Lindsey's Research Journal

RJA #15b: Reflection On What I've Learned

2009-12-07T15:40:00.000-08:00

In this class I learned a number of research techniques that I was unaware of before. The most prominent thing I learned were how to use other search engines besides Google, as well as more useful ways to input my search so I obtain more subject-specific results. I think that the best thing I learned was mainly alternatives to the few search engines I was previously aware of. I also learned a great deal about how to submit assignments online, and the ins and outs of the Blackboard system. Unfortunately, I learned this from trial and error when I submitted two assignments incorrectly on accident. Being a Psychology major I am primarily familiar with APA format, so I was glad to become re-familiarized with MLA format. I also learned important time management techniques, which I know I will use in the future when working on big assignments.

RJA #15: Word Cloud

2009-12-07T14:12:00.000-08:00

Wordle

RJA #14: Annotated Bibliography, Part 2

2009-11-30T13:20:00.000-08:00

RJA #14: Annotated Bibliography, Part 2

1) Calvert, Sandra L., and Siu-Lan Tan. "Impact of Virtual Reality on Young Adults' Psychological Arousal and Aggressive Thoughts: Interaction Versus Observation." Interacting with Video. Norwood: Ablex Corporation, 1999. 67-82. Print.

~This book focuses on technological impact on violent behavior (TV, video games, internet, etc), and how it may help or hinder the issue of violent individuals. The authors dissect personal characteristic of individuals who are suceptable to technology's influence. The two main characteristics examined were gender and aggressive traits. The authors also examined a study with the purpose of researching the impact of particpating in versus observing a violent act. It was concluded that immersion had a more significant impact on a person's thoughts and physical reactions to violence than observation alone.

~This book brought up the notion of psychological arousal, which I had not been familiar with before. I cited a number of direct quotes from the authors in my paper, which helped to convey the idea of what happens when biologically when an individual becomes aroused by a violent event. The authors tied in older theories with current issues.

2) Denno, Deborah W. Biology and Violence: From Birth to Adulthood. New York: Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge, 2001. Print.

~The purpose of this book was to analyze specific subjects and their families from birth to adulthood in order to draw evidence linking biology and violence. The subjects in this book were analyzed both statistically and individually, which is unique from much of the comparable information that is available regarding the topic of biological influences of violence. This book also explores ways to remedy possible causes of precursors to violent crime.

~This book was the foundation for my research of violence and aggression. Not only did I widely utilize the concepts throughout Denno's book, but I also noticed that a few of my other sources cited Denno in their work as well. Denno's findings made perfect sense and are widely accepted by others in her field.

3) Krakowski, MD, PhD, Menahem. "Violence and Serotonin: Influence of Impulse Control, Affect Regulation, and Social Functioning." The Journal of Neuropsychiatry & Clincal Neurosciences 15 (2002): 294-305. Print.

~This article examined the relationship between aggression and brain serotonin levels. There is a link established between psychological and social factors to serotonin; proving that each has an affect on the other. Essentially this article established that although violence may be biologically pre-determined, the social context in which an individual experiences his or her being may trigger violent episodes.

~I found this article to not only be interesting, but also congruent to other information I was receiving from various sources. This article supported my arguement on a biological level.

4) Raine, Adrian, and Monte S. Buchsbaum. Violence, Brain Imaging, and Neuropsychology. University of Southern California, 1998. Print.

~This chapter outlines various theories, where/who they are derived from, and provides valuable definitions.

~I mainly used this chapter as a starting point to conduct further investigation into specific biological theories of violence. The text was very complex, but proved to have valuable information once I researched specific concepts further.

5) Reidd, Albert J., Klaus A. Miczek, and Jeffrey A. Roth. Understanding and Preventing Violence: Biobehavioral Influences. Vol. 2. National Academic, 1994. Print.

~This book provided a vast background on human behavior and its links to violence indluding American society, substance abuse, families, and firearms. The book also took a look into the consequences of violence as well as statistical perspectives. Other perspectives were explored in an entire chapter which discussed patterns and trends, as well as possible explanations.

~I utilized this book because it did not get caught up on psychological jargen and made concepts easy to understand and locate from the provided chapter outline. This book also had a more personal stance from the authors, which made it more sunjective while reading and understanding said concepts.

