Psychology 203

Calgary, Alberta, Canada
We are the Peer Mentors of Psychology 203: Psychology for Everyday Living at the University of Calgary. We will be sharing our thoughts about popular myths in psychology as they relate to each class.

Thursday 29 September 2011

Popular Myths in Psychology

Myths about Learning

Myth: If you’re unsure of your answer when taking a test, it’s best to stick with your initial hunch

by Sylvia Tsang

As most of you know, midterm crunch time is coming up soon, and with this, brings a lot of stress and tension. As wonderful as introductory 200 level courses are, they also come with a bane of existence- multiple choice tests. A test is a test, but many undergraduates have admitted that they would prefer sitting on a bed of nails than write a multiple choice test.

The thing that everyone hates the most about multiple choice tests are often how similar two choices can be, and then they are left debating to oneself whether The U.S Constitution was adopted in either 1770 or 1780. The most widely accepted piece of test-taking folklore is to stick with your original answer. Personally, I can’t even count the number of times teachers and professional figures have told me that. But contrary to the popular myth and what I’ve been told, I’ve never followed that rule. Part of the reason is that growing up, my parents always made me double check my exams twice, back in the good ole days when my parents still drove me to my piano theory exams, they would make sure I stayed the full 2 hours of the exam and wouldn’t come pick me up any earlier than that. They’ve always said “You’re bound to find some mistakes in your answers”. Since then, I’ve just learnt to apply the double checking method to all my future tests that I have written- including ones involving multiple choice.

Scientific findings (Benjamin et al., 1984; Geiger, 1996; Skinner, 1983; Waddell & Blankenship, 1994) have found that when students change answers on multiple –choice tests, they’re actually more likely to change from a wrong word to a right answer than from a right to a wrong answer. In addition, students who change more answers tend to receive higher test scores than other students. This is because answer-changers are higher test performers to begin with.

So why do students believe that changing their initial answers is a bad idea? Research has shown that there are three likely explanations that come to mind. As mentioned above, professors, counsellors, strategic advisors have always said changing answers are a bad idea. So this mistaken belief is spread partly by word of mouth. Research suggests that students are more likely to remember the times they changed their answers form right to wrong than those they changed from wrong to right. Because the bitter taste of incorrect decisions lingers longer than the memory of decisions (“Why the hell did I change that answer? I had it right the first time.”). As a consequence, this rule of thumb, known in psychology as a heuristic becomes a mental shortcut, and leads students to overestimate the risk of committing errors when changing answers. Research also shows that students tend to overestimate how many answers they get right on multiple choice tests, so they may just assume that changing answers is like to lower their score. All this being said, when writing a multiple choice test, we shouldn’t just change our answers if we are just plain guessing if the answer is right are wrong. Changing answers only becomes beneficial when one has a good reason to suspect their answer is wrong.

Wrapping things up, because our gut feelings are just gut feelings and nothing more, it would make sense that we do best NOT trusting our hunches. If we have a good reason to believe we’re wrong, we should go with what our head tells us, not our gut. Keep this blog in mind when writing your next Multiple Choice Test, and don’t beat yourself up for changing your answer. We are only human. Best of luck studying for your first midterm, but if worst comes to worst and you are sitting in ST 148 thinking you’ve never seen the material on the test before. Try some of these ideas in the link below. Maybe you can help lower the class average so Dr. Kadri will scale the marks.

Jokes jokes jokes.



Tuesday 27 September 2011

Popular Myths in Psychology

Myths about the Brain and Perception

Myth: Is ESP a well-established scientific phenomenon or is it just a pile of nonsense?

by Kat Nipcon

Do you remember those TV commercials you often encounter when staying up till 3am in the morning? I mean the ones featuring a very monotonous, seemingly hypnotizing female voice that promises to help you solve all your current issues, through the use of psychic powers?

It can be pretty mesmerizing, I know…but how did we get on the topic of psychic power in psychology 203? Well, psychic abilities are a part of what is referred to as Extrasensory Perception, which is actually considered by some to be a valid scientific phenomenon. ESP, or Extrasensory Perception currently means “knowledge or perception without the use of any of the senses”.

ESP encompasses such unusual experiences as psychokinesis, or the ability to influence physical objects or manipulate processes by the power of thought alone. Other types of “gifts” include telepathy, a.k.a mind reading, clairvoyance or knowing the existence of hidden or far away objects or people and precognition which refers to the ability to predict future via paranormal means.

