Psycd Issue Two by Psyc'd Magazine

PS C’D TM

First Year. The Baby.

Issue II | August 2014

In the head of the students, the stresses and strains of just coping as an undergraduate student.

FEATURED Blog Posts

THREE ENTICING POSTS WHICH SPEAK TO BEAUTY AND SOCIETY, ACCEPTING ONE’S SELF & UNIVERSITY AS A STUDENT KNOWS IT.

HOW TO: LET GO OF THE PAST FOR A BETTER FUTURE. PHOTO

Highlights From The Past

PSYCHOLOGY CONFERENCES

page33

BY WHAT STANDARD IS

HAPPINESS ATTAINABLE?

INSIGHT INTO THE STEPS TAKEN TO ATTAIN HAPPINESS. IS ACHIEVING THIS ELATED FEELING POSSIBLE?

Voxpop Attitudes Series Towards Psychology: From An Outsider’s Perspective..

Who Are We and

WHO DO

SAY ARE

By What Standard Is Happiness Attainable?

Insight into the steps taken to attain happiness. Is achieving this elated feeling possible?

Why Do We Hang On To The Past? 11 Often times we choose to hang on to the past be it relationships or possessions. What are the pros and cons of doing so?

Love and Strength

Two very strong, mind blowing, thought alterating pieces are featured in this issue.

whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s featured

03 First Year.The Baby

In the head of a students, the stresses and strains of just coping as an undergrad.

Who Are We?

Are we a reflection of our parents, a facade for our friends or the actualized self we strive to be?

Society And Beauty

Society gives birth to the highest level of conformity as we strive to achieve the ideal beauty portrayed in the media. But is this attainable or muchless realistic?

Highlights from Psychology Conferences 2014

Psychology Conference two page spread in this issue.

inside... stories

Voxpop Series : Attitudes Towards Psychology, An Outsider Perspective

Interviewers find out what are the attitudes towards psychologyof students from other faculties and report their findings.

PS C’D MAGAZ C CONTENTS PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

FEATURED PSYCH ARTICLE

Article entitled “ Why You Can’t Do What You Know You Need To” by Linda Bloom, L.C.S.W., & Charlie Bloom, M.S.W.,

ABOUT PSYCD A background of the PSYCD magazine

Are you chasing your happiness? Do you want to be happy?

BLOG FEATURE

WELCOME

“University the friend killer”

UNDERGRADUATE

SURVIVAL GUIDE

The article from Issue One featured again.

Warm welcome to all new and returning students to a new school year from PSYCD

Creator & Graphics Designer

THE POWER OF PERSUASION

Persuasion is an extremely power ful and integral tool in social psychology

BLOG FEATURE

“I wouldn’t want to be anybody else?”

CON

Writers Alexandra Daley

Alexandra Daley

Dwayne Grant Chardae Hanson Corey Lindner Paula- Kaye Murphy Vanessa Roseway Jeremy Spence

Editors

Alexandra Daley Christophe James

Surveyors

Alexandra Daley B’Andra Haughton Jeremy Spence

Featured Writers Alexandra Elle Charlie Bloom, M.S.W. Linda Bloom, L.C.S.W.

Advisors

Dr. Ishtar Govia, PhD. Dr. Garth Lipps, PhD. Dr. Tracy Mcfarlane, PhD.

D ’ C PS

ften times students of any university are tested not only on their intelligence, but their ability to recall, application of knowledge, decisive thinking, reading skills and the capability to manage their time. Students in psychology are required to perform all these tasks while gaining competence in various laboratory and research skills, constructing proper research studies as well as analyze theories which are the foundation of the science. Undoubtedly the workload of a student in the field, given the combination of courses, can be quite comprehensive. Still, this allows students to strengthen their critical writing skills through a range of diverse assignments; at the end of which, most times, outstanding pieces of work are created through the proper utilization of one’s talents and application usage. Psychology is an interesting topic/field and is found in most aspects of human life. Having a passion for the field of psychology and currently pursuing a first degree, the creator of the magazine has experienced various areas of the science and understood just how beguiling it can be. The idea also came about due to the experience she has had in graphic design, her second love, especially designs for logos, flyers and magazines. With that said, she came to the conclusion that by combining these experiences, a creative medium through which psychology majors can voice their “opinions” and express their “views” would be a great idea; thus, taking the initiative to create a magazine fit that description perfectly.

How did the name ‘Psyc’d’ come about?

I conceptualized the name ‘Psyc’d’ due to the phrase I usually leave with my friends for the day. I would say “Stay Psyched!” to mean to stay in the right frame of mind or to stay motivated/happy/confident, which usually improves their mood/ makes them smile since they interpret it as me having a love for psychology.

E N I Z A G MA

T U O B A

‘Psyc’d’ is a digital magazine created by the psychology student for the psychology student. Regularly, students are not able to showcase their passion & talents in the discipline so this medium caters to just that. The magazine aims to publish article which focus on the life of students pursuing degrees in the field, current issues and upcoming events among other features with a psychological theme. By being a part of the magazine, writers will voice their opinions and thus gain experience for their work not only as a writer but an individual psychologist.