6) Rushton, J.P. "Self-report delinquency and violence in adult twins." Psychiatric Genetics 6.2 (1999): 87-90. Print.

~VERY important study in which the author describes retrospective self-reports from twin adults regarding aggressive and violent behavior. The subjects were asked to fill out questionaires pertaining to delinquent behavior. The results support a biological and genetic theory of violence due to the fact that men were found to be more violent than women (genetics). Studies included pairs of both monozygotic and dizygotic twins. Findings also revealed that envirnomental factors illicited violent behavior more from women than men who participated in the study.

~This study/article was very important in supporting my main argument. Findings were extremely interesting and relatively easy to understand with minor background og biology and genetics.

RJA #13b: Annotated Bibliography

2009-11-16T17:55:00.000-08:00

1) Salter, A.C. (2003). Predators: Pedophiles, rapists, and other sex offenders: who they
are, how they operate, and how we can protect ourselves and our children. New
York, NY: Basic Books.

This book gives a first-hand account, through the technique of interviewing, what the criminals believe to be the root of their violent behavior, it also provides a generous amount of statistics as well as information regarding mental disease and violence.

2) Englander, E.K. (2007). Understanding Violence (3rd ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence
Erlbaum Associates.

This book provides valuable information about the foundations of violence as well as useful definitions and statistics.

3) Denno, D. W. (2001). Biology and Violence: From Birth to Adulthood. New York, NY: Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge.

This book dissects biological and environmental influences on violence and looks at violent criminals as children and once again as adults. The book includes a number of useful case studies.

RJA #13a: Field Research Report

2009-11-16T17:50:00.000-08:00

RJA #13a: Field Research Report–

My field research was mainly composed of a number of power points, class discussions, and information provided from two probation officers from the Denver PO who monitor sexually violent criminals. I have many pages of detailed notes to help me reference important information about violent people. I am still in the process of tying all of the information together, but essentially the debate between nature and nurture ensues and not one set of criteria solely explains violence.

RJA #12b: Presentation Plan

2009-11-09T15:32:00.000-08:00

RJA #12b: Presentation Plan-

For my power point presentation, I will provide information about the etiology biological and genetic theories of violence and aggression. I will provide statistics (possibly including graphs and/ or charts), photos, and other visuals pertaining to my subject matter. I will also have a section that reviews the history of violence, going over how violence has evolved throughout time.

RJA #12a: Progress Report

2009-11-09T15:23:00.000-08:00

As of right now, I am up to date on my required posts and textbook readings, I have also completed my thesis. I have completed my introduction, and am satisfied with it, but want to expand a bit more on it. I have a number of internet resources I have bookmarked on my Delicious account as well as on my personal laptop's history, which I have found to work better for me than using my Delicious account.

On my "to-do" list, I will turn in my formal outline, but am sure that as I am writing I will want to expand on certain points more. I also need to complete discussion 8 and provide classmates with feedback on their introductions.

RJA #11c: Thesis Statement Check

2009-11-02T17:03:00.000-08:00

Amanda Walker

Emily Applegate

RJA #11b: Visual Aides

2009-11-02T16:42:00.001-08:00

~neurological images
~violent individuals
~violent aftermath
~substances that contribute to violent acts

RJA #11a: Introduction

2009-11-02T16:01:00.000-08:00

There is an ongoing debate sparked by the rise of violence in the United States as to whether nature or nurture is the primary factor for the problem that is now reaching epidemic proportions. Recognizing genetic and biological theories behind violence and aggressive behavior will allow progression of the knowledge about the brains of violent individuals. Understanding the minds of violent individuals heavily relies on biological and genetic theories of violence that provide valuable information about aspects of nature versus nurture, which are at the forefront of an ongoing debate, as well as important information about the anatomy of the brain and different systems that assist in regulating emotions.

RJA #10b: Argument

2009-10-26T13:57:00.001-07:00

RJA #10b: Argument

Precise claim:
Understanding the main theories behind violence and aggression, especially genetic and biological theories, will help to get into the brain of violent individuals.

Reason 1:
Unattractive, or disfigured, individuals are more likely to be violent delinquents.

