30
Nov 14

“Hey You Never Know” – Relative Deprivation

For this intervention I’d like to take a look at the theory of relative deprivation to make a connection with an incident I found myself unfortunately experiencing…

I was playing my lotto numbers last night and couldn’t believe what was happening right before my eyes. I saw a man with half his face covered and knew when he looked around with crazed eyes that he wasn’t a late Trick or Treater. I watched him pull out a crumbled up black plastic bag, all in slow-motion, then came out the long revolver from his waistline. I was frozen but knew enough to not make a sudden moves.

I avoided staring too intently as other customers came into the corner store of a busy variety store at 7 pm that the robber kept ordering to “get on that side”, gesturing with a big gun in the air towards me. I kept my eyes on the gun he kept waiving but as 2, then 3 others “joined the party” I inched down the aisle, now with very little of my body in direct view. I also limited my target area but standing with my left shoulder pointed towards him, shifting from having my chest/heart exposed.

I’m pretty street smart and seen enough movies to know what was happening immediately but was still shaken. It’s crazy how you don’t know what you would do in a situation like that until you actually are. I also read this robber’s body language and sensed he didn’t want to actually hurt anyone, he was just a drug addict and his relative and absolute deprivation drove him to these desperate measures.

Identifying areas where crime is rising, and targeting these locations would improve the quality of life in communities ravaged by drug use. Drug pushers use dimly lit, not monitored streets as territories where drug addicts buy and take drugs. Both affect the other members of the communities and the communities adversely. So to begin curbing the escalation of a declining way of life, and reversing the unfavorable living conditions of some neighborhoods a good place to start would be to recognize which ones are underdeveloped. This store is a busy store, with several cameras but she was the only one working. And the adjacent block is dark.

Addressing neglected areas and making a comparison to “what works” – better and safer schools, easily accessible and safe commuting, police presence, affordable housing, etc. all would start at the local district level of governing bodies. Parents of children who are worried about their local playground being used by adults shouldn’t be subjected to seeing drug sales and paraphernalia. By taking initiative towards wanting better communities, and knowing the importance of having an enriching environment, I would suggest parents and teachers discussing concerns at parent-teacher conferences. This would allow an open forum where children, parents, and educators, and the learning community connect. But it all begins with a public announcement.

Education is always vital, as in most cases a lack of education is a prime ingredient for poor families, and poverty stricken communities. But also awareness helps educate those that are not aware of the consequences not making education the most important factor in their lives can cause. The theory of relative deprivation studies quality of life issues.

Following social media and seeing the glamorous lives the affluent can live could prompt someone to want to live outside of their means, following an “in crowd”, could lead to drug use, and cause debt, and certainly creates a desire to acquire more and more material possessions. “Create enough hunger and everyone becomes a criminal” (Batman Begins), enough to steal or even kill for. And people will manipulate whole systems to reap the benefits from programs and use funds disproportionately. Some people are just misguided or oblivious to how their actions hurt others, physically and/or emotionally – but all affect each other financially.

Many behaviors are learnt behaviors, and children have the tendency and capacity to act out what they see. Because some communities aren’t as safe as others I believe through education, and better/equal laws, and their enforcement, more can be done to keep communities tightly knit and better served. As we learned about the bystander effect theory people avoid perspective problems because everyone is apart of their respective communities and a part from the one they are reluctantly and temporarily included in. Some people are just “passing by” and prefer to go unnoticed. But sometimes that disconnect is blatant.

In my opinion, the way to help communities and people at large, is to promote a greater understanding of how important respecting people, all people in general, is. Everyone is someone’s father or mother, daughter or son, brother or sister. It isn’t a matter of promoting one group’s or person’s security over another, choosing which communities continue to develop and which one are stagnant and lacking. It is clear how some groups and members of a community need more assistance. Drug counseling in schools, drug programs for addicts, advertising free counseling and offering assistance through various non-profit groups, churches and places of worships offering nonjudgmental fellowship, etc. all would do their part of providing more literature, and more education to illustrate the damages of what drugs do to families, communities, and every individual’s life individually outside of the lives he/she influences.

There are certain actions that can not be tolerated in societies, like discrimination and racism – both create division and fuel hatred. But there is also a racism within social classes that should be addressed as well. I believe better programs can be created to help the impoverished and homeless, the elderly, abused and neglected children, the sick, children in public schools, drug addicts, and stiffer laws towards drug dealers and violent offenders. Adequate signage and properly monitored areas can also serve as deterrents to prevent future crime. The general consensus can be taken quarterly at various facilities, with numerous inventories, to take the climate of how people are feeling about the communities they belong to.

There is a believe that people are generally good but we are also self-seeking because we want to be better than our “competition” in this hunter-gatherer society.

For additional insight please take a look at the short video attached below. It is all very basic and relative, and common sense – but then again if common sense was so common I don’t think it would be taught at the collegiate level.

 

References:

Schneider, F., Gruman, J., Coutts, L.  (2012). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (2nd ed.). Los Angeles: Sage.


30
Nov 14

Participatory Action Research: Good or Bad?

Science and Politics

Should politics and research mix? Should the power of a research study be deliberately equal between the researcher and participants? Should the participants have a say in what they would like to see happen? Should the research participants be actively engaged in the research process? Many researchers say no because they feel there may be hidden agendas in this type of research. Many believe the researcher may become biased, or may have stake in the topic being researched, however Participatory Action Research does exist, and does engage in the above mentioned research methods.

Participatory Action Research (PAR) is not one of the typical research methods. In fact it is far from being the ideal method for research and many researchers cringe at the thought of using PAR. PAR is different from other research methods because it involves persons that are directly affected by the problem in the research being conducted through finding facts, taking action, and using reflection that ultimately leads to a need for further inquiry and action to change (Minkler, 2000).

Community Programs

Despite the negatives associated with PAR, it has been successful in many cases. One particular case took place in the 1990s in an urban neighborhood in California (West Contra Costa County) that was a host of multiple problems (unemployment, HIV/AIDS, violence, toxic waste, etc.), the Healthy Neighborhoods Project (HNP) was formed (Minkler, 2000). This projected forged together local residents, community-based organizations, the local health department, and other partners in order to capitalize and build on assets of other specific programs that have developed long-term mechanisms for community development (Minkler, 2000). The HNP program produced rather impressive results in the way of reducing safety risks, improved access to education, reduced toxic waste, reduced community tensions and planned long-term violence prevention, residents have a voice with city and regional decision making, and residents have remained active in evaluations of the project (Minkler, 2000).

Given the successes that PAR can have, I think PAR can be useful and resourceful for social change and can aid in helping to develop and create community strength. I do understand the concerns of other researchers, but if the PAR researchers remain true to the cause to help their communities, I believe PARs can and will continue to have a strong impact in helping build and strengthen the communities they are working hand-in-hand with.

Working together

References
Minkler, M. (2000). Using Participatory Action Research to Build Healthy Communities. Public Health Reports.


30
Nov 14

Environment: Encouraging Recycling Through Normative Influence

Recycling is thought to be a good way to convert old things into new things, and therefore save the environment from the accumulation of excessive solid waste. Recycling is also supposed to reduce pollution, reduce the amount of solid waste in landfills, and conserve recyclevaluable raw materials (i.e. paper, plastic, etc.). By recycling, there should be less demand for new products to be produced, which could save energy and money. The negative consequences of not recycling could certainly be perceived as a problem worthy of social intervention.

According to Aronson, Wilson and Akert (2010), social norms “are implicit (and sometimes explicit) rules for acceptable behaviors, values, and beliefs. Groups have certain expectations about how the group members should behave, and members in good standing conform to these rules. Members who do not are perceived as different, difficulty and eventually deviant.”

People have a tendency to go along with the group, and to follow the group’s norms. If you believe recycling is good because you’ve heard that recycling is a good thing, and you therefore believe recycling is what you “ought” to do, then you are following what is called an “injunctive norm” (Cialdini, Kallgren & Reno, 1991). If you recycle because you see other people recycle, and therefore you think it must be the sensible thing to do, then you are following what Cialdini et al. (1991) term a “descriptive norm.” Cialdini et. al (1991) assert that injunctive and descriptive norms “are conceptually and motivationally distinct, and it is important for a proper understanding of normative influence to keep them separate, especially in situations where both are acting simultaneously.” Essentially, the social psychologist must be aware that in order to effectively utilize social norms to achieve an effect, he/she must understand that both types of norms must be emphasized in compatible, non-contradictory ways. People believe what they hear, and people also believe what they see. The two messages should be consistent, and mutually reinforcing.

Once we understand how norms operate, we need to further understand how to operationalize them. According to Latane’s social impact theory,

“..conformity to a norm will increase as strength and immediacy increase” (Aronson, et al, 2010, p232).

If the group is important, and we are around that group often, then the normative influence of the group will be strongest. Understanding the power of norms, and taking into consideration Latane’s social impact theory, perhaps it is possible to develop an applied social psychology intervention to increase people’s willingness to recycle by using social messaging to impress on the family group the importance of recycling.

Using Latane’s theory, it would be probably more effective to appeal to the family and community groups first and foremost in our intervention. A message to enforce the injunctive norm could be that recycling is a good thing that protects our community, and also provides value to the family and community by saving us money and energy. Advertisements showing reduced family recycle lovepower bills as a result of recycling could be placed around the community. To reinforce the descriptive norms, the advertisement could show a family, or other small group participating in recycling activities. This imagery will hopefully be modeled by the viewers, and therefore promote recycling amongst the group. Children could receive this type of education in school, which might further promulgate the message in the family unit, which should mean according to Latane’s theory, that the pro-recycling norm will be more powerfully received.

Recycling rates could be measure pre- and post-intervention to determine the effectiveness of the intervention. Additionally, pre- and post-intervention self-report measures could be used to ascertain the willingness of participants to participate in recycling initiative, and to ascertain pro-recycling attitudes.

It is clear that recycling is a good way to help the environment and to save valuable natural resources. Hopefully, applied social psychology interventions like the one proposed above could make a positive difference towards increasing recycling behaviors nationwide.

=======================================

References:

Aronson, E., Wilson, T.D., & Akert, A.M. (2010). Normative Social Influence: The Need to Be Accepted. Social Psychology (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Cialdini, R. B., Kallgren, C. A., & Reno, R. R. (1991). A focus theory of normative conduct: a theoretical refinement and reevaluation of the role of norms in human behavior. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 24; 201–234.

Latane, B. (1981). The psychology of social impact. American Psychologist. 36: 343-356.

