I'm baaaaaack!

I'm baaaaaaaack again. I had been away since I quit the University of Phoenix online, but now I am back. I will be starting college again with a local college, North Seattle Community College, in the Fall, to study and hopefully finish the electronics degree I started in the Air Force, back in the early 1980's. The UoPhoenix was an expensive education, but got me back in the study mode. I just didn't think a psychology degree would serve me well with a future career. I am never going back to printing though, that is for certain. 27 years in printing and nothing to show for it, makes me feel the need for a real career type job. Already I have started studying electronics with Barron's Electronics Made Easy and I remember a lot of things, like ohm's law and such. I signed up for the Electronics for IT program, to fit in with my hobby of fixing computers. I know that I am out of date and have a lot to learn, but thanks to UoPhoenix, I am ready to study again.

Nature's porn

Art imitates life imitates nature!

The Eternal College Student!

I once had in mind to be the eternal college student, take all kinds of classes and never graduate, but now I want that piece of paper that says I'm worth 33% more pay! I was very estudious back in the 80's during my initial studies at Western Washington University, but too much studying and I burned out before I completed either of my degrees for print technologies or psychology. "Much study is a vexation of the mind," or so says Ecclessiastes. I've got the determination to finish this time, and the dedication. I've got great friends from class and Kate, you're a godsend! With study partners to keep me going, I might one day have a wall like this guy!

UW student proves the existence of God, mathematically!

The following is an actual question given on a University of Washington chemistry midterm. The answer by one student was so "profound" that the professor shared it with colleagues, via the Internet, which is, of course, why we now have the pleasure of enjoying it as well.

Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)?

Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law (gas cools when it expands and heats when it is compressed) or some variant.
One student, however, wrote the following: First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time . So we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving. As for how many souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today. Most of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. Since there is more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially.
Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added.
This gives two possibilities: 1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose. 2. If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over.
So which is it?
If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa during my Freshman year that, "It will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you," and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night, then number two must be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and has already frozen over. The corollary of this theory is that since Hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is therefore, extinct......leaving only Heaven, thereby proving the existence of a divine being which explains why, last night, Teresa kept shouting "Oh my God."

Do the Math!

My next two classes with the UoPhoenix are Essentials of College Math, algebra and statistics and such. There must be some mathematical theory I haven't studied yet that will explain the reasoning behind an insulting one time $300 tax rebate as an economic stimulus to prevent recession while spending 12 billion a day for the next year on 'defending' Iraq! Let's try reversing the roles and spend 12 billion a day on solving America's economic woes and give each Iraqi citizen a one time payment of $300-that ought to be enough to buy a gun and enough bullets for the Shi'ites and Sunnites to kill each other off-end of problem! Maybe economic math theories are different from the real numerical values I will be studying, or should "I" be the one buying a gun?

The Jung Dr. Sonny is in.

Written using a new (to me), program called: StyleEase for APA formatting. I didn't know if it would allow me to copy and paste like regular Word doc., but it did. So now I don't have to go out of practice. Why do Doctor's call what they do; Practice?

THE OPERANT CONDITIONING

The Operant Conditioning of Behaviorism; How Behaviorism Conditioned Itself.

Maurice Keating, Jr.

University of Phoenix

Abstract
An essay on the historical development of behaviorist perspective in psychology regarding its development by the three major theorists; John B. Watson, Edward C. Tolman and B. F. Skinner.

Introduction

Three men; John B. Watson (1878 – 1958), Edward C. Tolman (1886 – 1959), and B. F. Skinner (1904 – 1990), all inspired by the original work of Ivan P. Pavlov’s (1849 – 1936), animal conditioning experiment, caught on to the idea of conditioning behavior and developed successive theories of what is known today as Behaviorism. Not entirely a linear development of a single concept of conditioning, these three men developed divergent theories along successive similar trains of thought, that of changing the behavior of mice and men. Behaviorism is primarily learning theories developed by comparative research of strictly observable behaviors and drawing analogies between animal learning and human learning, disregarding mental constructs of subjective cognitive and emotive states. The apples and oranges, or rather, mice and men comparison aside, the works of the Behaviorists showing total disregard for cognitive and emotive mental states reveal works truly worthy of any modern day sociopathic or borderline personality. Despite apparent similarities, the specific details of methodology and subsequent developmental theory’s of learning as relates to behavior modification vary widely enough for examination of the basic differences in Watson’s Reductionist, Tolman’s Purposive, and Skinner’s Radical Behaviorist theories, theories that are well suited to explaining and training animal behavior, but met primarily with resistance or causing cognitive and emotive disorders in human subjects.

Watson’s Sociopathic Research

While John B. Watson’s famous claim that “if he were given 12 healthy infants at birth, he could turn them into whatever he wanted, doctors or thieves, regardless of any innate dispositions or talents, simply by controlling their environments” (Kowalski and Westen, 2005, pg. 14), was never put to test, his preference for the nurturing aspect of psychology’s nature versus nurture question undoubtedly explains his own sociopathic Behaviorist research methodology. Raised with farm animals and torn between a philandering alcoholic father and a mother of fire and brimstone beliefs, one need not wonder that Goodwin (2005) only points out that John Watson “was a known troublemaker and had been arrested at least twice [in his youth]” (pg. 290). Watson’s sociopathic tendencies are revealed by his penchant of surgically vivisecting laboratory rats of their sensory input organs to determine which skill they possessed to perform experimental maze learning, and his later conditioning fear in a young infant known as Albert B., Little Albert. Theorizing that infantile emotions only range three types; love, anger and rage, and that such emotions are only conditioned reactions and not fanciful cognitive mental states, Watson continued his sociopathic proclivities, diverting his attention from helpless lab rats to helpless baby infants as his subjects of terror inducing conditioning, training little Albert first to fear Watson’s former victims of furry rats, then other furry neutral objects, and finally fearing Watson himself (Goodwin, 2005, pp. 299-300). Quite a far cry from his boast of being able to make an infant either become a Doctor or thief!

Tolman; Behaviorist for Purposiveness

The purposive or goal-directed Behaviorist theory of Edward Tolman suggests that behavior is done for a reason, and a larger purpose then merely satisfying physical needs. More open to alternate psychologies other than his professed specialty of Behaviorism, Tolman received criticism from his contemporaries for his use of cognitive inferences of none the less observable behaviors. Such idea’s as that dehydrating a lab rat to cause thirst, an unseen and in his terms, an intervening variable that subsequently causes the animal to learn that water is at the end of a maze and thus learn the maze faster, were the influences of Tolman’s gestalt friends and colleagues. Creation of more standardized construction of mazes for his lab animals and testing for variables in the condition of the animals, tests and reinforcements given, led to Tolman inferring latent learning and cognitive maps within the animals. Logical positivism appealed to Tolman and guided the development of his theory’s cognitive states as inferred from observable behaviors, and was reflected in his attitude of learning for the fun of learning. (Goodwin, 2005, pp. 314-321).

Skinner: Learning operant conditioning operantly.

B. F. Skinner carried Behaviorism closer to completion as an independent arena of psychology then any before him. Finely delineating previous concepts of his field of research, Skinner formed more detailed descriptions of conditioning principles into his own version known as Operant Conditioning. Reinforcement could be positive or negative in that the reinforcing stimuli could be added (positive), as a reward or punishment, or negative (removal of reward or punishment). Classical conditioning simply paired an unconditioned stimulus with a conditioned one, to achieve a conditioned response from one previously unconditioned. Skinner brought about Operant Conditioning theory as a way of continuing the pairing of environmental behaviors with associated stimuli in stages that lead from a simple and natural organism’s behavior to more complex behaviors unknown in nature of such organisms, a process he labeled: shaping. Systematic studying of times between reinforcement and number of responses of behavior till being reinforced led to further complete theory development by Skinner. (Goodman, 2005, pp. 330-333). B. F. Skinner believed so passionately about his theory of shaping behavior that he believed it could be implemented on a sociological scale and he even wrote a fictional account of a utopian society called: Walden Two, based upon his theories (Goodman, 2005, pp. 337-8). Certainly his development of Behaviorist theory of shaping was operantly learned, as he continued a train of thought started by Pavlov before he, Skinner, was even born.

Conclusion

The very idea of Watson’s that an infant can show a response called: Love; Tolman’s feelings of having fun in learning; Skinner’s passionate belief in humanity’s possible creation of utopia, these ‘cognitive explanatory fictions’ belie the very foundations of Behaviorist perspective that only observable behavior is necessary for researching causes of psychological realities. Perhaps this is the cause of the decline of Behaviorism as a psychological perspective in regards human beings and their irrational behaviors. More likely and in this author’s opinion, animal based research is perfectly suited to explain animal behavior, human behavior needs human research to adequately explain and train the human mind.




References

Goodwin, C. J. (2005). A History of Modern Psychology, Second Edition. NY: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Kowalski, R., and Westen, D. (2005). Psychology, Fourth Edition. NY: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

I wish this Dr. had been my Dr.!

I chose Dr. Marie-Louise von Franz to write about for my Women in Psychology paper for my History and Systems class and wouldn't you know it, but synchronicity popped up when I noticed that in writing the paper it was about the 10 year anniversary of her passing. I'm still studying Jung after all the twenty years have past since I was previously in college and now finding out Dr. von Franz is gone, I wish I had kept up on my readings in Analytical Psychology.

The Faerie Tale Life of Dr. Marie-Louise von Franz
Maurice S. Keating, Jr.
University of Phoenix

Abstract:
An essay introducing Dr. Marie-Louise von Franz’s early life and the events leading to her lifelong working relationship with Dr. Carl Gustav Jung and his depth psychology theories of Analytical Psychology.

The Faerie Tale Life of Dr. Marie-Louise von Franz

Once Upon A Time

Born of baronial Austrian ancestry in Munich, Germany on January 14, 1915 during the Great War and recently deceased on February 17th of 1998 at home in peaceful Kusnacht, Switzerland Marie-Louise von Franz lived between the unconsciousness of birth to the unconscious end of life, the story of a faerie tale princess living in a world of myth and dreams. Robert Mcg Thomas, Jr., states in Dr. von Franz’s obituary, “…there were those who hailed her as the queen of Jungian [analytical] psychology. She was an expert on fairy tales who had been both Carl Gustav Jung’s most brilliant and inspired disciple and the one who had done the most to illuminate the flame since his death in 1961” (Thomas, 1998, ¶ 2). She was certainly no stranger to dream’s, Dr. Marie-Louise analyzed and interpreted some 65,000 of them during her many years as an analyst and added quite a few of her own to that compendium. The life of Marie-Louise evolved from dreams and revolved in and around the dreamy depth psychology of her mentor, Dr. Carl Gustav Jung, founder of the analytical psychology school of thought. Journey now into the mystical land of folklore, myth’s and dreams that comprise the passionate life work and world of Dr. Marie-Louise von Franz, a woman who lived her dreams to make them come true.

