Blog 10:
My initial objectives for this course was to develop a deeper understanding of how individuals are affected by group dynamics. I would like to think I achieved this goal during my journey through this course and also had fun on the way! Not only did I learn how others are influenced by group behavior, but also how I’m affected as well. After taking this course, I realized that many more factors influence social psychology as I previously conceived. If I could take this class again, I would have spent more time researching teaching topics beyond reading the textbook. I believe this would allow me to further develop my understanding of the subject. One way that I have grown academically is optimizing my time management skills. I’ve used a planner more during this semester than I ever have throughout my life. As I mentioned earlier, the time management skills used during this course can help my organization skills throughout my career.
I chose the above image to visualize my organizational skills that I’ve utilized while enrolled in this course!
Blog 9:
My three favorite topics discussed during this course were emotional intelligence, heuristics, and advertising. The emotional intelligence blog allowed me to evaluate my own feelings and to discover ways to positively channel them. I believe this blog assignment can be related to the assignment about Michael Richard’s outbursts. Learning about heuristics made me question whether or not my fears and generalizations were truly validated. This blog assignment was similar to the heuristics APA essay assignment. Finally, I found the advertisement blog assignment to be a lot of fun. It was interesting to see how advertisements that objectified women have transitioned over the years to be somewhat more accepting. I thought the blog 5 assignment was closely related to the blog 6 assignment. One topic discussed in the chapter readings spoke about psychology adopting a multicultural perspective. This topic relates to a nursing course I am currently enrolled in. Psychologist use this perspective in regards to research and therapy just as nurses use this perspective in regards to culturally competent patient care.
I chose this image to represent organizing all the information I’ve learned so far this semester. It shows that multiple factors play a role in retaining new information.
Blog 8:
The mating article discusses the sexual conflicts that arise between men and women in relationships. I agree with the article that men are more likely to fake emotional connections with women in hopes of having sexual relations with them. I also agree that women are more likely to fake sexual attraction in hopes of getting non-sexual resources.
Ways men make women mad:
- Not listening when they talk.
- Being messy.
- When a man glances at an other female in public.
- Not noticing when girls get new clothes or their hair cut.
Ways women make men mad:
- Taking food of their plate.
- Leaving hair in the shower drain.
- Asking a bunch of questions while they’re watching sports
- When she talks about her ex-boyfriend too much.
Image one represents a man making his girlfriend mad by looking at a different woman walking by. Image two represents a woman’s hair in the drain. We could assume that if her significant other was in the picture, he would be frowning.
Blog 7:
Emotional intelligence is someones ability to identify, control, and express emotions. Self-Regulation is taking those emotions and channeling them in positive ways to obtain a goal. Examples of someone self-regulating their emotions can include deep breathing and guided imagery. People who use self-regulating techniques to reduce their stress demonstrate higher levels of emotional intelligence than those who don’t. To me, emotion intelligence is the ability to remain professional under intense situations. At work I must take care of extremely sick patients in a fast-paced environment. During situations where my patient is deteriorating quickly, and their families are distressed, I have to stay focused and think quickly. I usually take a deep breath, assess the situation, and talk myself through it. I’ll think to myself, “You can do it Drew. Everything’s alright.” This works for most of the stress I encounter during any given day. I could improve my self-regulation by researching more ways to positively channel my emotions.
Blog 6:
- Image 1- Suggest that a woman should be submissive to men.
- Image 2- Suggests that a woman with small breasts isn’t as attractive as a woman with large breasts.
- Image 3- This beer advertisement shows a woman catering to a man and pouring his beer.
- Image 4- This image appears to shame overweight women, suggesting skinnier women are superior.
- Image 5- This advertisement is for a book that teaches men to train their wives to be obedient.
