Read each of the five articles linked below.  Choose one of the articles to analyze.  Your analysis should include: a brief explanation of what the article says, why you chose this article instead of one of the others and how does this article relate to what we have discussed in class regarding emotion (the different theories, evolution, gender differences, cultural differences)? Include one picture relating to your topic.  Be sure to link the article that you chose to analyze.

Be sure you read each article before you begin writing.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171557.htm

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081229080859.htm

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110901105510.htm

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090813142131.htm

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080819213027.htm

Culture and Gender - How Do They Affect Emotion?

We all exhibit emotions - and there are a limited number of core emotions to exhibit.  So are humans all the same when it comes to our emotional expression or are there specific differences.  Well, anyone can tell you that there is typically a difference in how we express emotions as we age: babies cry whenever they encounter any difficulty, from hunger to poopy pants to being startled by a loud noise.  Teenagers experience obvious emotional swings from moment to moment - boys will often fight physically with one another as they are unable to control their anger.  Adults appear to become more reserved as they age - able to hold back from expressing emotions even when they are feeling something very strongly.
Culture and gender, likelwise, play a role in the emotions we express and the magnitude with which we express them. 
Your assignment for today (and this weekend) is to research and find examples (hopefully supported by studies) that show us the emotional differences which may occur between males and females as well as people from different ethinic backgrounds or cultures.
In this post, identify and explain two examples of gender differences and two examples of cultural differences - as always, include pictures with your post (one picture representing each example.)

The Gift of Fear

Various theories regarding emotion have been offered up for centuries.  The early philosophers speculated about the meaning and source of emotions in humans - but what is emotion and why do we all have them? 
Do some research regarding the theories of emotion, beginning with evolution.
In your post, explain what emotion is and why it may be an adaptive feature to humans in our quest for survival.  Your focus question then is: How would emotions allow humans to survive and be successful in the world?

As always, be sure to include one picture in your post and provide links to any and all sources used for research.

Theories of Human Emotion

Our second unit of study is the area of human emotion.  Emotion is an interesting phenomena - everyone has them, they often overlap one another and we often display them based on our own interpretation of events.   An interesting thing about emotion is that although we all display emotion from the cradle to the grave, we know very little about what causes them. 

So, here are the major theories: (I don't want to spoil the surprise so these wil be unveiled one at a time over the coming week.)

Evolutionary Theories

The James-Lange Theory

The Cannon-Bard Theory

Schachter and Singer’s Two-Factor Theory

Cognitive Appraisal

Alzheimer's Disease: What Can We Learn About Memory?

Alzheimer's Disease is an incredibly cruel illness.  It does so much more than simply rob a person of his or her memory.  AD is 100% lethal: there is no escape for those who develop the disease, it will ultimately end your life.  While there is no way to stop AD, there is growing research which has produced various treatments known to delay some of the symptoms. 
While Alzheimer's was discovered over 100 years ago, it has only recently been brought to light how widesread the disease actually is.  While it is most often discovered in people over the age of 65, it's onset can go undiscovered for years until it has finally affected a person's functioning to the point that it becomes unmistakable.  Memory loss is one of the initial symptoms as the disease appears to originate in the medial temporal lobe - the part of the brain most associated with the development of long-term memory.
After class discussion and watching the video, "The Forgetting", please write a response paper which consists of the following: 

• A brief summarization of the disease
• Important information from the video watched in class
• Your own feelings about what you have learned about the disease
• Two pictures that help to illustrate this topic and your information

This writing assignment should be at least 250 words in length.  Due by Thursday, October 6th, 2011.