Top Artifact # 5
I selected Item to Archive #9 as my number five artifact. I enjoyed completing this assignment on the comparison between men and women in personal adds. This was a unique assignment and it highlighted some of the differences in desires between men and women when seeking a romantic relationship or partner. I was able to learn and draw comparisons between the desires of opposing sexes.
Item to Archive Module #9
Top Artifact # 4
I selected Item to Archive # 3 as my number four artifact. I enjoyed completing this assignment because I prefer interactive assignments where you can survey groups of individuals and compare responses. Through this assignment I was able to poll several people and learn about their reasoning regarding the two opposing viewpoints. I enjoyed learning other individuals viewpoints and was able to collect all the data necessary to come to a conclusion.
Item to Artifact Module #3
Similarity leads to attraction
I believe that “similarity leads to attraction” because if you have several things in common with another person it can help sustain a relationship. If you have similar religious, political or moral ideals then it is likely that your relationship will be easier and less complicated by opposing views. This finding is not surprising to me because I share the ideal.
Opposites attract
The saying “opposites attract” may be true because people with different personalities may be seeking balance in a partner. A very loud, outgoing or person may have a healthy relationship with a quieter or shy individual. These differences may provide balance to the relationship. This finding does not seem surprising to me because I have witnessed many relationships where the partners have vastly different personalities.
I took a poll of ten individuals and asked them to decide on what ideal they favored the most between “opposites attract” and “similarities lead to attraction” Most people were suspicious of my questioning and wanted an explanation before responding. Many were hesitating between the two options and offered explanations for their thought process on why they favored one or the other. Ultimately out of the ten individuals surveyed the majority favored the ideal that “similarities lead to attraction” over “opposites attract”
Top Artifact # 3
I selected Item to Archive # 7 as my number three artifact. Through this exercise I was able to learn about the dissonance between attitude and behavior. The attitude and behavior surveys were a great exercise to highlight the relationship between attitude and behaviors. I also was able to experience how individuals can excuse the dissonant behavior through justification. I experienced this firsthand when completing the surveys.
Item to Archive for Module #7
Attitude Survey
Please indicate your degree of agreement or disagreement with each of the following statements:
- Students will speak out more during a lecture if they have read the assigned reading.
1 2 3 4
disagree agree
- Wearing a seatbelt significantly reduces the chance of suffering a serious injury in a car accident.
1 2 3 4
disagree agree
- Homelessness is a serious social problem that needs attention.
1 2 3 4
disagree agree
- Engaging in regular physical exercise several times a week promotes good health.
1 2 3 4
disagree agree
- Recycling is a great way to protect the environment.
1 2 3 4
disagree agree
- Designating a non-drinking driver can reduce the chance of being in an alcohol-related accident.
1 2 3 4
disagree agree
Behavior Survey
Please indicate with a yes or no whether you do the following behaviors:
__Y_ 1. I always read the assigned materials before class.
__Y_ 2. I regularly use a seatbelt to prevent my chances of suffering major injuries.
__N_ 3. Within the past year, I have personally done something to address the problem of homelessness.
_N__ 4. I take time to engage in regular physical exercise several times a week.
_N__ 5. I habitually recycle to protect the environment.
__Y_ 6. I regularly designate a non-drinking driver before traveling to bars.
After completing the surveys above, I noticed many discrepancies in my attitudes and behaviors. I recognize that designating a sober driver will reduce the chances of an accident. So, when I go out with friends we always decide before we leave who will be driving or we arrange for an Uber. This is a consistent relationship between an attitude and a behavior. I think individuals can rationalize the dissonance depending on the gravity of the attitude and the behavior. I am of the opinion that homelessness is a huge problem in our society, but I have not personally made any efforts to solve this problem. My attitude toward this problem has not changed but I can justify the dissonant behavior because one person cannot realistically solve homelessness. This dissonance may encourage more action in individuals when they recognize that their attitude and actions are not aligned.
