Students,
Although it's very popular these days to point out the obesity problem in the U.S., this phenomenon is actually a worldwide epidemic. Click the link below to download a startling editorial on the Obesity 
Epidemic and its impact worldwide. I think the facts will be very surprising to you.
-- Sheldon
P.S. Please note that many of the words and terms are hyperlinks that will lead you to web sites supporting the author's statements and/or providing you with more detail.
In between studying for your Final Exams, some of you may have seen news reports of yet another sad case of loss of reason and good sense threatening to take a life.
Thirteen-year old Daniel Hauser of New Ulm, Minnesota has been diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, a very curable form of cancer. After undergoing only one chemotherapy session, Daniel's parents made the decision to take him home and use "alternative medicine" to treat his cancer. So far, the tumor has grown and Daniel has only gotten more and more ill. Clearly, whatever hokus pokus these parents are using is not working, but their religious beliefs (based upon some Stone Age mumbo jumbo cooked up by a Native American tribe) prevent them from admitting that he would be better off in the hands of scientists and trained professionals.
A judge recently ordered the parents to begin chemotherapy for Daniel again after doctors reported that he could still be saved. Rather than showing up for treatment, however, his mother has decided to abscond with the boy. A bench warrant for her arrest has been issued.
This story is, unfortunately, all too familiar to those of us who spend time fighting pseudoscience and superstition. A terrific web site called What's the Harm chronicles hundreds such stories, most of which end in death. And yet, we are still told that the critics are the Bad Guys for their "intolerance" and "religious persecution" of people who cannot seem to use common sense and 21st century reasoning, prefering insted to live in the Dark Ages! It's infuriating!
Especially troubling is that, even right here at Ohlone College, our nursing program (like thousands of others) presents this kind of crap as if it had any scientific validity, poisoning the minds of would-be health care providers. Acupressure, Therapeutic Touch Therapy, and the like are not only presented in a science classroom, but are also practiced by our faculty in the Ohlone Nursing Program, and there's nothing you or I can do to stop it from happening! However...perhaps one of you would be interested in at least writing an article in the Monitor newspaper about this phenomenon? After all, there's nothing like the bright light of the media to make people aware and slow the progress of ignorance.
CLICK HERE to read the full story on Daniel Hauser, and the latest development in this bizarre (and all too common) story.
A group of researchers at Johns Hopkins hospital released a report on July 31st, 2007, announcing success in genetically engineering mice with Schizophrenia, a breakthrough that could help researchers understand the disorder better and develop new treatments.
Until now, antipsychotic drugs used to treat Schizophrenia were often tested on 
mice who had received mind-altering drugs such as LSD or PCP. This new strain of mice, however, make much better test subjects since they actually carry a gene (DISC1) isolated in a Scottish family known to be prone to the illness; this gene has been found in several other families in other countries as well, making it likely that the mutation plays some role in Schizophrenia.
These new rats show many of the behavioral traits of humans with Schizophrenia (odd behaviors, difficulty with memory, etc.), and react well when treated with current antipsychotics.
To read more about this report, CLICK HERE.
Dear Psychology 101 Students:
One of the most disturbing chapters in the history of modern treatment of the mentally ill is the introduction and practice of the Prefrontal Lobotomy. This procedure involved various su
rgical techniques, each designed to cut off communication between the front lobes and the emotion center of the brain. Now considered "quack" medicine, more than 35,000 of these operations were performed by the late 1950s, on people of all ages, and for a host of mental, emotional, and social adjustment issues.
CLICK HERE to watch a PBS special (separated into several parts) entitled "The Lobotomist," about the most famous proponent of the operation, Walter Freeman.
CLICK HERE to watch the same video, but in streaming format (without the segmentation). Just click the "close" link in the advertisement to get the video to play. I'm not sure how long that link will be active, so I'll leave the previous link in this post as well.
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CLICK HERE if you would like to learn more about Freeman and his infamous "Icepick Lobotomy" procedure. The web site contains information, images, and most importantly an audio recording (see link at the top of the page) originally aired on National Public Radio (NPR). It is narrated by Howard Dully, a man who underwent the procedure at the age of 12 at the behest of his step-mother. Dully's narration and subsequent writings on the matter are as touching as they are horrifying.
