Artifact 5:

For artifact 5 I decided to pick the Module 4 Archive about the news reporting extreme cases. For this artifact we were assigned to watch a video showing facts on what is really going on in our country, not just what the news is relaying. The news creates false information that people conclude is true. For example, in the video, the news would show crime and basically anything that has to do with criminal activity. Therefore, people came to the conclusion that the crime rate is as high as it has ever been. However, when you delve into the facts, the crime rate is actually down, but if all people see on the news is crime, crime, and more crime. Then people are going to start assuming the crime rate is up. This is what this artifact taught me, is that the news displays dramatic cases that causes the viewer to overemphasize and be misinformed. 

Furthermore, many Americans use the availability heuristic because they immediately have an example of what that type of person to commit that act of violence is like from the media. Also, the representative heuristic plays a role with criminals in this country because we all have this idea of what a criminal looks like when someone fulfills the characteristics found in the media. To be honest, many people are not open minded and patient with people because they use the heuristics to judge these people before they even speak. 

https://www.phrasemix.com/examples/ive-been-glued-to-the-tv-all-week

I chose this image because this man is generally concerned with what he sees on the TV. Dramatic events immediately gather people’s attention and it affects them. It makes them worried, angry, and many different emotions all at once. This is the media’s goal because it gathers viewers. If there is anything I learned from the artifact, it’s that you are more likely to hear a negative story than a positive one.

Artifact 4:

For my fourth artifact I decided to go with Module 5’s item to archive. This was about self- and other-enhancement in everyday life where you are placed in certain situations, what would you do? One thing I learned was how much we use these enhancements every day. It was not until I learned what these enhancements were that I realized how much others and myself use them. It is so common for us to want to appear good, great or desirable. We boast, brag, and show off to make ourselves look presentable and nonpareil. However, all of those things that we do fall under self and other enhancement. Which is to make us feel good about ourselves and compliment others to make them feel good as well. One of the situations that I feel like best describes just how common these enhancements are meeting your new boss for the first time. Most likely you are going to show how much work you are capable of doing by bragging and you are going to show up early to the meeting to make yourself look good. Then of course you are going to give him compliments as well to kiss some butt so he or she likes you. What you just did falls under self and other enhancement categories. We use them so often and they constantly make a presence in everyday life. 

The Self-Enhancement Bias

I believe this image best illustrates just how self enhancement plays a role in our lives. People have a basic drive to perceive the self positively and receive positive evaluations from others. This often leads to illusions of what we really are, as demonstrated in the picture. This is what I learned was just how self-enhancement is involved in everyday life. We see ourselves as go getters and winners capable of anything, even when we might not be. Personally, I think self-enhancement is necessary for success but we will save that story for a different day.

Artifact 3:

Getting down to the nitty gritty, I loved this Module 6 Archive. We were to observe how our behavior changed or remained similar during different situations for a couple of days. This shows our cross-situational consistency, how we consistently or inconsistently behaved during different occasions. This also further bleeds into temporal consistency which is no substantial change in the construction behavior between the two occasions. Of course, those are the two things that I learned because I have never heard of them before. However, the bigger picture, I learned that my behavior remained consistent with my values. Since the artifact assigned us to find our top characteristics I realized that my behavior was dictated by my values. What I value in life guides my behavior and decision making during a vast variety of situations. 

On the other hand, I also discovered that my behavior was consistent throughout many different situations. I relied on what means the most to me when it came to making a decision. My cross situational consistency is sort of predictable when it comes to a situation. I tend to uphold my values and behave according to. All in all, I will always be myself and approach every situation with utmost originality; also, spread love and happiness. 

https://careerlink.com/careerhub/honest-leaders-create-better-teams-honestly/

This picture is perfect for what this artifact represents. Behavior should be completely from you and nothing else. The way you act should align with who you are as a person. Everything that makes you you should influence how you perceive and act in a situation. Also, your values play a key role in how you behave. Living a life according to your values goes a long way in being consistent in your behavior. Being your true self is being honest with yourself and making your life better for you and those around you.

