AGUS

Empirically Based Evidence

2015-01-26T15:53:00.002-08:00

Psychological profiling is a subject in Forensic Psychology that has always interested me. In fact, this is why I am pursuing this career field. Psychological profiling encompasses many categories but for the purpose of this discussion I will refer to psychological profiling as gathering data on an individual, for instance by tests and interviews. Tests such as MMPI-2 ( Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2), is an empirically based assessment for adults and it is part of the individual’s psychological profile. Psychological profiling is used to predict dangerousness in individuals called risk assessment. This assessment comprehends various types of evaluation procedures, interviews, and observations. Risk assessments provide a statistical statement about the chances of violent behavior happening again. However, these results are never certain and only provide a statistical probability of occurrence. Additionally, research has steadily shown that common sense is not a reliable standard to what matters in these assessments ( Bartol, 2011). In fact, statistical models that rely on quantifiable, valid risk factors, are greater than clinical judgment or professional opinion. Furthermore, opinions that rely on intuition and other nonscientific methods, jeopardize the offender profiling in terms of court proceedings.

In light of expert testimony, clinical psychologists and other experts within this field have to present reliable, legally sufficient, and relevant evidence, to the case in hand (Bartol, 2011). The Fyrer standard was replace with the Daubert standard because the first one was considered to be too strict, only accepting “general acceptance” evidence. Approximately 30 states use the Daubert standard for the admission of scientific evidence and it has been an invitation to carefully examine an array of psychological tests used by psychologists in their assessments.

An instance where the admissibility of expert testimony might be affected, is a testimony based solely on personal opinion. A forensic psychologist testifies in court that the offender is a danger to society and that violent behavior will occur without personally assessing the individual, this is inadmissible evidence. The psychologist must personally evaluate the offender with empirically based assessment tools to be admissible and relevant in court.

References

Bartol, Curt. Introduction to Forensic Psychology: Research and Application, 3rd Edition. SAGE Publications, Inc, 03/2011.

Application of Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology

2014-12-18T17:42:00.000-08:00

Often times, forensic psychologists come up as an expert witness in a court case. I foresee two conflicts within this role: level of expertise and reliability and the way they obtain and provide evidence to the court. The forensic psychologist has to abide by specific rules in order to testify as an expert, particularly that the expert is a specialist in the area and recognized as well. In this case, guideline of Competence in the Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology applies to this dilemma. Within the Competence guideline, there are three sub guidelines that most accurately apply:

2.01 Scope of Competence

When the forensic psychologist is determining one’s competence to provide services in the a certain case, they should consider several factors: the complexity of the service, relevant training and expertise, the preparation they are going to be able to devote to the case, and chance for consultation with another expert in the field (APA, 2014). This guideline one possible solution to the level of expertise and validity dilemma.

2.03 Representing Competencies

Forensic practitioners satisfactorily inform attorneys, courts and client about pertinent aspects of their experience, training, certificates, and qualifications and how they were achieved (APA, 2014). Experts should prove to all recipients that they are qualified to give a reliable testimony.

2.05 Knowledge of the Scientific Foundation for Opinions and Testimony

Forensic psychologists strive to provide views and testimony that are based on suitable scientific groundwork, and dependable and valid principles and methods that have been applied properly to the facts of the case (APA, 2014). This guideline address the importance of grounding opinions on reliable data. The expert should always use reliable and valid research to provide an unbiased testimony. Personal opinions should not be sufficient to base a judgment on a client.

The forensic psychologist is also required to follow the Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology in terms of the ethics of providing evidence that was gained by speaking to the offender inside a court setting. In this case, guideline of Professional and other public communications in the Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology applies to this dilemma. Within this guideline, there is one sub guideline that most accurately apply:

11.01 Accuracy, Fairness, and Avoidance of Deception

Forensic psychologists attempt to ensure their professional statements and testimony, are expressed in ways that promote understanding and evade deception. When delivering reports and other sworn statements or testimony in any form, forensic practitioners make every effort to present their conclusions, evidence and opinions, in a unbiased manner. Forensic practitioners do not, by either commission or omission, participate in distortion of their evidence, nor do they participate in biased attempts to avoid, deny or undermine the presentation of evidence dissimilar to their own position (APA, 2014).

In addition, the Informed consent, notification and assent sub guideline applies to the acquiring of evidence:

6.03 Communication with Forensic Examinees

Forensic psychologists are encouraged to inform the client about the purpose of the examination. The client should also understand who will have access to the testimony, limitations of confidentiality and potential consequences of participation or non-participation (APA, 2014). The expert should explain the client that any testimony pertaining to the law, will have to be disclosed to the authorities. In others words, the expert should obtain information from the client in a fair manner in terms of trying not to trick the client into releasing information before he or she understand the process.

References

APA Online: Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology (2014). Retrieved from: http://www.apa.org/practice/guidelines/forensic-psychology.aspx

Children as Witnesses

2013-12-09T13:28:00.004-08:00

I believe children can be reliable witnesses if the right professional is conducting the interviews, especially the initial one. Child sexual abuse is the most controversial crime because it affects the most innocent and weakest members of society. As a mother I cannot stand crimes against children and every time I see child abuse cases, I automatically see my children’ faces. With this in mind I believe when officers involve in sexual abuse cases against children, feel the same way I do, and desperately try to find the guilty person. Officers interviewing the young victims, have no doubt like I did before children would never lie about such crime. After all, how can a 4 year-old have such detailed ideas about sexual attitudes and actions? . However, the readings for the week proved me somewhat wrong, demonstrating children are not better witnesses as adults. According to Costanzo & Krauss (2012), because the ability to encode, store, and retrieve information is not fully developed in young children, the problems surrounding memory are significantly amplified when a witness to a victim is a child” (p. 236).

I believe children can describe most accurately a sexual abuse situation if the professional knows how ask questions without inducing stress in the child. According to Goodman (2005), “accuracy of children's testimony heavily depends on how they are interviewed” (p.1) and questions that give a child the chance to express themselves and tell the story. Psychologists should be the ones interviewing child victims instead of officers because officers are trying to find the guilty person, but the psychologist is trying to find the truth, even if there is no crime or criminal.

Developing a Research Hypothesis

2013-12-09T13:26:00.002-08:00

The topic I chose is bullying at schools because I am particularly impressed on how much young children can feel hate and satisfaction by making another classmate suffer. The article is called “Cohesion and power in the families of children involved in bully/victim problems at school”, encompassing the relationship between children and their families and how this is related to bulling other classmates. The power and cohesion seems to be very helpful on how to describe family systems. In addition, power and cohesion can also predict which children will bully be victims themselves. The study was conducted selecting 20 bullies, 20 bully/victims, and 20 control children, from three middle schools by a system of peer nomination. These students completed the Family System Test (FAST) to gather information on how they perceived their families on the elements of power and cohesion. The study aims to understand why some children become bullies and victims and others do not. The researchers seem to believe the family structure and negative relationship with the parents, have a great influence on negative behavior toward others. According to Bowers1992), “(Olweus (1980) has also argued that the emotional attitude of parents is an important factor in determining how the child’s peer relations develop at school. He found that a negative emotional attitude by the primary caregiver, together with permissiveness of aggression and use of power-assertive methods of discipline, increased the chance that a child will later become aggressive towards others”.

