The History of the Political Parties of Canada

Ever wonder how the political parties of Canada were created? And have you ever wondered why certain provinces don’t get along with the Feds?

It was recently Canada’s 43rd election and while researching who I should vote for, I realized that I didn’t know very much about Canadian politics. Or Canadian history for that matter. I didn’t know the histories of the political parties and didn’t understand certain terms or procedures. So this is why I decided to write this article. This will be a way for me to learn this stuff while also sharing my findings and newfound knowledge with you guys.

So, let’s get to it. This article will be about the political parties of Canada and their stories and what they believe in. Continue reading “The History of the Political Parties of Canada”

The Asch Conformity Experiment and What It Reveals About Society

The Asch Conformity Experiment was an experiment conducted by Solomon Asch. The intent of the experiment was to see how much social pressure plays a factor in conformity.

Have you ever had a discussion with your friends and agreed with a belief that the majority of them believed in, even though you didn’t actually agree with them?

I have. And many, many, many times too.

This psychological effect is something psychologist Solomon Asch called conformity.

In 1951, Asch wanted to investigate the powers of social pressure and how it affects conformity.

He wanted to understand a person’s threshold when it came to conforming to a group’s beliefs. Continue reading “The Asch Conformity Experiment and What It Reveals About Society”

What is the Stanford Prison Experiment and what does it reveal about humans?

The Stanford Prison Experiment was meant to research participants’ behaviours in a simulated prison environment. But after a few days, it showed us so much more.

In 1971, a research psychologist from Stanford University conducted an experiment that would impact our knowledge of power and authority for decades.

The experiment, Stanford Prison Experiment, was done in August of 1971.

The head researcher, Philip G. Zimbardo, wanted to measure the effects that role-playing, labelling, and social expectations had on an individual’s behaviour.

To do it, he created a fake prison with fake guards and prisoners. He acted as the prison warden.

The roles of guard and prisoner were determined by random selection.

A total of 24 applicants participated in this psychological experiment. Continue reading “What is the Stanford Prison Experiment and what does it reveal about humans?”

How ‘A Class Divided’ Explains Social Privilege

‘A Class Divided’ was an experiment conducted by third-grade teacher Jane Elliot. It was an attempt to explain how it felt to be discriminated against.

1968 was not a very progressive time, especially in America.

The United States was still fighting in the Vietnam War, Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, and Tommie Smith and John Carlos, who won the gold and bronze medals for the 200-metre dash, respectively, had their awards stripped by the International Olympic Committee for protesting the injustices against African-Americans.

These are just some of the bad events that happened.

Noticing this discrimination, Jane Elliot, a third-grade teacher, wanted to do something about it.

Pacing around her classroom after all her students had gone home for the day, she pondered what she could do to create some change in society (I’m guessing this is what she probably did).

After an hour or so of contemplation and jotting down ideas on her blackboard, a light bulb lit up.

She finally had her idea (again, this is probably what happened. I wasn’t there so I don’t really know. Give me a break!)! Continue reading “How ‘A Class Divided’ Explains Social Privilege”

5 Must-Know Core Psychology Theories

psychology theories

Are you curious about the type of stuff that is learned in psychology? The following list of core psychology theories will help you out.

I’m going to be honest with you –I didn’t major in psychology when I was in college.

However, I did take a few courses.

I found psychology to be really interesting; just learning how the brain and mind works were intriguing.

But at the same time, it required me to take too many science courses, so I decided to take sociology instead.

But in those three or four psychology courses that I did take, there were some theories that really stood out to me –theories that caught my interest.

Mind you, these are all intro theories or concepts you would learn in the introductory psychology courses.

So if you are someone who doesn’t know much (or anything) about psychology, this list of 5 core psychology theories will be perfect for you. Continue reading “5 Must-Know Core Psychology Theories”

What is Psychology?

Ever wonder what psychology is? This article discusses what this science is and the major psychological perspectives.

What is psychology? In simple terms, psychology is “the science of mind and behavior.”

It is the study of how the mind works and how it develops, and how this affects a person’s behavior.

Additionally, there are two main branches of psychology – experimental and applied. In the experimental field, psychologists do research to find answers to the questions “why” and “what.”

For instance, they want to answer “why is this person acting like he is?” And “what is going on in his mind during this act?”

Psychologists in the applied field seek to apply the research that’s done by the experimenters.

These types of psychologists are usually clinical psychologists, therapists, and counsellors. Also, they search for answers to the question “how.” For example, “how can I improve this community?” Continue reading “What is Psychology?”

What is Sociology?

Here’s a quick intro to what sociology is and some core concepts.

What is sociology? This was a question I had when I was looking through college classes a few years ago.

I needed some options to take during the spring semester and stumbled upon this subject. I read the course description, but it wasn’t too clear.

It basically described what a sociologist does.

But I wanted to know what sociology was. So I searched it up on Google.

“The science of society, social institutions, and social relationships,” described by Merriam-Webster dictionary.

This still wasn’t that clear. But I was cramped on time and had to make my decision.

So I signed up anyway, not 100 percent knowing what the course was about. Continue reading “What is Sociology?”

How to Use Ben Franklin’s Schedule to be More Productive

The Ben Franklin schedule is a popular model of organization. But is it for everyone? And how can the majority of people implement it or a version of it to be more successful?

Ben Franklin was a Founding Father of the United States.

But aside from being a politician who fought for the independence of America, he was also an author, political theorist, scientist, and inventor, to name a few. So how was he able to do all of these things as such a busy person?

Well, let’s take a look at his popular schedule to find out:

Continue reading “How to Use Ben Franklin’s Schedule to be More Productive”