Vision & Mission statement The vision of the magazine is to see that students are accredited for their talents as not enough mediums are readily available for writers to do so. The mission of the magazine is to achieve the set objectives by the ability of the participants in the project.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this magazine are:

• To provide exposure to students in

the field of psychology through this medium.

• To promote inter-relationships between students through the pieces published in each issue as individuals would be able to gather understanding and appreciation for the science.

• To showcase the many talents and

opinions of writers as they discuss different matters in the psychological field and life.

• To make the readers aware of real-life issues and provide aids which can be applied to everyday life.

• To create a social support unit that

older students in the system can lend to the younger students as to many issues experienced over the years.

• To keep writers motivated by getting exposure for their work.

• To maintain reader’s interest in each

issue and increase subscriptions as the year progresses.

• To eventually gain recognition from

an international standpoint from writers in the field from different parts of the world as well as exposure for the magazine.

THE

By Alexandra Daley

FIRST YEAR

The first day of the first year of university life can be quite a glorious experience, like the rite of passage, similar to getting your first shaving instrument or your first cough....girls you know what I’m talking about. Or it could take a turn for the worst and spiral into catastrophic disaster. It’s all your perspective on your first day of the rest of your adult life really and what it means to you. Without the help of anyone, not in administration or your faculty or department representatives, you are instructed to make your own decisions and trust me that seems like a big deal especially when you are spoon fed all your life. However, with the large number of information hurled at you at once it’s easy to misunderstand if you should’ve taken two lefts and a right or just stay and wait for a campus guide.

THE --- BABY

University is undoubtedly a huge jump from what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re used to in high school, where you have a schedule of classes you are to buy this amount of books and study for these tests from chapter two. In university although you have only five-six courses as opposed to the eight-ten and twelve subjects in high school, they will make you wish that you had those ten subjects with a side order of nap time. I implore you not to make the silly mistake of thinking that with less subjects come less work. Quite the contrary, you will be up to your neck with work. However I will console you a bit, the first year is your safety net - the year you make mistakes, the year you sleep out your morning classes and cram a semesters work in less than twelve hours in an attempt to pass. Just for the record, high school cramming gets you nowhere in university and it mentality sets you up for academic doom. Mark my words friend. You are first year, you are the baby, your predecessors can and will tell you that you are where they wanted to stay where climbing the ladder to maturity and adulthood is concerned. I just hope that you all take these new experiences with an openness to step outside of your comfort zones because this is only the beginning of your journey to self discovery.

IG: alex_elle Dysfunction isn’t love. Control isn’t love. Manipulation isn’t love. Hurt isn’t love. Emotional and physical abuse isn’t love. Lying isn’t love. Lust isn’t love. Settling isn’t love. Saying “I’m sorry” ten times over for the SAME THING isn’t love. What are you growing? What are you feeding your soul? Why are you tolerating less that you deserve all for the sake of having “love”? You may have to be alone and uncomfortable for a while before you get the real thing. Stop blocking your blessings by going backwards. - Alexandra Elle

Strength Is... …knowing when to let go …being alone and not lonely …saying no …seeing opportunities in threats and taking advantage of them … doing what other said you can’t … being a pleasant surprise to yourself … knowing and believing you can, and actually doing it … remaining silent without losing your power … accepting your flaws and embracing that which is you … knowing when you’re wrong and actually admitting it … not being afraid to look in the mirror and beyond the image you see … knowing you can be made weak by almost anything. Love? … knowledge that you never got where you are in life because of your own efforts. It’s concerted

… willing to love someone knowing that the feeling will never be reciprocated … not giving up on that which you believe … fighting for that thing or someone you love … GIVING YOUR ALL TO GOD & NOT EXPECTING ANYTHING IN RETURN.

counterfeit ntel igence.wordpres .com

- Corey Lindner

Happiness

PURSUIT OF

By Paula-Kay Murphy

Over the past few weeks Franceene found myself in situations that have often times left her very unhappy. Apart from this ongoing unhappiness she felt waves of depression, frustration and downright mental exhaustion. Last week she took a moment to think and really tried to figure out why she was so deep in unhappiness. She then realized that her unhappiness stemmed from the fact that she was thinking - better yet concentrating- on things in her life that she had little or no control over. She was worrying about school fee payments, boarding arrangements for school, finances, really just a little bit of everything. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that these are things she could not handle on her own and was not supposed to be so concerned with. So then why was it still consuming her and eating away at her happiness? The truth of the matter is, as human beings, we can get so caught up with the uncertainty of our future that we often forget to live in and enjoy the present. We are surrounded by so many things and people that have the ability to bring joy to our lives yet we are blinded by the never ending anguish we feel as a result of daily concerns that we can’t even enjoy ourselves. What we sometimes fail to realize is that wallowing in unhappiness can and will affect our mental and physical health. Clinical depression is one of those common mental health issues. Persons usually become seriously depressed after traumatic experiences, stressful events, conflicts or other personal issues that they may not have been able to bounce back from. Some persons sink so low into depression that they become suicidal and that’s where it gets extremely serious. Other persons may develop poor eating habits, start abusing alcohol or illicit drugs or even indulge in unhealthy sexual habits just so that they can feel good even for a few minutes. All of these health issues and unsafe practices can be avoided simply by deciding within yourself to maintain a positive attitude in spite of….OK, maybe ‘simply’ is not the right word because let’s face it, it is a real challenge to just let go of your cares and live freely. Think for a moment of how amazing it would be to just go through one day with no worries or cares. Just blissful. Happy. The thought of it makes you feel a little warmth inside right? Well how about this; everyday starting now try to find something in your day to be happy about. Whether it is a song you like, a joke you heard, a new pair of shoes, whatever the case may be just focus on that. Try to find all the good things and just focus all your energy on those. You will be surprised how much better things become for you. Less stress, more happiness; impossible? Just go for it, you have nothing to lose.

