The Squid And The Whale Case Study
Case study
Student’s Name
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Case study
Introduction
The squid and the whale, a 1986 movie was directed by Noah Baumback and shot at the park slope in Brooklyn. The movie demonstrated the epic battle that divorces are subjected to and how they normally affect the growth and development of children in the marriage. In the movie, a family is depicted as being subjected to a major crisis as a result of a divorce which results into the development of two camps, with the two children split to support the mother on one hand and the father on the other.
The story tells of the problems that a 16 year old adolescent is subjected to as a result of the divorce between their parents. This movie develops a theme of conflict and demonstrates the clashing forces between the dreams of a mother and those of a father on one end and the children on the other (Applegate & Shapiro, 2005). The movie thus depicts the …show more content…
cynical detachment and vulnerability that this divorce subjects both the children and the parents to. It is a competition as the writer sides with the mother and his brother joins his father’s camp. Frank, the main character in the movie swears to support the mother in this epic battle while his brother Walter proudly supports the father despite the wrong advices that the father offers (Caffery & Erdman, 2000).
Case description
Frank, a 12 year old teenager is exposed to the ugly face of divorce as his parents, Joan and David cannot live together anymore. At his tender age, frank is open and honest and clear expresses his opinions without fear of retribution. This makes him more vulnerable to emotional torture as compared to his elder brother Walter who decides to stick with the father. The separation of the parents has brought him a feeling of isolation, abandonment and anguish. As a result, he decides to engage in drug abuse behaviors as a way of tolerating the devastating emotional anguish he is facing (Patterson, 2002).
Theoretical analysis of the character’s behavior
Frank has been subjected to a challenging environment as he begins his puberty, a stage that is essential in the development of his character. During this phase of development, children struggle to establish their own self-identity in an effort to gain independence from the parents. This explains the number of times frank stands before the mirror to see his reflection and compare it with the events around his life. According to the ecological model and system theory, the development of human beings is influenced by evolutionary and adaptive forces. This makes the environment and the interaction between the character and the environment essential in determining behavior and character (Ungar, 2010).
As an active element in development, individuals interact actively with the environment and grow to accommodate the environmental factors. Interaction between individuals and the environment results into goodness of fit which describe the behavior. Through accommodation, an individual develops a niche for himself that is determined by the existing forces. This is descriptive of the environment that Frank was subjected to at a tender of age of 12. At this age, he was not well placed to understand the challenges of the divorce that his parents were planning and this affected his response. While his brother Walter was more adapted to the environment, Frank was poorly capable to handle the situation and therefore adopts other behaviors to enable him survive in the environment (Applegate & Shapiro, 2005).
Due to the involving process of divorce, the parents are more involved in their issues and this exposes Frank and his brother to neglect and loneliness. The lost and desperate environment contributes to his current behavior in which he depends on his tennis tutor for emotional and parental advice. Based on the biophysical model, diseases and interruptive behaviors such as alcoholism affect the character of individuals. The development of the use of cognitive tests in determining the abilities of an individual was first introduced by Spearman in 1904.
According to Spearman, individuals who possess the ability to well in one mental task have the ability to do well in others that also requires mental strength. A person’s ability in performing a particular task is thus equated to the general ability to perform other tasks considered to be relative to the one in question. Studies have been conducted on the development of cognitive abilities of children who are exposed to computer devices through video games. This has been linked to improvement in the academic ability to solve different class problems such as mathematics and other academic subject (Ungar, 2010).
The development of cognitive skills is associated with critical thinking and knowing, essential skills that are needed for one to play video and computer games. Such skills are also required in the solving of language and number problems in classes and beyond, to reason and provide solutions to different problems while learning and learning adequately. A number of researches on cognitive skills relationship with exposure to computer have been conducted to identify how it assists in the visual intelligence development.
Such skills include spatial, the ability to represent images or iconic skills and the attention to details. Computer games are highly demanding in concentration and require full sense participation in order to execute the instructions effectively, a process that assists in the development of cognitive skills of students (Applegate & Shapiro, 2005).
Computer games focus on the visual senses as opposed to the verbal attentiveness in the process of processing information and producing accurate results. Games like rapid movement and intense interactions involve the occurrence of different events on the screen at the same time while requiring the ability to focus on the processes. Such cognitive skills are essential in solving science and mathematics problems that requires the manipulation of images and figures.
According to Alfred Bork, a pioneer in the use of computer for instructions at home, the extensive exposure of children to computers increases understanding of the current educational system. Home computer use has thus been proved to increase student’s performance due to its ability to enhance in the cognitive skills.
The correlation between academic success and cognitive abilities has presented a number of theories attempting to evaluate how possessing specific abilities improves educational achievement. While correlating students’ performance and cognitive abilities, a number of phrases are usually used that attempt to provide the relationship. Pupils that are considered quick and eager to learn are capable of making significant academic achievements. However, a number of publications have shown that the cognitive abilities and academic achievement decline as one ages. This ability is considered to be higher while one is still in primary while it declines as the educational level continues to increase to university level (Applegate & Shapiro, 2005).
