Work Psychology: Condensed Version

Right, so I haven't done as much work as I would have like this spring break. My mom came to visit for about 5 days which did hinder the work a little. Not that I didn't enjoy the visit, but I didn't do any studying for those 5 days. And the other days? Only an hour or two and I mostly focused on Clinical Psychology so that I wouldn't have to worry about condensing those notes when exam time comes.

So, yesterday I started work on the 8 weeks we've had of Work Psychology (also known as Industrial Psychology and Organizational Psychology) and realised one thing; It's super boring. And the lecturer is terrible. I don't say this about many lecturers because I can usually focus on one redeeming quality. But I've realised that her notes on Blackboard are unorganized, her lectures are unorganized and repetitive, the learning outcomes she has come up with are unorganized and jumbled, and her voice is completely monotone. Seriously, one lecture sounded like this, "Why do some people like their jobs? Why do some people get stressed? Why do some people leave early everyday?" And it went on like that. I almost want to shout, "Yes! I get it! Some people get stressed at their jobs. Move on!" It is frustrating and not just because I have to study this woman's lectures. It's because Work Psychology is possibly to easiest branch and it's going to be the hardest for me to study and the hardest for me to answer on the exam.

Anyway, I've decided to give you all a little taste about what's to come in future posts as I have given up with previous lectures. So, without further complaints from me, here is Work Psychology: Condensed.

Bad supervisor = stress
High demands with Low Rewards = stress
Low demands with High Rewards = stress

If you don't like flying or heights, don't become a pilot. 

If you screw up in your job application then you won't get the job. Selection processes are far more complicated than they need to be. Some people are crazy enough to believe that a person's handwriting can determine whether or not they're suitable for the job (obviously in some jobs good handwriting is a necessity, but really people...). If your applicants don't like your selection process you won't get many applicants.

The culture of the work place determines many things like how they deal with safety issues. Culture can even be defined by the national culture (really!?).

If your workplace isn't safe, it'll be shut down.

Right, so that's pretty much what I learned from Work Psychology. I hate to say it, but fairly obvious stuff right there. I'm sure that there is a deeper meaning to all of it, but the lecturer is so bad that that is pretty much what she says. Back to the grindstone today, but this time I'm just going to read the book.

Multisensory Perception

Finally have gotten around to getting a Perception lecture down on this site. It's not that I don't find them interesting, because I find them really interesting. I think they're so cool! But a lot of does go over my head without doing some in depth studying and I'm on the waiting list for the book for the course so...anyway, I'll try and put down something of interest right now while it's still fresh in my mind.

The topic for today's lecture:
Multisensory Perception

This was Dr.M's last lecture for the module. I have to say...she scares the bijeezus out of me. But it's clear that she knows what she's talking about.

Let's see...the brain adapts to its environment. Because it is so able to adapt to different situations it utilizes many different sensory systems to assess its surroundings. And most humans respond better when more than one sensory system is used. For example, we are better able to understand a small flicker in the corner of our eye if there is also auditory information about it coming in as well. But to use this the senses must be localised together in the same receptive field.

I'm going to do more reading on it so I might have some more information for you when I get the book in a couple of days, but there was a study that I was particularly interested in. It's called the Rubber Hand experiment. Basically, you're sat down at a table with a rubber hand. Your arm is positioned and then covered with a blanket to where it looks like your arm ends in that rubber hand. You hide your real hand behind a small board right next to the rubber hand and try and put it in the same position the rubber hand is in. The experimenter then simultaneously strokes your real hand and the rubber hand with a small brush. During this stroking your brain almost "adopts" the rubber hand as a part of its body. The key part of this study is that the experimenter must stroke each hand with the same speed and pressure. But isn't it cool how your brain can do that?

Move Down! Move Down!

I have three psychology lectures a week. Monday is cognitive psychology where we talk about the brain. Most recently we've been talking about memory. It's actually been helpful because one week we talked about studying and how to remember information for tests and exams better. Tuesday is social psychology where we talk about how we perceive people and why we do certain things in social groups. Social psychology happens to be my favourite, but only because I don't like the lecturer on Thursdays. Thursday is animal psychology and as I said, the lecturer isn't my favourite. She actually kind of bores me on a subject that I love. It's hard to do, but she manages it. But, for the past two weeks we've had a guest lecturer and she's been wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed her two lectures. Some of the other students may have a different opinion than I do though, because she had this radical idea and decided to activate it during her lectures.

The psychology lectures are all in a big lecture theatre due to the amount of people who take first year psychology (everyone thinks "easy A"). And, as in all other subjects, attendance dwindles after the first two or three weeks of term. Attendance especially drops when it's a subject that very few people take and interest in like Animal Psychology. Attendance will drop even more if the lecturer is kind of boring as our normal lecturer is. So, out of all the students who are enrolled in PS1509 only a small fraction show up. Maybe 60 students...and that number is optimistic.

Now, this guest lecturer for Psychology asked us to do something that no other lecturer had. She asked us to sit in the front 10 rows of the lecture theatre. *GASP!* She said she wasn't going to use the microphone so she would prefer all of us to sit near the front (I also have a sneaking suspicion that she believes that students who sit near the front are more likely to pay attention). Because of my hearing problems (I gots ears full of wax that inhibits my hearing) and my vision problems (I have pretty bad eyesight) I generally sit near the front anyway. I like being able to understand what the lecturer is saying. I mean, I am paying for this so why would I not want to pay attention? Most people picked up their belongings and made their way to the front rows. Some though, packed up their belongings and just left. One couple I remember distinctively.

She asked everyone to move to the front last Thursday and these two stayed at the very back. She looked at them and said, "Come on now." And they just sat there starring at her in disbelief and defiance. After she asked another time they stood up and left. Can you believe that!? I mean, really!? That is what I call rude and if either of my parents (especially my mom) caught me doing something that rude to any teacher I would have been punished for my rudeness.

I've always been under the impression that once you get to University level you should want to be at school. No one is forcing you to go to school, so isn't it by your own choice that you come and sit and learn? If they don't want to be at class so much that when asked to come sit at the front instead of at the very back of the lecture theatre then why are they coming to University at all? I'm here because I want to learn and I enjoy learning new things and I don't have time to waste on people who are here for "shits and giggles." Don't get me wrong have fun, but also have respect for a person who has the title "Dr." before their name.

Also, they missed this video...so their loss I guess.