ESP Biography

It's hard to imagine a day in our lives where we don't talk to ourselves. These thoughts which can be verbal or in our own heads can hold us back or encourage us to act in certain ways. In my class, we'll learn how to identify self-talk that is positive/negative, instructional/motivational and how this impacts our resilience and ability to respond to everyday life stress. Given that self-talk is a dialogue with the self, expect to have an interactive course where I will integrate cutting edge research I am conducting as a graduate student and offer strategies you can apply to your own life to be more away of the way you think and feel about yourself.

Wish you could use power ups like a real life Mario or Pokemon? This interactive course allows you to do things (in class) to replicate findings from researchers around the world. Learn how practicing gratitude, looking someone in the eye, and holding a friend's hand can make even an electrical shock feel less painful! Most of us know about prosocial behaviors--like sharing, caring and helping--but we may not realize the instant and long-term benefits they have for our physical and mental health! I will be exploring Positive Psychology and resiliency through my five years as a Physiological Psychology researcher and over 15 years volunteering with normative and clinical populations. Questions are encouraged and the aim for this course is to not only feel better--but also how to put research into practice at school, work, home and with friends to buffer you against everyday stressors.

This class will focus on a comparison of the American and Japanese cultures with an emphasis of Kawaii/cuteness culture. Both instructors have spent time in Japan and shared the unique culture of Japan.

Learn about emotions and the many ways they are measured using biological, self-report, and video monitoring advances in technology. Easy to understand experiments as well as discussions about how emotion regulation plays an important role in society, families and at school.