The research was descriptive, because the selected students were interviewed about other classmates and had to complete the FAST assessment. The research was also correlational because it was testing for statistical relationships between the variables suing the Pythagoras’ Theorem.

My hypothesis predicts negative family structure will engender a bully child. The independent variable is negative family structure because it can change the dependent variable, which is the child. I strongly believe parents have a great influence on their children and can teach them positive social skills. Parents who teach empathy for others and tolerance can have a different impact on their children. Also, a positive family structure influences children to have a high-self-esteem, which makes it less possible to be victims of bully.

References

Bowers, Louise,Smith, Peter K.,Binney, Valerie.” Cohesion and power in the families of children involved in bully/victim problems at school”. Journal of Family Therapy VL - 14 IS - 4. Blackwell Publishing. http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j..1992.00467.x. Retrieved from Walden University.

Methodology

2013-12-09T13:25:00.002-08:00

This essay will evaluate the "The Role of Culture in the Representation of Conflict in Dreams: A Comparison of Bedouin, Irish, and Israeli Children”, from the methodology point of view. In addition, the sample selection will be evaluated, whether or not there was bias and what could have been done to prevent this. Data collection process and interpretation of results will also be analyzed to offer suggestions on how to improve the research.

· Name the independent and dependent variables in the study described in "The Role of Culture in the Representation of Conflict in Dreams: A Comparison of Bedouin, Irish, and Israeli Children"

The independent variable in this study are the Bedouin, Irish, and Israeli Children because, “Ethnicity, nationality, or other cultural identification of the members of studied groups will typically represent the independent variable.” (Shiraev & Levy, 2010, p.38).

The dependent variable is the conflict in dreams because “the aspect of human activity that is studied and expected to change under influence of the independent variable is called the dependent variable.” (Shiraev & Levy, 2010, p.38).

· Evaluate the sample selection, and include your thoughts on whether or not there was a bias in the sample selection. If so, explain what might have been done to prevent the bias.

The sample selection was systematic because the psychologists chose children from three cultures, Irish, Israeli, and Bedouin. The participants were 26 Bedouin children from seminomadic tribe, 24 Israeli children from a large rural area, and 27 Irish children from an isolated fishing village. The first problem I encountered with the study is the number of subjects who participated, a small representative number of each culture. Shiraev & Levy state “the smaller the sample, the greater the sampling error, and the greater the result of chance factors." (p.34). Another bias I believe I found is that the children were students, a fact that does not make these children representative sample of their culture. Bedouin children constantly move and some of them might not attend school; the Israeli children who participated in this research, are from a large rural area, making them different from other Israeli children living in other areas; the Irish children lived in an isolated village away from any war conflicts. To prevent any bias, I would use random sampling and a larger sample, to lower the sampling error.

· Evaluate the data collection process and consider any potential problems with how the reports about the dreams were collected. Explain how the data collection process could be improved.

The children were given a copybook to record their dreams on their awakening and were interviewed for 7 successive days. If necessary, the children were asked details about their dreams. Dreams reports were tape-recorded and later translated. Some potential problems I see with how the reports were collected are the interpreter who interviewed the children, whether the children recorded their dreams every day, and what level of education they had to be able to express what they had dreamed. In order to understand the Bedouin and Israeli children, not only a knowledge of the language is necessary, but their culture as well. If the interpreter was from their respective cultures, how much knowledge of English they had to be able to translate exactly what the children reported of their dreams?. Another question I have is whether the children easily expressed what they wanted to say about their dreams; I wonder if the Bedouin children had as much schooling completed as the Israeli and Irish, since they moved quite often. The research does not mention the interpreter for the Bedouin and Israeli children, was from the same culture or a person with knowledge of the respective language. According to Shiraev & Levy ( 2010), “one of the most difficult tasks appears before the investigator: to make sure that the translated version of the method is as close to the original version as possible. However, even a well-translated version of a test is always different from the original one.” (p.40). I would use the naturalistic observation to better understand the events the Bedouin, Israeli, and Irish children; I would observe how their family structures are, how much peer influence they have, if they abused at home and as a result there is greater representation of conflicts.

· Evaluate the interpretation of the results. Explain any problems with how the results were interpreted and offer suggestions to improve the interpretation.

I do not believe a quantitative method to interpret dreams is the best one to use. First of all, there is an uneven number of girls and boys within each culture and I believe boys see the world and react different than the girls. In addition, the psychologists used a rating method for the dreams that were rated by three individuals, who were trained to use the Conflict Rating Schedule. Although these individuals were naïve as to the country of the children, they based they rating on the transcribed material, being the reason I think the results may not be as accurate. An example of disagreement I had with the interpretation of results, is the one that states “in conflictual dreams, other characters appearing in the dream were less likely to be friends or relatives of the dreamer and more likely to be strangers, as compared to dream participants in nonconflictual dreams.” (Levine, 1991). However, the father and the mother were present in the conflictual dream described by a Bedouin child; an Irish child described the conflictual dream but never mentioned whether there were strangers or relatives with him. An Israeli child reported a conflictual dream with strangers and his father as well, mentioning “we were planting”, which could mean he was with people he knew too. One of the results caught my attention is the Social Responsibility rate the Bedouin children got, only an 8%. According to Levine, “in this community, a high value appeared to be place on the welfare of the group as opposed to the individual, as evidenced by the Bedouin’s emphasis on hospitality and the presence of large extended families, which constituted a highly supportive social system.” (Levine, 1991). I would improve the interpretation of results by understanding their culture, making sure I observe everything is not easily noticed at first.

· Select a method that is different from that used in the survey. Explain how you could study the same topic in the reading by conducting a study using the method you chose.

I would study the same topic using qualitative method because I believe human interactions and emotions, cannot be studied using numbers. Before conducting the survey or interview, I would observe the participants in their natural habitat, so they would feel comfortable answering questions to the researchers. Surveys can be misleading because the children might be highly influenced by adults in their community and could be scared to express their dreams in front of other children and adults. Also, I would choose an application-oriented strategy since one research method might not work for certain cultures. In addition to recording the reports of dreams, I would video-record the participants in order to observe non-verbal language when talking to the researcher. Non-verbal language could say more than the child could verbally express about his dreams.

Applying Crisis Intervention Models, Skills, and Strategies

2013-12-09T13:24:00.003-08:00

The essay will analyze the Rodriguez family case study and the ecosystemic crisis they are facing. The basic needs that fist must be addressed for the family are clothing and personal care items and the ongoing needs are housing and income. The CCP and CISM model are the most adequate crisis intervention models to address the Rodriguez ‘s basin and ongoing needs.

