1. Student Self-Appraisal of Learning<br />Michelene Cain<br />Advanced General Psychology<br />Professor Mary Viventi<br />August 10, 2010<br />Cognitive Abilities<br />Challenges faced by immigrant women seeking medical treatment<br />There are a variety of barriers that may affect an immigrant woman’s desire or ability to seek medical treatment. They may be afraid, uneducated, embarrassed, speak poor English, and lack insurance or a legal immigration status (SFSU, 2001). Some of these women have risked their lives to get into the United States and are terrified of being deported. Women who emigrated from a different country are less likely to understand the laws and social services designed to help them as compared to women who were born here (SFSU, 2001). Others may be very traditional and will tend to the needs of their family and home before they take care of themselves.<br />I also found information stating that women who are illegal immigrants are at a greater risk for domestic violence, unfair working conditions, and many other offenses of human decency (American Immigration Council, 2010). These women are often used and abused by their husbands, illegal traffickers, or greedy bosses and are controlled by the fear of being deported or losing their children (American Immigration Council, 2010). <br />Research Skills<br />The role of the hippocampus in memory formation<br />Lacanilao, Lehmann, and Sutherland (2007) examined the effects of partial or complete damage to the hippocampus on long-term retention of a Pavlovian conditioned fear response to the context (foot shock). They found a significant negative correlation between the amount of conditioned freezing and the damage to the hippocampal region. Barrientos, O'Reilly, & Rudy, (2002) provided information that rats with hippocampal damage show significantly less conditioned freezing than rats who had not undergone the procedure. LeDoux and Phillips (1992) found the hippocampus is involved in fear conditioning situations involving complex, polymodal events; damage to the hippocampus interfered with complex contextual fear memories. Bohenek, Fanselow, and Young (1994) studied the effect of hippocampal lesions in rats. The legions produced both retrograde and anterograde amnesia of contextual fear conditioning. <br />The results of the four studies were analyzed with attention to streamlining the data. Each of the studies used a differing amount of time to measure the rats conditioned freezing. The numbers were calculated to all be based on the average amount of conditioned freezing that occurred within one minute. I achieved this by either multiplying or dividing the final results in order to make them equivalent to one minute of testing. All data was taken from day seven of the experiments because this was the only concurrent day of testing for all four studies. <br />Communication Skills<br />Interview with Ann Cahouet regarding Equestrian Assisted Psychotherapy<br />It was very generous of Ann to grant me a telephone interview on such short notice. I find her kindness to be another inspiring aspect of her personality. In her answers she included a lot of good information about her background, current career, and aspirations. I did not have to drag information out of her in any way. I occasionally asked follow-up questions to clarify and confirm my understanding of her answers.<br />I was intrigued to see that Ann faced many of the same problems I did when I chose to look into equestrian therapy. In my past dreams of being a veterinarian or a doctor, it was easy to find someone to talk to about their chosen field of practice. I was very glad to have talked with Ann about equestrian therapy. It is a passion we share.<br />Ethics and Diversity Awareness<br />Respecting Diversity<br />It is part of a therapist's job to investigate cultural norms and customs when a situation with a client arises. “Counselors with an increased knowledge base of cultural factors and the ability to work from a variety of cultural backgrounds are more likely to meet the demands of a multicultural and diverse client population (Argosy, 2009, Multicultural Counseling: side note).” <br />“Culturally competent counselors are accurately aware of culturally learned assumptions by themselves and their clients, comprehend the culturally relevant facts and information about a client' culture and are able to intervene skillfully to bring about positive change through counseling (Pedersen, 2002).” A focus on diversity, particularly in relation to the exploration of one's own attitudes, beliefs, and biases, is critical to the preparation of competent counselors whether their intended work setting is on college campuses, community agencies, private practice, career counseling centers, or schools. Although more limited definitions of diversity are restricted to discussions of race/ethnicity, counselors must be knowledgeable about and sensitive to issues surrounding a number of equally important factors that also come under the quot;
