1

Undergraduate Studies ePortfolio

Lisa MeadPsychology, 2011

Personal Statement

According to Fritz Perls "...nobody can stand truth if it is told to him. Truth can be tolerated only if you discover it yourself because then, the pride of discovery makes the truth palatable." I accept as true. By telling someone what is wrong or what they should do, they will rebel and not listen to the person; but by providing them the tools to allow themselves to discover what is truthful to them, they will act upon what they believe and will benefit more. My education in psychology started when I was in high school. I took psychology as an elective. During that class loved learning about the different theories and part of the brain. Remembering the high school class that I took, I enrolled in a general psychology course, at the beginning of my college career. I was introduced into the world of psychology theories, significant experimental and correlation findings, and biopsychological factors affecting normal and abnormal development. During the time of that course, I knew that psychology was the field for me. I just was not sure what direction I wanted psychology to take me. When I took a research methods course I became intrigued with the research part of psychology. I was involved with a group that made up a research design testing the correlation between negative, positive, and natural stimuli based on the Stroop effect task, a cognitive test that uses color reading inference. My group, along with a select few other groups, was chosen to present our research project at the Behavioral Sciences Conference of the North, a major professional behavioral-science meeting in the Northwest.

Personal Statement Cont . . .

I continued to explore psychology and other introduction classes my first year as an undergraduate. I took an introduction to criminal justice and was captured from there and realized that I wanted to go into the forensic psychology field. I took an abnormal psychology course where topics included history, assessment, suicide, psychopharmacology, mental institutions, psychotherapy, prevention and contemporary legal issues. I was also able to a forensic psychology course where I learned the history and philosophy of forensic psychology, report preparation, practice and research ethics, expert testimony, mediation, domestic violence, child abuse, discrimination, sexual harassment and criminal profiling. At about this time my grandmother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and I became her personal caretaker. I took time of school to be with her and was able to learn so much about my grandmother, the medical field, and myself. She was a veteran and it was during my time with her that I got to get to know people that were in the medical field to help veterans, mainly veterans with PTSD and addictions. I thought that I would enjoy having a career that focused on helping people overcome their addiction. After my grandmother passed away I went back to finish off my degree at the university that I first started at. I only had to take approximately six more classes to finish. There was a waiting line for some of the classes that I needed to take and I would not be able to get into those classes for a few semesters. Wanting to know if there was something that I could do to speed up my graduation process, I went through several different venues at the university and could not get the help that I needed. I was told I just had to wait my turn.

Personal Statement Cont . . .

I got very discouraged and started to think about what jobs I could get with the education that I had and not finish my degree. I was watching a television show and it portrayed a corrections facility and how addiction and prevention counseling was brought into the facility, and I started thinking about what I really wanted to do for my career. These thoughts lead me to the one person who taught me to make my own path, my grandmother. She was a very resilient person and if there was an obstacle in her way she would find a way around it. The next day I started to research universities that would allow me to finish my degree and put me on the path that I wanted to go down. I always thought that I would go the traditional route to get my degree, but as it turned out I found a different way to go. Viktor E. Frankl said “when we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” I believe by challenging myself to find a around my obstacle, I got more out of my education. I would also like to put Frankl’s words to use in the forensic psychology field. I believe that most people blame situation for why they are not getting where they want to be and if they step back and look at how to change their view point they will get farther in the end. After I am finished with my bachelor's degree I am going to pursue a forensic psychology master’s degree. I would like to apply my skills within the criminal justice system providing assessment and intervention. I am patient, creative, dedicated, work well with others, and enjoy situations that challenge me and I believe that this would be a challenging and rewarding career for me.

Resume

Work Experience: Anchorage School District - Special Education

Teacher Assistant (2009-current)• Responsible for helping in the social and educational

development of students under the guidance of the teacher.

• Able to work with other professionals such as teachers, occupational therapists, speech therapists, and counselors.

• Provided support for students who are unable to fully participate in activities.

• Support students with emotional or behavioral problems and help increase their social skills.

• Help to complete the Individual Education Programs for students.

