2. Personal Statement “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.” Marianne Williamson As the light dims and the audience simmers down, I feel the sweat run down my spine. Blood flowing through my veins and my heart racing, pounding against the words that were implanted in my memory and yet there is doubt within me. My bones quiver as the time draws near. I open my eyes just in enough time to swallow a small piece of myself. The stage is set and the curtains fall back like giant red velvet waves in the sea. I look up and ahead, the tension pushes me back and determinedly I do not fade. A sense of strength comes over me and boldness starts to flow. I look up and ahead to find that the many faces in the audience has dwindled down to one. It’s mind boggling as I walk downstage, wondering if what I see is real. All fear has subsided because all the faces became one, my own. As if I was looking in a mirror of life and I saw that there was nothing to make me shamed or afraid. The power to be strong and bold has always been within me, just as long as I can see it for myself. I believe myself to be a determined person throughout my academic career as well as my life. In my third year of high school I transferred to Bogan High School and stayed there for the whole year due to family issues. The following year I returned to C.I.C.S. -Longwood Academy where I graduated Salutatorian. I think that was the greatest moment in my life because it showed me that I could overcome obstacles in life and come out on top, if I desired to do so. I was your average high school student with average teenage problems. I don’t think I had a hard high school life more than anyone else but I can say my approach was a lot different at the time. I am a book smart person and throughout the years I’ve learned to take comfort in it.
3. Personal Statement After I graduated I attended Harris-Stowe State University and studied Business Administration for three year. During my third year I felt as if I wasn’t totally happy with my major and decided to look at other options. Of course I did take interest in Psychology and later moved back home to Chicago to attend Argosy University. What I’ve learned form being at Argosy and learning in the Psychology field is how to be more aware of myself, other sand environment. I think that being aware is a key concept for life and success. Classes such as Interpersonal Effectiveness, Social Psychology and Interviewing Techniques helps to identify areas of my life that needs improvement or that have developed beautifully. What I will take away from this experience is that decisions are the most important aspect of life and effort is applied to making those decisions; life will take care of itself. Throughout my college career I have held five jobs consisting of retail, telemarketing, and receptionist positions. At every job I walked into it with the expectation of learning about myself, and how to maneuver through the world. As of now I know a few things about personality and myself and they are as follows: A willing team player. A great communicator. Adaptable to a variety of situations and environments. Determined to learn as much as possible. Determined not to give up. There are many goals that I would like to accomplish in life and my career goals are a part of them. One major goal in my life is to finish school and immediately get to work. I don’t wish to attend graduate school because I feel the best choice for me is to gain more work experience in a field that I enjoy. Some entry-level jobs that interest are hospital patient service representative, counselor aide, work in a recreational community center or a children’s center. I’m most interested in helping children or working in a hospital setting.
4. Personal Statement I can say that my academic career has taken some interesting turns affecting my grades. At the end of 2010 summer session I didn’t pass a class and the same happened for another class that Fall. My grades fell from normal during this period mainly because I was experiencing burnout and family issues, however I did recover and that is what makes proud. My whole college journey has been fulfilling any ways and I’ve learned a lot about life and myself. I wish to continue on to see what I can accomplish and live success.
5. Resume Marshae N. Bennett marshaebennett@yahoo.com OBJECTIVE: To obtain a position utilizing my administrative skills and psychology education. SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS: Developed interpersonal skills, having dealt with a diversity of professionals, clients, and staff members. Adapt easily to new concepts and responsibilities. Proven ability to coordinate and organize priorities to meet scheduled/unscheduled deadlines. Work well independently and as a team member. Possess the ability to interface on all levels of management and provide excellent customer service. Excellent organizational and multitasking abilities and motivated to learn new skills.
6. Resume PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: 2010, Sept. - Osaghae & Associates 11070 S. Western Avenue Chicago, IL 60643 Telemarketer Handling outbound sales calls to potential clients. Scheduling appointments and managing client service representative’s weekly schedule. 2010-2010 Dollar Tree 3341 W. 115th St. Merrionette Park, IL 60803 Cashier Completing transactions and assisting customers. Maintaining duty lists for daily tasks. Selling the drive items and the register. 2010- 2010 My Place Apartments 2451 N. Lincoln Avenue Chicago, IL 60614 Receptionist/Intern Answering inbound calls and making outbound calls on a 4-line telephone service. Scheduling appointments and managing client accounts. Administering, receiving, filing and organizing apartment rental applications and profiles. Maintaining the front desk. Organizing property viewing dates for real estate agents. Posting apartment ads.
7. Resume 2007-2007 Dollar Tree 10752 W. Florissant Avenue Ferguson, MO 63136 Inventory Associate Assessed the needs of the customer and provided the appropriate level of service and expertise. Maintained weekly stocking quotas for completeness. Marketing new merchandise to include inventory control. Maintained the Beauty Isle while on duty. 2005-2007 A+ School Supply 12508 Lusher Road St. Louis, MO 63138 Sales Associate Maintained inventory list of stock and returns sent back to companies. Prepared the store for audits, price management and markdowns. Interacted daily with customers to resolve disputes, problem solving and merchandise returns.
8. Resume EDUCATION: Argosy University 225 N. Michigan Avenue Chicago, IL B.A. Psychology September 2011 Harris-Stowe State University (HSSU) GPA: 3.8 St. Louis, MO B.S. Business Administration, Entrepreneurship transferred to Chicago C.I.C.S. -Longwood Academy GPA: 3.8 Chicago, IL High School Diploma (Salutatorian) June 2005 COMPUTERS: Microsoft Word, Power Point, and Outlook. REFERENCES: Available upon request.