diversity umbrellaquot;
(e.g., gender, sexual orientation, disabilities, religion, age, class, etc.) and recognize patterns that are common to all areas of prejudice. <br />Knowledge of Foundations of the Field<br />Piaget’s theory of cognitive development<br />Piaget theory of cognitive development includes four stages. The sensorimotor stage ranges from birth to 2 years of age, the preoperational stage covers 2 to 7 years of age, the concrete operational stage is from 7 to 11 years of age, and the formal operational stage is from 11 years of age through adulthood (Santrock, 2008). The sensorimotor stage is where an infant begins to make sense of the world through coordinating sensory experiences of touch, hearing, smelling, tasting, and seeing (Santrock, 2008). The preoperational stage goes beyond connecting this sensory information and begins to connect it with physical action. Children in this stage are beginning to understand their world with words, images, and drawings (Santrock, 2008). In the concrete operational stage children learn to reason logically with concrete examples. A child in this stage of Piaget’s theory can consider several characteristics of an object instead one (Santrock, 2008). A good example would be to show a child two identical balls of clay. One ball will be rolled or changed in some drastic way. When asked which object contains more clay, the child should be able to reason that both objects still contain the same amount of clay. The formal operational stage brings about abstract thinking, such as the ability to solve algebraic equations. This ability to envision hypothetical situations brings about more logical reasoning skills.<br />As a parent, teacher, or judge, these stages are important to consider when a child has acted on something inappropriate. A baby (sensorimotor stage) does not yet understand the rules and morals of society. Babies can only assimilate their sensory information and process limited feedback on their actions. Children in the preoperational stage are beginning to understand right and wrong but are unable to process any abstract ideas. They also do not have the thought process to think more than a few brief steps ahead of their current actions. When a child reaches the concrete operational stage they can reason logically with concrete or physical examples. They normally have a good sense of obvious moral rights and wrongs but are still incapable of abstract thought or hypothetical reasoning (Santrock, 2008). It is only when a child reaches the formal operational stage that they are capable of working through hypothetical situations and should be able to better predict the outcome of their actions. All of these factors are important to consideration when a child has committed a crime or other heinous act. <br />Applied Psychology<br />Client cast study<br />This is paper is being written to provide referral notes on the behavior of a client, Katherine. Katherine is a 45-year-old African-American woman with a history of childhood sexual abuse. I planned to recommend continuation of Katherine's treatment beyond the initial treatment period. It is very evident, given her current behavior, that she needs further counseling and coping skills. I believe Katherine is at risk of self-medicating through substance abuse and that her therapy progress may be stifled by her attachment to me (Cleveland Clinic, 2009)(Primary Psychology, 2009). When Katherine arrived for our last session she was jumpy and anxious because she drank two pots of coffee the night before. Caffeine alters mood, behavior, and can result in physical dependence (Payne, 2009). I do not have enough information at this time to determine if Katherine is abusing caffeine but I am concerned that she is at risk for substance abuse.<br />I had chosen to go with the integrative approach to Karen's case. I feel this approach is the most similar to what is emulated in equestrian assisted psychotherapy (EAP). Integrative theorists are often called eclectic, taking the strengths from each model and using them in a combination (Argosy, 2009). This has allowed me to examine the interactions of genetic, biological, developmental, emotional, behavioral, cognitive, social, and societal influences on Katherine's diagnosis (Argosy, 2009). <br />There is considerable evidence that many children who are sexually abused will grow up to experience difficulties as adults, including symptoms of depression, suicidal ideation and suicidal attempts, anxiety, dissociative disorders, and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)(Cott, Gold, & Lucenko, 2000). Katherine is suffering from a panic disorder, is having panic attacks, and suffers from PTSD. She meets the DSM criteria for a panic disorder. Once, when was not in any real danger driving in the car to see her parents, her anxiety became so overwhelming that it caused the manifestation of physical symptoms. Psychiatric characteristics of PTSD are nightmares, flashbacks, hypervigilance, intrusive memories, and avoidance. Katerine is suffering from all of these symptoms.