Learning Psychology from the World Wide Web Essay

Introduction

Individuals have varying opinions about the different experiences that they encounter in life. Ritchhart, Church, and Morrison suggest that a proven program for developing students’ critical thinking should be available over the Internet and other sources apart from classroom lessons (7). This article will provide critical analysis of two websites, viz. Psychological Research on the Net (PRN) and the Foundation for Alternative and Integrative Medicine (FAIM). PRN is a better website as compared to FAIM in terms of the ease of access and quality of ideas.

Critique

Website 1

1. 1. URL and date of visit

This website was accessed on February 2, 2015.

2. 2. Name of individual/corporation which created and ran the website

John H. Krantz, in collaboration with the Hannover College Psychology Department, organizes and maintains this website. The Hannover College Psychology Department is the main sponsor of this website.

3. 3. Appraisal of format

The website is organized chronologically, with the most recent studies at the top. The topic is clearly presented with few but detailed sub-topics addressing many issues on developmental disabilities.

4. 4. Three things that I learned

PRN is a friendly and informative site because after reading an ongoing study investigating autism, it has provided sources of support for each question in case the participants are stuck. In addition, PRN is a reliable source with companion links to more information. Third, it is open to more additions when new evidence is obtained.

Website 2

1. 1. URL and date of visit

This website.

2. 2. Name of individual/corporation which created and ran the website

Volunteer board members maintain the FAIM website, and it depends upon public donations to pursue its objective.

3. 3. Appraisal of format

For beginners in this field, learning psychology from the FAIM site is a bit lacking in terms of quality information and ease of access.

4. 4. Three things I learned

Volunteers organize this website, and they focus on researching psychological issues. This website provides very detailed information. It is limited in terms of growth since it depends on public donations.

Psychological Research on the Net (PRN)

This website was accessed on February 2, 2015. The Hannover College Psychology Department is the main sponsor of this website. According to Hockenbury and Hockenbury, introducing psychology to students entails relating topics to the contemporary experiences of students (21). The website invites everyone to participate by sharing views or making queries on topics of interest. Anybody searching for current knowledge about autism should visit this website. It is well organized, and one can easily retrieve the intended details without having to go through the hectic search process, as is the case with the FAIM Website. In terms of topic accessibility, PRN offers the solution to laypersons and new students with minimal or zero experience with web materials. The topic is clearly presented with few but detailed sub-topics addressing many issues on developmental disabilities. Even though FAIM presents this topic with a broader reference from reviews across a wider scope, the presentation is broken down to so many sub-topics, thus making it hard for laypersons or even students of psychology to lose track of the key issues. On the PRN website, the scope might be limited, but the details are sufficient to make informed generalizations easily.

It would be advisable for students seeking information on autism to refer to PRN over the FAIM website. PRN defines autism as a range of conditions linked to impaired communication, restricted interests, and repetitive actions. Accessing this information is easy since most students retrieve information from the first page results, which appears after keying in certain keywords. If the system has several referrals to other links, they tend to focus on the conclusions, thus missing essential details of the text. Second, PRN introduces students to a global perspective on autism by giving them an opportunity to post their views, coupled with understanding psychology on a friendly platform. Third, the website is college-based as it provides a wider knowledge of psychological issues affecting young students coping with autism.

The information updated on the website undergoes a credibility test through reviews. One also learns that autism disorder is a very broad field, and the information offered is open to criticism and change when new evidence is obtained. Even though PRN has its flaws, after making a comparative analysis, one establishes that it is an informative site. For new students being introduced to the topic of autism, among others, it is a better option as opposed to FAIM. In addition, the studies posted are all dated and current. Since the problem of autism keeps on changing with respect to environments and other internal factors, it is necessary to review up to date sources (Slater 55). For example, FAIM indicates that autism has increased to high proportions. Currently, one in every 88 children in the US has autism as opposed to the past 3 decades, whereby the condition affected one out of every 2,500 children.

PRN is a friendly and informative site because after reading an ongoing study investigating autism, it has provided sources of support for each question in case the participants are stuck or distressed by the questions. At the end of every review, contact details are given, and one can use the same to get quick and sufficient help. Thirdly, the website focuses on the topic of autism by giving current issues with regard to culture, age, and gender. For a better review on this site, the majority of information needs to be condensed in a bid to create brief and precise guidelines that a student can follow easily in the quest to understand the topic.

Foundations for Alternative Medicine

This website was accessed on February 2, 2015. Volunteer board members maintain the FAIM website, and it depends upon public donations to pursue its objective.

Learning autism from FAIM and PRN – comparison

FAIM defines autism as a brain disorder associated with poor social relations, difficulties in communication, and unusual repetitive behaviors. This definition is consistent with the one given on the PRN website, thus implying that the two websites are useful. Both sites provide footnotes for the reviews as well as links to other sources showing that they provide reliable information. FAIM’s information on autism fails to give the background of the issue. To students, it is normally difficult to understand autism, and this site does not give clear clues on what causes it. Therefore, it is advisable to familiarize oneself with learning psychology online with simple but consistent websites such as PRN. In both websites, theories have been developed to explain the causes like allergies, genetics, and environmental toxins. The sites also provide consistent information on the efforts being undertaken to research possible causes coupled with how to reverse the effects of autism. This information is essential for students of psychology since the basic knowledge of autism can be accessed from different sites by using the ones that offer detailed information.

PRN shows that some of the children suffering from autism are delivered normally, and they show no signs of the condition until they are exposed to certain vaccines, which leads to mental regression and lack of speech. This site indicates that speech therapy is the only reliable way to manage the impact of autism. On the other hand, FAIM argues that conventional medicine has offered no effective treatment for autism. Since it is not a hopeless situation, alternative medicine has been proved to work better. The use of ketone therapy is described as one way to manage autism. Ketones supply energy to the brain, and they induce brain cell maintenance. When blood ketone concentration is raised, they can generate fast healing effects on the brain cells and restore the brain to normal functioning.

The two sites provide detailed information on autism, which gives students some knowledge on the field of developmental disabilities coupled with how such disorders can be managed. The PRN website offers an in-depth introduction with a historical background of autism as well as the current situation of the condition in the United States. Nevertheless, the two sites are very useful to students since they have different ideas and possibilities for dealing with autism. Such information can be put together to bring a better understanding of the topic since the information is valid and supported by current sources.

Conclusion

The two websites are credible since publications are not reproduced, and links for the original sources are given. The links provided in PRN and FAIM acknowledge other opinions on the topic on top of being open for further additions. This aspect eliminates all possible biases, thus increasing the viability of the information. New students can use these two websites as an additional learning platform for all matters pertaining to psychology. As observed, PRN provides a better online learning platform due to its accessibility and richness of information as compared to the FAIM website.

Works Cited

Hockenbury, Don, and Sandra Hockenbury. Psychology. 6th ed. 2013. New York: Worth Publishers. Print.

Ritchhart, Ron, Mark Church, and Karin Morrison. Making Thinking Visible: How to Promote Engagement, Understanding, and Independence for All Learners, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2011. Print.

Slater, Lauren. Opening Skinner’s Box: Great Psychological Experiments of the Twentieth Century, New York: W.W. Norton, 2004. Print.