Freeman is a controversial figure, and I must warn you that the PBS report above can be a bit disturbing for the more sensitive among us, so do not feel you have to visit the site or listen to the report. For the rest of you, please know that the American Medical Association and the APA no longer endorse this procedure (or any lobotomy procedure).
In the early 1940s, almost no one had yet heard of multiple personalities, or the disorder that would become known as Multiple Personality Disorder (recently renamed Dissociate Identity Disorder). The case that would shock and educate the world about this bizarre but interesting disorder was that of Christine "Chris" Costner-Sizemore, a young woman who apparently possessed numerous separate, distinct identities, and whose life would be sensationalized in the Academy Award winning film "The Three Faces of Eve."
Some claim that the disorder is attention-getting, play acting, etc. Watch the video below to see Chris exhibit the personalities, and decide for yourself. And click the link below to read a synopsis of Chris' story. Download Eve.doc
Dear Students:
CLICK HERE to watch the video of Jane Elliott's 3rd grade class experiment on the effects of discrimination. (Click on "Watch the Full Program" in the pink box on the picture).
Rather than simply lecturing to students about discrimination, Ms Elliott chose to subject her class to differential treatment by separating them by an arbitrary physical characteristic (eye color) and teaching them prejudices based on that characteristic.
Although controversial, what ensued was a lesson that few could have predicted, and one that has created positive effects for the students well into their adult lives.
CLICK HERE to learn more about Jane Elliott and how she has taken this lesson "on the road" in attempts to teach adults the same lesson.
Dear Students:
Please CLICK HERE to be taken to the home page of The Kinsey Institute for Sex, Gender and Reproduction. Once there, you can learn about the institute, its founder, and the ongoing research being conducted.
Afred Kinsey's contribution to the field of Human Sexuality research cannot be understated. In a time when social norms about sexuality were such that the topic was not discussed, research on human sexual behavior was scant. Kinsey's nonjudgmental approach and fearless activism in the name of scientific investigation helped us understand our sexuality better, and set the stage for many later researchers such as Masters and Johnson, Sandra Bem, Simon LeVay, J. Michael Bailey, and countless others.
To watch the trailer for the 2004 film "Kinsey," click the image below:
Sadly, Ohlone College does not currently offer even a SINGLE course in "Queer Theory," nor do we thoroughly review the contributions of gay men and women in our History curriculum (the way such is, thankfully, done for Chicano and African American History).
Until this is done (and as I encourage the college to correct this omission), I offer the following information for my students.
1. BIOLOGY OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Research on the biological evidence for Sexual Orientation, and a specific reference to the work of Simon LeVay, and to his website where you'll find a good SUMMARY of the biological research to-date.
2. GAY RIGHTS: An explanation of the Stonewall Riots, an incident in 1969 that many view 
as the beginning of the Gay Rights Movement. (Keep in mind that such violent outbursts share much in common with other riots based in civil rights, namely severe oppression over long periods, a history of violence perpetrated upon the group, as well as a general feeling of institutionalized hatred toward the group.)
3. GAY PRIDE PARADE: The history of the Gay Pride Parade, the major symbol of the end 
of oppression of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) individuals. (Many ask why such "flamboyance" is shown at these events, and I have two answers as a Social Scientist. First, media coverage is usually focused on the "best story or picture," and results in a skewed image of the folks who usually attend. Second, like Mardi Gras and Carnival [in Rio de Janeiro], participants like to be as outrageous as possible to enhance the fun; however, such portrayals hardly represent the entire population they come from.)
6. TOLERANCE: Please CLICK HERE to be taken to some recent research on the correlation between familiarity with gay people and greater tolerance for differing sexual orientations.
Dear Students:
Click the link below to read an interesting article from Skeptic about research on nonhuman primate communication. For decades we've heard conflicting reports about efforts to teach chimps and gorillas (and sometimes orangutans) to "talk" using sign language, message boards, and other means. In the early 1970s, the answer seemed to be that it was possible that they might actually have the capacity to express themselves on something approaching a human level of communication. Since that time, the research has been criticized in terms of its methods, research design, conclustions and, in some cases, even its very authenticity!.
