by Shaan Verma ’13 and Gi Kim ’15

Students in grades 9-11 are right in the midst of learning about Sherwood’s many course offerings as they prepare to turn in their registration cards for classes next year. Two social studies electives, AP Psychology and Philosophy, challenge students to examine their assumptions about human thought, beliefs, behavior and motivation. These electives do not necessarily provide the final answers; instead, they inspire students to continue asking questions.

AP PSYCHOLOGY

The debate of Nature versus Nurture rages on. Psychologists disagree on whether the environment or the actual parenting of a child plays a bigger part in a child’s mental state, personality and development. There are strong arguments for both, but a compromise between the two may be the ideal solution.

Is there such a thing as right or left-brained people?

This saying seems nearly as old as time itself. This phrase categorizes the way people think by attaching certain traits to different hemispheres of the brain. For example, logic and “smarts” are attributed to the left hemisphere while creativity and wits go to the right hemisphere. Modern studies show that the designations of right and left hemispheres holding different traits are somewhat inaccurate because while the brain is indeed portioned, this does not mean that people do not have access to the different parts at the same time.

Can people really multitask?

Multitasking, what some people can seemingly do better than others, is actually a fallacy. Recent research points to the conclusion that the human brain is actually not capable of multitasking, and instead does cognitive tasks one at a time. Studies may suggest that multitasking is out of reach, but it does not mean that it is entirely impossible. One may be able to train the brain to get better at performing multiple tasks by switching between separate tasks rapidly.

Can people share dreams?

Inception, except in real life. Modern psychology has not yet acknowledged that people are telepathic and able to share dreams within their sleep. However, there are themes that are prevalent within many people’s dreams such as falling or being chased. Currently, it is unknown as to why these dreams occur, but it is easy for people to empathize with others’ dreams that they have also had.

Philosophy

Does God exist?

From a religious standpoint, God is the overseer of the universe and everything encompassed within it. However, to skeptics, “God” is  a fictional character, a construct of the human mind’s imagination which is meant to explain everything that humans do not understand or cannot bear to face head-on (for example, one’s own death).

What is the Self?

This should be easy to answer, right? The Self is who I am—it’s “me.” However, philosophers have scrutinized this seemingly self-evident premise to ask questions that are not as easy to answer. Does a person have a fully formed Self when he or she is born and what happens to the Self when a person physically dies? Does the Self change as a result of lived experiences? The seventeenth century French philosopher René Descartes asked perhaps the most famous question in philosophy: How do I know I exist? His answer: Cogito ergo sum (“I think, therefore I am”).

Is democracy the best form of government for every country?

The poster boys for democracy are the concepts of popular sovereignty and liberty. The government is given limited power by the people and in turn provides services. Lumped in with this is liberty, the idea that the government’s power cannot infringe upon certain rights. The flip side of democracy, however, is that it can lead to the oppression of minorities and the exaggerated influence of the majority.

Are people trapped by destiny or autonomous in their free will?

There are many interpretations of whether humans are in control of their own actions or are subject to the control of outside entities. This is the heart of the debate of destiny versus free will. The question of whether one’s own choices will pave the way through life or whether there is a set path for one to follow has been a hotly debated topic of philosophy for centuries.