Let go of your cares, Live freely. 10

pa p i n e s s

ndard IsH

a ByWha t St

When I was younger I was always told to “follow my bliss”, I was told that my ‘bliss’ was my truth and it would be my guide. Well eight year old Jeremy, wide eyed and hungry to learn took this kernel of wisdom at face value and ran with it. As such I used it as my go-to answer any chance I got when asked ‘what do I want to do in life?’. The problem with this (aside from the habit of adults continually questioning children about what they want to do when they grow up) is that my ‘bliss’ never quite defined itself in certain terms. Actually my ‘bliss’ was never much of a talker and did not define itself at all. When I would walk left, if my bliss was to the right it never said a word. I had a mute guide and an unseen truth; needless to say eight year old me was quite concerned. What if I never find my ‘bliss’? Fast forward a decade and some change and I still find myself on that boat drawing on the same ‘go-to’ response whenever I’m asked what I want to do in life. However as old as I am (and hopefully wiser), I can now understand this sage advice more clearly and appreciate the abstract thought behind it. You see, my ‘bliss’ refers to the thing(s) that make you ‘happy’, that pardon the cliché, make life ‘worth’ living. My new problem however, is not the what, but the how. How do I discover what makes me happy? How do I pursue it? And more importantly is this ‘pursuit of happiness’ achievable? Is it attainable? Can I one day hold it in my hands and shout with glee at the (literal or metaphorical) top of the world? Happiness is defined as ‘a mental or emotional state of well-being characterized by positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy’. However, this definition, as concise as it tries to be, still leaves a lot to be desired as since the dawn of time a standardized explanation for such a far reaching and subjective term has proven to be lacking - to put it mildly. Happiness does not have one source, nor does it exist in a vacuum. Everybody experiences happiness in their own subjective way. For some, happiness comes from extrinsic factors; like getting a bonus for a hard month’s work. For others it’s more intrinsic; like helping out someone less fortunate. Not to mention happiness stemming from the resolution of a problem or the mere fact of the absence of problems all together. For some happiness exists in a moment, for others it’s more a cumulative experience that endures over time. For most of us happiness exists in rotating variations of all of the above, leading one to ask, is there one big great, dare I say ultimate ‘happiness’ to achieve at the end of the road? or do we collect little pockets of happiness along the way? For years psychologists have tried to operationalize happiness in a more absolute way. Many early psychologists link happiness with material possessions - such as physical wealth and owning l uxurious things such as a house or a car, but later psychologists take it a step further and began looking at more intrinsic factors of happiness. One such psychologist, Martin Seligman, asserted that happiness is something that is not solely derived from external, momentary pleasures but that humans seem happiest when they have: pleasure, relationships, meaning and accomplishments. Through these factors Seligman merges both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations as well as social and personal ones. It combines the intangible, self-determination and goals, to the social realm, the security from relationships with other people, as well as the sensory - from visual, audible tactile and otherwise. Happiness is as diverse as the people who seek it and as numerous as the many ways to make a child laugh.We find our ‘bliss’ through knowing ourselves and finding a sense of enjoyment in our current situation- in the things we eat, in the people we are around, in the job we have, in the dreams we dare to dream. There is no set box marked happiness we wish to open, but vast roads that we must sometimes stumble along to find something far greater than ourselves. Maybe it’s the little things that mean to most to you. I started this article with the hope of some illumination, in hoping to somehow find the key to the door with all the answers. Truth is I can’t answer if the pursuit of happiness is truly attainable, because my happiness is not the same as yours and will probably never be. I can only continue to follow my ‘bliss’, and let you know if I get there.

yJeremy Spence

WHY YOU CAN'T DO WHAT YOU KNOW YOU NEED TO.

Linda Bloom, L.C.S.W., Charlie Bloom, M.S.W.