• Responsible for correcting, grading, and record keeping of students work.

• Responsible for supporting class teacher in photocopying, supply gathering, and other tasks to support teaching.

• Supervised students in the cafeteria, schoolyard, and hallways, and on field trips.

• Responsible for other duties as assigned. 

Lisa Meadlisamead2001@yahoo.com7101 E 6th Ave · Anchorage, AK 99504 (907)727-4703 (c) · (907)333-1305 (h)  Profile: • I am a sincere, loyal, and dedicated individual with a

great deal of ambition. I get along well with others and am always willing to learn. I have been working with children for the past 10 years.

• Having 1½ years of experience as teacher assistant.• Able to work with and handle small groups of students

or a classroom of students.• Able to help in reading, writing, math, science,

spelling, and arts and crafts to children.• Ability to help in teaching lesson plans, directions and

instructions of the teacher.• Excellent communication and writing skills.• Excellent ability to create fun and educational

environment.• Responsible for other duties as assigned. 

Resume Cont . . .

Girl Scouts of Alaska - Camp Program Manager, Camp Counselor,

and Outreach personnel (2001-2010)• Responsible for supporting camp director.• Responsible for the setting up, taking down,

and general care of camp equipment.• Responsible for getting large groups of

campers ready for their camp experience.• Working directly with campers in allowing

them to discover, connect, and take actionwith the people and environment around

them.• Responsible for camp counselors and

providing them with support• Responsible for emergency procedures,

making sure guidelines are met, and interacting with parents.

• Responsible for creating and carrying out lesson plans along with adjusting them for learning styles and abilities.

• Responsible for other duties as assigned.

Education:  East Anchorage High School – Diploma

2001 University of Alaska Anchorage – 2002-2006 Argosy University – 2010-current (will

graduate with a BA in Psychology in 8/2011)  Reference:•  Tasha Nichols(907)248-2250 - tnichols@girlscoutsalaska.orgOccupation: Director of Membership and

ProgramsRelationship: Supervisor at Girl Scouts of

Alaska•  Marie Mills(907)230-9430 - macowi2@hotmail.comOccupation: Substitute TeacherRelationship: Coworker•  Maureen Johnson(907)344-4335 - johnson_maureen@asdk12.orgOccupation: Teacher AssistantRelationship: Previous Neighbor

Reflection

During my time at Argosy University I enhance my knowledge of the psychology field and gained many useful skills that I will take with me into my professional career and personal life. I have improved on my writing and communication skills. My understanding of the forensic psychology field has increased greatly. I now believe that I am able to enter into a career that I want with confidence.

"Learning is not attained by chance. It must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence." - Abigail Adams

Table of Contents

Cognitive Abilities: Critical Thinking and Information Literacy

Research Skills Communication Skills: Oral and Written Ethics and Diversity Awareness Foundations of Psychology Applied Psychology Interpersonal Effectiveness

