MARCH

St. Patrick’s Day History and Traditions

This holiday is celebrated every year on March 17th, honoring the Irish patron saint, St. Patrick. The celebrations are largely Irish culture themed and typically consist of wearing green, parades, and drinking. Some churches may hold religious services and many schools and offices close in Suffolk County, the area containing Boston and its suburbs.

People all over the world celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, especially places with large Irish-American communities. Feasting on the day features traditional Irish food, including corned beef, corned cabbage, coffee, soda bread, potatoes, and shepherd’s pie. Many celebrations also hold an Irish breakfast of sausage, black and white pudding, fried eggs, and fried tomatoes. Common traditions include:

• Parades – This event is most often associated with the holiday. Cities that hold large parades include Boston, New York, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Savannah, and other cities worldwide.
• Drinking – Since many Catholics are Irish-American, some may be required to fast from drinking during Lent. However, they are allowed to break this fast during the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. This is one cause for the day’s association with drinking heavily.
• Dying water or beer green – Chicago dies its river green for the festivities, and many bars serve green-dyed beer. The White House fountain is also dyed green.
• Other incorporations of green – In Seattle, the parade routes are painted in green. Observers are supposed to wear green or else risk being pinched. Parade floats and decorations will feature the color green.
• Religious services – Those who celebrate the holiday in a religious context may also hold a feast. Outside of this context, overindulgence tends to revolve around drinking.
• Pea planting – In the Northeast, many celebrate by planting peas. This is largely due to the color and time of year (prime pea-planting conditions.

FEBRUARY

Unlike our festivities, which always take place at midnight between December 31 and January 1, Chinese New Year is a movable celebration - and it all kicks off in mid-February.

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In 2018, Chinese New Year falls on February 16

When is the 2018 Chinese New Year?

The 2018 Chinese New Year begins on Friday, February 16.

The celebrations are tipped to last for over two weeks - and if you fancy making a trip before the festivities end, read this guide for a first-timer's trip to China.

Chinese New Year takes place on a different date each year because it is based on the lunar calendar.

New Year's Day normally falls between January 21 and February 20

JANUARY

January is named for the Roman god Janus, protector of gates and doorways. Janus is depicted with two faces, one looking into the past, the other into the future. Read more about the 12 months’ names.

Janus am I; oldest of potentates;
Forward I look, and backward, and below
I count, as god of avenues and gates,
The years that through my portals come and go.
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, American poet (1807–82)

January was originally the eleventh month, not the first, until at least 153 B.C.

• January 1 is New Year’s Day. While you’re still recuperating from last night’s parties, read about some other new year’s traditions you might not know about.
• January 1 is also Handsel Monday. According to Scottish custom, the first Monday of the new year was the time to give children and servants a small gift (“handsel”), intended to bring good luck.
• The eve of January 5 brings Twelfth Night, an English folk custom that marked the end of Christmas merrymaking, and in ancient Celtic tradition, the end of the 12-day winter solstice celebration. On Twelfth Night, it was customary for the assembled company to toast each other from the wassail bowl.
• On January 6 falls Epiphany. According to the New Testament’s Gospels, on this date the Magi—the three wise men or kings—venerated and brought gifts to the infant Jesus. Bake a King Cake with a lucky bean inside!
• January 15 is Martin Luther King Jr. Day (observed) this year and honors the principles of this civil rights leader and Nobel Prize Winner dedicated to nonviolence.
• January 17 is Benjamin Franklin’s birthday. He was not only a world-renowned statesman, inventor, and scientist, but was also fascinated by agriculture.

DECEMBER

Christmas gets most of the press this time of year, but December is a month full of religious and secular festivals and holidays, along with some wild and wacky days as well.

Here's a reminder of the major holidays this month, along with a collection of the most bizarre holidays gleaned from the corners of the Internet. We can't vouch for the authenticity of some of these lesser known observances, but if you need a moment to forget the stress that sometimes comes with the major holidays, there's got to be a few here to make you smile. 