Pretty neat stuff? I mean who wouldn’t want to be able to read other people’s minds or predict the future. Everybody of course wants to develop these mysterious brainpowers. That’s why there exists a vast market to aid people in their quest to get in touch with their sixth sense. Hundreds of self-help books, resources and even seminars have been created to help people achieve this goal.

Sadly, in this day and age there is no strong scientific evidence to support the existence of various types of ESP. Many skeptics reason that ESP simply results from people having very overactive imaginations that lead them to misinterpret or misattribute dramatic or unexpected coincidences, as “psychic” phenomena.

It seems that lack of scientific evidence does not stop the media from attempting to convince the public that ESP phenomena are real. People are flooded with instances of ESP in today’s pop culture, especially movies, e.g.: ”Paranormal Activity”, “The Stir of Echoes”,”Hereafter”,”Insidious”, and “The Sixth Sense”. No wonder why so many of us still play with the Ouija board.Check out the links below to find out more about the Ouija board and have a chance to play with one online!




Thus, it is not uncommon for many people (and that means people other than devoted parapsychologists) to become seriously fascinated by ESP. Does it mean that most people become influenced by those media to the extent that they are blind to the fact that science has failed to support ESP?

Yes, shockingly enough it does. It appears that from the beginning of the world, humans have always fallen prey to this kind of seduction. Consulting the spirits through a crystal ball, reading the future from the deck of Tarot cards, or (stranger yet) trying to convey meaning in disemboweled remains of a bird, are all seemingly valid ways of getting in touch with one’s inner psychic. Sounds pretty medieval, doesn’t it? Stats show that belief in ESP and psychic abilities indeed has a widespread following in today’s society, at least in the United States.

According to the results of a recent poll, 41% of the U.S population surveyed believes in ESP, 31% believes in the existence of telepathy or communication between minds without using traditional senses, while 26% claims to firmly believe in clairvoyance, which refers to the power of the mind to know the past and predict the future (Moore, 2005). More surprisingly still, a survey of attitudes presented by undergraduate psychology students revealed that 73% believed that the existence in ESP was well documented (Taylor and Kowalski, 2003).

This is a striking result, given the fact that there exists a strong movement to discredit cases of “paranormal” occurrences. Many of the famous psychics have been publicly discredited and showed to be nothing but cunning impostors. Below are the links to videos that show instances of psychic fraud being uncovered. Pretty shocking.





Also, check out these cool videos featuring a famous psychic “debunker” James Randi:






On the other hand, psychic powers have had many real life applications and have been utilized by such official institutions as the police force. There allegedly have been many reported success stories that involved psychics solving crimes, finding missing children, and the like. Seems like this may be true, but vast evidence suggests that such phenomena are “real” mostly within the realm of popular media. There is mixed evidence as to the validity of use of psychics in police investigations.

Below are the links to various studies and articles about the use of psychics in police investigations.







All this leaves us torn between wanting to believe in the exciting world of the paranormal and trying to figure out if it really occurs in nature.So far no clear answers have been found,but at the same time the evidence against the existence of ESP speaks for itself.Yet,maybe one day we’ll have the scientific advancements necessary to better understand ESP…









Thursday 22 September 2011

Peer Mentor Intros

Welcome to the Psychology 203 Peer Mentors’ Blog. Below you will find our introductions and a little bit about us!


Peer Mentor: Kat Nipcon
In side photo: First on the left.
Hi! My motivation for becoming a peer mentor for psychology 203 comes from more than one source. For one thing, I enjoy interacting with people, especially my fellow students. I really want to be able to contribute back to the student community by making myself available to the needs of first year students. Through my interaction with psychology 203 students, I also hope to gain a bit of coaching/teaching experience that will go hand-in-hand with my aspiration of becoming an instructor in the future. Another reason for me taking on a role of a peer mentor is because I simply love psychology, and thus my goal is to make this subject attractive to the first year students. I want to share my passion for studying psychology and hope that I can make the course material appear both easily accessible and interesting for students. My experience as a psychology student has been excellent. The instructors and TA’s that I have come across throughout the last 4 years have been exceptional people with regard to their dedication for their work and the amount of support they give their students. I really want to share my positive experience of being a psych student with the students in Psychology 203. I hope to contribute lots to my peers’ learning process. My goal is to provide guidance and offer mentorship to ALL students, both those who may struggle with the course and those who get straight A’s. Unlike your instructor, I am a volunteer not a paid employee. I mentor students in psych 203 as part of the curriculum for General Studies 507, a course that is centered on learning to educate and support students. As a peer mentor, my role is flexible, and I am looking forward to see how it changes as the course unfolds. This semester I hope to engage the students in various academic and social activities that will ultimately enhance their experience in psychology 203. I will hold a review sessions before the tests, so that I can assist the students in their exam preparations. I will also hold at least one non-academic event to give students an opportunity to get to know one another.
Email:  kmnicpon@ucalgary.ca


