Astroman:
We had an A-part (pure theory) and a B-part (a case). A-part is 1/3 and B-part is 2/3. I did however spend 3½/6 hours on the A-part. My notes for the A-part where just too good, and I felt confident, that I would pass anyway. So I could spend the time on writing some things in depth, that I liked.
It is kind of nice. In the "school" I attended for 2 years to qualify for the University, My marks had an average of 8,2 out of 10 - with only to marks below 8 (6s). My Intellectual capacity has always been a part of my self-image. Then in December, I failed an exam here at the University. Ok, I got caught by some very bad circumstances, but still it was kind of hard to me to get a 3 (1-10 scale). But now, it is actually freeing. To take this test 2 days ago and not customize my writing for high marks - but to do with it, what i LIKED the most - that was a good feeling. I expect somewhere around 8 or 9 for the A-part and somewhere around 3-6 for the B-part. I need a weighted average of 4 to pass, so I feel good about it.
And it indeed is a new feeling to think "just passing is ok - I don't need more". Our marks at this point of the education are actually quite unimportant - they do not mean much to our chances for getting a job later on. What is important is, what we have learned.
Nestor (warning psychology lecture comming up):
You are right in the subject of the A-part of my examination. The subject was cognitive/behaviouristic theory and learning. Research on dogs has shown, that if they are put in a situation, where they can not control a randomly ocuring unpleasant stimulus, then they will become withdrawn and depressed. If later on, there is put in a mechanism, that lets the dog controll the unpleasant stimulus (by making a certain behaviour), the dog will be much slower at finding out how this mechanism works.
Another dog, which from the beginnig has the option the controll the unpleasant stimulus by performing a certain behaviour will learn this behaviour much faster (not beeing focused on helplessness) and will not go into the same depressed state as the first dog.
I think this translates very well into human psychology. People, whom from their childhood have learned that they can controll thier life will often have more confidence in themselves and actually learn a lot of things easier. This again is closely related to research in (I think the English word is: ) the attachment theory done by Mary Ainsworth. Children, who are securely attached have more self confidence, than children who are not so - and the type of attachment learned at the age of 1 year is most often keeped for the rest of their life (it doesn't have to be so, but often is).
Secure attachment is primarily caused by the parrents being adecuately responsive. Meaning: they react often enough - and "correctly" (meaning understanding, when crying means hunger, and when it means sleepy etc.) enough on the childs needs and messages for the child to keep faith, that they will be there, when it needs them. Seen from a cognitive perspective, the child learns, that it can somewhat controll unpleasant (and maybe pleasant too) stimuli. Thereby, it doesn't get the helpless and "giving up" characteristic observed on the dog, that couldnt controll unpleasant stimuli in the first place.
Daniel Stern has a theory about lived and remembered moments and scenarios (L-moment, R-moments, L-scenarios and R-scenarios). The important thing is, that humans are subjective, and therefor their memory of a sertain event is subjective (and selective) too. When a sertain moment has been lived a number of times, the child will create a kind of overall picture of this kind of moment (could be feeding). This is the R-moment. A scenario is a sequence of events (could be: I am hungry, (I express my hunger (cry)), mother comes, I get food). Again R-scenarios are generalized subjective pictures of L-scenarios. These R-moments and R-scenarios are form "working models", which are a sort personal characteristics and expectations in given generalized situations. Again, I think this fits nicely together with the research on the dogs, and Mary Ainsworth's research on attachments.
Thats all for now folks - it is already kind of long I suppose
Immanuel
:D
