overall i did enjoy the class. I like the way it was taught and how he interacted with the students. Sometimes i felt l felt like we were around a campfire the way everyone had a story to tell, which is a good thing because it shows that we are interested in the topic being taught and attentive to the lesson.

                 I didnt know that this was a hybrid class and its actually my first hybrid class. We had to read a book titled "Endurance" by Alfred Lansing. I am not going to lie i dint like the book at all. It took a while to actually want to read it, and i actually enjoy reading.We also had to post summaries and reply which wasnt too bad either. If it were up to me, we would have just talked about it in class. I can be a bit lazy as you can tell. What i did like was that the story of the voyage did display what motivation was, and why we do the things we do.

Favorite Part:

My favorite part in class has to be the Youtube videos. I love how Prof. Berg used these videos to illustrate the lesson. Sometimes just reading the lecture notes can get a little boring, but watching the videos captivates my attention.Also, these videos weren't any old videos, but videos that are current, funny, and informing.

 Creative:

I never knew that they Photoshopped models in ads to make them look a certain way. There are millions of people in this world, each with a distinct look. Why cant one of their looks be used? Why start with something, then change. I was very surprised by the video shown in class so i looked up a video on youtube and i found that L'Oreal photoshops all their celebrities to change or enhance their looks. This was shocking. Watch....
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AktBOyUqv80

 

Extension:

 

One thing in class the Prof. Berg pointed out to the whole class was addictions and how far people go to reach their high.Theres a show called Breaking Bad is a show that revolves around the making and selling of meth, so there is bound to be people using drugs in this show.  I may not be a meth addict but i am a shopaholic. No matter how much trouble shopping got be in, i couldnt stop. Till this day, friends say that i need help. I know that its a psychological issue and should get help before it causes more unnecessary problems.Shopping is my high. When i buy new clothes or step in my favorite clothing store i am in a euphoric state of mind. I am a psychology student and this class does tie into my major. I would suggest this class to any psychology majors.

      

section 5

At last they made it to camp on Elephant Island !—a camp dubbed Wild Camp. They then prepare a boat to make the nearly impossible trek to South Georgia Island, send the boat on its voyage, and settle down to a monotonous and dreadful life ashore Elephant Island waiting for some future rescue. After making landfall the men eat and then hunt several seal which are in relative abundance on the remote beach. After eating they sleep "'as we had never slept before, absolute dead dreamless sleep, oblivious of wet sleeping bags. At this point they still have minor problems to deal with and have to get rescued, but they made it through the big obstacles they faced.

Final Post: Motivation

            Without knowing one thing about what this class was going to be about I signed up for it based on one word in the title of the course, “Motivation.” Motivation is something which can drive us to do amazing things in our lives, and I feel it has in certain points in my life, but it is not something which I come across on a daily basis. The main thing that I feel that I have pulled from this class is learning the sources of motivation for human nature, and reading a story such as “Endurance” which shows men with motivation I can only one day dream to have definitely helped me to feel as though I need to find some motivation in my life once again. When the semester first started I was the laziest I had been in years both with my schoolwork and just my overall motivation with everyday activities such as cleaning my room, exercising and my desire to keep my mind stimulated. From the first day of class when we discussed physical and psychological motives of behavior I knew that I was at a point in my life where I was lacking many of the psychological motives, and hoped that through learning more about the concepts behind motivation, that I would be able to regain a few.