Cognitive Ability

Deterring Crime In and Around Bars The aggression that takes place in drinking establishments tends to be because of alcohol assumption. The alcohol impairs the drinkers’ judgment and coordination. In society there is little tolerance for intoxication and that is manifest in laws related to crime and the regulation of drinking. There are certain types of drinking establishments that have higher crime rates than others. Dance clubs and bars that serve as a pickup place, feature intimidating entertainment, or accommodate prostitution are more at risk for violence than neighborhood bars and restaurants that serve alcohol (Scott, 2001). Implementing comprehensive strategies and relaxing or staggering bar closing times will help in reducing crime in and around the bars. Crime in and around bars tend to be a regular occurrence and problem. According to Scott (2001), the term bar refers to establishments that have licensed to serve liquor, which can include bars, pubs, taverns, social clubs, nightclubs, and lounges. The consumption of alcohol in bars is the greatest factor to aggression and violence in bars. The alcohol impairs the drinkers’ judgment and coordination. Implementing comprehensive strategies and relaxing or staggering bar closing times will help in reducing crime in and around the bars. If there were fewer bars in a concentrated area there would be fewer assaults in and around those bars. “Adding one bar per square mile would lead to 1.35 more simple assaults, while adding one restaurant per square mile would lead to 1.15 more simple assaults” (Preidt, 2010). If bars get into the practice of comprehensive strategies to discourage and regulate violence then there will be less violence in the bars. Some of the comprehensive strategies include practices of serving alcohol and food, consumption patterns of the patrons, and the physical comfort and the overall permissiveness of the drinking establishment environment. These strategies will help in addressing many of the factors that contribute to crime in and around the bars. When bars in a concentrated area all close at the same time there is a large number of patrons that all have to leave at the same time. They may hang around by the bar to wait for transportation or social groups that usually do not mix, may get together creating conflicts which potentially lead to crime. Many patrons will drink more heavily before the mandatory closing time. Allowing bars to have relaxing or staggering closing time will result in fewer people on the streets near the bars looking for food, transportation, or attention. Alcohol is the biggest factor in generation crime and assaults in and around bars “Alcohol contributes to violence by limiting drinkers’ perceived options during a conflict, heightening their emotionality, increasing their willingness to take risks, reducing their fear of sanctions, and impairing their ability to talk their way out of trouble” (Scott, 2001). Alcohol is a drug that slows down the central nervous system like barbiturates or sedatives would and affects the portions of the brain that controls judgment. When alcohol is consumed one’s speech becomes free, animated and slurred, they are less self-conscious, and they can begin to act and feel more emotional, they have hazy thinking and a slower reaction time. Alcohol does not inter a person’s system like food would, by being converted and transported to the cells and tissues. It goes directly to the blood stream where roughly twenty percent of the alcohol is absorbed through the stomach walls and eighty percent is absorbed into the blood stream through the small intestines (Dunlap, 2003). The reason why alcohol has so much affect on the brain is because alcohol dilutes itself into the water volume of the body working its way into the system and the brain contains a lot of water and it constantly needs blood to able to function properly. According to Dunlap (2003), there are three noticeable effects of alcohol to the brain. They are memory loss, confusion, and augmentation (which are the physiological response that results in hyper alertness to normal situations). This causes the drinker to have rapid mood swings and emotional and behavioral volatility. There are many types of assaults that can be found in and around bars. Most assaults occur on the weekend nights and happen in a relatively small number of places (Scott, 2001). Not all of the assaults involve a simple fight with a starting and an ending point, more than often they are incidents that are indefinite and complicated. They can be conflicts that ignite over time and they may even involve into different incidents. They can involve patrons who alternate roles between being the aggressor and peacemaker, and often draw in other people into the incident. The assaults can range from low levels of aggression, such as pushing and shoving to more sever violence, like pushing, punching, and even the use of weapons. Most of the people that participate in assaults and other crimes in and around the bars are not deterred by the negative consequences like minor injuries, tension with others, or trouble that it will cause with the police. The perceived award is more immediate for them and the reward can include increasing group cohesion, fighting a worthy cause, feeling powerful, or having stories to tell. Formally regulating and enforcing appropriate liquor licensing laws is one step that can help in the prevention of assault around bars. One of the laws that can be enforced is responsible serving policies and practices, thus limiting the intoxication rate. If the bar owners voluntary agree to uphold the liquor licensing laws than there will be less problems. These laws should also be reinforced by formal regulations, with a system of penalties implemented. These penalties for disobeying the laws can include fines and temporary suspensions or revocation of the establishment’s licenses. “Licensing’s policy review offers a rare opportunity to better prevent crime, disorder, public nuisance, and harm” (Bar Futures, 2004). By implementing these laws and making sure the establishments stick to them there will be fair and consistent enforcements of all liquor licenses. A contribution of all these things is more effective than only relying on beverage service training programs for the staff. Implementing these laws also mean that there will be authorities checking in with the drinking establishments. With authority and police in and around the bars there will be more reports of crime but it will hopefully deter some crimes to be committed.