Peer Mentor:  Alicia Kassian
In side photo: Second from the left.
Hello I am Alicia Kassian. I am a third year psychology student with an interest in Legal Psychology. I am planning on going to law school after graduating. I am a good person to come to if you need a study buddy or if you need some study tips in perfecting your study “formula” for success! I am going to be here for you guys and gals if you have a quick question or just need a reward/therapy after an exam at The Den. Thursden has some pretty good drinks and food for good prices. Also if any of you girls are looking for some connections/friends/support throughout your entire university career I am part of a sorority on campus Alpha Gamma Delta. And . . . recruitment for both Alpha Gamma Delta and Alpha Omicron Pi is starting next week! We have exchanges with the other sororities on campus as well as the fraternities. We hold philanthropy events, low fees, and also it looks good on your resume. Come see us at clubs week this week in Macewan Hall, over by Orange Julius or stop by for our first recruitment party on Tuesday night at 6 pm . . . I will let you know the room number as soon as I can. You can come late because I realize this class conflicts! Also, the formal recruitment party for a sorority is Wednesday September 28, 2011 in Science A 124 at 5:30 pm. I hope to meet a lot of you soon. Take advantage of the fact that you have peer mentors! It would have really helped me in my first year of classes!!!


Peer Mentor: Kent Bastel
In side photo: Centre. Only man.
What’s up guys and gals? . . . My name is Kent Bastell and I am one of your new best friends…I mean mentors for the fall semester.
A little bit about myself??
I’m in my fourth and final year of my Bachelor of Arts degree in Psych and lovin’ every minute of it. Let’s just say it hasn’t always been roses for me in post-secondary. My first year in university I decided to go into engineering (yes…bad choice… for me that is bless all the souls of those who have stuck through it) and long story short failed every single class. During this time I was also involved in athletics so between practice, class, homework, and workouts I got really burnt out, not to mention the several nights out with my bruthas. Hit to the confidence? Yes! Feelings of being overwhelmed? Yes! Not sure if I was cut out for university? Yes! Was I going to give up? Hell to the no! So after getting axed from the soccer team due to a low GPA I needed to find something new. I decided to give psychology a try and BAM, loved it! My intro prof was one of the most influential people in my university career and he ultimately helped me become passionate towards the field. I mean haven’t you always wondered why Lady Gaga thinks it’s cool to be born out of a floating egg in front of a live public audience? This story about my prof is why I was motivated to become a peer mentor. I thought that if he could have a huge positive impact on my life, why can’t I have a positive impact on someone else? Or at the very least make psychology interesting and engaging for them. So in saying this I want to be able to give each and everyone of you something out of this class, whether it’s a fond memory or like my prof was for me, being a positive influence for you guys to potentially pursue the field yourselves.  What I hope to bring you all first and foremost is friendship. Seriously, no one can argue that having a friend in class is AWESOME! Am I going to take notes for you? No! Am I going to help you cheat? No! Am I going to give you a noogie while in the process of putting you in a formidable headlock? No!  Am I going to be available for you to chat, socialize, ask questions, and chill? YES! Honestly throughout this semester I hope to meet and become friends with all of you. Secondly, I want to give each of you the best chance possible to fulfill your psychology potential. Yes maybe C’s are your goal, but I want to help push you higher than that. Maybe you are at an A and think: “I don’t need any help, I got this” Well let me tell you this…an A+ isn’t beyond you either and the beautiful thing about psych is that no matter what mark you have, there is always something more you can learn and apply it to your own life. I also want to give you all the opportunity to develop critical thinking about the world around you so that “face value” isn’t what you always take it for.  One thing I want to make clear is that once again I am your friend not your teacher. I will not mark, evaluate, or judge you…good deal right? I am basically a support for you when you need it. Honestly, if you have any questions related to the course, content, or even if your boyfriend Jimmy is being a d-bag and you need someone to talk to, I would be more than happy to listen and provide constructive feedback for you. As for what I am going to do for activities this semester . . . well . . . I get the oh so wonderful task of holding the very first psych 203 peer mentoring meeting next Tuesday September 27, most likely from around class time ends to 9, or later if we’re having fun. The theme will be a meet and greet at The Den. Yes you can have a beer, yes you can order food, yes we will talk about what ever you guys want to. I think it’ll give an opportunity for those who show up not only to meet some of us mentors, but also a chance to meet other people in the class, who knows you may even find someone to sit beside for the rest of the semester. So come chill with me and have a good time.
 -Kent (aka Kenttouchthis)
Email: kent_swede5@hotmail.com


