Blog 10: I think that I have achieved the course objectives overall. I believe that my previous class on cross-cultural psychology and this class on social psychology overlap in many aspects. I also believe that both are integral areas of study to gain a deeper understanding of life in our global society. I think that if I were to take this class again, I would probably do much of the same. Perhaps study a little harder but overall, I think I have succeeded. Academically, this semester has been very difficult. I am very close to graduating and I have begun to look to the future and possibly continuing my studies. The main skill that I have already put to use in my professional life is the awareness of heuristics.  

I chose this meme because even though I am learning a lot, in my current job, I don’t often get to immediately utilize the information.

Blog 9: I think that my favorite topic covered this year was heuristics. We used them so much in daily life and now that I know more about them, I am able to stop and evaluate a situation when needed, to ensure that I am not relying too heavily on an inaccurate heuristic. Secondly, I really enjoyed the blog about music and relationship connections. Though I sometimes feel that it is just about the music, a shared interest in music could indicate shared values as well.  Lastly, the section about distortion and stereotyping in advertising was interesting. It also overlapped with subject matter covered in my Psychology of Adolescent class. For example, in regards to advertisement stereotyping this class more focused on ideal image distortion, however in adolescent psychology, we discussed how it helps advertisements promote and encourage gender stereotyping for children and adolescents.

Blog 8: I would overall agree with the article, however I think that the conflicts experienced after marriage can be attributed to a variety of things, not just the expectations around sexual conduct. A main part of this conflict, I think, surrounds the idea that men and women have different ideas of communication and reciprocity. For example, men upset women many times when a woman who is venting her problems has a man that tries to offer solutions. Sometimes it isn’t about the solution, but just acknowledging the problem. I think this could be related to protectiveness and the desire to fix it that men feel. Secondly, men tend to be more sexual creatures and to a certain degree, some believe that sex can resolve a disagreement. Women upset men in that they tend to read into communications or situations more than what was there. Also, women can tend to be more co-dependent with their partner, while men tend to want to retain some independence. Assuming what the other person wants, based on your personal interpretation does no good for either party.

Blog 7: Self-regulation is a major part of emotional intelligence. Being aware of one’s heightened emotional state, and the biological responses that have created that state, and then being able to employ regulation techniques to calm the immediate reaction is a good step to increasing one’s emotional intelligence. Typically, I would have though EQ was mainly related to interpersonal conduct and communications, however I can see how it is also a reflection of self to a large extent. One can display more empathy and emotional consideration if they are able to understand their own emotions from the beginning. I do not believe that I am very good at regulating my emotions, and it is something that I constantly struggle with. I do use some of the breathing techniques for when I start to feel emotionally overwhelmed, especially in stressful situations.

Blog 6: I found this video to be very accurate. This subject is something that is near and dear to my heart. I am a big girl, and I always have been. I can remember seeing these Calvin Klein ads and knowing that I could never look like that and that I would never be able to find those clothes in my size. These feelings are ones that I share with many girls in my position. Skinny equals beautiful is so ingrained in our culture that even now it is difficult to find ads that run average size females without referring to them as “plus size”. I had not however, considered how the dehumanizing actions were so much stronger across racial lines. The interesting part is how men seem to be feeling increased pressure through advertising to have that perfect look. However, this is typically done without the dehumanizing aspects that women in advertisements reflect. The five advertisements below reflect some aspect of stereotyping, ideal image distortion or dehumanization.

Blog 5: Advertisements –

This first picture is from the “Got No Strings” campaign of Beats headphones. I find this ad to be from a credible, Pharrell is a very popular and knowledgeable musician. I believe that he would not connect himself with a product that so closely relates to his profession if he did not find it value in it.

This ad is a example of being from not credible source. The person in this advertisement has a personal stake in the response received by the ad itself. The law firm does not necessarily care of the suffering those inflicted with mesothelioma have endured, simply that they be the ones to seek compensation for those who have suffered. When the fine print is read, the large fee charged by the firm becomes clear.