The development of cognitive skills is enhanced in students who are engaged in different physical exercises and activities that improve the mental strength of an individual. Inactivity leads to increased possibility of gaining excess weight which affects the cognitive abilities of an individual and this lowers the academic performances. Fitness and cognitive abilities move in tandem and so does academic performance which requires the student to improve their mental abilities and strengths. Psychological research has found that whenever the brain is exposed to different problems that require solutions, it tends to lock up and work less thus affecting the results.
The movie the squid and the whale are about a family who are coming to terms with a divorce of the two parents. Bernard Berkman who is a novelist sees his career go into a slow decline hence most of his time is spent in teaching rather than writing and his wife Joan starts publishing her own work. This mounts pressure and tension between them leading to their divorce and greatly affects their sons, sixteen year old Walt and twelve year old Frank. Walt and Frank hardly believe this and the combative relationship between their parents as their parents set up schedules for spending time with them. The two boys take sides with Frank siding with his mother and Walter going to her father’s side and this leads to difficulty of coping with stress of their parents’ divorce differently.
Walt performs “Hey You” which he claims to have written at his schools talent show and wins. He is congratulated by friends and family but the school realizes he did not write the song and the school calls both Bernard and Joan to discuss the issue of Walt’s fabrication of his accomplishments. It is at this point that both the parties agree to let Walt visit the school’s psychologist. Frank on the other side starts masturbating in school and continuously repeats this and also starts drinking beer and mimics his father’s speaking manners.
Walt meets the psychologist and starts seeing things in an objective way without the taints of his father. The sessions with the psychologist reveals to Walt that it is only his mother who was responsible for his childhood caring and his father was never really present. His childhood memories of his mother taking him to see the giant squid and whale exhibit at the American Museum and Natural History reveals to him that his father was actually abusive to his mother Joan emotionally.
A heated argument occurs between Bernard and Joan over custody and Bernard collapses and taken to the hospital. He asks Walt to stay with him but Walt refuses because he is now fed up with his father’s selfish actions and goes to visit the squid and whale. The movie then ends with Walt pondering over the exhibit and his past.
My impression of Walt’s character is that he is portrayed to be very independent and stubborn and he is such a person who is not willing to defeat his thoughts including his opinions. Initially in the movie, Walt keeps on arguing with his brother (Frank) as to who is the better writer between Joan and Bernard. Joan his mother becomes fortunate in publishing her work but Walt understands that it is only through his father’s success that influences her mothers work.
In the movie Walt continues to be a loyal ally to his father always being on his side and supporting his decisions and being so biased towards his mother. This result in creation of a larger rift between him and his mother Joan making him and his brother go separate ways with Walt siding with his father. Walt idealizes his father during his stay with him copies his style of handling situations including relationships.
Walt struggles to get his sense of identity and this leads him to start a relationship with Sophie with a main aim of becoming sexually active. This is evident in a psychological view since he didn’t like Sophie but had an aim of recognizing his sexual activeness. He later starts and loses his female companionship with Sophie which he later regrets (Ungar, 2010).
Walt’s lack of identity is further evidenced by him and his further liking the same girl which opens his eyes and he can now clearly knows his father’s intensions which upsets him am hence he resents his father. A literal example of lack of identity is proved further when he performs a song that had been famous and written by someone else. This leads to his experience of exploring his feelings and intimate moments (Voydanoff, 2001).
Walt’s character and lack of identity is psychologically understood in a cognitive behavioral view, he is independent and stubborn and lacks identity. He seems to be resilient the surrounding changes and independently deals with his identity crisis. He is dealing with a developmental stage of identity verses role confusion which starts at the age of thirteen and nineteen and this stage determines the future of a healthy adult individual. He is so much bound to his father making him base his identity and mind narrowly on Bernard his father. His actions and behaviors are understood through his relationship his parents mainly Bernard his father.
During his meeting with the psychologist he becomes less afraid after listening to his mother and this indicates that he could also be easily enmeshed by his mother. If this stage is not addressed, Walt might struggle to solve the conflict that occurs during this stage and therefore he can find himself enmeshed with every individual he comes across (Delgado & Jean, 2001). The counselor instills changes in Walt’s mind and he starts to dispute irrational thoughts of his previous unquestioned loyalty to his father and biasness towards his mother. He begins to form his own views and thoughts through the psychologist’s guidance and he starts to independently develop and form a healthy self-image. He then moves to the stage of development (Voydanoff, 2001).
This is however different with people who have improved cognitive abilities and strengths to think beyond the problem and provide solutions to the current problem. Cognitive skills and exercises results into the enhancement of the brain activity and this enhance mental abilities and thus the ability of the same student to perform better. With the changing society and the needs of the world, the educational goals are quickly changing to adopt a method that involves creating a correlation between the content of the lesson with the real world.