For more information on the research as it is now being conducted CLICK HERE
Download bonobo_communication_research.doc
Keep an eye out for the documentary about Nim Chimpsky, the chimpanzee who was raised in a family as part of a research project attempting to teach sign language to a non-human primate. The trailer can be watched below:
Have you ever wished for a better memory? I think it's a very common (perhaps ubiquitous) human desire. Many might even go so far as to envy those who have "perfect recall," the ability to store and retrieve nearly every experience, fact, thought, etc.
As with many such cases, however, the reality of perfect recall, often a result of Hyperthymesia, is far from the rosy picture many of us imagine. The case of Jill Price (The Woman Who Can't Forget) illustrates this quite well. Studied by researchers for years, always under a pseudonym, Price has marveled memory specialists with her ability to recite dates and facts down to the smallest detail, with little or no error. She even corrects entries in encyclopedias and other authoritative sources.
CLICK HERE to read a report about this fascinating woman, and watch the embedded video for additional details about how this "gift" can also carry a "curse."
Click the video below to watch a short documentary about Jill and her life history.
Some of the most dedicated and underappreciated parents on the planet are those whose children have been diagnosed with Autism, a pervasive spectrum disorder that presents varying degrees of cognitive, emotional, and developmental problems beginning in childhood. Although Autism is not likely to have a single cause, scientists are hard at work trying to determine its etiology. As yet, very little is known. Working to uncover more information about what might contribute to its prevalence is important, as are the development of effective therapies to help autistic children and their parents deal with the struggles of daily life.
In the past several years, an increasingly vocal minority of well meaning parents has begun focusing attention on, of all things, childhood vaccinations, creating a classic (albeit intractable) Correlation vs. Causation scenario that threatens the lives of literally millions of children in the U.S., Canada, and Europe.
CLICK HERE to purchase your tickets for the latest installment of the Ohlone Psychology Club Speaker Series. Our next guest speaker will be James "The Amazing" Randi! Clear your calendar for Friday the 13th of April, 7pm!
In this talk, former magician and escape artist, James "The Amazing" Randi, discusses his investigation of self-described faith healers, psychics, infomercial gurus, and medical charlatans. Click the video below to watch a short introduction to a soon-to-be-released documentary about Randi and his long career as a magician and a challenger of paranormal phenomena, psychic abilities, and medical charlatans.
Tickets are $10.00 for Students with ID, and $15.00 for the general public.
Box Office Hours are: Mon (CLOSED), Tues through Thurs (12-7pm), Fri (12-5pm).
An Honest Liar - Work-in-Progress trailer from Justin Weinstein on Vimeo.
A wonderful special aired recently on NOVA, entitled "What Darwin Never Knew." In case you missed it, and would like to see a brilliantly executed summary of the scientific information we've accumulated that supports the best idea anyone has ever had, CLICK HERE.
EPISODE SUMMARY:
Earth teems with a staggering variety of animals, including 9,000 kinds of birds, 28,000 types of fish, and more than 350,000 species of beetles. What explains this explosion of living creatures—1.4 million different species discovered so far, with perhaps another 50 million to go? The source of life's endless forms was a profound mystery until Charles Darwin brought forth his revolutionary idea of natural selection. But Darwin's radical insights raised as many questions as they answered. What actually drives evolution and turns one species into another? To what degree do different animals rely on the same genetic toolkit? And how did we evolve?
"What Darwin Never Knew" offers answers to riddles that Darwin couldn't explain. Breakthroughs in a brand-new science—nicknamed "evo devo"—are linking the enigmas of evolution to another of nature's great mysteries, the development of the embryo. NOVA takes viewers on a journey from the Galapagos Islands to the Arctic, and from the explosion of animal forms half a billion years ago to the research labs of today. Scientists are finally beginning to crack nature's biggest secrets at the genetic level. The results are confirming the brilliance of Darwin's insights while revealing clues to life's breathtaking diversity in ways the great naturalist could scarcely have imagined.
James Randi's reputation as a magician and escape artist is a matter of world renown. Although he 
occasionally still performs small feats, most of his current efforts involve his work as a tireless investigator and demystifier of paranormal and pseudoscientific claims. Utilizing a keen scientific mind, Randi - as he prefers to be called - examines claims of paranormal powers and activities all over the world.
In 1996, Randi founded the James Randi Education Foundation (JREF) which offers a prize of $1 million for anyone who can, UNDER SCIENTIFIC CONDITIONS, demonstrate supernatural or paranormal abilities or phenomena. Although none of the professionals we see on television have taken him up on the challenge, hundreds of others have applied over the years. Needless to say, the prize remains unclaimed...and I think we all have a good idea why.