Survey Credit
Carkenford, D., & Bullington, J. (1993). Bringing cognitive dissonance to the classroom. Teaching of Psychology, 20, 41–43.
Top Artifact # 2
I selected Item to Archive #6 as my number two artifact. I enjoyed completing this assignment and I learned about how an individuals behaviors can be consistent or inconsistent across varying situations. I personally learned that my behaviors are generally consistent throughout various situations.
Item to Archive Module #6
The first trait I listed was friendly. I was in the grocery store cereal section and was desperately searching for the Peanut Butter Captain Crunch, it is very illusive these days. A woman was standing next to me holding a box of Reese’s Cereal. We looked at each other and just started talking about how it was not the same as Peanut Butter Crunch. We shared a laugh and continued our shopping. My daughter commented that she was embarrassed because I always talk to strangers in the store. I believe that my friendliness was consistent in this situation.
The next trait I listed was honest. I am trying to be more honest and open with how I feel about things. Recently I had to tell an individual that was romantically interested in me that the attraction was not mutual. Normally, I would have just tried to be kind so that I do not hurt anyone’s feelings but in this situation, I was extremely honest and open without being hurtful. I was honest with myself and honest with the individual. I am an honest person, but this was even a little more difficult for me because I did not want to hurt the individual’s feelings. The honest trait is very consistent in my personality, but this situation went above and beyond and was a little out of my comfort zone because of the sensitive topic.
The next trait I listed was humorous. I definitely feel like I am a humorous person. Earlier in the week all of my coworkers were eating, and I told a funny joke that made my coworkers laugh. One coworker was drinking from her water bottle and ended up spitting out her drink. Another coworker walked in and looked at me and said it was you wasn’t it and laughed. I feel that my humor is a very consistent trait.
The next trait I listed was sensitive. I am a very sensitive person. Yesterday I was watching a television show and I got teary eyed because of the plot. This trait is consistent when I am alone but inconsistent in front of others. I typically have a tougher exterior and do not show my emotional side very much to others.
The next trait I listed was adventurous. I have recently accepted a new work assignment in another state where I do not have friends or family. This trait is not very consistent for me. I am usually adventurous when trying new things and I am usually very cautious when making big decisions I like to stick to what is familiar and this is a big leap for me. So this adventure is a little out of my comfort zone.
Top Artifact #1
I selected Item to Archive number four as my number one artifact because I really enjoyed viewing the video “Are We Scaring Ourselves to Death?” The information about the affect of heuristics on our society supported the information from the text and presented a visual explanation for the availability heuristic and the representativeness heuristic. I was extremely interested in heuristics and how they can positively and negatively influence our society. Learning about this topic was one of my favorite areas of study throughout the course.
Item to Archive Module #4
The media can affect how we view society because they control the majority of the information that we are presented with. The media also controls the volume of information presented and the topic. If the media repeatedly reports on incidents of violence or terrorism, these topics and events will readily come to mind. This is an example of the availability heuristic. The more we are exposed to images of terrorism and violence the more readily we can recall them. This negatively affects our view of society because we are not considering the actual occurrence of violent or terroristic events in society.
We have seen the influence the media has in relationship to the representativeness heuristic. When incidents of terrorism are depicted in the media this creates a prototype for groups of individuals sharing some similar characteristics such as religious beliefs or country of origin. This representation can be harmful to individuals and society because it can lead to discrimination and stereo typing for individuals sharing these characteristics.
The screenshot below is from the video Are We Scaring Ourselves to Death? This screenshot displays how the media can influence society. The news reports heavily on crime and violence and unrest around the globe. This steady reinforcement of the violence occurring around the world would lead one to believe that crime and violence are on the rise. In reality at the time of this recording the graph below shows that this was not true, and that crime was actually decreasing in comparison to what the news portrayed. This is an example of the availability heuristic. The more that crime is violence is discussed and displayed in the news the more likely that we are able to recall these events even if the occurrence is society is not as prevalent as we are being influenced to believe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmiFShBQDI
