Post 4

In class we did some brainstorming from the book. I thought about fields and topics related to personality in order to narrow down my topic. I came up with this list:
Science: genetics affect on personality; the brain
Education: Kindergarten preparation; identity as a factor in graduation
Medicine: Diseases that affect personality and drugs that combat them
Humanities: Cultural influence on personality

Personality

What is it?

Is it the same as identity?

How does the brain and body affect it?

Is the Limbic or Neocortex responsible for a persons identity?

What diseases affect personality and are you the same person if your personality is affected?

How does interpersonal communication shape our perception of ourselves (non-verbally vs. verbally)?

I was able to do some research before class on Wednesday and found a book on understanding non verbal signals we give off immediately and uncontrolled. Our non-verbal communication could be grouped with our personality because it is in essence what makes us who we are. As the old adage goes: "actions speak louder than words".

1. Navarro, Joe, and Marvin Karlins. What Every BODY Is Saying: An Ex-FBI Agent's Guide to Speed-          reading People. 1st ed. New York, NY: Collins Living, 2008. Print.
Mainly, I was intrigued by his information on the limbic and neocortex and a person's reactions, as well as the mention of "pacifying behaviors" which we switch out from our baby habits (sucking a thumb, talking to stuffed animals, etc.) for more socially accepted forms like stroking the neck (Navaro 37) which produced some of the questions above. 

Post 3

After reading this section of the text that my question becomes more defined: I would like to understand what creates personality by means of bodily functions,as well as, i suppose, psychologically. This is the reason why Olson's article was unhelpful to me- he broached the subject  philosophically. I wasn't sure which direction my question was going to take, but it's beginning to evolve into something more specific.

"Without going into the details of the functions of the endocrine glands, one may say that they are ``the   managers of the human body...Every individual, from the time he is born until the time he dies, is under the influence of these many different kinds of elements...These glands are not independent of  one another but interact in a marvelous manner so that  under or overaction of any one of them upsets a balance that exists between them, and thus produces a disorder that is quite generalized in its effects" (Myerson 12-13). "...mind and character are dependent upon the health of the brain and the glands of the body; that somewhere in the interaction of tissues, in the chemistry of life, arises thought, purpose, emotion, conduct and deed" (Myerson 17).

It is not just one thing that creates personality but a combination of infinite variables. We cannot control the person we are, at least bodily; I often have a problem with low blood sugar which reeks havoc on my emotions and personality-I become moody and extremely easy to exasperate when I am normally a very laid back and patient person, in this way I can relate to Myerson's description of  health and bodily function as an influence over personality When the body is in stress it puts a stress on the mind. In addition, when i interact with my mother I find myself more prone being snappy; this too could be a result of stress being transported to the brain, but more as a result of interpersonal communication. I am interested in how verbal or nonverbal communication could be a factor on personality.

Works Cited

Works Cited:

1. T., Olson, Eric. "Personal Identity." Stanford University. Stanford University, 20 Aug. 2002. Web. 27                  June 2013.

2. Myerson, Abraham. The Foundations Of Personality. Charlottesville, Va: University of Virginia Library, 1996. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 30 June 2013.

3. Knoff, Howard M. The Assessment of Child and Adolescent Personality. New York: Guilford, 1986. Print.

4."Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology." (Division 53). American Psychological Association, 2013. Web. 07 July 2013. <http://www.apa.org/about/division/div53.aspx>.

5. You and Me: Childhood Identity and Social Development. Millennium Web Catalog. Films Media Group, 1994. Web. 07 July 2013.

6. Glazer, Sarah. "Head Start." CQ Researcher 9 Apr. 1993: 289-312. Web. 8 July 2013.

7. Penn, Helen. Quality in Early Childhood Services: An International Perspective. Maidenhead: Open UP, 2011. Print.

8. Batcher, Elaine. Emotion in the Classroom- A Study of Children's Experiences. New York: CBS Educational and Professional, 1981. Print.

9. Bosacki, Sandra Leanne. Children's Emotional Lives: Sensitive Shadows in the Classroom. New York: P. Lang, 2008. Print.

10. Leary, Mark R., and June Price. Tangney. Handbook of Self and Identity. New York: Guilford, 2003. Print.

11. Mitchell, Nancy. "How Colorado Compares to Other States | EdNewsColorado." How Colorado Compares to Other States | EdNewsColorado. Ednewscolorado.org, 12 Jan. 2012. Web. 09 July 2013. <http://www.ednewscolorado.org/news/education-news/how-colorado-compares-to-other-states>.

12. "Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) | National Association for the Education of Young Children | NAEYC." Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) | National Association for the Education of Young Children | NAEYC. Ed. National Association for the Education of Young Children. Naeyc.org, n.d. Web. 09 July 2013. <http://www.naeyc.org/dap>.

8.B

Post 2

6/30/13
I went back to this website to reread what i had skimmed over the last time I posted.
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/identity-personal/
I am most concerned with the first question Olson addresses: "Who am I?" and his "Accounts of Our Identity Over Time". but on further inspection into his article, I'm not satisfied with his answers, nor have I found one for myself, and so, I'm going to look for a better source than this one today.

Since some of his information is a bit too eccentric for me, I went to the college library website and researched personality. I found an ebook that I prefer due to the author's more scientific approach; I appreciate how Abraham refers back to medicine and biology to prove his point rather than the philosophical approach of Olson. Abraham Myerson's book "The Foundation of Personality" is founded on the connection between the body and the mind and personality.
http://aurarialibrary.worldcat.org/title/foundations-of-personality/oclc/49293769&referer=brief_results

I think researching this topic may be more difficult to follow than I anticipated because of it's philosophical nature and infinite variables that affect it. We know what causes our brains to work and function: through nerve impulses, hormones, etc. We know  that no person is the same because of their life experiences, but the answer as to why we are so complicated (why we act, react, and feel the way we do about ourselves) is more abstract.

Blog Brainstorm

Possible Topics:

-Alice in Wonderland                    -Culture                                
-Spanish                                         -Inventions    
-Teaching                                       -Genetics
-Communication/Society               -Internet
-The brain                                       -Music
-Astronomy

Questions:
-How does the brain enable us to communicate and process language?
-What genes code for unibrows? What flips the switch for a gene?
-What determines preference? Creates personality? What are feelings-how are they created? Humor?
-Who invented the comb? Toothbrush? Toilet? The question mark?
-Why do we act the way we do in society? Follow unspoken rules?
-Is there underlying meaning behind Alice in Wonderland?
-Who determines what is taught in schools? Best approach to teaching students?
-Why do people bite their nails?


6/26/13
Today I tried to come up with a topic and question to expand on. It was pretty hard because I was interested in almost all of my topics and questions, but I finally decided on pursuing what creates personal identity and our perceptions of ourselves. I looked on Google just to start off and get an idea of what could encompass this topic; I found this website: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/identity-personal/