If you're someone who has had difficulty putting the suggestions of self-help books into practice, you're not alone. But don't take it personally—it's not your fault. Well-intended though they may be, many self-help books generally...don't. Help, that is. What they often do is point out ways in which we can change our behavior, attitudes, beliefs, and even thoughts, to bring about changes we desire in our lives. There is no arguing that these suggestions can be beneficial, if we can implement them. If. But often, our ability to do so is more limited than we realize, not because of any intrinsic deficiency, but because we may be locked into unconscious patterns to which we have a stronger allegiance than we realize. Self-help books can assist us in finding the paths that can take us to our desired goals, but they often fail to address the piece of the iceberg underneath the surface of our awareness that is committed to resisting change. And although they can be useful in suggesting behavioral changes, they often miss the mark in providing the necessary link between a good idea and a new outcome. When we can’t do what we think we need to do or should do, it’s easy to be left with a feeling of inadequacy, personal failure, or disappointment. Many books remind us that we just need to let go of our fear, drop our resentment, practice forgiveness for our partners, stop manipulating, and be more honest and vulnerable. Well-meaning as this advice is, as most of us have discovered, embodying it is usually quite a bit easier said than done. Part of the problem is that behind every intention, there is a (usually unconscious) competing commitment, or shadow intention, to do the opposite. For example, behind the intention to be more open is another intention to close down and protect. Behind the intention to stand up and speak your truth, there may be an intention to avoid disapproval. Our failure to adequately appreciate the strength of our shadow commitments’ grip can leave us angry at ourselves for not “doing what I know I should do.” But self-condemnation isn’t particularly helpful when it comes to making life changes, most of which require patience, practice, self-compassion, understanding, and support. Recognizing the shadow aspects of ourselves—those parts we have denied, disowned, or attempted to conceal from others—is a powerful step in becoming a more self-accepting person, an important aspect of any successful relationship.

Yet the desire to shed light on our shadow has its own shadow—the commitment to continue to conceal what we consider the unattractive aspects of our personality in order to promote a more favorable impression to others. The commitment to continuing to do what we have always done and avoiding the risk of potentially upsetting life-changes is an intention present within most of us—even when it seems to make sense to risk upsetting the apple cart. There is no getting rid of the shadow—but the good news is that we don’t need to. Since it’s not possible to get a “shadowectomy,” the next best thing is to identify, accept, and even appreciate its gifts, and in so doing, transform our perception of it, from adversary to partner. Again, easier said than done, but doable. And worth the effort. Neutralizing the shadow’s resistant aspects without eliminating it requires a willingness to illuminate that which has been concealed in the darkness—to recognize the underlying attachments, desires, and fears that keep the shadow in place. In doing so, our relationship with the hidden aspects of ourselves changes from denial to acceptance, from concealing to revealing. Changing our relationship with parts of ourselves is the first and most important step in transforming the quality of our relationships. As many of us know from experience, it’s impossible to change how you feel toward others until you change your experience of yourself. “Shadow work” is essentially a process of cultivating self-love and self-acceptance. It is not “search and destroy,” but “search and befriend.” As we bring a curious, accepting, and non-judgmental attitude to our own experience, parts of ourselves to which we had lost access become available in ways that allow us to see ourselves, and others, in radically different ways. We don’t have to do anything differently. It’s more a matter of viewing ourselves through new lenses, rather than trying to be the person that we think we “should be.” Shadow work isn’t for the faint of heart. It requires a strong desire for authentic relatedness, a willingness to be ruthlessly honest with ourselves, and a hunger for deep and meaningful connection with others. The demands are high, but the benefits great. When we are no longer afraid to face ourselves or be clearly seen by others, we can finally be free. That freedom means no longer being a slave to the need for external acceptance or others’ approval, and living with integrity and open-heartedness. This path is habit-forming. Once you start, the old defensive patterns gradually lose their appeal and grip. The sweetness of an open heart is very compelling. Once that genie is out of the bottle, you can’t put it back in.

WHY YOU CAN'T DO WHAT YOU KNOW YOU NEED TO.

But, then, why would you want to?

WHY DOWe H A N G

TO T

emorable, distasteful, regret, hurt and happiness were some of the common words used by individuals when asked to describe their past in one word. Most people are able to look beyond their past and anticipate their future while others just simply will not let go. Focusing too much on one area limits you so it is always best to be balanced. But why do we hang onto our past? The problem is that we are afraid of what will happen if we actually let go of the past. Many of us have conditioned our minds to feel bad when we make mistakes or if we hurt someone and in the end we just want to remind ourselves of that circumstance.

The past sometimes teaches and prepares us for what is to come and even to avoid future mistakes. We hold and cherish these moments as the past helps us to understand ourselves, allows us to reflect and reminds us of the choices that were made in different situations. Whether it was leaving an unhealthy relationship, failing a course twice or even the choice of accepting the death of a loved one, the past is what molds us as individuals and we hold onto it as it is a part of us. As humans, we have the tendency to invest a lot of time and energy into Significant events. At times we feel so responsible for carrying the weight around we hang on and punish ourselves for the mistakes made.

? On

THE

Experiences in the past may be good or it may be bad, but the desire to keep hanging on is an overpowering and never ending trend as we continuously assess ourselves. Think about it, everytime you are reminded of something that has happened previously, a great amount of energy is drained as you start to ponder your beliefs, your choices and your behavior. Whenever you feel upset, sad, disappointed or irritated, take a moment in silence to listen to your inner thoughts and just reflect. Even though many of us cling onto the past, letting go and accepting that life may not always go the way we plan can help us to move forward to expect better things and be better individuals. Remember who you are and eventually you will know what works. You will be surprised at By Chardae Hanson how excellently you start to handle situations!