9. Reflection After completing the BA Psychology Learning Outcomes Survey, about my learning and experiences at Argosy University, I realized a few truths about myself. According to the survey, I am mostly at a MODERATE LEVEL of expertise in most areas surrounding my major. I rated a few areas as EXTENSIVE AND SIGNIFICANT. I think that these rating are true to my abilities. There is a lot for me to learn in the field of psychology. I believe that I am off to a good start and that I can take my education and use it in any field that I choose. I love the idea of expanding my mind and going further in my education. Based on the self survey, I know that I am capable of excelling and going beyond what the BA Psychology Learning Outcomes Survey says about me now.
10. 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
11. Cognitive Abilities: Critical Thinking and Information Literacy Assignment 2: Observing Behaviorism Marshae N. Bennett Argosy University – Online PSY 361 Professor Giles February 11, 2011 LOOK IN THE NOTES AREA FOR PAPER
12. Research Skills Survey Questionnaire Marshae N. Bennett Argosy University LOOK IN THE NOTES AREA FOR PAPER
13. Communication Skills: Oral and Written Interviewing Purpose Marshae N. Bennett Argosy University LOOK IN THE NOTES AREA FOR PAPER
14. Ethics and Diversity Awareness Personality: Aspects of personality that determine racial bias Marshae N. Bennett Argosy University – Online February 18, 2011 LOOK IN THE NOTES AREA FOR PAPER
15. Foundations of Psychology The Stroop Effect Marshae N. Bennett Argosy University Research Methods LOOK IN THE NOTES AREA FOR PAPER
16. Applied Psychology Personality Theory Course Project: Understanding Personalities Course Code: PSY361 Submitted by: Marshae N. Bennett LOOK IN THE NOTES AREA FOR PAPER
17. Interpersonal Effectiveness THE DAVIDIANS: David Koresh of Waco, Texas By: Marshae Bennett Psy 180 Interpersonal Effectiveness Mr. Burgess LOOK IN THE NOTES AREA FOR PAPER
18. My Future in Learning Like anyone else, I want to succeed in life and accomplish all my goals. I plan to make a career in the Navy, utilizing everything that I’ve learned thus far. Making this major change in my lie is very exciting. I believe that the education I‘ve received from Argosy has more than prepared me to be successful in the navy. I will never stop learning, there will always be an area that I will have to become familiar with. I plan to study languages in the navy and work to have many assignments translating for higher authorities. This job excites because I believe that all the concepts psychology has taught me will be used, especially Interpersonal Effectiveness. I have high hopes for the future and I know that learning new ideas, topics and even psychological theories will always be a part of my life.
19. Contact Me Thank you for viewing my ePortfolio. For further information, please contact me at the e-mail address below. marshaebennett@yahoo.com
Editor's Notes
Question 1:Using Skinner’s concept of reinforcement, consider what aspects of your personality can be attributed to reinforcement or punishment. In week 1 assignment 3 there was a personality type assessment that I completed. This test was the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (self-scored) Form M. In this test I was given a four letter “score”. My score was INFJ (Dominant Introverted Intuition), which are acronyms for Introversion, Intuition, Feeling and Judging. The first personality trait in the Dominant Introverted Intuition category that I will discuss is Intuition. According to my last assignment, “Intuition also considers possibilities, future predictions, is imaginary and conceptual.” (Geyer, 2011) According to Skinner’s operant conditioning theory, intuition is a result of reinforcement. I chose reinforcement as the result of my personality trait because there are many conditions within my environment that has strengthened this kind of behavior, for example, my outlook on my life. Right now in my life, I am facing a lot of challenges and discovering options that are before me. In some cases, there aren’t any options so I am left to create one. Currently, I have the choice to continue in school, work a full time job and hope to be successful or I can make changes to be sure of my future success. Of course, everyone faces a portion of their life where major changes must occur and they do what’s best for them. Because I have the intuitive personality trait, I’m prone to considering my possibilities and projecting outcomes from the information that is readily available to me. Because I make these projections doesn’t mean that they are correct, it just shows that I’m thinking “outside the box”. Reinforcement has shaped my intuition through the environment and circumstances in life to include: family, school, work and extra activities of my choice. According to Skinner, shaping is the environment rewarding estimates of a chosen behavior until ultimately the actual behavior itself is present and rewarded. (Feist, 2009) Through this process of reinforcing successive approximations, the experimenter or the environment gradually shapes the final complex set of behaviors (Skinner, 1953). The second personality trait in the Dominant Introverted Intuition category that I will discuss is judging. According to my last assignment, “Judging approaches the outside world with a plan and is oriented towards organizing one's surroundings, being prepared, making decisions and reaching closure and completion.” (Geyer, 2011) According to Skinner’s operant conditioning theory, judging is a punishment. I chose punishment as the result of my personality trait because there are many conditions within my environment that has had a negative effect on this kind of behavior, for example, by judging I will be susceptible to routine and life doesn’t always fit a routine. Life can be very unpredictable. When I was in high school, I thought going to college would cure all the problems that I would face as an adult. Later, during college, I realized that life is what you put into it, whatever you put in life that is what you will receive from life. Judging relies heavily on organization, being prepared, making choices and execution. Anything beyond these factors is not accounted for, which is why I believe I have faced negative responses. Punishment has shaped my ability to judge through the same as intuition, which are family, school, work and extra activities of my choice. Question 2: Using the list of significant events created for the Week 1 Final Project assignment, discuss as least three of these events in detail following the questions below. Use the following headings:Event # 1: (This is an excerpt from Module 1 Assignment 3)Approximately Age 3: I was at the community pool in a floating device. There was an area in the pool where the water goes in a dark downward tunnel. I was floating toward it and I was so close to it I thought I was going to fall in it and drown. I was scared and trying to swim away. I didn’t say anything but my mom called me and I came to her. This was a very short memory and all I remember was my mother being about a few feet away from and her calling me. How is this life event potentially shaped by reinforcement or punishment? Be specific and detailed about the kind of reinforcement or punishment used.This event shaped my life by causing me to fear drowning. Because I thought that I was going to drown I became afraid to be in water where I couldn’t feel the bottom of the pool. For example, when I was in the first or second grade, I attended summer school because my mom didn’t want my brothers and me to be at home. While at summer school we went to swim at the pool in the YMCA. During swim time we had to get in a boat and