The Rodriguez family has lost everything due to a flood that has recently occurred near to their home. The flood destroyed many houses and businesses, including their home. The Rodriguez family is composed of the dad, Michael; the mom, Sarah; and their twin daughters, Cynthia and Mary. The Rodriguez family has not flood insurance and the only source of income is Sarah’s job at restaurant that has also been destroyed in the flood. The immediate crisis is to provide the Rodriguez family with clothing, personal care items, such as deodorant, toothbrush and toothpaste, feminine items if needed, and any prescription drugs a member of the family might need to take regularly. Because the Rodriguez have lost everything, they are currently in a state of immobility and the immediate goal of the crisis worker is to bring the family to a state of mobility. The ongoing needs of the Rodriguez family is to find a place to live and apply for government assistance to support them while they get back on their feet. Also, the parents are in need of a job to continue to pay their bills. The issues which will need to be addressed in order to remove the Rodriguez family form the current crisis are housing and income. The mentioned crisis should be an acute crisis and according to James, Gilliland, and Lloyd James ( 2012), “The onetime crisis is assessed and treated quite differently from the chronic crisis. The one time crisis client usually requires direct intervention to facilitate getting over the specific event or situation that precipitated the crisis” ( p.69).

The CCP model and the CISM model intervention are the most adequate crisis interventions in this case. The CCP model is mostly used for natural disaster response. This model “model assesses strengths, seeks to restore predisasterfunctioning, accepts content at face value, validates commonreactions, and has a psychoeducational focus” (Castellano, C., & Plionis, E., 2006, p.1). The CCP is an adequate model intervention for the Rodriguez family, helping them to obtain the basic needs such us clothing and personal care items. The Rodriguez family will beneficiate form counseling, information on resources available to disaster victims, and community support services. The CISM model intervention will meet the ongoing needs by offering and adaptive, short-term psychological help. The CISM will help the Rodriguez family to deal with the crisis talking one incident at the time. It allows the victims to think about solutions to overcome the recent crisis and there is generally a follow-up after the crisis events.

There are three skills that would assist you in implementing the crisis intervention models. Listening skills are important to understand the client’s concerns. Open ended-questions are efficient to encourage clients to respond with more extensive answers and talk about their feelings. According to James, R. K. & Gilliland, B.E. (2013).” Intervention sessions begin with crisis workers practicing what are called the core listening skills: empathy, genuineness, and acceptance or positive regard” (p. 53). As mentioned before, empathy skills are necessary to a successful crisis intervention. The crisis worker should verbally communicate empathetic understanding, reflect feelings, and silence as a way to express empathic understanding. The Rodriguez family needs to feel the crisis worker truly understand the stressful situation they are going through. The third crisis intervention skill is communication genuineness. The crisis worker should be himself, in other words, being honest. Michael and Sarah Rodriguez would feel comfortable expressing their feelings and concerns to a crisis worker who can understand frustration and hostile expressions. In addition, it is more likely that the crisis worker has gone through a devastating flood or some sort of natural disaster, if he or she is from the area. The clients would find some support if the crisis worker happened to share his or her own experiences about his or her own loss. The listening, empathetic and communication genuineness will give the strength to overcome the crisis and meet their basic and ongoing needs

Crisis Intervention Models

2013-12-09T13:24:00.000-08:00

The two crisis intervention models resonates the most to me are the telephone crisis counseling and the empowerment approach.

Most of the crisis counseling is handled by phone and is the most often used method of suicide intervention. Typically the counselor does not have a degree but the talk can still be effective in dealing with crisis. Not only suicidal people call the crisis intervention lines, but people with panic attacks, who feel lonely, relationship issues, or depressed. The two most important strengths the telephone crisis intervention has: Convenience and client anonymity.

Convenience: everybody has phones, especially cell phones which makes it the fastest way to get help fast and from the conform of your own home. Cell phones are particularly handy because the client can call at the time the event is happening. According to James, R. K. & Gilliland, B.E. (2013), “ with the new smart phones, not only can clients avail themselves of a crisis hotline or their therapist, they can also access a variety of self-help groups in chat rooms, computer-assisted therapy, and psychoeducational materials” (p. 120). For instance, a woman who is about to commit suicide can call at the time of the event to the suicidal line, instead of waiting to make an appointment with a psychologist. The crisis intervention is not a long-term therapy solution but it will discourage her from committing suicide at the time.

Client anonymity: many issues are too embarrassing to discuss in person, especially at the time of the event. The phone gives that personal touch but allows the client to hide from the listener. Anonymity provides more security and encourages the client to talk about his or her issue. For this reason, the crisis worker only obtains the client’s first name to keep the identity private. According to James, R. K. & Gilliland, B.E. (2013),” the ability to hide one’s identity may facilitate greater openness and freedom from inhibition” (p. 120).

Perhaps a limitation with the telephone crisis intervention is that the crisis worker is not able to see the client face to face and look at his or her facial expressions. Another limitation is the amount of callers who call constantly call and tie up the lines because they suffer from a chronic crisis they can’t get over.

The empowerment approach states the empowerment can occur at numerous levels such as intrapersonal, interactional, and behavioral levels. According to Ullman, S. E., & Townsend, S. M. (2008), “ empowerment may be seen as a process by which individuals begin to see a closer correspondence between their goals and a sense of how to achieve them, and a relationship between their efforts and life outcomes” (p. 2). There are two strengths and limitations within the empowerment approach:

Regain control: A main characteristic of the empowerment approach is to help the client gain control. Especially in sexually assault cases, the victim loses control and lose their empowerment.

Social support: encourages victims to work and get involved with other victims. It helps the victim to socialize again with no fear.

However, the meaning of empowerment means more than just awareness of power. Client should understand it is about the exercise rather than the possession of control.

Criminal Attempts

2013-12-09T13:23:00.000-08:00

The essay will explain Juan Manuel Duran Jr.’s case charged with attempted aggravated murder and aggravated sexual abuse of a child, of his girlfriend’s baby. Duran should be found guilty of attempted murder because he repeatedly sexually and physically abused the baby, along with the suffocation attempt with a towel. Attempted aggravated murder is a first-degree felony and is punishable with five years to life in prison, with a fine up to $ 10,000. Punishment for attempted murder should be less than murder because the victim is still alive, and in some cases, the defendant could not be trying to directly kill the victim.

Juan Manuel Duran Jr. was charged with attempted aggravated murder for supposedly abusing his girlfriend’s 6-month-old baby. Along with the attempted aggravated murder charge, Duran was also accused of aggravated of sexual abuse of a child. Duran’s girlfriend called the police on July 12, 2013 to report his boyfriend was trying to suffocate her baby with a towel. The woman also reported to the police that Duran told her in a different occasion that “ he wished the child was dead, and that he should "just throw him out the f---ing window" ( The Salt Lake Tribune, 2013). The baby was taken to the hospital and was determined by the pediatrician, the baby had been abused for weeks, based on the bruises and bite marks in his little body. Duran should be charged of guilty of attempted murder because he clearly tried to murder the baby by putting a towel on his face. According to Lippman ( 2012), “ the intent may make an act, innocent in itself, criminal.. nor is the competition of an act, criminal in itself, necessary to constitute criminality”(p. 117). Duran failed to kill the baby but it does not change the fact he was trying to hurt him to death. The criminal attempt has three elements:

· An intent or purpose to commit a crime: Duran knew putting a towel over the baby’s face would severely hurt him, if not kill him. He purposely and intentionally physically abused the baby.

