Feature Analysis and Speech Perception

People in conversation According to some researchers, the study of perception is best understood by grounding it in Gestalt theory, which arose as a staunch critique of the then famous fundamentalist and structuralist approaches to studying the mind. While these schools of psychology believed that the mind was like an atom: broken down into subatomic …

Schizophrenia: A Diathesis-stress Approach

Introduction to the Diathesis-stress model The diathesis-stress model is a psychological theory that aims to explain a disorder by investigating the interrelation between a genetic or biological predisposition (the diathesis) and a stress (caused by life experiences).  A diathesis can take the form of genetic, psychological, biological, or situational factors. In simple terms, it looks …

Case Study on Cross Cultural Psychology

Critically looking at the East-West dichotomy of Cultural Psychology Photo by Pana Vasquez As the world continues to transition towards interconnectedness, policymakers and leaders have recognized the need to become aware of global cultures and ethics to understand their clients, friends, colleagues and partners better. Cultural psychology is playing a vital role in understanding the …

Japan

The Golden Week in Japan starts from the 29th of April and continues into the first week of May. This is the holiday season in the Land of the Rising Sun and all the people come out into the streets with their perfected ensembles to shop and spend time with their families and loved ones. …

The Dining Table

My parents have a rule. We eat our meals at the dining table. This propitious time that comes three times a day has been strictly kept aside for ‘family time.’ Apparently, dinner table conversations stimulate intellectual development of children, thus debunking the ‘do-not-talk-while-eating-or-you’ll-choke’ fact. The dining table wasn’t always used for eating meals back at …

What Was Once Familiar

It is the comfort zone that you look for. You plunge into the unknown and immediately look around for something that seems slightly familiar to you. Our raw nature is to protect our physical and our mental selves from the dangers of a savage world. You may be in Abu Dhabi, Osaka or any of …

Stories of Survival

I was going to write some philosophy but I am saving that for a more dull day. Does it matter that I saw something interesting and I should be writing about it? I don't know, I will write anyway. I decided to go down for a walk one Saturday morning to seek some sunlight. I …

I Want to Be a Farmer

Today was a sunny morning, I was at college attending the usual nine to four classes. Being given a little free time, a friend and I were talking about what we would really want to do with our short lives. It was a casual discussion of existential questions, one that we have quite frequently these …

Everything Matcha

So I try developing a taste for something that isn't very conventional every once in a while and since I was in Japan, I decided to try everything that was matcha flavored. Before even trying the flavor, I'd told myself I'd develop a strong liking towards green tea no matter what. In Japan, people are …

The Land of the Rising Sun

I was wondering why Japan is called Land of the Rising Sun. I had my answer at 4 a.m the next morning. I thought I had overslept, I assumed it was already 10 a.m as the sun was shining bright and strong as if forcing my eyes to get used to it quickly. This reminded …