Style Delineator
Another test has been conducted on us which determines what our method of thinking is. This test is called the Gregorc Style Delineator. It asks us to rank, form 4 (most like ourself) and 1 (least like ourself), a list of 4 words. There are a total of 10 lists. These choices are ordered from a) Concrete sequential (CS), b) Abstract Sequential (AS), c) Abstract Random (AR), d) Concrete Random (CR). Then the result is calculated. My strongest learning style is Concrete random.

My scores:
CS: 27
AS:26
AR 19
CR: 28

Quoting form the site:
I find these facts congruent with me

• Inspire others to take action
• See many options and solutions
• Contribute unusual and creative ideas
• Often a different way to do things
• Accept many different types of people
• Think fast on their feet
• Take risks
• Using insight and instinct to solve problems
• Working with general time frames
• Using real world experiences to learn
• Trying something themselves
• Restrictions and limitations
• Formal reports
• Routines
• Re-doing anything once it’s done
• Keeping detailed records
• Showing how they got an answer
• Choosing only one answer
• Having no options
• "How much of this is really necessary?"

This would be over 90% of what the site listed.

I find that I fit surprisingly well in the Concrete Random. I, for one, already know that I am a really random person. A person who will just jump to do something. Moreover, I love to do things in a random order.

It is expected that my AS score to be low. However this is not the case. My AR yielded the lowest score. Thus I feel that to gain more from one way of thinking is takes away from all others, not only the opposite alone.

Thus we should balance our method of thinking. Thus we can be able to benefit under all conditions.

I also find that people like Daniel, Mint and Pang who are in the same catorization as me have some certain common interests.

In the end I find this test pretty accurate. However it will only work once. Another limitation is the level of language.

It’s Magical. It’s Malleable, It’s Memory

What is the relationship between memory and selfhood?
We are who we are as a result of what we remember. In other words, memory shapes who we are. Freud assumed that childhood had lots of influence on who you are. Childhood in that sense means memory in childhood. If memory of childhood is wiped out, our self will cease as it has no base. This is because, in my personal experience, we base our self, who we are, on our past experience or memories.

What new discovery about memory do you find most interesting?
I find the discovery that memory is a primitive part of the brain interesting. This is because this implies that memory exists before we are able to human beings developed. In other words, memory can exist even though we do not have language etc. This is also interesting in the sense that memory is half unconscious. This means that we might be able to remember more than we can recall. Or that we can learn when our conscious brain is damaged or destroyed.

How can some memories become indelible?
Some memory can become indelible through the influences of emotions. In witnessing an event like, a homicide, stress hormones and hormones like adrenaline are released. These hormones assist in forcing the mind to encode the memory to long term. Then if this memory is recalled over and over, the connections between the neurons are strengthened. With strengthened connections, these memories are kept “fresh.” Moreover, sleep too allows for effective transference of short term memory to long term. Thus to make a memory indelible, we need an emotional event, which is continually refreshed and a good night sleep.

How can amnesia and repression be explained?
Amnesia and repression might be a result of the hippocampus malfunctioning. For repression, in a extremely emotional event, multiple stress hormones are released. Some of these stress hormones could interfere with the process of the hippocampus. With the hippocampus not fully functioning, some event might not be stored. If the hippocampus ceases to function, all new explicit information will not be stored. For amnesia, the hippocampus is an extremely fragile part of the brain. It is said to be one of the first part of the brain to suffer when oxygen is deprived. Another process of the hippocampus is to restore unconscious memories to the conscious mind. If the hippocampus is damaged through an accident maybe, amnesia might occur.

Explain the following statement: "Memory is more reconstructive than reproductive."
Memory is a reconstruction of events. Thus two reconstructed memories are highly likely to be different. In other words, in the second reconstruction, we might have added some new information (both false and real), and we might have lost some detail. Thus memory is not a replica of what had happened but a recreation of what had happened. Thus memory is more reconstructive than reproductive.

