e-Portfolio

Hey there! And welcome to my e-Portfolio! I’m Joanna Zappalla and I am an undergraduate at Penn State University. I am currently pursuing a double major in Psychology-Neuroscience Option and Biobehavioral Health with a minor in Biology. I’ve been taking various classes in both areas and I find the material extremely interesting. I’m looking to pursue a career that combines the biopsychosocial aspect into health. I am a strong believer in the power of our thoughts and that our mind and body works concurrently as one fluid entity. With each class I take, I learn more and more about the complex working of our selves and my interests expands. Since I aim to pursue a career in either the medical or psychological field, I’ve also been studying ways to improve my communication and speech skills. I learned that rhetoric is in everything that we do. It's not only about what you say but the way in which you way it.  Here you can peruse through some assignments I’ve been working on. Now that the modern world is so intertwined with our technology advancements, I choose to include some new mediums to portray my work. As shown above you can visit some of my blog sites, watch a few videos, listen to an audio element, and read over some of my essays. I hope, as you look over some of my academic works, you begin to understand a little bit of who I am while maybe even learning some of the things I have been throughout my academic career. If you have any other questions, feel free to contact me. Enjoy your stay!

"Believe it or not?"

In STAT 200 (my favorite class…not), we discussed the issue of using an “anchor” in a research question. An anchor is a fact that is used in a question to allow people to base their answers off of. It is used like a normal anchor is used, to set a guideline in order to prevent the ship from swaying too far away. The example they used in class was wording the questions in different ways to see if the students knew Canada’s population. When my professor worded the question like this:

What is Canada’s population knowing that the U.S. population is 309 million?

 The average population size that students guessed was around 142 million.

But when the question was worded like this:

What is Canada’s population knowing that Australia’s population is 22 million?

 The average population guessed was around 28 million.

As boring as this actually sounds, I thought it was really interesting, how different the answers my professor got by using a different country as a reference point. It goes to show that not only do people not know what the population of Canada is but also it shows how tricky statistics actually are. A statistician is trained to come up with the best question in order to get the best results. The change of one word or a phrase can really make a drastic change on the results the statisticians gets. Its important to be aware of this trick to make sure we don’t get “sucked” in to the complex word of statistics and to make sure we take them with a grain a salt. Because do numbers really never lie?

"Jane Goodall"

Last week, I was given the opportunity to meet one of my idols, Jane Goodall. For those you who may not know who she is, she considered to be one of the world’s famous expert on chimpanzees and did an incredible study observing the social reactions between chimpanzees. Her studies feature the richest information on how chimpanzees and human share very similar characteristics. As a kid, I’ve always been fascinated with animals. In 2^nd grade, when we had to choose a book to write a report on, I chose one of Jane Goodall’s many books and became eagerly intrigued with her and monkeys. I found myself taking more and more books out on the lives of chimpanzees. My little brain was so amazed on how a creature so hairy could be so much like our complex selves. I envied Jane’s work to live in the wild to observe these animals becoming one with the nature. As a kid, strong women always influenced me, whether they were my aunts or famous ladies, my idols have always been those women who were motivated and self-driven to break through the mold. Jane Goodall was no different. When she was given to opportunity to travel into the wild to continue her research, many people were hesitant to give her and her partner grants. Claiming she was “just” a young girl with little to no education. But she proved them wrong. She became one of the few people to be entered into a graduate program to gain her Ph.D (in Cambridge to be exact) without first gaining a B.S or B.A. Even though, she was often criticized for her “unconventional ways” like naming her subjects instead of numbering them, she can be credited to documenting the idea that humans are not the only animals with personality and emotions. To this day, her passion and poise is shown through her lectures. Her charisma is something so evoking that I could of sat in that auditorium for hours, listening to her read the phone book. Jane Goodall now uses her fame and knowledge to continue to help our world. She started the Jane Goodall Institute and Roots and Shoots to continue her journey of giving back to this world. She now stresses the importance of keeping our home clean so we can continue to share the wondrous bounds of this earth with all of it’s creatures. She is truly an inspiration and recommend to anyone to go out to see her lectures whenever she comes around. 

"Miracle Whip is America!"