AST

Who are we? Or who do we say we are? Is who we think we are a delusional image of who we are actually? Is it that we as humans, interacting constantly with the environment, are too fearful to come to grips with who we define ourselves as truly that we cook up this image of a person who we more likely accept. Who we are is our mantra, what makes us unique from the eight billion people of this world. we have one self - our ride or die, take-to-the-grave being- that no matter what we do we have to love. However, loving ourselves is hard especially if we possess traits we do not particularly like, much less what others despise. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easier to love your communicators, your loved ones even strangers because we have the tendency to selectively pick and choose what we like about them and discard the bad. Sometimes we do that to our own selves - idolize the good we hold dear to our hearts whilst we shun the traits that go bump in the night. The conflict between the actual self and the ideal self causing much an imbalance as itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s effortless to create human perfection - someone everyone adores. Inevitably, we all strive for acceptance, to be loved and coveted so we pull out all the stops to attain that sense of belonging in an unpredictable and ever changing world. The world rotates and with the seasons, people transform and evolve at the drop of a hat. We need to counteract that and strive for self actualization, increased self worth and self acceptance because no matter how hard you try you are stuck with you. Every morning you get up you have to look in the mirror at the breathing, living person looking back holding your deepest fears and aspirations. So who am I you ask? I am unique, I am phenomenal, I am extraordinary, I am the definition of Me.

By Alexandra Daley

Society isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a committee that decides what beauty is. Society isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a panel of people who dictate what beauty is: Blonde hair Blue eyes. 24 inch waist. Slender hips. Thigh gap, Collar bones.

No. This is not society.

rowing up I was made to feel bad about being skinny. My classmates called me “Stringbean”, “Popeye’s Olive”, “Skeleton” and a barrage of other names. All around me I saw girls with body parts that I didn’t have and still don’t have and I was made to feel inferior to them; like less of a female because my body proportions were different. By nine years old, so many girls in my 4th grade class were wearing training bras while I still looked like a boy from the waist up. They had these exciting new protrusions from their chests and by 5th and 6th grade, these little bumps were matched with hips and clearly visible assets. Meanwhile I pulled out my General Science textbook and re-read the chapter on puberty until the pages were tattered and crushed. I cherished those three lines about late bloomers and underlined them triumphantly. One day my day would come. I’m twenty years old this year and my time still has not come. When I left primary school I weighed a whopping sixty pounds and by the first day of high school I weighed seventy-two pounds. Nobody was happier than I was. I was twelve pounds happier and I thought this meant that I was well on my to blooming. I still have not bloomed. When I hit those dangerous teenage years of fifteen and sixteen I was on the winning team. All of a sudden being skinny was all the rave. Teenagers walked around my all-girl high school eating salads for lunch and munching on carrot sticks while greedily eyeing the real food at the lunch table. Everybody was dieting and going to the gym and working out thirty minutes everyday. Five years and a few IQ points later, teenage girls are still caught in that vicious cycle. As they lean over toilet seats vomiting up the scraps they had for dinner, or take laxatives, they blame Vogue, MTV and America’s Next Top Model for their insecurities. “Society is at fault” they say. Society told them they weren’t pretty enough. But what or who is this society that is being tried for all kinds of crimes against young women?

Nothing annoys me more than young women who subscribe to eating disorders and self-hate and blame it on society. They say, “Society defines beauty as having clear skin, long slender legs, skinny waist, C cups, etcetera etcetera.”

No. Society does not. YOU do. My point is that society has so many parts, so many facets with so many different opinions of beauty. Yes, there are parts of society that think beauty is having a thigh gap and pronounced collar bones. But there is another part that has Kim Kardashian and Nicki Minaj as cover girls - this part considers women with thighs that touch, double D breasts and some meat on the bone as beautiful. Then there are parts of society that praise Blake Lively for her blonde hair and parts that like Beyoncé’s hair extensions, or Amber Rose’s bald crown and pockets that rave endlessly about Corinne Bailey Rae and Solange’s natural hair. There are persons in society that consider beauty as all shapes and sizes. So why do you cling to the aspect of this ‘society’ that makes you feel bad about yourself? Everybody has insecurities. Insecurities are good for us. They build character and they prevent us from being arrogant and self-centered. But there is a fine line between being aware of your insecurities and being superficial. There comes a point when you decide being healthy, happy and alive is infinitely better than being pretty. People blame society everyday for the insecurities of teenage girls. Society does not create insecurities, it feeds them. I don’t absolve society of the role played in this downward spiral in the self esteem of young girls but society is not the criminal here. I live in the same society and for years I felt inadequate for not having that hour glass shape. In this same society I have wanted the opposite of what so many girls want. My “society” shows me rounded buttocks and full hips and actual boobs. For years, my “society” told me I wasn’t enough. So many thin girls gorge on milk shakes day in day out to gain extra pounds, they hit the gym and squat all night to achieve that asset everybody thinks is necessary. Every girl has her “society” and sees something around her that tells her she isn’t enough. Skinny girls are told to fatten up, chubby girls are told to diet. Do you. Be you and be happy doing it, but if you choose not to, if you choose to drown in your insecurities, don’t blame society. Society is the skinny models on the catwalk, society is the millions of people suffering from obesity, society is the bulimic and the anorexic, the Blake Livelys, Kim Kardashians and Demi Lovatos, the Rihannas and the Iggy Azaleas.

