Chapter 1: Psychology and the Challenges of Life

Essay/Discussion Questions:

1.Personal growth arises out of a host of events in our lives, some that we actively pursue and others that seem to blindside us without any warning. Describe two events in your life that you believe have played a significant role in defining who you are, one in which you were proactive (e.g., choosing which undergraduate institution to attend) and one in which you were reactive (e.g., coping with the loss of a loved one). Be sure to detail how each experience impacted your way of looking at and interacting in the world.

2.Compare and contrast the challenges you currently face with those your grandparents faced when they were your age, indicating which generation you believe had/has the greater challenge. Be sure to provide at least three examples, describing in detail what the challenges are/were. Compare this to what the next generation will face in 30 years. What, if any, new challenges do you think will emerge over time?

3.We cannot understand ourselves as individuals without also exploring the cultural context within which we live. Think about and discuss features that help to define who you are (e.g., ethnicity, race, age). Explain the ways in which diversity has influenced your thoughts about the world and/or the life choices that you make.

4.There are a multitude of self-help books on the market today promising to provide the answer to all of life’s problems. Perform a thorough critique of one such book of your choosing, referring to the 10 critical thinking criteria presented in your text. Be sure to identify any merits and/or weaknesses of the book and whether or not you would recommend it to a friend.

5.Many people find time management to be an essential skill in optimizing their productivity and minimizing their stress. Track your time over the course of one week using a time management log (see attached sample). At the end of the week, review your log and identify behavior patterns you engage in (e.g., studying at night, watching 2 hours of TV every day). What, if any, changes might you consider making to optimize your time?

TIME LOG

Before you can prioritize the hours in your day, you need to know where those hours are going. For the next week, record what activities you are engaged in throughout the day on the grid below. At the end of the week, sum the total time spent on assorted tasks. Identify what, if any, changes you would like to make to better optimize your time.

MONDAY / TUESDAY / WEDNESDAY / THURSDAY / FRIDAY / SATURDAY / SUNDAY
7-7:30
7:30-8
8-8:30
8:30-9
9-9:30
9:30-10
10-10:30
10:30-11
11-11:30
11:30-12
12-12:30
12:30-1
1-1:30
1:30-2
2-2:30
2:30-3
3-3:30
3:30-4
4-4:30
4:30-5
5-5:30
5:30-6
6-6:30
6:30-7
7-7:30
7:30-8
8-8:30
8:30-9
9-9:30
9:30-10