Random Thoughts from DeHart

Have two people who are the same in practically every way, and ask them one simple question. Would you like coffee or tea? Would they answer the same? Most psychologists would answer yes to this question. If the circumstances influencing the two subjects were indeed the same, then there is no reason that they should answer differently. This is called determinism, in which one can make a choice, but it is not in their power to choose otherwise. For those who say no to this question, these people are rejecting determinism for indeterminism or inherent unpredictability. Others say no because they believe that “God is the ultimate source of natural events, so are people, to some extent, the ultimate cause of their own actions.” (pg. 71-72) Although most answered yes to question above, psychologists agree that behavior is not absolutely determined based on predictors. We are influenced by a variety of different factors, everything from biological to psychological, but this does not alway...

We humans are social creatures in which we depend on each other for support. Infants depend of their mothers and fathers for guidance and nourishment as they grow older. The poor depend on the rich’s charity to survive from day to day. These are examples of our dependence on being social. If one is antisocial, such as a hermit, they are shunned by society as being abnormal, but is there such a thing as too much social stimulation? There are many side effects that come with social interactions. Things like crowding, noise, stimulus overload, and impatience are just a few side effects that come with social stimulation that can take a toll on human well-being. There is a treatment for this, and it comes in the form of solitude. Social solitude has been shown to heal the wear and tear on the human well-being due from social stimulation. A study was conducted to test this theory. In the University of British Columbia, Peter Suedfield conducted a study on Restricted Environmental Stimul...

In chapter eleven, the authors seek to answer the question, why would two people who have been exposed to the same thing with equal amounts of information have two different perceptions of that thing? For example, there are some who called Jesus the messiah sent here to pay for our sins. Others, with equal information and experience with Jesus say he was a demon sent by Satan to lead us astray. What causes this difference in perception? Perception is what is created during the interaction between a stimulus and one who perceives. Those who study perceptions lean toward one of two extremes.  The first of these extremes is the subjectivist extreme. In this, people discount the importance of objective stimulus, saying that perception are arbitrary mental constructs that we impose on the surrounding world. This view has one major problem. If all objective stimuli were arbitrary mental constructs, how would we drive a car, fly a plane, or walk from one class to the next? “Our skill at r...

I have always been fascinated by the argument of "If God is truly all good, then why is there anything evil within this world?" I have thought about this question since I was just a child. I believe I first wrote about it when I was in fifth grade, during a Wenesday evening service. At that point, I didn't have an answer, hypothetical or otherwise, but rather went back and fowarth on the topic, attempting to analyse it from both sides. I'm 23 years old now, and I still contemplate this question due to the answers posed to me being unsatisfactory for both my heart and mind. Yesterday was a rougher day than most for me, due to an ongoing battle within my own heart and mind, and yet, my mind was clear enough to bring this subject back up for contemplation. As I sat on my roommate's couch, sipping on my Earl Grey, I saw a conundrum within this question. It is my belief that growth only happens via a action/reaction relationship. Thusly so, all the lessons of life tha...

For many, the biggest threat to religion is science’s demystification of life. When we say this, we mean that things that used to be thought of as mystical or paranormal are being explained as being ordinary. For example, people used to think that lightning and thunder was a result of magic. Today, we understand the work of ions and static electricity as forces that cause these things. Parents used to pray that their children not be afflicted by diphtheria, but now we can vaccinate the child to prevent that disease. Mental disorders such as schizophrenia were thought to be the result of demon possession, but now are known to be linked to chemical imbalances in the brain.  These are but a few examples of how science has demystified these superstitions. Because science has been solving superstitions and explaining them in scientific terms, people will often latch onto any hints of the supernatural. If you take the time to walk into any religious bookstore, you will find that you a...

From birth to death, we are trailblazers of our own destiny. Each path we take, each turn we make helps us learn about ourselves, our world, and, possibly, the nature of our journey. Developmental psychology has offered many tools to help us along our journey. Erik Erikson theorized the eight stages of human life for which we will traverse. Each stage has its specific challenges we must overcome to continue on our way through life. The first four stages are covered in infancy and childhood; the real journey begins in adolescence. In adolescence, we struggle forming our identities. Who am I is the question we want answered, but can only be answered by us. In past chapters, we have discussed this journey through adolescence. We have a say in who we are, but we are more influenced than anything else. We are influenced by our parents, our genetics, and the environment we reside in. Even with all these influences, we still have to make the choice on where to go in our lives. Eac...