End-of-term self-assessment (the last term)

In this contribution I would like to discuss my achievements during this third term.

First of all, writing activities weren’t so many in this term to compare with others. I can state, that writing summaries is the most difficult activity for me. Finding the main points of the text and write without errors is still hard.

Secondly, In my opinion I have succeeded in writing ESP vocabulary tests. I have got good grades for almost all these test, so I think I have managed to learn major definitions and main information of the modules. I also really liked the structure of all the tests which included some definitions and filling the gaps. Although, some questions which were given in test was hardly understandable.

Thirdly, I really enjoyed listening practices. In my opinion I have no troubles doing listening tasks. Moreover podcasts were very interesting and useful for our psychological education in this term.

Another part I would like to discuss is making Power Point presentations. To compare with other terms, I have really improved my performance. It was interesting to search for more information and present new facts to my colleagues.

The last part I would like to discuss is speaking on ESP themes. It was very useful to talk about all these modules. That helped me for further learning and to prepare for the tests. I think I succeed in this task, although sometimes I have a shortage of vocabulary to explain my ideas.

All in all, I think my ESP ahs improved during this term.

References: http://www.stokelycoaching.com/images/pages/360_assessment_image.jpg

"Your true colours" Summary

In this text Paul Kerton and Deirdre McQuillan introduces us to a meaning of colours. According to authors of this text, colour may influence us to buy certain products, work harder ar even to rise our blood pressure.

The marketing world already knows the effect colours make to the costumer. Such things like, how much appealing would the sweet look like to a buyer also depends on its colour. Another important statement is that the preference of the colour may also depend on a culture - one nation would prefer one product to other.

The effect of colours is not only caused by the structure of the eyes, but it rises from the other system of the body. Experiments of John Ott have shown that colour may directly affect nervous system. It was saw that being in red surrounding rises blood pressure and in the opposite way - blue colour lowers blood pressure.

These discoveries are now used in fast food chains. There red and orange surroundings make people feel more hungry and cause time to seem to pass more quickly. Moreover, colours are used to strengththe effect in marketing. It was found that people judge a product by its packet.

In conclusion, all these facts have showed that our mind, choice and behaviour are unconsciously influenced by the power of colours.

References: http://scienceblogs.com/neurophilosophy/2007/10/the_100_colours_of_the_brainbow.php

The Telegraph Sunday Magazine

Online listening to podcasts

I have listened for two podcasts in the website of Martin Mcmorrow for international students. There I have chosen two of listening tasks - the first one was "Depression and its features" and the second one named as "Flow".

These two listening tasks were quite diverse. The rate of speaking was different in each of them. The first one, "Depression and its features", was really fast and uneasy to understand. The quality of the record was quite bad, because most of the interview guests were talking through the phone. That made the record difficult to understand. So, I have listened for it twice. The second listening - "Flow" - was much more understandable. Both of the interview participants were talking slowly and fluently, what made the conversation easier to understand. So, I listened for it only once.

Another thing, I want to discuss, is the type of exercises we do. In my opinion, the most useful type of them is multiple choices. When you do this kind of exercise, you focus on all the text, not only to a sentence which should be ended in another type of exercises.

Moreover, I think my ability to understand authentic speech is quite good. In the other hand, I think that such activities like listening to authentic cassette recordings or podcasts as often as posible will improve my listening skills. Also, I have to mention that watching English films really has helped and still helping for better understanding English language.

To sum up all these ideas, I can say that I would pass a listening exam paper if I had to take it now.

References: http://tinyurl.com/6xy9hy
http://tinyurl.com/5v5qsu
http://blogs.imediaconnection.com/BlogDetail.aspx?BlogID=400

Psychology studies at MRU and University of Liverpool

When I started to look for opportunities to study psychology abroad, I have found that programs and work opportunities are really different. So I will try to compare them.

The first difference I noticed is the different number of the year you have to study. Here, in the University of Mykolas Romeris, to get bachelorhood you have to spend four years. Conversely, almost in all universities of England it takes three years to finish your studies. However, fewer years are not an advantage. In contrast, it is hard to learn all information in a shorter time and to become a good specialist.

Another difference is learning programs. Basically, they include similar subjects, just they are compulsory in different year. In the first year students of Liverpool University study Statistics, Theories of personality, Biological psychology, brains. Almost all of these subjects are included in our program. However, they also research Social and Abnormal psychology, subjects, that we would have further.Although, the second year contains quite similar subjects, the third year in both universities is different.

Students abroad in their last year have to write a research work, which is compulsory for us in fourth year. Also, in this year they do not have any obligatory disciplines, just a requirement to choose from a variety of subjects, beginning from Eating disorders to Psychology in visual arts.

And the last difference is the advantage they have – laboratories. All of them are involved in the studies of eating behavior, development of language, visual perception and others. So students have a possibility to do trainings in all those classes.

All in all, there are many differences between these two universities. However, I can not state which is better, each of them can give you many advantages.

