Problem-solving~ Edward de Bono Style (4)

You do not have to have lived a long time to benefit from the experience of those who have.

Edward de Bono (1996)

Psychology Quote for the Day

my analyst doesn’t understand me…

- Mel Calmen, Dr Calman’s dictionary of Psychoanalysis, 1979

Problem-solving~ de Bono Style (3)

You cannot walk along two raods at the same time and you cannot steer a ship in two different directions at the same time.

 Edward de Bono (1996)

Psychology Quote for the Day

there was a young person from chillago

who travelled around incognito

the reason they did

was to bolster their id

while appeasing their savage libido

- Anonymous

Exploring Psychology with Plato

Reading the original texts that are highlighted in psychology textbooks aids the student in understanding what was actually being said. Remember, textbooks, journal articles and reviews etc. are another person’s interpretation of a text. Be a good scientist and have a read of the primary sources :-) 

Exploring psychology is a subject that aims to provide students with the roots to psychology as a discipline. Like the great man said, “If you don’t know where you come from, you don’t know where you are going”. This post hopes to aid students in their exam prep.

Plato (427-347 BC) was a Greek philosopher who strongly rejected the concept of the mind being a separate entity to the body. He felt that ideas were innate and also put forth the idea that mental processes arose in the brain of a person. Plato avidly taught, theorized and shared his understanding of the meaning of life and human purpose; he even opened an Academy in 367 BC.

 

He established a form of thought that is now referred to as “Moral Psychology”. He stated that rationality requires that a person put their own interests first, except in circumstances when society or groups are all expected to put their own interests aside. Hence it is rational to accept moral behavior as an expectation of oneself when others are expected to act morally as well.

Plato was influenced by Heraclitus of Ephesus (late 6^th century BC) who advocated that the universe was always changing (Heraclitus represented this concept of change using the symbol of Fire). Another great influence for Plato was his teacher Socrates, evident in his main characters in his texts being named after his teacher.  

The writings of Plato contain many of the foundations of psychological concepts that are used today For example, his text Meno, Plato writes about how to define “virtue” and then discusses where people’s belief systems come from and where knowledge arises from. His main character (Socrates) states that all knowledge can be found within each person, and that psyche is immortal in essence.

Another of his famous texts is Republic which focuses on Utopia or the ideal State for a society. In this text Plato draws analogies about Utopia to the human psyche. For example, the psyche has as having multiple dimensions, which according to Plato included; intellectual, courageous and appetitive. In the same way a society (in his time) has philosophers, soldiers and workers. Continuing with the analogy, just as a person need to be ruled by their intellect and not their emotions, so too did a State need to be ruled by wise leaders and not emotional soldiers or greedy workers.

 Here is a video link to an interpretation of Plato’s analogy of “The Cave”…do you agree with the analogy given here…?

 

 

Further Reading:

Plato’s Moral Psychology

Classics in the History of Psychology

Plato on the Attribution of Conative Attitudes 

 

Psychology Quote for the Day

Psychologist (to Client): You’r Lucky Ms. W. - most shoplifters aren’t rich enough to be kleptomaniacs.

- Hector Breeze, Private Eye 

Problem-solving~ de Bono Style (2)

By making it very easy and attractive for the person at A to get to C you make it impossible to get to B.

Edward de Bono (1996)

Problem-solving ~ de Bono Style (1)

A generalization is a sort of averaging out and is only partly true in each case.

Edward de Bono (1996)

Preparing for an Essay Exam

Freak! How will I remember all the details from the readings? How do I even go about preparing for an essay exam?

These are common comments I hear from students, so I have put together a list of hints that got me through my degree. Hope they help you too:

N.B. It is pointless to try and memorise everything. Examiners do NOT want a regurgitation of what has been written and said by others. They want your interpretation and evidence of your understanding of concepts, theories, models, methods and analysis.

1. Collect your readings set in lectures and tutes and sort them into the order you received them in class.  Week 1 readings are first, then Week 2, then Week 3 etc…

Lectures are usually created to build-on previous lectures. By putting your readings in order your knowledge will build on previous understandings, and so the subject as a whole will make more sense to you.

Trust me

2. Use a Word document to create a study matrix (I use a table table of rows and columns) which you will use to write up your notes. A study matrix is a concise and effective way to summarise texts.

Across the top columns write titles such as:

Author and date.

Psychological approach/School of thought (e.g., psychoanalytic, cognitive, social modeling).

Research question/Aim of the report.

Method; sample; analysis; findings; strengths and weaknesses etc…

Keep your notes BRIEF. Remember that psychological research into memory enhancement supports the “chunking” of information. I try to keep to a maximum of 3 dot points of 3 words each for each cell in my matrix. Sometimes there are more, but 3 is my general rule.

Try using pictures and other visual cues as well; mnemonics are a great way to enhance memory, especially as humans are visual creatures. This technique may take a little longer but it makes your notes yours.

Similar Schools of thought or methods etc can be grouped by colour to aid memory.

4. Read one Row during each of your daily “idle times“. These are times in your day when you are doing nothing much, just idling (e.g., waiting for the kids to come to the car after school, waiting for a kettle to boil, waiting for a bus, etc …).

The study matrix will make it easy to compare and contrast readings.

It provides a timeline of developments in theories, models and research and analysis methods.

The process of studying from the matrix aids you in seeing the relationships between research questions, methods and analysis.

5. Write yourself a glossary of new terms. “Naming the names” and “talking the talk” will show that you understand when to use a term or concept in context. I write my glossary up as flashcards, a definition on one side and the term/concept/phrase on the other. Sometimes I put them on a key ring, so that I can have them on hand for those “idle times”.

Like any language, once you understand some of the general words/phrases you are able to communicate and understand more.

6. Twice a week write an essay from the notes of your matrix (but don’t peek at your notes :-).

Think of it as a story, with your different readings and their aims or research questions as characters in an adventure (to find Truth!).

JUST WRITE!!!

Don’t judge what you are writing or fret about dates and spelling. Let yourself flow onto the page. Let yourself be surprised by what you DO know already

When you have finished writing you can critique your efforts to identify gaps in knowledge, misunderstandings or confusions. Highlight those areas on your study matrix and focus on learning these- they are the areas you do not know yet.

7. In the exam use your pre-reading time to jot out a sketch of your matrix. Again, don’t fret if details are forgotten, once you start writing you will notice that parts of information remind you of other information stored in your memory.

Ok, so who has used these techniques and found them not useful at all? Or which ones do you find work best? Do you have others to add?

Write well~

Psychology Quote for the Day

the object of psychology is to give us a totally different idea of the things we know best.

- Paul Valery (1943), Tal Quel