I found Jean Kilbourne’s Killing Us Softly III video to be inspiring for women. However, I also think it’s a little outdated. During the time this video was made, women were continuing to transition into the American workforce and gender roles were being redefined. Advertisements in the 1980’s were also far different than the ones we have today. Sexism was more socially acceptable in the 80’s than it is currently. However, many advertisements today don’t accurately represent the average man and woman. Advertisements directed at women show young, attractive females to demonstrate a particular product that will make them beautiful. Meanwhile, advertisements directed at men show well-dressed, attractive males demonstrating products that will make them successful. It may appear sexist and silly, but it works. You buy it. I buy it. Jean Kilbourne buys it. As I mentioned in a previous blog, sex sells. That will never change. As far as advertisements go, there will always be sexism, and someone will always be offended. Men and women are different. We need to use those differences to our advantage, stop whining, and focus on the important thing in life. Like beauty products.
Blog 5:
- Picture “A” represents a credible advertisement due to the professional image and a recognizable organization. Many people are aware that State Farm is the most common insurer in America. Corporate longevity is often associated with trustworthiness.
- Picture “B” demonstrates an advertisement that may be viewed as not credible. This image portrays large capital letters with exclamation points that can be associated as unprofessional and trying too hard to get attention. It also displays words such as “Guaranteed!” and other overly confident grammar. It also looks poorly developed and tacky. In my experience, advertisement from unwell-known organizations typically promise results that are misleading.
- Picture “C” represents an attractive source due to using a model to display a product. I personally found this advertisement effective and also found myself eating Hardees much more frequently after this aired during Super Bowl XLIX. Advertisements like this are effective because sex sells. I also think “sexy” commercials are easier to recall. That’s good for business. This ad was the first thing I thought of after reading the assignment prompt.
Blog 4:
After reviewing exam 1, I feel confident that I will do even better on exam 2. I am usually very meticulous with my preparation for exams and quizzes. I start by speed reading the chapters so that I have an idea where all the topics are and to retain a generalization of the information. Then I will review the study guide or key points of each chapter and thoroughly read those points and highlight where they are in the textbook. Finally I make my own set of notes regarding what I’ve highlighted, and write down the page number that it is located on so that I can flip right to it and save time. I normally do all of this a couple days prior to the exam and then go back over the information the day before so that it’s fresh in my mind. This method has usually worked well for me in the past, however, I sometimes go through the questions too quickly and make a simple error such as not reading the question or answer choices correctly. While taking exam 2, I will take my time and read the questions more carefully.
Blog 3:
I have undoubtably noticed a connection between my friends/significant other and our taste in music. Many of my friends listen to the same genre of music as I do. I grew up in a rural area and country music is part of my culture. Naturally, I am drawn to people who share similar tastes and values. However, I can appreciate other styles of music too. I think music can be a tricky tool to judge someone. Often people listen to different music in public versus when they are alone. I think societal influence plays a role in this. I think the true way to analyze someone is to observe what they listen to when they’re home alone and have their headphones in.
Songs:
Outlook on life- Merry Go ‘Round (Kasey Musgraves) (A sad yet accurate depiction of life in my home town.)
Significant Other- She’s Everything (Brad Paisley) (A cute love song about someone close to me.)
Me- All Star (Smash Mouth) (This makes me strive to be awesome everyday)
Family- Meanwhile Back at Mama’s (Tim McGraw) (Reminds me about going back to my family farm)
Friends- Out Last Night (Kenny Chesney) (A fun song about going out with my friends on the weekend)
Work- It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere (Alan Jackson) (This pops into my head when the clock decides to move slow)
Blog 2:
I believe that I am a student with a strong work ethic. I enjoy learning about new subjects and also like to apply previous knowledge to new ideas. I am usually fairly confident in myself to understand a new subject. However, one action that could increase my efficiency as a student would be working less hours during the week. Sometimes I get overwhelmed and frustrated when I feel rushed to complete assignments. The self-efficacy test that was required revealed positive results regarding me as a student. I scored the highest on the “Ability Can Grow With Effort” portion. I interpret that as indicating that I don’t give up and work hard to learn something despite the difficulty level.
Blog 1:
By being in enrolled in this course, I’m hoping to have a better understanding of how an individual’s behavior is affected by group dynamics. I have always had an interest in psychology and learning about why people think the way they do. My goal is to have a better understanding of social problems that exist in the world. Understanding and recognizing an issue is often the first step in resolving it. To ensure my success in this course, I plan on being organized, staying on top of due dates, and asking for help if I need it. I’m very excited to see what I learn from this course!