Good teachings should thus provide a critical thinking and reflective environment to enable pupils relate the lesson with their real life experiences as they grow up (Delgado & Jean, 2001). Tension and seriousness also characterize class environments making it difficult for pupils to understand the objective of the lesson and thus benefit effectively. Good teachings use the essential and reflective humor and jokes and defuse the tension that may exist in such a class environment.
Good teaching does not just end on the way it’s delivered or even the effectiveness of the instruments used to deliver it but the behavior and etiquette of the teacher. A good teacher should thus endeavor to dress appropriately and in a manner that demonstrate the beliefs of the institution and the administration (Silverstein, 1996).
In times of conflict and arguments during teaching, a good teaching process should not seek the winner in a competitive situation but instead develop a win-win scenario that leaves all pupils feeling great despite their wrong or right answers. The response to students that fails in their attempts in answering questions should also be positive and encouraging in a good teaching environment as it encourages the student to try again next time. Students have personal and private weaknesses and strengths and thus require approaches that are customized to suit their personal abilities (Berzoff, 2011).
A good teaching exercise is based on the development of one-on-one interactive sessions that enables the teachers to understand the abilities of each pupil. Finally, the tone and voice used in delivering information in within a class setup also determines the effectiveness of a teaching process and whether it can be categorized as effective or ineffective. A good teaching process employees an appropriate tone and volume that addresses the specific needs of the pupils while maintaining professionalism at all times (Delgado & Jean, 2001).
Good teaching cannot be highlighted without mentioning good teacher pupil relationship in the class set up. The moment of interaction between a child and the teacher provides a great opportunity to develop an interactive positive relationship that shall create basis for good teaching and learning environment. The process of building good positive relationship can adopt a number of methods such as the development of good listening skills when talking to the children, maintaining eye contact with them to enhance the process of confidence building and developing a one-on-one interactive sessions with the pupils.
All these methods enhance the process of developing a good teacher-student relationship that can enhance a positive learning environment and good teaching (Silverstein, 1996). At an early age, children are sensitive to sound and the voice used in delivering different messages to them whether positive or negative. Good teaching that integrates good teacher-student relationship involves the use of soft voices with children, simple languages and good facial expressions (Warren & Huston, 1997).
Critical analysis of the theories
Cognitive testing focuses on five different areas which include the ability to individually read, spell written texts, solve arithmetic problems and have a better working memory. A student’s ability to read, spell and solve arithmetic problems is influenced by his cognitive abilities and skills. The growth of working memory is related to the ability to take in and synthesize different categories of information and produce the desired response after the desired time. Past experiences have been recognized as the major determinant of the decision that individuals make every day. This is due to past mistakes which shape the future views and perceptions of individuals (Berzoff, 2011).
People also try as much as possible to avoid repeating mistakes that may have contributed to their failures in the past. Such decisions are also common in financial decisions in which businesses people make dealings while bearing in mind the gravity of the past mistakes. These are thinking patterns which are observation and generalization based. Such biases lead to loss of memory, poor judgments and faulty logics.
People therefore make decisions based on their beliefs and the natural trend of omitting risky information. The presence of formalized policies and procedures has been used in many instances to help resolve common problems. These become part and parcel of an individual reasoning and therefore shape their decisions in future (Kristja´n, 2004).
Taking risks is a process that either propels individuals to higher heights or deems their chances of succeeding. The ability to take risks has been associated with a specific group of people who are believed to possess inner traits. They survive by engaging in extremely risky ventures at all times. Failure in previous decisions and steps also make individuals more risk averse. Such individuals have less fear of failure as compared to people who have not taken any risky step before. Therefore, experience determines if an individual will be more willing to take risks or not (Berzoff, 2011).
Individuals with the desire to discover new things are also more averse to risks as compared to introvert individuals. Such people thrive by discovering new ways of doing things. In the process, they acquire more information by being willing to make that risky decision. Genetics factors have also been highlighted as some of the factors that influence an individual’s ability to take risks. Business people have the risks attitude highly wired in their blood, a trait that they can pass to their children (Silverstein, 1996).
The desire to succeed in the face of constant failures also influences an individual’s ability to take risks. Such people feel that they have nothing to lose by taking risky step but have something to lose if they sit back and watch (Berzoff, 2011). As a result, they are more willing to make risky decisions hoping to get a good result. This is however, not possible in individuals who thrive in comfort and the surety of their positions.
Children confined in solitary cells may not develop the best cognitive skills that are essential for academic excellence as it affects their concentration and ability to interact with the environment (Voydanoff, 2001). Child confinement has been an issue of great concern to child educators due to the effects that it presents to a developing child. A confined environment influences a child behavior and limits the scopes of his/her mental development due to lack of exposure to the physical environment and nature.
