final review (humanism, cognitive theory, neuroscience)

what motivates us?

fulfilling unmet needs

maslow’s hierarchy of needs

lowest → highest

physiological needs (food, water, warmth, rest), safety needs (security, safety), belongingness & love needs (relationships, friends), esteem needs (prestige, accomplishes), self-actualisation (full potential)

hedonic treadmill

people tend to return to a baseline level of happiness despite significant positive or negative changes in their life

baseline happiness

each individual has a relatively stable level of happiness or well-being, external circumstances may cause temporary fluctuations but people tend to return to their baseline after a while

adaption to change

after experiencing life events, people initially feel a surge of positive or negative emotions — overtime, they adapt to the new circumstances and return to their original level of happiness

constant pursuit of more

how people often strive for more wealth, success, or possessions, believing these things will bring lasting happiness — the boost in happiness is typically temporary, leading to a cycle of wanting more without long-term fulfillment

social support

emotional and material support from friends and family can improve people’s ability to cope with stressful events, lowering levels of depression will be experienced

intimacy in relationships

is your close proximity to another person or group emotionally, mentally, or even physically

examples: emotional, intellectual, spiritual, etc

an intimate relationship

is a trusting close friendship with another person in which one can beg honest without fear of rejection

evolutionary theory

behavior tendencies, physical characteristics, and personality features that promote our chances to survive and reproduce become, by that virtue, desirable to us — biological and anatomical differences between organisms will dictate different optimal solutions to the same problem

long-term relationships women

emphasize the importance of status parameters

long-term relationships men

female youth highly attractive

social role theory

the mate selection rules are dictated by the roles that women and men occupy in society. people’s preferences in the search for a mate are expected to shift as social roles and norms shift

more emphasis on economic and social status than matters of housework (gender roles)

laws of attraction

exposure, familiarity, proximity

• competence (intelligent and socially skilled) and warmth \

• similarity (easier to communicate, understand, know, and trust someone like ourselves)

divorce rate

50%

reasons for divorce

infidelity, grown apart, incompatibility, children, money, violence, etc

divorce reasons (%)

• career choices (46%)

• parenting differences (43%)

• division of household labor

• relationships with family and friends

• finances

• health choices

• better understanding of commitment would help prevent divorce (63%)

divorce impact of children

substance abuse, addictions, mental and physical health problems, poor educational outcomes

• also feelings of conflict (grief, sadness, anger, betrayal, guilt, and shame)

positive impacts of technology

• facilitates communication (constant communication especially long distance, able to stay in touch and feel more connected)

• enables relationship formation (social media and online dating help people meet partners, expand social circles)

• support systems (online communities, seek advice, share experiences, and find emotional support)

• also help shy or introverted people to build connections in a lower-pressure environment

negative impact of technology

• superficial connections (constant texting and contact create the illusion of intimacy as in-person conversations suffer — passive consumption foster feelings of envy and dissatisfaction with one’s relationship)

• decreased face-to-face interaction (excessive use of technology can detract from meaningful face-to-face interactions)

• increased conflict (“phubbing” ignoring a partner to focus on a smartphone lead to lower marital satisfaction)

• work-life balance strain (find it harder to disconnect from work and be present with their partners and families)

• technology leads to misunderstands or misinterpretations

• cyberstalking, jealousy, and comparing relationships fuel insecurity and tension

esteem need

esteem presents the typical human desire to be accepted and valued by others

• “lower” is the need for respect from others, include, status, recognition, fame, prestige, attention

• “higher” manifests itself as the need for self respect, include, need for strength, competence, mastery, independence, self-confidence, freedom

self-esteem

combination of thoughts and feelings a person has about themselves, and whether those thoughts are positive or negative

rosenberg (1958)

high self-esteem

helps individuals to make friends, to have more satisfying romantic relationships, improved mental & physical health, to be more successful at school and work, and to experience higher psychological well being

apa (2011)

self-esteem is on the rise, with 80% of middle-school students scoring higher in self-esteem

narcissism

characterized by feelings of superiority, grandiosity, entitlement, and self-centeredness

growth need

self-actualization

deficit needs

esteem, love and belonging, safety, physiological

maslow studied individuals

that considered to have realized their full or near to their full potential in their particular area of expertise or focus

characteristics of self actualization

self-accepting, open and spontaneous, realistic, responsible, autonomous, enjoys solitude and privacy, enjoys the journey not the destination n

person-centered therapy (rogerian therapy)

• moved toward nondirective, empathic approach that empowers and motivates the client in the therapeutic process

• based on that every human being strives for and has the capacity to fulfill his or her own potential

• emphasizes the importance of the therapeutic relationship and believes that given the right conditions clients can move toward greater self-fulfillment

clients inherent capacity for growth

individuals have the innate tendency toward personal growth and self-actualization (therapist creates conditions that allow this growth to occur)

unconditional positive regard

therapist accepts and respects clients without judgement, regardless of thoughts, feelings, behaviors

• creating a safe and non-judgemental space for clients to express themselves

empathy

deeply understand the clients perspective and feelings, practice empathetic listening, reflecting back what the client says to help the client feel heard and understood

congruence

therapists strive to be genuine and authentic in their interactions with clients, encourage openness and honesty about their own reactions and feelings

self-exploration

clients are encouraged to explore their own thoughts, emotions, and experiences

• therapist does not provide solutions to advice, helps clients gain insight into their own concerns and issues

reflection and clarification

therapists use reflective techniques to clarify and deepen the clients understanding of their thoughts and feelings, rephrase or ask clarifying questions to encourage exploration

pros of humanism

• focus on individual growth

• positive and holistic approach

• emphasis on empathy and relationships

• respect for human dignity (upholds the inherent worth and dignity of every individuals, promoting equal rights and social justice

cons of humanism

• critique of over-individualism (emphasis on individualism can lead to a neglect of collective and societal factors that influence human behavior and well-being)