What new paradigm of memory is now emerging?
Memory, before, was believed to be photographic of the event. However, today, memory is believed to be a blend between reality and fiction. Today witness’s accounts are less valid in court cases as we have discovered that memory is a reconstruction, not a replication. Also we are learning that language, emotion, and schemas influence our memory. Thus through these influences our self is created. This is because, memory, or past experiences, is believed to be the foundation of our self.

After reading this article, what conclusions can you make about memory?
Memories are a blend of fact and fiction. Partially, I feel that memory is what we want to remember what we experience by. This is because, we can lie to our self to the point that we believe the lie to be true. I also feel that memories form who we are. However, memory is very fragile. Even though the memory might be permanently stored in our brain, with a little damage to our hippocampus the memory might be lost forever inside the brain. On the other hand, memory can strengthen though repetition or emotional association. In the end, I find memory to utterly important to who we are.

Rumor chain activity
A story is told to a classmate. Then is retold to another. Then to another. The final story is quite different from the original. First, the story is leveled out. Many fine details are omitted in the second retelling. One for example is the fact that the hijacker is fighting for the peoples’ revolutionary army. Also some minor irrelevant details are sharpened. For example, the reemphasis of the fact that the gun was a 357 magnum. Or that the flight was of the QANTAS International. Assimilation also had a powerful effect on this story. The fact that the pilot was a woman is changed to a man. The air hostess was introduced as a man but was retold as a woman. The names of both characters were switched as well. This is unconsciously done to so that the event will better fit out schemas of a plane-hijacking incident. Serial positioning also had an effect on the story told. The final story and the first one were quite similar.

Rumor chain activity
A story is told to a classmate. Then is retold to another. Then to another. The final story is quite different from the original. First, the story is leveled out. Many fine details are omitted in the second retelling. One for example is the fact that the hijacker is fighting for the peoples’ revolutionary army. Also some minor irrelevant details are sharpened. For example, the reemphasis of the fact that the gun was a 357 magnum. Or that the flight was of the QANTAS International. Assimilation also had a powerful effect on this story. The fact that the pilot was a woman is changed to a man. The air hostess was introduced as a man but was retold as a woman. The names of both characters were switched as well. This is unconsciously done to so that the event will better fit out schemas of a plane-hijacking incident. Serial positioning also had an effect on the story told. The final story and the first one were quite similar.

All Purpose Memory Activity
















In this activity, a group of words was spoken to us with 1second interval. Then after we are to recall the words. The result, showed that serial position effect was somewhat effecting the result. The first word and the last word, Bed and dream were easily recalled. This implies that the order, primacy and recency, has some effect. Semantic distinctiveness has also influences our attentiveness to a word. The word, artichoke, thus comes up as a common. Rehearsal also improves recall. This is demonstrated as the word night is repeated 3 times. Night is recalled with 100% accuracy. Sleep was one word recalled but Mr. Anthony never said. This implies that memory is a reconstruction process not a roll back of a tape. This is because sleep has the same schema as the other words. Thus we added it to the list of words even though the actual event, of saying the word did not happen. Thus the memory is distorted. Chucking could also have had an effect. Tossing and turning is a common American idiom. A person common to this idiom can easily use this technique to recall this word. As chunking is the grouping of information into units of meaningful events. This experiment has yielded any results. I find this experiment very interesting yet effective.

Meaning Enhances Recall
The class conducted another experiment on memory. Twenty words are to be remembered according using the help of counting the syllables (A words) or the positive or negative connotation (B words) it has. The class’s mean is 5.09 A words are remembered and 7.09 B words, which totals to a total of 12.27 words remembered from 20. The top scorer has 19 words remembered, and the worst is 6. I did poorly at this test. My result was 4 A words and 2 B words with a total of only 6 words. Mr. Anthony said that people remember more words with meaning. However I remember more A words. Ironic. However, the top scorer Pox used a story to help him recall the words. Thus memory can be made more effective using meaning insist recalling. On the other hand, if one had affecting environmental factors like little sleep or misunderstanding the instruction, the result will be poor too. I can see a pattern that people only remember what has some significance to them. For example, we are told to do so. Or else we are forced to ponder upon it. In other words, we choose to remember what holds meaning. If it does not hold some importance, we are not likely to remember it.

