Week Ten

To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure" - J.K. Rowling

I cannot believe that this is the last week of the quarter; time goes by too fast. The topic in chapter 16 was death. Something that really stuck out to me was the Terri Schiavo case. The Terri Schiavo case really made me realize how important it is to death intentions known. Terri's husband wanted her feeding tube removed because he insisted that is not what she would have wanted and Terri's parents insisted that the feeding tube be kept in. There was no definite answer to their argument because Terri Schiavo did not expect to die, she didn't keep a will or a durable power of attorney for healthcare. Terri Shiavo's husband and parents fought in and out of court for years until Terri eventually died. Sadly, having her husband and parents resent eachother was probably the sure way she wouldn't of wanted to die.

The bio-ethical issues of death are interesting. Should euthanasia, the practice of ending someones life for mercy, be legal? Personally, I think yes. I just don't know who is qualified to decide whether the pain is worse than living. I also learned from the reading that here in Washington state, we have a law that makes it legal for terminal disease patients to request lethal injection. I think it's a good law because depression and other things are checked beforehand in order to make sure the patient is mentally competent to make their decision.

It was great reading everybody's blogs. This is the last week; wish everyone a good summer :)

Week Nine

Every week I seem to find a topic that relates to me personally. This weeks topic was definitely the Sibling Relationships section in chapter 15; I have two younger brothers ages 11 and 7. I couldn't imagine not having a close relationship with either of them. I will most likely continue to have a close relationship with my brothers due to the fact that I am 8 and 12 years older than them. Because of such a large age gap there's no hostility, envy, or competition. Although it's sad, I can see how sibling relationships could be rocky, especially when they are close in age. Personally I see my brothers make a competition out of everything, one always has to win and there's no such thing as a "tie." That being said, I don't believe that their competitive relationship will create a hostile one in the future; I think it's just how little boys play.

I thought the section in chapter 15 on friendship was interesting too. I find it amazing that people have friends from school that last throughout life. For instance, my great grandmother and great grandfather both have friends that they have known since they were in high school. I guess it really is true: choose your friends wisely.

Week 8

Everybody knows that exercise is good for one's health and a regular exercise routine might even help one live longer. But is it really that important? You bet it is! In fact, exercise is so good for you that it can even slow the physiological aging process. But exercise isn't just for the young and the old, it's important for everybody. According to chapter 13: "people who exercise aerobically report lower levels of stress, better moods, and better cognitive functioning."
Exercising is one of those things that I always put off until the very end of spring but reading the section on exercise in chapter 13 made me really think about exercising more. Less stress and better moods are two things that will really help me throughout the year, even when the Pacific Northwest sun is hiding. It's one thing to say I'm going to exercise, another to do it for a week or two, and a whole different story when it comes to maintaining a consistent routine. My goal is to hit the gym three times this week.
The "Grandparenthood" section in chapter 13 was something I can relate to. I have very supportive grandparents and they have had a huge impact on my life. My grandfather is my hero and without him I don't know where I would be today. I think a lot of grandparents who are not involved with their grandchildren fail to realize the positive role they can play. Reading this section made me appreciate my grandparents more than I already do and realize that I'm really blessed to have them.

Week Seven

The section "Going to College" in chapter 10 was an interesting one. Returning adult students (students over the age of 25), seem to be more mature and take college a lot more seriously, on average, than students under the age of 25. Returning adult students are great to have in class because they bring a new perspective to classroom discussion and seem a lot more motivated and interested than the students around my age (19). I'm curious how the average grades of returning adult students compare to students between the ages of 18 and 25; I'm guessing that returning adult students have higher average grades despite having to balance family/work with school because of their exceptional motivation.
Chapter ten was my favorite read so far this year because it related to me so well; I am in my emerging adulthood stage. Emerging adulthood is basically the stage between being an adolescent and an adult. I have not reached the point in my life where I consider myself fully an adult and I'm not sure when it will be. Although I'm legally an adult, attend college, and am employed, I know I haven't reached the point of full maturity. Maybe I will feel like an adult when I'm 21 or maybe when I finish school? I like they idea of "emerging adulthood" because turning 18 does not correspond with maturity. It happens subtly over time and is something to look forward to.

Week 5

A few things from chapter seven intrigued me, including the section on television. I was appalled to read that a young North American child will witness at least several thousand murders on TV before reaching their adolescence. Also, the average cartoon displays an act of violence every three minutes. These facts surprised me because I would never consider dangerous the cartoons that my little brothers watch on a daily basis. In my opinion more education shows should be on television and parents should consider adding a parental control on their television sets.

            My youngest brother is seven years old and the “Consumer Behavior” section from chapter 7 states: “preschool children often believe that commercials are simply a different form of entertainment-one designed to inform viewers. Not until 8 or 9 years of age do most children understand the persuasive intent of commercials; a few years later, children realize that commercials are not always truthful” (Kail, Cavanaugh, 2007, 2010). I never considered talking to my brother before about the intent of commercials but after reading this chapter, I made sure he knew.

            I enjoyed reading about the four different types of parental behaviors. I reflected on how I was parented and realized that my dad had used an authoritarian parenting style while my mom was more authoritative. Even though I disliked both styles of parenting when I was a young teenager, I have grown to appreciate them. I believe that there are many more than four types of parenting styles and I would like to know more and read a more in-depth description. This week’s reading was very interesting; I would recommend the chapter 7 text to any parent or soon-to-be parent. 

Week Four

I thought that the section on ADHD was very interesting because I was diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder when I was 16 years old. After being diagnosed with ADHD I was prescribed a stimulant that was supposed to help me stay focused on my school work. The results were miraculous; I went from sleeping in class to getting A’s on my tests. Unfortunately, I was unable to continue taking the medicine because I suffered from many of the stimulant’s terrible side effects. Reading the chapter-six section on Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder was the first time that I have ever heard of psychosocial therapy. I wonder why it was never suggested to me when the medicine did not work. Although medication is an easy fix, it’s not always the best.  

It seems like America has a little pill sized solution for every problem. Us Americans use pills for a plethora of reasons including: weight loss, pain relief, sexual stimulants, cold and allergy relief, insomnia, and many more. Pill use has become so common that most people don’t think twice before popping a few Tylenol or even Vicodin. Overmedicating is huge in America and with modern medical science advancing at such a rapid pace it seems like the issue is only getting worse. 

Week One

I found the information-processing theory to be very interesting; the information-processing theory suggests that human cognition is a product of mental software and hardware. I would like to know how humans upgrade their software when a developmental change in thinking occurs. If I had the chance to discuss the concept of the information-processing theory with the authors of the textbook I would ask them why they repeatedly compared the theory to how computers work. The comparison was distracting because the idea that my mind and computer work the same seems ridiculous.  

I can personally relate to Erikson’s psychosocial theory because I have a younger brother. I constantly observe my brother (seven years old) in his industry versus inferiority stage. He is doing just as the Erikson’s theory suggests, starting to learn basic skills and developing an ability to work with others. I was surprised to see Erikson’s industry versus inferiority stage match my youngest brother so well.

I would like to know more about what the most popular developmental theory is today and why it is the most widely accepted. I enjoyed the text, particularly because it caused me to reflect on my struggles as a child and how I have developed since then. With unlimited funds to do further research in this area of study I would like to investigate a more accurate way to do observation and record data. The longitudinal approach is very expensive so, with unlimited funds, more longitudinal study could be done. With unlimited time and energy to learn about the human development, I would be very interested in learning about the first human development data that was recorded.  

Josh Kovalenko