            Some of the things that I learned in this class are obviously terminology about motivation and the concepts that drive it, for example motives, incentives, and goals, but I honestly believe I learned more than just a few definitions. Although I feel that I already had a concept of the basic traits that influence motivation, learning about them in detail and doing things such as making lists on the board as a class to explain our motivations of why they did things such as exercising, attending school, and working, I was able to reassess where I was in life and why I felt that I was sorely lacking motivation in these areas, especially that of working out. This class was not simply about learning about “motivation” and things that drive us to reach goals, but we also discussed subjects such as addictions (to things such as drugs, gambling, chocolate, etc.), reasons why we feel the need to drink, eat, and regulate our temperature (reaching homeostasis), how arousal effects our behaviors, and even concepts on why we experience stress and ways to improve our overall health. These concepts are all important to explaining our behavior on a daily basis and I can say with all honesty that there was never a moment in this class were I was bored about the subject we were learning about. I liked the way that our attention was kept during the slides by not just having a bunch of definitions written that we needed to know, but also through the active involvement when you would call on us to explain our on view on the concepts behind our motivation, the interactive poll we did using our cell phones the one day and of course the interesting YouTube clips related to the subjects of ever chapter we covered throughout the year.

 The class that was probably most interesting to me all year was when we went over Chapter and learned about addictions and addictive behaviors. Whether we admit it or not, we all have addictions to one thing or another. These are not necessary always bad addictions, such as how some people are addicted to exercise, but nonetheless the addictions greatly influence our behaviors in ways we can’t even explain. In the case of certain drugs there are obviously physical addictions that some face, such as in the YouTube clip we say which depicted the lives of a few heroin addicts and offered insight into their physical needs, but we also learned about psychological addictions which although we may not physically need a drug or behavior, our mind helps to convince us that we do. I personally have always been interested in ways to alter our state of mind, not just through things such as alcohol or drugs, but also through things such as adrenaline and meditation in which we can experience the world in ways that you cannot explain in words. I consider myself to be an “adrenaline junkie” and love do things that give you a thrill. This started at a young age with things such as Rollercoaster’s and continued as I got older as I began to do things which help me experience adrenaline such as skydiving, free Rock Climbing while hiking (without a harness), and when I began doing MMA. I have and probably always will enjoy anything which either tests the physical limits of my body or puts me into a state in which I feel adrenaline coursing through my body.

            As I said earlier learning about these concepts has definitely helped me to regain some motivation that I have recently lost since earlier in this year, and has positively affected my life. It is because of this class that I know do something which some of my friends make fun of me for but helps to keep me motivated; almost every night before bed I compose a list of goals that I want to accomplish the next day. It can be something simple such as do a homework assignment, stretch when I wake up, study for a test, or a long term goal such as drop a few pounds before a set date. One thing I learned in this class is that we all have different goals and reasons for motivation, but for me personally to actually be stared down by my goals every morning when I wake up gives me a reason to go about my day in a way I otherwise wouldn’t have. When I was doing MMA, I feel that I was the most driven I ever was in my life. I would set goals for myself and I refused to let anyone or anything stand in the way of them, because not accomplishing those goals could mean the difference between winning or losing my fight. For my one fight I had to put on a few pounds because I was unable to find anyone in my weight class but wanted to fight on this one fight card at Resorts Casino. I didn’t care what that meant, even if I would have to work harder because I knew that I was going to be undersized for that weight class, and this is an example of how motivation can directly affect our behavior, and the end incentive was obviously wanted to win the fight. After the fight was over I took another one which was set about 2 months later and required me to drop from 161 pounds to 147. This was extremely difficult for me because of my love of food but I knew that I could do it if I applied myself. I had a sense of motivation then that I simply do not have now, but am currently in the process of trying to gain back. This class has helped me to keep in my mind the external forces that are required to be motivated and to keep those forces in check. Whenever I am at a point where I feel unmotivated I like to go on YouTube and look up motivational videos. This is one which I feel is probably the most motivational to me personally, and I hope that you will find it to be motivational as well.

secton 4

As they continue on their journey, the men travel some 140 nautical miles in three tiny open boats through the most dangerous sea on earth to make an unlikely but successful landfall on tiny Elephant Island, a rocky and inhospitable chunk of rock in the South Sea. During this portion of the text the men suffer the most-extreme hardships of the entire expedition. Shortly after abandoning Patience Camp the three tiny open craft—each about twenty-two feet in length and six feet in beam encounter a tide rip and are nearly overtaken by a tumbling, agitated mass of ice and water. They spend the first night tied off to a small floe but conditions are so dangerous that Shackleton decides to spend future nights in the boats if at all possible. A second desperate night spent on a crumbling floe. Again, these men are extremely courageous. I wouldnt have made it past part I.