Society is me. Society is you.

a ss y e n a Va sew Ro

BLOG: mademoisel enes .svbtle.com

I AM FAR FROM PERFECTI“ ON BUT I’D LOVE TO BE “

Make yourself the most important project you will ever work on in your life.

BY:

COREY

LINDNER

I will change whenever I see fit

I am far from perfection, but I’d love to be. However, as long as I am human I will never be perfect, but perfectly imperfect. There are days I spend hours looking at my reflection in a mirror and just can’t get past the scars from the healed wounds. Sometimes I let the tears flow freely, and other times I play ‘Survivor’ by Destiny’s Child and dance freely.

People have tried to tell me all my life what I should be, how I should act, what I should wear, where I should go, who I should talk to, date and sit with. I only wish more times that people would understand that I am who I am just like they are who they are and I will change whenever I see fit. I do not want anyone to remind me of my follies, or beat me for them. I’d much rather they take the ride with me and help me up when I fall occasionally. I’d like them to remember that in all of this, they are not perfect either, so they do not have the requisite licenses to judge.

I sometimes sit and ponder the questions: who am I? Why am I here? Why was I made like this? Who was I made for? Am I doing what I was born to do? Will I live to see my grandchildren? Will I even raise a child? I live within my head more than I do within the world. Often times I’m chastised for this, exhibiting to be too “stuck up and uptight” or accused of thinking I am better than others. No, I am not stuck up or uptight. I actually think more about others than I do myself, which is potentially dangerous and has been the reason for many of my downfalls.

I WO NO WA TO ANYB

OULD OT ANT BE BODYcounterfeitnteligence.wordpres.com LSEBLOG:

LOVE YOURSELF DESPITE ANY AND EVERYTHING

I am always willing to help and be of assistance in any way possible. However, I don’t feel I have anything to prove to anyone. Whoever you concluded me to be, I am fine with that. I will continue being me and you will continue being you and the world will keep on spinning.

No, I do not think I am better than anyone else. However, at times I ponder on the possibility of being more favoured than others which often times leads me to ask God “Why me?”. I have learnt that God made me how he wanted me to, for me to execute the plan he has for my life and his reasons I shouldn’t question. I am open to respecting everyone, under one condition – they respect me as well. But if you don’t want to respect me, don’t hold your breath waiting on me to disrespect you, I won’t. I might unintentionally and unapologetically ‘shade’ you though. A painful high school experience taught me that people will be mean, but that shouldn’t stop us from going after our lofty goals and being a diamond in a sea of common stones. Your words, won’t make me wish I was someone else, because I am great just the way I am and was wonderfully made. I know who I am and what I can and cannot do. When you are able to say these things, you are ten times stronger than the opposition. Love yourself despite any and everything. People may give up on you, but you should never give up on yourself. Make yourself the most important project you will ever work on in your life. Do it, and do it well. To you who would want me any other way, to you I say “CHAT TO MI BACK!”

THE

POWER OF PERSU A ccording to Perloff (2003), persuasion can be defined as “a symbolic process in which communicators try to convince other people to change their attitudes or behaviors regarding an issue through the transmission of a message in an atmosphere of free choice.” Persuasion is a powerful force in daily life and has a major influence on society on a whole. Politics, legal decisions, mass media, news and advertising are all influenced by the power of persuasion which then influences us in turn.

Persuasion can either be negative or positive. An example of a negative form of persuasion could be the act of influencing someone to “smoke” while on the other hand a positive form of persuasion could be the influencing of persons to stop smoking or recycle. Methods of transmitting persuasive messages can occur in a variety of ways, including verbally and nonverbally for example via television, radio, Internet or face-to-face communication. Persuasion is symbolic as it utilizes words, images, and sounds to transfer a message. Hence persuasion involves a deliberate attempt to influence others.

UASION

By Dwayne Grant

Every day we are confronted by persuasion; Food makers want us to buy their newest products, while movie studios want us to go see the latest blockbusters. Since persuasion is such a pervasive component of our lives, it is often overlooked how much we are influenced by outside sources. Due to the usefulness of influence, persuasive techniques have been studied and observed since ancient times, but social psychologists began formally studying these techniques early in the 20th-century. The ultimate goal of persuasion is to convince the target to internalize the persuasive argument and adopt this new attitude as a part of their core belief system.

