Using Psychology in your Daily Life

Q: Why do we dream?

A: According to Freud’s Unconscious Wish Fulfillment Theory, dreaming is gratification of unconscious desires and needs. According to activation synthesis, our brain produces random bursts of energy stimulating memories in our limbic system. Dreams start random then develop meaning. 

 

Q: How do you persuade someone effectively?

A: One method is using the central route of persuasion, which is changing people’s attitudes through logical arguments and explanations. Another method is using the peripheral route of persuasion, which is changing people’s attitudes through incidental cues, such as delivering the message when the person is in a positive mood.

 

Q: What should you do if a person’s behavior is negatively affecting you?

A: Ask them for change. Research in compliance has shown that a change in what is said or done because of a request is higher than you think.

 

Q: How does language structure affect us?

A:Framing can affect our thinking to be positive or negative. For example, instead of saying you have a 10 percent failure rate, say you have a 90 percent success rate. 

 

Q: What should you do when you just can’t solve a math problem?

A:One method would be to leave the question and come back another time. Insight learning may occur, which means the question may just click for you when you come back to try it the second time.

 

Q: What allows us to speak and understand speech everyday?

A:The Wernicke’s Area allows us to comprehend speech and the Broca’s Area allows us to produce speech. 

 

Q: What contributes to our experience of emotion?

A: The Schachter two-factor theory explains how physiological arousal and cognitive labeling contribute to our experience of emotion. For example, when we experience a racing heart on a roller coaster, we may label that arousal as excitement. When we experience the same arousal in a dangerous situation, we may label it as fear. 

 

Q: How did singers and mathematicians become who they are?

A: Other than the hard work they put in, the psychological reason would be that they are the people with savant syndrome, which is a rare condition in which a person has exceptional skills in a specific area.

 

Q: What types of parents tend to have independent children?

A: Authoritative parents who give and take with kids are more likely to help their kids become socially competent. 

 

Q: How does anchoring affect our decision making process?

A: Anchoring is a cognitive bias that occurs when we rely too much on the first piece of information we receive when making a decision. This can lead to biased decision because we may give too much weight to the initial anchor and not consider other relevant information.

 

Q: How to overcome a strong fear of a certain object or situation?

A: Specific phobia is a fear of a certain object or situation. A common treatment is systematic desensitization, which involves gradually exposing yourself to the feared object while practicing relaxation techniques. Take it step by step until you overcome the fear.

 

Q: Why should we disregard other peoples’ criticisms?

A: According to the fundamental attribution error principle, people sometimes underestimate the situation and overestimate personal factors. The people who make criticisms may not understand the situation well enough so what they said might not be true.

 

Q: What factors influence our identity and contribute to who we become?

A: The term reciprocal determinism states that how we think, behave and how our environment is like all interact to influence the consistency of behavior and shape who we are.

 

Q: How well do we know ourselves?

A: The Barnum effect in psychological assessments states that we tend to accept vague descriptions of ourselves as accurate.

 

Q: What types of intelligence are important for success in life?

A: According to the triarchic theory, individuals may excel in one or more of the following: analytical intelligence, the ability to analyze problems using logic, creative intelligence, the ability to think outside the box, and practical intelligence, the ability to adapt to the environment and solve everyday problems.

 

Q: How can you reach success?

A: Your self-efficacy will give you the confidence to believe in yourself and your ability so you ensure you do through action. Believe in yourself and your potential, and know that you have what it takes to succeed.