section 3

Part III is a continuation of their struggle. It describes how the men survive for several weeks at a place called Patience Camp. They undergo various hardships and face starvation for a period; as the food situation improves so the ice situation becomes critical and Patience Camp is finally abandoned for the boats as the floe disintegrates in the warming, heaving ocean. The second camp is named Mark Time Camp by Worsley. After five days of striving they have covered less distance on the sledges than they drifted on the ice. The men grasp their own inadequacy to the task for the first time; their fate will be determined by external elements. Instead of covering 200 miles to land they cover nine miles in five days of brutal exhaustion. At this point, i feel like they are the strongest. It takes hardships and trials to test strength and by surviving this chapter, they prove their strength.

Section 2

Part II details how the crew abandon Endurance, salvage stores from her, train the dogs for sledging, repair the boats for a possible ocean voyage, and establish and abandon their first long-term camp upon the ice.
After abandoning ship, the men encamped on a large ice floe nearby. . The sledges, dog teams, and three boats are salvaged as is a considerable store of food. The initial plan is to proceed 350 miles northwest to Paulet Island where a known store of food and supplies has been cached previously. To this end, Shackleton insists that all nonessential supplies be abandoned. Essentially, they had to throw some of the supplies away for the ship not to sink and also ended up seal blubber. For them to do that alone, make me feel like they are prepared for whatever is next.

Section #5

In Section #5 of “Endurance,” the men finally make landfall and at this point you start to think that things are going to look up, but of course that isn't the case. Just like every other time in this book, anything that could go wrong, does and will go wrong. The absolute worst part of this section in my mind though is when a few of the men are forced to make a journey to go get help and most leave the others behind. I would not want to be involved in either party obviously and would not even consider going on this journey for millions of dollars, but I could not even imagine being the men who were left to stay behind. The anticipation of sitting back waiting for a rescue crew that may never come would be absolutely terrible, and this is only made worse by the fact that if the men do not make it back at some point, they do not even have a boat to attempt to flee the island themselves. To make matters worse, the conditions in which the men are living in (the cave) sounds absolutely awful in every way, but having to empty the piss bucket with the little bit of light they have without waking anyone else up and being forced to go into the freezing cold just makes the matters so much worse. These men truly have an amazing will to live despite everything they have been through they somehow stay optimistic (at least in comparison to how I know most men would be) and their ability to keep it together despite how terrible everything has been and keeps getting absolutely astonishes me. 

Final Project Post

  

 General Overview:

     As I first came into this semester, I started off totally dreading that we had to read "Endurance" throughout the semester.  As we started the first section in the book, I literally had to force myself to continue reading as much as I didn't want to.  Well it turns out that reading this book wasn't so bad after all and as time went on the voyage became more and more interesting.  It  got to the point where I couldn't wait to pick the book back up and continue reading.  It also made me think that I haven't read a book like this together as a class in years and I actually enjoyed doing it.  Rather then just going over lectures each day and doing the same thing any other professor would do, this book helped to make the class much more "alive." When it comes to the lectures I learned a lot of new material that I didn't know before and then also refreshed my mind on material I was already familiar with.  I enjoyed the lecture on Homeostasis and never knew what it was or heard the word prior to this course.  I knew a lot of the material we covered on Chapter Four consisting of Addictions and Addictive Behavior.  However, one thing I did learn which I was never aware of before is the drug Naltrexone and just exactly how it works. 
     As a psychology major and a senior, I wanted to take the opportunity to take this class before I graduate from Stockton.  I can honestly say that I'm glad I did and I would recommend this to other students who are considering this course.  I have taken Professor Berg in the past for online courses and this is the first course that I have actually been able to take with him where I was able to hear his lectures in person. After completion of this course I can definitely say he is one of the better professors at Stockton and would recommend students to take motivation with him. 

