PSYCH 210: Pseudoscience and Human Behavior

Explore the concept of attributing behaviors to internal characteristics versus external situations. Understand how we often lean towards dispositional attributions, even when external factors are significant. Discover the essence of correspondence bias and its role in our daily interpretations.

Explore the concept of social traps, exemplified by the Tragedy of the Commons and its real-world implications like overfishing. Delve into mirror-image perceptions in scenarios such as sports rivalries and international conflicts, uncovering the root causes of negative stereotypes and hostilities. Discover the importance of fostering communication, empathy, and cooperation to break the cycle of negativity in various contexts.

Discover the transformative approach to mental well-being by Stephen Ilardi, focusing on natural lifestyle changes. Explore the power of physical activity, Omega-3 fatty acids, sunlight exposure, and nurturing social connections. Elevate your holistic health with Ilardi's Therapeutic Lifestyle Change.

Explore the essential role of the primary visual cortex, Area V1, in processing our visual world. Understand its location in the occipital lobe and its interactions with structures like the thalamus. Uncover the intricate stages that make vision possible.

Understand Freud's perspective on dreams as manifestations of unconscious desires and conflicts. Contrast this with the Neural Activation Theory, which links dreaming to random neural activity during REM sleep. Discuss the criticisms and nuances of both theories in modern psychology.

Explore persuasion techniques such as Door-in-the-face, Foot-in-the-door, That's-not-all, and Not-so-free sample, commonly used in psychology, marketing, and sales, where only Foot-in-the-door initiates with a small request to enhance compliance with a larger one later based on the consistency principle.