Warrant:
It is a strong possibility that unattractive individuals are treated differently that attractive individuals, which could lead to the development of crime. It is also very likely that attractive individuals are more likely to get away with crime. (Nurture)

Reason 2:
Injuries to certain areas of the brain inhibit emotional regulation.

Warrant:
When emotional regulation is physically hindered violent acts are more likely to take place because reality may be skewed. (Nature)

Reason 3:
There is a strong correlation between temperament and body type.

Warrant:
Individuals with mesomorphic (muscular and hard) body types are aggressive and require a great deal of physical activity, thus they are more likely to be involved in violent and aggressive activities. (Nature)

RJA #10a: These Statement

2009-10-26T13:56:00.000-07:00

RJA #10a: Thesis Statement–

Research Question:
What are the genetic and biological etiology theories of violence and aggression?

Precise claim:
Understanding the main theories behind violence and aggression, especially genetic and biological theories, will help to get into the brain of violent individuals.

Reasons:

~Neuroscience provides valuable information about the ongoing nature vs nurture debate.

~The brain contains the cerebral cortex and limbic system, which consist of grey matter and nerves cells involved in the regulation of emotions. If these areas are damaged, individuals may be more prone to violent behavior.

Complete thesis statement:

Understanding the minds of violent individuals heavily relies on biological and genetic theories of violence that provide valuable information about aspects of nature versus nurture, which are at the forefront of an ongoing debate, as well as important information about the anatomy of the brain and different systems that assist in regulating emotions.

RJA#9: Evaluation of Sources

2009-10-19T11:31:00.001-07:00

RJA #9: Evaluation of Sources–Select six of the sources you’ve found on your topic, including one book, one periodical article, and one website. Following the guidelines in “Evaluating Sources of Information,” evaluate these sources. Post your evaluations in your blog. Be sure you include bibliographic information for all six sources, including a web address or link for the website(s).
If you need to, continue searching for reference works, books, and periodical articles on your topic. Update the appropriate posts on your blog if you find more sources. Don’t forget to bookmark relevant sites in your Delicious account and add any relevant RSS feeds to your Protopage.

Salter, A.C. (2003). Predators: Pedophiles, rapists, and other sex offenders: who they
are, how they operate, and how we can protect ourselves and our children. New
York, NY: Basic Books.

Internet Research Project

2009-10-12T08:41:00.000-07:00

Name of and link to the tool: inSuggest

Summary or description of the tool: inSuggest is a search engine that does exactly that- suggests websites, images, and helps the user bookmark relevant information. inSuggest gives recommendations on where to find relevant websites or images based on information entered by the user. Results are based on user opinions from fellow inSuggest users. inSuggest neatly organizes search results with a large thumb-nail picture preview to the left of a short summary of the website as well as tag words.

Strengths: useful for bookmarking when using with del.icio.us account, neatly organized search results, good search recommendations

Weaknesses: does not search keywords easily, poor images results

Search engines, directories, and other applications searched: inSuggest has the ability to search the web, images, or to search your personal bookmarks via del.icio.us. Using it in accordance with del.icio.us is a good way to save time and find relevant resources based on a pre-determined list of bookmarks.

Databases: inSuggest can be used in accordance with de.lici.ous.

Operators: It is easiest to use a webiste, or bookmark, that is useful to the research topic and to find related resources that way. inSuggest did not work as well when searching using keywords.

Case sensitivity: I did not find a high level of case sensitivity.

Stop words:

Advanced search function: I did not find an advacned search function.

Limits: inSuggest is limited because it is based on suggesting additional resources, meaning that it is not necessarily meant to "find" new resources, rather it is meant to find related resources that might be useful.

Sorting: You can bookmark websites in your de.licio.us account and use those bookmarks to sort through results using inSuggest.

Display: The display is nice and neat, it gives the user a concise view of the websites in their search results. When putting the mouse over a result, it becomes larger and more visible.

Help function: There is a tutorial labelled "how it works" in the lower right-hand corner that gives a quick run-down of how to navigate inSuggest and what to expect.

Special features: inSuggest has the feature of dragging relevant websites to the top of the page, and it then pulls up a new list of websites also favored by users who liked the initial site. This is useful because it allows the user to save the website and come back to it, and the search results, easy is needed.