Forget the 12 Days of Christmas. Here's a whole month of ways to celebrate:

• Saturday, Dec. 1: AIDS Awareness Day; Eat a Red Apple Day
• Sunday, Dec. 2: First Sunday of Advent; National Fritters Day
• Monday, Dec. 3: National Roof Over Your Head Day
• Tuesday, Dec. 4: Santa's List Day; Wear Brown Shoes Day
• Wednesday, Dec. 5: Bathtub Party Day; Repeal Day—the 21st Amendment ends Prohibition; Ninja Day
• Thursday, Dec. 6: St. Nicholas Day; Mitten Tree Day; Put On Your Own Shoes Day; Miners' Day
• Friday, Dec. 7: Pearl Harbor Remembrance; International Civil Aviation Day; Letter Writing Day; National Cotton Candy Day
• Saturday, Dec. 8: Feast of the Immaculate Conception; Hanukkah begins at sundown; National Brownie Day; Take It In the Ear Day
• Sunday, Dec. 9: First full day of Hanukkah. This Jewish festival of lights lasts for eight days; Second Sunday of Advent; Christmas Card Day; International Children's Day; National Pastry Day; Salesperson's Day; Choral Day
• Monday, Dec. 10: Human Rights Day
• Tuesday, Dec. 11: National Noodle Ring Day; Mountain Day
• Wednesday, Dec. 12: Poinsettia Day
• Thursday, Dec. 13: Ice Cream Day; Violin Day
• Friday, Dec. 14: National Bouillabaisse Day; Monkey Day
• Saturday, Dec. 15: Bill of Rights Day; National Lemon Cupcake Day; Cat Herders Day
• Sunday, Dec. 16: Last day of Hanukkah; Third Sunday of Advent; National Chocolate Covered Anything Day
• Monday, Dec. 17: Pan American Aviation Day; Wright Brothers Day; National Maple Syrup Day; Underdog Day
• Tuesday, Dec. 18: Bake Cookies Day; National Roast Suckling Pig Day
• Wednesday, Dec. 19: Look for an Evergreen Day; Oatmeal Muffin Day
• Thursday, Dec. 20: Go Caroling Day; Games Day
• Friday, Dec. 21: Winter Solstice, First Day of Winter; Forefather's Day—celebrating the day Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock; Humbug Day; National Flashlight Day; Look on the Bright Side Day; Hamburger Day
• Saturday, Dec. 22: National Date Nut Bread Day; Haiku Poetry Day
• Sunday, Dec. 23: Fourth Sunday of Advent; Festivus "For the Rest of Us"; Roots Day
• Monday, Dec. 24: Christmas Eve; George Washington's Birthday; National Chocolate Day; National Egg Nog Day
• Tuesday, Dec. 25: Christmas—Christian observance of Jesus' birth; National Pumpkin Pie Day
• Wednesday, Dec. 26: Kwanzaa, which lasts through Jan. 1; Boxing Day; Thank You Note Day; National Whiners Day
• Thursday, Dec. 27: Make Cut Out Snowflakes Day; National Fruitcake Day
• Friday, Dec. 28: Card Playing Day
• Saturday, Dec. 29: Pepper Pot Day; Tick Tock Day
• Sunday, Dec. 30: National Bicarbonate of Soda Day; Bacon Day
• Monday, Dec. 31: New Year's Eve; Unlucky Day; No Interruptions Day

THANKSGIVING

Every year Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. This day was historically a religious observation to give thanks to the almighty God. The occasion traditionally celebrates the arrival of the first pilgrims to America.

Thanksgiving Day is a time to feel gratitude for the good things in life. This is a day of festivity, family reunions and lavish feasts. In the USA this day is considered as one of the major family celebration generally celebrated at home with family and friends. The traditional dishes like Roasted turkeys, Cranberry sauce, Corns. Potatoes and Pumpkin pie are included in the Thanksgiving meal.

