TS 18 - Is excessive use of Facebook a form of narcissism? YES:- Two characteristics of narcissism – o Grandiose exhibitionism: extensive self-presentation of status updates, photos, and acquiring large numbers of friendso Entitlement/exploitiveness – antisocial behaviors; retaliating against negative comments, seeking more social support than one provides- Sense of importance, difficulty accepting criticism, sense of entitlement- Excessive reliance on others for self-esteem, a desperate need for approval, impaired capacity for empathy, superficiality of relationships, grandiosity, excessive attempts to be the focus of attention- People who had higher scores measuring entitlement and exploitativeness were likely to have negative interactions reported by their roommatesNO: - Narcissism is unrelated to the frequency of using facebook to post about oneself, but it is related to the number of facebook friends- Users are not narcissistic, but oriented toward openness with regard to their daily lives  appropriate to share enjoyable information with friends- Changing generations: people feel comfortable discosing information that would have been disregarded as private before- Usage of social networking as a way to maintain existing relationships and stay connected to people in their livesTS 1 - Is ADHD a real disorder?YES:- ADHD is one of the most common childhood disorders- Approach from a medical vantage point- Results from a combination of factors:o Geneso Environment: cigarette/alcohol use during pregnancy; high lead levelso Sugaro Food additives- Treat with stimulants; adults with cognitive behavioral therapy- Adults w/ ADHD – must have had it when they were a childNO:- ADHD is a fad diagnosis  symptoms everyone experiences on a day to day basis (hyperactivity/distractibility)- Vague diagnostic criteria  overdiagnosis/overmedication of people- Lump together individuals with different needs/problems, then treat them with a single entity  one pill fits all responseTS 8 - Is addiction a brain disease?YES:- Scientific information available about nature, prevention and treatment of this disease- Initial decision to take drugs is voluntary, over time drug-addicted individuals show physical changes in areas of the brain critical to judgment, decision making, learning/memory, and behavior controlo When drug abuse takes over, person’s ability to exert self-control may be impaired- Addiction as a chronic, relapsing brain disease; compulsive drug seeking/use despite harmful consequences- Addiction can be influenced by genetic makeup, ethnicity, gender, social environment, developmental stage- 1930’s  addicts thought to be morally flawedNO:- Addiction is an activity whose course can be altered by its foreseeable consequences- Repetitive drug use is reduced/stopped when the adverse consequences of drug use exceed its rewards- View drug users in terms of their capacity for self-governance, rather than as helpless individuals incapable of changing their behavior- Capacity for self-governance is the most promising treatment - State of “addiction”  desire is unmalleable, and beyond the reach of environmental contingencies  leads addicts to a belief that they are unable to change their behaviorTS 9 - Does research confirm that violent video games are harmful to minors?YES: - Substantial research shows violent video games can cause psychological/neurological harm to minors- Fosters aggressive thoughts/behaviors, reduced activity in frontal lobe (ultra violent), behavioral problems (antisocial, poor school performance)- The government should protect children; first amendment should not be used to place immature children at risk who cannot discern the difference between fantasy and reality- First amendment should not protect materials harmful to minors- FMRI showed increased activity in emotional arousal, decreased activity in focus, inhibition and concentration areas of brain- Active exposure to violence: kids are not just watching it, they are the ones shooting/assaulting (more powerful affect than passive violence exposure)NO:- Insufficient evidence - Studies cited were flawed or discredited (based on invalid measures of aggression)- Studies have shown no compelling casual connections between playing violent video games and aggressive/antisocial behavior in youthsTS 11 - Must mentally ill murderers have a rational understanding of why they are being sentenced to death?YES:- Mentally ill convicts should not be executed if their disability significantly impairs their capacity to understand the nature and purpose of their punishment, or to appreciate why the punishment is being imposed on them- Scott Panetti – murdered his in-laws while his wife and daughter watched, sentenced to deatho History of mental illness and psychiatric hospitalizationso Treated for intense delusions/hallucinations (schizoaffective)o Court ruled him competent for executiono Required that he be aware of the fact that he would be executed, and have a rational understanding of why (he believed it was due to preaching the gospel, not his murders)o Amicus curiae: document submitted by an uninvolved party in which opinion/advice is offered to the court Eighth amendment forbids execution of individuals who are unaware of the punishment they are about to suffer and why they are to suffer itNO:- Punishment for murder does not depend on the rational understanding of theconvicted individual, but rather on the convicts moral culpability at the time the crime was committed- Court should reject the proposition that the convict must possess a rational understanding for reasons of conviction to render death an acceptable punishment under the eighth amendment - Granting psychiatric exceptions can leave very few individuals eligible for the death penalty (as many are mentally ill)- Creates a risk that the court’s test can be circumvented through malingering or abuse- Capital convicts have fewer rights than capital defendants TS 13 - Should individuals with anorexia nervosa have the right to refuse life-sustaining treatment?YES:- Patients should be able to refuse treatment if they are competent and capableof understanding the implications of their actions- Assessment of individual’s mental capacity to make such a decision:o Evaluate individual’s ability to understand the info providedo Appreciate the consequences