· An act or acts toward the commission of the crime: Duran abused the 6-month-old for weeks by biting him, hitting him in the head, and trying to suffocate him with a towel.

· A failure to complete the crime: If it wasn’t for the baby’s mother who found her boyfriend trying to suffocate her son with a towel, he could have died at that moment.

In the state of Utah, attempted aggravated murder is a first degree felony, with a possible prison time of five years to life in prison and a fine up to $10,000; murder is punished the same as attempted aggravated murder. I agree punishment for attempted murder should be less because in other cases, the defendant might not be trying to actually kill the victim. In addition, it is worse killing the victim, than having a survival victim; it makes sense to punish the defendant for trying or acting recklessly, which is not the same as killing. However, in Duran’s case, he should be severely punished because he sexually and physically abused this baby. Duran and he should be charged with attempted murder and life in prison. Most likely he will be charged with two first-degree felonies for attempted aggravated murder and aggravated sexual abuse of a child, resulting in a total of almost life in prison.

Law as a living body

2013-12-09T13:21:00.004-08:00

“No person . . . shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.”(The Courts in Our Criminal Justice System, 2003). This is what the Fifth Amendment states about the citizens ‘rights of the United States. However, there is an evident difference between the law on the books and the “law in action”. It is also important to consider how State and Federal courts interpret and apply the law. Taking into account factors such as technology developments, and society changes, the law must adapt to these circumstances.

Law on books is generally referred as written law. These written laws are used by prosecutors, district attorneys, and judges in court. Law on books is created to protect citizens’ rights. In theory, applicable laws should influence a judge’s or a jury’s decision to process a case. Nevertheless, extra-legal factors often influence a final decision. Such factors can be rate of violation, availability of enforcement resources, etc. An example of this phenomenon is the enforcement of mandatory minimum punishments for certain drug offenders. (Decker, 2003). A probable cause to why laws are interpreted and sometimes overlooked by law enforcement officers is the overcrowded jails and prisons. If everybody had to be punished for every single infraction, almost all citizens would be in jail.

Objectivity of law is defined in the words of Benjamin N. Cardozo” There is in each of us a stream of tendency, whether you choose to call it philosophy or not, which gives coherence and direction to thought and action. Judges cannot escape that current any more than other mortals. All their lives, forces which they do not recognize and cannot name, have been tugging at them—inherited instincts, traditional beliefs, acquired convictions; and the resultant is an outlook on life, a conception of social needs..” (The Courts in Our Criminal Justice System, 2003).In other words, judges, as well as jury members, interpret the law while trying to be as objective as possible.

Law as a living body is compared to a living entity because it is constantly changing by the legislative, judicial, or executive branches. Law as a living body also means the following to me: North American lawmakers keeping up with new crimes and change in number population. Cases presenting legal issues in different jurisdictions, or the emergence of new crimes such as cybercrimes, force lawmakers to create new laws.

In addition to the constant changing laws, the United States has one of the most important functions of the criminal justice system: the Due Process of Law. According to the Blackwell Dictionary, “Although the term is not used elsewhere the principle is a familiar feature of most legal systems. Chapter 39 of Magna Carta, 1215, declared that no free man could be imprisoned or suffer deprivation of property except after trial by peers or by the law of the land. Legal judgments later broadened these terms to mean trial by jury and due process of law”. The Due Process can be considered in two forms: procedural due process, which consists in the government following non-prejudicial arrest and trial procedures; in civil matters, Procedural due process, protects citizens from government’s unlawful procedures. Due process intends to give the opportunity to the suspect to be heard and to present objections to the proposed action.

Despite the benefits the due process clause brings to citizens, there are a few drawbacks. The most important among these, is the ability of a suspect confessing guilty, to avoid punishment if he or she can successfully prove that due process is violated. Also, the exclusionary rule serve as a protection from using any evidence found while violating the due process.

Although everybody has a right for a fair trial, the due process rights for immigrants is a controversial issue. In 1996 Congress passed laws that allowed the government to detain or deport or deport noncitizens without trial, and what kind of evidence was used against the individuals. Years later, laws began to change toward constitutional protection for immigrants. “In 1999 the government sought to deport two Palestinians who were illegal immigrants accused of having ties to terrorism. Courts overturned the government's decision because the evidence against the two was not made public. However, the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C., may cause immigration judges to place concern for national security above that of due process protection for noncitizens.” (Macmillian Social Science Library, 2003).

The rights of the accused depend on the U.S. Constitution; furthermore gives everybody living in the United States the basic rights upon life, liberty, and justice. The rights of the accused embrace the belief of innocent until proven guilty, legal representation regardless of economic situation, trial by jury, an opportunity to present evidence, and the right to get witnesses. The positive aspect about these rights is that an ordinary innocent citizen is protected from the government and unfair prosecution. To the contrary, the negative aspect is that depending on evidence, a guilty person can be set free for lack of evidence.

After the September 11^th attacks, the USA Patriot Act was signed by President George Bush on October 26, 2001. With this new law, the government can take any measures to investigate by listening to phone calls, seizure without a warrant, if the individual is believed to be involved in acts of terrorism. With the creation of the USA Patriot Act, the living body of the law has re-shaped again to allow government to protect national security.

Law as a living body is an essential function of the United States; it protects innocent citizens as well as sentencing and punishing the criminals, as it changes itself overtime. Additionally, the due process of law was created to protect citizens ‘life, liberty, and property from the government and the state. Ultimately, the law as a living body allows the government to create or change such laws, putting the country’s security above anything else.

Law as a living body

References

· "Due Process." Current Issues: Macmillian Social Science Library. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2003. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 5 Jan. 2011.

· Decker, J. (2003) "National Security Law in the Post-9-11 World" Denver Journal of International Law and Policy September 22^nd, 2003.

· Due Process of Law (1999). In The Blackwell Dictionary of Political Science. Retrieved from http://www.credoreference.com/entry/bkpolsci/due_process_of_law

· Meyer, J. F., & Grant, D. R. (2003). The Courts in Our Criminal Justice System. Retrieved from Axia College of University of Phoenix.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS USED IN PYSHCOLOGY

2013-12-09T13:21:00.000-08:00

Psychology is a rapidly-growing profession and to be successful in this profession, certain qualities are required such as the following:

Communication Skills: a good psychologist should have excellent and oral communication skills and can efficiently communicate with different groups of people.

Compassion: a good psychologist has to be very compassionate and emphasize with a patient’s issues. The psychologist should make patients feel comfortable.

Emotional stability: the psychologist is able to handle the stress and emotional disorder his or her patients have.

