I have three tests this week; a psych 101 exam on Monday at 8:00 a.m., the first exam in counseling on Tuesday, and our second exam in developmental psych on Wednesday. I'm really glad they aren't on the same day. I feel almost ready for the psych 101 exam. It covers 2 chapters, and I've been cramming the info from the second chapter into my head most of the afternoon. I had a very firm grasp on the Chapter 1 info a week or two ago, but I need to refresh my memory. I'll do that tomorrow. I've had enough of that one today.
The counseling class, however, isn't so firmly ensconced in my brain. Not the raw facts I need in order to pass the test, anyway. I haven't even finished reading all the chapters that the test covers. That one is now high on my priority list. But right now I'm writing. This is my reward for finishing the other stuff today.
But I wanted to share something interesting I found in my psych 101 book. It's about aggression. Psychologists have developed a frustration-aggression hypothesis. It states that frustration produces aggression. duh (See? College isn't so hard) But that's just the framework for what I want to show you. "People often become aggressive when they are in pain or are exposed to loud noise or foul odors. Extreme heat has also been linked to aggression in several studies."(Wood, Wood, & Boyd, 2007)* That explains my story right there. Of course "extreme" is a subjective concept. In my condition anything over 80F (27C) accompanied by humidity above 50% is extreme. Oh, and check this out: Berkowitz (no, not that Berkowitz) has used these findings to propose an idea he calls the cognitive-neoassociationistic model. WTF? Can you say that three times, really fast? According to my textbook, he "suggested that anger and aggression result from aversive events and from unpleasant emotional states, such as sadness, grief, and depression." (Wood et al., 2007)* Well gosh, it's a wonder I'm not a whole lot more aggressive than I am.
Although there is much more reading and thought organization waiting on me, I plan to go to bed now. A good night's sleep is critical to proper brain function. I know that's in the literature somewhere, but I'm too tired and I can't think clearly enough to find it.
*Wood, S. E., Wood, E. G., Boyd, D. (2007). The world of psychology, portable edition (Vol. 6). Boston: Pearson Allyn & Bacon. p. 817.
9 comments:
I've always thought heat slows everyone down. Like if you visit a tropical country, everyone and everything seems to move in slow motion. I hate anything above 80 with humidity too. Thank the lord for AC.
It totally makes sense to me because I have no patience if I am hot. Thank god I live in northern Canada, that's all I can say about that!
The heat/aggresion theory makes even more sense when you compare crime rates and statistics from large, southern cities with those of comparable northern cities. The southern ones are always higher and the year round warmth keeps it going. There's good reason for the term "hot and bothered".
I hope you are lying down in a cool, quiet place.
Blahblahblob is right. :P
you will find a lot of reports confirming common sense things. But everyonce in a while a common sense thing is negated - and these are fascinating.
Yes, the rates of violent crimes go up in NYC when the weather gets hot, and the higher the temperature, the higher the rates. I have noticed in myself that my temper gets worse because of chronic pain, and loud noises. Foul odors hadn't occurred to me, but it makes sense. I really have to make sure to be out of the city no later than July.
I just started doing hot yoga and it is done at 105F..50% humidity..it is the most calming thing. Although I am too warn out to be agressive.
I get angry when I'm hungry, other than that, temp doesn't really affect me. I love the heat. Cold doesn't make me angry but my ears start to ache if I'm not covered up and I get very irritable in those situations.
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