Reducing alcohol assumption to regulate drunkenness will also help in reducing assaults in and around the bar. By teaching servers and workers how to detect intoxication they will be able to cut patrons off from drinking before they get to out of hand. It will also help in establishing who they should be keeping an eye on. They should be trained on how to spot the indicators of their patron’s drunkenness (such as slurred speech, clumsiness, and mood changes) and they should be trained on how to communicate with other staff to let them know what is going on with the patrons (Scott, 2001). The staff also needs to understand what is what the bar owners are for disorderly conduct. “If the bar staff tolerates profanity and other disorderly conduct, it suggests to patron that the staff will tolerate aggression and violence” (Graham, Rocque, Yetman, Ross, &Guistra, 1980). If the drinking establishment provides reduced-alcoholic beverages, nonalcoholic beverages, and food service this will help in reducing the drunkenness levels of their patrons. Also by discouraging alcohol price discounts will reduce the volume of alcohol consumption. With less drunken patrons around the bar there will be less of a chance that there will be crimes committed. Making the bar have a safe environment will reduce the amount of crime in and around the bar. This can include training the staff to handle patrons nonviolently. With proper training the staff will be able to reduce levels of aggression and encourage the staff to get involved before a crime can occur. By controlling the establishment’s entrances, exits, and immediate surrounding will help discourage assaults. Having a staff presence over the area will deter people from starting things that will lead to crimes. The staff will also be able to cut people off at the door that are already intoxicated and trying to enter. According to Scott (2001), by prohibiting reentry or charging a fee will deter people from bar hopping. By reducing frustration and boredom of the patrons can lead to aggression. Drink establishment owners can do this by maintain an attractive, comfortable, entertaining atmosphere. This can include providing entertainment and comfortable seating. If the patrons are happy they will less likely get into fights or commit crimes. A good way in helping to deter assaults is by improving the traffic flow to prevent congestion and reducing opportunities for bumps and spills that can get out of hand (Avon and Somerset Constabulary, 2005). Lastly by relaxing or staggering bar closing times will help in reducing crime in and around bars. By having the bars close at different times there will be less intoxicated people on the streets after closing hour looking for transportation and other things (Marsh & Kibby, 2005). With the establishment of adequate transportation the number of people looking for transportation will go down and it will resolve conflicts. There may not be enough transportation to accommodate all the people coming out of bars at the same time. By staggering these closing times it allows transportation to accommodate more people throughout the night. Relaxing the bar closing times means that the last alcoholic drink will be served at a certain time and then the bar will close an hour or sometime after that. During this time the patrons can let the alcohol leave their system so they are not as intoxicated when it comes time to leave. According to Robert et al. (2002), the change of moving the bar closing time needs to be accompanied by other efforts to help manage and regulate the assaults that may occur. This will help in the reducing the amount of crimes that happen in and around the bar. There are some objections that implementing comprehensive strategies and relaxing or staggering bar closing times will help in reducing crime in and around the bars. One of the objections is that the drinking establishment’s owners believe that the police will enforce the laws and they will not be enforced fairly. Another is that the time that it takes to train the staff of the drinking establishment is labor-intensive and costly. With the drinking establishment owners having to get new license and updating or changing their bar to make these accommodations and spending money to train their staff they will not seen a significant increase in profits (Duce, 2006). Also by having more police and enforcement in and around that bars to make sure the licensed are being upheld there will be more reports of crime. By having staff refuse service to intoxicated patrons, the patrons can instigate aggression and it is also difficult to monitor drinking in large bars (Lab, 2007). When bars relax or stagger their closing time there is nothing that stops the people from leaving one bar and going over to another bar that is open later. Thus become more intoxicated and committing crimes. There may be some downfalls when implementing comprehensive strategies and relaxing or staggering bar closing times but in the long run they will deter more crimes from being committed in and around the bars. By properly training staff on how to handle difficult people and situations, the staff will be able to deflect aggression and crimes more easily than if they were not trained properly. This may cost more money and time in the beginning but will cause the drinking establishment less trouble in the end. The new policies and laws that will be put in place will have to be checked on by police and enforcers. The police and enforcers will have to go by the books fairly for each establishment they check. The more police are around the bar the crime rate will be recorded higher, but it also encourages the owners to stick to good practices and to obey the liquor laws placed on them. Also it is just the recorded rates that will be higher because there is someone there to record them, however that does not mean that there are more crimes being committed. There will be staff patrolling the entrances that will not allow intoxicated or underage patrons enter the bar. This will help with the people that come over from a bar that recently closed and trying to get into that bar. Crime in and around bars tends to a problem and occur on a regular basis. The intake of alcohol is the most obvious contributing issue to violence, aggression, and problems in and around bars. Applying comprehensive strategies and relaxing or staggering bar closing times will help in reducing crime in and around the bars. Some of the strategies include practices of serving and patterns of consumption and the physical comfort and the overall permissiveness of the environment. These strategies will help in addressing many of the known risk factors that contribute to crime in and around the bars. When bars in concentrated area all close at the same time there is a large number of patrons that all have to leave at the same time. They may linger by the bar to wait for transportation or incompatible social groups may get together creating conflicts which potentially lead to crime. Mandatory closing times also encourage some patrons to drink heavily before closing. Allowing bars to have relaxing or staggering closing time will result in fewer people on the streets near the bars looking for food, transportation, or attention, thus deterring crimes in and around the bars.

