Many people have heard of animal-assisted therapy, but few understand what it entails and how it can lead to substantial changes. Animal-assisted therapy is a therapeutic intervention that incorporates animals into the treatment plan, allowing for enhanced benefits of traditional therapy (Psychology Today). So why would it work as a treatment option? Animal-assisted therapy … [Read more...] about Animal Assisted Therapy
Psychology: Controversies and Myths
Neuroinflammation and Depression- Part 1
Depression is a mood disorder that involves a sad mood or loss of pleasure in normal activities (NIH). It can have impacts on cognition, motivation, and emotional reactions. It’s important to find treatment to improve the quality of life and functional abilities of those who suffer from depressive disorders. When focusing on biological risks for depression, most research … [Read more...] about Neuroinflammation and Depression- Part 1
Eyewitness Testimony – Part 2
In the last blog, I elucidated factors in the acquisition and storage of memories that can impact their accuracies. In this blog, I intend to discuss factors in memory retrieval that can lead to false memories. A very well-known incident of mistaken identity is Jennifer Thomson’s identification of Ronald Cotton as her rapist (The Perfect Witness). After giving police a … [Read more...] about Eyewitness Testimony – Part 2
Nature vs. Nurture
One of the biggest questions for psychologists revolves around the idea of innate or learned traits. Are our behaviors and personality traits influenced by our genetics (nature), or do we learn them as we grow (nurture)? How we answer this question will greatly impact the types of treatments we provide for psychological disorders. The answer is still up for debate, but here are … [Read more...] about Nature vs. Nurture
Eyewitness Identification – Part 1
Eyewitnesses are one of the most relied upon pieces of evidence in the trial process. Most jury members do not understand the limitations of eyewitness testimony, and they rely upon it as “fact”. Memory doesn’t function like a video camera: it is malleable and can be influenced by a lot of outside factors. Unlike eyewitness testimony, DNA is conclusive. The Innocence Project … [Read more...] about Eyewitness Identification – Part 1