Peer Mentor: Sylvia Tsang
In side photo: Second from the right.
Hi Everybody, my name is Sylvia Tsang, and I am in my third year hoping to pursue a Bachelor of Science with a major in Psychology and a minor in Health and Society. 
And I know what some of you are thinking right now as you’re reading this. Especially those Engineers and Business kids. OMG. ANOTHER Psychology major? You’re in the faculty of ARTS! You don’t know anything! Stop thinking you know everything and what’s best for me. You know what. You’re right. I don’t know everything. And I am confessing that to you right now. I’m not your TA, I don’t mark your exams, I don’t give you hints on what is going to be on the exam. I don’t want you to think of me as ‘helping’ you in this class either. Because I know when someone says ‘I’m here to help you’.  You think, ‘well I don’t need any help. I don’t want to be helped. I can do it on my own’. And suddenly you feel that the person who offered help is in a higher position than you, which makes you almost slight intimidated by them. And I don’t want that at all. I just want to contribute to your learning process by supporting you and interacting with you. I’ll give you advice on how to give oral presentations, review study materials with you, and most importantly, be your friend. When I saw the application form for being a peer mentor, I flashed back to exactly 2 years ago, when I first walked into a lecture theatre filled with 399 other kids. I was fresh out of high school, and scared crapless. I didn’t have a “peer mentor” to help me, and looking back, I honestly wish I did, because it would have made my university experience so much easier. I don’t get paid to do this, I don’t get a co-curricular record for this. I’m doing this because I want to do this. I want to be your friend and mentor you because I know exactly how it feels sitting in a lecture theatre full of 399 other kids. I’m a student myself, and I am still learning how to learn through my role as a peer mentor in a 500 level General Studies Course. Although I cannot guarantee that this will be an easy A option. I can guarantee you that you will learn so much more about yourself and others in this course and I hope your learning experience is as rewarding as it is for me. Because I want to become friends with all of you, my peer mentoring meetings will include very casual and social events where we can all get together and have some fun. I want you to be able to see me as a friend (if you don’t want to that’s okay). But even then, at least I hope you will become comfortable with me and won’t be intimidated to ask me questions.  My peer mentoring meetings will be:  The Den- November 3 . . . since class ends at 6:15. We can all go for some drinks together after wards, and have a good time. Movie Night - Nov 17 I’ll go book a classroom, grab some popcorn, and we’ll watch a movie that has some psychological aspect in it. Be it something that you talked about in class or just a Psych thriller. I hope you all have an amazing semester and I look forward in meeting each of you, seeing you in class and at my peer mentor meetings.
Email: sswtsang@ucalgary.ca


Peer Mentor: Amy Webber
In side photo: First on the right.
Hi everyone!  My name is Amy Webber, and I’m finishing my final year of my Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology.  I first decided to go into psychology on total impulse; I had always thought I would go to art school, but at the last minute I decided I didn’t want to. So, literally two weeks before the application deadline, I applied for psychology without really knowing what it was all about.  All I knew is that I was interested in people and the way our minds work, so I just went with it.  Turns out, it’s really cool.  I think so, anyway.  You don’t have to agree, but I suggest that you convince your professor that you do. (But you can totally tell me if you hate it, I won’t judge:)). So during my degree I became interested in the area of how psychology relates to the law, and specifically, the criminal justice system. In my third year, my professor for the psych and law course showed us a video on how people get screwed over by the justice system and get convicted for crimes they didn’t commit, and how a bunch of social and psychological factors can come into play and lead to completely innocent people being put on death row and executed (for a very recent example, see the case of Troy Davis who was put to death yesterday in Georgia: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/21/troy-davis-10-reasons?newsfeed=true). 