RJA #8c: Multimedia

2009-10-12T08:34:00.000-07:00

RJA #8c: Multimedia

Resource searched or tool used: Blinkx
Keywords used: +violence +aggression +causes
Search strategies used: Engine math
Date of search: 10/9/09
Number of hits: 1,485
Relevance of hits (on a scale of 1 to 5): 4
~Some of the results that came up are very relevant, involving experts in the field of Psychology regarding the topic of violence and aggression. Other results discussed the topic in other parts of the world, which provides an interesting contrast from my everyday norm, and what I am most familiar with. Further more, other results discussed the evolution of violence and aggression.

RJA #8b: Social Media

2009-10-12T08:27:00.000-07:00

RJA #8b: Social Media

Tool used: Google Blog Search
Keywords used: +consequences +violence +aggression
Search strategies used: Engine Math
Date of search: 10/9/09
Number of hits: 17,530
Relevance of hits (1-low, 5-high): 4
~While skimming blogs that contained arguements about my search topic, there were a few results that are very relevant to my search and that I will be dissecting more in depth.
__________________________________________________

Tool used: Blog Catalog
Keywords used: +consequences +violence +aggression
Search strategies used: Engine Math
Date of search: 10/9/09
Number of hits: 724
Relevance of hits (1-low, 5-high): 2
~There wasn't as much of a variety as Google Blog Search had, and the results were less organized.

RJA #8a: Websites

2009-10-12T08:17:00.000-07:00

RJA #8a: Websites

Tool Used: Google
Keywords used: +etiology theories +violence
Search strategies used: Engine Math
Date of search: 10/09/09
Number of hits: 9,400,000
Relevance of hits (1-low, 5-high): 4
~I like using Google because it is the search engine I am most f amiliar with, and although it returns a vast number of results, the most relevant are typically toward the beginning of the list.
__________________________________________________

Tool Used: WebCrawler
Keywords used: +definitions +violence aggression theories
Search strategies used: Engine Math
Date of search: 10/09/09
Number of hits: 48
Relevance of hits (1-low, 5-high): 3
~Some results were awesome, and I will probably use the site again. However, some of the results had very little to do with my search topic.
__________________________________________________

Tool Used: All Plus
Keywords used: +consequences +violence +aggression
Search strategies used: Engine Math
Date of search: 10/09/09
Number of hits: 148
Relevance of hits (1-low, 5-high): 4
~I really liked this search tool because it encorporated a number of different websites, but seemed to only present results that were relevant to my search.
__________________________________________________

RJA #7

2009-10-02T18:35:00.002-07:00

RJA #7a:

Mainly when researching I use Google I like using the website because it is easy and usually can retrieve concise results. In many cases Google has also turned me on to a number of articles that have changed or greatly enhanced my topic at hand. In accordance with this articular project I also used the site Debatepedia I liked this site because it clearly presented two sides to a topic and within those arguments had a number of links to go to supporting articles. I liked this in particular because, like Google, Depatepedia got me thinking about different avenues I could take with my research. But, unlike Google, Depatepedia is much easier to sift through important information with.

RJA #7b: Internet Research Tool Test–

Assigned internet search tool: inSuggest

Keywords used: +violence +psychology +theory
Search strategies used (including operators and types of searches): Engine math
Date of search: 10/4/09
Number of hits: 9,000
Relevance of hits (on a scale of 1 to 5): 4

Keywords used: location +violent +acts
Search strategies used: Engine math
Date of search: 10/4/09
Number of hits: 19,000
Relevance of hits: 2

Keywords used: violence AND aggression AND psychology
Search strategies used: Boolean
Date of search: 10/4/09
Number of hits: 27
Relevance of hits: 4

RJA #7c: Field Research Plan–

For my field study I will ask my professor, Dr. Morris, questions regarding various aspects of the main theories of violence. I want to know the root of the various types of violence (nature vs nurture) and where the current debate stands on nature and nurture pertaining to violent offenders and violence in general. I will also include information from a lecture I recently sat in that was conducted by Denver probation officers who monitor sexual offenders, as well as a separate lecture from a best-selling author regarding internet violence. I plan on dissecting their lectures and focusing on what they have established as the cause for escalation to violent crimes, and put their information into appropriate categories of violence. I also want to incorporate neuroscience and examine what happens to certain individuals' brains as a violent act is occurring (both perpetrator and victim).

