I feel that I have achieved the course objectives very well. I say this because at this moment, I am very happy with my grade, and I am happy with the knowledge I have retained. I feel on top of the content and do not feel behind.
My attitudes about Social Psychology have not changed much during the course. I say this because I always try to take a laid back approach to these concepts. I try to learn what they want me to learn and not overanalyze the material. I have done this with psychology books in the past where I overanalyzed the material and it just left me feeling completely detached. I analyzed every little thing people did. Nowadays, I try to incorporate God into behavior as well. There may be motives and genetics behind much of behavior, but it is too depressing to me to get absorbed in this.
What I would do differently if I took the class again would be to always have a backup copy of my work that I can edit. I was so frustrated because I was working on one of our assignments for like fourteen days straight. Chipping away to create what I felt was this masterpiece of an essay, and with one save blunder I lost all my work and had to redo what I had done quickly and from memory. This happened because I opened a new file in Microsoft word with the same name, and by saving it this way, the document completely overwrote everything I had done. I was frustrated to say the least. Ever since then I have always emailed myself copies of my work. Even if I have auto-save on.
One way that I have grown academically over the last few months was through reinforcing my belief that consistent effort over time to chip away at a larger goal is much better than the alternative. The alternative to this would be to cram or procrastinate when objectives are looming.
One skill that I have gained from this course that I can utilize in my professional life is listening to books on an audio format. The act of listening to the material while doing something with my hands unrelated has been very helpful to me. I enjoy being introduced to the material this way and then further hammering down on it later.
I chose this image because I feel it represents me evolving to become more intelligent. It is the evolution of me, just like the evolution of man. On the left of the picture is me before social psychology, on the right is hopefully me after completing the course, fully evolved.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/125337.The_Predator
Blog 9
The top three things I have learned in this course as illustrated in what I chose to put in my e-portfolio are heuristics, three components of analyzing the self (which are self concept, perceived self control, and self presentation), and lastly, cognitive dissonance.
A concept I discussed in blog 7 is emotional intelligence or EQ. Emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive, understand and manage emotions. I believe emotional intelligence can be applied to basically all of the concepts in social psychology. For example, having a higher emotional intelligence, being able to perceive individual’s reactions as well as your own can have positive implications for reduction in cognitive dissonance. The more one understands themselves in relation to others, the more they can evaluate why they may feel differently, and how to feel in harmony with their true feelings.
One thing I’ve learned in this course that I can relate to another course was cognitive affect on emotional states. In this class I learned the importance of how cognitive affect can effect emotional states. How the mood you are in at one moment can shape how you perceive the world around you. I learned that the mood one is in can shape one’s perspective of an event and recollection of events. I relate this concept with what I learned in a drugs and behavior class. In the drugs and behavior class, I learned how drugs can effect people’s emotional states. I tie this into cognitive affect. When one does drugs, and changes their cognitive affect, they are effectively changing their world around them. It is an interesting interplay between one’s internal state and the external world that interests me. This can explain why some drug addicts feel that everything is fine as long as they maintain that content cognitive affect through drugs, but their external world crumbles around them.
I also relate this concept to one I learned in my psychology of learning class. The concept I relate this to is contextual memory. I learned how being in a different emotional state can affect memories one retrieves. An example of this is if someone puts an item in a specific spot when they are drunk. When they are sober they cannot remember where they put it. When they are drunk again, their memory comes back and they can find the item.
I chose this representative visual image because to me it represents how I tie in my schooling with work and life. It captures my organizational ‘process’. At work, I often listen to the psychology book on the phone application to learn about the concepts. I usually listen to the chapters three or four times.
https://www.coburgbanks.co.uk/blog/candidate-tips/importance-of-maintaining-work-life-balance/
Blog 8
My thoughts on this topic are that it makes sense. I get that from an evolutionary standpoint women are more concerned about resources for the benefit of their offspring. A man having more resources would most likely equate with more survivability. A man on the other hand is more apt to spread his seed. That makes sense too, as they do not need to have as great of a paternal investment as women.
It is an interesting take to think of a heterosexual marriage as a mating battleground as the author suggests. I have not really thought of it before. The specific places where conflict occurs as Dewal proclaims are, “prior to consummation, after a relationship has formed, and after a breakup.”
Men are more likely to lie than women are to have sex. Women are more likely to send deceptive signals of sexual interest than men, in hopes of securing nonsexual resources. Men and women differ in whether or not they get more or less jealous about an emotional connection, or physical sex as an act of infidelity. Women are typically more upset about emotional connections than men. I read a couple books, and from an evolutionary standpoint. This anger from the woman is because if a man cares more for another woman, he may provide resources to her. And thus, hinders the woman and her offspring’s chances of survival. After breakups men are more likely to be stalkers than women, but women can be stalkers too.