An Awe Inspiring Early Dream

In his eulogy for Marie-Louise von Franz, Dr. Gotthilf Isler (2004, ¶ 5 and 6) relates an actual account of one of her childhood dreams she confided to him and his wife that was memorable enough for her to include in her article, “The Unknown Visitor.” Only about four years of age at the time of her dream, the dream more of a nightmare, an unconscious reconstruction of thoughts peaking into an unknown future, formed from the von Franz family’s flight from oncoming political persecution in Austria to the safety of Switzerland. Marie-Louise told this lucid tale:
I went with Father and Mother and my sister through the streets of a place where we were staying at an inn after our flight. Father held me by the hand. Suddenly in the distance an old man and a young man appeared in the street, approaching swiftly. My father, startled, shouted out. "There they are!" I asked, "Who?" "The Gods, the Examiners. Everyone has an iron tablet with his name and birth and death dates on it. The tablets must be preserved intact. Whoever's tablet is broken will fall under the power of the Gods."
We ran back into our room in the inn. Father opened the chest with the family silver in it and took out the tablets. They were of white enamel with black lettering. The enamel of my tablet was as if it had been fractured by a hammer blow. I was horribly frightened. The others shrank back from me. I stepped out of my body and hovered about the ceiling, where there was a bright, round light into which I went. From there I saw myself below as a little girl holding the tablet. I decided to go on living and returned to my body. I wanted to confront the Gods and went towards the doors. As I was about to open them, the bolt was drawn back from the outside. They had arrived! I woke up screaming.
Only such a vivid dream as this could last a lifetime and portend a future outlook on life as a guide in the manner that Marie-Louise kept this in her memory.

Young Marie-Louise and Jung

Chance and circumstance, or synchronicity it may be, led to a casual encounter between young Marie-Louise at 18 and the then aged 58 years, Dr. Carl G. Jung, in 1933 (Thomas, 1998, ¶ 9). Marie-Louise was yet still a high school student in Zurich, but would soon afterwards begin working closely with him in what would become a lifelong relationship (Isler, 2004, ¶ 15). Analysand and ardent student, an analyst later herself and the first to replace Dr. Carl Jung after his death, as Director of the Jungian Analytical Psychology Institute in Zurich, Dr. Marie-Louise von Franz’s life became enmeshed with Dr. Jung’s own life and theories. At Dr. Jung’s suggestion from an interpretation of her dreams, she went on to study classical languages, earning her doctorate at the University of Zurich, a much needed talent Dr. Jung used in his own work, especially in the translations of ancient texts for his works in medieval alchemy as related to psychology of unconscious projection (Thomas, 1998, ¶ 14 and 15). Dr’s. Jung and von Franz were even travelling companions for lectures at Universities, and other excursions to meet with shamans, Buddhist Monk’s, medicine men and other such purveyors of unconscious wisdom. Dr. Gotthilf Isler (2004, ¶ 17), also reveals a secret meeting Marie-Louise and Carl Jung had with an African oracle that had summarily told her:
At the end, the highest judge will come - this would be an unheard of fortune, and as a matter of fact she experienced many amazing things; many of them had to be kept secret, so she couldn't relate them to me. But then later would come an "after-judge." This would be a great misfortune. This would be her present [Parkinson’s] illness. But she was happy that she had consulted this oracle, because she knew that this misfortune was a part of her fate!
A part of Jung’s belief in unconscious determinism became her own through this experience and was reinforced further in future synchronistic occurrences.

Dream Analyst and Interpreter of Faerie Tales and Physics

Card and Morariu (1998) note that some two years before his death, Jung bequeathed to Marie-Louise the beginnings of his notes on the mathematical properties of the first four integers, indicating his aging inability to accomplish a work of them, and his wishes for her to carry on his work. Dr. von Franz already had begun as a co-author with his final book; “Man and His Symbols,” and hoped to find someone else to complete this new task. Later, after Jung’s passing, Dr. von Franz took it upon herself to investigate, research Jung’s ideas with the help of one of his collaborators, Nobel laureate in quantum physics, Wolfgang Pauli, and finish a remarkable book on the archetypal significances and related synchronistic phenomenon of numbers as related to depth psychology and physics, called: “Number and Time” (¶ 3 and 4). Dr. Marie-Louise von Franz had already begun her remarkable career as an analytical psychologist writer of myths, legends and fairy tales, revealing the archetypal structures of their unconscious origins and the significance of their role in the development of consciousness in the history of humankind, when Number and Time was finally published in 1974. Her work continued as a writer, analyst and training analyst, Director of the C. G. Jung Analytical Psychology Institute in Zurich, and worldwide lecturer, publishing some 40 plus papers, books and even films, before Marie-Louise von Franz finally completed her journey back into the realm of the unconscious, her date with death on February 17, 1998.

