Case Study 1

CRAIG JOSEPH

Email Address: c28joseph5@gmail.com

Student ID: AC1900736

C04V: Introduction to Psychology

ASSIGNMENT #8

Ashworth College

DATE; April 3, 2022

 1. Arlene is worried that her recent dream experiences indicate that something is wrong

with her. If you were Arlene’s friend and wanted to reassure her, how would you help her

to understand the normal experience of sleep and dreams?

In an effort to reassure Arlene, I would tell her that stress is normal part of life and its only an

issue when it isn’t balanced. Also, any activity that constantly happens in one’s life, it is

common for one to dream about it and that doesn’t mean she has a problem. If you fish every

day, it is very likely that you would dream about fishing.

Sleep has five to be exact. We move from an awake status to sleep with theta waves, and our

bodies relax from stages two to four. The deepest levels of sleep are stages three to four, and are

marked by delta waves. There is then, a return to stage two, the rapid eye movement stage, and

dreams happen here. This cycle summarized here, can occur a few times for a night. The brain

makes sure to get REM sleep, when the quality of sleep is bad, and as a, result there’s more REM

sleep, causes her to dream longer, about what she does daily which is stress and worry. If Arlene

gets poor sleep, then she would be fatigued and feel stressed because she doesn’t have the energy

to meet the demands of her work.

2. Which theory of dreaming seems to best explain Arlene’s disturbing dreams, and why?

Even when asleep, the brain tries to process information during the day to solve the problems

that were experienced. The theory called activation synthesis explains that the brain takes

troublesome memories formed during the day and tries to make sense out of it and sometimes

fills the gaps with information, and anxiety and restlessness can be a result.
 3. How might meditation help Arlene?

Practicing meditation can allow Arlene to established a mindset of calmness and that in turn will

give her some control on her anxiety. This also raises mindfulness and awareness and could help

give her clarity in making decisions, solutions to problems. Health and sleep can be improved, as

the stress levels go down.

4. If you were Arlene’s health care provider, how would you advise her to overcome her

insomnia?

Getting help is the first step in solving a problem. Proper eating habits, especially the content and

timing of meals would definitely help crush the insomnia. Eating a few hours before bedtime

prevents the digestive system from working while the other parts of the body are trying to rest.

Also not drinking, would lessen on the likelihood of getting up to urinate. Regular exercise

would relax the body with the release of endorphins and promote good sleep and being tired is

the best way to end the day for a good night’s sleep. Going to bed every night at the same time

would program her body to fall asleep and wake up at the same time every night.

5. What are some effects on Arlene of her high caffeine intake? What would happen if she

just suddenly stopped drinking coffee and energy drinks? How would you advise her to

modify her caffeine use?

Instantaneously ceasing substances, the body is used to, can have adverse effects such as

trembling and nightmare, and all of these are called withdrawal effects. The use of caffeine can

affect sleep cycles. In an effort to modify caffeine use, she should gradually decrease the amount

of caffeine she consumes daily, from all sources, those, obvious and non-obvious. The time she
ingests caffeine is just as important as the amount, as caffeine may have an effect for eight hours

or more. Healthy alternatives can be found in tea.

Case Study 2

CRAIG JOSEPH

Email Address: c28joseph5@gmail.com

Student ID: AC1900736

C04V: Introduction to Psychology

ASSIGNMENT #8

Ashworth College

DATE; April 3, 2022

 1. What does the behavior of John’s co-workers toward John suggest about their attributions

for his initial manner of dress?

The co workers behavior is definitely an example of fundamental attribution error. Their reaction

came from the John’s presentation. Professional attire may suggest discipline and a no-nonsense

attitude, so they become apprehensive and uneasy, unwelcoming. When the attire changed to a

more relaxed mood, the co-workers also became relaxed

2. Describe the kinds of biases that might have affected John’s co-workers as they formed

impressions of him on his first day. Could they have been using a faulty schema to

understand him? Is there evidence of the halo effect?

The faulty and misinformed schemas held by the workers promoted the biases. John’s

professional dressing perhaps may have made his co workers feel that he was authoritative and

all business, which was foreign to the laid-back environment at the new job. The halo effect was

used to attribute more expectations to John based on how he dressed.

3. Explain why John changed his manner of dress so soon after starting his new job. What

processes were likely involved in his decision to do so?

John changed his manner of dress so he could fit in or so he could be accepted. All humans have

a need to fit into a certain crowd or class. The pressure from not being well received caused him

to change his attire and to conform what the norm was at his new workplace.
 4. John’s co-workers seemed very hesitant to “warm up” to John. How would you explain

to John their initial reluctance to like him very much?

The explanation I would give to John is that because of the way he dressed, the co-workers

formed an impression, and treated him accordingly. The disparity between his attire and theirs

was the source for the reluctance to warming up.

5. If you were the human resources director for this company, what strategies could you

employ to prevent experiences like John’s? How would you justify the implementation of

these strategies to the company president?

In an effort to prevent experiences like John’s I would implement a staff introduction meeting

and tour to allow for a proper welcome. There, information and a short background could be

shared. Also, before a new staff starts work, there would be a fore announcement, so that the

existing wouldn’t feel ambushed or surprised. Justification for these strategies would be that it

would eliminate friction for new employees and promote communication. Both reasons would

boost productivity.

Feldman, R. (2019). Psychology and Your Life with P.O.W.E.R Learning (4th Edition).

McGraw-Hill Learning Solutions. https://online.vitalsource.com/books/9781260998610