 


30
Nov 14

How I Ask For Help

“Welcome to (insert business here)” “Can I help you find anything?” “How are you today?” were just a few of the greetings I heard while Black Friday shopping this weekend. These are often the different sales tactics that associates use to gain your attention and influence you towards buying- and hopefully buying more than you intended in the first place. I choose to ignore the greetings of sales associates for fear that they will weasel me out of my money, that I will look stupid, or just because they are plain weird. Unfortunately, within my span of shopping there was a time that I had no idea where the item was I needed and I had to ask for help.

I scanned up and down the aisles of the store for a sales associate that did not look too busy. Due to the fact that I was in Wal-Mart at the time, some stereotypical Wal-Mart employees passed by. For those who are unaware of the stereotype, those who work at Wal-Mart are perceived as foul looking and smelling. They are unkind and very strange. Above all, Wal-Mart employees are not people to be interacted with unless necessary.

Being the shy, small girl that I am, I was weary of receiving assistance from an associate that was unattractive and fit the stereotype. Unconsciously I knew that I wanted help from an associate that was attractive because I thought that they would be kind and helpful. What I did not know what that along with the Wal-Mart employee stereotype, I was also using the physical attractiveness stereotype by assuming that “a physically attractive person has positive qualities while unattractive people have negative qualities” (Schnieder, Gruman & Coutts, 2012, p. 357).

To go further, the associate that I found to help me was in her late thirties and had a “mother” appearance to her. That is to say that she appeared kind and polite, while also looking like she took care of herself and was a respectable woman. It turns out that she had been awake since 5pm the night before and was very upset to be there. She was very short and rude to me. My stereotype did not come true. In fact, I formed a new stereotype that all associates working Black Friday are grouchy and rude.

 

References

Schneider, F., Gruman, J., & Coutts, L. (2012). Applying Social Psychology to Personal           Relationships. In Applied Social Psychology (Second ed., pp. 357). New Delhi: SAGE Publications.


30
Nov 14

PTSD and Internet-based Cognitive Processing Therapy

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), about 7-8% of the U.S. population will have Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD) at some point in their lives. Although many more people go through some sort of trauma, approximately 5.2 million adults develop PTSD during any given year (VA, n.d.). 5.2 million is no small number, and ptsdclearly presents a problem worthy of discussion, and consideration for an applied social psychology intervention. Since many of these PTSD sufferers are military service members who suffer from combat related stress, this population seems like a good place to start.

“Army analysis of multiple studies suggests that most service members have at least one experience during deployment that could lead to PTSD, and 15 percent of U.S. infantrymen who have deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan have returned with the disorder, a condition characterized with such symptoms as depression, anger, mistrust, panic, guilt and violent behavior, physical pain, dizziness and trouble sleeping.” (Robinson, S., 2012)

The VA posits that cognitive behavioral therapy has been shown to be the most effective type of psychological counseling for PTSD. The VA currently provides two types of cognitive behavior therapy to Veterans with PTSD: Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy. PTSD sufferers often struggle with their memories about the traumatic events they witnessed. These persistent negative cognitions about the trauma can seriously affect the way PTSD sufferers act, and how they live their lives. CPT is intended to give sufferers new ways to understand the trauma they endured. By helping them become aware of their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, practitioners have found PTSD patients find some relief from their symptoms. CPT also provides learning skills to help them process and deal with their negative thoughts. Therefore, CPT might be an effective technique to reduce PTSD symptomology in patients. Prior to developing an applied social psychology intervention to help PTSD sufferers, it would be helpful to first have a basic understanding how Cognitive Processing Therapy works.

Resick & Schnicke (1992) described that a theoretical underpinning of CPT is the information processing theory (IPT). They described IPT as the “process by which information is encoded, stored in memory, and recalled.” IPT-related research on PTSD (Lang, 1977) indicated, “information is stored in fear networks that consist of stimuli, responses, and the meanings of the stimulus and response elements. The network is viewed as a program to stimulate avoidance behavior.” Other research found that “fear reactions emanated from an appraisal of threat”, and that even ambiguous threat stimuli could trigger fight-or-flight responses (Beck & Emory, 1985). Additional volumes of research support the idea that the way PTSD patients process traumatic threat information affects how they subsequently think and behave. Basically, this research all points to the possibility that changing faulty cognitions can lead to positive change in PTSD symptomology. Perhaps this is why the VA website contends that cognitive behavioral therapies are considered to be so effective.

ptsd counseling

PTSD researchers, Resick, Monson, & Chard (2008) developed a CPT training manual for mental health practitioners and PTSD patients as a response to numerous research studies indicating the efficacy of CPT (e.g. Resick & Schnike, 1992). The CPT training manual seeks to change the thoughts and behaviors of PTSD patients through education, self-evaluation, and skills practice. Resick (2001), one of the manual’s authors has studied PTSD extensively, and believes “the etiology of PTSD can be addressed, leading to a potential “cure” to the condition.” However, the manual was intended to be utilized in face-to-face therapy sessions, and unfortunately, not all PTSD patients will take advantage of this type of face-to-face therapy due to fear of being labeled as mentally unfit.

“Soldiers in an all-volunteer force want to be selected for combat missions and they are afraid that psychological testing will prevent them from deploying” (Robinson, S., 2012)

For this reason, a possible way to successfully implement a PTSD intervention could be to utilize the Resick et al. (2008) training on the Internet. Using the Internet would ensure anonymity, and would allow the sufferer to participate in therapy at his or her own convenience. Perhaps even an online chat forum could be used to supplement the training. Advertisement in newspapers like the Stars and Stripes, Military Times, and other service-specific news outlets could successfully advertise this kind of intervention. Anonymous pre- and post-intervention self-report surveys could be used to assess PTSD symptomology using a reliable PTSD assessment measure to determine efficacy. To reduce potential drop-out rates, perhaps some sort of incentive could be also used to encourage sufferers to stay in the intervention.

Even if this intervention were only moderately effective at changing PTSD patients’ cognitions, perhaps it could still bring hope and comfort to some sufferers, and allow others to have a better understanding of the potential benefits of therapy.

============================

References:

Beck, A. T, & Emery, G. (1985). Anxiety disorders and phobias: A cognitive perspective. New York: Basic Books.

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), (n.d.). PTSD: National Center for PTSD website. Retrieved from http://www.ptsd.va.gov/index.asp

Lang, P. J. (1977). Imagery in therapy: An information processing analysis of fear. Behavior Therapy, 8, 862–886.

Resick, P. A. (2001). Cognitive therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy: An International Quarterly, 15: 321–329.

Resick, P.A., Monson, C.M., & Chard, K.M. (2008). Cognitive processing therapy: Veteran/military version. Washington, DC: Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

Resick, P. A., & Schnicke, M. K. (1992). Cognitive processing therapy for sexual assault victims. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 60: 748–756.

Robinson, S. (2012). Soldiers fail to seek PTSD treatment or drop out of therapy early, research finds. Stars and Stripes Newspaper online. Retrieved from http://www.stripes.com/news/special-reports/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/soldiers-fail-to-seek-ptsd-treatment-or-drop-out-of-therapy-early-research-finds-1.177275


30
Nov 14

The Importance of Good Leadership

Effective leadership is essential to a functioning society. If we did not have effective leaders there would be anarchy. Anarchy can be characterized as a chaotic situation in which the people are not controlled by rules or laws (imagine the zombie apocalypse). On the other end of the spectrum there is absolute totalitarianism.Leadership-About-Leading Totalitarianism forces all aspects of your life under the authority of the state, usually with one leader (and his subordinates) calling all the shots (imagine Nazi Germany). Neither of these extreme situations could be defined without the mention of leadership. In the former, there are no leaders. In the latter, there is an all-powerful leader who gives you no say in your life. However, we all know there has to be a better alternative that resides somewhere in between the two extremes. A place where there are “good” leaders, but what does it mean to be a leader? The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines leadership as:

 “the power or ability to lead other people” and the “capacity to lead”

This definition generically defines a leader, but what is the definition of a “good” leader? Is the “capacity” to lead enough to make a good leader? Adolf Hitler was a leader, and it is doubtful many could characterize him as “good.”

Social, cognitive, and positive psychologists have studied effective leadership extensively, and found that a characteristic of “good” leaders is that they are “authentic” (think back to Rogers.) Research has found that authentic leadership is positively correlated with a more positive work environment, including increased self-esteem, better sense of well-being, increased friendliness, and better work performance (Grandey, Fiske, Mattila, Jansen, & Sideman, 2005; Kernis, 2003). Avolio, Walumbwa, & Weber (2009) also found authentic leaders to be better leaders. Authentic leadership was defined,

“[a] process that draws from both positive psychological capacities and a highly developed organizational context, which results in both greater self-awareness and self-regulated positive behaviors on the part of leaders and associates, fostering positive self-development” (Luthans & Avolio, 2003)

People naturally tend to desire authentic leadership. Leadership is relevant in all aspects of society (i.e. business, military, clubs, etc.); and good leaders are required to make those sectors function properly. Experts in the business community recognize that,

“[w]hen good leadership is in place in a company, it can be felt throughout the entire organization…[t]he result of good leadership is high morale, good employee retention, and sustainable long-term success” (Anderson, 2013).

Likewise, those same business experts realize,

“[b]ad leadership can also be felt throughout the entire organization – only not in a good way. Corporate culture becomes a meaningless term where leaders claim it exists while employees shake their heads in frustration” (Anderson, 2013).

Good leadership is vitally important in the military too. If military leaders make mistakes, they don’t just lose money, they can lose lives. The U.S. military has also recognized that bad leadership cannot be tolerated, and has coined the term “toxic leadership” to describe the effects of bad leaders.

“Toxic leadership is a combination of self-centered attitudes, motivations, and behaviors that have adverse effects on subordinates, the organization, and mission performance. This leader lacks concern for others and the climate of the organization, which leads to short- and long-term negative effects. The toxic leader operates with an inflated sense of self-worth and from acute self-interest. Toxic leaders consistently use dysfunctional behaviors to deceive, intimidate, coerce, or unfairly punish others to get what they want for themselves. The negative leader completes short-term requirements by operating at the bottom of the continuum of commitment, where followers respond to the positional power of their leader to fulfill requests. This may achieve results in the short term, but ignores the other leader competency categories of leads and develops. Prolonged use of negative leadership to influence followers undermines the followers’ will, initiative, and potential and destroys unit morale” (ADP 6-22)

Lead-Follow-Military-Cover

I believe the reason toxic leadership is such a problem in the Army has to do with how soldiers are indoctrinated. I also believe the U.S. Marine Corps does a much better job at training leadership. In order to weed out toxic leaders in the U.S. Marine Corps, the USMC starts by educating their young Marine enlisted and officers on what good leadership looks like (an applied social psychology intervention should include education, right?) This is a good step in changing and molding behavior. I joined the U.S. Marine Corps when I was 18 years old, and some of the first leadership lessons I had to memorize came in the form of the Marine Corps Leadership Principles:

  • Know yourself and seek self-improvement.
  • Be technically and tactically proficient.
  • Develop a sense of responsibility among your subordinates.
  • Make sound and timely decisions.
  • Set the example.
  • Know your Marines and look out for their welfare.
  • Keep your Marines informed.
  • Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions.
  • Ensure assigned tasks are understood, supervised, and accomplished.
  • Train your Marines as a team.
  • Employ your command in accordance with its capabilities.