In Memoriam

So deeply involved in revealing the mysteries of the unconscious was Dr. Marie-Louise von Franz that she dared take on writing a book called; “On Dreams and Death: A Jungian Interpretation,” published in 1986 and during the writing of which she developed Parkinson’s disease. Her friend and student, Remo Roth remembers that; “After this, she told me several times that she had the distinct feeling that the illness was the direct effect of writing this book” (Roth, 1998, ¶ 2). Dr. Roth continues, saying Marie-Louise remained intellectually active and concerned with the main topic of her book about individuation and the development of alchemy’s subtle body, that which survives and continues on after death; “the diamond body in eastern mysticism” (Roth, 1998, ¶ 3). Dr. Isler notes that Marie-Louise told him of a dream she had after Jung’s passing in which she saw a precious Chinese frog carved of stone that she had given to her mentor as a lifetime gift, but that he found to be too precious to keep, determining that it be returned to her upon his death, and in the dream she saw the frog waving to her. “For her, this was a sign that Jung was still living, and she died with this frog in her hand. The frog is a symbol of resurrection.” (Isler, 1998, ¶ 39). Marie-Louise von Franz has finished her work, yet much remains to be done.

References:

Card, C. R. And Morariu, V. V. (1998). “In Remembrance Of Marie-Louise Von Franz.” Retrieved February 24, 2008, from http://www.geocities.com/paideusis/n1cm.html

Isler, G. (1998, February, 17). Journeys newsletter. “And Her Spirit Lives On…” Retrieved February 23, 2008 from http://journeyintowholeness.org/news/nl/v12n3/eulogy.shtm

Roth, R. F. (1998). “My Personal Memories of Marie-Louise von Franz.” Retrieved February 22, 2008, from http://www.psychovision.ch/rfr/mlvf_nachruf_e.htm

Thomas, R M (March 23, 1998). Marie-Louise von Franz, 83, A Jungian Legend, Is Dead. The New York Times, p.NA. Retrieved February 23, 2008, from General OneFile via Gale:http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS

Lost paper.

I thought I had lost this paper when I switched to a new computer and couldn't find it on my old pc that ended up with a new home at my mother's. Sometimes, not often, but once in a Blue Moon (my old Tavern here in Seattle), I get an urge to drink and then call a friend. Right now? No! But I was thinking on a smoke break just a minute ago (I'm attempting to quit that too), I wonder if I would even still like the taste of beer? I thought to myself; Probably not, as I never did drink for taste, just effect!



Causality: Cause for reflection.
Maurice S. Keating, Jr.
University of Phoenix

Causality: Cause for reflection.
Hi, I’m John Doe, and I’m an alcoholic. Familiar word’s of the introduction preceding an A.A. member’s discourse and self disclosure of their illness. Although my name is not John Doe, and I use my childhood nickname in my personal life as a member of Alcoholics Anonymous to remain anonymous, I chose the name John Doe in this introduction to point out the now recognized status of alcoholism as a progressive and degenerative disease. As stated by Science Clarified (2007) in their Alcoholism forum, the disease is progressive in that it only gets worse in increasing stages, never better, even after stopping the drinking behavior, and its conclusion may end in death (¶ 1). Degenerative in that consumption of alcohol not only kills brain cells and destroys the liver, but is now known that it; “affects every cell in the body, especially those of the liver, heart, and brain” (¶ 4). And a disease in that alcoholism is recognized along with substance abuse as an addiction as noted on p. 213 of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM IV) of the APA (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Before continuing further, let me quote from p. 562 of the ‘big book;’ Alcoholics Anonymous, the 10th of our 12 traditions: “Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the A.A. name ought never [to] be drawn into public controversy.” (2001). With that disclaimer to honor the A.A. Traditions, the stated purpose of this paper is not about the 12 step recovery group itself, but an exposition of one of its primary initial teachings to the newcomer, the concept known as: Think through the drink. Also referred to as ‘playing the tape through,’ to get to the conclusion of the song and avoid the song and dance routine that leads to taking that first drink without thinking of its consequences.

I can distinctly remember the rationalization I used for taking my very first drink, a misnomer of that word in that my thinking wasn’t rational, rationalization being more the mental process of making up an excuse for behavior; “a defense mechanism by which [my] true motivation is concealed by explaining [my] actions and feelings in a way that is not threatening [to myself]” WordNet (2006). I was fresh out of Basic Training, at my first USAF Base for additional training, and enjoying myself in the enlisted men’s recreational hall. Legal age in Colorado, where I was stationed, and legal age on the Federal property of the Base is 19 years. I figured that if the U.S. Government thought I was old enough to both serve my Country and be served a drink, then I might as well enjoy myself with a beer. If I was old enough to fight and possibly die for my Country, I was old enough to get drunk! Eight years later I was no longer fighting for my Country, I was, however, fighting a battle with the bottle.