Favorite Part:

     I wouldn't say that I have one particular favorite part of the course.  I enjoyed the course as a whole between the discussions on Endurance and the lectures that we went over each Tuesday.  I do like how Professor Berg "spices" up his lecture slides and it isn't just plain notes that we go over one after another.  He makes it much more interesting and easier to comprehend by adding YouTube videos or other videos that help better explain the material we are covering.  I myself am a visual learner and it helps to see pictures and videos along with the material so that I can grasp the concept better.  I enjoyed the discussions we had each week on Endurance.  I liked to hear other students feedback on the book rather than just my own.  I think that made it much more enjoyable to engage in class discussion rather then just reading the book and being quizzed on it or something of that nature.  One thing I remember from the beginning of the semester is how a lot of the class wasn't to interested in the book when we first started to read it.  At first I thought I was the only one, but then as time progressed I think each and every one of us became more and more interested as the voyage continued.  By reading this book it really made me stop to think that I need to not take every day things for granted.  We don't think twice about the things we in our lives such as food, clothing, and shelter.  The men went through such hardships where they literally had nothing, but no matter what their circumstances were they still kept pushing forward with every last bit of energy left in them.  It reminds me that no matter how bad things get, you should NEVER give up.  If you just hold on tighter and continue to give it your all then you have that chance of turning it all around.  With that being said, I will say that book is a perfect selection for this course.  If this story doesn't demonstrate the definition of motivation, then I don't know what does!

     The following is a YouTube video on Sir Ernest Shackleton & The Endurance.  After completing the book I found this interesting to watch as well as the pictures that are posted from the voyage throughout the video. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3OXF71GiwU

 

                        The Stove at Patience Camp Constructed out of old Oil Drums                      
                       Frank Hurley, left and Ernest Shackleton, right in front of their tent.
    

Worsley Taking Observations of the Sun to Determine our Position

The camps were far from static and drifted as the ice drifted carrying the crew of the Endurance a considerable part of the way to Elephant Island.

 

 

Relaying the James Caird

Named after one of the sponsors of the expedition, the lifeboat James Caird was to prove vital in the task of returning the crew of the Endurance to safety.

Final Project Post

General Overview:

This semester in class was really eye opening. I knew a lot of what motivates us in life to keep living life already. The thing i was lacking to see was how in depth our motivation actually is. Homeostasis, sleep, eating, stress, addiction, and relationships are all things that motivate our lives. What this class has pointed out to me is how much all these things are necessary just to be able to function on a daily basis. 

I would recommend this class to anyone who wants an overview on motivation. Prof. Berg provides slides in class and online with tons of examples. Upon definitions and facts, many real life instances are used to back up almost every topic we cover. If the same book Endurance is used throughout the next semester, it's a prime example on how much we take for granted and what we need to survive from only the basic essentials.

Favorite Part:

This brings me to my favorite part of class. In every set of lecture slides, Prof. Berg has at least one video to back up whatever he is talking about. I watch thousands of youtube videos at home, so when we were shown so many videos in class I was really excited because it made everything more interesting. A lot of them have humor behind them, but it still seriously relates to motivation. 

 Creative:

A huge part of motivation that we didn't really cover is music. If you are ever stranded alone it has been suggested to sing to yourself to keep your sanity (so I've read).  This was also shown in a movie i watched last night called The Life of Pi (which would be a great assignment for next semester Prof. Berg!) I couldn't find the scene i wanted because the movie is still in theaters. Here's a trailer to explain the movie:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mMN693-F3U

Music is universal that connects every society together. Humans are constantly changing music and taking ideas from all different cultures across the globe. My friends and i are constantly listening to music or making it. Some of it is just fooling around but once in a while we do an okay job. Here is a video of my friends and I just hanging around singing to pass the time. I'm the video photographer because i have NO musical talent whatsoever. And ignore my friend in the first 30 seconds, she's obnoxious lol.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hsw4htEWuwg&feature=youtu.be

Extension:

One thing in class the Prof. Berg pointed out to the whole class and I that i never really considered was how much concentration humans take on food. We are the only species that goes to such length and preparation just to eat a meal.  I personally love food/eating and i feed my family. So more than half my waking time is spent on deciding what to eat, getting food, cooking the food, serving food, and then actually eating. 