In order to operationalize the principles, we told that we must adhere to the 14 Marine Corps Leadership Traits:

USMC leadership traits

  • Dependability – The certainty of proper performance of duty.
  • Bearing – Creating a favorable impression in carriage, appearance and personal conduct at all times.
  • Courage – The mental quality that recognizes fear of danger or criticism, but enables a man to proceed in the face of it with calmness and firmness.
  • Decisiveness – Ability to make decisions promptly and to announce them in clear, forceful manner.
  • Endurance – The mental and physical stamina measured by the ability to withstand pain, fatigue, stress and hardship.
  • Enthusiasm – The display of sincere interest and exuberance in the performance of duty.
  • Initiative – Taking action in the absence of orders.
  • Integrity – Uprightness of character and soundness of moral principles; includes the qualities of truthfulness and honesty.
  • Judgment – The ability to weigh facts and possible solutions on which to base sound decisions.
  • Justice – Giving reward and punishment according to merits of the case in question. The ability to administer a system of rewards and punishments impartially and consistently.
  • Knowledge – Understanding of a science or an art. The range of one’s information, including professional knowledge and an understanding of your Marines.
  • Tact – The ability to deal with others without creating offense.
  • Unselfishness – Avoidance of providing for one’s own comfort and personal advancement at the expense of others.
  • Loyalty – The quality of faithfulness to country, the Corps, the unit, to one’s seniors, subordinates and peers.

This “indoctrination” might be the reason the Marine Corps leadership is more effective than its sister services. We learned these principles and traits by heart, and had to recite them in order to be promoted to leadership positions. We learned the traits using the mnemonic “JJ-DID-TIEBUCKLE.” Psychologists have found that using the techniques of chunking, priming, and active-learning help to solidify these kinds of concepts (Bodie, Powers, & Fitch-Houser, 2006). The Marine Corps education process uses those techniques.

USMC-taught principles and traits also inculcate the “four factors that cover the components of authentic leadership” as described by Avolio et al. (2009): balanced processing, internalized moral perspective, relational transparency, and self-awareness. The way the USMC indoctrinates these leadership lessons also clearly demonstrates to me the value of applied social psychology interventions to change, and hopefully improve leadership behavior. The USMC indoctrination process also underscores the concept that although some people believe real leaders are born to be leaders – there are some positive leadership traits people are born with – much of what a leader needs to be a good leader can be learned.

“Preliminary evidence using a behavioral genetics approach has shown that approximately 30 percent of the variation in leadership style and emergence was accounted for by heritability; the remaining variation was attributed to differences in environmental factors such as individuals having different role models and early opportunities for leadership development” (Arvey, Zhang, Avolio, & Krueger, 2007).

Lastly, although it is important to learn to be a good leader, it is just as important to learn to be a good follower. The success of any good team relies on synergy. In other words, a good leader can’t be successful without the efforts of his/her team. Researchers have “proposed a social constructionist theory to describe the relationship between leadership and followership.

leader neededThey argued that leadership is significantly affected by the way followers construct their understanding of the leader in terms of their interpretation of his or her personality, behaviors, and effectiveness” (Avolio, Walumbwa, & Weber, 2009).

Leadership is incredibly important, and we need to have good leaders to make society function. People can learn to become good and authentic leaders over time with the right instruction. Well designed and implemented applied social psychology interventions (like the USMC model) can make this possible.

======================================

References:

Anderson, A. (2013). Good Leaders Are Invaluable To A Company. Bad Leaders Will Destroy It. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/amyanderson/2013/01/14/good-leaders-are-invaluable-to-a-company-bad-leaders-will-destroy-it/

Arvey, R., Zhang, Z., Avolio, B., & Krueger, R. (2007). Developmental and genetic determinants of leadership role occupancy among women. Journal of Applied Psychology. 92: 693–706

Avolio, B., Walumbwa, F., & Weber, T. (2009). Leadership: Current Theories, Research, and Future Directions. Annual Review of Psychology 60, pp. 421-449

Bodie, G., Powers, W. & Fitch-Hauser, M. (2006). Chunking, Priming and Active Learning: Toward an innovative and blended approach to teaching communication-related skills. Interactive Learning Environments. 14,2: 119-135.

Department of the Army (2012). Definition of Toxic Leadership. Army Leadership – Army Doctrinal Publication (ADP) 6-22. Retrieved from http://armypubs.army.mil/doctrine/DR_pubs/dr_a/pdf/adp6_22_new.pdf

Grandey, A. A., Fiske, G. M., Mattila, A. S., Jansen, K .J., & Sideman, L. A. (2005). Is “service with a smile” enough? Authenticity of positive displays during service encounters. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 96: 38-55.

Kernis, M. (2003). Toward a conceptualization of optimal self-esteem. Psychological Inquiry. 14: 1-26.

Leadership. (n.d.). Retrieved November 25, 2014 from, http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leadership

Luthans, F., & Avolio, B. (2003). Authentic leadership development. In K. S. Cameron, J. E. Dutton, & R. E. Quinn (Eds.), Positive organizational scholarship: 241-258. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.

Walumbwa, F., Avolio, B., Gardner, W., Wernsing, T., & Peterson, S. (2008). Authentic leadership: development and validation of a theory-based measure. Journal of Management. 34, 89-126


29
Nov 14

Why Are We So Hard On Eachother

It seems like in daily life we are pretty hard on others. Whether its getting upset while driving, shopping, at work, or in our close personal relationships. But why is this so? I believe that a lot of it has to do with the Fundamental Attribution Error. The Fundamental Attribution Error is defined as “the tendency people have to focus on personal causes of other peoples behavior and to down play the influence of situational causes”. Another way to look at it as people believe it is the persons personality which is guiding behavior rather than the situation they are in. The real interesting thing about this concept is that it does not seem to apply to ourselves. We seem to always take into consideration situational or external causes for our own behavior but not others. We seem to feel that we have good reasons for the behavior that we exhibit. But not so with others most of the time we are ready to burn them at the stake for making a mistake. But when we ourselves make the same mistake it is easy to see why people should not be so harsh with us seeing it as not a big deal. This is a very important factor because it directs how we behave with each other, which I believe is the biggest part of all our lives. It is impossible to say that we can just stop interacting with each other. I can think of a situation at work where a co-worker was consistently late, didn’t seem to want to work as part of the team, and did not seem very motivated. I exhibited the FAE in this situation and related it all to her being lazy, believing she felt as if she was better than the rest of us, and just couldn’t get up early enough to be on time. Because of the error myself and other co-workers overtime just made her an outcast from the rest of the team until she was let go for continuing to be tardy. Afterwards I talked with her an found out the back story and realized her a lot of her behavior was guided by an external bad situation she was in. How much her personality had to do with getting into the situation is another discussion. What I learned was that what she needed was support and help from others not turned away. Because of FAE none of us were able to be either of those things to her. It was an important lesson to me that someway I had to change my thinking to try to not continue to fall back into the error in the future. This is what I have tried to do using the 5 step intervention process for myself. The problem was that falling into FAE had an effect on people that I interact with. The solution was that I had to become more aware of my thought process to not to continue or to fall into FAE as much. I decided that I would take some time each evening to reflect on my day and interactions I had. I would try to look at where I maybe had treated people wrong maybe not to their face even but a negative perception. If I had the next time I had the interaction with them I would apologize if needed and change my thinking of their behavior. The short term goal turned out to be that I became more aware of my thinking, actions, and perceptions. The long term turned out to be treating others better and not reacting to others behaviors impulsively and also become less stressed not putting so much into others behavior. Although it is not too scientific it has helped me improve. I believe it is important that we all try to be a little more considerate of others everyday but especially during the holidays. The explanation of others behavior may be different than we perceive and if not at least being considerate can give us a little more piece of mind personally.

Scherman Phd., M. (2014). Why we Dont Give Each Other A Break. Real Men Dont Write Blogs. Retrieved November 28, 2014, from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/real-men-dont-write-blogs/201406/why-we-dont-give-each-other-break

Schneider, F. (2012). Applied social psychology: Understanding and addressing social and practical problems. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: SAGE Publications

 


29
Nov 14

Faulty Memory Compromises Justice

The desire for truth and justice are core principles that inspired the writing of our country’s founding doctrine. Five of the ten Amendments in the Constitution’s Bill of Rights were specifically dedicated to ensure U.S. citizens enjoyed strong legal protections. Because our Republic was based on the Rule of Law, the Founders wanted to ensure all people, regardless of status, had equal protection under the law. Unfortunately, there are times when the legal system does not function as well as it was intended. There are many examples of flawed justice, however, one of the most egregious is when innocent people are convicted of crimes they did not commit. Why does this happen, and what can we do to stop it?

scales-justice22

A recurring problem that plagues the legal system is inaccurate eyewitness testimony. Wells & Olson (2003) says the “criminal justice system relies heavily on eyewitness identification for investigating and prosecuting crimes.” The use of eyewitness testimony makes sense from an investigative and prosecutorial perspective. After all, if someone legitimately saw a crime being committed, then that testimony should be admissible, and considered solid evidence.

However, sometimes evidence a witness presents to the jury is not always the complete truth. In the Columbia Law Review, Attorney James Marshall (1963) posited,

“[f]or the law, the basic problem of ascertaining truth does not arise so much from the villainy of perjurers and suborners of perjury as from the unreliability of personal observation.”

memory

Sometimes eyewitnesses willfully lie, but most times their unreliable testimony isn’t intentional; they just get the identification wrong for a variety of psychological reasons. In 2011, the American Psychological Association (APA) filed a brief in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court case Commonwealth of PA v. Walker, where they asserted,

“juries don’t understand the many factors that can influence a witness’s ability to accurately identify a suspect, including how much stress a witness is under, whether a weapon is present, the amount of time a witness had to look at the person, the lighting present at the time, how long it’s been since someone first witnessed the crime or suggestions of guilt by police.” (Azar, 2011).

If jury members are swayed by flawed eyewitness testimony, and decide guilt based on it, then the remainder might go along as well (Asch, 1951). That is a potentially dangerous situation for an innocent person to confront. Zak Stambor (2006) discussed the dangers of relying on eyewitness testimony in an article where he says that mistaken identification was “cited as a factor in nearly 78 percent of the nation’s first 130 convictions later overturned by DNA testing.” Even simple changes in appearance, like sunglasses or covering the hair, can limit the eyewitness’s ability to accurately identify the correct person. Only recently has the criminal justice system started to take into account these facts, and started to realize something needs to be done. (Wells & Olson, 2003).