RJA #6

2009-10-02T18:35:00.001-07:00

RJA #6a: Periodical Articles–Using databases from your college or public library or the web, search for periodical articles on your research topic. Keep electronic copies of the articles you want to read. Some databases, like EBSCO, allow you to e-mail copies of the articles to yourself. Of course, you may also print them out to read. Also browse the periodical section of the college and local public libraries. If you can’t check out the issues of the periodical, you will probably want to photocopy any useful articles you find.

Record the following information for each periodical article you find that you want to use:

Name(s) of author(s)
Title of article
Title of periodical
Volume and issue number (if available)
Date
Pages on which article appears

If you identify any electronic articles that would be useful, you also need to record the database or website where you accessed it, the library from which database was accessed (if applicable), the date you accessed it, and the web address for the subscription database or the article itself.

In addition, record the following information in your research journal for each search you conduct:

Resource searched
Keywords used
Search strategies used (including operators and types of searches)
Date of search
Number of hits
Relevance of hits (on a scale of 1 to 5)

RJA #6b: Search Strings–Based on the comments you received last week and the instructions and reminders here, revise the search strings you wrote for Research Journal Assignment #4 and post your revisions in your research journal.

RJA #6c: Protopage–Create a link to your Protopage.

Use the department and course number (ENG 1020 or ENG 122) and other appropriate tags (”Labels” on Blogger) for each of the three posts.

RJA #5

2009-09-15T17:33:00.000-07:00

RJA #5a:

Online Reference Articles

Name(s) of author(s) of the article: Psychology Today Staff
Title of the article: Violence Has a Home Address
Title of reference work: How parents can stop violence before it starts.
Place of publication (include state if needed): ONLINE
Name of publisher: Psychology Today
Date of publication: August, 30 2004
Page number(s): N/A
Web address: http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/199403/violence-has-home-address
Date accessed: September 21, 2009
2.
Name(s) of author(s) of the article: Amanda Schaffer
Title of the article: Why video games are really linked to violence.
Title of reference work: Health and medicine
Place of publication (include state if needed): ONLINE
Name of publisher: Slate
Date of publication: Friday, April 27, 2007
Page number(s): N/A
Web address: http://www.slate.com/id/2164065/
Date accessed: September 21, 2009
3.
Name(s) of author(s) of the article: Allen E. Kazden and Carlo Rotella
Title of the article: Bullies: they can be stopped but it takes a village
Title of reference work: Family
Place of publication (include state if needed): ONLINE
Name of publisher:Slate
Date of publication: August 11, 2009
Page number(s): N/A
Web address: http://www.slate.com/id/2223976?obref=obinsite
Date accessed: September 21, 2009

Resource searched: Debatepedia, Encyclopedia
Keywords used: violence, aggression, psychology, theories
Search strategies used (including operators and types of searches): skimming through articles in order to narrow down the search
Date of search: September 21, 2009
Number of hits: N/A/
Relevance of hits (on a scale of 1 to 5): N/A

RJA #5b:

E.K. Englander
Understanding Violence
3rd Edition
Mahwah, NJ
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates
2007
R.D. Hare
Without Conscious: The disturbing world of psychopaths among us
New York, NY
The Guilford Press
1999
A.C. Salter
Predators: Pedophiles, rapists, and other sex offenders: who they are, how they operate, and how we can protect ourselves and our children
New York, NY
Basic Books
2003

RJA #5c: Checking Search Strings–Go to two of your classmates’ blogs (ENG 1020, ENG 122) and check their search strings (Research Journal Assignment #4b). In comment on those posts, offer suggestions for improving their search strings or confirm that they are correct. In your own blog, post links to the web addresses of the posts you commented on (not the main addresses for the blogs).

Use the department and course number (ENG 1020 or ENG 122) and other appropriate tags (”Labels” on Blogger) for each of the three posts.