Short Term Memory
Average memory of number is 7 +- 2 numbers. Mine is only 5. Memories tend to be distorted. Sometimes I am able to remember the beginning but not the end. Other times the order of the middle number interferes with my memory. To help us to remember things, use things that are meaningful and emotionally attached. Moreover, things that are visual are more easily remembered. Another method to help is chunking. Chunking is the breaking down of information into sections of groupings which contains a sort of pattern. With chunking a 7 number average can be raised up to 14 numbers.

Memories
Mr. Anthony told us to recall our first memories. My first memory is of the age of 4 and it is about eating cup noodles. Others in my class reported that they have memories when they were 1, 2, or 3. However, Mr. Anthony argued to their account that it is highly unlikely. He stated that neurologically we, at that age, are unable to store memories as the brain is not yet fully formed. He then concludes that the memories of those below 3 are possibly recreated. One example he gave us was that it is a reconstructed memory from the age of 6 of things we might have heard or seen at that time which relates to the age of three. In other words, these memories are false. These memories are not actually accounts of what have happened; however it is what we told our self to remember. In other words there are emotional elements which assist to what we keep in our memory. For example, me I had eating as part of my memory. Consequently I felt that I was quite happy. I guess that was one reason why I remember it. Also Mr. Anthony told us that when we reconstruct our memories it is in third person. However, seeing the memory in third person is impossible. Thus Mr. Anthony concluded that memory is malleable. In other words, memory doesn’t work like a photograph. It is shaped and distorted through time.

My thoughts on existentialism

How did I come to this world? Why was I not consulted? All these absurd questions actually have simple answers. Your parents gave birth to you. Now you ask, why then did you let me be born in this world? I didn't ask for it. In reality you have been consulted. However, at that time you only have the intelligence of two cells, (sperm + egg).

Death. It's inevitable. However, people fear death because they say they fear something that we cannot comprehend. Its all crap. Death is when our cognitive ceases to function thus the physical body stops functioning. All people have experienced a zero cognitive state; when we were infants. However, why don't we remember any of it? Simple, memories are one branch of the cognitive. Thus why do we fear death now?
"You are most alive as you die" That is crap. If that is true, you would have feared death. This is because you are approaching the biggest fear, the final test. Thus it becomes a significant event. In reality, when you die, you do not cease to exist. You existence is permanent. Even though people might forget about you, the fact that you have lived will always be there. Thus why do we fear death so much? Is it because of greed? Greed in desiring to do things before you die. Is it because it is so unpredictable? No, people fear death because death is like a dead end. Death implies that this is it. It is over. People cannot accept that fact. Thus God is created.

God. The idea of God is all false. God is created by humans in an image of man. Why? God presents is a role-model for man. Religion then is formed as a moral guideline for man to follow. This keeps people from killing each other off as each person seeks acceptance form others. However, God is also a scapegoat. An image we can always blame and turn to in times of need. This is a form of alienation as people turn away from each other.

Why then do we all experience a feeling of being separate, lost, confused etc? It is simple. With our little knowledge, we try avoid the facts by creating subjective reasons. For example, you and your friends have different interests. You then give reasons like other people might like the same stuff as me. Those people are trying to avoid me. Etc. Etc. It's all crap. The simple fact was you people do not have the same interest. Period.

What is happiness? It is to be happy. Wrong. Happiness is a comparison of a bad event to a good one. However, happiness does not make a person happy. Why? A happy person needs a balance of despair, anxiety, angst as well as happy moments. Thus we are able to make comparisons and feel content.


Am I simply a small speck in the universe in a world that has no meaning? Yes. You are just a speck. The world by itself doesn't mean anything. Its just a ball with mass floating in the universe. However, humans tries to make it complicated and tried to put meanings to the world.

I agree with Satre.