ATAR Notes: Forum

National Education => General National Education Discussion => Interstate Discussion and Comparison => Topic started by: Erutepa on January 14, 2020, 12:46:18 pm

Title: Psychology Misunderstandings
Post by: Erutepa on January 14, 2020, 12:46:18 pm

Psychology Misunderstandings

The aim of this thread is to dispel any misunderstandings or mistruths within the subject of Psychology. Hopefully, this will give everyone a better understanding of the subject, allow everyone to revise psychological concepts, and stop students from falling into some of the common traps of understanding.

When posting in this thread you might want to use the formatting shown in the example post below where you explain the previous misunderstanding and proceed to give another common misunderstanding for someone else to have a go at explaining.

EXAMPLE POST

(https://imgur.com/xui3nR2.jpeg)

Try to make any misunderstandings clear for others to see (i.e. by bolding them as shown in the above example)  :)

Everyone is encouraged to participate in this thread whether you have just started studying Psychology this year or have a degree in it. Don't worry about getting something a bit wrong - have a go and if you do make a error someone else can always correct it  :)   

I’ll begin
Misconception: Contracting colds and sore throats are indications that an individual is in the exhaustion stage of selyes GAS model of stress

Title: Re: Psychology Misunderstandings
Post by: Ionic Doc on January 14, 2020, 06:32:18 pm

Quote from: Erutepa on January 14, 2020, 12:46:18 pm

Misconception: Contracting colds and sore throats are indications that an individual is in the exhaustion stage of selyes GAS model of stress

Contracting colds and sore throats (minor illnesses) are an indication that an individual is in the Resistance stage of GAS.

This is because during alarm reaction the body initially goes into a temporary state of shock and it's ability to deal with the stressor decreases. The body then goes into countershock where adrenaline and cortisol are released into the bloodstream to energize the body an increase it's resistance against the stressor.

If the stressor isn't dealt with in the Alarm reaction stage, the resistance phase is reached where the bodies ability to deal with the stressor rises above normal, all unnecessary physiological responses (digestion, reproduction, etc) are shut down and as cortisol is still being released/in the bloodstream, minor illnesses such as the flu, colds, sore throats, etc start to appear.

(Side note: High levels of cortisol for a prolonged period of time can suppress the functioning of the immune system, which is why minor illnesses start to appear in the resistance stage)

The exhaustion stage is reached if the stressor still hasn't been removed in stages 1 n 2. The bodies ability to deal with the stressor decreases. Characterised by the presence of major illnesses ( heart disease, depression, extreme fatigue, etc)

Misconception:  The only difference between neurohormones and neurotransmitters are that neurohormones are released into the bloodstream whereas neurotransmitters are released into the synaptic gap. 


Edit: Attached a pic of Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS), also I just realised how much I miss psych   :'(
(https://i.imgur.com/d6YnrG5.png)

Title: Re: Psychology Misunderstandings
Post by: whys on January 20, 2020, 03:17:49 pm

Quote from: Ionic Doc on January 14, 2020, 06:32:18 pm

Misconception:  The only difference between neurohormones and neurotransmitters are that neurohormones are released into the bloodstream whereas neurotransmitters are released into the synaptic gap. 

Neurohormones are chemical messengers manufactured by neurons and released from axon terminals. However, they are not released into the synaptic gap like neurotransmitters, but are released into blood capillaries and absorbed into the bloodstream and carried to target neurons or cells. Neurotransmitters are a chemical substance produced by a neuron that carries a message to other neurons or cells in muscles, organs or other tissue. Neurohormones are considered slow-acting compared to neurotransmitters, which are considered fast-acting. This is because the duration for the message to reach its destination takes a shorter amount of time. Neurotransmitters affect voluntary and involuntary actions, however neurohormones released by the endocrine system predominantly affect involuntary actions. Some chemicals exist as both neurotransmitters and hormones, such as adrenaline, noradrenaline, estrogen and progesterone.

Misconception: The only conditions required for consolidation to occur successfully are time and no disruption.