Week 14: The ending

Our class on 14th May and 16th May were our last class of the semester.

Truthfully, this semester was really challenging and it was full with many ups and of course, many downs. 

In our class on 14th of May, we learn about the retrieval cues.

At most of the times, we the information are always available but we need to use the right cues to retrieve it.

 Basically, there are 4 retrieval cues which are:

1) Identity cues

2) Associative cues

3) Frame

4) Contextual cues.

Besides than that, we also learn about the power of suggestion and also false memory which could affect the reality of our memory. 

Regarding forgetting, there are few things that makes us forget which are:

1) Retrieval failure cue

2) Interference theory

3) Motivational forgetting

4) Pseudo forgetting 

and

5) Organic amnesia

Lastly, on our last class, we did a few exercises on memory. Anyone who wants to improve their quiz mark could have it credited.

 Dr Lihanna also tells us about the format of the exam. Basically there will be Part A,B and C. We need to answer 3 questions for both Part A and B and choose 1 essay question for Part C.

It's the end of our class of psychology of learning.

But, our assessment did not finish yet. We need to submit out animal training report and our personal journal on 17th of May and i guess that's the end of it.

We learn a lot in this semester. 

There are times we feel like quitting but Alhamdulillah we have arrived to the finish line.

Good luck everyone with the final examination. We hope we will pass with flying colors. 

Till next time, Assalamualaikum.

Hamster Training

I. Justification of the Research

A. Research should be undertaken with a clear scientific purpose. There should be a reasonable expectation that the research will:

a) Increase knowledge of the processes underlying the evolution, development, maintenance, alteration, control, or biological significance of behaviour

b) Determine the replicability and generality of prior research

c) Increase understanding of the species under study; or

d) Provide results that benefit the health or welfare of humans or other animals.

B. The scientific purpose of the research should be of sufficient potential significance to justify the use of animals. Psychologists should act on the assumption that procedures that would produce pain in humans will also do so in other animals.

C. The species chosen for study should be best suited to answer the question(s) posed. The psychologist should always consider the possibility of using other species, non-animal alternatives, or procedures that minimize the number of animals in research, and should be familiar with the appropriate literature.

D. Research on animals may not be conducted until the protocol has been reviewed by an appropriate animal care committee, for example, an institutional animal care and use committee (IACUC), to ensure that the procedures are appropriate and humane.

E. The psychologist should monitor the research and the animals' welfare throughout the course of an investigation to ensure continued justification for the research.

II. Personnel

A. Psychologists should ensure that personnel involved in their research with animals be familiar with these guidelines.

B. Animal use procedures must conform to federal regulations regarding personnel, supervision, record keeping, and veterinary care.

C. Behaviour is both the focus of study of many experiments as well as a primary source of information about an animal's health and well-being. It is therefore necessary that psychologists and their assistants be informed about the behavioural characteristics of their animal subjects, so as to be aware of normal, species-specific behaviours and unusual behaviours that could forewarn of health problems.

D. Psychologists should ensure that all individuals who use animals under their supervision receive explicit instruction in experimental methods and in the care, maintenance, and handling of the species being studied. Responsibilities and activities of all individuals dealing with animals should be consistent with their respective competencies, training, and experience in either the laboratory or the field setting.

HAMSTER TRAINING

Objective of Experiment

The objective of this project is to apply the principles of instrumental conditioning and to observe if it effectively trains the hamster to navigate through the maze. The principles of instrumental conditioning such as reinforcement, punishment and schedules of reinforcement used on our hamster named Candy.

Targeted Behaviour

            To achieve our targeted behaviour, which is for the hamster to complete the maze as quickly as possible, we apply the principle of reinforcement Schedule of reinforcement is Continuous. Food is used as a primary reinforcer, rewarding him every time he performs the desired behaviour. Should he keep making the wrong turns or stay at certain spot for too long, punishment is applied. We used positive, physical punishment; a simple flick on the ear with our fingers as well as pushing him lightly and also by saying “No” loudly, however, this method seems the least effective as opposed to the other methods.

The Maze

The maze is made out of cardboard and is designed according to the lecturer’s specifications.