A confined environment also prevents a child from playing with fellow children and this has been shown to impact negatively on a child’s social life in the present and in future. Piaget’s sensorimotor perspective discusses the development of a child from birth to approximately two years and how a child tries to make sense of the surrounding environment. As a child, the available sensory perceptions that he/she uses are the vision, sucking, grasping and listening to enable them learn about the external environment (Kristja´n, 2004).
Child confinement has been an issue of great concern to child educators due to the effects that it presents to a developing child. A confined environment influences a child behavior and limits the scopes of his/her mental development due to lack of exposure to the physical environment and nature (Greene, 2008). A confined environment also prevents a child from playing with fellow children and this has been shown to impact negatively on a child’s social life in the present and in future.
Jean Piaget theory highlights how a child develops and acquires knowledge and intelligence under different environmental conditions.
Piaget’s sensorimotor perspective discusses the development of a child from birth to approximately two years and how a child tries to make sense of the surrounding environment. During the sensorimotor stage, a child understands and knowledge of the world is limited to his/her sensory perception and motor activities. As a child, the available sensory perceptions that he/she uses are the vision, sucking, grasping and listening to enable them learn about the external environment (Kristja´n, 2004).
Solitude presents an environment that lacks the normal environmental features such as sound, motion and human presence. Confining a child to a solitary cell or alienating him from the natural environmental features around the normal environment limits the development of a child’s sensory perceptions. The child’s vision is limited to the colors of the four walls that surrounds his/her solitary cell or room of
confinement.
This interferes with sound development of a child’s visual and listening abilities as confinement restricts the what a child sees and listens to as he develops. As seen in victor who was exposed to the natural environment of a forest and thus developed senses that could enable him respond to such an environment, a child in confinement understands how to respond only to such an environment (Borden, 2009).
The development of knowledge and intelligence of a child is highly influenced by the environment and the people around them and these impacts on their ability to respond to different environmental stimuli and threats. A confined space lacks the natural environmental stimuli as what gets in and out of that room is limited and controlled. A child therefore develops limited response mechanisms based only on the available stimuli present in the room. Victor the wild boy developed sensory mechanisms that enabled him to develop the ability to respond to stimuli in the forest.
The forest is characterized by different stimuli that shape the development of wild animals and victor was thus naturally made to develop such traits. The same forces present in victor influenced by the environmental factors also affect a child that has developed while in solitary confinement. Piaget’s sensorimotor perspective thus provides a basis for explaining the limited development of response to stimuli by children that grow under confinement and solitude (Borden, 2009).
Conclusion
Frank’s expression of sexuality through masturbation in the library may express a reaction to the father exposing him to inappropriate-sexualized material as well as an expression of contempt for his overly literary parents. Walt sides with the father in the divorce believing father’s claims that mother’s repeated affairs caused the breakup. Walt berates the mother for what he sees as her wanton sexual behavior. At one point there is a shot of a poster from a film Mother Whore.
Independent of the mother’s actual behavior the sexual urges of the teen can cause a rise in incestuous feelings and the mother can appear seductive to the boy. Part of Walter’s disgust with his mother’s sexuality is a defense against his own incestuous feelings towards her. He uses primitive defenses of splitting seeing the mother as the disgusting sexual object and the father as the victim who is superior but damaged by the dangerous mother. This offers him a safe distance from his mother. A more solid identification with a strong father figure (as opposed to an imitation of an idealized father) might have offered a more protective closeness to help ward off the mysterious maternal figure. To make matters worse, Walt’s father dates a young girl who Walt is attracted to thereby expressing competition and envy towards his son. Unlike Frank Walt seems so hungry for his father’s approval and admiration that he cannot challenge his father in an independent assertive manner.
References
Applegate, J. & Shapiro, J. (2005). Neurobiology for clinical social work: theory and practice, New York: W.W. Norton & company.
Berzoff, J. (2011). Inside out and outside in: psychodynamic clinical theory and psychopathology in contemporary multicultural context, New York: Rowman & Littlefield publishers.
Borden, W. (2009). Contemporary psychodynamic theory and practice, Chicago: Lyceum books Inc.
Caffery, T. & Erdman, P. (2000) Conceptualization parent-adolescent conflict: application from systems and attachment theories, the family journal, 8.1, 14-21.
Delgado, R & Jean, S. (2001). Critical race theory: an introduction, New York: New York University press.
Gould, J. (2010). Learning Theory and Classroom Practice in the Lifelong Learning Sector [electronic resource]. Exeter : Learning Matters Ltd., 2010.
Greene, R. (2008). Behavior theory and social work practice, New Brunswick: Aldine transaction.
Kline, C., Gard McGehee, N., Paterson, S., & Tsao, J. (2013). Using Ecological Systems Theory and Density of Acquaintance to Explore Resident Perception of Entrepreneurial Climate. Journal Of Travel Research, 52(3), 294-309. doi:10.1177/0047287512465962.
Kristja´n K. (2004). Empathy, sympathy, justice and the child, Journal of Moral Education, 33:3, 291-305.