Representative photo explanation.
Photo 1 illustrates a probable source of anger for men who would like to be thought of for their personality, and not their assets. Some older men have no problem with providing resources if they have them in order to obtain an otherwise unobtainable mate. Yet it is very common for many men to be frustrated at the thought of feeling used.
Photo 1
-https://disinherited.com/wills-variation/gold-digger-wife-gets-150000-3-5-million-estate-vulernable-victim/-
Photo 2 illustrates men lying to obtain sex. This is a common source of frustration for women who feel used after sex. They thought this guy loves them, but end up just feeling like an object.
Photo 2
https://brightside.me/inspiration-psychology/what-love-bombing-is-and-why-its-more-dangerous-than-it-sounds-802827/
Blog 7
Discuss the relationship between Self-Regulation and Emotional Intelligence.
There is a big link between what we think and how we feel. “I feel, therefore I am” is just as valid a statement as “I think therefore I am” says Linda Ferguson.
Self regulation is described in the attached YouTube video as emotional flooding, affected by the amygdala. De-escalating emotions is important to self-regulation. Breathing deeply for 5 seconds is enough to create a gap between negative thoughts and actions. Sarah Ferguson recommends doing a body scan when you are starting to get worked up. Close your eyes and breath into your feet and toes, try to be aware of where there is tension. Doing a breathing body scan allows you to open up. When you find yourself getting upset, pay attention to what your feeling and what your judgements are. 90 percent of the time, we are making up a story in our head. Making judgements, Linda Ferguson wants us to hold those judgements out and say “I am aware that I am thinking the thought of”. That is our story, and when we hold it out there, we can hold it out there separate from our emotions.
Emotional Intelligence is the ability to perceive, understand, use and manage emotions. People with high emotional intelligence can recognize other people’s emotions as well as their own. (Colman, 2008) The relationship between self regulation and emotional intelligence is a very close one. The higher one is in self regulation, the higher their Emotional Intelligence should be. I believe there are anomalies in this theory, but the two are pretty strongly positively correlated.
What does Emotional Intelligence (EQ) mean to you?
Emotional Intelligence (EQ) to me, varies somewhat from the more formal definition. The formal definition focuses more on understanding the emotions within oneself. My definition focuses more on the importance of understanding others. The ability to empathize and sympathize to me has a positive correlation with Emotional Intelligence.
Give me an example of how you display EQ or how you could improve your EQ.
An example of how I display Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is when I see someone upset at me. Sometimes I have an inclination to become upset myself. I try to self regulate and understand my behaviors, my emotions and my reactions.
I could improve my Emotional Intelligence (EQ) by working on my self awareness. This is often the first step to achieving emotional intelligence says Linda Ferguson. Emotions come from inside of us. According to the results of my EQ test, I am high in emotional intelligence. This is very exciting news for me to hear. It stated that I perform well under pressure.
References
Colman A (2008). A Dictionary of Psychology (3 ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199534067.
Blog 6
My reaction to this TED Talk is a couple of things. I believe many of the things Jean Kilbourne thinks about are correct and it is pretty interesting to hear her take on things. I agree that there is probably a tremendous amount of pressure on young women to fit this perfect ideal that is unattainable. I would like to get Jean Kilbourne’s perspective on the influence of current social media platforms and their contribution to low self image. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat (particularly the filters), and TikTok.
Prior to this presentation I have indeed noticed how ads distort, stereotype, and dehumanize women and manipulate people to buy their products. What Jean Kilbourne did though was show me some specific ads that were harmful and why.
This video contributed to a new understanding of differential gender representation because it showed me specific examples of advertising that put specific pressures on women. The video further advanced my knowledge of how much pressure is put on women, and how advertisements make women feel they should be made to act.
I chose all of these ads because they all focus on weight and image, which was a major theme in Jean Kilbourne’s Ted Talk. These ads show in collaboration along with Jean Kilbourne’s Ted Talk how difficult it is to maintain a positive self image in today’s culture. Do women want to be thin? Do they want to be heavier? Do they want to wear makeup? Do they want to be all natural? There are so many different answers to all these questions and they are all coming from different sources.