Identifying the fact that flawed eyewitness testimony may cause a jury to wrongly convicting a defendant should seriously concern the applied social psychology community. Additional research must be conducted by applied social psychologists in order to develop an intervention to address these potential problems. Wells & Olson started to identify some solutions, including suggesting changes in how law enforcement conduct line-ups of potential criminal suspects. Perhaps interventions could also include some procedure to cognitively prime jury members to the potential pitfalls of eyewitness testimony. This could be accomplished by using cognitive dissonance when preparing the jury for duty. They could be asked if they would be impartial and unbiased, and give them statistics about false convictions based on faulty testimony. Additionally, they should be shown the Asch experiment video to immunize them from the possibility that one juror might weigh eyewitness testimony too heavily.

The APA is taking steps to promulgate the idea that eyewitness testimony has its drawbacks (i.e. the case mentioned above); but clearly much more needs to be done to ensure fairness, and compliance with the 6th Amendment. The intervention could be applied on a small scale in select jurisdictions to test the theory. Evaluation of the efficacy and effectiveness of the intervention would take an extended period of time (in order to get enough data to make reasonable conclusions.) This could be accomplished through pre- and post-intervention self-report measures to ascertain juror awareness of potential biases. Additionally, future statistics could be gathered to compare the percentage of cases overturned on appeal versus past cases (where the defendant was found to be actually guilty.) Although these evaluation measures might not be particularly effective; at the very least, this intervention may enlighten jurors to potential pitfalls in the system, and help innocent defendants go free.

not-guilty

References:

Asch, S. E. (1951). Effects of group pressure upon the modification and distortion of judgment. In H. Guetzkow (ed.) Groups, leadership and men. Pittsburgh, PA: Carnegie Press.

Azar, B. (2011). The limits of eyewitness testimony. Monitor on Psychology. 42:11, 26. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/12/eyewitness.aspx

Marshall, J. (1963). Evidence, Psychology, and the Trial: Some Challenges to the Law. Columbia Law Review. 63:2, 197-231.

Stambor, Z. (2006). How reliable is eyewitness testimony? Monitor on Psychology. The American Psychological Association. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/monitor/apr06/eyewitness.aspx

Wells, G. & Olson, E. (2003). Eyewitness Testimony. Annual Review of Psychology, 54:277-95. Retrieved from http://public.psych.iastate.edu/glwells/Wells_articles_pdf/Eyewitness_Testimony_Ann_Rev.pdf

 

 

 


28
Nov 14

Attribution Theory and Racism

The recent events in Ferguson, Missouri show how important it is to solve America’s problem with racism. Racist attitudes and behavior are counter to American ideals, and our Constitutional principle of social equality. However, in order to stop the problem of racism, we must first understand what it is, and why it has been perpetuated for so long in our country.

In late November 2014, after a lengthy deliberation, a Missouri grand jury decided not to indict a white policeman for the murder of 18 year-old Michael Brown, a black man who had been killed by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson during a police stop. The grand jury came to their decision based on evaluation of evidence, which they felt was insufficient to prove the police officer negligently killed the man.

On a daily basis prior to the grand jury decision, U.S. media outlets consistently reported the theme that Officer Wilson may have killed the man for racial reasons – in other words: simply because Brown was a black man. Various news stories hurled accusations of racism and police brutality, with very little reporting to counter those assertions. This type of biased reporting seems to be the rule in America. Because of this media bias, many legal scholars were surprised by the fairness of the grand-jury process, and the ultimate decision to not indict despite the seemingly overwhelming pressure to do so (Howell, 2014).

Ferguson Hands Up Photo Gallery

After the grand jury decision, angry black citizens took to the streets to protest and riot. Original stories suggested Brown had been gunned down while his hands were raised in surrender. So-called “civil rights” advocates like Rev. Al Sharpton, promoted this racist angle. However, subsequent information revealed “eyewitness” accounts of that version of the event were fabricated, and other evidence suggested Brown had attacked the officer (Lieb & Mohr, 2014). Despite the evidence that Wilson had not negligently gunned-down Brown, some protesters maintained the racial theme.

“This is not about one boy getting shot in the street, but about the hundreds just like him who have received the same callous and racially-influenced treatment,” said Oakland, California, protester Gabe Johnson, a middle school teacher. “So ultimately, no, it doesn’t matter at all if somehow we can say for sure whether this one young man really said these words [of surrender] or had his hands up” (Lieb & Mohr, 2014).

So why did these people continue to push a racial agenda, even when they were presented evidence to the contrary? Why did people continue to focus on racial differences despite the compelling social need to heal the racial divide? Are our thoughts about racism informed by inaccurate facts and media bias? The answers to those questions might reside in how people are taught to define and prejudice, bigotry, and racism. Additionally, research based on Festinger’s (1954) social comparison theory might offer insights into why subscribe to negative racial themes, and unwittingly use biased information to make their judgments about others.

Defining the terms we would use in a social psychology intervention to reduce racism is very important to coming to a collective understanding of the race problem in America, so therefore I attempt to do that here. According to individual-rights advocate and author Walter Hudson (2012), prejudice, bigotry, and racism have distinct meanings, and should not be used interchangeably.

Prejudice – or pre-judgment – is something we all use to protect ourselves from harm and danger. We tend to make assumptions about people or situations based on our own limited (and sometimes flawed) experience or learning. For example we “rationally inculcate [prejudice] in our children” when we tell them to watch out for strangers. We know that all strangers aren’t bad, but we tell our children to watch out nonetheless because some strangers will hurt children. Hudson (who happens to be black) says, “[h]ow a person looks  is one of the first and most effective means by which we determine them to be strange.” Similarly, when a woman walks down a dark alley, and sees shifty looking men congregating there, she will undoubtedly use her prejudice to make a snap judgment as to whether those men might be dangerous or not. There is not necessarily a racial component to prejudice, and to say someone who is prejudiced is also racist is not accurate. The real lesson here is that we learn from a young age to discern differences. What we teach our children about those differences can be crucial to how they view their world vis-à-vis racism.

segregation

Further, bigotry can be defined as “the irrational maintenance of a prejudice in light of evidence to the contrary. Bigotry can be informed by a multitude of factors, of which race is only one. Racism is what we call bigotry informed by race” (Hudson, 2012). Hudson believes that “[t]hese distinctions are important in any intellectually honest discussion of race relations. When prejudice, bigotry, and racism are used interchangeably, it is evidence that the discussion is not honest” (Hudson, 2012). It is clear that the media and academia does not always engage in honest discussion with our society, and they often skew the facts to further an agenda. This is clearly evidenced in concepts such as “white privilege,” the suggestion that only whites can be racist, or the belief that a necessary component of racism requires a defined power structure. Certainly, a majority can discriminate against a minority, but Hudson contends, “[t]he notion of “white privilege” is itself a racist sentiment. To assume that all whites have an inherent leg up on the rest of society is as irrational as assuming all blacks are somehow inferior. Indeed, the sentiments are one and the same…” (Hudson, 2012).

How we view race is a matter of perception. Our belief of whether or not we are being judged based on our race can affect the way we feel about a situation. A study has shown that “[b]lacks were more likely to attribute negative feedback to prejudice than positive feedback and were more likely to attribute both types of feedback to prejudice when they could be seen by the [evaluator]” (Crocker, Voelkl, Testa, & Major, 1991). This study shows that black people do not attribute negative values to themselves because of their own skin color, but instead because of their belief that white people think badly of them. This cognition is unfortunately taught to children at an early age. I am not suggesting racism is a figment of a black person’s imagination only – I know white people have done bad things to blacks because of their skin color, and therefore there are some legitimate reasons to have prejudice against whites – I only suggest that a child who learns this bias early on may be substantially more prone to making faulty racial stereotypes than children who are not taught this bias.

Festinger’s (1954) social comparison theory postulates that people have a need to make accurate evaluations of themselves, and inevitably compare themselves to other people in making those evaluations. Later work using Festinger’s theory found that people are greatly influenced by their social environment. Studies indicate that when people compare themselves with others of the same race, those comparisons have a greater impact on a person’s behavior and self-esteem than comparisons made with people of different races (Wood, 1989). This seems to show that people closely identify who they are by their own skin color. Once gain, the emphasis on skin color is learned.

white-and-black-preschool-girls1

People define themselves, and the world around them, based on what they see and learn. We do this initially as children when we compare ourselves to others. Some people are more or less intelligent than we are, and we notice. We perceive that others are stronger or prettier than we are. We notice that some people have different skin color than we have. We categorize all these attributes, and decide what those things mean based on our experience and learning. If we are taught that all white people think they are better than us, then what how does that affect us? If we are told that all white police officers shoot innocent black kids, then how does that affect our worldview, and our understanding of racism?

With this in mind, it seems the only way we can reduce racism is to deliberately re-frame our children’s understanding of the relative insignificance of skin color in defining who each of us are as individuals. This will mean we have to stop placing such an emphasis on race in every aspect of our society. We have to move towards a more “color-blind” society by removing racial tags and identifiers on official documents. We have to eliminate cultural segregation, and stop defining ourselves by homogenous racial groups. We have to stop using accusations of racism so loosely – not all discrimination is due to the color of a person’s skin. We have to stop treating others differently because they look differently than us. Until we do all these things (and more), and teach our children to do the same, racism will certainly continue to be a problem for decades to come.

References:

Crocker, J., Voelkl, K., Testa, M., & Major, B. (1991). Social stigma: The affective consequences of attributional ambiguity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 60(2), 218-228

Festinger, L. (1954). A theory of social comparison processes. Human relations, 7(2), 117-140.

Howell, K. (2014). Legal scholars praise Ferguson grand jury for Retrieved from http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/nov/25/legal-scholars-praise-ferguson-grand-jury-fairness/

Hudson, W. (2012). 8 Ways Blacks Perpetuate Racism and the Only Way to Thwart It. Retrieved from http://pjmedia.com/lifestyle/2012/07/17/8-ways-blacks-perpetuate-racism-and-the-only-way-to-thwart-it/?singlepage=true

Lieb, D.A. & Mohr, H. (2014). For some, location of Brown’s hands irrelevant. Associated Press. Retrieved from http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_FERGUSON_HANDS_UP?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2014-11-27-15-46-08]

Wood, J. (1989). Theory and Research Concerning Social Comparisons of Personal Attributes. Psychological Bulletin. 106:2. 231-248.