The other day I was watching TV when this Miracle Whip commercial came on. The set up of the commercial really threw me off guard. Instead of paying celebrities to endorse their products and have them say how wonderful the product is, Kraft did the complete opposite. The commercial was comprised of three famous TV actors, Amy Sedaris, Pauly D, James Carville, and others who expressed their opinion on Miracle Whip, regardless of whether their opinions were good or bad. In fact, the beginning starts off with a quote saying on scale for 1-10 on how bad Miracle Whip is, the rating is a 22! I was so surprised and confused about what Kraft was trying to do with their marketing scheme. Why would they include countless videos of NOT just people BUT celebrities saying how much they despise their product? Then the tag line came…Are You Miracle Whip?

The debate between Mayo and Miracle Whip has been going on for years. Miracle Whip being the more tangier and sweeter alternative to Mayo. Kraft understands this competition and expands on it in such an ingenious tactic. It doesn’t just exemplify one side of the argument but both. By stating how their product isn’t for anyone, includes a feeling of exclusivity. They include the idea that if you do wind up liking Miracle Whip it makes you unique. And as Americans we love to be different and original. We enjoy the belief that not everyone likes the same things we do, or in fact that people actually hate them. The unconventional idea to have people bash your product in the commercial is so creative that it sticks in your head. The comments weren’t simply, “I prefer Mayo”, they actually talked about how much they truly detested the product. These videos were then followed by others claiming it was the best invention since toilet paper. By including the sharp contrasts, Kraft devises a marketing plan that not only catches the viewer’s attention but convinces the viewer to go out and “pick your side” of the argument. Kraft doesn’t care if someone buys Miracle Whip and ends up hating it because the consumer ended up buying it regardless. In addition to the case where they may end up preferring the taste to traditional Mayo. Never have I ever been so interested to try a sandwich condiment, but I truly am curious to taste the difference! See for yourself and decide, which side are you on?

"Let's Move"

Michelle Obama plans to express to our nation the importance of nutrition and exercise with her campaign “Let’s Move” and her ability to set an example for the country. The use of using the correct contraction to enable the community to feel connected with the White House is a smart tactic to create a feeling of unity. Instead of saying how only the public should participate in the movement, the use of “Let Us” allows the country to feel as if we are all in this together. Her initiative is to encourage healthy eating habits and exercise among children. Obesity is a “big” problem in kids because their fat cell numbers increase during their growing years. In childhood and adolescence, the fat cells can multiply at a more rapid level. This biological influence combined with the environmental pressures of fatty foods, portion sizes and lack of physical movement is the reason why obesity is so high in not only America but internationally as well. Mrs. Obama has two children of her own, a further connection to the movement that creates a relation between the President’s family and the public. Obesity has been linked to various other diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Michelle Obama is trying to make children and parents aware of this epidemic. Her program suggests getting up and “moving.” Michele Obama not only preaches her beliefs but practices them as well. She planted a garden in the White House to ensure that her nutritionist and chef use fresh ingredients such as fruits and vegetables in their family dinners. She even has her own beehive for fresh honey. In addition to eating healthy, she is also active by taking part in activities such as hula hooping and yoga. It is so important to exercise because it helps burn the excess fat. What Mrs. Obama tries to explain in her interviews is that you don’t need to eat healthy foods all the time but can indulge in moderation and when combined with exercise. She says how she loves French fries, a food that is normally deemed unhealthy but in small portion sizes and in moderation, she can consume these indulgences if she continues to be physically active. By exemplifying the suggestions she puts forth, she is creating a model for parents and children. The title of the program is the perfect example of a carefully chosen Rhetoric in Civic Life.

"Isn't that sweet?"

This week, I recently watched one of my all time favorite films: (500) Days of Summer. 

(If you haven’t seen it, leave my blog and rent it NOW…then come back).

Anyway, Tom Hansen writes greeting cards for a living but his true desire is to pursue architecture.  Frustrated over his recent relationship state and status, he hastily lashed out at a meeting about the negative of greeting cards:

“Lies, were liars think about it, why do people buy these things? It's not because they wanna say how they feel, people buy cards cause they can't say how they feel or they're afraid too. We provide the service that lets them off the hook. You know what? I say to hell with it. Lets level with America at least let them speak for themselves right I mean look, look. What is this, what does this say? "Congratulations on your new baby." How bout "congratulations on your new baby, guess that's it for hanging out, nice knowing ya." How bout this one? With all the pretty hearts on the front, I think I know where this ones going. Yup "Happy Valentines Day sweetheart, I love you." Isn't that sweet? Ain't love grand? This is exactly what I'm talking about. What does that even mean, love? Do you know? Do you? Anybody? If somebody gave me this card Mr. Vance, I'd eat it. It's these cards, and the movies and the pop songs, they're to blame for all the lies and the heartache, everything. We're responsible. I'M responsible. I think we do a bad thing here. People should be able to say how they feel, how they really feel, not ya know, some words that some stranger put in their mouth. Words like love, that don't mean anything. Sorry, I'm sorry, I um, I quit. There's enough bullshit in the world without my help.”