Ethics: This is one of the most important aspects of psychology. A great psychologist has a strong ethic code and keeps patient’s information, confidential. The psychologist also understands his or her job can significantly impact people’s lives. It is noted that psychologists use the word ethics to refer both to the mandatory floor or minimum standards adopted by the profession (i.e., remedial ethics) as well as to voluntary efforts to live out moral ideals (Knapp & VandeeCreek, 2006).

Every aspect of psychology treatment has been impacted by technology. Psychologists take advantage of this “digital revolution”, using phones, text-messaging, instant messenger and Skype. My personal example is about my own psychologist, who has monthly sessions with me through Skype. My psychologist is in Argentina and the online communication with webcam, is the closest to face-to-face sessions.

Despite of the convenient use of technology, psychologists need to address the importance technology can have upon the ethical practice of psychology. A 1997 "American Psychological Association (APA) Statement on Services by Telephone, Teleconferencing, and Internet" by the APA Ethics Committee briefly acknowledges that the APA "...Ethics Code is not specific with regard to telephone therapy, or teleconferencing, or any electronically provided services as such, and has no rules prohibiting such services." Psychologists are told that after reviewing these services, they "...must then consider the relevant ethical standards and other requirements, such as licensure boards." No further guidance has been forthcoming from APA, although in 2002, references to "electronic transmission" were added. (APA, 2002).

I consider myself knowledgeable of new technology. In fact, I do almost everything through my computer and now on my Droid cell phone. Also, communicating with people around the world for free with Skype, brings a great deal of possibilities and freedom for me and my future patients; we do not have to be in the same city or even the same country, to have private sessions.

· Knapp, S. J., & VandeCreek, L. D. (2006). Remedial and Positive Ethics. In S. J. Knapp, L. D. VandeCreek (Eds.) , Practical ethics for psychologists: A positive approach (pp. 3-14). Washington, DC US: American Psychological Association. doi:10.1037/11331-001

· Drude, K. (2005). Ethics and Malpractice. Retrieved from http://kspope.com/ethics/email.php

Decriminalization of drugs

2013-10-13T18:24:00.002-07:00

I always start this discussion with this thought: what is the difference between illegal drugs and prescription drugs? The prescription drugs are prescribed by a doctor but can be as addictive and unhealthy as illegal drugs. Keeping certain drugs illegal make more money than making them legal. Drug dealers make more money selling illegal drugs by charging outrageous prices and tax free. Because these drugs are not very accessible, people will pay the money and do anything to get them. Drug dealers and providers take advantage of the situation and make important amounts of money, along with the people who works for them. If illegal drugs were legal, mafias would not exist because there would be no need to do any business underground. Selling and consuming would be registered and taxes could be applied. The system would know exactly who is selling the drugs and who is buying them. I am positive the highest drug dealers could not afford their lifestyle anymore without charging ridiculous prices and paying taxes out of their products. While I am with decriminalization of drugs, I also believe these drugs should be regulated just as the prescription drugs. In addition, no driving or any other operation activities should be allowed while under the influence of any drugs, just like alcohol. Another positive side would be the number reduction of prisoners due to drug usage and drug dealing. A great number of people are addicted to drugs and sending them to prison for 15 years does not fix the issue. According to Husak D. (2003), “ many of the arguments I have heard for drug prohibitions do a perfectly good job explaining why rational persons might well decide not to use illicit drugs, or why the state may have good reasons to discourage people from using drugs, but I fear they do not provide a justification for punishing drug users” (p. 4).

Illegal drugs and homicides

2013-10-13T18:19:00.001-07:00

I have done some research and not very many murders happen under the influence of illegal drugs. All I could find is that the only cause of death related to drugs is the drug war, not people under the influence of drugs. According to Conroy (2012), " the U.S has imprisoned curretly up to 400,000 people on drug-related charges- the vast mayority of them nonviolent offenders" (p. 1). In fact, prescription drugs have have some serious side effects and cause a change of mental state on the patient. If the person murdered or accidentally killed another person under the influence of drugs, the punishment should be harsher because nobody should be operating a vehicle while under the influence of any substance. The majority of drug users use drugs as a recreational fun, but of course there are some who have an addiction problem like alcohol.

Reference

Conroy, Bill ( 2012). Drug-related homicides in the US average at least 1,100 a year. http://narcosphere.narconews.com/notebook/bill-conroy/2012/03/drug-war-related-homicides-us-average-least-1100-year

Risk Assesement: Acturial or Clinical?

2013-06-26T20:27:00.003-07:00

Pros actuarial: is a structured risk assessment to predict probable violent behavior and other risk behaviors. Forensic evaluator communicates with the tester himself and what factors were based on, and the empirical data supporting them. Any employee can use a risk assessment tool because it is structured and already scored based on the responses. Some risk assessments such as the Hare Psychopathy Checklist, have been used for years to predict psychopathy. According to Hanson, R. K., (2005), “ Robert Hare’s dogged efforts to establish psychopathy as a reliable and valid clinical construct produced the first big success in violence risk prediction” (p. 213).

Cons: Violent risk predictors are not always exact. According to Hanson, R. K., (2005), “ The available research suggests that potentially changeable factors ( e.g., attitudes, lifestyle instability) contribute information to risk potential that is not captured by purely static, historical factors” (p. 214).

Pros clinical: clinical assessments are the base for actuarial assessment. The forensic evaluator is interested in the possibility of violent behavior within the next few days and weeks. The clinical interview conducted by a professional is very detailed assessment which consists in gathering information about the patient’s past, family history, and lifestyle. For instance, children with parents suffering from major depression are most likely to exhibit depression at some point. This information about the patient could prevent further undesirable behavior. According to Zeepedia.com (n.d)“The role of the clinician is crucial for certain types of tasks that cannot be conducted adequately by purely empirical methods, including the generation of hypotheses and the use of theory in formulating questions” (p. 122).

Cons: Unfortunately, extended research has proven clinical assessment cannot predict violent behavior. This could be to the fact that the forensic evaluator can diagnose the patient, at his or her own discretion. In addition, clinical assessments measure psychological issues such as depression, and personality disorders.

Conclusion: I believe both risk assessments complement each other. It is necessary to obtain information from clinical assessment to come up with statistical research. According to E. Drogin, F. Dattilio, R. Sadoff, T. Gutheil ( 2011), “As in the assessment of suicide risk, the evaluator focuses on the clinical aspects of the evaluation-namely, psychopathology- but also must take it into consideration demographic, historical, and environmental factors that may be related to an increased risk for violence or suicide” (p. 336).

Zeepedia.com (n.d). The concept of Psychological Assessment. Retrieved from http://www.zeepedia.com/read.php?the_concept_of_psychological_assessment_in_clinical_psychology_clinical_psychology&b=84&c=15

Translation of Legal Psychological Questions

2013-06-26T20:26:00.002-07:00

What is the status of

the children’s current psychological functioning?