People celebrate this day with a great enthusiasm with their family and friends and sometimes give gifts like flowers, jewellery, baked cookies, chocolates etc to their near and dear.

BEHAVIORISM

Behaviorist Approach

Saul McLeod published 2007, updated 2017

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Behaviorism (also called behavioral psychology) refers to a psychological approach which emphasizes scientific and objective methods of investigation. The approach is only concerned with observable stimulus-response behaviors, and states all behaviors are learned through interaction with the environment.

The behaviorist movement began in 1913 when John Watson wrote an article entitled 'Psychology as the behaviorist views it', which set out a number of underlying assumptions regarding methodology and behavioral analysis

***Psychology has been defined in different ways. Some people have defined psychology as an art. Other people have defined psychology as a science. Many text books define psychology as the science of mind and behavior. Psychology involves the study of human nature and/or behavior. Different opinions come from different perspectives.***

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Eric Pettifor at GIGANTOPITHECUS defines psychology as "an art which presents itself as science". Eric is most interested in the area of personality psychology. His web page provides various psych links to sites that cover areas of humanistic psychology, teaching clinical psychology, consciousness, and the Canadian Psychological Association.

H. D. Hamm Ph.D., who authored and maintains a site for Northern Michigan University, defines psychology as the "scientific study of the behavior of humans and animals". Dr. Hamm states that "there are many areas of psychology, each attempting to explain behavior from a slightly different perspective". He gives a brief discussion of what psychologists in different areas are concerned with.

Tom Bolling at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington defines psychology as a science of description and application used for the "interpretation, prediction, development, and improvement of human behavior" and that psychology was originally a branch of philosophy.

The general psychology students at Valencia Community College in Orlando, Florida provide a number of psychology definitions in their unique presentation of "Definitions of Psychology" which they've gathered from several sources.

Burrton Woodruff at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana developed an HTML Teaching Resource (WH3) called "Definition of Psychology" where he gives many definitions of psychology.

Castleton State College in Castleton, Vermont provides a broad definition of psychology, lists the skills that a student can gain by studying psychology, and gives examples of possible careers for psychology graduates.

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What is the Scientific Method?

The scientific method is a process for experimentation that is used to explore observations and answer questions. Does this mean all scientists follow exactly this process? No. Some areas of science can be more easily tested than others. For example, scientists studying how stars change as they age or how dinosaurs digested their food cannot fast-forward a star's life by a million years or run medical exams on feeding dinosaurs to test their hypotheses. When direct experimentation is not possible, scientists modify the scientific method. In fact, there are probably as many versions of the scientific method as there are scientists! But even when modified, the goal remains the same: to discover cause and effect relationships by asking questions, carefully gathering and examining the evidence, and seeing if all the available information can be combined in to a logical answer.

Even though we show the scientific method as a series of steps, keep in mind that new information or thinking might cause a scientist to back up and repeat steps at any point during the process. A process like the scientific method that involves such backing up and repeating is called an iterative process.

Whether you are doing a science fair project, a classroom science activity, independent research, or any other hands-on science inquiry understanding the steps of the scientific method will help you focus your scientific question and work through your observations and data to answer the question as well as possible.

Cognitive Psychology

by Saul McLeod published 2007, updated 2015

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Cognitive psychology is the scienitific study of the mind as an information processor. Cognitive psychologists try to build up cognitive models of the information processing that goes on inside people’s minds, including perception, attention, language, memory, thinking and consciousness

The cognitive perspective applies a nomothetic approach to discover human cognitive processes, but have also adopted idiographic techniques through using case studies (e.g. KF, HM). Cognitive psychology is also a reductionist approach. This means that all behaviour, no matter how complex can be reduced to simple cognitive processes, like memory or perception.

Typically cognitive psychologists use the laboratory experiment to study behavior. This is because the cognitive approach is a scientific one. For example, participants will take part in memory tests in strictly controlled conditions. However, the widely used lab experiment can be criticized for lacking ecological validity (a major criticism of cognitive psychology).

