DISCUSSION #1. Consider the following scenario: You have a five-year-old daughter who suddenly refuses to go to bed on time. She comes up with the classic excuses: needs a story, a song, a kiss, a glass of water, to use the bathroom. Then, when all appeals are exhausted, she moves into the toughest thing for a parent to defend against: monsters!

You suspect that she is not really frightened and that this is just another delay tactic. You even give her a water pistol to shoot the monsters, but this just results in damp posters on her walls. You need to find a way to get your child to go to bed on time.

DISCUSSION #2. For this discussion draw on behaviorist principles learned in your text and other readings to create a plan for modifying your child's behavior. Name specific behavioral principles (positive reinforcement, schedules of reinforcement, and so on), and link your action plan to the specific principles.

Depending on the technology and its use, research shows both positive and negative influences of technology on people's ability to self-regulate their behavior. To prepare for this discussion, you will need to look in the Capella library and locate at least one scholarly research article on how technology influences the ability to self-regulate. You will use this article in this discussion.

Note: Although there are articles linked in the unit resources for your knowledge and as examples, please search for at least one article from the library that is not listed in the unit. This will contribute a variety of technology examples to make our discussion robust and add to our learning.

In what ways has technology affected people's ability to self-regulate their behavior? What examples from the media (news reports, commercials, television shows, movies, et cetera) can you think of that highlight the conflict between impulse and self-regulation?

Summarize the article you found in the library. What relationship between technology and self-regulation is described in the article? How can professionals in the field of psychology use the findings to promote self-regulation?

DISCUSSION #3. A particularly important aspect of the nervous system is how neurons "fire," or act to transmit information. This process is known as the action potential, and is governed by several different factors including neurotransmitters and electrolytes. Action potentials are subject to several laws.

For instance, according to the all-or-none principle, an action potential occurs at full strength or not at all. This theory has been a foundation of brain studies and is widely applied in today's medical field, as well as the computer world and robot industry.

Task: Using your text and other resources, study neurotransmission theory. Focus your discussion on answering the following questions:

· Do you expect there will one day be a "magic drink" with a mixture of chemicals that can make one "smarter," or prevent neurological and psychological disorders?

· What neurotransmitters might be involved in creating such a drink?

· What is the likelihood such a drink would be successful? Why or why not?

· Remember to support your answers with sources from the text, assigned readings, and outside sources.