Neal, J., & Neal, Z. P. (2013). Nested or Networked? Future Directions for Ecological Systems Theory. Social Development, 22(4), 722-737. doi:10.1111/sode.12018.
Patterson, J. (2002). Understanding family resilience, journal of clinical physiology, 58.3, 233-246.
Sapp, M. (2010). Psychodynamic, affective, and behavioral theories to psychotherapy [electronic resource] / by Marty Sapp. Springfield : Charles C Thomas Publisher, Ltd., 2010.
Silverstein, R. (1996). Combat-related trauma as measured by ego developmental indices of defenses and identity achievement, the journal of genetic psychology, 167.2, 169-179.
Ungar, M. (2010). Families as navigators and negotiators: facilitating culturally and contextually specific expressions of resilience, family process, 49, 421-435.
Voydanoff, P. (2001). Conceptualizing community in the context of work and family, community, work & family, 4.2, 133-156.
Warren, S. & Huston, L. (1997) Child and adolescent anxiety disorder and early attachment, journal of American academy of child adolescent and psychiatry, 46, 5, 637-644.
Westley, F. R., Tjornbo, O., Schultz, L., Olsson, P., Folke, C., Crona, B., & Bodin, Ö. (2013). A Theory of Transformative Agency in Linked Social-Ecological Systems. Ecology & Society, 18(3), 1-16. doi:10.5751/ES-05072-180327.
Student’s Name
University Affiliation
Case study
Introduction
The squid and the whale, a 1986 movie was directed by Noah Baumback and shot at the park slope in Brooklyn. The movie demonstrated the epic battle that divorces are subjected to and how they normally affect the growth and development of children in the marriage. In the movie, a family is depicted as being subjected to a major crisis as a result of a divorce which results into the development of two camps, with the two children split to support the mother on one hand and the father on the other.
The story tells of the problems that a 16 year old adolescent is subjected to as a result of the divorce between their parents. This movie develops a theme of conflict and demonstrates the clashing forces between the dreams of a mother and those of a father on one end and the children on the other (Applegate & Shapiro, 2005). The movie thus depicts the …show more content…
cynical detachment and vulnerability that this divorce subjects both the children and the parents to. It is a competition as the writer sides with the mother and his brother joins his father’s camp. Frank, the main character in the movie swears to support the mother in this epic battle while his brother Walter proudly supports the father despite the wrong advices that the father offers (Caffery & Erdman, 2000).
Case description
Frank, a 12 year old teenager is exposed to the ugly face of divorce as his parents, Joan and David cannot live together anymore. At his tender age, frank is open and honest and clear expresses his opinions without fear of retribution. This makes him more vulnerable to emotional torture as compared to his elder brother Walter who decides to stick with the father. The separation of the parents has brought him a feeling of isolation, abandonment and anguish. As a result, he decides to engage in drug abuse behaviors as a way of tolerating the devastating emotional anguish he is facing (Patterson, 2002).
Theoretical analysis of the character’s behavior
Frank has been subjected to a challenging environment as he begins his puberty, a stage that is essential in the development of his character. During this phase of development, children struggle to establish their own self-identity in an effort to gain independence from the parents. This explains the number of times frank stands before the mirror to see his reflection and compare it with the events around his life. According to the ecological model and system theory, the development of human beings is influenced by evolutionary and adaptive forces. This makes the environment and the interaction between the character and the environment essential in determining behavior and character (Ungar, 2010).
As an active element in development, individuals interact actively with the environment and grow to accommodate the environmental factors. Interaction between individuals and the environment results into goodness of fit which describe the behavior. Through accommodation, an individual develops a niche for himself that is determined by the existing forces. This is descriptive of the environment that Frank was subjected to at a tender of age of 12. At this age, he was not well placed to understand the challenges of the divorce that his parents were planning and this affected his response. While his brother Walter was more adapted to the environment, Frank was poorly capable to handle the situation and therefore adopts other behaviors to enable him survive in the environment (Applegate & Shapiro, 2005).
Due to the involving process of divorce, the parents are more involved in their issues and this exposes Frank and his brother to neglect and loneliness. The lost and desperate environment contributes to his current behavior in which he depends on his tennis tutor for emotional and parental advice. Based on the biophysical model, diseases and interruptive behaviors such as alcoholism affect the character of individuals. The development of the use of cognitive tests in determining the abilities of an individual was first introduced by Spearman in 1904.
According to Spearman, individuals who possess the ability to well in one mental task have the ability to do well in others that also requires mental strength. A person’s ability in performing a particular task is thus equated to the general ability to perform other tasks considered to be relative to the one in question. Studies have been conducted on the development of cognitive abilities of children who are exposed to computer devices through video games. This has been linked to improvement in the academic ability to solve different class problems such as mathematics and other academic subject (Ungar, 2010).