Cognitive psychology became of great importance in the mid 1950s. Several factors were important in this: 

• Dissatisfaction with the behaviorist approach in its simple emphasis on external behavior rather than internal processes.
• The development of better experimental methods.
• Comparison between human and computer processing of information.

The emphasis of psychology shifted away from the study of conditioned behaviour and psychoanalytical notions about the study of the mind, towards the understanding of human information processing, using strict and rigorous laboratory investigation.

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Information Processing

The cognitive approach began to revolutionize psychology in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, to become the dominant approach (i.e. perspective) in psychology by the late 1970s. Interest in mental processes had been gradually restored through the work of Piaget and Tolman.

But it was the arrival of the computer that gave cognitive psychology the terminology and metaphor it needed to investigate the human mind. The start of the use of computers allowed psychologists to try to understand the complexities of human cognition by comparing it with something simpler and better understood i.e. an artificial system such as a computer.

The use of the computer as a tool for thinking how the human mind handles information is known as the computer analogy. Essentially, a computer codes (i.e. changes) information, stores information, uses information, and produces an output (retrieves info). The idea of information processing was adopted by cognitive psychologists as a model of how human thought works.

The information processing approach is based on a number of assumptions, including:

1. Information made available from the environment is processed by a series of processing systems (e.g. attention, perception, short-term memory);
2. These processing systems transform, or alter the information in systematic ways;
3. The aim of research is to specify the processes and structures that underlie cognitive performance;
4. Information processing in humans resembles that in computers.

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Mediational Processes

The behaviorists approach only studies external observable (stimulus and response) behaviour which can be objectively measured. They believe that internal behaviour cannot be studied because we cannot see what happens in a person’s mind (and therefore cannot objectively measure it).

In comparison, the cognitive approach believes that internal mental behaviour can be scientifically studied using experiments. Cognitive psychology assumes that a mediational process occurs between stimulus/input and response/output.

The mediational (i.e. mental) event could be memory, perception, attention or problem solving etc. These are known as mediational processes because they mediate (i.e. go-between) between the stimulus and the response. They come after the stimulus and before the response.

Therefore, cognitive psychologists’ say if you want to understand behaviour, you have to understand these mediational processes.

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GUIA PSYCHO

The Biological approach to psychology is called:
-neuropsychology

2. Biological approach attempts to explain mental processes and behavior at the:
-cellular and structural level.

What is sublimation?

Sublimation is a mature type of defense mechanism where socially unacceptable impulses or idealizations are unconsciously transformed into socially acceptable actions or behavior, possibly resulting in a long-term conversion of the initial impulse.

Mention one Horney´s theory:

For Horney, a child grows freely and well to the extent that he or she feels security and genuine self-esteem. To the extent that the child falls prey to adverse influences, he or she develops a deep insecurity, what Horney called basic anxiety—the feeling of being helpless and alone in a world experienced as potentially hostile.

Mention 5 approaches of psychology:

PsychodynamicPerspective.

TheEvolutionaryApproach.

CognitiveApproach.

TheBehaviouralPerspective.

HumanisticPerspective.

What is unconscious?
A: Mind containing thoughts, feelings, and desire of which we are mostly unaware.

Freud believes that:
a) sex is less important than the thoughts.
b) the conscious mind can deal with the mass of unaceptable passions and drives.
A: c)The unconscious exerts an important influence over our everyday behaviors
d) Four systems that take part in the conflict between drives and restraints.

1.    Name the two parts of the id
= Thanatos & Eros

2. Name the 3 parts of the personality
= Ego, super ego & id

3. The major causes of behavior have their origin in the

Talkin about the id, ego, and superego

Who is the largest part of the icerberg?
A:The id

1.-¿What study the neurobiological approach ?

R,- Study the ways in wich the brain, nervous system are involved in behavior

2.- what is the basic research un neurobiological approach ?

R.- Studies the neuronal hormonal and other phsycal factors that affect behavior

3.- What is the applied psychology in neurobiological approach?