RJA #4

2009-09-13T09:41:00.000-07:00

RJA #4a: Generating Keywords–

-etiology theories of violence

-genetic and biological

-psychological and personality

-social learning and developmental

-sociological and cultural

RJA# 4b: Writing Search Strings–

-search engine math:

theory of violence +genetics +biological

theory of violence +psychological +personality

theory of violence +social learning +developmental

theory of violence +sociological +cultural

-Boolean:

theory of violence AND (genetics OR biological)

theory of violence AND (psychological OR personality)

theory of violence AND (social learning OR developmental)

theory of violence AND (sociological OR cultural)

RJA #4c: Checking Research Questions–Go to two of your classmates’ blogs (ENG 1020, ENG 122) and check their research questions (Research Journal Assignment #3c).

Blogs I commented on:

Christie Allen

Emily Applegate

RJA #3

2009-09-07T19:17:00.000-07:00

RJA #3a: Exploring Research Topic
So far, I have really been scratching the surface of my topic. I have been reading in three main textbooks about different types of violence and constructing a foundation for understanding and comprehending my topic. I have found that there are a vast number of theories having to do with violence and aggression. I will need to dissect these theories the further into my research I get.

RJA #3b: Narrowing Research Topic
Initially, I needed to narrow my topic greatly from "violence and aggression" to a specific subtopic that I can focus my research on. Now that I have clearly outlined my topic as researching more than two theories of what causes violence and arguing for one of those theories, I know what to look for when conducting my research. Although my topic is still broad, narrowing it down by focusing on "theories" makes it much more manageable. I know that there will be a good amount of information available for me to research because the topic pertains to a class I am taking this semester, I have three textbooks focusing on the topic, and there are a number of online resources that are available to me that I can include in my research. As I continue my research I will have to narrow the theories I find to the ones I see as being most relevant and logical. At this time, I will probably have to use some of the tools I have read about in chapter 3 to narrow down my topic even further.

RJA #3c: Developing Research Question
Who are the primary demographic of victims of violence in the US?
What theory or theories pertaining to the study of violence and aggression is/are relevant?
When is a good age to start educating our youth about violence and aggression?
Where do most violent acts occur? (i.e.- home, street, work, etc.)
How do our institutions work to rehabilitate violent offenders?
Why does aggression escalate into violence?
Should violent offenders face stricter penalties or would rehabilitation be useful in re-integrating them back into society?
Would children be less likely to become part of the violent cycle if they were educated at an earlier age?

RJA #2

2009-08-31T15:34:00.000-07:00

RJA #2a
Although I am very interested in many aspects of neuroscience and neuropsychology, I have chosen to use violence and aggression as the subject for my research project this semester.

RJA #2b
The topic I chose to write about this semester is violence and aggression. I chose this topic because I am taking a class called Psychology of Violence and Aggression. Although the semester has just gotten underway about three weeks ago, the classes I have had so far on this topic have interested me a lot. I am mainly interested because this is an area of Psychology that I have not yet studied, but have always wanted to. I enjoy watching shows about crime, such as 20/20 and Dateline, and a lot of the time many of the crimes committed are violent crimes. I think it would be useful to become knowledgeable in the area of violence and aggression and to be able analyze violent crimes, even if the crime is only on television.

I am not very well versed in my topic so far. I recently became acquainted with different categories of violent crime as well as warning signs that aggression may lead to violence when having an interaction with another individual or group of individuals. The class has also touched on substance abuse and violence; how drugs and alcohol may serve as a catalyst for violence to occur. The class is starting to take a closer look into gang and cult violence and realizing the impact both have on society.

I don't know a lot about this topic, but I am looking forward to learning how family history plays a role in violence and if genetics and biology are involved. I am also looking forward to learning about stalking and how that plays a part in violent acts, as well as theories behind why violence occurs. Statistics in this subject also interests me greatly and I would like to find out how violence effects various institutions in the US. Lastly, I am also looking forward on gaining insight into how to break the cycle and ways to divert violent situations.

RJA #2c
Lindsey's Delicious Account

RJA #1: Areas of Academic Interest

2009-08-24T09:30:00.000-07:00

Being a Psychology major, many of my academic interests center around that field. I have found that my major has also benefited me within my current job by providing a deeper understanding of the individual psyche. There are, however, certain areas of Psychology that interest me more than others. Some areas of my academic interest within the realm of Psychology are: violence and aggression, neuroscience and neuropsychology, as well as using psychological techniques to enhance daily encounters with other individuals. I enjoy studying subjects that are multi-dimensional and may be applied to various situations.