Before we applied our intervention, we allowed Candy to explore the surroundings while timing him. He explored every corner of the maze, familiarising himself with the new environment. He stays put at the corners for long periods of time, climbing the walls, and scratches the cardboard floor. We would punish him whenever he did that so that it would decrease the likelihood of those behaviours reoccurring. His trial run was not successful as he was staying from one spot most of the time, so we stopped recording after five minutes. We then put him back into the cage before his actual run.

Before placing Candy back into the maze, we lay out a trail of food leading to the end of the maze. Food as the primary reinforcer, we observe how it would affect Candy’s next run. Prior to the runs, we had applied the principle of deprivation, in which the reinforcement would be more effective if the subject had been starved. Candy had not been given food for the past three hours. True enough, when put back into the maze, Candy followed the trail to the end of the maze where the real prize lies, a whole pile of seeds and nuts. It took him a time of approximately 7 seconds to complete the maze.

Based on what happened, since Candy was hungry, food was an incentive for him to complete the maze quickly. As for this trial, there was no need for punishment as he completed the maze perfectly. We decided that this principle should be repeated for future runs as we found it to be very effective.

For the following trials, we deprived Candy of food for at least three hours before each run. The amount of food used as a trail decreased for each run to the point that there was only one piece of food at each correct junction that led to the end.  This method proved to be effective in teaching Candy to navigate through the maze correctly. We continued this method of training with Candy 10 times. He seemed to be improving with every run. In the final run, where food was only placed at the end of the maze, Candy managed to complete the maze in one minute and 13 seconds.

Discussion

            Among the possible reasons why Candy was able to take less time to complete the maze for each run was due to repetitively familiarising himself with the environment. Repeated exposure to the maze allowed him to adapt to his new environment. Candy also ‘marked’ certain areas of the maze with urine. This could possibly be one of his ways of completing the maze by following his own scent. We would then clean those areas by wiping a damp tissue over it, erasing his tracks.

ANIMAL TRAINING

PROGRESS OF OUR CUTE LITTLE HAMSTER -CANDY-

Trial Run

Failed #1

http://youtu.be/4j-NpLftoJA
Failed #2

http://youtu.be/Wf_BR7UklWQ
Failed #3

1 min 01 sec with help

40 secs with help

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58JiCwLIoW0&feature=youtu.be

1 min 13 secs

Da'wah Project

Objective

            Psychology of Learning (PSYC 1080) gave us this opportunity to conduct a Da’wah Project for this semester. Before beginning, we scanned our surroundings to see if there is anything that we would like to change. After thorough observation and discussion, we have decided to make people clean up after themselves after eating at the Human Sciences canteen. The main objective of this da’wah project is to encourage the patrons of the Human Sciences canteen to be responsible and clean up after themselves and improve the overall cleanliness of the canteen.

The problem is that there are not enough cleaners. Thus, the plates and rubbish are left on the tables, leaving the tables in a terrible mess. This situation will remain until the cleaner comes to clean the tables. We would like to prove that it is not a hard job to do and that every student could and should do the same too.

Target behaviour

            As mentioned earlier, our main target behaviour of this particular Da’wah Project is for people to clean up the tables by placing their plates in the trolleys and throwing away their rubbish into the bins provided after eating at Human Sciences canteen. Our target group are the patrons of the Human Sciences canteen. As to measure this behaviour, we will be counting the number of students who perform the desired behaviour before the intervention programme is carried out. Then, we will compare the frequency of students who perform the desired behaviour after the intervention programme.

Intervention Programme and the Implementation

            There were several methods used in our intervention programme. Firstly, we told our close friends, classmates, group mates and anybody who we knew at the Human Sciences canteen what our programme is about and in what way they can also help. We told them that we wanted people to be more responsible for the cleanliness and hygiene of the surroundings as well as making it easier for the next person who is using the table so that they do not have to clean up after a mess that is not their own.        

            Secondly, is showing a good model of behaviour. All six members of our group had to pledge to clean our tables and place our plates in the trolleys provided each time we eat, especially at the Human Sciences canteen. As the saying goes, we need to practice what we preach. By showing a good model of behaviour, we would like for our friends and everyone else to know that cleaning up after themselves is something very easy and beneficial for everyone.