POWER OF PERSUASION

Since persuasion is an ‘art’ it means that there must be means and ways to get this ‘technique’ right. Firstly, the ‘create a need’ technique which is a method of persuasion which involves creating a need or an appealing of a previously existing need. This type of persuasion appeals to a person’s fundamental needs for shelter, love, self-esteem and self actualization. Next, you have the appeal to a social need method which is the need to be popular, prestigious or similar to others. Television commercials provide many examples of this type of persuasion, where viewers are encouraged to purchase items so they can be like everyone else or be like a well-known or well-respected person. Television advertisements are a huge source of exposure to persuasion considering that some estimates claim that the average American watches between fifteen thousand to two-thousand hours of television every year. Additionally, persuasion uses other techniques such as repetition, jargons, rhetorical questions, tones of speech and images. Persuasion is a truly a powerful technique; if you use the right order of words coupled with the right tone and or play on certain words you can influence an individual to see your perspective and thus have power over them. We use these techniques in our daily lives to get what we want, for example if we need money from our parents, instead of asking for the exact amount we need, we either ask for a little less or a little more which is not too far from the amount we really want. In the end we are likely to get the amount we asked for or we will get over the amount. Persuasive strategies are therefore indeed powerful especially coupled with other variables.

UNIVERSITY: THE ULTIMATE FRIENDSHIP MURDERER ~ By: Vanes a Roseway

Between my not so useful foundation courses, my core courses and sitting under the trees or by the benches of my university campus, I can say I’ve learnt a lot in these few months. I learnt that soaking my nails in cold water after getting them done helps them to dry faster; I’ve learnt that setting my clock a day ahead gets me five more lives on Candy Crush; and yes I picked up a thing or two from the lectures and tutorials. As I come to the end of my year, one thing university has taught me is that the lifespan of a friendship is dependent on many variables and university is the ultimate test of friendships. University has taught me, more than anything else, that friendships do not last forever. Even more than that, knowing somebody for eight, ten, fifteen years isn’t enough to keep that friendship going. This past is important- undoubtedly so-but it is not enough to keep it kicking and screaming in the present. Maintaining a friendship is hard work. I think it’s right up there with running a business. It can be really fun, stressful, at times it gets emotional and more often than not it’s extremely rewarding. But above all, maintaining a friendship is a partnership, and friendships need active partners. However, this academic year has shown me that I have quite a few silent partners. Do you remember that last day of high school? Well, I do. I can recall the tears, the hugs and the nostalgia as if it were just yesterday. I remember all the girls passing around their skirts and shirts for us to sign on with markers and people passing around journals for us to write letters. Then there was the time on Twitter and Facebook when everybody wrote a weepy, emotional epistle. On these surfaces we made empty promises to video call or chat everyday, to go out every month and to keep our friendships going. One academic year later, whether it be two or three semesters, has put these promises to the test. These promises have been baking in the oven for all this time. The timer has sounded and the proof is in the pudding. Think about it. How many persons in your lunch group do you still communicate with regularly? When was the last time you spoke to them? When you make arrangements to meet for lunch who showed up? When you pass them in the corridor do you run and hug them or muster an awkward wave? When you see them online do you quickly start a chat or do you linger a bit over their names then scroll along? People say that people grow apart and friendships naturally come to an end. I beg to differ. I have friends who have migrated and now live miles away and I still make the effort to talk to them. We still make time and we schedule Skype or Whatsapp dates. We all have these friends. These friends that stand the test of time, distance and every epoch in life. On the other side of the river we have friends on the same campuses as we are; a mere five minute walk away but these friends are too busy or always have the “I’m never free when you are free” excuse right at the tips of their tongues. These friends are the friends we pass everyday or exist in the same space with but they are the ones that truly feel miles away. Unlike the Atlantic Ocean, this distance is more difficult to traverse and is seldom ever worth the effort.

I’m not saying we should only dedicate time to our new friends. I’m saying that we’ve reached a period in our journeys and not all our old friends tagged along for the ride.

These are the silent partners. I for one am done making the effort for silent partners. Do your tally, how many silent partner friendships do you have? How many of your friendships didn’t survive university?

Undergrad Survival Guide By: Alexandra Daley

School in and of itself is a stress and let’s be real, even though we are given student handbooks we are still not well equipped to manage the demands of being an undergraduate. We are not prepared in previous years as it regards ‘breezing through ‘the subsequent three years or so of our academic lives so we use methods of trial and error as well as take the hear-say horror stories as gospel to govern our decisions. If only you were blessed with that little ‘piece of Heaven’, the right tools to ensure smooth sailing through the first three years of university....Hmm.. Guide Well, here my friend is the Undergraduate Survival Guide:

1. Map out or create a strategy plan to the day of graduation. graduation.

Read between the lines of your handbook and don’t expect the administration to answer those burning questions because some wont. You owe it to yourself to account for and complete all the required courses which will allow you to graduate with the degree of your choice and attain good grades. Make careful note of this because when judgement day comes, they will show no mercy when they tell you that you can’t graduate due to courses outstanding.

3. Do something you are passionate about If you don’t get up in the mornings and want to come to school to learn something new in your field, then you’re doing something wrong.

2. Don’t rely on the course outlines alone. The lecturers are your friends. Make use of your your lecturer’s lecturer’s office office hours. hours. of

There are here for the reason, these hours are the difference between a grade A and C. Take advantage of these hours, make it known to them that you are interested in their course even outside of lecture hours. You’ll be happy you did.