ResourcesBar Futures. (2004). Our Services. Retrieved July 18, 2010, from

http://www.barfutures.org/services.htmlDunlap, M. (2003). Biological impacts of alcohol use: An overview. Retrieved from: http://www.oregoncounseling.org/ArticlesPapers/Documents/ ETOHBIOFx.htmDuce, C. (2006). One year on, are the new licensing laws working? Caterer & Hotelkeeper, 196 (4451), 12.Graham, K. Rocque, R. Yetman, T., Ross,T., and Guistra E. (1980). “Aggression and Barroom Environments.” Journal of Studies on Alcohol 41(3), 277– 292.Lab, S. (2004). Crime prevention: Approaches, practices, and evaluations (5th ed.). New York: LexisNexis/Matthew Bender.Marsh, P., and K. Kibby (1992). Drinking and Public Disorder. London: Alden Press, Oxford.Preidt, R. (2010). More bars equals more assaults, study finds. HealtDay.Roberts, M., Turner, C., Greenfield, S., Osborn, G., Bailey, N., and Edmundson T. (2002). Licensing Reform: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Rights, Responsibilities, and Regulation. London: Central Cities Institute, University of Westminster.Scott, M. (2001).Problem-Oriented Guides for Police Series: Assaults in and around bars. Washington D. C.: U.S. Department of Justice.

Research Skills

HYPOTHESIS: Implementing comprehensive strategies and relaxing or staggering bar closing times will help in reducing crime in and around the bars.

EXPLANATION: Crime in and around bars tend to be a regular occurrence and problem. The consumption of alcohol is the most obvious contributing factor to aggression and violence in bars. The alcohol impairs the drinkers’ judgment and coordination. Implementing comprehensive strategies and relaxing or staggering bar closing times will help in reducing crime in and around the bars. If bars get into the practice of comprehensive strategies to discourage and regulate violence then there will be less violence in the bars. Some of the comprehensive strategies include practices of serving and patterns of consumption and the physical comfort and the overall permissiveness of the environment. These strategies will help in addressing many of the known risk factors that contribute to crime in and around the bars. When bars in a given area all close at the same time there is a large number of patrons that all have to leave at the same time. They may linger by the bar to wait for transportation or incompatible social groups may get together creating conflicts which potentially lead to crime. Mandatory closing times also encourage some patrons to drink heavily before closing. Allowing bars to have relaxing or staggering closing time will result in fewer people on the streets near the bars looking for food, transportation, or attention.

