Psychology and Geology

952 Words2 Pages

Psychology is the study of the mind and the behavior of mammals. Geology is a science that deals with the history of the earth and its life, recorded in rocks. The earth is consistently moving its tectonic plates. Therefore, there may be over 100 earthquakes a day; most of these earthquakes go unnoticed by humans on the crust of the earth. Other earthquakes for example, the one in 2011 located in Japan and the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989 (Earth- Marshak). Unfortunately, many people died in horrific ways during these deadly earthquakes, leaving thousands diagnosed with psychological disorders such as, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Specific Phobias directly related to the natural environment of the earth. Having a specific phobia towards the natural environment may sound unrealistic but it is indeed much more common than people believe. A natural environment phobia is fear of one or more of the following: heights, storms, or water. About 75% of people with this specific phobia averse more than one of the fears listed (DSM- APA). However, there is a difference between being fearful of something and it being a personal phobia of an individual. If it is a phobia it will last more than six months. Anything shorter than six months is then dismissed as a temporary fear. In children, this anxiety will be expressed by crying, temper tantrums, freezing or clinging on to their caregiver (DSM-APA). This can also be seen in sever phobias in adults but rarely does the adult have a temper tantrum, rather, a more developed emotional response is provoked. Typically, the amount of anxiety or fear that is actually observed during a phobic episode is entirely inordinate to the actual threat that a specific phobia may have (DSM-A... ... middle of paper ... ...an Psychiatric Publishing. Marshak, Stephen. Earth: Portrait of a Planet. New York: W. W. Norton, 2012. Print. "Support Center." Http://www.apa.org. APA, n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2014. "Geology." Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2014. Barlow, David H., Vincent Mark. Durand, and Sherry H. Stewart. Abnormal Psychology: An Integrative Approach. Toronto: Nelson Education, 2012. 140-45. Print. "Brain." Critical Periods of Brain Growth and Cognitive Function in Children. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2014. "Historic Earthquakes." Historic Earthquakes. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2014. Fackler, Martin. "Powerful Quake and Tsunami Devastate Northern Japan." The New York Times. The New York Times, 11 Mar. 2011. Web. 16 Mar. 2014. Gammon, Crystal. "Massive Sea-floor Shove Triggered Japan's Tsunami." LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 02 Dec. 2011. Web. 16 Mar. 2014.

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