Artifact 2:

On to the next, staying on the behavior path, I greatly enjoyed the Module 7 Archive. So this archive was about a behavior survey and any inconsistencies that we feel about our behavior. Also, how we operationalize the feeling of dissonance and this is what I learned. Dissonance is an act that goes against what you stand for. In other words, if you watch someone drop trash on the ground, that goes against your value of cleaning up after yourself. However, you do not want to get your hands dirty so you do not pick it up. You know the right thing to do and yet you did not do it. That is dissonance and I had no idea how much it plays out everyday. 

Moreover, after completing the Behavior Survey, I do not feel any inconsistencies with my behavior. The survey consisted of scenarios where it was the right time to do the right thing. On the contrary, I will always continue to be myself and put others before me to be as selfless as possible. Dissonance, which is an easy task, unfolds every day in my life. I made a decision a long time ago to eat as healthy as possible. I only eat food that is naturally made and nothing artificial. At work, everyone eats whatever they want, chips, candy, and all the artificial tasty food. It is so tempting to eat a bag of chips, it literally bites at me everyday but I stick to my guns and eat healthy natural food. I have not had a bag of chips in years and have not had a piece of candy in years. Yes, I am telling the truth, I am one obedient person. I justified this action by telling myself every time I think about it; I love myself too much to have a bag of chips. I know my body is not going to like it, so why would I eat it? I love myself too much and I know if I take care of myself then I will be able to take care of others. Stay strong. We often feel a need to reduce inconsistency and restore balance between attitudes and behaviors because we know what is right. We know what to do, eat, healthy, workout, think before speaking; we literally know what to do to follow through with our consistency. This is also what leads to depression, inconsistency, because we literally know what to do to live a great life, but we do not do it. So, we get sad and depressed because our values and beliefs do not fall under our attitudes and behaviors. We let our inconsistency become our consistency and bam, stuck in a rut until we realize what the heck we are doing.

How Cognitive Dissonance Keeps People From Admitting They’re Wrong

I love this image because this is what I believe dissonance is all about. This picture says I want to go this way, no I want to go this way. It is literally like a tug of war match between two people, however, in this case in our mind. We know what is right and yet we decide to go another way. It is not necessarily the wrong way but it’s a way that is inconsistent with our values and behavior. Such as smoking cigarettes, drinking regularly, or eating unhealthy. We do these things to ease our mind, which in moderation sure, but deep down you know what is right which causes this picture. Going nowhere even though you know the right direction. You can get better just start doing the right thing for yourself. 

Artifact 1:

Drum roll please! My favorite is the Module 11 Archive, are people who help happier? For this archive we were tasked with naming friends who you believe personally, are selfish or unselfish and happy or unhappy. I labeled all of my friends as happy and unselfish. This is why this is my favorite archive, you ready? My friends want the best for others just as they want the best for themselves. They are also mission driven which makes them happy, because a person with a mission or purpose is more likely to be happy than someone who is lost. My friend group wants to help others be happy and spread that happiness not just within ourselves but the people around us. Afterall, what you surround yourself with influences you greatly. I believe this is why we are so happy and unselfish because we are constantly surrounded by it. By completing this lab I realized just how grateful I should be to have my friend group, it is rare to be in the presence of such positive people. 

A piece of information that I learned from this archive is that empathy-altruism is helping behaviors as resulting from feelings of empathy and compassion toward others, which arouse an altruistic motivation directed toward the ultimate goal of improving another person’s welfare. In other words, we want to see others happy and succeed just because we love the person for who they are. We are not doing to just be nice or to do the right thing. We do these things because that person is like a brother or sister. Deep down they have a place in your heart and when you think about them, you get a burning love in your heart. You also know that by helping this person you are helping yourself to feel fulfilled and live a life according to your values. 

http://www.sci-news.com/othersciences/psychology/human-altruistic-behavior-07909.html

For some reason when I see this picture I think of the Beatles song, ‘I get by with a little help from my friends.’ So, my friends are awesome people that I will gladly be affiliated with. After completing this archive I can truly say that I am proud to have the friend group that I have. We are willing to climb mountains for each other to help anyone during anytime. That is why I chose this picture, we are so unselfish and happy because we surround ourselves with what we want to see in ourselves. Love, passion, drive, optimism. The list goes on and on for attributes that we all possess. There are friends, there is family, and then there are friends that become family.