TOP ARTIFACT 5

Module 10 was my number 5 artifact. This was my favorite artifact to complete because it had me do an activity that violated a social norm and I really enjoyed participating in the activity. I learned from this module and artifact that much of our behavior is influenced by powerful social norms. A lot of people would say that they would resist to the peer pressure of social norms, but when actually given the opportunity to act against a certain social norm, they wouldn’t. How we behave or how we posture ourselves in a situation is dependent on what is expected from everybody. The truth is that it is hard to violate social norms because as humans we always try to conform or fit in because as humans we need the sense of belonging to a group in order to feel secure and safe. It is hard wired into our brains to conform to certain situations. Our brains will tell us without conformity we will not survive. This might seem crazy, but if you think about it from an evolutionary perspective in animals or even in humans, if one has deviating characteristics or doesn’t behave within the social norm within a pact of animals or tribe of humans they will be excluded, and exclusion would most likely get them killed. In a tribe, if a person doesn’t behave with the social norm of the group, they can be exiled where they have to fend by themselves without the support of their tribe.

In the module, we were tasked with identifying a specific social norm, then we were tasked with violating the social norm. For this activity, I was working out in the gym without a shirt for the whole hour. Normally people would workout with the proper gear on including a shirt. It would be out of the norm if a person were to take their shirt off and start working out. I did this for my whole workout. At first, I felt uncomfortable because this was out of the norm, but eventually I got used to it, and I tried not to mind the people looking at me. Doing things out of the norm once in a while I feel like can help build my self-esteem because you have to consciously try and think that you don’t care what other people think; just do it !!!

TOP ARTIFACT 4

Module 4 was my number 4 artifact. This module was very eye opening because it made me learn about the influence the media has on us. The media such as FOX News, CNN, etc. and social media such as facebook, twitter, and instagram affects us in our every day lives. The information given to us through these platforms can allow us to make quick judgements about a particular group based on the events that occur. The media also tends to over exaggerate or overestimate certain events to fuel our attitudes. For example, the Corona Virus and its portrayal on the media allowed the general public to develop negative views towards Chinese people because the virus originated in China. Another example, 9/11 allowed the general public to assume “all Muslims and Arab Americans are terrorists.”

In this module we were tasked with finding a video online that shocked us and that represents how the media can cause the general public to make quick judgements about a particular group. For this artifact, I found a video of a college student being beaten up by five police officers. Police brutality has been occurring over the past decade. This problem usually occurs between white police officers and black citizens, but I found a video that portrays a college student being beaten up by five police officers. It appears as if the media said that the police officers were using unnecessary force. Because police brutality cases reached a high number over the past decade, it’s awareness has increased , and the credibility and trust in our justice system and police force has decreased because of these numerous recurring events. This video along with many other videos on social media have brought this concept to life. These recurring events can lead to the media coverage overestimating police brutality. Reporting police brutality can lead us to a distorted perception of our police force. Yes, these events occur, but not as often as people think; it is unfair to assume that all police officers are like this. Due to the media, it’s viewers can fall to availability heuristics especially when not all of the information is given; when this occurs, viewers will often make shortcuts or quick conclusions to the given situation. 

TOP ARTIFACT 3

Module 7 was my number 3 artifact. I found this module very interesting. I learned about how our attitudes about a particular situation are consistent with our behaviors the majority of the time. There are times however, where our attitudes are inconsistent with our behaviors, and this can lead to cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance can sometimes trouble an individual, and they try to make sense of their inconsistency or try to justify why their behavior is inconsistent with their attitudes. People also try to adjust either the attitudes or the behaviors to match one or the other.

In this module we were tasked with completing an Attitude and Behavior Survey; we then had to compare our results. After completing the Behavior Survey, many of my answers were consistent with the answers from the Attitude Survey. Statements that I agreed with in the attitude survey, I also answered yes in the behavior survey. This was for all except for one. I agreed with the statement “homelessness is a serious social problem that needs attention,” but I did not however answer “yes” to “within the past year, I have personally done something to address the problem of homlessness.” This inconsistency is a good example of how it can cause cognitive dissonance. When I noticed my inconsistency, I was a little troubled and wanted to figure out why my behavior was inconsistent with my attitudes in this given situation. We often feel the need to reduce the inconsistency and restore a balance between attitudes and behavior because we want to make sense of our behavior and attitudes. For example, back to the surveys, I felt like homelessness was a serious problem, yet I did not express anything I did to resolve or address the problem. In order to make sense of the situation and reduce the cognitive dissonance, I justified why these were inconsistent. I told myself that the reason I did not address the situation is because this does not directly affect my life by resolving it. This does not compare to wearing a seat belt or designating a safe driver; both of these will decide whether I will live or die if the worst were to occur. I also learned that the strength of the consistency between the attitude and the behavior is dependent on whether or not it directly affects our lives. Homelessness does not directly impact my life; therefore there is an inconsistency. However, wearing a seatbelt can potentially save my life.

TOP ARTIFACT 2

Module 8 was my number 2 artifact. In this module, I learned about stereotypes and how stereotypes are acquired through different factors such as first impressions from observations or just simply hearing about it from someone else. This artifact was especially interesting because it can connect to Module 4; the media plays a major role in how we derive certain stereotypes about a particular group. I also learned from this module and this artifact that stereotypes can change over time. Views and attitudes about a particular group can change based on different situations or events that occur in different time periods.

In this module, we were tasked with giving each ethnic group listed two adjectives that best describes them from the adjective list given. After comparing my adjectives of each group to the results found by Katz and Braly (1933) and Gilbert (1951), some of my adjectives were the same and others different. To be honest, this was difficult to do because there were a limited amount of adjectives to choose from, but if there were more adjectives on the list or if we were able to make up our own adjectives to describe each group then this would be a lot easier. I can describe each group in two words but only if it were my words and not a list for me to choose from. Usually attitudes, thoughts, or stereotypes about a particular group change over time especially when particular events or situations happen from day to day on a regular basis. The media in general is an easy to access tool to allow us to make quick judgements based on the information fed to us; over time the consistency of seeing a certain group engage in a particular way allows us to make stereotypes. Over time this may account for these changes. The content of specific groups can also change over time due to the group’s changing position in society. 

TOP ARTIFACT 1

Module 3 was my number 1 artifact. This module was very interesting because it mentions two contradictory statements, “similarity leads to attraction,” and “opposites attract.” I learned from this module that both of these can be correct depending on the situation. For example, “similarity leads to attraction” can be true because people connect and bond through common interests, and having things in common can lead to attraction. “Opposites attract” can also be true when an individual sees a characteristic of another person they admire, lack, or aspire to have this can lead to attraction as the individual is attracted to these strengths of the other person.

In this module, we were tasked to give the following questions to different individuals on why they think “similarity leads to attraction,” or “opposites attract.” After receiving different comments on “similarity leads to attraction” or “opposites attract,” it is easy to conclude that even though these sayings contradict each other, they are both true in given situations. Everyone can come up with one reason why both of these statements can be true. According to my findings “similarity leads to attraction” or “opposites attract” is dependent on the situation.