Communication Skills

I would be a grief counselor for an agency like Hospice. Hospice is a belief of care that is intended to give comfort, care, and support to patients and their families when life-threatening illnesses no longer react to cure-oriented treatments (Hospice, 2010). I would be focusing on people that are facing death and individuals that have a loved one dying or has already past. For this particular interview I would be going to a patient’s home who is in the last stage. This patient is no longer of sound mind or body. The patient’s family asked for me to come and talk to them as a group. I would be talking to the patient’s caregiver and adult children. I was referred to them by their hospice nurse. I have never met any of them before and I have only reviewed the patient’s file. I would probably only meet with them once as some of them live in different states, unless any of them would like to contact me for further support. I would be conducting a counseling interview (Stewart & Cash, 2008). The purpose of this counseling interview is to assist the patient’s family members with gaining insight and coping with the loss of their loved one. For the structure of this interview I would have an opening, rapport stage, encouragement of self disclosure, body interview, and the closing of the interview. Because I only have a small amount of time with the family, and more than likely will not see them again, I want to be sure that all of their concerns and feelings are addressed in this interview; by structuring the interview this way I will fit everything in. Also by having the interview setup this way so I can get in all the family needs to talk about and I am able to respect their questions and beliefs, and I am also able to give them input and recourses that I have that will be helpful to them. References

Hospice Foundation of America. (2010). End-of-life care recourses for professionals, patients, and families. Retrieved November 24, 2010, from http://www.hospicefoundation.orgStewart, J. & Cash, B. (2008). Interviewing: Principles and practices (12th ed.). New York, NY: The McGraw-Hill.

Ethics and Diversity Awareness

Sensitivity to diversity is an important ethical issue because society has become more and more diverse over the years. Therapists cannot lump all of their patients into one type of person. They have to be aware that people are different and that they come from all types of backgrounds. They have to be aware of the different type of cultures that can come into their office. They need to incorporate that person’s background, believes, and morals into their sessions in order to help the person the best they can. They also need to be aware of the APA Code of Ethics.

Explain to what degree sensitivity to diversity is an ethical issue.

Explain your understanding of informed consent and why it is important for the patients to fill out this form.

Informed consent is when a patient has all the information that they need to be able to make a choice and participate in care. An important goal when looking at informed consent is that the patient knows all that there is to know in order to make the right choice for them. This includes discussing the nature of the decision/procedure/therapy, they need to be given alternatives, they need to know the risks/benefits of their choices, and they need to have an understanding. They also need to willing and voluntary give their consent. Getting a patient to voluntary fill out the informed consent form is important for legal and ethical issues. This form means that the patient has come to a decision about their therapy and that they know all that it details.

Knowledge of the FoundationOf the field

A cognitive therapist’s role in therapy sessions is to encourage their client to be active participants in their sessions. The clients are to bring up the topics they want to explore and help decide what homework assignments they should carry out (Beck, 1995). Some of the techniques that the cognitive therapist would use are validity testing, cognitive rehearsal, guided discovery, and journaling (Ford-Martin, 2004). Validity testing is when the therapist asks the client to defend their thoughts and believes. Cognitive rehearsal is when the client imagines past difficult situations and together with the therapist works on how to cope successfully. Guided discovery is where the client is asked questions to lead them towards the unearthing of the distortions. By providing journaling and homework assignments the client can look at different situations in their lives and their behavior around them. By working on these techniques a client will hopefully become aware of their cognitive distortions and be able to healthy change their way of thinking and behavior.   ResourcesBeck, J. S. (1995). Cognitive therapy: Basics and beyond. New York: Guilford PressFord-Martin, P. (2004). Cognitive therapy - Purpose, treatment techniques, preparation, typical results. Retrieved from http://psychology.jrank.org/pages/127/Cognitive-Therapy.html#ixzz11B2yiahA