learn how to survive if the boat tips over. I was afraid when the boat was tipped over and I became very upset. As I continued on in life I slowly lost my fear but it was never completely gone. Event # 2: (This is an excerpt from Module 1 Assignment 3)Approximately Age 14: It was freshman year I high school and I was casted in a Christmas musical, as the leading role of Ms. Galloway. The character was a recreation center teacher for community children in the area. There was a part of the pay where I sung, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”. I remember being on stage and singing the song with the lights shining bright on my face. In the middle of the song I had to walk down stage and look toward the audience. I remember telling myself to look into the light and you can’t see them. I was so nervous. When I walked to the front of the stage I looked into the light and as I was singing I instantly had no fear. I looked at the audience and saw people as I was singing and it felt incredible. How is this life event potentially shaped by reinforcement or punishment? Be specific and detailed about the kind of reinforcement or punishment used.This experience has reinforced my love for both singing and acting. Currently, I am taking acting classes and I do sing occasionally. Growing up I preferred singing to any other activity, now I prefer acting. I revisit this memory a lot because it has kept me wanting to see what the future holds for me. I like acting for many reasons, to include the satisfaction of doing a good job. The reinforcement of this memory will help to make me a great actress one day.Event # 3: (This is an excerpt from Module 1 Assignment 3)Approximately Age 23: This last memory I will discuss was of the first time, after childhood, that I saw a stage play. I recall being in the seat very excited and nervous at the same time. I was excited because I love theatre and nervous because I wasn’t in my home watching a play on DVD. Being around people was very fun and I remember really getting comfortable wit laughing and responding to the events in the play. At this play I was more excited about what the future had in store for me. I imagined myself on stage acting. I imagined what it would be like and if I could portray the characters that I saw. I like this memory because it helps be to always remember how I started in acting and appreciate future successes.How is this life event potentially shaped by reinforcement or punishment? Be specific and detailed about the kind of reinforcement or punishment used.This memory is a good example of reinforcement as well. The rewards of acting whether it is classes to prepare or viewing stage plays in person or DVD format. I like this type of reinforcement because it gives me something to look forward to in the future. Stage plays are a huge part of acting no matter what area a person wants to pursue. Theater is a rich source of acting and the events that are rewarded; regarding that rich source can only advance the actor. Viewing my life from Skinner’s theory, I think that all my experiences have either a reinforcing agent or a punishment. The important part of recognizing the reinforcements and punishments is the understanding why they contribute to the person you have become today. ReferencesPoirier, Danielle. "Dominant Introverted Intuition: INTJ & INFJ: What is it like?" "Rebel Eagle - WWW Home Page. Personality Pathways: exploring personality type and its applications. Retrieved January 21, 2011, from http://www.personalitypathways.com/type_inventory.htmlGeyer, P. (n.d.). Myers Briggs Personality Test MBTI Personality Types. Myers Briggs MBTI Personality Type | PersonalityPathways.com. Retrieved January 21, 2011, from http://www.personalitypathways.com/type_inventory.htmlSkinner, B. F. (1953). Science and human behavior. New York: Macmillan.Feist, J., & Feist, G. J. (2009). Chapter 15: Skinner: Behavioral Analysis. Theories of personality (7th ed., pp.451). Boston: McGraw Hill Higher Education
AbstractIn this paper, I will hold a mock interview with Dr. Malcome Bennett, my brother, and gather information to make a "sales pitch" regarding accounting services from a local accounting firm called Osaghae & Associates. Previously in module 4, I discussed this sales pitch in depth as I was giving a training session on how to sale the accounting services. Now in this scenario I will elaborate on the clarity of the questions presented to the customers and determine if the conclusions of those responses have any validity. In this interview the most important aspect is the presentation of the interviewer and the persuasion technique that will show whether there can be an impact on the customers. This type of interview is categorized as a persuasion interview, being that I’m trying to sell a service. (Cash, 2008)Interviewing for ServicesScenario: As a telemarketer for Osaghae & Associate there is a script that is given to establish the customer’s attention. Through trial and error I was able to adjust the script to fit the needs of my customers. An example of this is as follows:Hi, my name is Marshae and I’m calling from Osaghae & Associates. We are a local accounting firm and would like to offer you a free accounting quote. Would you be interested in this offer?After the sales pitch is given and the customer has accepted, an interview with the customer will begin to establish an appointment. An example of this interview is as follows:Telemarketer: Thank you for allowing me to set your appointment. It will take only a few minutes to gather some information. 1.What is the name of your business and the nature of your service?a. Customer: Well my business is called Sports Center for Physical Therapy. The nature of my business is to provide physical therapy for injured athletes and non-athletic injuries as well.2.How long have you been in business?a. Customer: I have worked with a physical therapy center in my local area for 7 years; however I have actually had my own center for only 3 years.Dr. Bennett you do have a choice whether to meet at your physical therapy center or at an alternate location.3. Will be meeting at your business center or at another location?a. Customer: Well, I would prefer that we meet at my business. If you could come to me that will be great because I have busy days ahead of me.Of course, we can meet at your business. By the way we do offer pick up and drop off services for files and that way you don’t have to travel to the office if you choose to do so.4.What is the address of your establishment?a.Customer: The address here is 7373 W. Williamsfield Drive, Aurora, IL 60506. 5.Do you currently have an accountant? If so, what is he reason you are seeking counsel?a.Customer: Well right now I do have a bookkeeper, however they are temporary help and I really need to work with an accountant. My business is growing and I need for everything to be done correctly.6.What day and time would be suitable for you to continue with receiving your quote?a.I will be available for a consultation this Friday in the morning.This Friday, which is the seventeenth at 9 am?Customer: Yes! That is a great time for me.Alright! Dr. Bennett, Thank you for your time. Your appointment is set for this Friday 9 am at your therapy center. Customer: Thank you.Thank you, and have a great day!Traditionally in this type of phone interview there are minimal questions asked and the time spent booking the interview is short because of limited time. In the case of this scenario the questions were stretched up to 5 questions. The extra questions that were asked are as follows:7.Are you looking for an accountant near home or away from your local area.a.Customer: I feel more comfortable when my staff is accessible to me so yes distance is important to me. I do prefer to have an accountant near my establishment, however depending on the commute, I can be flexible.Well, Dr. Bennett we do have two office locations here in the city on 111th in Western and another in Cherryville Indiana. 