If you would like to watch the entire video Secrets of the Psychics, CLICK HERE (it's in 6 parts).
To watch a video introduction to Randi and his work, click the image below.
Dear Students:
As you likely know, all sciences have a few core themes in common. Evolution is one of those themes, of course. The field of Psychology has become increasingly focused on the important role of biology (genes, hormones, etc.) in human behavior. As such, many of us are very interested in the facts revealed by the important science of anthropology, and the answers it holds for our own field.
Unfortunately, nearly half of all Americans still have difficulty accepting that species evolve, and their objections (however weak and unsupported by evidence) hold back scientific funding, progress, and understanding.
CLICK HERE (scroll to bottom) to hear a terrific interview of my friend Eugenie Scott, the executive director of the National Center for Science Education. She's a genius and a pro when it comes to clarifying why Darwin's ideas are so important to us all.
A recent discussion in some of my classes led me to look further for sources to answer some questions my students brought up. In the search, I was reminded of V. S. Ramachandran's amazing works (which see). Although Dr Ramachandran specializes in neurology, don't let that put you off. He writes in the style of Oliver Sacks (one of his biggest fans!), and Richard Dawkins (who wrote the forward in one of his books), making the information accessible to the professional and layperson, alike. My advice is to purchase only ONE of these books. They have a great deal of similar content, so you won't get much more if you buy them both.
SEE THE VIDEO BELOW TO GET YOU STARTED!
In his books, you'll read about:
- The young man who comes to believe that his parents (and even his poodle!) have been replaced by look-alike imposters!
- People who see letters and numbers in specific colors, regardless of what color they're actually printed in (aka, synesthesia), and others who taste musical notes as they hear them!
- The woman who, after suffering a stroke, literally laughed herself to death!
- The patient who became paralyzed on the entire left side of her body, but who perceives herself as wholly functioning, even seeing her left hand reach out for objects when it does not!
- The nurse who inexplicably develops a large blind spot in her field of vision in which she often sees cartoon characters interacting with people and objects she's looking at!
... and many, many other cases of strange and wonderful brain malfunctions, each of which is studied and described by Dr Ramachandran with great respect for the patient's dignity.
Click below for more info:
A Brief Tour of Human Consciousness: From Impostor Poodles to Purple Numbers
Phantoms in the Brain: Probing the Mysteries of the Human Mind
Please watch the video below from a recent TED talk given by Dr. Ramachandran. (Captions can be turned on below the video window after clicking the PLAY button.)
Dear Social Psychology Students:
Please join me in The Rumspringa Project, a BOYCOTT FOR PERSONAL IMPROVEMENT, by ceasing the use of all forms of electronic communication and entertainment for ONE WEEK. Can you do it? Do you think it will have any effect on you? What problems might arise, and how could you learn to deal with them WITHOUT the use of modern communication devices?
Check out my Facebook page for the details, and then get ready to join the Rumspringa Project for ONE WEEK, between Monday, February 13th and Sunday, February 19th. The following will be off limits:
1. Facebook
2. Twitter
3. Linkedin
4. Internet
5. Video games
6. Cell phones (landlines are okay)
7. Email
CLICK HERE for the Facebook page.
Click the link below to read details about the written assignment.
Continue reading "Social Psychology: The Rumspringa Project..." »
Dear Students:
As many of you may know, we have a thriving Psychology Club here at Ohlone College. One of the most visible and active clubs on campus, the Psychology Club regularly hosts guest speakers, organizes off-campus field trips, has regular fund raisers, and engages in regular discussions related to the field of psychology.
Our meetings are held every Tuesday, from 3:30- 4:30 pm.
We meet in Room 7107 (in the new Student Services Building).
Please join our Facebook page (see sidebar on this blog) for more info and updates.
