With regards to the talk presented yesterday, I found it fascinating the take each speaker had on the use of technology. With the introduction of the pill that notify doctors whether or not a patient has consumed their medication or not recently entering the market, I was surprised to hear the negative reactions of the guest speakers. Just about all of them unanimously agreed that they were skeptical of the incorporation of newfound technology in the field of health psychology. In many other fields, I’ve noticed an open embrace of technology and technological advancements as a whole – often because new technology seeks to make the jobs of those working in the field easier. The speakers, however, felt more inclined to side with more the traditional methods of practicing health psychology. While I see their concerns about how the contents of this pill can potentially lead to issues as a result of the technology down that line that have yet to be studied in depth, I am an advocator of innovation and I am interested in seeing what technological advancements with regards to psychology and medicine will emerge in the next few decades.
The class has a whole has been enlightening, albit sometimes a bit self-evident. The most memorable portion of this class for me is the project wherein we attempted to change our habits because that is a skill that I can see myself exercising more than recalling the various nuances of the body system or the health disparities of minorities – both of which are important, but they do not cross my mind on a day to day basis whereas focusing on self-improvement and feeling better because of the repetition of a certain habit is more likely to. Ultimately, the class was helpful in understanding the various intricacies of health and introducing the concept of health psychology. While I understand a large portion of health is highly focused on the physical nature of the body, I do wish the mental nature of the mind had more discussion.