Psychology at MRU and abroad

For comparison with MRU I chose University of York.

The UoY’s Department of Psychology specialises in Experimental Psychology and this approach is central to the content of our taught courses. They also provide a wide range of opportunities for other forms of postgraduate research. Incorporated into the first year of postgraduate research is a taught training programme. Expertise in both teaching and research within the Department has given rise to various teaching and research centres. For example the department has very close links with the York based HEA Psychology (formerly LTSN).

In contrast, MRU’s programme of Bachelor Studies in Psychology is designed to grant a European standard of bachelor qualification in Psychology. Throughout the study programme of psychology, the students acquire theoretical and practical knowledge in various spheres of psychology; develop their abilities to understand, explain and assess human behaviour, personality and emotional state and to provide psychological assistance. On completion of studies, the graduates may continue in postgraduate studies of psychology and seek Master’s degree and a further independent career. Also graduates may seek careers involving no direct psychological intervention or assessment or work as an assistant of an expert psychologist; Also they can continue in postgraduate studies different from psychology, e.g.: Law and Administration, Public Administration, Protection of Children Rights, Social work, etc.

In conclusion, the main difference between these in these universities is lack of experimental research in Mykolas Romeris University. However MRU offers European standard studies and does not fall behind of other European Universities.


http://www.mruni.lt/en/padaliniai/fakultetai/politikos_fakultetas/katedros/psichologijos_katedra/apie_katedra/
http://www.york.ac.uk/depts/psych/www/about/

Phobias

Phobia is an anxiety disorder characterized by extreme and irrational fear of simple things or social situations. Fortunately, these disorders are treatable.

Siderodromophobia is an abnormal fear of train travel and people that have this disorder may feel nervous when being near railroads or traveling by train. Sigmund Froid – a famous psychologist had Siderodromophobia. This phobia can be treated with behavior therapies and anti-anxiety medication.

Agoraphobia is fear of public or open spaces. Surprisingly, Marlin Monroe a famous actor suffered from this anxiety disorder. One of the most commonly used is psychotherapy that focuses on decreasing negative, anxiety-provoking, or other self-defeating thoughts and behaviors.

In conclusion, people who have phobias suffer anxiety from objects or situations that normally shouldn’t. At this time these phobias can be cured either by therapies or by medication.

http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/s/siderodromophobia/treatments.htm
http://www.medicinenet.com/agoraphobia/page4.htm#treatment

End-of-term self-assessment

Writing (a summary)

I haven’t noticed any significant changes of my skills in writing a summary. So, it is hard to tell my achievements or misfortunes.

Performance in ESP vocabulary tests

Baldly speaking, I have failed at this point. My performance is less that average in these tests.

Performance in class dictations

Even though I make some errors, especially punctuation, I am quite good at it.

Listening practice in class

Listening assignments are also quite easy, however I sometimes can not escape from making few errors.

Listening to peers’ power point presentations

Sometimes it is very hard to understand what presenter is trying to say or to read. It think is because of their different accents.

Making power point presentations

This assignment is more time-consuming than it is difficult, but I don’t seem to have any problems with making and presenting a presentation in class.

Short talks on ESP themes in class

These talks require speaking in impromptu and it is sometimes hard to remember to mention all things fluently.

Professor Richard Wiseman

Richard Wiseman is famous psychologist and a researcher. He is best known for his research of paranormal influence towards human psychology.
R. Wiseman's experiments are made to test the plausibility of certain paranormal phenomenas. For example, a finansial astrology research. A child, profesional investor and a finansial astrologer were given certain amount money to invest. As a result, the astrologer lost the most money.
Other experiments also include magnetism, infrasound, luck and even magic and their influence towards towards human's perception of the world.
Richard Wiseman made psychology more understandable and interesting for common people. However, it seem that there is even more uncertainty as this science progreses

Learning languages

As we all know, language is the most common form of communication between people. But how is it that people know where and when to use certain words to make sentences meaningful? Through learning of course.
Learning begins at the early age and it is not technically learning, it is more of listening to the sound that people around that person produce (parents, siblings ect.). Then trying to repeat these sounds.
As a person becomes older, so does his ability to make more complex sentences become higher. Later, it is not enough just to use verbal language, so a person has to learn to write correctly. It involves learning certain language rules (depending on language studied).
To conclude, learning language is more than just learning to say few sentences. Following and learning grammar, spelling rules will lead to easier and more correct communication.

Analytical summary of “Online risks: from cancer to autism?”

Clare Murphy is the author of an article “Online risks: from cancer to autism?” found on the official BBC Internet site http://news.bbc.co.uk. In the article author writes about online networking and what main problems does it cause.

In the article author claims that social networking sites are mainly popular between young people. Clare Murphy states that lack of direct contact with a person may be the cause of serious health diseases. Author emphasizes the fact that online networking helps people who have cancer, autism, ADHD to improve the quality of their life by making with other people online.

In conclusion, this authors article is an introduction of understanding how online networking works and what are the merits and demerits of it.

Average happiness

The word “happiness" has its definition. Happiness is a state of mind or feeling such as contentment, satisfaction, pleasure, or joy. But is it possible to measure happiness? And if it is, what would be average happiness?

Firstly, if happiness could be measured with certain measurements it would be confusing. For example, if a happy person is asked how happy he is, he would probably tell something like “very happy”, “not too happy”. But if you tell that person to measure his happiness, he would be confused. Can you imagine him saying something like I’m 3,8 measurements happy?

Secondly, people individually measure happiness. A poor person may get happy if gets some money, as for a rich one, he would something else to become happier. The individual measurements differ because of our age, sex, cultural and social status, religion and so on.

In conclusion, measurement of happiness is a quite indefinite thing, let alone average happiness which is, in my opinion, an impossible thing to measure.