The development of cognitive skills is associated with critical thinking and knowing, essential skills that are needed for one to play video and computer games. Such skills are also required in the solving of language and number problems in classes and beyond, to reason and provide solutions to different problems while learning and learning adequately. A number of researches on cognitive skills relationship with exposure to computer have been conducted to identify how it assists in the visual intelligence development.
Such skills include spatial, the ability to represent images or iconic skills and the attention to details. Computer games are highly demanding in concentration and require full sense participation in order to execute the instructions effectively, a process that assists in the development of cognitive skills of students (Applegate & Shapiro, 2005).
Computer games focus on the visual senses as opposed to the verbal attentiveness in the process of processing information and producing accurate results. Games like rapid movement and intense interactions involve the occurrence of different events on the screen at the same time while requiring the ability to focus on the processes. Such cognitive skills are essential in solving science and mathematics problems that requires the manipulation of images and figures.
According to Alfred Bork, a pioneer in the use of computer for instructions at home, the extensive exposure of children to computers increases understanding of the current educational system. Home computer use has thus been proved to increase student’s performance due to its ability to enhance in the cognitive skills.
The correlation between academic success and cognitive abilities has presented a number of theories attempting to evaluate how possessing specific abilities improves educational achievement. While correlating students’ performance and cognitive abilities, a number of phrases are usually used that attempt to provide the relationship. Pupils that are considered quick and eager to learn are capable of making significant academic achievements. However, a number of publications have shown that the cognitive abilities and academic achievement decline as one ages. This ability is considered to be higher while one is still in primary while it declines as the educational level continues to increase to university level (Applegate & Shapiro, 2005).
The development of cognitive skills is enhanced in students who are engaged in different physical exercises and activities that improve the mental strength of an individual. Inactivity leads to increased possibility of gaining excess weight which affects the cognitive abilities of an individual and this lowers the academic performances. Fitness and cognitive abilities move in tandem and so does academic performance which requires the student to improve their mental abilities and strengths. Psychological research has found that whenever the brain is exposed to different problems that require solutions, it tends to lock up and work less thus affecting the results.
The movie the squid and the whale are about a family who are coming to terms with a divorce of the two parents. Bernard Berkman who is a novelist sees his career go into a slow decline hence most of his time is spent in teaching rather than writing and his wife Joan starts publishing her own work. This mounts pressure and tension between them leading to their divorce and greatly affects their sons, sixteen year old Walt and twelve year old Frank. Walt and Frank hardly believe this and the combative relationship between their parents as their parents set up schedules for spending time with them. The two boys take sides with Frank siding with his mother and Walter going to her father’s side and this leads to difficulty of coping with stress of their parents’ divorce differently.
Walt performs “Hey You” which he claims to have written at his schools talent show and wins. He is congratulated by friends and family but the school realizes he did not write the song and the school calls both Bernard and Joan to discuss the issue of Walt’s fabrication of his accomplishments. It is at this point that both the parties agree to let Walt visit the school’s psychologist. Frank on the other side starts masturbating in school and continuously repeats this and also starts drinking beer and mimics his father’s speaking manners.
Walt meets the psychologist and starts seeing things in an objective way without the taints of his father. The sessions with the psychologist reveals to Walt that it is only his mother who was responsible for his childhood caring and his father was never really present. His childhood memories of his mother taking him to see the giant squid and whale exhibit at the American Museum and Natural History reveals to him that his father was actually abusive to his mother Joan emotionally.
A heated argument occurs between Bernard and Joan over custody and Bernard collapses and taken to the hospital. He asks Walt to stay with him but Walt refuses because he is now fed up with his father’s selfish actions and goes to visit the squid and whale. The movie then ends with Walt pondering over the exhibit and his past.
My impression of Walt’s character is that he is portrayed to be very independent and stubborn and he is such a person who is not willing to defeat his thoughts including his opinions. Initially in the movie, Walt keeps on arguing with his brother (Frank) as to who is the better writer between Joan and Bernard. Joan his mother becomes fortunate in publishing her work but Walt understands that it is only through his father’s success that influences her mothers work.
In the movie Walt continues to be a loyal ally to his father always being on his side and supporting his decisions and being so biased towards his mother. This result in creation of a larger rift between him and his mother Joan making him and his brother go separate ways with Walt siding with his father. Walt idealizes his father during his stay with him copies his style of handling situations including relationships.
Walt struggles to get his sense of identity and this leads him to start a relationship with Sophie with a main aim of becoming sexually active. This is evident in a psychological view since he didn’t like Sophie but had an aim of recognizing his sexual activeness. He later starts and loses his female companionship with Sophie which he later regrets (Ungar, 2010).
Walt’s lack of identity is further evidenced by him and his further liking the same girl which opens his eyes and he can now clearly knows his father’s intensions which upsets him am hence he resents his father. A literal example of lack of identity is proved further when he performs a song that had been famous and written by someone else. This leads to his experience of exploring his feelings and intimate moments (Voydanoff, 2001).
