psychology 4 discussion responses

1. The area of psychology that I think needs more empirical research is developmental psychology in reference to the way ADHD effects teenagers and adults.  I chose this because of the struggles I see in my son because of his ADHD and when I was researching empirical research I didn't find as many studies on the effectsteenagers and adults go through.  I worry for my son and how his future will be affected during school and even further into work life. I would prepare a study with a group of diagnosed adults with ADHD.  I would find participants that were diagnosed at different ages, from different cultures, and different social classes.  I would use a questionnaire form and ask a series of questions ranging from the effects they’ve felt during school, work and home life.  Compare the effects based on who might have been on medication versus those who chose not to use medication.  Also come how people were affected due to when they discovered that they had ADHD.  I would like to see the different results and if they are affected by social classes, education levels, acceptance and support from family members and teachers in their lives. I think this research will be good for family members, educators, even companies who have employees who struggle with ADHD.

2. The area of Psychology I believe needs more empirical research is the Social and Personality Psychology. I believe that the social environment in which one is raised and exposed to contributes greatly to the kind of personality one portrays.  To me this is such an important part of psychology that needs all the more  research and dedication in order to form a deeper understanding of people. For one I grew up in a working class, city area with all different kind of elements that I was exposed to. I saw my share of good and my share of evil where I laid my head to rest. Having this exposure helped and allowed me to form my own opinions on groups of people who were labeled to be certain derogatory terms. I feel like so many people live in these protected unrealistic bubbles that they then have no idea what the real world consist of. If there was a deeper study involved in actually learning the ways of social environments we could teach others how to strive in any kind of circumstance. I feel there would be less poverty, less people lost to substances, less victims, less negativity if we simply had a profound deeper understand of the perpetual world we are a part of. 

3. I believe an area of psychology that should conduct more empirical research is cognitive psychology. Cognitive psychology is the focus around brain functions and effects of trauma with respect to the brain. The brain is a very complex system and much is unknown. By using empirical research, the unknown can be understood. For example: what triggers a patient with Alzheimer's disease to become lucid or remember new information? This experiment would require the participation of patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's at various stages of the disease. The experiment type would be completely observational. The routines of patients with Alzheimer's would be monitored closely and recorded to determine the which moments lead to moments of lucidness. The data collected would be compared to other patients of the study to find an overlap or similarities. 

4. I believe that Social psychology is a area that should have more empirical research conducted. Reason being , is because as the years pass and the generations socially changes individuals tend to forget the causes or just do not understand the causes of our own behavior.We are all known to think of our actions and believe that what our mind and our "heart" tells us was the correct way to react and because of the beliefs we follow from our hearts and mind is why I believe that all the crimes and other actions that occur in todays world are much more at a higher rate then they were then.Therefore,If social psychology is further research there may be a better understanding that cannot only understand and correct the situation but also any social event. I would create a study by getting a sample group of all ages(to seek the changes throughout the generations) and genders then test there brains waves and hearts also including action that are and are not appropriate so that the individuals action can be witnessed as from a older person (later generation) to a younger individual which will be in todays generation.

5. The area that there should be more empirical research conducted on is how social media affects people in society. I feel like social media has taken over and it has people comparing their lives with what they see on it. Many people only see happy marriages, healthy fit people, and materialistic things. It creates this fantasy world of things and many people start to look at themselves or their lives as not enough because of what they see. It can become an addiction.Many people feel like their lives should be the same, when in reality many people don't show the truth of broken marriages, plastic surgery, etc. I feel like social media can cause insecurities, jealousy, anxiety and depression. Overall an unhealthy life. If I had to conduct a study I would take a group of individuals of different ages, races/ethnicity, economy status, and family dynamics. I would provide them with the technology and social media access. I would follow up within a certain time frame and conduct a case study on how social media has impacted them emotionally and/or psychically. Then I would follow up by removing social media with the same individuals, same time frame and doing another case study. I would compare the both case studies to see the outcome of how social media affects people in society.