24
Nov 14

It’s Always The Guy In The Infiniti

roadrage

Have you ever been in the car driving and someone cuts you off? Do you ever get angry? Do you ever say to yourself, “what an IDIOT!” Maybe you utter a few expletives instead. I think we have all done it at least once and probably more than we care to

admit, myself very much included. Let me ask you another question. Do you ever say to yourself, “that person is probably on their way to the hospital,” or “they must be late to work today.” I’m guessing you don’t say those types of things nearly as often as the first, if ever.

This is actually an example of a social psychology phenomenon called the fundamental attribution error. The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to make an internal attribution when it comes to someone else’s behavior instead of attributing their behavior to the situation (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012, pg 76). There is also a tendency to attribute one’s own behavior to external causes and not internal (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012, pg 76). Let’s take another look at the situation again using the fundamental attribution error.

When you get cutoff and call someone an idiot, that is an internal attribution. They cut you off because they lack the intelligence necessary to drive a car correctly. A lack of intelligence is an internal attribution. Something inherent in their personality caused them to behave in a certain way. If your inner voice tells you that the person is on their way to the hospital, that is a situational attribution. The person cut you off because of the situation they were put in.

There is also the other part to the fundamental attribution error. There is a tendency to attribute your behavior to external causes and not internal. To examine this aspect of the fundamental attribution error, let’s swap the roles in our story. You cut someone off in traffic on your way to work. You then say, “OH! They were in my blind spot!” In other words, your car blocked the view of traffic and caused your behavior. You have likely committed the fundamental attribution error again. When you attribute your behavior to an external cause (your car) and not to an internal cause this could be another example of the fundamental attribution error.Happy-Driver

The last thing I will say from this example is next time someone cuts you off; remember that it could be the situation. And when we use our knowledge of social psychology to improve our everyday situation, it is a personal intervention (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012, pg 62) and it is a valuable tool in life. It may stop you from getting so angry and it may make you a bit more forgiving (it continues to help me). After all, you might cut somebody off too if you were on the way to the hospital because of an emergency.

 

References

 

Schneider, F. W., Gruman, J. A., and Coutts, L. M. (2012). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

 

 


24
Nov 14

Happy life

In society, life goes too fast. The importance of how much money we make and what we do to make the money is more important at times than how we feel about what goes on around us. Our well-being and the way we view situations should be as important as other factors in our lives. Optimism and pessimism affects our own well beings.

When looking at life and situations, there are good and bad to be seen. Optimists are people that believe good things happen and are likely to happen (Schneider,2012 ). When people believe that good things happen, they have different opinions on how the world is around them. Instead of letting things come to them, they are more likely to pursue the goals that they wish to achieve (Schneider,2012 ). There are also people in the world that are called pessimists. A pessimist is a person that doubts that good things will happen (Schneider,2012 ). They will not pursue goals often because they do not believe that they have good chances of obtaining their goals.

When considering the impacts of being an optimist or a pessimist, one should understand how being either would impact their lives. It is important for people to be in good health and have good life experiences. These factors could cause one to live longer and have a better well-being. Optimists are more likely to enjoy life and have good health because they are happy with their lives (Schneider,2012). With that being said, they are also more likely to have a positive well-beings.

Throughout my life, I have always tried to look at the good in situations and hope for the best. When starting college in particular, I thought that I wanted to be an elementary school teacher. After realizing that I did not want to do this any longer, I had decided to switch to another major. While I was aware that I may not do well in this, I was optimistic that this was the best choice and that I would do well. While being optimistic, I have become more positive about life and done better at my school work. I also have become more excited about my future and want to work hard because knowing I can do well in school allows me to realize that I can to well in the future.

Optimism and pessimism has an effect on people’s well-being. While there are times where people think that things are going bad and feel like there is no reason to look up, people should look at the good in situations. When people are optimistic, they are more likely to be happy and have a better well-being.

References:

Schneider, F. W., Gruman, J. A., and Coutts, L. M. (Eds.) (2012). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.


24
Nov 14

Intimate Partner Violence

 

Social change attempts to alter a factor in society. This may include changing cultural symbols, rules, value systems or behavior, yielding profound results. Intimate Partner violence as well as child abuse scandals have become more frequent in the media. My intervention program will be an immediate intervention program for child witnesses of IPV; it aims to provide children with a positive therapeutic and healing environment. This program will promote healthy child development and alternatives to children and their primary caregivers.

 

An average of 3.3 million to 18 million children witness an act of intimate partner violence every year. Thirty percent of those children are also likely to become victims of violence themselves in the same household and have an increased risk of becoming an abuser as adults (T. Herrenkohl, E. Herrenkohl, Klika, Moylan, Sousa, Tajima, 2010). Intimate partner violence  is actual or threatened sexual, psychological, physical or emotional abuse by an intimate partner (CDC, 2007). IPV is likely to set into motion a number of other negative processes that can hinder a child’s development. For example a Child’s exposure to violence can often lead to negative short and long term outcomes of internalizing and externalizing behavior problems during adolescence such as bullying, perpetration of violence and delinquency.

Utilizing a combination of participatory and action research I have developed an intervention to tackle the needs of children exposed to IPV. According to the text Applied Social Psychology a main factor in action research is finding a problem of consensus and attempting to create change, gathering data as well as creating an intervention. Important factors of participatory research include utilizing strategies to enhance self-reliance of oppressed groups within a community (Schneider, Gruman, Coutts, 2012).

 

The Intervention may provide families with mental health services, legal information/police services, and safety plans in case of recurrence of violence. The program is available to all victims of IPV and their children. Our program creates positive and nurturing environment for all children 15 and under who have witnessed an episode in the year coinciding with of date of entry into the program. Children meet a total of sixty five times over the course of the fifty week program in various settings but predominantly in intervention’s community center. Elaborating on the previous child intervention programs. The goal is to bring awareness to IPV and its negative effects on children. The program particularly focuses on creating safety plans for children in case of future violent episodes. The program is designed to help children appropriate responsibility of violent behavior, create/improve relationship with primary caregiver, and provide alternatives for a healthier environment and living arrangements.  Upon completion of  program children and parents must participate in a post treatment questionnaire that assesses improvement of children and caregivers over course of intervention, measures children’s understanding of IPV and children’s ability/likeliness of utilizing safety precautions in the future. Children must also provide a self-report either in essay or verbal form of how intervention methods have improved or impaired one’s ability to cope with traumatizing events and level of helpfulness in case of recurrence of violence.

 

According to applied social psychology, policies are plans and procedures that governments have for specific issues to ensure certain goals can be met. The intervention also aims at creating preventive policies to decrease potential abuse. For example Mandated reporting of child abuse is the legal requirement specified by states of certain professions such as teachers,counselors and health professionals, which are mandated by law to notify appropriate state child protective services.  However policies may be improved to include all people to report suspected abuse these states hopefully to hold people ethically responsible and promote immediate and proper reports of abuse.

 

REFERENCES

Centers for Disease control (2007). Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Violence Victimization Assessment Instruments for Use in Healthcare Settings. Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/pub-res/images/ipvandsvscreening.pdf

Herrenkohl, T., Herrenkohl, E., Klika, R., Moylan, C., Sousa, C., Tajima, E., (2010, May 10) Longitudinal study on the Effects of Child Abuse and Children’s Exposure to Domestic Violence, Parent-Child Attachments, and Antisocial Behavior in Adolescence. Retrieved from: http://jiv.sagepub.com/content/26/1/111.full.pdf+html

 

Schneider, F. W., Gruman, J. A., and Coutts, L. M. (Eds.) (2012). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.


23
Nov 14

Relationships

Personal relationships are seen every day with many different people in your life.  When people are in personal relationships, they also may be dating or married. Applied social psychology can explain personal relationships and help people understand how to strengthen the relationships that they do have with others. The proximity effect and primacy effect can be looked into when understanding what draws people together.

Attractions can happen between people at any given point in time. With regard to relationships, attraction is what pulls you closer to another person (Schneider,2012). Through the proximity effect, it is seen that the nearness of individuals can have an effect on how they feel about each other. When individuals are psychologically and physically close to one another, there is more liking personally for each other (Schneider,2012). With this, it is seen that when close to others you are more likely to form a relationship with them.

Physical attractiveness also has an effect on relationships. With this comes the primacy effect.  According to this effect, people are influenced by what is first presented (Schneider,2012). When meeting another person, one of the first things you are presented is the physical appearance. When this is the case, this is often what first causes people to become physically attracted to someone. Unfortunately, this has an effect on others opinions because the way people look does matter. When being seen, the better you look the better people think about you. When people begin to date, they look at how their mate looks and takes that into consideration.

When thinking about personal relationships, it is not hard to look back at my life and what has attracted me to other people. At twenty-three, I am married and have not been in that many relationships. With that being said, the primacy effect and proximity effect had an impact on the relationships that I have had. When looking back on my relationships, the nearness of my partners and I have always been near. It was often easier to be in a relationship with someone that lived closer to me because we were able to see each other more. Even when I had lived in a college dorm, I went home every weekend to visit my husband. With the primacy effect in mind, I have always been in relationships with people that I have been physically attracted to. In my relationships other than my husband, I had known my partners for a long time before we had got in a relationship. With my husband on the other hand, I had met him and shortly after began to date him. When meeting him, I remember the first thing that I noticed was his looks. This is what had originally drawn me in and had made me want to date him. The way he talked had also made me attracted to him because he had a nice voice and attitude.

In personal relationships, the proximity effect and the primacy effect have an impact on what draws people together. Although looks may not be the most important factor when looking for a partner, it is one of the first information that we are presented. The feelings we have toward other people and the distance between us can have an impact on how we feel about them.

References:

Schneider, F. W., Gruman, J. A., and Coutts, L. M. (Eds.) (2012). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.