            Thirdly, was to get the co-operation from the higher authorities of the Food, Facilities and Services Department to publicise our message. We explained to the Head of the Department of Psychology, Dr. Harris Shah in order to receive his support and recommendation letter for us to get the permission to have posters posted on the tables at the Human Sciences canteen. After obtaining the recommendation letter, we went to the Food, Facilities, and Services Department to submit the letter for the permission on the 22^nd of April. Unfortunately there was a delay in receiving the permission as one of the clerks said that it might not possible for us to get the permission as the department is trying to do the same thing as well. However, on the 24^th of April, one of our members, Iman met the head of the department and persuaded her to give the permission to post the posters on the tables at the Human Sciences canteen. Due to his excellent communication and negotiating skills, Iman also managed to persuade the head to give us two extra trolleys in support of our noble cause to facilitate people to place their plates once they are done eating. These trolleys are placed at the dry area and wet area respectively.

            During the interim of receiving the permission for the posters, all of our group members started giving out flyers to people and reminding them to throw away their rubbish and place their plates in the trolleys allocated in a friendly manner at the Human Sciences canteen from 1.00 pm to 2.00 pm as it is the peak hour of business, starting from the 22^nd until the 25^th of March. We then started to paste our laminated posters on the tables on 24^th of April. We use coloured paper to produce our posters and it is slightly smaller than B5 paper size. However, due to the limited budget, we did not paste the posters on each and every table at the Human Sciences canteen. We could only afford to produce 50 posters. Most of the posters were then posted at the wet area of the canteen and only three posters were posted on the walls at the dry area.

            Lastly, we used social media as a medium to reach out to all IIUM students. One of our members had posted a post on IIUM Online and Psychology Students of IIUM on Facebook in order to spread the word of the intervention programme. Besides that, we informed our other respected lecturers such as Dr. Harris Shah and Dr. Hariyati Shahrima to join our cause and use their influence to help disseminate the message to their other students. Dr. Harris even posted our poster on his Facebook page!

Effectiveness of the Project

            To measure the effectiveness of our Da’wah Project, we took some baseline measures before we started the intervention programme. One day before we started our intervention programme, we observed the Human Sciences canteen during lunch hour. During our observation, we noticed that none of the patrons of the canteen cleaned up after themselves. We then took pictures of plates and rubbish that were left on the table. There were more than 15 tables that were dirty and had plates on it. After one week of our intervention program, we came back and observed the area again on 29^th April during lunch hour. The Human Sciences canteen was filled with people during that period and we noticed that there were some changes in the behaviour of the patrons. As for the post-project measurement, there were approximately 30 people who cleaned their own tables and place their plates in the trolleys each day. This was a vast improvement from before the intervention programme as nobody did it at all, although compared to everyone in the canteen, the change was minute. We concluded that our program was not very effective as not even half of the target population managed to perform the desired behaviour.

            There were a few reasons why our intervention was ineffective. Firstly, the mentality of the patrons. It has already been engraved in their minds that it is the job of the cleaners to clean up after them as it had already been that way for so long. We interviewed two of the cleaners and they said the same thing. They said that before this, there was some effort made by other students but it was still ineffective and there were no major changes. Moreover, to see more distinct changes, we need to extend the project for a longer period of time. The authorities can also be fully involved so that we would have a larger budget and spend more money on making more posters and banners that would serve as a reminder for the patrons of the canteen as well as placing more trolleys at the canteen so that it is more accessible for all the students. In addition, we did not apply the concept of reward and punishment. The only form of reinforcement they received was a “Thank you” whenever someone would throw their rubbish. Also, when we were acting as models for others to follow our behaviour, we did not stand out enough to catch their eye and get their attention. We could have done so by wearing clothes that were bright in colour or even wear a sign that says for instance, “Follow me for cleaner canteen!” It is also possible that the people who did perform the desirable behaviours only did so because they knew that they were being watched.

Reflection

            Through this Da’wah Project, we learned that it is not easy to change a behaviour of a person, moreover an entire group of people, especially if they have behaved in a certain way for a long period of time. More time, energy and commitment is required to make sure the Da’wah Project is successful. Besides that, before doing anything, one must prepare an alternative plan in case the original plan does not work out. Lastly, for a project of a large scale to succeed, co-operation from the authorities are essential and it could mean the difference between success or failure.

