Steven Lombardo 11390992 Psychology 105-02 Observation 1 Date: July 2010-July 2011 Location: Kandahar Afghanistan Case Description:

Our platoon was slated to deploy in 2010 to Kandahar Afghanistan. Since 2009 our platoon had been training to go overseas and patrol the mostly lawless city. Training consisted of convoy security operations and foot patrols through an urban environment. While training was considered realistic we had no idea what to expect once we stepped foot into the city. Training wouldnt be able to prepare us for the mass chaos that is a city in a third world county. Cars zipping by children, cows wandering the streets, and more people than you could possibly watch. It was hectic, our mission was to walk the busy streets to meet with locals and gain levels of trust so we could win them over to our side. However the possibility of attack from the large amount of blind spots stressed the nerves. Our training taught us to always be vigilant for threats. Yet in this bustling city there were too many to watch. Eventually all of us dreaded walking into the city. After a year of patrolling we finally came home to Colorado where the stress of deployments would hopefully disappear. For the first few weeks the majority of the group tended to avoid large crowds. Even though we were safe in the United States being on edge for so long took its toll. About a month later the vast majority of us returned to normal. I spent most of my free time at large concerts but the strange effect patrolling an unfriendly city had on us stayed on my mind. Psychological Application: While a deployment overseas is considered stressful to many there are other aspects that make it tougher. The type of areas you spend your time in factors in heavily to how you think during your missions. Urban environments are considered extremely difficult to fight in. This higher level of stress has lasting effects on soldiers who return home then have to continue on with normal lives in a busy city. I believe the classically conditioned fear response gives lasting effects on soldiers who experience daily high stress environments. The neutral stimulus is a urban center or busy street market. The unconditioned stimulus is the implied danger. While not a bell or whistle, the added feeling of being in a dangerous situation causes the natural reflex which is stress or sometimes fear. The stress and fear is the unconditioned response, or the bodys natural reflex. When the UCS is removed by returning home to a safe city, the body still has a conditioned reflex due to the unconditioned stimulus. It is important to note that soldiers who show reactions in a place where they have a conditioned fear are not necessarily having panic attacks. Lissek, Shmuel; Rabin, Stephanie, Heller; et al. Of The American Journal of Psychiatry have done tests to measure the differences between conditioned fear and panic attacks. Their research tested the differences and found that many who suffer from panic attacks have had a form of conditioned fear. However those who have a conditioned fear do not necessarily have panic attacks. It is important to note this due to the sigma of soldiers coming home, and receiving a PTSD diagnosis when their conditioned response may go away. References:

Lissek, Shmuel; Rabin, Stephanie; Heller, Randi E; Lukenbaugh, David; Geraci, Marilla; et al. (Jan 2010): The American Journal of Psychiatry 167.1, 47-55. http://ntserver1.wsulibs.wsu.edu:2079/oclc/2330568019717

Observation 2 Date: August 17, 2013 Location: Pullman Washington Case Description: While attending the summer Alive session at Washington State University I met a lot of new people. Having been out of school for a while I imagined it would be difficult to connect with new freshman however everyone was eager to become friends. I met a nice girl and we got along great. We ended up in the same group and would talk all day. When Alive ended we ended up sharing numbers and talking almost daily over the next two months. We had talked about everything two new freshman could, including the possibility of joining a fraternity or sorority. My brother had been in one for a year and he enjoyed it immensely so I knew I would end up in one. However she was on the fence about it. Her personality was kind of shy so I suggested she join a chapter to help meet new people. When August came we would both end up in a Greek Chapter. Since day one she told me how much she loved it and made the right decision I felt happy that I could help since I was in the same situation of not knowing anyone. While we had both been busy during the week we ran into each other on the street one night. It was right outside her Chapter house. We had had some rather deep conversations over the summer so I asked her on a date and she politely informed me she was seeing someone else. While this is normal for college it still hurt and the white brick house has since been ingrained in my mind. While emotionally I have moved on no matter the occasion if her sororitys Greek letters are mentioned or I pass her house on the way to class there is a bit of sadness that creeps into the back of my mind. Psychological Application: These reactions are a perfect example of classical conditioning. The sorority chapter house is the neutral stimulus. Having walked past it before that night I had no feelings towards it at all at that time. The girl is the unconditioned stimulus because of her effect on my emotions. The feelings or emotion is the unconditioned response due to my bodys reaction. Now after the night on the 17th the girls effect on my feelings (UCS) paired up with the location of the conversation next to the house (NS) gave me the emotional response (UCR). Now that the girl (UCS) is out of the picture, the conditioned stimulus is now the house due to my bodys emotional reaction which is called the conditioned response. Now even though the UCS has been removed my body still has a conditioned response to the conditional stimulus. This application of classical conditioning is powerful due to the bodys strong reaction towards a visual stimuli. Researchers have been studying the effects of visual images on classical conditioning. Visual imagery is considered the most common form of stimuli for classical conditioning, as noted in Horowitzs (1970) Image formation and cognition.

Reference: Dadds, M. R., Bovbjerg, D. H., Redd, W. H., & Cutmore, T. R. (January 01, 1997). Imagery in human classical conditioning. Psychological Bulletin, 122, 1, 89-103. Horowitz, M. J. (1970). Image formation and cognition. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts. http://washingtonstate.worldcat.org/oclc/2330118941864