23
Nov 14

Social Change Research

a

Social change is something that can affect many aspects of an individual’s life. Research is being done consistently in order to determine methods to change a social situation which is either dangerous or ineffective. When I think of something that has recently been affecting media and society I think of domestic violence and sexual inequality. It obviously would be a hard topic to look at as sometimes the gender of the psychologist can cause bias within the research and results.
In order for social change to occur we would need to look at many aspects of domestic violence. Recently domestic violence has become more of a topic in media as more women are coming forward to tell their stories. Previously domestic violence was ignored, we chose socially to overlook it and to shame the victim. Often sexual inequality is clear in these situations with the women being the victim and society believing she did something to deserve being treated like this. However no matter the sex of the victim no one has the right to assault another person.
According to Rhode (2006) domestic violence is often considered a family affair. If police are called to a scene of domestic violence they are often trained to keep the peace rather than to actually make sure the victim is safe and the perpetrator is arrested and the view of society was that the victim was responsible for provoking the assault (Rhode 2006). This statement alone shows us that social change is very important in regards to this specific topic. Expectations of women are often different then men’s, society believes they could leave if they want to which is often what is said by people who don’t necessarily understand the dynamics of the situation

.bc

Participatory research would be a good way for researchers to learn more about issues that lead to domestic violence based on sexual inequality. As this week’s lesson indicated the purpose of Participatory research is to find a goal that will resolve the issue being researched (PSYCH424, PSU lesson 13 p.1). In regards to domestic violence research in this topic has shown reasons as to why women often do not leave and has provided us with a better understanding of the topic. Often women in these situations do not have a safe place to go, or a way to support themselves if they leave. In addition they fear for the safety of themselves and possible children as these situations can escalate to murder in many cases when they do try to leave (Rhode 2006).

d

The recent media coverage and shaming of domestic violence has lead society to become more aware of how common this violence is and how often it occurs. A perfect example of this is the recent issues within the NFL with many women coming forward to indicate their spouses or partners have assaulted them. The first example of this was the incident with Ray Rice and his then fiancé. However after this incident became public she continued to remain in the relationship and marry him even after he physically assaulted her. The issue that arises here is that they indicate the incident arose because they had too much to drink, again an excuse to cover what may be lying underneath. According to Rhode (2006) there are several underlying psychological issues that may lead to domestic violence,
• perpetrators’ desire for power and control, and inability to handle anger and stress;
• victims’ economic and psychological dependence;
• inadequate societal strategies for deterrence and protection; and
• Family histories and cultural reinforcement of violence.

e

References
Pennsylvania State University World Campus (2014, October). PSYCH 424 Lesson 13: Social Change/Participatory Research. Retrieved from https://courses.worldcampus.psu.edu/fa14/psych424/001/content/14_lesson/01_page.html
Rhode, D. L. (2006). Social research and social change: Meeting the challenge of gender inequality and sexual abuse. Harvard University.


23
Nov 14

Dian Fossey and Her Research

The story of Dian Fossey and her level of research that was collected with groups of gorillas in Rwanda, although suffering from a tragic ending, paved the way for a higher understanding for animals and their behaviors that had not been studied before. Fossey could be described as an activist, her one true desire in life to study and protect what she discovered to be gentle giants from poachers and other human harm. Fossey always withheld a “wish to see and live with wild animals in a world that hadn’t yet been completely changed by humans” (Krajicek, n.d.). Her first experience with this great gorillas that would become the focus of her studies began when she saved money as well as took out a loan to visit Africa, coming into contact with two wildlife filmmakers by the names of Alan and Joan Root. Accompanying them she discovered the mountain gorillas that she so grew to cherish (Krajicek, n.d.). Dian-Fossey-pic1

With little funds it took her time to return to the mountains, later being propositioned by Dr. Leakey to help him research the mountain gorillas. With his funding, Fossey was able to establish her Karisoke Research Center and begin her work (Krajicek, n.d.). There was much time spent with the gorillas in this habitat that they soon began to accept her, allowing her to hold their infants, groom and be groomed by the others, play, and even eat with them. In this time she also formed a relationship with a gorilla that she had named Digit (Krajicek, n.d.). The affection that was formed for these gorillas was never found in her reactions to other humans. In acts of protection for this new relationships formed she would often shoot the livestock of locals that grazed in the area that had been deemed private park property, as well as used corporal punishment against those who poached the gorillas for their hands and heads (Krajicek, n.d.).

Virunga National Park, Congo, The Democratic Republic of the

(Image depicts traps set by poachers.)

With each act there was more and more development of group conflicts, the gorillas being her new in-group complete with its own social hierarchies. This was all stemmed from the choice of being active in her participatory research and becoming one with the culture of the gorillas. As this conflict grew with the out-group and several losses were suffered with the in-group, Fossey left her research and became an activist in a sort of retaliation of the loss of Digit to the local poachers. Her in-group bias expanded the longer that she spent time isolated in the mountains. The complaints of the change in her focus grew and grew through the years as she became lost in the society of the gorillas, unable to draw the line between her research anymore. Ultimately and tragically these conflicts lead to the death of Dian Fossey (Krajicek, n.d.).

b91da9

Even though our minds automatically think that the research for social change and participatory research are strictly about human nature, these terms can be expanded over the area of other mammals and animals as well. With Fossey’s research she learned how to interact with the gorillas, she learned their behavior and became one with their in-group. She was able to completely immerse herself in this society and was unable to see any bad that may come from the hearts of these animals, the in-group bias a common response from those who have become lost in their own research.

 

Krajicek, D. (n.d.) Dian Fossey Life and Death. Crime Library. Retrieved from http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/celebrity/dian_fossey/8.html


17
Nov 14

Beauty Pays

A beautiful smile in a magazine ad, a pair of seductive eyes in a commercial, a perfectly shaped nose on the barista that works down the street at the local coffee shop.  We have all experienced someone we consider attractive.  According to a Businessinsider.com article entitled, “Scientists Identify 3 Reasons Why Attractive People Make More Money” Drake Baer discusses recent findings that attractive people earn approximately 12% more than unattractive people.  This phenomena has been coined “the beauty premium”.

The study found that employers see more attractive people as also being more capable, more confident and as having better social skills.  But why?  Schneider, Gruman & Coutts (2012) believes that the human reliance on attractiveness is a form of primacy effect, meaning that information that is first received or presented to us gives the most influence in our opinion.

This tendency for bias is supported by Dion, Berscheid, and Walster (1972) who also found that people associate physical attractiveness with other positive traits, judging them to be better people altogether.  Assumptions such as these are called the physical attractiveness stereotype (Schneider, Gruman & Coutts, 2012).  There have been a multitude of studies conducted to compare traits and attractiveness and none have found any significance in attractive people possessing “better” qualities (Schneider, Gruman & Coutts, 2012).

So how can this information help?  It is important to understand that while attractiveness isn’t the most important feature of another person, and is certainly driven by culture, looks should be taken seriously -especially in situations that involve being evaluated (Schneider, Gruman & Coutts, 2012).  However, it is possible to become attractive to another simply by being in similar situations or by having mutual interests (Schneider, Gruman & Coutts, 2012).  Festinger, Schachter, & Black (1950) found that attraction increased simply by being physically close.  Moreland & Zajonc (1982) found that frequent interaction increased “perceived similarity”.  People are more concerned with matching attractiveness, also known as the matching phenomenon (Schneider, Gruman & Coutts, 2012).  This can be interpreted to mean that employers are judging based on how they feel about their own looks.  Again, attractiveness is all relative.

In American culture, we value those who are individualistic, and are admired by others (Schneider, Gruman & Coutts, 2012).  To beat the bias, there are several things one can do.  Immerse themselves in situations that put them in an attractive light and increase interactions with those that one wants to associate themselves with in order to to provide other options for evaluation aside from looks.  For example, perhaps begin frequenting coffee shops or restaurants that your boss enjoys.  Try striking up a conversation that involves pastimes or interests of your supervisors.  Become admirable in the office by excelling at your work.  This idea can be extended into other areas of life such as friendships, romantic relationships, etc.

References

Baer, D. (2014, November 10). Scientists Identify 3 Reasons Why Attractive People Make More Money. Retrieved November 17, 2014, from http://www.businessinsider.com/beautiful-people-make-more-money-2014-11

Schneider, F.W., Gruman, J.A., & Coutts, L.M. (2012). Applied Social Psychology Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (Second ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE


16
Nov 14

Why Every Student Should Take a Positive Psychology Class

I have never been a negative person; I am an optimist to the fullest. A couple semesters ago I took a positive psychology class and I realized that even being optimistic I had a lot of work to. It’s crazy to think that most of us going for a psychology degree will study in the dysfunction of humans; I imagine this kind of work could really weigh someone down. But there is so much more to psychology, positive psychology. It’s a tool every one of us should have in our arsenal for those times when things get tough and those days that are filled with dark clouds. I always heard positive things happen to positive people and it sounded so cliché but it really is true. Even more important I believe it’s how you handle situations that can really shape your world. I think this excerpt says it best written by Martin Seligman:

“The message of the positive psychology movement is to remind our field that it has been deformed. Psychology is not just the study of disease, weakness, and damage; it also is the study of strength and virtue. Treatment is not just fixing what is wrong; it also is building what is right. Psychology is not just about ill-ness or health; it also is about work, education, insight, love, growth, and play. And in this quest for what is best, positive psychology does not rely on wishful thinking, self-deception, or hand waving; instead, it tries to adapt what is best in the scientific method to the unique problems that human behavior presents in all its complexity.”

positive-attidtue-1te3udv

I really made a strong connection to this kind of thinking after taking my positive psychology class. I really believe everyone should have a class like this; it’s motivational and really encourages one to think about the positive in their life and helps in ways to achieve it. The main reading for this class is How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World by Harry Browne and I can’t tell you last time I read a book that really just got me thinking. He explains these traps we can fall in and how they are often based on the social cognitive theory where some of this negative type behavior is influenced from growing up and those around us. One of the main traps is the identity trap. This trap explains how some people create these images of themselves in order to be who they think other people want them to be and how it can cause internal conflict and also how we may believe people to react the same way we do (Browne, 2004). A fairly simple idea but think about it, how many times have you put on an identity that was not truly yours in order to please someone or make nice, or how you may reacted bad towards someone because you expected them to respond just like you.

14381169-positive-thinking-word-cloud-concept-in-red-capital-letters-with-great-terms-such-as-good-mental-tho

As a daughter, sister, friend, wife, mother and coworker I realized that it can be hard, really hard not to fall into this trap. There have been many times I look at my daughters expecting them to react like me, but they are not me. There could have been many avoided arguments with my parents or husband in realizing they do not think and react like me and that is okay. If I allow myself into the identity trap I can make things harder than they need to be and this can cause negative outcomes. I believe the self-fulfilling prophecy can be used here to explain the more positive view you have on things the better choices you will probably make and therefore have more positive outcomes. I think taking the time to access your life and really dive into what makes you happy is a well worth endeavor. This is a reason I recommend a class of this type be mandatory.

Just imagine how optimism can be applied in your everyday life. In our work, marriage, family and other relationships can be so much more rewarding if we choose to have positive relationships. Everyday life can at times feel overwhelming especially when most of us are multitasking our roles every day. We learned this from young ages through social learning theory of how many of our parents managed just to get the everyday done without much thought of living happy. I was trapped to some of this kind of thinking as well but decided I wanted more for myself and my family. I want us to be happy in life and I think having a class that focuses on the positive especially in psychology is a great foundation. There is so much more to the human element that positive psychology is just starting to scrape the surface of.

quote-positive

References

Browne, H. (2004). How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World. PDF file.