We see ads pushing for thinness with the emaciated model, and ads pushing for acceptance with one ad showing what looks like a man dressed in women’s underwear and framing it as beauty.
https://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/31606/1/the-five-worst-examples-of-body-shaming-ads – https://www.campaignlive.com/article/overweight-woman-ad-taxi-firm-not-offensive/1341771 – https://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/31606/1/the-five-worst-examples-of-body-shaming-ads – https://thecurvyfashionista.com/plus-size-advertisements/ – http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F7oM5CyGNJg/TWOYkofajTI/AAAAAAAABb0/A_wm23Zcwyw/s1600/androgynous.jpg
Blog 5
Persuasion is an attempt to change our attitudes with various methods. Findings learned about in the textbook are that credible communicators are more efficient persuaders. Communicators who are deemed as knowing more than others are thought to be more persuasive than people who know less about a subject. Additionally, members who are in our own group are also seen as being more credible and persuasive than out of group members.
There are ways that communicators can lose their credibility through having a personal stake in their message. Communicators can also gain credibility when they are perceived as arguing against their self-interests. Additionally, physically attractive communicators are deemed as more persuasive than those who are not attractive. One can increase their attractiveness by increasing their perceived likeability. The textbook suggests that people are more likely persuaded by individuals they like than individuals they do not like. Familiarity comes into play as well. People are more likely to be persuaded by those in their social networks. Recommendations from friends on social media are highly influential.
Messages that look like they are not designed to change our minds about anything are often more successful at persuasion.
This is Picture A
https://mobile.twitter.com/beastoftraal/status/438177373058383872
Picture A represents a credible source because it is by someone who knows a lot about what they are talking about. This man is presumably a dentist and is endorsing this product. As a dentist, he is quite literally an expert with respect to the topic he is presenting. He does not work for this toothpaste brand and thus, does not have a vested interest. He seems very credible because of how long he has studied health of the mouth and teeth to be become a dentist.
This is picture B
https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-vaccine-ad-campaign-launched-3c3e664c4a944f6c5aefe27b3351f9c1
The factors that influence this Covid vaccine ad’s credibility are many. The non-likeability of the people endorsing this ad is high in my opinion. Saying “it’s up to you” is like spitting in the face of anyone who has been told they have to get the vaccine to keep their job or go to school. The endorsement by the CDC is not credible because they have changed their science so much. Masks work, now they don’t; vaccines work – only after 5 boosters, and still you get can get and transmit Covid; the days you need to self-quarantine are 14 – oh wait, now it’s five days; monoclonal antibodies are effective for the Delta variant, but are deemed an unsafe remedy for the Omicron variant which is less severe (this has been done in states like Florida). Very untrustworthy. I feel that ads such as these that occur to someone who has been given an ultimatum, which states basically inject yourself with what we want or your family dies (if you are the sole breadwinner) because you will not have a job anymore. Can produce what chapter 5 refers to as reactance, a negative reaction to the attempts by other people to take away our rights by getting us to believe or do what they want.
This is picture C
https://thevisualcommunicationguy.com/business-communication/advertising-appeals-overview/
Because of Jennifer Anniston’s likeability and attractiveness, the advertisement is deemed persuasive. Because she was also in most of America’s home on their television on the show Friends, or other movies. People feel like they know her, thus adding to her persuasiveness.
Blog 4
Throughout the term I have watched all of the attached YouTube videos, TED talks, and jeopardy videos. The week prior to the test I made a word document where I could edit the study guide. For many days I dedicated all of my time to answering the questions in depth and trying to understand the concepts. After I answered all the questions I believe my study guide was over 10 pages, single spaced in length. Additionally, because I purchased the book digitally, I learned that I had the option to listen to the book. When I learned that I could listen to the book, I listened to it all the time. I probably listened to each chapter at least 4 times. I would listen at work when salting the roads and anything else where I had a lot of time to myself. I think this feedback will help my test taking strategy on future tests by offering me positive feedback. What I did on this last exam worked apparently so I should continue.
I chose this image because I believe it is an emblem of my work studying and how I felt when filling out the study guide.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wikihow.com/Become-an-Excellent-Student%3famp=1
Blog 3
After reading the article ‘Soul Meets Body’, my thoughts on the connection between music and relationships has expanded. I learned things I had not previously known. These things included the concept of value similarity and how people who share the same taste in music, naturally, would have similar values. Another concept I enjoyed learning about was musical bonding. It is funny to me that the author of our assigned reading was speaking about Death Cab for Cutie when they wrote the title “Soul Meets Body”. I know that song and really enjoy it.
I have noticed a similarity in music preference between both a romantic other as well as friends. Two of my past romantic others have shared the same music preferences as I. When we were dating, I said to one of them before, “one of my favorite bands is Death Cab for Cutie”, and it turns out, she also shared that passion I had for them. Both of us really liked that band, and I don’t think she was lying about it. I also found out when dating another girl, that she really enjoyed The Postal Service another one of my favorite bands. The funny thing is, The Postal Service has the same singer as the one in Death Cab for Cutie, Ben Gibbard. It is funny because the people with whom I shared musical tastes with, were very similar in values and ideals to me. I never really gave that too much thought until this assignment.