Helps with additions, eating disorders, health issues affect of enviromental pollutants or weather on mood undersdtanding the role of emotions and anger mangent

1.- What are neurobiologists interested in?

In how the physical systems affect behavior, thought and feelings. 

4.- The psychodynamic approach focuses on:____________ 

the winner forces, conflictos, or instincts of the unconscious mind.

¿What is Superego?

Incorporates the values and morals of society which are learned from parents and other .

¿ What is the Bassic Assumption?!

Is the major causes of behavior that have their origin in the unconscious, and psychic determinism says that all behavior had a cause / Reason.

¿ Studies the ways in which the brain, nervous system , and other body system are involved in behavior?

The Neurobiological Approach .

¿Is the part of the ID which has been modified by the direct influence of the external world ?

EGO‘

How personality is studied?

In clinical observations, experimental psychology where participants may be observed, using tests and which is the most of various personality factors

Which are the most important contributions of Freud?

Focus  the unconscious

Interest  in cognitive and symbolic behavior

Development of psychological therapy

Belief in the importance of basic drives of sexuality and aggression

1.what is the distortion of reality?

The distortion of reality and the in the realness and the dose of imagination

2.what does Freud say about the defense mechanisms?

That its one way to avoid pain or reduced anxiety

3. what the oppression of the consciousness produce in the long run ?

A false reality

4.is violence a defense mechanism?

Yes

5. when you cant let go of someone is that a defense mechanisim?

Yes

6.Do you use your defense mechanisms everyday?

Yes in our daily activities

What approach did Watson applied?

R: Behaviorism

1-What are the defense mechanisms?
A group of mental process that enables the mind to reach compromise solutions to conflicts that the mina is unable to resolve

2-what's the ego
The ego contain our conscious perceptions that develop with the reactions of the real world.

3- Freud proposed three systems that take part in the conflict between our inner drives and external restraints. Wich are those? 
1- the Id
2-the Ego
3-The superego

4- •is intensive component of personality
•consist in of al the biological components of personality presented at birth
•is the first impulsive part of a new born child.
characteristics of:
R- Conscious

Introspection was proposed by?

Wilhelm Wundt                            

What is the ID?

Is the largest portion of the iceberg. The ID contains the basic drives to survive, reproduce and engage in mastery over others.

What are the defense mechanisms?

Is the ways that ego avoids pain or reduces anxiety by using defense mechanisms to distort reality.

Who is the founder of the psychodynamic approach and psychoanalysis.?

Sigmund Freud

What is the psychodynamic approach?

The psychodynamic approach includes all the theories in psychology that see human functioning based upon the interaction of drives and forces within the person, particularly unconscious, and between the different structures of the personality.

Which are the parts of the mind? 
*Ego, super ego and id

Define the roles of the parts of the mind.
*The id is made of the "reptilian incsticts", it is the wild and impulsive part of the mind which acts when provoked.
The ego is an evolved part of the id which rationalizates about the situation and tries to give a rational answer to every problem.
The super ego developes around the age of 3 to 4, it acts as a mediatos between the id and the ego (especially the id) and tries to coose the best response between the two for every stressful situation.

Studies mental processes of perception memory, language, problem solving and thinking

a) sociocultural approach
A: b) cognitive approach
c) Neurobiological approach.
d) behavioral approach.

A) Unconscious
Ego
C) ID

4. The super ego is developed around the age of

A) 10 – 14
3 – 5
C) 1 – 3

4.- Which thing study neurobiological approach?

neurotransmissors

b) ego

C) id

D)Súper ego

2.- Which is NOT a defense mechanism: 

denial b) acceptance c) regression d) projection 

3.- Who established the Psychodynamic approach?

Wundt b) Skinner c) Freud d) Pavlov

When you are refusing to accept something that is upsetting, the defense mechanism taht is acting is.
a) Regression  b) Displacement  *c) Denial  d) Repression

Who proposed the theory of the defense mechanisms?
a) Alfred A