Jesse is a 16-year-old Hispanic boy, who has been accused of aggravated sexual assault against an 11-year-old girl. The important question is why and how a 16-year-old could feel the need to force a girl to inappropriate acts. According to US.LEGAL.COM, aggravated sexual assault, “It is typically defined as a sexual assault that maims, wounds, or disfigures the victim, or involves a victim who is physically or mentally incapacitated” (p.1). Not only he forced the girl to sexual act ,but he hurt her in some psychical and emotional way as well. Could be he is depressed, presents antisocial or psychopath personality traits, or he has been sexually abused himself. In fact, the case explains alleged abuse from a neighbor but charges were never brought against that person. According to the case scenario, “Counselors at Jesse’s school raised questions about a possible mood disorder or depression”.

What is the functional ability of each parent to meet the specific needs of the children?

Jesse is a 16-year-old Hispanic boy, who has been accused of aggravated assault against an 11-year-old girl. His household consists of his mother, older sister, and younger brother. The apartment complex is a low-income housing and his mom seems to work full time. His father is in prison for drug-related charges and has only seen him once. A concerned I had while reading the case scenario, is the lack of interest Jesse’s mom showed, when he told her a neighbor sexually abused him. The father is not present in Jesse’s life and would not be a good influence one he gets out of prison. According to the Legal and psychological processes in assessment (2012), the APA’s “Guidelines for Child Custody Evaluations in Family Law Proceedings”, recommend evaluating parental fitness, the psychological and developmental needs of the children, and the fit between the parent’s competencies and the needs of the child” (p.1).

2013-04-24T17:14:00.001-07:00

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2013-04-24T17:13:00.001-07:00

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Investigate what communication skills are used in this job

2012-12-06T19:31:00.000-08:00

Investigate what communication skills are used in this job

COMM 1000

Psychology is a rapidly-growing profession and to be successful in this profession, certain qualities are required such as the following:

Communication Skills: a good psychologist should have excellent and oral communication skills and can efficiently communicate with different groups of people.

Compassion: a good psychologist has to be very compassionate and emphasize with a patient’s issues. The psychologist should make patients feel comfortable.

Emotional stability: the psychologist is able to handle the stress and emotional disorder his or her patients have.

· Drude, K. (2005). Ethics and Malpractice. Retrieved from http://kspope.com/ethics/email.php

Information Resources in Forensic Psychology

2012-12-06T19:30:00.005-08:00

Some good books in Forensic Psychology

Theoretical Approaches to Social Psychology

2012-12-06T19:13:00.001-08:00

I chose to analyze the case example of a high school or college campus shooting because these situations, seem to be happening very often. Since there are no more explanations about the example scene, I am going to assume the guy who executed the shooting was an antisocial and lonely person. In order to understand why this guy started a shooting, I will use the cognitive and sociocultural theories.

According to Taylor, Peplau, and Sears (2006), “the cognitive approach emphasizes that a person’s behavior depends on the way he or she perceives the social situation” (p.8). Also behavior also is shaped by the social environment the individual perceives. The cognitive theory believes people classifies people and objects in categories and emphasizes on current perceptions, rather than past perceptions. With that being said, it could be the guy responsible for the college shooting perceived and categorized people as cruel or fake. He might have had a few unpleasant experiences with some of his classmates. But because he was most likely bullied or ignore, he perceived the entire college community as bullies.

Sociocultural theory emphasizes the impact culture and socialization have on an individual. According to Taylor, Peplau, and Sears (2006), “the sociocultural perspective is useful in understanding behavior within a particular social or cultural context” (p. 11). Perhaps this guy who feels bullied by his classmates comes from a collectivist culture and does not quite understand how individualism culture works. He might perceive people ignores him because everybody is concentrated in their own goals and individual needs. In contrast, collectivist cultures value its members who fit at ease with the group. Because the guy who started the shooting did not feel a sense for belonging within his college community, he decided to show everybody how frustrated he was.

COMMUNICATION AND IDENTITY

2012-12-02T16:18:00.000-08:00

Communication and Identity

COMM 1001

Communication and Identity

Communication with others is the main key for self- identity development.
Our self-concept and identity progresses as we interact with others. We see ourselves based on how we think other see us.

Our self- identity develops through interaction with others. This stage begins with the development of self-awareness, the ability to understand our existence and the knowledge that we are an independent individual. According to scholars, the “looking glass self” theory, explains “our self- concept is reflected back to us though our interactions with others and the broader society in which we live (Mead 1934; Cooley 1964).

The self is also influenced by the “self-fulfilling prophecy’, the tendency to live up to the expectations created by us” (Dobkin & Pace, 2006). Self- fulfilling prophecies are a very powerful way to influence an individual’s self-concept because they can have a positive or a negative impact on the person.

My score for SPCC test was an average of 90. The lowest scores where the large group and stranger talks; the highest scores where the friends and small groups talks. As much as I wanted to score myself with 100 in each category, I had to admit I am not prepared to give a talk to a large group of strangers. As stated in the SPCC test, “Higher SPCC scores indicate higher self-perceived communication competence with basic communication contexts (public, meeting, group, dyad) and receivers (strangers, acquaintance, friend).” ( McCroskey, J. C., & McCroskey, L. L. (1988). I consider myself a strongly perceptive person, understanding the world and the people surrounding me. Because I have this ability, I can accommodate myself in any talk group, and perceiving individual characteristics.

Biologically, humans are divided into male and female based on genitalia and physical characteristics. However, the gender identity is based on our conception of male and females. For instance, “women who see themselves as feminine often perceive the social world as based on support and social connections and use conversation as a way to share feelings and achieve intimacy” (Dobkin & Pace). This idea applies to the way I communicate online and face-to face; forums, blogs and websites dedicated to women’s health concerns, give the impression that I can safely ask and express my concerns.

In addition, the “social identity theory” states the identification with social groups is important for an individual’s self-concept. When I communicate in an online classroom, I emphasize my level of education or personal experiences related to the class. In a face-to-face environment, I talk about subjects that could also be related to others in the room.

Cultural identity is also one important element in building the self-concept. Each culture has a different view of the world around us. I am from Argentina, an Italian and Spaniard descendent. Although I can relate to American society with no difficulty, I find it more comfortable to communicate face-to-face with Hispanic people, and online with Americans.

In conclusion, the self-concept progresses as we interact with others. In addition, we can play an important role in shaping our identity and self-esteem. With time, we begin to understand ourselves based on other people’s responses.

Resources

· McCroskey, J. C., & McCroskey, L. L. (1988). Self-report as an approach to measuring communication competence. Communication Research Reports, 5, 108-113.

· Dobkin, B. A., & Pace, R. C. (2006). Communication in a changing world (2McGraw-Hill)

SCHIZOPHRENIA

2012-12-02T16:13:00.001-08:00

Schizophrenia is a type psychotic disorder that starts in the early teens and it is one of the most devastating mental disorders. Some of the theories that explain causes for schizophrenia are, genetics, neurotransmitters, and brain abnormalities.

Genetics certainly play a primarily rile in the development of schizophrenia. Studies have shown the relation between genes and the chance to develop the disease; generic similarity increase the chance to suffer from schizophrenia. According to American Psychiatric Association (2000), “The first-degree biological relatives of individuals with Schizophrenia have a risk for Schizophrenia that is about 10 times greater than that of the general population. Concordance rates for Schizophrenia are higher in monozygotic twins than in dizygotic twins” (American Psychiatric Association, 2000).