I did not come to be a habitual drinker all at once; habituation is most definitely both classically and operant conditioned and occurred in me by the very processes as put forth by Kowalski and Westen (2005). I reinforced my drinking behavior by repeatedly rewarding myself for hard work by; going to the club (the operant), and having a beer (the reinforcement), after duty (pg. 169). In the end I was not reinforcing my good work ethics in this process though; it was the drinking behavior itself that was being reinforced by the significant time delay (the interstimulus interval), between getting off duty and going to the club (pg. 164). Yet initially I took to drink by “observational learning;” other’s at the club were drinking and having fun, and so I mimicked them, “modeling” my behavior to theirs by playing games while having my own drinks (pg. 187). This lead to another use of rationalization about my continued use and abuse of alcohol, the idea that everyone does it, so why can’t I? Classical conditioning also played a role by my associating fun activities with drinking alcohol, and soon I was drinking alcohol to have fun, a stimulus-stimulus association (pg. 166). What were once vices are now habits, as a song says, and my drinking became associated with another bad habit of addictive behavior; smoking cigarettes. Nicotine and alcohol are twin addictions that were formerly thought of as social ills of an individual problematic nature, yet socially acceptable behavior, and they reinforce each other by stimulating the brain (actually alcohol is a depressant), in different neural pathways. Social views are changing along with the legal viewpoint of these ‘habits,’ and they are now considered to be criminal behavior in certain instances of misuse and abuse.

Having incurred the wrath of the Courts and been given the option of seeking treatment for my aberrant behavior of driving under the influence, I have become aware of the necessity of “rehab” and 12 step programs involved in recovery from addiction and maintaining sobriety. A common phrase of A.A. members to newcomers is; “the best way to avoid getting drunk is to avoid the first drink.” But how to do that as is easier said then done, is by what is called: Thinking through the drink. Using reasoning skills of causality to remember the effects of alcoholic behavior; the ill effects of nausea and hangovers, the relationship problems with family and friends, the further social isolation of only having drinking buddies, the economic problems of unpaid bills and loss of employment or lack of stable employment, combined with legal entanglements, all serve as cause for reflection in taking a moment just long enough to give an impulse or urge to return to drink to subside while convincing myself with true rational thought that the “rewards” are not worth continuing the behavior. In giving myself the time to weigh the pro’s and con’s of taking another drink, I give myself pause for reflection and thought, and enough time to come to the realization that I have alternatives and can call for help and support, reach out to another for affirmation that I am not alone. Merely extinguishing the undesirable behavior, quitting drinking, whether by force of will or conditioning, is not enough in the end. Behaviors and attitudes need to be changed together, new behaviors instituted to replace old habits and new attitudes learned, for effective recovery to take place and sobriety to be maintained.

In summation, and I say summation and not conclusion because the only acceptable conclusion to alcoholism is abstinence, and I can only sum up my rehabilitation and recovery as it has thus far occurred; in summation, my personal experience with alcoholism and recovery is not unique to me alone. Not everyone follows the same path, but the pattern is there and the similarities are recognizable. Thinking through the drink; the process of recognizing the onset of impulses and urges that lead to patterns of thought processes of rationalization for my addictive behavior, then diverting those thought processes to different ones of reasoning and reflection, give myself time to take action and preventive measures to avoid falling back into old habits. Memory of past results from taking that first drink, and knowing that it will lead to another and what that will invariably result in, reasoning in terms of causality, is but one of the tools learned to be used on the road to recovery. The road leads on.




References:
Alcoholics Anonymous, Fourth Edition. (2001). New York City: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.

American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision. Washington, DC, American Psychiatric Association, 2000.

Kowalski, R., & Westen, D. (2005). Psychology. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
rationalization. (n.d.). WordNet® 3.0. Retrieved January 27, 2008, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/rationalization

Science Clarified. (2007). Alcoholism forum. Retrieved January 25, 2008, from http://www.scienceclarified.com/A-Al/Alcoholism.html

What Problem?

I can't wait for the Professor forever, so what the hey, might as well keep my education educated and updated. Here I go again, this time starting with more emphasis on my previous Jungian psychology education added to this paper.




Mind/Body Problem








Mind/Body Problem? No Problem.
Maurice S. Keating, Jr.
University of Phoenix
Abstract:
A discourse on the Cartesian mind body problem, comparing recent Western physiopsychology with Eastern Kundalini Yoga perspectives.