This source for this Dior ad would be considered attractive. Jennifer Lawrence has reflected herself to be quite down to earth in many ways, so the portrayal of her and this highly attractive model in these ads allows for her fan base to connect to a product they might have otherwise ignored.

Blog 4: After looking up the questions I got wrong, I can see where my interpretation of the question or the subject matter went astray. This does help show me that I show possibly be requesting clarification if I am not completely sure of the real-world applications of what we discuss. As I typically take fairly good notes as I read the chapters the first time, I did not modify or take any additional ones as I prepared for the test. However, I did re-read all of the subject matter and complete the review sheet provided. In hindsight, I only wrote the most basic of information on the review sheet, and I probably would have benefited from being more detailed.

Blog 3: I believe that there is a connection of music and relationships. I love music, all music (except maybe some death metal and disco), and I especially love live music. Attending concerts is one of my favorite things, and every time I go to one, it amazes me that so many people, from so many different walks of life, are connected by the shared joy that music brings. Music is universal, it transcends all barriers. I have connected with many fabulous people through music and some of my best relationships are with people who I can share music. I want to say that yes, the common taste in music reflects common values and ideals, however I don’t believe that is always the case. I love rap music, but I don’t believe that Easy E and I would have shared much more than that. Maybe for someone who’s playlist doesn’t range from Broadway to NWA to Avenged Sevenfold to Vivaldi and the Beatles and everything in between, shared values might be more evident, but in my experience, sometimes it is just about the music.

My soundtrack:

“Sweet Baby James” James Taylor – This son reminds me of my son, not because of the lyrics though. His name is James and when he was little, he was my sweet baby James.

“What I Got” Sublime – this song reminds me of one of my oldest friends, Tammy. Many good times were had while listening to this song as loud as it would go.

“Tubthumping” Chumbawamba – this song reminds me of my dad. He was going through a tough time when it came out and it was almost his theme. song.

“Great Big Storm” Nate Ruess – this is the song of my life! It is the song I listen to when I need a boost, because at the end of the day, we are holding our own in great big storm!

“Hang on Sloopy” The McCoys – This song will eternally be linked to my sister Jenny. I don’t really know when it became her song, but in our family, she is Sloopy and we want her to hang on.

“Dear Prudence” The Beatles – My favorite band of all time and this song always spoke to me.

Blog 2: Even prior to this assessment, I found myself to be a confident student. This is my senior year and I have completed the last 3 years almost exclusively online. It takes hard work and dedication to be a successful online student. One really must put in the time and effort and be able prioritize your educational goals. I think that becoming active in extra-curricular activities within the collegiate setting would be helpful, however at this point, I would find it difficult to add more demands upon my time. Also, I always find that my confidence slips some in the first few weeks of a new semester. Getting used to new professors and how classes will be organized always makes me feel a little out of control. That always fades once I am able to really dive into each class and their requirements.

As such, I feel that I have done well in these respects. My self-efficacy results were 30 which I think is adequately reflected in my confidence level. This confidence level has allowed me to be a full-time college student, single mother, and full-time department manager/senior paralegal at a real estate firm. However, there is always room for improvement in everything.

My Soundtrack:

“Sweet Baby James” James Taylor – My son James.

“What I Got” Sublime – this song reminds me of one of my oldest friends, Tammy. Many good times were had while listening to this song as loud as it would go.

“Tubthumping” Chumbawamba – this song reminds me of my dad. He was going through a tough time when it came out and it was almost his theme song.

“Great Big Storm” Nate Ruess – this is the song of my life! It is the song I listen to when I need a boost, because at the end of the day, we are holding our own in great big storm!

“Hang on Sloopy” The McCoys – This song will eternally be linked to my sister Jenny. I don’t really know when it became her song, but in our family, she is Sloopy and we want her to hang on.

“Dear Prudence” The Beatles – My favorite band of all time and this song always spoke to me.

Blog 1: What really stood out to me this week was the section on heuristics. We use these so much in our daily lives and it is so important to understand the limitations of utilizing them. Being self-aware of when one is being used could help avoid awkward situations and even financial loss, however it is important not to over correct as we have these schemas for a reason. if faster processing of information is the goal then heuristics can help us reach it.