When I realized that I could do research in psychology that could potentially lead to making the criminal justice system more just and preventing wrongful convictions, I knew that was what I wanted to do.  And that’s my passion in a nutshell. I decided to become a peer mentor for PSYC 203 because I know what it’s like to sit in a room with 400 other students for a class on a completely unfamiliar subject and wonder what the eff is going on, stressing over the midterm, and/or wishing I had someone to talk to so I didn’t have to sit around occupying myself with my iPhone Apps while I wait for class to start.  I realized how much of a difference it makes in my university experience when I’m able to talk to people who have gone through a program or a course before me.  It takes a lot of the pressure off, it takes away a bit of that fear of the unknown.  Even if you’re doing perfectly fine with the course material, you never know what random insight someone else can provide that ends up coming in handy, or if a discussion about course work will go off into a super interesting tangent and you end up becoming friends.  There are so many connections to be made in university and I hope to connect with you guys as your support person.  Keep in mind that I’m not a teaching assistant or a paid employee or anything like that (too bad, since I could really use the money to fund my shopping addiction), and I’m certainly not marking you, so you don’t have to worry.  Also keep in mind that although I’ve taken introductory psych and tons of other psych courses and I’ve been in university for nearly five years, I sure don’t know everything, not even close.  But everyone brings their own perspective to things and I hope to share mine with you, and I really hope that you’ll share yours with me.  I really want to get to know you guys and hear what you have to say. So, throughout the term, in addition to posting on this blog, I’ll be holding some meetings, for example, an advice session on things you should know that people don’t necessarily tell you about university. I will also be holding a study tips/final-exam-prep meeting on the last day of class before your final, so hopefully that’ll help alleviate some stress on that front.  Also, as others have mentioned, we’re looking into setting up a discussion board where we can talk about various topics and you can post anonymously if you’re shy.  I’ll be attending the PSYC 203 lecture pretty much every Thursday this term, and if you ever need or want to get a hold of me, I hang out quite a bit in the PSYCHS office (Admin 170), and you’re welcome to pop by any time, just to say hi and chat, or for whatever reason.  (If you’re interested, you can also join the PSYCHS club and have access to our microwave and cheap food/drinks and meet new people. I look forward to getting to know you guys and seeing where the semester takes us! :) Cheers, Amy
Email: agmee.webber@gmail.com


Peer Mentor Liaison: Andrea Halwas
Hello. I am Andrea Halwas, a PhD Candidate in Psychology, Drama and Nursing combined into an Interdisciplinary Doctorate degree. I have a BA Hons in Theatre, Drama and English and a MFA in Theatre Studies. I am the Peer Mentor Liaison for Psychology 203. I have been appointed to make the peer mentoring process easier, and more streamlined. If you have any questions or concerns about the class, the peer mentors, the peer mentor blog or any of the peer mentor meetings, please feel free to contact me. 
Email: arhalwas@ucalgary.ca

Peer Mentor Study Sessions



November 21, 2011
Study Review
Peer Mentor: Kat Nipcon
Time: 12 noon – 2:00 pm
Room: A247B

November 23, 2011
Study Review
Peer Mentor: Alicia Kassian
Time: 2:00 – 4:00 pm
Room: A248

November 24, 2011
Study Review
Peer Mentor: Amy Webber
Time: 1 – 3:00 pm
Room: A247B

December 1, 2011
Study Review
Peer Mentor: Sylvia Tsang
Time: 2 – 4:00 pm
Room: A051

December 5, 2011
Study Review
Peer Mentor: Kat Nipcon
Time: 12 noon – 2:00 pm
Room: A247B

December 6, 2011
Study Review
Peer Mentor: Kent Bastell
Time: 1:30 – 3:30 pm
Room: A247B

December 8, 2011
Study Tips and Review                                   
Peer Mentor: Amy Webber
Time: 1 – 3:00 pm
Room: A247B

Wednesday 21 September 2011

Peer Mentors of Psych 203

Psychology 203 has a unique aspect to the course this semester. This is the first time that we will be introducing peer mentors to this 400-person lecture class. There will be five peer mentors and one peer mentor liaison joining our classroom. The peer mentors will be in class everyday and you are all more than welcome to ask them questions outside of class; this includes class-related questions or university-wide related questions. All of the peer mentors are third and fourth year students that have all sat where you now sit and might be able to provide valuable advice going forward in your academic careers.

The Blog
Beginning in next week’s classes, the peer mentors will be blogging following each class. Their blog will cover the topic/theme of this class in a unique way. Each blog will discuss a popular myth in psychology and how that relates to the class at that time. Reading the blog is up to you, but the entries will shed valuable light on the role that psychology plays in everyday misconceptions and myths about human behavior and reading these entries will certainly benefit your understanding of our class.

Peer Mentor Meetings
Each week one of our peer mentors will be holding a peer mentor meeting. Attendance at these meetings is not mandatory, but the meetings could be helpful in your studies. Each meeting will be announced prior to that week’s class so that you have time to organize your schedule if you are interested to attend.

Peer Mentors
Kat Nipcon
Alicia Kassian
Kent Bastell
Sylvia Tsang
Amy Webber

Meet the Peer Mentors

The five Peer Mentors will be in Psychology 203 on Thursday September 22, 2011 for official introductions! We are looking forward to meeting the class!