References:http://www.liv.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/C800.htm (2009 03 24)http://www.mruni.lt/lt/padaliniai/fakultetai/politikos_fakultetas/studiju_programos/ (2009 03 24)

End-of-term self-assessment

The aim of this contribution is to evaluate my self-assessment during the second term. I would like to discuss my achievements in writing, doing presentations, dictations, listening and other tasks.

First of all, writing summaries wasn’t very successful. I have learnt the structure and the basics how to write them. However, I make a lot of mistakes in spelling and punctuation. In my opinion, I have to pay much more attention to the text and be more accurate.

Secondly, writing ESP vocabulary tests was easier in this term. I have learnt all the definitions faster than before. Also, I tried to change them to more understandable forms that made them clearer.

Performance in class dictations went quite easy. I haven’t made a lot of mistakes. Unfortunately, this activity hasn’t given me a benefit in writing. Though, doing this kind of exercises improves my listening.

Another point I want to discuss is listening practice. All of them weren’t hard; I didn’t make a lot of mistakes and the texts were clear and straight. I think I really succeeded in this kind of activity.

Moreover, making Power Point presentation was more useful than listening to other students. This practice gave me an opportunity to go into the interesting theme and to improve my speaking skills in front of class. I think it was one of the most useful practices in this term.

But the activity I evaluate the most is speaking on ESP themes in front of class. It gave me an opportunity to speak more fluently, use ESP vocabulary and improve writing skills, while preparing the talks.

All in all, I can’t call this term a failure for me; rather it is a success that my English goes better every day.

Phobias

Phobia is a type of anxiety disorder. It is a strong irrational fear of a particular object, activity or situation. People suffering from this disorder may feel:
· Panic and fear;
· Rapid heartbeat;
· Shortness of breath;
· Strong desire to get away;

One survey has showed that fears of crowds, death, injury, illness and separation are more common among people in their sixties. In compare, fears of snakes, heights, storm, enclosures or social situations are prevalent among 20-year olds. As we can see, fears become more reasonable as the years pass.

Another interesting data shows that women have much more phobias than men do. Also, Latin Americans twice as many of them as white Americans.

The reason of all phobias is held in behavioral psychology. It is believed that fears are learned through classical conditioning – two events that occur close together in time become closely associated in a persons mind. If one event triggers a fear response, the other may also raise it.

The first phobia I would like to introduce is arachnophobia. It is a fear of spiders. People suffering from this phobia try to avoid any area they can meet spiders or their webs. Reason for this phobia is held in evolutionary psychology. It is believed that fear was transmitted genetically. Ancestors who avoid venomous animals like spiders tend to survive longer.

Another phobia I would like to talk is very common in these days. Agoraphobia – fear of situations in which escape is difficult. This phobia may include crowded areas or open spaces. Moreover agoraphobia is usually experienced in conjunction with panic attacks.

So it would be interesting to know how phobias are treated. Every theoretical model has its own approach to treat phobias but behavioral techniques are more widely used.
The first technique is systematic desensitization. People learn to relax gradually facing the objects or situations they are afraid.
Another way is flooding. Clients are forced to face their feared objects or situations without relaxation training.
And the last way to treat specific phobias is modeling. A therapist confronts the fear objects and shows that there is no danger.
However, treatment of social fears was successful only the recent years. The patients are given medication or they have to develop social skills.

Even though you have a phobia, don’t be upset. Many famous people had really irrational fears. Queen Elizabeth I was afraid of roses, Napoleon Bonaparte, Cesar and Alexander the great had a phobia of cats.

All in all phobias is not very serious disorder, until it doesn’t damage your life.

References: Comer, Ronald J. „Abnormal psychology“

Richard Wisemans' experiments

Richard Wiseman is one of the most known psychologists at this time. He is a professor of psychology in university of Hertfordshire in United Kingdom. Professor is known because of his experiments in deception, humor, luck and many more quirky areas. So I would like to talk about one of them.
There was one interesting personality test in his website. It is not ordinary test, that we are used to, but involves some movements which “speak” more fairly then a words.
In the first part of this test you have to trace a capital letter Q on your forehead with your finger. This simple movement allows you to see if you are more “self” or “other” centered.
If you have draw the tail of the letters Q on your right side – that could be read by yourself. This way of drawing, according to Wiseman, means that you are more self centered, guided by your own values than the needs of others. On the other side, you are straight with people and expect others to be honest with you.
If you have draw the tail on your left side – that could be seen by someone facing you. This way of drawing shows that you are other-centered person. You worry about how other people see and accept you. This kind of people can easily adapt their behavior to a situation and are very good at lying.
This is only one part of this personality test; another part can be done in his website http://www.qiurkology.com/.
In my opinion, this kind of tests is quite logical, because we make all these movements unconsciously. Just it could be broader and include other types of personality. All in all, Richard Wiseman made a huge influence to psychology of nowadays. He has simplified the attitude to the psychology by making it funny and quirky.

References: http://www.richardwiseman.com/;
http://www.quirkology.com/USA/Experiment_AnalyseYourself.shtml.