Seligman, M. E. (2002). Positive psychology, positive prevention, and positive therapy. Handbook of positive psychology, 2, 3-12. http://www.positiveculture.org/uploads/7/4/0/7/7407777/seligrman_intro.pdf

 

 

 


16
Nov 14

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

It can happen so quickly; boy meets girl and along comes baby and perhaps another. Sometimes things work out. Other times, the boy and girl are not ready to raise a child. Maybe they are still adolescents or emerging adults not ready to handle the responsibility. Perhaps they are adults but struggling with substance abuse or other behavioral health issues. Our current United States culture believes children are best raised by birth parents when possible and so these not yet capable caregivers usually attempt to parent the children. When things go wrong, it is then that Grandma and Grandpa often step in and attempt to raise the grandchildren.

Credit: Alan Rogers | Star-Tribune

In doing so, grandparents typically have their work cut out for them. Children often end up in grandparents’ care only after birth parents have tried unsuccessfully. Sometimes the children are abandoned. Other times, the courts play a part or the grandparents simply step in and request custody. In any case, the children involved typically suffer from insecure attachment styles from the early days with their birth parents (Schneider, Gruman & Coutts, 2012, p. 360). These attachments set them up for difficulty in forming healthy relationships throughout the lifespan. Additionally, these children probably have faced other adverse events, such as substance abuse, that led them to the different custody situation. It is not surprising then that children raised by custodial grandparents are prone to behavioral problems (Kelley, Whitley & Campos, 2011).

Credit: UCLA Center for Health

Sometimes elderly, grandparents have passed the age of child rearing. Their social networks consist of others, like themselves, who are retired and done raising children. Their incomes are typically limited by retirement and social security payments. Additionally, as they age, these elderly folks are prone to their own health problems. This time in life is a far cry from the younger days of raising children.

When grandparents become caregivers of grandchildren, social isolation tends to set in. Their social networks are no longer available because they no longer share the same interests (Hayslip & Kaminski, 2005). This social isolation has been cited as a major stressor for custodial grandparents (Hayslip & Kaminski, 2005). Additionally, these retired folks have fixed incomes and typically do not have the financial resources necessary to raise children in the world today. If one or both suffers age related health issues, along with the financial stress, lack of support, and troubled relationships with the grandchildren, the grandparents are likely to struggle immensely.

Credit: doingdrugs-darta.blogspot.com

What then should society do for these vulnerable families? Luckily, the answer is not entirely bleak. While more studies are necessary, increasing social support, financial resources, and offering (grand)parenting education could mediate some of the poorer outcomes that are exacerbated by issues the families face (Hayslip & Kaminski, 2005). We should continue to look toward social supports for these alternative family models as it appears that the trend of grandparents raising grandchildren when the parents cannot, will continue.


Hayslip, B., Jr., & Kaminski, P. L. (2005). Grandparents raising their grandchildren: A review of the literature and suggestions for practice. The Gerontologist, 45(2), 262-269. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/geront/45.2.262

Kelley, S. J., Whitley, D. M., & Campos, P. E. (2011). Behavior problems in children raised by grandmothers: The role of caregiver distress, family resources, and the home environment. Children and Youth Services Review, 33(11), 2138-2145. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2011.06.021

Schneider, F., Gruman, J., Coutts, L. (2012). Applied social psychology: Understanding and addressing social and practical problems (2nd ed.). Los Angeles: Sage.


16
Nov 14

New Dog, Old Tricks

Pets! Most everyone we know has a pet or two. You might even own one. Did you knowpetsweb that owning a pet has health benefits among the other aspects of having one of God’s creatures in our lives? This blog will discuss some of the benefits that owning a pet can have in our lives and how it benefits others. The focus will be on dogs and cats along with a few tips on choosing the right pet for you to help benefit you both mentally and physically, not to mention the reduction in minor health problems you might have (Serpell, 2006). The blog will also discuss how attachment theory, though mainly focusing on human-to-human relationships, can be applied to human-to-pet relationships.

Attachment Theory

According to John Bowlby (1984), the first attachment theorist, attachment is a lasting psychological connectedness between human beings. In 1978, Rynearson showed that attachmenthumans and pets can be significant attachment figures for one another. The human-pet relationship can be simple and safe, with minimal risk, because a pet can be accepting, openly affectionate, honest, loyal and consistent, which are all qualities that can satisfy a person’s basic need to be loved and feel self-worth. Crawford, Worsham, and Swinehart (2006) propose that the term “attachment”, used to measure human companion animal relationships in their research, may share attributes of the traditional attachment theory created by Bowlby (1984).  A person’s relationship with a pet involves tenderness, warmth, stability and loyalty, all of which can lead to feelings in the human of being loved unconditionally. This feeling of complete acceptance may cause pet owners to look to their companion animal for comfort and reassurance during difficult times.

For those of us who own a pet we might have them for different reasons such as a hobby, companionship, or for a career. Whatever the reason for having them they are in our lives. Of course did you know that owning a pet, like a dog or cat, can have health benefits? Fordog-walk instance, owning a dog can encourage a person to be more active such as playing in the yard and walking the dog (Serpell, 1991). These activities have shown that owners are more fit, not to mention more sociable with other dog owners that they meet. The Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) has determined that owning a cat can improve loneliness and offer great amusement with their curious nature.

According to John Locke, who reported the value of giving animals to children to develop tender feelings and responsibilities (LeRoux & Kemp, 2009), pettheztznotes the therapeutic use of dogs as early as 1699. In 1880, Florence Nightingale reported on the therapeutic role of companion animals in the treatment of physical ailments (LeRoux & Kemp, 2009).  Animals are useful members of society today as they were in the 17th Century, such as the work they are showing in longtime care facilities with the elderly. Tests have shown that the introduction of pets to some nursing homes have improved the lives of the residents. According to Kruger and Serpell (2006) there is reported 20 different kinds of animal assisted therapies out there for long-term residents. Some of the health benefits that have been shown by the introduction of pets are low blood pressure, decrease in depression, less fatigue, less tension and confusion with residence. The positive influences of the visits of cats and dogs to residents have done more than some medications for their physical and mental health. These are great programs, especially for those who get few visitors and now have something to look forward to.

As you have read, pets do so much more than just being companions. For those of us looking for a pet you need to look at several factors before getting a pet. First, decide what kind of pet interests you. Next, do numerous amounts of research on this future pet to make sure that you and your lifestyle are compatible with the pet. Look into the costs of feeding and taking care of this new pet.  Petco or Petsmart has trained employees to help you with decisions along with groomers and a Vet to help you understand the cost of a pet. Then you must make sure that you have the time and space to care for and train your new pet. Once you have the basics down you will now need to find the pet, but where to get one? The internet is the more popular choice, word of mouth, and my favorite, the HSUS_logo.svgHumane Society. I always tell people to please not to buy a puppy from a puppy mill. Pets that come from puppy mills sometimes can have health issues and of course, the living conditions for the animals in those places are well below substandard.

So now, you know a little bit more on the roles that pets and animals have in our lives and the health benefits that can enrich our lives like a daily vitamin. Just make sure you get the right pet or it will have the opposite effect in your life and theirs. If you have an interest in such things as this blog describes you may wish to volunteer at your local Humane Society or nursing homes that offer pet therapy to its residents.  If they do not offer these programs, you may want to look into learning how to start your own in your community to help benefit our older generations and our many four-legged friends.

References

Bowlby, J. (1984). Attachment and loss. Vol. 1. Attachment. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books.

Crawford, E. K., Worsham, N. L., & Swinehart, E. R. (2006). Benefits derived from companion animals, and the use of the term” attachment”. Anthrozoos: A Multidisciplinary Journal of The Interactions of People & Animals19(2), 98-112.

Kruger, K. A., & Serpell, J. A. (2006). Animal-assisted interventions in mental health: Definitions and theoretical foundations. Handbook on animal-assisted therapy: Theoretical foundations and guidelines for practice2, 21-38.

Le Roux, M. C., & Kemp, R. (2009). Effect of a companion dog on depression and anxiety levels of elderly residents in a long-term care facility. Psychogeriatrics, 9(23), 23-26. doi: 10.1111/j.1479-8301.2009.00268.x

Rynearson, E. K. (1978). Humans and pets and attachment. The British Journal of Psychiatry133(6), 550-555.

Serpell, J. A. (2006). Animal-assisted interventions in historical perspective.Handbook on animal-assisted therapy: Theoretical foundations and guidelines for practice2, 3-20.


15
Nov 14

The space I occupy and my altered state of consciousness for which I currently am writing this blog…. what fills the space in every moment of my life, it’s my therapy, my motivation, my meditation, my happiness, and my connection to everything. Music!

 

The space I occupy and my state of consciousness for which I currently am writing this blog…. what fills the space in every moment of my life, it’s my therapy, my motivation, my meditation, my happiness, and my connection to everything.  By Robin D

Study time!

Study time!

Music!

I would love to quickly explain my reasoning behind this blog post…I need to share my experience because once you read it, the information will be stored in your memory (hopefully) and you’ll be able to retrieve a solution just when you need it by grabbing your iPhone and turning up the volume.

I have had some kind of cognitive fog lately, unlike any I’ve ever experienced. Stress and burnout were about to take me down, we are talking major sleep deprivation and stress were causing failing homework because my ability to process information was completely stunted, countless close traffic disasters because of sleep deprivation, corrective action at work for being late, and the perhaps the saddest part… is my six year old son has a mommy who isn’t even a shred of what she used to be. I have always been resilient but this semester is different…and after a desperate prayer, the return of music to my life, and effective this week cutting my hours at work from 50 per week to 16 (Amen right?!) and guess what…. the fog has lifted!
The importance of music in our lives is undeniable and technology has made our access to music amazingly easy. Communication through technology media and social media has made it possible to access to the kind of beats and rhythms you desire. www.8tracks.com is the portal to my altered state of consciousness and I found it when I was goggling music playlists for relaxation. I downloaded the iPhone app, turned on the music, and pulled my shit together.
Music has tremendous effects on the brain and our cognitive abilities like processing information and memory. In a study done using MRI’s, shows music stimulates brain activity as a part of emotional related processing of the music. (Neuroimage, 2013) Psychology Today published an article highlighting evidence from scientific studies done showing the positive effects music has on our cognition and emotion. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/natural-standard/201306/music-therapy-health-and-wellness

Music has healing power and because of media and communication technology we all have 24 hours of individualized and easily accessible therapy. 8tracks allows you to access to millions of playlists specific to any and every feeling, thought, need, and desire. My favorite right search term right now “Study”!