Past events have included:
- Anthony Pratkanis, UC Santa Cruz professor of psychology, who discussed the psychology of persuasion and con-artists in "How to Sell FlimFlam"
- Eugenie C. Scott, anthropologist and proponent of Evolution who battles creationists who want to bring religion into the science classroom
- Philip Zimbardo, author of the famed Stanford Prison Experiment, about Evil vs. Heroism
- Brian Dunning of Skeptoid.com called "Health Scams and Myths"
- Kim Peek (The Real Rain Man) and his father Fran
- Michael Shermer, best-selling author, skeptic, and psychologist speaking on "Why People Believe Weird Things"
- a field trip to the Body Worlds exhibit at the San Jose Tech Museum
- a visit by representatives from Furry Friends Pet Therapy (and their humans)
- a talk by local psychiatrist Dr John Cotrufo on schizophrenia and mental disorder diagnosis
- a field trip to hear Stanford University's Dr William C. Dement, world renowned sleep specialist
- a field trip to meet Kim Peek, a man with Savant Syndrome, and the inspiration for the movie "Rain Man"
- touring the Glankler School for children with autism and other behavioral difficulties
- regular "Donut Days" sales to raise money for the club, and many other fun events
See you there!
-- Sheldon
Spring Semester text books for my classes are shown below. If you use the ISBN displayed here, you can be certain that you're purchasing the exact book I am teaching from.
This information is also available in the Ohlone College Bookstore on campus, with classes organized in the store by department, instructor, and course. Just ask any of the floor staff to help you find the section marked "Psychology," and find the book(s) with my name on the tag.
General Psychology (PSY 101):
- Exploring Psychology, 8th edition (David G. Myers)
- ISBN: 978-1429238267
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Social Psychology (PSY 112):
- Social Psychology: Goals in Interaction, 4th edition (Kenrick, Neuberg, & Cialdini)
- ISBN: 978-0-205-49395-1
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Abnormal Psychology (PSY 115) BUY BOTH OF THE FOLLOWING:
- Abnormal Psychology, 9th edition (Alloy, Riskind, & Manos)
- ISBN: 978-0072422986
- Science and Pseudoscience in Clinical Psychology (Lilienfield, et al.)
- ISBN: 1593850700
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Note bene: It doesn't much matter to me how you get these books (in the campus bookstore, online, through a friend, etc.), but I cannot hold lectures or tests because you're still awaiting your book's arrival.
Last night's talk by Dr Anthony Pratkanis was a HUGE success! He packed the Jackson Theater,
and wow'ed the crowd with information about con artists and the power of The Big 5 persuasion tactics. Much of the credit goes to the members of the Ohlone College Psychology Club who pulled off running this even like pros.
If you missed the talk, Pratkanis' book is available in the Ohlone Bookstore, and many of his findings are also available on the Internet. It's really worth a read!
In the meantime, enjoy this informational video he helped create for the AARP to educate older adults about how to spot con artists who target the elderly:
Dear Students,
CLICK HERE to be taken to the wonderful Brainz.org website where they summarize what they describe as "The Ten Most Revealing Psych Experiments" in history. Although some might add (or subtract) from the list, it certainly contains some extremely interesting and enlightening studies, some of which you might know about but would like to know more.
1. Robber's Cave - Social Identity
2. The Stanford Prison Experiment - Power Corrupts
3. Milgram Shock Machine - Obedience to Authority
4. Solomon Asch - Conformity
5. Lying to Ourselves - Cognitive Dissonance
6. Elizabeth Loftus - Memory Manipulation
7. George Miller's "Magic Number 7" - Short-Term Memory Limits
8. Mass Panic - War of the Worlds
9. The Bargaining Table - Why Threats Don't Work
10. Risky Behavior - Prospect Theory and "The Framing Effect"
Enjoy!
-- Sheldon
I'm never quite sure how posts like this one will be approached by my students. After 25 years of being immersed in Psychology, one tends to lose perspective on whether something is exciting to the general public or only to those of us in the field.
At any rate, I recently ran across one of the most valuable web-based collections of historical documents from the history of Psychology. CLICK HERE to visit a site that houses dozens of original journal articles and other writings from some of the biggest names in the field: Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Gordon Allport, Muzafer Sherif, B.F. Skinner, Harry Harlow, Carl Rogers, Ivan Pavlov, Abraham Maslow, Wilhelm Wundt, John B. Watson, Fritz Heider, and Alfred Binet, just to name a few!
Although many of these names may be unfamiliar to you (and some may be downright foreign), the contributions of these people to our understanding of human behavior and the inner workings of the mind cannot be overstated. In this collection, we find some of their most important works, all easily browsed by name or by category of study.
Enjoy!