Knowledge of Applied Psychology

The human brain is a fascination organ to scientists. The human brain is different from other animal’s brains because it allows us to think, plan, feel, speak, and imagine (Freudenrich, 2010). The brain controls body temperature, breathing, blood pressure, and heart rate. It receives information from our different senses (seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touch). The brain is also in charge of physical motion in helping us when we walk, talk, sit, or stand. It is also where we dream, reason, and experiences emotions. The brain is made up of different parts: spinal cord, brain stem, and forebrain which consist of the thalamus, hypothalamus, and cerebral cortex. The brain stem controls reflexes and automatic functions. The cerebellum helps coordinate limb movements. The cerebrum or cerebral cortex compiles all the information from different the sense organs, initiates motor functions, and controls emotions. The hypothalamus and pituitary gland controls body temperature and behavioral responses, for instance aggression and violence. Freudian theory says that violence is a basic human instinct, described as a redirection of our self-destructive impulses onto others (Corey, 2009).Violence can be brought about by human nature, it can be a learned behavior, and it can also be built into the brain (Kalat, 2007). Located in the human brain the limbic system, directly beneath the cerebrum stem, is the source of aggression and violent tendencies. The limbic system is also in charge for aggressive behavior, sleep, wakefulness, and sexual behavior. The prediction of violence is an vague science and will continue to bring about debates (Dolan and Doyle, 2000). By being able to locate different places in t brain where behavioral traits are, there can be a better understanding that there may be people with neuropathological disorders that can contribute to violent behavior (Solano, 2001).

ResourcesCorey, G. (2009). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy (8th ed.) Belmont, CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole.Dolan, M. and Doyle, M. (2000). Violent risk prediction. The British Journal of Psychiatry 177. pg 303-311.Freudenrich, C. (2001). How your brain works. Retrieved from http://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems/nervous-system/brain1.htmKalat, J. (2007). Biological Psychology (9th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.Solano, I. (2001). Serial Killers: Just trying to feel normal, it's not my fault. Retrieved from http://serendip.

brynmawt.edu/bb/neuro/neruo01/web2/solano.html

Interpersonal Effectiveness

Identity consists of self-perception, what we believe ourselves to be, and how others perceive us. It is what sets us apart from other people. There are primary identities and secondary identities. One of my primary identities would be that I am a woman. One of my secondary identities would be that I am responsible. People’s identities are created by interaction with other people and situations. We tend to take on certain identity traits of those we look up to and avoid identity traits of those we don’t like. The aspects of one’s identity affect one’s perception process. It affects how one interacts with other people, how we perceive communication cues, and it influences our stereotypes and biases. Being a woman affects my perception process because women tend to be more emotional and intuitive than men. My view of the world and other people are affected by me being a woman in many ways. I am able to identify emotionally with other women all over the world. Women tend to be more open to self disclosure and that can bond us with others around us. I think that women’s communication style tends to be more egalitarian than men. This affects how women organize and interpret communicative information. When I am taking in communicative information I tend to organize and interpret it by how it relates to me and the world around me. I need to organize information so I can communicate my thoughts and feelings on it more effectively. I think that women tend to take information and dissect it more than men. They also think more on what others will think of them before they communicate with others. I think that being a woman affects how I perceive stereotypes and biases. Women are usually brought up to believe that men are supposed to be manly and women are supposed to be womanly and anything different leads to stereotypes. One stereotype that comes to mind is that men know more about cars than women. As a woman that’s how I grew up, I did not take time to learn about cars because that was a man’s job. Now when I have car troubles I have to take my car somewhere and pay them to fix it or call one of my friends, who will more than likely, be a man, to fix my car. Being reliable also affects my perception process. I think that by being reliable I tend to view the world differently than someone who is not reliable. I look for others to help and when I say I will do something it will get done in a timely manner. I tend to focus on communication cues when someone needs help with something, whether it is big or small. I organize information by priority and what needs to be done first or who needs something done the most. I also tend to put myself out there more than others who are not reliable by volunteering myself.

My Future in Learning

I am constantly reading books, looking things up on the internet, going to seminars and classes, and just talking to people in general.

The skills that I gain at Argosy will help me become a better lifelong learner by giving me more resources to put into my artillery and helping me refine my skills that I already have.

In order for me to get where I want to be in my career, I will continue to learn and grow with the field of psychology.

For further information, please contact. lisamead2001@yahoo.com

Thank you for viewing

my ePortfoilio.