4. Work with your lecturer to find out what she/he looks for for in in assignments. assignments.

It really doesn’t make sense to try interpret what is happening on that assignment in front of you due next week Friday. Chances are you missed what the requirements are completely. A quick suggestion, go to your lecturer. Hint: They mark your papers!

5. If you don’t time manage you will suffer the wrath of chaos. Trust Trust me. me. chaos. The more you time manage the more

you will be productive. The more you are productive, the more work you are able to get done, thus the quicker you can submit an assignment. Then you can pick up leisure activities like reading, gardening or watching a new episode of ‘Pretty Little Liars’. Note well: One has to also look at the quality of work submitted. Give yourself adequate time to construct a first and second draft (optional) and give it to a tutor for feedback then with all corrections made, write the final draft and submit!

8. Talk in class. Ask questions. Even stupid stupid ones. ones. Even Loud, soft, chatterbox or quiet, at some point you should really make an attempt to speak up in class and make your opinion known. ‘Ask a question because other classmates want the same answer’. Not only will you clarify what was uncertain, but the lecturer will become familiarized with your face, which boosts your reputation and confidence.

10. Accept the work load with an open open mind. mind. an Be prepared to work like your life depended on it. The sooner you accept that your once straight A profile in high school will potentially see a few Bs…or Cs (God forbid)….the better.

6. Employ effective study habits. habits.

Without proper study habits, it’s more difficult to retain information for recall and application when you need it most. Jung is the father of what?

7. Find a mentor. They are like the fairy god-mothers of university. university. A mentor will guide you on the

journey to your Bachelor’s degree and thereafter(if your lucky). It doesn’t necessarily have to be a lecturer, but a tutor or a student in the year(s) above you. That way you can receive insight and advice as to the do’s and don’ts from persons who already ‘know the ropes’.

9. Read ahead of time and review review review! (Not just what what you you get get in in class) class) just

Let me be frank. Most lecturers are not going to give you word for word about a topic. Lecturers only provide you will a basis on which to do extensive reading outside of class. If you get lecture notes on your student portal it is like the holy grail. You have to read vastly in books, journals, the internet, anything….everything….

If you have any queries, contact me at www.facebook.com/psycdmag

Sincerel y , I was there once.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE P S Y C H O L O G Y 2 0 1 5 CO

P S Y C H O L O G Y 2 0 1 5 CONFERENCE

Vox Prop Series:

Attitudes Towards Psychology - An

Outsider Perspective.

What are your thoughts about the field of Psychology and Psychology as a major? Marvin (19 years old)- London, U.K. - I personally find psychology to be a very interesting field, however here in the U.K I see so many people graduate with their psychology degrees and then don’t know where to turn! Clearly I’m not saying this is always the case, and that it has to be this way but I think it is more of a complementary degree. Also when people do psychology here (in the U.K) at any level it seems like all they are doing is just essays. So even if you do a psychology degree course here it isn’t very mentally challenging. I reckon only a few people actually question stuff, others just swat the essays. So it’s dependent on the person I would say, some can graduate with a psychology degree and very much use it, while others are just so ‘bleh’. Many people aren’t hungry for the knowledge like the big psychology legends, they rather just go with the flow. Sherraine (21 years old)- Kingston, Jamaica. - I find psychology to be a very necessary thing all around. General awareness of psychological health is growing, so having trained and educated people in the field is good. We’re becoming more sensitive to the importance of exploring human nature and physiology so it’s more becoming a more and more relevant and useful major. And it can be applied beyond ‘typical’ careers. So yay! Nicolette (21 years old)- Toronto, Canada. - Well I’ve taken some psychology courses, like Intro. to psychology and it was definitely interesting and I learned a lot but it is a lot of reading! Also I find that while people do take them (psychology courses) and go into as a major at my school, I find that they don’t do anything with it really. It’s almost like all this hard work for a science that you don’t use.

Matthew (21 years old) – Kingston, Jamaica - It’s a hard to do subject that’s pretty useful for diagnosis but for nothing else. As far as I see it’s just an observing thing. Raciene (20 years old) – Kingston, Jamaica - I believe it can be a valid tool for understanding humans and the human mind. But since it deals with humans, it has more room for error due to man’s own nature. So there are no hard or fast rules Andre (20 years old) – Kingston, Jamaica - the human mind is a baffling subject with a lot of secrets. I personally support the field of psychology because I wish to understand more about the mind, it’s properties and capabilities. Greg (22 years old) – Kingston, Jamaica - I don’t see why it is a degree programme, it’s basically common sense, a side hobby or something. Personally, it’s the easiest thing to do to give advice so I don’t see why people want to make a profession out of it because I don’t have to pay money to someone to tell me how I feel. It is a waste of time and people do it just cause they can’t get into Law and can’t handle Medicine or Natural Sciences so they take the easy way. I know that if I did the courses it’s an easy A cause all you do is read and regurgitate the information…not at all a challenge.

Thank you to all who participated, your names were changed to protect your privacy. Surveyors: Alexandra Daley, B’Andra Haughton, Jeremy Spence

What are your thoughts about the field of Psychology and Psychology as a major?

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