Mind/Body Problem? No Problem.
I, [insert name here], being of sound mind and body, do hereby bequeath all my…. Such are the words of a Last Will and Testament made by many American’s in today’s society, indicating the Cartesian duality of mind (mental faculties), and physical body. That both mind and body must be without impairment for the document to be valid, indicates acknowledgement of interactionist thought, that either one can affect the other’s state of being (Goodwin, 2005, p. 29). Certainly the body houses the mind, as thought procesess develop along with the body and generally they cease together, except in such cases of comatose, but what is consciousness and where in the body exists conscious awareness, since awareness comes in from all the body’s senses? If Cartesian dichotomy is more then just theory, does consciousness exist beyond the body’s awarenss, in opposite case senarios of coma’s? The purpose of this paper to briefly examine what is consciousness, where does mind exist in relation to the body and to explore the idea of thte psyche’s transendance above and beyond the body’s physicality and influence.
Everyone knows what thinking is, what it does, and that thinking is a function of the mind, because after all everyone is born with a brain! Everyone knows that is, except the philosophers and psychologists who consider the very origins of thought, of how thinking occurs. Atomists, relativists, rationalists, existentionalists, religionists and all others have a seemingly valid point of view that carries certain weight when one is given specific examples of reference, but all of these perspectives seem incomplete and at odds with one another, dissociated to ordianry lay people not well versed in such studies. Perhaps this occurs due to the very dichotomy of Western thought expressed by the mind versus body duality of Descarte’s Cartesian model previously mentioned. With that in mind, let us direct our attention Eastward to Indian Buddism and Hinduism, where mind and body are thought of as a whole, not in opposition to each other, but part of a totality complimenting each individual.
Kundalini yoga gives mind, consciousness, or awareness, seven specific locations withing the human body called; chakra’s, that correspond physiologically to the brain and six major ganglia along the spinal column of the central nervous system. “The chakras are great force centers or nerve ganglia in the physical body, the astral body and the body of the soul” (Hinduism Today, 1994). The seven chakra’s of the ganglia and brain are connected by nerves to various organs throughout the body, and awareness, or psychic energy, is focused sequentially from the lower chakra at birth and is elevated through physical and mental development during the course of one’s life. This development of the individual personality directed towards wholeness is discussed in Carl G. Jung’s book; The Psychology of Kundalini Yoga (1996). This work of Jung’s lead to his subsequent theory of The Process of Individuation, as expostulated in; The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious, vol. 9 part 1 of The Collected Works of C. G. Jung (1959). The devotion of a Yogi’s life to meditation and contemplation leading to completeness of awareness and the individuation of a Western person through dream analysis of unconscious contents leading to wholeness, are two paths to the same goal. Differences in the two paths are the Yogi’s conscious awareness of the process and attendant physical training such as unites mind and body to a degree that enables a fakir to lay on a bed of nails, hold one’s breath underwater for extended periods, and other such astounding feats of bodily contortion that are well known.
The goal of meditation and individuation is not merely increased self awareness, but unity and a oneness within and without; reaching as Jung states: “the ajna center, the state of complete consciousness, not only self consciousness. That would be an exceedingly extended consciousness which includes everything – energy itself – a consciousness which knows not only ‘That is Thou’ but more then that – that every tree, every stone, every breath of air, every rat’s tail – all that is yourself; there is nothing that is not yourself” (Jung, 1996, p. 59). A state of synchronicity, as Jung later developed this idea of ajna into, is achieved, whereby the student becomes one with the University and the Universe!
References:
CHAKRAS. (1994, April). Hinduism Today, 16(4), 14. Retrieved February 18, 2008, from Alt-Press Watch (APW) database. (Document ID: 611055281).

Goodwin, C. G. (2005). A History of Modern Psychology. New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Jung, C. G. (1959). The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious. (The Collected Works of C. G. Jung, Vol. 9, part 1). New York: Bollingen Foundation, Inc.

Jung, C. G. (1996). The Psychology of Kundalini Yoga. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Motivated to succeed paper.

What the heck, I'm in a posting mood and since the prof can procrastinate but I can't, here I go to post an ungraded paper, but I'm sure I got an A on it.

Motivated to Succeed

Motivated To Succeed: The drive to work.
Maurice S. Keating, Jr.
University of Phoenix
Motivated to Succeed: The drive to work.
The primary motivator of work is aptly stated by the Apostle Paul in such simple words as: “If any one will not work, let him not eat.” 2Th 3:10b, RSV (2008). As outlined by Kowalski and Weston, the basic physiological and safety needs described by Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs; food, shelter, clothing and such, are the necessities of life and the foundation of all desire to earn a living with a job (Kowalski and Weston, 2005, p.326). But what type of gainful employment might one pick in today’s modern society with it’s multitude of opportunities that have little or no bearing on actual production of food? The necessity of work aside, the motivation to do more then just any old job carries with it the desire to perform tasks that offer fulfillment and personal enrichment that one finds rewarding in other ways then just monetary gain. Also to be considered is the availability of employment and the ability of the individual to perform the job at hand among many other factors. Given that let us examine such recent phenomena as the many opportunities made available by the Internet to work at home that eliminate the actual commute to work, while offering those person’s with the drive to succeed, the means by which they can find fulfillment. The application reads: Type of employment preferred; and among the list is one particularly relevant to those with a desire to succeed not just for profit, but personal enrichment and further advancement and career development. Check mark the box labeled; student!

While being a student, specifically an online student might not seem like a job to many, there student is as an employment selection on the U.S. Census questionnaire, all financial credit applications, and even on many surveys and contest entry forms. Unlike the overwhelming majority of internet opportunities one might find online or delivered to one’s email inbox that advertise working at home-no experience necessary, training provided-online colleges require a high school diploma or G.E.D., and in some cases, previous college attendance. Of course, a computer with internet access and some prior knowledge of its use and certain other programs is also required. While paying for an online education may also require additional outside employment, financial aid in the form of grants, scholarships and loans provide the pay in this career. Even one’s outside employment may offer tuition reimbursement as an incentive bonus, sometimes for work related studies, but always dependent on maintaining satisfactory grades.