Walt’s character and lack of identity is psychologically understood in a cognitive behavioral view, he is independent and stubborn and lacks identity. He seems to be resilient the surrounding changes and independently deals with his identity crisis. He is dealing with a developmental stage of identity verses role confusion which starts at the age of thirteen and nineteen and this stage determines the future of a healthy adult individual. He is so much bound to his father making him base his identity and mind narrowly on Bernard his father. His actions and behaviors are understood through his relationship his parents mainly Bernard his father.
During his meeting with the psychologist he becomes less afraid after listening to his mother and this indicates that he could also be easily enmeshed by his mother. If this stage is not addressed, Walt might struggle to solve the conflict that occurs during this stage and therefore he can find himself enmeshed with every individual he comes across (Delgado & Jean, 2001). The counselor instills changes in Walt’s mind and he starts to dispute irrational thoughts of his previous unquestioned loyalty to his father and biasness towards his mother. He begins to form his own views and thoughts through the psychologist’s guidance and he starts to independently develop and form a healthy self-image. He then moves to the stage of development (Voydanoff, 2001).
This is however different with people who have improved cognitive abilities and strengths to think beyond the problem and provide solutions to the current problem. Cognitive skills and exercises results into the enhancement of the brain activity and this enhance mental abilities and thus the ability of the same student to perform better. With the changing society and the needs of the world, the educational goals are quickly changing to adopt a method that involves creating a correlation between the content of the lesson with the real world.
Good teachings should thus provide a critical thinking and reflective environment to enable pupils relate the lesson with their real life experiences as they grow up (Delgado & Jean, 2001). Tension and seriousness also characterize class environments making it difficult for pupils to understand the objective of the lesson and thus benefit effectively. Good teachings use the essential and reflective humor and jokes and defuse the tension that may exist in such a class environment.
Good teaching does not just end on the way it’s delivered or even the effectiveness of the instruments used to deliver it but the behavior and etiquette of the teacher. A good teacher should thus endeavor to dress appropriately and in a manner that demonstrate the beliefs of the institution and the administration (Silverstein, 1996).
In times of conflict and arguments during teaching, a good teaching process should not seek the winner in a competitive situation but instead develop a win-win scenario that leaves all pupils feeling great despite their wrong or right answers. The response to students that fails in their attempts in answering questions should also be positive and encouraging in a good teaching environment as it encourages the student to try again next time. Students have personal and private weaknesses and strengths and thus require approaches that are customized to suit their personal abilities (Berzoff, 2011).
A good teaching exercise is based on the development of one-on-one interactive sessions that enables the teachers to understand the abilities of each pupil. Finally, the tone and voice used in delivering information in within a class setup also determines the effectiveness of a teaching process and whether it can be categorized as effective or ineffective. A good teaching process employees an appropriate tone and volume that addresses the specific needs of the pupils while maintaining professionalism at all times (Delgado & Jean, 2001).
Good teaching cannot be highlighted without mentioning good teacher pupil relationship in the class set up. The moment of interaction between a child and the teacher provides a great opportunity to develop an interactive positive relationship that shall create basis for good teaching and learning environment. The process of building good positive relationship can adopt a number of methods such as the development of good listening skills when talking to the children, maintaining eye contact with them to enhance the process of confidence building and developing a one-on-one interactive sessions with the pupils.
All these methods enhance the process of developing a good teacher-student relationship that can enhance a positive learning environment and good teaching (Silverstein, 1996). At an early age, children are sensitive to sound and the voice used in delivering different messages to them whether positive or negative. Good teaching that integrates good teacher-student relationship involves the use of soft voices with children, simple languages and good facial expressions (Warren & Huston, 1997).
Critical analysis of the theories
Cognitive testing focuses on five different areas which include the ability to individually read, spell written texts, solve arithmetic problems and have a better working memory. A student’s ability to read, spell and solve arithmetic problems is influenced by his cognitive abilities and skills. The growth of working memory is related to the ability to take in and synthesize different categories of information and produce the desired response after the desired time. Past experiences have been recognized as the major determinant of the decision that individuals make every day. This is due to past mistakes which shape the future views and perceptions of individuals (Berzoff, 2011).
People also try as much as possible to avoid repeating mistakes that may have contributed to their failures in the past. Such decisions are also common in financial decisions in which businesses people make dealings while bearing in mind the gravity of the past mistakes. These are thinking patterns which are observation and generalization based. Such biases lead to loss of memory, poor judgments and faulty logics.
People therefore make decisions based on their beliefs and the natural trend of omitting risky information. The presence of formalized policies and procedures has been used in many instances to help resolve common problems. These become part and parcel of an individual reasoning and therefore shape their decisions in future (Kristja´n, 2004).
Taking risks is a process that either propels individuals to higher heights or deems their chances of succeeding. The ability to take risks has been associated with a specific group of people who are believed to possess inner traits. They survive by engaging in extremely risky ventures at all times. Failure in previous decisions and steps also make individuals more risk averse. Such individuals have less fear of failure as compared to people who have not taken any risky step before. Therefore, experience determines if an individual will be more willing to take risks or not (Berzoff, 2011).