Although unclear, neurotransmitters also contribute to schizophrenia because, researchers believe dopamine imbalance is related to some forms of schizophrenia. This hypothesis is based on the use of amphetamines, that increase the amount of dopamine in the brain.

The third cause for schizophrenia is brain abnormalities. Researchers have found certain characteristics in the brain of patients with schizophrenia. According to American Psychiatric Association (2000), “the most widely studied and most consistently replicated finding continues to be enlargement of the lateral ventricles. Many studies have also demonstrated decreased brain tissue as evidenced by widened cortical sulci and decreased volumes of gray and white matter” (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). However, brain abnormality might not be the cause, but the result of the disease itself.

After learning about different causes for schizophrenia, I thought about a number of treatments for patients. If a patient has somebody in their family suffering from any type of psychotic disorder, a genetic test could show the genetic predisposition for schizophrenia for an individual.

Drugs to block and reduce dopamine activity in the brain, such as Haldol and Thorazine, can help reducing hallucinations and delusions. These drugs are very effective since they almost eliminate these two symptoms.

Unfortunately, Haldol and Thorazine cannot eliminate the rest of the disturbances in perception, emotion and language. I would suggest therapy to help the patient with perception and to concentrate on one stimuli at the time. In addition, therapy could help the patient to differentiate between imaginary voices and people, from real ones.

Treatment for schizophrenia can be rather difficult to apply, because there are different subtypes of this disease. Additionally, some of the symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions, can also be applied to several psychotic disorders.

Resources

· American Psychiatric Association (2000). Diagnostic statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington: American Psychiatric Association.
http://dsm.psychiatryonline.org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/book.aspx?bookid=22

MEMORY

2012-12-02T16:09:00.000-08:00

Memory

PSYC 1001

Walden University

The general concept of memory is a faithful storage of exact recordings of experiences. However, studies have shown memory is fallible and can lead to biases and errors in events.

In the first memory game I played, I had to look at 20 objects for two minutes and write down how many I actually remembered. As much as I tried to remember all objects, I only wrote 10 down. Huffman (2007) states” the levels of processing model suggests that memory relies on how deeply we process initial information. During shallow processing, we’re only aware of basic incoming sensory information” (Huffman, 2007).

In the second memory task, I have to look at 20 objects. But this time, I have to connect the objects with a story, using what scientists call elaborative encoding that “lets you connect new information to memories that you already have, and that helps you remember the new information” (Exploratorium, 1998). I told a story to myself with these objects and I remembered 16 of them. A technique that helped me remember the objects in the memory task, was chunking the objects in units of three.

The third memory task instructed me to put the objects in ten places in my house, in order to connect them to each other. For example, I went to the bathroom and I imagined I tower of toilette paper and a poster of my favorite body lotion. I always forget my grocery store list and I can never remember what I needed until I come back home. After trying this exercise, I was able to remember all objects with no difficulty. This memory exercise is very useful to study for exams because I tend to have a hard time remembering concepts and specific words. In fact, the only way former teachers taught me to study, was to memorize the words and concepts instead of connecting them to stories to use them as a hint.

Before trying the three memory exercises, I believed memory was as simple as remembering events for a long time. In addition, I did not understand the reason why I forgot concepts and words at the time of an exam, if I studied for three days.

In conclusion, the three memory tasks show information has to be transferred to short-term memory, otherwise it is assumed to be lost. The information sent and stored to long-term memory can be retrieved and sent back to short-term memory for use.

References

· Huffman, K. (2007). Psychology in Action (8th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

· Playing Games With Memory. (1998). Retrieved from http://www.exploratorium.edu/memory/dont_forget/index.html

FINAL PROJECT: ART TIMELINE

2012-12-02T15:58:00.001-08:00

Final Project: Art Timeline

ART 101

July 1, 2011

University of Phoenix

Final Project: Art Timeline

The history and development of the oil painting is complicated and controversial, because no expert knows for certain, how this technique started. However, one thing that experts know, is the oil painting technique originated around them middle of the fifteenth century.

Crescenzio Onofri’s oil painting is probably one of the earliest of the fifteenth century; this art of work was painted around 1670-1712.

Landscape with Figures

Crescenzio Onofri

Oil in canvas

The National Gallery, London

The painting is simple, showing a landscape that appears to be impressionist style, although it is not from that era. Onofri managed to create a great sense of depth, without leaving brush strokes. The sky is a rather bright blue, but the colors located in front of the painting seem to indicate the sun is coming down. The trees and the rest of the vegetation seem very natural, perhaps blown by the mild wind. The people in the scene add a special interest, making the public wonder about them and how their lives are.

Gilbert Stuart’s oil painting was created around 1755 and 1828.

Captain John Gell

Gilbert Stuart

Oil on Canvas

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Stuart’s painting portrays an officer; his pose is very natural as well as the colors used in this oil painting. The use of brush makes Captain Gell look like a hero; the bush strokes are very evident in his work. The sense of heroism is given by the difference in color tones, having the background darker and the captain, painted with bright colors; he also seems to have light in his face. The perspective of objects creates a great contrast between the background and the Captain, giving him an aspect of power and dignity.

Edward John Poynter’s oil painting was painted around 1836 and 1919.

The Queen of Sheba

Edward John Poynter

Watercolor

British Museum

The painting portrays a scene with the Queen Sheba and Solomon as they are standing and facing each other on the steps of Solomon’s palace. The architecture of the palace is breathtaking, as Poynter follows the descriptions of the Bible about the palace and the scene. According to The British Museum, Poynter has supplemented the relatively brief Biblical account of Solomon's palace – which mentions the stone foundations, pillars and beams of cedar, gold and brass decoration, and the king's throne – with physical evidence drawn from recent archaeological discoveries”.(The British Museum, 2002). In addition, the brush strokes are so perfected that they invisible in the painting.

Claude Monet is without a doubt one of the favorite artist of all times. His piece of art, “Coquelicots, was painted in 1873.

Coquelicots

Oil on canvas

Claude Monet

Web museum, Paris

This is a beautiful impressionist piece. The painting represents a summer day in the country. The pastel colors give the sensation of warm weather and a sunny day. Also, the people walking down the prairie and the house in the background make the scene more interesting. According to Musse d’Orsay, 2006,” In the landscape, a mother and child pair in the foreground and another in the background is merely a pretext for drawing the diagonal line that structures the painting. Two separate colour zones are established, one dominated by red, the other by a bluish green. The young woman with the sunshade and the child in the foreground are probably the artist's wife, Camille, and their son Jean” (Musse d’Orsay, 2006); the colors and the way the flowers are directed seem to indicate the wind is blowing.

Edgar Degas’s “Practicing at the Barre”, was painted in 1877.