• lack of empirical rigor

• limited applicability to severe mental health issues

• idealism vs realism

humanists believe

an unmet need you are trying to meet

cognitive theory

suggests that our thoughts and beliefs (cognitions), perceptions, and interpretations of the world play a central role in influencing our behavior and emotions

• individuals interpretations of events can be more important than the events themselves

information processing

views the mind as an information processor, similar to a computer, it suggests that people acquire, store, and manipulate information to make decisions and respond to their environment

input-processing-output model

information from the environment is received as input, processed in various wats within the mind, and then translated into behavior or responses as output

sensory memory → working memory → response to stimulus

parallel processing

human mind can process multiple pieces of information simultaneously, allows for efficient cognitive functioning, especially when dealing with complex tasks

metacognition

an individuals awareness and understanding of their cognitive processes, involves monitoring and regulating ones own thinking, problem-solving, and learning strategies

human processing strengths

• creativity and flexibility

• emotional intelligence

• common sense

• ethical and moral decision making

• learning from a few examples

human processing weaknesses

• limited processing capacity

• biases and subjectivity

• inconsistent performance

• limited memory

AI strengths

• speed and accuracy

• pattern recognition

• consistency

• scaling abilities enabling it to handle larger datasets and ore complex tasks

• “update their own software”

AI weaknesses

• lack of understanding

• limited adaptability (struggle with unexpected or unfamiliar situations that fall outside its programmed parameters)

• bias and ethical concerns

• dependence on data (quality and quantity of data it is trained on (inadequate or biased data can lead to inaccurate or problematic outcomes)

cognitive functions

play a central role in the interpretation of stimuli in cognitive psychology, these functions are the mental process, store, and use information from the environment

SOR-model

stimulus, organism, response

cognitive schema

cognitive framework that organizes information about the world around us, packet of information in our brain that categorizes objects and concepts into groups

schema (jean piaget)

brains group things based on common features, identify new objects and define them

• organize and make sense of their experiences

• assimilate new information into their existing understanding of the world

• adapt and modify their schemas to accommodate new information and experiences

object schema

learning the difference between a car and bus

role schema

learned gender roles

event schema

differentiating between seasons

piaget’s theory

children progress through a series of developmental stages, each marked by distinct cognitive abilities and thought processes

• schemas change and develop as a child progresses

• guides our expectations, perceptions, and memory, influencing how we understand and interact with the environment

equilibrium

state of cognitive balance or harmony in which a person’s existing schemas are in sync with their experiences and new information — assimilate new information into their existing cognitive structures (aligns with their current understanding of the world)

disequilibrium

state of cognitive imbalance or conflict, new information or experiences challenge a persons existing schemas to the extent that assimilation alone is insufficient — state of cognitive conflict and discomfort causes individuals to seek ways of restoring equilibrium (accommodation)

heuristics

cognitive shortcuts or rules of thumb that individuals use to make quick, efficient judgements and decisions, they are mental strategies or techniques that simplify complex problems or situations — employed when people need to make decisions or solve problems in conditions of uncertainty or limited time

social cognitive theory

examines how cognitive processes and environmental factors influence behavior

• cognitive factors: knowledge, expectations, attitudes

• behavioral factors: skills, practice, self-efficacy

• environmental factors: social norms, access in the community, influence on others and environment

excessive screen time

range of adverse effects on physical, mental, and social well-being

• physical: sedentary lifestyle (reduce physical activity + increase risk of obesity), sleep disruption (blue light emitted can disrupt body’s natural sleep-wake cycle), eye strain (“computer vision syndrome”), physical health issues (back and neck pain, strain injuries)

• mental: reduced well-being (increased feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression), addictive behavior (provide rewards and reinforcement through notifications), impaired attention and focus (reduce productivity), negative social comparisons (inadequacy and low self-esteem based on curated and idealized online personas)

technology benefits

cognitive stimulation (challenge the brain, improve problem-solving skills, enhance cognitive function), learning and knowledge acquisition enhanced communication (staying in touch can have a positive effect on mental health), creativity and expression

screen time recommendations

• babies (0-18 months): none

• toddlers (18-24 months): < 1 hour

• children (2-5 years): 0-3 hours

• kids and teens (6-17 years): 2 hours

• teens and adults (18+): 2-4 hours

confirmation bias

social media algorithms may present users with content that aligns with their existing beliefs, reinforcing confirmation bias — selective exposure to information that confirms preexisting opinions, limiting exposure to opposing views

availability heuristic

social media platforms often prioritize recent and emotionally charged content, making it more “available” to users — lead to overestimating prevalence and importance of certain issues or events

bandwagon effect

individuals are more likely to adopt certain beliefs or behaviors because they perceive that many others are doing the same (trends, hostages, viral challenges)

recency bias

social media content is often time-sensitive (recent events and discussions), people place greater importance on the most recent information while overlooking older, but still relevant facts or events

emotional contagion

emotional content (positive and negative) can spread rapidly and influence the moods and behaviors of users

intelligence

measured through IQ (intelligence quotient)

• good indication of ability (academics and work life)

• measures reasoning abilities, language. memory, math abilities, visual-spatial understanding