so we have a convicted child porn watcher. he is fairly true to type. He is middle aged, unmarried, lonely. He is ineffectual and unable to maintain normal romantic attachments. Not because he is particularly repulsive, just because he hasn't quite sharpened the skills necessary. He developed a bit of an OCD quality to his computer and internet use. At one stage making sure he had every image or page of a particular topic "covered" and then another topic. One month it was Australian warships, the next it was organic gardening. I'm not kidding.
SO then it was pornography. This time it was "the worst possible thing" he could look at. In some ways he continued to look at it to make sure he was still horrified by it. A bit like poking a tooth decay hole to make sure it still hurts. He handed over his credit car details and purchased images.
Needless to say he was eventually tracked down and sent to me for treatment. We needed to deal the sexual interest of course, with social isolation, with alcohol abuse. We also needed to deal with the guilt he felt. He was completely wracked by it because his activity was , by definition, "the worst possible thing" he could look at. That why he did it. Weird concept to get your head around, I know.
One very important part of treatment was identifying the guilt and doing something about it. As it was it was just contributing to self loathing and more drinking. we looked at the idea of making restitution. Of "balancing out the universe" and doing something good for others that no one else knows about. He loved the idea. He felt some relief. We settled on anonymous blood giving to the blood bank. He could do something good that no-one need know anything about, to balance the anonymous bad stuff that no-one should have known anything about. Kind of neat solution?
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This past Friday was the 150th anniversary of the death of one of psychology's all-time favorite subjects, Phineas Gage. Today in Vermont (as I learned via ScienceBlogs) the Cavendish Historical Society is holding a walking tour of famous sites related to Gage including the accident site itself, the home of Dr. Harlow (the surgeon who treated Gage) and the house that Gage was taken to after the accident.
The newsletter of the CHS published earlier this month gives some great historical background to Gage's accident, including this reference from the local newspaper on the following day:
Horrible Accident: As Phineas P. Gage, a foreman on the railroad in Cavendish, was yesterday engaged in tamping -for a blast, the powder exploded, carrying an iron instrument through his head an inch and a fourth in circumference, and three feet and eight inches in length, which he was using at the time. The iron centered on the side of his face, shattering the upper jaw and passing back of the left eye and out at the top of the head.Also this week was a post on Mind Hacks by Vaughan Bell who found a recent journal article with more details about Gage's life after the accident. Don't just settle for "Gage was no longer Gage"; as Malcolm Macmillan and Matthew L. Lena published in Neurophysiological Rehabilitation, Gage continued to work for the twelve years following the accident, seven of them as a driver in Chile, and at one point was examined by a doctor who found "no impairment whatever." The Mind Hacks post has been updated to include a link to the actual journal article as well.
The most singular circumstance connected with this melancholy affair is that he was alive at two o’clock this afternoon, and in full possession of his reason, and free from pain. Ludlow Vt. Free Soil Union Sept. 14, 1848
P.S. Coming this summer: a post on the top ten subjects in psychology? I'm thinking Gage, Little Albert, the Bobo doll, Piaget's three kids, Lorenz' geese, Zimbardo's prisoner #819, etc. Who would you nominate?
-- posted by Steve
Full details of the job can be found at http://ww2.wisconsin.gov/state/employment/app?COMMAND=gov.wi.state.cpp.job.command.ShowJobDetails&selectedJob=201005121339521476804 Applications must be sent by May 28th.
If you have information on a high school teaching position which includes psychology that we can post on the THSP Blog, please contact Kent Korek at kkorek@germantown.k12.wi.us. Best of luck to everyone looking for an opening.
Below is the latest news from Emily Leary (Eleary@apa.org) regarding the Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools (TOPSS).
2010 TOPSS Committee Elections
The mission of the APA Committee of Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools (TOPSS) is to promote the scientific nature of introductory and advanced high school psychology; to meet curricular needs of secondary school teachers; and to provide opportunities for high school students to be recognized and rewarded for their academic excellence. If you would like to become more involved in TOPSS, we encourage you to consider serving on the TOPSS Committee. TOPSS is especially interested in encouraging individuals from diverse backgrounds (including diversity in race/ethnicity, gender, ability/disability, sexual orientation, age, and religion) to consider running for TOPSS Office. In 2010, the following three elected positions will be filled:
- Chair-Elect
- Member-at-Large (2)
The Chair position is a three-year position and the Member-at-Large positions are each two-year positions. Please consider nominating a colleague who would make a positive impact. We encourage teachers to consider volunteering to be a candidate for the TOPSS Election Ballot. Nomination materials should be submitted by July 1, 2010. For more information, visit http://www.apa.org/ed/precollege/topss/call-for-nominations.aspx.
2010 APA TOPSS Excellence in Teaching Award Recipients
The TOPSS Committee congratulates William James of
2010 APA TOPSS Scholars Essay Competition Winners
The TOPSS Committee congratulates the student winners of the 2010 APA TOPSS Essay Competition. Sabina Babar of
Posted by Kent
We here at the Teaching High School Psychology Blog would like to do what we can to help connect teachers with job openings. If anyone is aware of a teaching posting which includes psychology as part of the assignment, please send the information to Kent Korek at kkorek@germantown.k12.wi.us. I will then post the information on the THSP blog.