• Half a dozen songs I associate with key people in my life and the associations between the songs/key people.
Natalie Merchant: Carnival: I associate this song with my mother when I was very young. We were riding in the car together and she put on the album Tigerlily. To this day Natalie Merchant is one of my favorite artists.
Death Cab for Cutie: What Sarah Said: As mentioned previously, Death Cab for Cutie is one of my favorite bands. I recall listening to this song after I had heard the news that my friend had died. The song is about dealing with loss.
Death Cab for Cutie: Grapevine Fires: This song reminds me of a girl I dated. We used to study together and play this song, as well as many other songs by this band. It was very peaceful.
Tenor Saw: Chill Out Chill Out: This song reminds me of when I was in high school and used to meditate before school. I used to get meditate and listen to this song.
Dido with Eminem: Stan: I vividly recall listening to this song and working out very hard in the summer before College. I was probably in the best shape of my life at that time. I worked out for like 6 hours a day.
The Verve: Bittersweet Symphony: Another one of my favorite bands. This song reminds me of when I went on a cross country trip with my father. We were in an art store, and this song was on the loud speakers.
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e9/Transatlanticism.jpg)
I chose this visual image because it is a an album cover by Death Cab for Cutie. A band I mentioned earlier as one of my favorites.
BLOG 2
Discuss the type of student you believe yourself to be. – When reflecting on the question, what kind of student am I? The type of student I believe myself to be is dedicated, consistent, and disciplined. But this is only when I want to be and set my mind to it. I can be above average if I truly want to be.
Describe your current level of confidence as a student and discuss what factors you believe could possibly increase your confidence levels. – My current level of confidence as a student is average to somewhat above average. It certainly in not sky high, and it is not bottom of the barrel. My level of confidence as a student I would say is just average. The factors I believe that could possibly increase my confidence levels is getting A+’s on all of my work and not having to try hard at all for it or stress over it. Additionally, my confidence levels could be increased by knowing that I am in fact very intelligent and not having it contested. Currently I try extremely hard in all of my academic pursuits and stress out way more than I wish I did. I also do not think I am that smart. Sometimes I feel like I am smarter than other people, and other times I feel my intelligence is lower than other people’s. When I feel smarter than other people, I usually just attribute it to upbringing and having a different nurturing pattern and familial structure than they did.
Explain your self-efficacy results in relation to your task accomplishments – After adding up my self efficacy score from the GSE. My score was 25 or 2.5. This is 4 points lower than the total and mean GSE scores that are found in different populations. My self efficacy results in relation to my task accomplishments is consistent with my previous beliefs. I thought that I would be about average or perhaps a little bit lower.
The title for this image is “My Self Efficacy Results January 28, 2022” The reason I chose this image is to provide a baseline of where I started from so that I can compare in the future and see if anything changes. I hope that through consistent, predictable successes, that my self efficacy score goes up significantly.
Blog 1
- In evaluating the diverse topics that social psychology seeks to understand I will let this help me in the future by having a better understanding of the impacts on health and happiness, how to better connect with others and understand humans as a social species.
- In examining the major avenues that social psychology is currently exploring, I will evaluate the science and core values of social psychology. I will study the behavior of individuals, the causes of behavior, the cognitive processes, the environmental variables, and the biological factors. I will attempt to understand the role of emotions in the social side of life and how important relationships are for well being.
- Understanding the methods social psychologists use to gain insight into the questions posed will help me in the future by having a greater knowledge of systematic observation, naturalistic observation, the survey method, correlation, experimentation and meta-analysis.
- Explaining how theories play a key role in social psychological research will help me in the future by being able to analyze and hypothesize reasons for behavior. Identifying how the dilemma of deception is addressed in social psychology will help me in the future by understanding ethical standards and the importance of peer review.
- The steps taken to make reading this book a pleasant and informative experience will be consistent dedication. Practicing everyday a little bit, and trying to apply concepts from the book to my everyday life.
Describe your expectations for the course:
What are you hoping to gain? – I am hoping to gain a better understanding of people. A more laid back philosophy, and better ways to connect and relate to people.
What strategies do you intend to implement to ensure your success in this course? – The strategies I intend to implement to ensure my success in this course are perseverance, consistency, and dedication of time. I believe it will be smart for me to work on this class every day and never procrastinate. Through continuous work I feel quality output can be achieved.
https://www.thoughtco.com/mad-scientist-pictures-4122975
The title I give this image is “The people”, and it illustrates how I believe I will feel if I can understand the social nuances of people’s behavior.