Dancers Practicing at the Bar

Edgar Degas

Mixed Media on Canvas

Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY

The painting represents two dancers in the middle of a ballet class. The faces of the dancers and the pose are accurately painted in this work art work. According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (2011), “Degas created a witty analogy between the watering can (used to wet down the dust on the studio floor) and the dancer at the right: the handle on the side imitates the dancer's left arm, the handle at the top mimics her head, and the spout approximates her right arm and raised leg”. (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011). Degas was familiar with Ballet performances and for this reason he would paint using just his memory.

Vincent van Gogh was also a much known artist. His work “The Olive Trees” was painted between June and July of 1889.

The Olive Trees

Vincent Van Gogh

Oil on canvas

Museum of Modern Art

When Vincent van Gogh stayed at the Saint-Rémy, he created this painting, portraying the south of France landscape, in the middle of the summer. In this scene, colors and lines are exaggerated to go stand out from regular painters that portrayed scenes in a conventional way. The bright colors, such as the blue and green give the sensation of heat and dry weather. Van Gogh set letters to his brother along with the paintings and according to The Museum of Modern Art (2010), “Van Gogh's letters make it clear that he created this particular intense vista of the southern French landscape as a daylight partner to the visionary nocturne of his more famous canvas, The Starry Night. He felt that both pictures showed, in complementary ways, the principles he shared with his fellow painter Paul Gauguin, regarding the freedom of the artist to go beyond "the photographic and silly perfection of some painters" and intensify the experience of color and linear rhythms”.( The Museum of Modern Art, 2010).

Paul Gauguin’s oil paint, “The Seed of the Areoi”, was painted in 1892.

The Seed of the Areoi

Paul Gauguin

Oil on burlap

The Museum of the Modern Art

In spring of 1891 Paul Gauguin traveled to Tahiti having in mind a paradise, very different from the modern world. However, Tahiti was a French colony at the time, and poverty and hunger were present. Although Tahiti was far from been the desired paradise, his paintings represented his dreamed Island with bright colors, fruits and vegetation. The public can sense pure nature without the men intervention. According to The Museum of Modern Art (2010), “His use of bright, flat, and unrealistic colors and his interest in recovering a "pure" subject, closer to nature, were greatly influential to the next generation of European artists, including the Fauves and German Expressionists”.( The Museum of Modern Art, 2010).

The technique of oil painting has clearly changed throughout the years. The lines, colors, and brush techniques of each paint, reflects the artist’s view on his or her society and the world around them.

ALLPORT'S THEORY

2012-12-02T15:53:00.005-08:00

Allport's Trait Theory

This essay will briefly describe both Monica’s housekeeping routine and her relationship with her friends and family in terms of cardinal traits, central traits, and secondary traits. In addition, I will explain Monica’s behavior and identify which autonomy represents and how does Monica does or does not fulfill the criteria of normal, mature, and emotional healthy adult according to Allport’s specifications, along with a possible cultural bias. Finally, I will identify and describe which values are likely to be dominant in Monica based on Allport’s Study of Values and how cultural background or gender might contribute to the dominance of these values.

According to Allport’s theory, cardinal traits “are the traits that some people have which practically define their life”. ( Boeree, 2006). Monica’s housekeeping routine in terms of cardinal traits is most likely to be the love for number precision and “this is a characteristic that she has carried into her housekeeping chores”. ( Case Study: Gordon Allport). Monica’s defined cardinal trait in terms of her relationship with her friends is the fact that her social group is very important for her and she is in constant touch with all of her friends. Monica’s need for socialization define her personality, especially because she gets along better with her friends than her own spouse. As far as her relationship with her family in terms of cardinal traits, Monica can be defined as a great mother, “she takes care of her children’s physical and emotional needs”. ( Case Study: Gordon Allport). On the other hand, her relationship with her husband could be defined as distant and less important to her than the relationship with her friends.

According to Schultz & Schultz ( 2009) , “central traits are the handful of outstanding traits that describe a person’s behavior”. ( p.247). Monica’s housekeeping can be described as perfectionist and almost neurotic, obsessed for the cleaning of her household; she cannot stand clutter in her home. Monica is described by her friends as loyal, warm, supportive, talkative, and with a big heart and a god mom by her children.. The descriptions of Monica’s friends and children about her personality support the idea that “everyone has a few central traits” ( Schultz & Schultz, 2009, p.247).

Secondary traits are the less influential and less consistent, characteristics that could only be recognized by an individual’s closest family and friends. In this case Monica’s secondary traits could be her obsession with a perfect, clean household given that “All her friends agree”. (Case Study: Gordon Allport). Monica’s children now how a very dedicate and pragmatic mother she can be, especially for her disabled child, Jenna, making sure her needs are met. Monica also makes sure her children have fun but they also know she can lose her temper from time to time with them.

Monica is clearly obsessed with a spotless home which she cleans every day without an apparent reward. She chooses to clean and vacuum all rooms of the house every day and does a perfect job, almost as it was her job, but she does not get paid, get gifts, or even compliments from her husband. According to Boeree ( 2006), “perseverative functional autonomy refers essentially to habits -- behaviors that no longer serve their original purpose, but still continue”. (p. 1). This type of behavior is almost an unconscious habit that does not necessarily describe an individual’s personality. Monica’s obsession with cleaning may be due to the education her parents gave her, teaching her to be clean and organized, reinforced by treats as a reward.

At a first glance, we could say Monica is a healthy, mature adult who is always concerned about others, offering her help to those who need it. However, Monica feels her lack of self-realization compared to most of her friends, make her feel insecure and less intelligence than those who attended college. The Case Study describes Monica as “insecure about not having attended college” (Case Study: Gordon Allport), and although she wants to pursue at least an Associate’s degree in Legal Studies, she is still scare of the big challenge. According to Schultz & Schultz (2009), “ the mature adult’s self-acceptance helps him or her achieve emotional security”, a statement that does not describe how Monica feels about herself. A cultural bias that I noticed in Allport’s theory is the criteria that states a mature adult “makes a commitment to some type of work” ( Schultz & Schultz, 2009). Although financial stability is important in our society, is not the main characteristic of a mature individual in every society in the world.

Monica’s most dominant values are the social influences because she is very concerned about her social life and the relationship with her friends. Monica’s friends “are a very important part of her social support network, especially since she does not have co-workers with whom to interact and because her husband travels a lot for his job”. (Case Study: Gordon Allport). Monica’s lack of assertiveness and a great concern for others might be due to her gender which is supported by research done on the subject. For instance, “ women tend to score lower than do men on tests measuring assertiveness” ( Schultz & Schultz, 2009), possibly because women are trained not to assert themselves.

In conclusion, this essay briefly describe both Monica’s housekeeping routine and her relationship with her friends and family in terms of cardinal traits, central traits, and secondary traits. In addition, I explained Monica’s behavior and identify which autonomy represents and how does Monica does not fulfill the criteria of normal, mature, and emotional healthy adult according to Allport’s specifications, along with a possible cultural bias. Finally, I identified and described which values are likely to be dominant in Monica based on Allport’s Study of Values and how cultural background or gender contributed to the dominance of these values.

ALLPORT'S THEORY

2012-12-02T15:53:00.003-08:00

Allport's Trait Theory