Individuals with the desire to discover new things are also more averse to risks as compared to introvert individuals. Such people thrive by discovering new ways of doing things. In the process, they acquire more information by being willing to make that risky decision. Genetics factors have also been highlighted as some of the factors that influence an individual’s ability to take risks. Business people have the risks attitude highly wired in their blood, a trait that they can pass to their children (Silverstein, 1996).
The desire to succeed in the face of constant failures also influences an individual’s ability to take risks. Such people feel that they have nothing to lose by taking risky step but have something to lose if they sit back and watch (Berzoff, 2011). As a result, they are more willing to make risky decisions hoping to get a good result. This is however, not possible in individuals who thrive in comfort and the surety of their positions.
Children confined in solitary cells may not develop the best cognitive skills that are essential for academic excellence as it affects their concentration and ability to interact with the environment (Voydanoff, 2001). Child confinement has been an issue of great concern to child educators due to the effects that it presents to a developing child. A confined environment influences a child behavior and limits the scopes of his/her mental development due to lack of exposure to the physical environment and nature.
A confined environment also prevents a child from playing with fellow children and this has been shown to impact negatively on a child’s social life in the present and in future. Piaget’s sensorimotor perspective discusses the development of a child from birth to approximately two years and how a child tries to make sense of the surrounding environment. As a child, the available sensory perceptions that he/she uses are the vision, sucking, grasping and listening to enable them learn about the external environment (Kristja´n, 2004).
Child confinement has been an issue of great concern to child educators due to the effects that it presents to a developing child. A confined environment influences a child behavior and limits the scopes of his/her mental development due to lack of exposure to the physical environment and nature (Greene, 2008). A confined environment also prevents a child from playing with fellow children and this has been shown to impact negatively on a child’s social life in the present and in future.
Jean Piaget theory highlights how a child develops and acquires knowledge and intelligence under different environmental conditions.
Piaget’s sensorimotor perspective discusses the development of a child from birth to approximately two years and how a child tries to make sense of the surrounding environment. During the sensorimotor stage, a child understands and knowledge of the world is limited to his/her sensory perception and motor activities. As a child, the available sensory perceptions that he/she uses are the vision, sucking, grasping and listening to enable them learn about the external environment (Kristja´n, 2004).
Solitude presents an environment that lacks the normal environmental features such as sound, motion and human presence. Confining a child to a solitary cell or alienating him from the natural environmental features around the normal environment limits the development of a child’s sensory perceptions. The child’s vision is limited to the colors of the four walls that surrounds his/her solitary cell or room of
confinement.
This interferes with sound development of a child’s visual and listening abilities as confinement restricts the what a child sees and listens to as he develops. As seen in victor who was exposed to the natural environment of a forest and thus developed senses that could enable him respond to such an environment, a child in confinement understands how to respond only to such an environment (Borden, 2009).
The development of knowledge and intelligence of a child is highly influenced by the environment and the people around them and these impacts on their ability to respond to different environmental stimuli and threats. A confined space lacks the natural environmental stimuli as what gets in and out of that room is limited and controlled. A child therefore develops limited response mechanisms based only on the available stimuli present in the room. Victor the wild boy developed sensory mechanisms that enabled him to develop the ability to respond to stimuli in the forest.
The forest is characterized by different stimuli that shape the development of wild animals and victor was thus naturally made to develop such traits. The same forces present in victor influenced by the environmental factors also affect a child that has developed while in solitary confinement. Piaget’s sensorimotor perspective thus provides a basis for explaining the limited development of response to stimuli by children that grow under confinement and solitude (Borden, 2009).
Conclusion
Frank’s expression of sexuality through masturbation in the library may express a reaction to the father exposing him to inappropriate-sexualized material as well as an expression of contempt for his overly literary parents. Walt sides with the father in the divorce believing father’s claims that mother’s repeated affairs caused the breakup. Walt berates the mother for what he sees as her wanton sexual behavior. At one point there is a shot of a poster from a film Mother Whore.
Independent of the mother’s actual behavior the sexual urges of the teen can cause a rise in incestuous feelings and the mother can appear seductive to the boy. Part of Walter’s disgust with his mother’s sexuality is a defense against his own incestuous feelings towards her. He uses primitive defenses of splitting seeing the mother as the disgusting sexual object and the father as the victim who is superior but damaged by the dangerous mother. This offers him a safe distance from his mother. A more solid identification with a strong father figure (as opposed to an imitation of an idealized father) might have offered a more protective closeness to help ward off the mysterious maternal figure. To make matters worse, Walt’s father dates a young girl who Walt is attracted to thereby expressing competition and envy towards his son. Unlike Frank Walt seems so hungry for his father’s approval and admiration that he cannot challenge his father in an independent assertive manner.
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