Appendix

Pre-project measures:

                     

                               

The plates were left on the tables and left unclean

The cleaner collecting plates and put in the trolleys

Post-project measure:

   

Students placing their plates in the trolley and taking their plates to be put in the trolley

The cleaner still need to clean up the table

                 

The two trolleys given by the Food, Facilites, and Services Department

Flyer:

Laminated poster:

BASELINE MEASURES

The state of HS Canteen after lunch hour before intervention.

DA'WAH PROJECT

Target behaviour:

-Clean up after eating at HS Cafe.

Target group:

-Customers of HS Cafe.

Baseline measure:

-Take pictures of HS Cafe before and after the intervention.

Intervention programme:

-Set example to other people.

-Post banners and posters all over the HS Cafe.

-Telling our friends to clean up after themselves and asking them to tell their friends to do the same.

-Going around to each person and reminding them to clean up after themselves.

-Prepare place to dispose trash/plates.

The Fastest Way To A Man's Heart Is Through His Stomach

It was a day like any other. And like most days, there were routines. Alex, one of the most popular 16-year-old boys, had a routine in which he played football every evening after school. He loved football practice not only because of the sport, but because of the fact that he had his own personal cheerleaders; his classmates Stacy and Grace.

The two girls both had crushes on Alex and sought to win his affections by cheering him on at every game. But Stacy liked to bake and used her hobby to an advantage. She would frequently bake Alex his favourite dessert, moist chocolate cake. Having learned this, Grace gets jealous and began to do the same. With confectionary as a new competition ground for the two girls, their rivalry became bitterer than dark chocolate.

The girls baked their prized chocolate cake almost every day to see who would triumph over the other and win Alex’s heart. Sadly, although Grace’s cake was delicious, it could not compare the Stacy’s homemade magic. Alex absolutely loved it! It became a routine for him to eat Stacy’s chocolate cake every day. Their time together grew fonder, and their days together at school felt longer. Alex noticed that his heart skipped a beat every time he saw Stacy.

Alex eventually confesses his feelings to Stacy, which made her delighted, seeing as all her hard work had paid off. Grace was heartbroken and immediately moved to a different school, as the heartache was too much to bear. Alex and Stacy became one of the hottest items in school. Too often people would talk about how cute they looked together, especially when on their dates at the pier where they would feed each other chocolate cake while watching the sun set over the horizon.

Time passed and finals were coming around the corner, and Stacy’s mother urged her to concentrate on her studies. So Alex’s chocolate cake fix became less and less frequent till finally it stopped altogether, and had to be put on hold till the exams were over. At first, things seemed fine, but Alex started feeling bothered. Eventually his heart did not react the same way it first did whenever he saw Stacy. But the thoughts that spun about his head incessantly were about the chocolate cake she used to make for him.

And that was when Alex realised that he was not in love in Stacy all along, but her moist chocolate cake! And when her daily offerings of chocolate cake dwindled, so did Alex’s feelings for her. Not that Stacy really noticed. She just thought his mind was as busy with the impending exams as hers was. And even though they still saw each other every day, Alex just did not feel like he used to when they were first together. But once the exams were over, Stacy surprised Alex with a slice of chocolate cake to celebrate! He found his heart pounding once again, enjoying the cake his taste buds missed so much.

Back at home on the weekend, lying on his bed, Alex stared at the ceiling wondering what to do about how he was feeling. He looked to the side and spotted Stacy’s jacket on his study chair. She must have left it by accident the last time she came over. Her scent lingered in his room and Alex had sleepless nights because of it. The perfume she wore every day reminded him of the chocolate cake he so desperately craved for and thus made his heart beat profusely, and his stomach incredibly hungry. His desire for chocolate cake was insatiable.

Whenever Alex passed by the pier or saw the sunset, the first thing that entered his mind would be Stacy’s amazing chocolate cake. He reflected on this long and hard until he finally realised that he may not actually love Stacy, but as long as he wanted to be able to taste that incredible chocolate cake of hers, he could never bring himself to break up with her… FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE.

And so, the routine carried on.

THE END