<br />Interpersonal Effectiveness<br />Science of abuse <br />Strengths and Weaknesses<br />My time at Argosy University has prepared me for graduate school. I am confident and competent in APA writing style and the online format of the University has done wonders for my writing abilities. I have learned to communicate and respectfully share ideas in a group format and learned teamwork during group projects. It has been a while since I took a standardized test and I am a little worried that my studying skills may be a bit rusty. However, my overall experience at Argosy University was highly positive and really helped me to blossom academically. <br />Being a Lifelong Learner<br />I truly enjoy reading, researching, and the acquisition of new knowledge. This trait has been present in my personality for as long as I can remember. I was always asking questions and solving puzzles when I was a little girl. Luckily for me, my thirst for knowledge has only grown with my level of education and I aspire to make a difference by helping people as a counselor. Being a counselor requires up-to-date knowledge and a constant capacity to seek out new information and ways to help clients. I am truly looking forward to being a psychologist because it is a job that allows me to embrace my curious nature and my love of helping people. <br />References<br />American Immigration Council. (2010). Reforming America’s Immigration Laws: A woman’s struggle. Retrieved July 19, 2010, from: http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/special-reports/reforming-americas-immigration-laws-womans-struggle<br />Argosy University. (2009). PSY 410: Module 7. Retrieved August 12, 2009. From:http://myeclassonline.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=3500475&Survey=1&47=4903796&ClientNodeID=404511&coursenav=2&bhcp=1<br />Argosy University. (2009). PSY 430: Module 6. Retrieved December 9, 2009. From: http://myeclassonline.com/re/DotNextLaunch.asp?courseid=3746176<br />Barrientos, R., O'Reilly, R., & Rudy, J. (2002, August). Hippocampal formation supports conditioning to memory of a context. Behavioral Neuroscience, 116(4), 530-538. Retrieved July 19, 2010, doi:10.1037/0735-7044.116.4.530 <br />Bohenek, D., Fanselow, M., & Young, S. (1994, February). NMDA processes mediate anterograde amnesia of contextual fear conditioning induced by hippocampal damage: Immunization against amnesia by context preexposure. Behavioral Neuroscience, 108(1), 19-29. Retrieved July 19, 2010, doi:10.1037/0735-7044.108.1.19 <br />Cleveland Clinic. (2009). Dependent personality disorder. Retrieved August 12, 2009. From: http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/Personality_Disorders/hic_Dependent_Personality_Disorder.aspx<br />Cott, M., Gold, S., & Lucenko, B. (2000, June). Relationship to perpetrator and posttraumatic symptomatology among sexual abuse survivors. Journal of Family Violence, 15(2), 169-179. Retrieved July 10, 2009, from Academic Search Complete database. <br />Lacanilao, S., Lehmann, H., & Sutherland, R. (2007, March). Complete or partial hippocampal damage produces equivalent retrograde amnesia for remote contextual fear memories. European Journal of Neuroscience, 25(5), 1278-1286. Retrieved July 19, 2010, doi:10.1111/j.1460-9568.2007.05374.x <br />LeDoux, J., & Phillips, R. (1992, April). Differential contribution of amygdala and hippocampus to cued and contextual fear conditioning. Behavioral Neuroscience, 106(2), 274-285. Retrieved July 19, 2010, doi:10.1037/0735-7044.106.2.274 <br />Payne, January. (2009). 6 signs of caffeine addiction. Retrieved August 12, 2009. From: http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/diet-fitness/2009/06/25/6-signs-of-caffeine-<br />Primary Psychiatry. (2009, January). Researchers determine rates of self-medication in mood disorder patients. Primary Psychiatry, 16(1), 19-19. Retrieved August 12, 2009, from Academic Search Complete database. <br />San Francisco State University. (2001). New study shows low-income immigrant pregnant women still afraid to seek health care. Retrieved July 19, 2001, from: http://www.sfsu.edu/news/prsrelea/fy00/079.htm<br />Santrock, John. (2008). Life-span development. 11th Edition. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.<br />Pedersen, P. B. (2002). The making of a culturally competent counselor. In W. J. Lonner, D. L. Dinnel, S. A. Hayes, & D. N. Sattler (Eds.), Online Readings in Psychology and Culture (Unit 10, Chapter 2), (http://www.wwu.edu/~culture), Center for Cross-Cultural research, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington USA. <br />