Psychology: Controversies and Myths

Benzodiazepines have a variety of uses, but it is commonly used to treat anxiety disorders. This is due to their effect on the neurotransmitter GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), which reduces neuronal excitability and thereby produces a calming effect (ScienceDirect). However, benzodiazepines are also known to produce rebound effects, or the return of the symptoms being treated … [Read more...] about Benzodiazepines for Anxiety Disorders

Methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA, is an entactogen that increases empathy, distorts one’s perceptions, and can increase a user’s pleasure from sensory experiences (NIH). It is considered a Schedule I drug by the FDA, meaning it has no clinical uses and has a high likelihood to be abused. However, research is being conducted into possible therapeutic uses for treating PTSD … [Read more...] about MDMA and Psychotherapy

In my previous blog, I described how primitive concepts are innate. In this blog, I will go into certain abstract concepts, like “goodness,” and “helping,” that young children are able to understand without having a proper linguistic terminology. While morality may develop with age, infants do have a core sense of morality shown through (a) moral goodness, or empathy, (b) moral … [Read more...] about Innate Moral Core: Part 2 (Morality in Preverbal Children)

Morality (the sense of whether an action or person is “right” or “wrong”) is considered a defining feature of humanity. The typical conception of morality in children is that they are born amoral (without moral sense) or immoral (a moral sense different from adults). Developmental psychology theorizes that children acquire a moral sense through various developmental processes … [Read more...] about Innate Moral Core: Part 1 (Introduction to Innate Concepts)

When pondering the mind, consciousness is a difficult problem to fully understand. Consciousness is defined as the quality or state of being aware, especially of something within oneself (www.merriam-webster.com). If a person, or organism, has a conscious experience, it means there is something it is like to be that kind of person or organism. To perceive your own … [Read more...] about Consciousness