Since this conversation in class, i have tried to count how many hours i truly spend thinking about food. I spend at least 5 hours a day just concentrating on food which is crazy to think when other people around the world spend there days concentrated on hunger. I consider myself lucky to have food readily available for me to think about and chose what i want to eat. 

Final Project Post

General Overview

        Over the last several months, the course Motivation has taught me many different aspects of psychology that I was not aware of until I enrolled into this class.  Motivation, for the most part, consisted of reasons for being motivated and what affects motivation.  One of the first things that I learned was how motivation is usually determined by a person's mood and how it can be positively or negatively affected depending on the mood.  The history of motivation became another topic, the Law of Effect specifically, which is where the more satisfying consequences strengthen behavior and vice versa.  Cephalic responses, physiological reactions to sight and aroma of food, play a big factor in hunger, which leads to motivation to eat.  There also was lessons on the negative portion of motivation, or should I say lack of.  Students that lack the motivation to do homework or study for a test tend to experience more stress the closer a due date of an assignment.  Our drives to be motivated are regulated by what Abraham Maslow called our Hierarchy of Needs, in which our natural instinct follows to fulfill five categories of needs: physiological, safety, belonging, esteem and self-actualization.  Depending on your personality also decides the amount of motivation that you are likely to have among your lifetime.  

        Surprisingly, having too many options whether they are good or bad affect motivation.  When one is confronted with too many choices it can discourage their motivation to do something.  We learned that this was called the Paradox of Choice.  As the class came closer to an end, the history of emotions was delved deeper into, considering emotions play a key role in motivating someone.  In the evolutionary theory it has been said that emotions are a result of learning how to survive.  Also, emotions can vary over time either due to their intensity or how long that they last.  Overall, this class excavated deep into the history, causes and effects of motivation, deeming it very interesting.  I would recommend it to anyone interested in this field.

Favorite Part

        One of my favorite topics in this class, something that sparked my interest was Chapter 4 on addictions.  I think the reason that I found this most interesting was because it focused a lot on the brain and what causes the brain to be addicted to drugs.  The part about how genetics play into addiction was something that I was always curious about but was never sure, how some people are more susceptible to addictions than others depending on family history.  Also, personality traits also play a factor in determining ones prone to addiction, impulsivity for example, someone that acts on impulse has a higher risk of being addicted to something.  I really found interest in this part of the class when it got into how the brains has certain neurons that are affected by drugs and that’s what causes a person to feel the effect of the drug.  Cocaine for example, blocks reuptake pumps, which remove dopamine from the synapse creating more dopamine resulting in intense pleasure.  The opponent process theory is why drugs have the negative and sometimes withdrawal effect, since opponent B reacts when opponent A (the drug effect) wears off, trying to maintain homeostasis.  If the drug stops, opponent A opponent B is still going strong, causing withdrawal symptoms.  This is all so fascinating to me which is why I found this to be the most interesting topic in the class.

Creative

         This video shows the effects of cocaine on your brain in a little more depth.  I found it very interesting.

Extension

        I would say that I am thinking of course concepts outside of class.  One of my favorite shows called Breaking Bad is a show that revolves around the making and selling of meth, so there is bound to be people using drugs in this show.  Now that I know a little more about the effects I take that into account when watching the show just thinking about how crazy it is that I know what is going on inside their brain and how it will make them feel.  Also, as far as motivation I try to motivate myself by giving myself a reward at the end of doing something that seems unsatisfying but the result will be anything but.  This class only made me have more of an interest in my major, psychology and was another reason why I know that I am in the right field.