The first 123 times I saw the movie, I was still so intrigued by the story line, I was simply swept away with emotion and applauded his efforts. It was not until the 124 time, that I really began to think about what he was saying and think about it.

I will admit I am a greeting card junkie! I spend hours upon hours sifting through endless cards until I find the PERFECT card for the person I am looking for. Sometimes, being so proud of my uncanny ability to always find the ideal fit, I begin to explain in my card, why it is such the perfect card. Scribbled with arrows, labels and addition features (such as curly hair and glasses) I often find myself so happy with my work that I have a hard time parting ways. I’ve been known to walk out of stores when I can’t find a card only to return 5 minutes later to purchase the same card I was staring at for 20 minutes.

This fall, I stood in the back of Mclanahan's for hours, pacing back in forth until I found the card that summed up my birthday wishes for my roommate, who I’ve only known for 3 months at the time.

I’ll even buy cards months in advance so I don’t risk missing out on the flawless card. I currently have a Valentine’s Day card in my desk draw, ready to be filled out for next year. And yes, it is only March. I had bought two cards for my boyfriend and could not figure out which one to give (Shhh).

But better yet, I love when people find perfect cards for me! Credit to my boyfriend who understands my obsession with greeting cards and surprises me on the random occasion. There’s something about a crisp envelope that sparks my curiosity. There are SO many possibilities of cards that could be sitting waiting to be read! I keep all my cards in sorted out shoeboxes in my bedroom and even have a drawer accumulating the cards I’ve gotten in college. Or the “Hoarder Drawer” as my friends in Hastings like to call it.

This rant from (500) Days of Summer really put into perspective on why I have such a hard time finding the right fit. How does a greeting card company know how I am feeling? How can they sum up into a 3 x 5 paper my relationship with my relatives and friends? They can’t. But what they can do is provide a fun way to express general feelings. Whereas I may not find a card that says “If I had to be stuck in a hot, cramped East hall dorm room, it would be with you!” there will always be a card to say, Thanks! Sorry :( and Happy Birthday is new ways that I haven’t thought of. There is nothing more special then when you find the perfect card for someone because it seems like an act of fate! What are the odds that my complex relationship is portrayed so vividly into that small little space.  The Greeting Cards Gods created this work just for me! And hey, there is always that little white space at the bottom to add some of your creative flare. So before you bash the company’s for letting American’s “off the hook” by expressing their emotions for them, understand that deciding on the card its self, is an act of expression. Even though, I do suggest writing your own message and even a homemade every once in a while. Don’t feel ashamed while your waiting in the check out line holding the card with the old ladies on the front!

"America is addicted to wars of distraction"

In commercials and advertisements, the marketing committee’s main objective is to try and change the audience’s attitude towards a particular idea or product. According to the Elaboration Likelihood Model there are two routes to persuasion: central route and peripheral route. Majority of commercials are created in the peripheral route knowing that the audience may not always have the ability and motivation to listen to the message carefully, whereas the central route of persuasion deals with details and no distractions. Even though studies show that persuasion has longer effects through the central route, the main focus of advertisements are solely peripheral.  Why is this?

It’s built for our multitasking society. America is always on the go. That’s why they invented soup at hand, go-gurt and drive -thrus. Rarely is our society free from any distractions, whether we are mothers, students, or workers, we are never focused on one take. Especially, where I am from. Everything happens in a New York minute (which is more like 30 seconds).

The average person is exposed to 300-400 advertisements per day. They are posted on bus stops, in newspapers and even in our bathroom stalls. Companies had to come up with a quicker way to get our attention and change our attitude, and with our current pace, the central route was not the way.

In the peripheral route we are more persuaded by other cues such as attractiveness and expertise. Our eyes are brought to bright colors and celebrities. We even are more likely to believe the statistics that “4 out of 5 doctors agree.”

Given that we see about 300-400 advertisements at day, you would think we would spend more money on useless crap but the fact that our persuasion is strictly peripheral, we might be persuaded at the moment to buy their product but we are more likely the to forget about it the next second.

So next time, you see an advertisement in the bathroom stall, take the time and ability to be pay attention and read carefully so you can make an informed decision after all what else do you have to do in there?