The motivation to succeed; in starting a career, advancing one’s present career or changing career’s entirely, is the driving force in selecting this initiatory job education path. Six key issues should be considered before choosing an Online University, as suggested in the article; Six Steps To Success: How To Choose The Best Online University. 1. Flexibility of either an individual’s time schedule or the programs. 2. Costs, both stated tuition and hidden costs of texts and lab fees. 3. Results of a program leading to both graduation and employment. 4. Credit Transfers from previous colleges. 5. Quality of curriculum and instruction. 6. Faculty Credentials and Accreditation of the University (1996-2008). A potential student has to have an idea of an area of study of interest, goals established, and be self disciplined and self motivated, to accomplish the task of completing a major course of study and earn a degree. Constance Spampinato outlines seven principles of good practice in undergraduate education as delineated by Chickering and Gamson as follows: 1. Encourages Student-Faculty Contact. 2. Encourages Cooperation Among Students. 3. Encourages Active Learning. 4. Gives Prompt Feedback. 5. Emphasizes Time on Task. 6. Communicates High Expectations. 7. Respects Diverse Talents and Ways of Learning (Constance Spampinato, 2005, pp. 18-21). Online education therefore, is a two way street and is available to those willing to rise to the occasion.

That the home environment is the work (study), environment, thought must be given to time and space being allotted for duties without distractions. Can’t call in sick, the computer is right there in the home. There is no excuse available for being late as there isn’t any commute to a campus. Yet the very fact that the computer is the campus and the campus is in the home can be a cause that would plague anyone with the tendency to procrastinate. A ringing telephone, baby crying, mail arriving, knock at the door, even just the thought that the computer is always there and available to be turned on any old time, can lead to delays and distractions. Overcome the difficulties and obstacles and find that opportunity is knocking at the door.

References:
Cool Savings. (1996-2008). Six Steps To Success: How To Choose The Best Online University. Retrieved February 3, 2008, from http://www.coolsavings.com/ChooseTheBestOnlineUniversity.aspx?SessionID=59e8517a-1a88-47a6-a74f-a3b24307aa9f-2
Holy Bible. (2008). 2nd Thessalonians 3:10b. Retrieved February 3, 2008, from http://www.biblelookup.com/cgi-bin/pbible.pl?maxhits=10&mode=context&subp=Get+passage&passagestring=2Th+3%3A10&subp1=Get+passage&version=rsv
Kowalski, R., and Westen, D. (2005). Psychology. New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Spampinato, Constance M. (2005) Students' perceptions concerning the effect of personal attributes and course attributes in classroom, online, and telecourse success. Ed.D. dissertation, Wilmington College (Delaware), United States -- Delaware. Retrieved February 4, 2008, from ProQuest Digital Dissertations database. (Publication No. AAT 3164148).

Powerpoint presentation for class not included

Well I got sort of sidetracked and distracted with med's making my final week of last class almost impossible for me to finish. I managed to hang in there just long enough to do my part with this Team paper that we got 100% on and a powerpoint slide presentation that I can't figure out how to post on here, so I'm out of luck in showing it off. This A+ paper saved my grade, giving me an A- in the class instead of a B+ so once again it is teamwork that makes the grade. I did a lot for a guy that was druggied out most of the week of class. The intro and conclusion I did the rough drafts for, with Karen helping with their editing needs. the fourth paragraph belongs to Dan and I collaborating on writing. Too bad no PPpresentation to show, Michelle and Jeff did most of it and it is fantastic! Already into my third week of my third class and I've done two papers that our Prof hasn't graded yet, seems he's busy in Court, maybe some sort of professional capacity as a psychologist. I can post when I get the papers back.




A Day in the Life of an Average Joe
Karen Blye
Michelle Eklund-Rentfrow
M. Sonny Keating Jr.
Dan Pimm
Jeff Pippin
University of Phoenix