8.What services are you most concerned with? Tax preparation, bookkeeping, consultation services or legal services.a.Customer: Well I’m looking to have bookkeeping and tax preparations done, but consultation is of an interest to me as well.Dr. Bennett I have few ore quick questions and your appointment will be complete.9.Do you have any back taxes to settle?a.Customer: No. Not at all. My taxes are current.10.Are there any concerns that I van address at this time?a.Customer: Well, I was wondering how much this service would cost.Well, Dr. Bennett, the free quote for our services is based on your financial state within your business and that will be assessed on your appointment date.Question CritiqueDuring this interview I had to keep in mind the atmosphere, physical setting and outside forces of the customer and myself. The atmosphere of the customer should be a familiar environment and should be comfortable for them to speak without any pressure from their surroundings, however if they are not at a point where this state is reachable, then another phone call to do the sales pitch should be mentioned. The physical setting falls in the same category as the atmosphere, where I have to be aware of the psychical setting of the customer because it determines the responses given at the time. Outside forces also influence decision making whether I it be negative or positive. I believe it to be imperative that the interviewer is aware of all circumstances that the customer is facing. In order to have a successful persuasive interview I have to consider 5 points in my delivery. The first point is stated in the text as follows:Your proposal must create or address an urgent need or one or more desires or motives. The urgency that was created was the need of accounting services. When making these cold calls I am purposefully calling new and established businesses because they most likely will have a need for the offered services. The second point is stated in the text as follows:Your proposal and you as an interviewer (including your profession and organization) must be consistent with the interviewee’s values, beliefs, and attitudes. In this interview the proposal is stated in the beginning to make sure that the customer understands the purpose of the phone call. Now, every call that is made will not result in a sale and that is a great example of the beliefs and vales of the customer and the telemarketer not being aligned. The third point is stated in the text as follows:Your proposal must be feasible, practical, workable, or affordable. In the interview I do state that the quote is free, which makes the offer intriguing and desirable to the right customer. The fourth point is stated in the text as follows:Your proposal’s advantages must outweigh its disadvantages. Every proposal generates objections, sometimes stated and sometimes not. Recognizing and neutralizing advantages and advantages is a tricky process when selling a service of product over the phone. The phone does propose a barrier between the customer and the salesman; however being able to overcome this issue is a trait of a good telemarketer. In every call there are different advantages and disadvantages. In this scenario Dr. Bennett expressed that his availability to commute is limited. By the company coming to his establishment helped to ease his mind because he can go on with his day. Depending on the state of the customer, you will be able to understand what the advantages and disadvantages are for that customer. The fifth point is stated in the text as follows:No better course of action is available. To show that Osaghae & Associates is the best among possible choices for accounting I mention extra details of the service to attract them. The mentioning of the company’s locations is important in this case because the customer is concerned with the distance of the office.The most important factor of this interview is to remember that attitudes predict actions. Attitudes are relatively enduring combinations of beliefs that predispose you to respond in particular ways to persons, organizations, places, ideas, and issues. (Cash, 2008) It is my responsibility to determine the attitude of the customer toward the need or desire for accounting services and if I don’t do a god job of convincing the customer to obtain a quote it ultimately the result of not being credible to the customer. ReferencesCash, C. J. (2008). Interviewing: Principles and Practices. New York City: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.
AbstractThis scenario examines a counseling technique that could be used by any government agency for their employees. These employees would have suffered trauma due to experience in their field. This interview will cover the advantage and value of an intake for a counseling session. The patient’s perspective, differences, personal barriers, interviewing technique and trauma will be analyzed and concluded.Counseling and Clinical InterviewsScenario:Detective Grant (a white American male, age thirty-three) was placed undercover as a “high profile” cocaine abuser with a team of three other detectives. While undercover detective Gran and his team faced opposition from their drug dealers and had a shoot out. In the process of trying to detain the dealers, all of Grants teammates were killed. Grant has recovered from his physical injuries and returned to work on the force as a desk clerk.Purpose of your interviewI chose to do a counseling interview, where I would explain the actions of a detective who has experienced trauma in the field and as a result evades responsibility by working at a desk and not as an undercover detective. This interview will establish the thoughts of the patient (Grant) and allow for the recouping process to unfold. Also, in this interview I will discuss the techniques that I would use as his counselor. Opening of InterviewThe opening sets the tone for the entire interview, so I will be sure to cover all bases when first meeting detective Grant. Because Grant is a detective, he use to being respected as an authority figure in society. I must be polite and nice while maintaining my power over the session as his counselor. I would have to adapt to the type of person Grant and meet him on his level.Reasons for structuring the interviewThe technique used in this scenario will be Person Centered Therapy. Person Centered Therapy or Client Centered Therapy is an approach to counseling and psychotherapy that places much of the responsibility for the treatment process on the client, with the therapist taking a nondirective role. Basically, person centered therapy focuses on two primary goals which are increased self-esteem and greater openness to experience. I believe it would be in the best interest of the patient because we will work towards being open to relaying his story and being acceptive of the counseling process. There are many barriers between Grant and me as the counselor such as age, culture, and terminology (language) that will have to be overcome in order to have a successful treatment. (Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders,2011)Discussion topics you plan to coverPatient’s ViewAccording to the text ….. Detective Grant could appear out of control and vulnerable because his is without the security of knowing that he and his teammates are safe on the job. Grant has found himself to be threatened by his working environment (the field) and lacking dignity, authority and the freedom to do his work. Because Grant is feeling helpless he is allowing his guilt of his teammates to weaken him convincing him he is inadequate to be a detective. As a result of this guilt he has now justified working at desk.Barriers between the patient and counselorBecause male patients tend to be more domineering than women, it will be essential that I allow him to speak freely, feel unrestricted and like he is in control of the interview. Grant is in his early thirties, so as the counselor, I must not rely on my authority or education to gain his trust. Stereotypically a good patient is cooperative, quiet, obedient, grateful, unaggressive, considerate and impassionate. (Cash, 2008) God patients receive better treatment because they are better understood. In the case of detective Grant, he exhibits characteristics of stubbornness making him resistant to any form of solution or resolvement. Grant can be deemed a bad patient that leads to bad understanding and ultimately bad treatment. As his counselor I must work with his resistance an allow him to feel in control to assist his issues. Te goal with Grant is to make him feel like he commands his own life and possessions, since he clearly feel she has no control over outside factors. Lastly, I cannot expect Grant to be totally truthful about his situation. Being untruthful is common among many patients and being aware of this will definitely help him throughout his sessions.Trust FactorsEstablishing trust will come about when Grant and I exchange information and see one another as legitimate agents of knowledge and perception. (Cash, 2008) I will have to establish confidentiality among us and our sessions. Also, I will have to establish trust will help for a successful interview because both parties feel vested in the same goal. Questions you will use to obtain the informationThese are the example of the potential questions that I would ask Grant to probe information about his story.1. What problems are you having when dealing with work in the field?2. Are you experiencing pain from the injuries you recovered from?3. Tell me about the stress you’re facing?4. Does it have to do with the deaths of your former team?5. Cash, 2008Closing and Goal SettingWhen closing out the counseling session it will be imperative to debrief Grant a make sure he levelheaded about all that took place during the session. Also, I would have to give him some hope for the future and keep him proactive in his full recovery. Below are examples of the types of goals Grant would need to meet for progress.1. Face daily fears of working in the field.2. Learn to accept responsibility slowly.3. Understand that there are certain life circumstances that are uncontrollable.4. Know that he is not to blame for those life circumstances.SummaryDetective Grant has face trauma through his field operation that ended badly. As a result he internalized his trauma and sought to find a way to evade responsibility. Because Grant has not dealt with his guilt he alerted his life in a negative way. In the counseling session he would begin to understand why he is in this present state. Through commitment of his sessions eventually he will be able to meet the goals mentioned above. I believe that person client therapy is the best therapy for him and will bring a turn in the way Grant processes his grief and guilt. ReferencesCash, C. J. (2008). Interviewing: Principles and Practices. New York City: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.Person-centered therapy - children, people, used, personality, theory, Definition, Purpose, Description, Normal results, Abnormal results. (n.d.). Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders. Retrieved February 26, 2011, from http://www.minddisorders.com/Ob-Ps/Person-centered-therapy.html
AbstractPrejudice and bias has been a problematic area throughout history for humankind. The outcome of people acting on different types of biases and prejudices has negative effects in society. There are different types of prejudices, however racial prejudice and its correlation to personality traits seems very interesting to me. In the research that I have gathered, I have found that there are parallels between the development of racial prejudice and personality development. Also, there is substantial research and data, as well as theory to show that generalizing (the basis of stereotyping) is biological and is influenced by environmental sources.The two broad topics that brought me to my hypothesis are American history and the many cultures that dwell within our American country. Throughout many decades’ prejudices of many types such as race, gender, and homosexuality just to name a few, have been, and are prevalent in society. From the studies that I looked over (performed in America), I was able to come to many conclusions about the development of racial tension and personality structuring. Personality: Aspects of personality that determine racial biasThe origins of stereotyping comes from the innate human ability to generalize and categorize information, within ourselves, to better understand and store what we see, hear, smell, taste and come in contact with. According to Rupert Brown, author of Prejudice: its Social Psychology, since the 1950s most social psychologists have accepted that prejudice in the human mind is normal. In support of Professor Brown’s theory, I researched heuristics to better understand why we make these generalizations. “Heuristics are informal methods of problem solving strategies that are easy and quick, but can produce a myriad of errors and biases in reasoning. The three major heuristics identified by Nobel l aureate Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky (1974) in the journal Science are representativeness, availability, and anchoring-and-adjustment.” (Chowning, 2008) Representativeness heuristic is what allows a person to develop biases related to statistical probabilities. The representative heuristic helps a person to think of how equitable a situation is based on previous knowledge, for example, the need to question and verify the professional occupation of someone to be sure. Questions arise to evaluate the situation such as; Do they not meet the criterion for that profession? Availability heuristic is what allows a person to develop biases based on memory retrieval, or how easy it is to recall information from the distant past. Anchoring-and-adjusting heuristic is what allows a person to develop biases based on recalling information and reorganizing that information to meet the chosen perspective of that particular person. (Chowning, 2008) Overall, shortcuts are mental notes made to satisfy that immediate urge to know why or how in life. Because this is natural, we don’t often recognize the extent of our generalizations and how they can lead to harmful perspectives being stored and recalled for referencing. The perception of how a person perceives a particular group or category is how the information is stored mentally. The implied information an individual may gather may or may not be accurate, however the person’s ideas are the governing aspect of what they have seen. We control our own minds and thought processes, but their can also be influences from the external sources. Expressed ideas through actions in the world can help us correlate ideas to conclude a better assumption of the topic we are trying to make sense of, sort of like using context clues. We also take this behavior and categorize people. Once a person is assigned to a racial category (in someone's mind), implicit and explicit racial meanings associated with that category (racial demographic) are triggered, which activates racial meanings that influence our interpersonal interaction. (Kang, 2005) The outcome of that assumption depends on whether the explicit information was negative or positive. For example, if a person grew up with a racist family and did not like white American people, they would have developed a lot of negative mental shortcuts about white American people. The information that would be stored in their mind would reveal itself through everyday living and interaction with others (interpersonal interaction), especially white Americans. On the other hand, if a person grew up with a family that did not tolerate racial discrimination, then they would have positive information stored about white Americans and any other racial demographic, which is the result of their family's morals and ethics not including any other external forces. In this example, outside forces (the family) had a lot to do with how a person can view the world and people of the world. In my research, there is a study that explains how positive reinforcement could impact a person’s perception of different groups. In the report, “A social cognitive theory approach to the effects of mediated intergroup contact on intergroup attitudes”, by Michelle Ortiz and Jake Harwood, it explains how groups of people were asked to specify their position on race and sexuality through television programs. The findings in this study did not support the hypothesis of immediate change in perspective of the different groups presented; however there was some insight to how positive reinforcement could be used in the future. Overall, because external forces have some role in our mental processing of shortcuts, it is possible to see results of this study over time. Also, healthy observations of interaction between members of different groups can help to reduce stereotypes and prejudices according to the social cognitive theory. (Bandura, 2002).It is hard for people with racial prejudices to understand the magnitude of their actions and mentality towards specific groups because of the internal battle between their personal ideas of the world and the truth about people in this world. I think that the truth of people in this world can never be found because no one is totally Why? It is human nature to be social and we desire to be accepted in one way or another. The need to belong is so strong within our species that we naturally tend to follow people who look like and think as ourselves. Because we don’t always volunteer to join a group or person outside of our group, we don’t have any information about them. Overall, the group that a person follows is their “safe haven” in the social scene of life and is therefore very influential to how a person thinks acts and lives. Personality development is influential to the biases we hold because within the mind, where the personality is created, is where these biases are formed. I think that if we make a conscious effort to be aware of our thoughts and influences, we can limit the racial prejudices that haunt our lives. ReferencesDudley, Michael G., and Daniel Mulvey. "Differentiating among out-group’s: predictors of congruent and discordant prejudice." North American Journal of Psychology 11.1 (2009): 143. Psychology Collection. Web. 14 Jan. 2011.Crisp, Richard J., and Joanne K. Nicel. "Disconfirming intergroup evaluations: asymmetric effects for in-groups and out-groups." The Journal of Social Psychology 144.3 (2004): 247+. Psychology Collection. Web. 14 Jan. 2011.Kang, Jerry. "Trojan horses of race." Harvard Law Review 118.5 (2005): 1489-1593. Academic OneFile. Web. 14 Jan. 2011.Gebbie, Kristine M. "Prejudice Comes in All Varieties!" The AIDS Reader 17.7 (2007): 341. Academic OneFile. Web. 14 Jan. 2011.Northern, Stephanie. "Them and us: in the first of a four-part series on prejudice, Stephanie Northern analyses the psychology behind categorization and discrimination." Nursing Standard 24.10 (2009): 22+. Academic OneFile. Web. 14 Jan. 2011.Fiske, Susan T. "On prejudice & the brain." Daedalus 136.1 (2007): 156+. Academic OneFile. Web. 14 Jan. 2011.Ortiz, Michelle, and Jake Harwood. "A social cognitive theory approach to the effects of mediated intergroup contact on intergroup attitudes. (Report)." Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 51.4 (2007): 615+. Academic OneFile. Web. 14 Jan. 2011.Gingrich, Bryan E., David A. Houston, and Michael B. Lupfer. "Combining trait and stereotype expectancies in person memory." Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin 24.10 (1998): 1120+. Academic OneFile. Web. 14 Jan. 2011.Robins, Richard W. "The nature of personality: genes, culture, and national character." Science 310.5745 (2005): 62+. Academic OneFile. Web. 14 Jan. 2011.Brummett, Bradley R., et al. "Psychosocial well-being and a multicultural personality disposition." Journal of Counseling and Development 85.1 (2007): 73+. Academic OneFile. Web. 14 Jan. 2011.Chowning, Karolyn. "Primary Psychological Heuristics: Decision Shortcuts that Bias Humans' Perception and Judgment." Suite101.com: Online Magazine and Writers' Network. N.p., 25 Aug. 2008. Web. 28 Jan. 2011. <http://www.suite101.com/content/psychological-decision-shortcuts-a66492>.Freud, S. (1933/1964). New introductory lectures on psychoanalysis. In Standard edition (Vol. 22).
Automatically a driver reacts to the traffic light by color. He knows that “Red” means “Stop”, “Yellow” means “Slow Down”, and “Green” means “Go”. With the Stroop Effect, if the colors were spelled out in white or with a white light, the driver would not react as fast to the signal change. Activity in the frontal lobe or the anterior cingulated cortex and prefrontal cortex are consistent with the Stroop Effect because these areas are contributed to conflict monitoring and resolution in the brain. When a driver is in traffic and comes to a signal their automated behavior is patterned by previous experiences in operating a vehicle. Automated behavior can be compromised if there is an abrupt change within the environment (conflict). The brain then takes longer to accommodate the change (resolution). I believe that if the behavior learned in viewing traffic lights as a white light spelling out a color, then eventually a pattern will develop and the automated behavior would be to recognize a white light spelling out YELLOW, GREEN and RED. The police department could use the Stroop Effect to test for DUI’s. In accordance to the existing intoxication testing, they can check for the lapsed time of an alertness activity. This can also be used in court to show a normal alert test result and an intoxicated person’s test result. A clinical application of the Stroop Effect for the police department:TEST 1: Run a series of everyday traffic signs with the colors reversed, and then have the person make out the sign.Example: A white “Stop Sign” with red lettering. A black “Caution Sign” with yellow lettering.TEST 2:Run a series of shapes on a card. The shapes must be altered.Example: A triangle that has a number within it. Ask the person to either state the shape, color, or number in a random order.Teaching children using the Stroop Effect can be useful in terms of teaching identification of color, shapes, numbers, ordering, pairing and many other important skills they need to develop. The Stroop Effect can be used to teach primary colors by having the children to associate the letters of the spelling of a color, with the color. For example, have the children to color blank letters the color that it spells, i.e. R, E and D will be colored red. This technique can help with color association and spelling. Increasing the child’s vocabulary will help boost reading and phonics scores. References"Stroop effect." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 07 Aug. 2010 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stroop_effect>.
Week 2: Final Project Jane is right-handed while Mary is left-handed. Jane thinks that because most people are right-handed, right-handedness is better than left-handedness. In fact, neither is better than the other; they are only preferences. Explore your personality preferences by completing Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (self-scored) Form M. Answer all questions. Follow the instructions carefully for self-scoring the inventory. Analyze the results and write a reflection paper that includes: Your four-letter type and whether this type accurately represents what you know about yourself. Examine the four spectrums and explain your answer thoroughly. Substantiate your agreement or disagreement with a real-life example. After taking the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (self-scored) test, I received a letter combination of INFJ and that is referred to as Dominant Introverted Intuition. The description of this personality type is mentioned as “…they are propelled towards the vision and all their actions lead to it. They are perseverant behind a quiet exterior and will often come back with their vision long after everyone believes they have let it go. What they see is so clear and obvious to them they are often surprised to find that others cannot see it as well. They may find it difficult to … explain how each goal fits into the larger picture. Their mind usually travels from the past to the future, seeking to fit a particular situation in a large context. It picks up patterns, symbols and images from different seemingly unrelated fields, identifies similarities and provides meaning…Their mind naturally travels from the microcosm to the macrocosm. They regularly have to face the difficulties of bringing dreams into reality. The time and effort it takes is always more than what their intuition initially suggested. They are determined, perseverant, inspired and often see things just around the corner, into the near or far future.” (Poirier, 2011) The four letters INFJ are acronyms for Introversion, Intuition, Feeling, and Judging. Introversion is defined as the lead in my personality development and it has a more dominant role in my behavior. Intuition is the region of my brain that seeks to understand, interpret and form general patterns of the information that is gathered and keeps record of these patterns and relationships. Intuition also considers possibilities, future predictions, is imaginary and conceptual. Feeling refers to side of my brain that forms conclusions in an emotionally involved and to some extent global manner which based on my likes/dislikes, its impact on others, and aesthetic values. Judging approaches the outside world with a plan and is oriented towards organizing one's surroundings, being prepared, making decisions and reaching closure and completion. (Geyer, 2011)These four categories surprisingly describe me perfectly. As I was taking the test I found if difficult to choose the correct word that best described the situation asked because I felt that I exhibited behavior from both categories given, so I ended up choosing the word that mentioned my personality traits overall. This was a very short test, but it is accurate for me. Starting from the introversion category, I can remember having difficulty with my classmates in high school because sometimes I preferred to be alone, off in my own world, rather than play along with everyone. I remember one time where the honor roll students went to an overnight trip to a lodge and on the bus ride I had my headphones on sitting away from the rest of the class. A classmate came to me asked my why I wasn’t sitting with them and I told her I just didn’t want to sit with them. At the end of the every short conversation she called me anti-social. Even now I do prefer to have my alone time, not because I’m anti-social but to think and relax. I value that time because it keeps me from exploding with emotions. Intuition, felling and judging all represent the part of my personality that requires thinking and analyzing constantly. I use to make the joke that I’m like a robot, I never stop thinking or calculating. I understand that comment now because I realize that it is true and it is a part of the way I internalize what is around me, who it affects and what I will do to help of prevent. Overall, I give this test an A+ for accuracy. This test helped to me to understand myself better and put a name to the type of behaviors that I have been engaging in for twenty-three years. Your perception of what you consider the strengths of this type. List three strengths and provide a rationale for each. The strengths of this personality type are introversion, intuition and feeling. Introversion is my strength because it allows me to not be dependent on the attention of others and my motivation doesn’t have to come from an outside source. I remember a friend that I had in college who always needed attention and she would do practically anything to gain your attention. My views of her, as time passed, were not good. I eventually stopped being around her because her behavior got out of control. I never understood why she always needed to be in the center of every situation, but I realized that I don’t need to have the approval of others to be happy. Also, my motivation is jump-started internally and not controlled by external factors, such as circumstances that could impact my decisions. Intuition allows me to be more creative and keeps me from being bound by data and facts. Naturally I like to use unorthodox methods towards daily tasks and if I were more of a sensing personality I most likely would use the one method and entertain other thoughts. Feeling characteristics enable me to be in tuned with and help others. My mom always told me that I was like the peacekeeper of the family. I would never enjoy arguing and it would usually take a lot for me to get angry. Today I still enjoy having harmony throughout the environment and I absolutely hate arguments and pettiness. Your perception of what you consider the weaknesses or challenges accompanying this type. List three weaknesses and provide a rationale for each.One major weakness of my personality type is judging because I feel like in some situations I might be bound by tasks and dates. This can be looked at as a strength it helps to keep organized, however life doesn’t always work as we planned and in the description for this trait it doesn’t seem like there is much room for adaptation to the elements. Anything can happen and the ability to think fast is negated because judging is based on routine. Another weakness is not being proactive in conflict. From experience I know I don’t like to engage in conflict and this can be a weakness because I can let people have they way if they put a fight. Lastly, a weakness in personality based on this test is that I don’t rely heavy on logic. Some situations in life require a person to think heavily with limited rationale. A summary of what you’ve learned about yourself through this exercise. What I learned about myself is that everything I ever thought about how I behaved throughout my life so far has a name or category to summarize its elements and that those elements are a part of my personality. Having this test helps me to put in perspective my “way”, for example, the reason why I like to be alone to think, why I love being creative, my ability to help people and listen to them and why I like organization. References 1. Poirier, Danielle. "Dominant Introverted Intuition: INTJ & INFJ: What is it like?" "Rebel Eagle - WWW Home Page. Personality Pathways: exploring personality type and its applications. Retrieved January 21, 2011, from http://www.personalitypathways.com/type_inventory.html 2. Geyer, P. (n.d.). Myers Briggs Personality Test MBTI Personality Types. Myers Briggs MBTI Personality Type | PersonalityPathways.com. Retrieved January 21, 2011, from http://www.personalitypathways.com/type_inventory.html
Compliance-gaining is “a term used to identify the act of intentionally trying to alter behavior. In the articles about David Koresh, cult leader of the Davidians in Waco, Texas, compliance-gaining played a major part in persuading members to follow him to a bitter end. David Koresh, born Vernon Howell, was described to be an indifferent student, but a seriously religious person. He had a love for music and his gift of playing the guitar. Koresh realized that he could use music, rock bands, to relate to people. In relating to the interest of music with people, Koresh was able to become a leader to whom he recruited. He was able to get recruits to conform, comply and obey his every word because he was able to establish himself as an authority figure. Koresh was the ultimate authority figure to the Davidains of Waco, Texas; he was their God. Koresh was a very intelligent man. He used promise, threat, positive and negative expertise, liking, pre-giving, moral appeal, positive and negative self feeling, and positive and negative alter-casting. Koresh used these elements daily with his followers to assert his authority, which helped to physically create his "world", where he is king. As mentioned in the first article, it was a common practice for Koresh to reiterate the importance of the members to follow his every word. He first established in their minds that he was God/Jesus in the flesh. He then fed them a story of the world ending and made it known that he was the only one who could cover their soul in the after-life. Koresh armed his people and brainwashed them to ready themselves for a battle by consistently showing old army/war movies. The elements of compliance-gaining mentioned in the beginning of the paragraph were needed to be a success at fulfilling his world. An example of the effect that he had on people where made known by their actions and by the testimony of ex members. Members made it known that they will cause harm to others, themselves and even death to protect their king. In article one these statements were made: "Koresh is telling negotiators that he is annoyed by reports that he has claimed to be Christ, despite the stories of ex-cult members that he often did so. Though he is reported to have urged his flock last Easter to prepare for mass suicide, he now insists that they will not turn their guns upon themselves. But people who know them well are not reassured. Say the worried Lisa and Bruce Gent: ''They will kill for him.'' And Koresh, a man caught up in a dream of the Apocalypse, may be ready to die as well." (Lacayo, Richard 1993) Conformity is described as changing behavior in order to match the actions of others or adhere to social norms. Koresh lead a large group of people to believe he is God. According to the text, conformity is more likely to occur with a large group and when a particular group norm is established (Nairne, 2009), so Koresh was able to capture their minds and use them as he saw fit because of influence. Compliance is described as a behavior change that occurs as a result of a direct request or indirect appeal. By Koresh's leadership relies on total compliance, which in my opinion is different from obedience. Compliance refers to the willingness of the person to adhere to the direction of someone and obedience is the moral and values of person influencing a decision to follow. Koresh needed both compliance and obedience, but having one without the other sounds difficult to attain. Obedience is defined as compliance or behavioral change that occurs in response to direct orders from authority. The authority Koresh had over these people was not that he claimed to be God, but that he was able to convince them he was their God. An excerpt from article two describes how much of an impact Koresh had on the people he recruited: "And indeed he seemed prepared to treat them that way. When negotiators asked him to send out videotapes to show the youngsters were safe, Koresh was happy to oblige. The tactic worked brilliantly for him. Agents were wrenched by the pictures, and even more profoundly engaged after Koresh began putting the children on the telephone. ''Are you coming to kill me?'' a tiny voice would ask. ''Those kids' faces, you can still see them,'' says FBI agent Bob Ricks. ''They are precious, innocent children, controlled by a madman.'' Koresh would use food as a weapon, even on his own children. The cult had stockpiled enough Army rations to last for months, but Koresh dispensed them all. His favorites usually had the first claim, like the members of his rock band, and his Mighty Men, the term referring to the warriors who fought under King David in the Old Testament. So for the ultimate task, the fight to the death, the warriors would be fed. The weak, the vacillating and the helpless would grow weaker and weaker, unable to split off if given the chance..."". As you can see in the excerpt Koresh was showing his true intentions that he had for his people and children. He was so captured by the idea of his world being a reality he put children in harm’s way and used them for a mental attack on the FBI. Throughout the article the story goes on telling how there was a long waiting period to determine the course of action to take. The FBI tried reasoning, negotiations, establishing positive communication and they even brought in Christian theologist to assist with the negotiations. Nothing worked with Koresh, but the idea of bringing in theologist seemed helpful to the FBI. By bringing in Phillip Arnold and James Tabor to talk to Koresh they were able to better understand the mind state of Koresh and what he would possibly do to protect his world he was trying to create. I think by using Koresh's obsession with the scriptures the FBI was able to use compliance-gaining strategies of positive expertise, liking, and little positive alter-casting. The FBI had to try to understand Koresh or make him believe that they understood his logic. Ultimately Koresh didn't adhere to what the FBI wanted him to do, but they did get him to talk and work with them. Thinking about the compliance-gaining strategies, I believe that with a great understanding of these elements and preying on the ignorance of others, anyone can create a world where they are King. ReferencesAlberts, J.K., Ayers. J., Busha, R.W., Holtz, M.A. (2009). Interpersonal Effectiveness. (1st ed.) Gibbs, Nancy. (1993/ May). ''Oh, My God, They're killing themselves!''. Time.com Waco. Lacayo, Richard. (1993? March). Cult of Death. Time.com Waco.
