"Your ears should be burning." - Radiohead

I think today was the best day I've ever had in my psych testing class. Here are some of the notes that I took:

-- There was a research study done with kindergartners and the effects of food while taking tests. If the test was an hour or less, the students who ate a snickers bar performed better. If it was much longer than an hour, the students who had a full balanced meal performed better. So, when taking a test for Psych 304, eat a snickers bar.

-- Also, while taking tests, make sure to do them the same way every time. There is something about repetition that helps one recall material. Start out by taking deep breaths. It will help you to focus and slow your heart rate, which is also linked with better test scores. Last but not least, tell yourself reinforcing statements, such as, "So I may not have known that one, but I can still get a 98% -- I can do this." Obviously the worst thing you could do is to freak out after that one question and all the information you tried to retain leaves you.

-- #1 buying habit determiner is the people you're around. This is because of the Drift Effect. Thus, advertising companies just have to look at what people already have in their houses to figure out what they should sell to those people and their neighbors. Way to capitalize on the "Jones's."

-- Humans are exceptionally bad at telling when other humans are lying. Lie detectors are better, but not much better, and people in the special forces really learn how to trick them, one technique in particular is by actually believing the lie. There is an fMRI - like machine (it could actually be an fMRI, I can't remember) that maps your brain. Certain parts light up when they're activated. There is a part of your frontal lobe that is more active when you lie than when you don't, so obviously, when you lie they can tell by this part of your brain being active. It's not perfect, but that is the best lie detector machine we have developed as a human race. When special forces learn to believe the lie, it inhibits just slightly that part of the brain, which is known to be used during times of conflict. If there is no conflict, no need to use it, and so they must not be lying. Interesting.

-- When interviewing, people have a tendency to imitate like the interviewer/interviewee. For example, if your interviewer is upbeat and interested, most likely the interviewee will be too. This is called Social Facilitation. People will generally pick up on other cues to match the same attitude. Moral of this story: Attitude is more important in an interview than the amount of skill you have. If you're a dud, it won't matter that you figured out time travel. The perfect social example that everyone can relate to? Sunday School, according to Dr. Larsen.

-- Direct quote: "Old people are sexually active, and you are sorely mistaken if you thought otherwise." -Dr. Larsen, 10:39 AM MARB Rm 371

--Last but not least, there was trash talk for about 5 min about how Dr. Larsen could beat anyone to ping pong, and he has offered 5 extra credit points to anyone who will try, and 2.5 extra credit points to anyone who will bring food. The tournament is going down this Saturday, and unfortunately I have to work.

Basically, I have the coolest Psych 304 teacher anyone could ask for. And thank goodness too, because man it is really boring learning about everything there is to know about testing sometimes. I sang this song on my way to school today.