A Day in the Life of an Average Joe

Introduction

Consider that much goes on unnoticed in one’s thoughts during the course of a busy day. A daily routine lends itself to established habits that no one gives a second thought to before, during, or after the course of an ordinary day. Many subtle changes can occur in one’s daily routine and social situations through a period of 24 hours that seemingly little thought or notice is given to the different masks worn that show one’s best or worst face in any given situation, until built up frustrations lead to stress and impaired thinking. Day in and day out, from hour to hour, an average person displays many facets of ones individual personality that inwardly seem the same to themselves, but to an outsider, one can be a completely different person in one situation compared to another. Let us view the examples of a fictitious character named Joe, a middle class male American, to examine the differences in personality in different social situations throughout his day.
Morning
At 5:50 AM Joe’s alarm rings, waking Joe up from a deep sleep. Instead of rising and shining to tackle his day with enthusiasm, Joe despairingly hits the snooze button, regretting having to face another dreary day full of repetitive responsibilities that he has learned to resent. Joe has lost his self esteem and is unable to give himself the self discipline and consistency he needs to begin his days with a positive frame of mind. When Joe competes with his wife for use of the bathroom every morning, he becomes agitated and blames her for his running late, the ensuing arguments bringing marital discord that marks the start of their day. Unchecked, this attitude breeds contempt and resentment, their behavior towards one another unknowingly becoming the norm. As stated by Kowalski and Western (2005) “not everyone is able to hold on to idealized perceptions of their partner or to put a positive spin on repetitive, annoying behaviors” (Chapter 8, p. 49). When Joe helps his daughters get ready for school, his attitude changes to playful persuasion to inspire them to cooperate instead of arguing. Joe masks lingering frustration and resentment from his children about his morning arguments with mommy to spare their feelings. Stepping outside to leave for work, Joe runs into his overly sociable neighbor who likes to talk. Joe exchanges pleasantries for the sake of being neighborly, masking impatience by looking at his watch, conforming to social expectations for the sake of keeping up appearances.
Midday
By mid-morning Joe is engrossed in work, focused so intently on his computer screen that he is oblivious to coworker’s calling him to come join in for a coffee break. The frustrations of his hurried morning and subsequent commute distract him from doing quality work. Joe feeling the overwhelming stress of the morning needs a minute to refresh and relax and agrees to go with his coworkers for coffee. The lively energy Joe shares with his coworkers while engaging in sarcastic ‘shop’ talk revives him. After the much needed Coffee break is over Joe’s boss unexpectedly announces an early deadline for his proposal to be completed by 2:00 for an afternoon meeting, turning Joe’s enthusiasm to irritation with the new, seemingly unrealistic deadline, leaving him thinking; “great, another stress I did not need today.” Joe is experiencing; “Job stress which is defined as the harmful physical and emotional responses that occurs when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker” (Koesten, 2005, 2). Working in a furious frenzy Joe manages to finish the proposal on time with the help of his team. Appreciating his coworkers and the support they offer Joe experiences social facilitation finding the presence of his team a positive stimulus and performing better (Changingminds.org, 2007). Relaxed and relieved, Joe begins to anticipate having a drink after work, causing Joe to feel even more impatient for the day to end.
Evening
Precisely at 5:00, Joe logs off of his computer, turns out his office light and heads out to greet the evening. Reaching the door, Joe’s boss asks him to replace an absent colleague in a business meeting to close a deal with one of the company’s valued clients. His mind set on a different sort of meeting with coworkers for happy hour drinks, Joe reluctantly agrees, thinking he may be able to combine business with pleasure to include dinner and drinks. In state of denial about his drinking he doesn’t think he has a drinking problem in order to give it any thought at all. As stated by Mark Griffiths (2007) in Round table discussions: “Whatever you are addicted to, if you have it at hand, you do not necessarily think about it all the time” (¶ 9). Joe goes over the proposal and gets his client on the cell phone to ask a few questions. Joe is surprised to discover that his client is a woman when she answers the phone. Immediately Joe shifts from his original plan of a local sports bar, to a fine dinning restaurant nearby and suggests comparing notes and going over the proposal over dinner. Not a mean spirited sexist, Joe just considers a dining setting would be more appropriate for his client. Chivalry and sexism as related attitudes is discussed by Viki, Abrams, and Hutchison (2003) stating “…hostile sexism may coexist with subjectively positive sexist attitudes toward women, that is, benevolent sexism” (¶ 1). During dinner, Joe realizes that his client has more business savvy then anticipated and drinks have slightly impaired his negotiating skills. In his rush to leave work and swept up by the occasion, Joe remembers that he had not called his wife about coming home late. Driving home after his business meeting, Joe feels a little guilty about his neglectful behavior towards his wife and her feelings. So he stops to buy her some flowers and a nice bottle of wine, adopting an altruistic behavior that blends selfish and unselfish motives at the same time.
Conclusion: Diagnosis of daily life.
Not all that bad of a day for our Joe, just sort of an average one for the average person. The idea being that because habits, once formed, become unconscious, leading to unthinkable behaviors and changes in attitudes, things that people do everyday. Mental compartmentalization of day to day activities and differing responsibilities lead to disassociate personality structures. What Joe says to his wife about his boss and work is not what he tells his coworkers, and certainly not what he tells his boss! Such broad personality changes border on borderline personality and or multiple personality disorder. Not that morning arguments with the wife make anyone borderline, anymore then being two-faced with attitudes about one’s job and bosses make for multiple personality, the behaviors are miniature representations of the psychoses’. Does Joe's behavior reflect increasing abnormal processes, or is it as Joe thinks of himself, that he is just an everyman caught up in the stress of daily life in the modern world? Wife, work and the world will not change for Joe, so it becomes necessary for someone like Joe to consider changing one’s thoughts and attitudes that are evidenced in personal behaviors. Therapy helps in having an outside observer draw attention to behaviors and the attendant thought processes that cause them, before habits become rigid structures that cannot easily be broken. Cognitive-behavioral counseling might be the most effective for someone in Joe’s situation where his concerns of attitude towards his marital partner, career, and alcohol use can all be addressed by a non-judgmental professional.




References:

Changingminds.org. (2007). Social Facilitation. Retrieved February 10, 2008,
from http://www.changingminds.org/explanations/theories/social_facilitation.htm
Koesten, Joy. (2005). Reducing Stress and Burnout for Financial Planners. Journal of
Financial Planning, 18 (10), 64-74 . Retrieved
February 10, 2008, from EBSCOhost database.
Kowalski, Robin M., and Westen, Drew. (2005). Psychology, 4th edition. [University of
Phoenix Custom Edition e-Text]. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons,
Inc.. Retrieved February 10 , 2008, from University of Phoenix,
rEsource, PSY300 Web site.
Round table: when is an addict not an addict?(Discussion). (May 21, 2007). New Statesman (1996), 136, 4845. p.S6(10). Retrieved February 10, 2008, from General OneFile via Gale:http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS
Viki, G. T., Abrams, D., and Hutchison, P. (Nov 2003). The 'true' romantic: benevolent sexism and paternalistic chivalry. Sex Roles: A Journal of Research, 49, 9-10. p.533(5). Retrieved February 11, 2008, from General OneFile via Gale:http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS