Psychology Reflection Term Paper

Reflections
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Psychology 121

REFLECTIONS:
Whenever I hear the term psychology the first thing that comes to my mind is behavior. We as humans have so many different types of behaviors that can affect our everyday lives in either a negative or positive way. Throughout this course of psychology there are 3 topics that really stood out to me. I’m going to answer the following questions in this review. 1. Are there effective forms of memory? 2. Can you slow the negatives of human development? 3. How important is motivation?

Are there effective forms of memory?
Memory is used throughout our daily lives whether in a personal environment or work environment. Memory is very essential to our daily functions the textbook states, ”Without it, you wouldn’t know how to shut off your alarm, take a shower, get dressed, recognize objects, or communicate”(Bernstein, 2010, p. 210). Elaborative rehearsal is a form of memory that I think will be very beneficial to me throughout my lifetime. My method of memory consisted of maintenance rehearsal and consistently writhing things down thinking that was the most proficient way to memorize things. Using the Elaborative rehearsal method I can take new information and related to things I’m already familiar with. For example I’m a really big sports fan so I’ve learned how to use various sports topics and relate it to new information. Can you slow the negatives of human development?
The basis of human development is maturation, which is the behavioral and mental process that is influenced by learning. I’ve learned a lot about development and how the body changes mentally and physically. The textbook states “Middle-age adults are more expert than adolescents or young adults at making rational decisions and at relating logic and abstractions to actions, emotions social issues, and personal relationships”(Bernstein, 2010, p. 381). The physical changes can have a very negative effect on a person however you can delay these changes with healthy diet and exercise. The cognitive changes which is a decline of your mental state can also be lower for a person those who live a healthy lifestyle. I learned the healthier I eat and the more I exercise my brain on a daily the risk of mental and physical decline is significantly less.
How important is motivation?
The last topic is motivation, which are the factors that influence the persistence of behavior. I thought of motivation as the driving force to accomplish or achieve goals that you set for yourself. Before studying psychology I never imagined that motivation influences things such as eating behaviors and sexual behaviors. “Unlike food, sex is not necessary for an individual’s survival, but it is obviously vital for improving the chances that an individual’s genes will be represented in the next generation”(Bernstein, 2010, p. 310). Being a parent is something I enjoy doing its great to see the progression of your children. One very significant thing I learned about motivation is how children inherit behavior characteristics that support the achievement of motivation. Being rich and famous isn’t important to me but what it takes to get there is and the textbooks states “Many athletes who already hold world records still train intensely; many people who have built multimillion-dollar businesses still work fourteen-hour days. What motivates these people? One answer is achievement motivation”(Bernstein, 2010, p. 317) One challenge I can clearly see for myself is how I as an adult can influence my son to have the motivation to achieve.
Conclusion
I believe using these three psychology topics in your every day life can help improve your quality of life. There are so many helpful topics in the study of psychology that I relate to my own personal experiences. The most important aspect to me is learning the information and passing it on to my children and others to help improve their every day lives.

References

Bernstein, D.A (2010). Essentials of physcology (5th ed.). Belomont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage learning.

References: Bernstein, D.A (2010). Essentials of physcology (5th ed.). Belomont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage learning.