“Music with a strong beat stimulates the brain and ultimately causes brainwaves to resonate in time with the rhythm, research has shown. Slow beats encourage the slow brainwaves that are associated with hypnotic or meditative states. Faster beats may encourage more alert and concentrated thinking.” (Saaraman, 2006)

“We may be sitting on one of the most widely available and cost effective therapeutic modalities that ever existed, Systematically, this could be like taking a pill. Listening to music seems to be able to change brain functioning to the same extent as medication, in many circumstances.” (Saaraman, 2006)

“…rhythmic stimuli that sped up brainwaves in subjects increased concentration in ways similar to ADD medications such as Ritalin and Adderall.” (Saaraman, 2006)

“…although sound alone can change brain activity” (Saaraman, 2006)

Link for Music Therapy

www.8tracks.com
http://www.goodtherapy.org/music-therapy.html

References

Alluri, V., Toiviainen, P., Lund, T. E., Wallentin, M., Vuust, P., Nandi, A. K., . . . Brattico, E. (2013). From vivaldi to beatles and back: Predicting lateralized brain responses to music. Neuroimage, 83(0), 627-636. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.06.064

Saaraman, E. (2006, May 31). Symposium looks at therapeutic benefits of musical rhythm. Retrieved from http://web.stanford.edu/dept/news/pr/2006/pr-brainwave-053106.html


14
Nov 14

Know Thyself and Thy Social Media

For this intervention I chose to address the misusage of social media used as a platform for prejudice in-groups while looking at the Social Dominance Theory to devise a plan to reduce or prevent discrimination within online communities and individual’s cyber lives.

Through the publicity and support people seek and receive via social media, using various online communities – the internet serves as a virtual outlet to promote an individual’s or a particular group or faction’s agenda(s). It also can be used to recruit and target people for good and bad intentions. However, because planned behavior and social norms can be manipulated, peoples intentions can be masked. People can hide behind fake pages, appear to have numerous friends, be well-traveled, well-educated, etc. Rather than revealing their maliciousness, the internet, in conjunction with technology, enables them.

For example, because of the make-up of some social online communities attempting to “connect people”, they’re designed to suggest other people from perceived similar backgrounds and other communities to join yours, or offer you to join theirs. The overlapping network of friends generates profiles that are in turn divulged to certain people who may not have known that person otherwise, and may not like them. Depending on online settings, even a person’s immediate location and the activity they’re partaking in could be made public or limited to within the community.

Using Social Dominance Theory as the theory of intergroup relations that focuses on the maintenance, and stability of group-based social hierarchies, one can see where someone someone would want to join a prestigious looking group, to partake in their popularity, and exhibit a “social-climber” mentality. These groups highlight all of their good qualities but don’t showcase any of their ugliness. So what happens when these same groups abuse members in an online community for wanting to disassociate themselves? How about the would-be members who are seemingly excellent candidates that disagree with the hierarchy ridicule or humiliation? What happens to them?

According to the theory, group-based inequalities are maintained through three primary intergroup behavior – specifically: institutional discrimination (denying a certain race or creed acceptance into their group/online community), aggregated individual discrimination (target one person), and behavioral asymmetry (the belief that one race is better than another fueling discrimination).

By also looking at the Social Identity Theory I can see how intergroup behaviors could predict, on the basis of perceived group status differences, a prejudice in a particular group in the first place. And by incorporating both theories, the added incentive is clearly understandable that people just want to belong to something bigger than themselves. I believe in the idea that the perceived legitimacy and stability of those status differences, and the perceived ability to move from one group to another, advancing, and desiring that social status is where someone would willingly inhibit any discontent and/or disagreement for fear of being kicked out of a community. But as easily as the theories can predict this behavior, it can prevent the continuance of using online communities to advance behavior that only leads to more aggression.

Communities need to be safeguarded, even online communities. Because public or private spaces – whether physical locations like a church or a school, or any known favorite places to frequent such as local bar, can be easily identifiable to someone looking to befriend you or in this scenario cause you harm – whether physical or emotional, it isn’t enough to have surveillance or policies. How an intervention would work to prevent discrimination would be to use technology to identify key phrases or wording and red-flag inappropriate comments and continuing behavior like excessive “visits” to someone page. Along with the proper advisory, identifying the nature of a group or community, someone could use those keywords to set-up blockers. The connection of personnel policing these communities online could also network offline if needed.

Additionally, since communities, like individual’s lives, can be infiltrated using back doors and loopholes similar to avoidance methods used to limit interactions – to avoid communication, limiting the ability for further access from a possible stranger trying to circumvent being avoided or ignored further attempts could alert moderators. What should be considered “forced communications” would be reduced because people subjected to unwelcome advances, and/or strangers looking to harass with now fake profiles requesting to become a “friend” wouldn’t advance.

Social media also offers the option of “following” someone when they necessarily aren’t accepted into that person’s circle of friends. Someone may elect to follow someone solely to be updated on that person’s whereabouts. But with the same ease that people can beat the system, if someone wanted to eliminate the risk social media can present you can easily report disturbing behavior/comments, update your settings, not use a particular site, tell your friends and family, and give bad attention to behavior that otherwise goes unnoticed and unreported.

Again, with the ease that profiles can be faked – created with the intent to not reveal someone’s true self, in some cases, social media can be used as a tool to premeditate and conspire. But with this intervention social media and online communities would take more responsibility as they would be held accountable for their users harmful motives. And since self-promotion and self-publishing empower the entitlement of an individual’s desire for attention – having thousands of “friends”, the intentions of that person you don’t know or ever talk to that goes unnoticed setting up prompts people view your profile, enabling better privacy setting, and actually providing assurance that communities are “hassle-free”, and “safe” from discrimination would set a standard.

It’s also important to understand how the internet is not private, and neither is your profile, so offering educational information about those rules and regulations, and penalties for those that don’t oblige being clearly stated would increase awareness. Know exactly what you are putting out there. Your pictures and your name, your address, and even your friends are easily accessible information online. And with technology offering to use your location to better assist you, so is your location.

“Know thyself”, but also the world you are a part of and apart from. Knowledge is key.

 

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_dominance_theory

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_identity_theory


13
Nov 14

The Importance of Attachment During Infancy

Infant bonding is a critical phase in the process of development. The importance of infant bonding has a major impact on a child’s emotional and social development. In fact, the ability to sustain healthy relationships throughout the duration of an individual’s lifespan is dependent on the beginning interactions during infancy. Through the reciprocal interactions with a caregiver, the child develops the ability to form attachments (Kay Hall & Geher, 2003, p. 146-147). The development of attachment is important because it “[fosters a] child’s ability to secure a close and trusting, reciprocal relationship with one caregiver” (Karr-Morse & Wiley, 1997, p. 185). Through the course of establishing a relationship with a single caregiver, a child develops a sense of empathy or emotional attachment, emotional control and the capacity for greater levels of cognitive processing (Karr-Morse & Wiley, 1997, p. 185).

The process of attachment between an infant and caregiver begins immediately after the child is born. The very settle approach of the attachment process is observable through an infant’s basic physical requests. “The infant feels a need (hunger, comfort, etc.) and enters a high arousal (crying). The caregiver meets the infant’s needs (with food, cuddling, etc.)” (Lake, 2005, p. 42). Through the process of repeatedly answering an infant’s requests, a caregiver is also fostering a child’s trust and attachment abilities. According to Peter Lake (2005),“The necessary ingredients for development of basic trust and attachment during the first year are eye contact, food, motion, touch, verbal contact, emotional contact, and physical contact” (p. 42). Overall, the healthy development of infancy attachment is reliant on consistent and affectionate care.

How a caregiver responds to an infant’s demands will form a child’s ability to attach by shaping their emotional balance. A caregiver’s warm responses during an infant’s complaints of distress will encourage emotional balance through a neurological reaction. According to Karr-Morse and Wiley (1997), “The baby left to cry for long intervals or the baby whose cry is greeted with a slap is undergoing a very different experience emotionally and neurologically than a child whose cries result in immediate soothing” (p. 200).

The process and critical elements involved in the development of attachment is illustrated in a study conducted by American psychologist Harry Fredrick Harlow. At the University of Wisconsin located in Madison, Harlow conducted a study examining the “importance of [parental] love and childhood development” (Cherry, n.d., Para 4). In his experiment, Harlow created two surrogate mothers made of wire-mesh. One of the assembled surrogates was made of wire-mesh and a wooden block positioned to resemble a head. The second surrogate was assembled with wire-mesh and soft terry cloth. The cloth surrogate was then attached with a head that revealed comparable characteristics of a monkey. The wire-mesh surrogate without the terry cloth had a bottle attached to provide food to the monkeys, but the terry cloth surrogate did not provide food (Cherry, n.d., Para 7). Harlow placed infant monkeys in separate cages where they were introduced to both surrogates. In response to the surrogates, the infant monkeys quickly developed a strong attachment to the figures constructed with terry cloth and only turned to the wire-mesh surrogate for food. When faced with moments of distress, the infant monkeys quickly ran to the cloth surrogate in search for security and reassurance. The strength of the bond between the monkey and the surrogate was so intense that it even persisted after an eighteen-month separation (The Adoption History Project, n.d., Para 6).

In addition to attachment, Harlow’s experiment also, inadvertently, provided insight into the effects of neglect and emotional development. Reciprocal interaction is critical for emotional development to occur, and the infant monkeys were not provided with the option of joint interaction because they were only able to interact with the inanimate surrogate. As a result of their delayed emotional development, the monkeys experienced a very difficult time interacting with other monkeys. When the monkeys were allowed the opportunity to socialize, they exhibited misdirected aggression and antisocial behavior (The Adoption History Project, n.d., Para 6).

While today Harlow’s study raises ethical issues, his experiment should be judged in the context of its time. The findings of Harlow’s experiment had a critical role in our understanding of the connection between infancy attachment and social and cognitive development. In the study, the infant monkeys developed an attachment to the cloth surrogate because it offered a sense of security. Despite the sustenance provided by the wire-mesh surrogate, the monkeys choose to attach to the surrogate that resembled the physical characteristics of their mother. The soft terry cloth wrapped around the wire-mesh provided the monkeys with the physical security and warmth that their natural caregiver would provide. The lack of reciprocal interaction reveled the importance of healthy interaction and how it can influence social development.

Establishing a healthy attachment during infancy will directly impact a child for the rest of their life. An infant’s connection with a single caregiver has a direct impact on a child’s intellectual and emotional development. While many children are raised in a safe and healthy environment, some are, unfortunately, subjected to physical and emotional abuse and neglect. Every year, there are over three million reports of child abuse in the United States alone (Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse, n.d., Para. 1). As past research has demonstrated, the effects of neglect and abuse in early development will impact a child throughout their entire life. Early intervention aimed at effective parenting is a critical factor in slowing the progression of child abuse. Educating the public on the signs of child abuse and how to respond in situations of suspected abuse is also very important as well. The immediate effects of child abuse can be extremely damaging in itself, but the long term effects of the abuse, as research has shown, can be just as devastating.

Reference
Cherry, K. (n.d.). The Science of Love: Harry Harlow & the Nature of Affection. In About.com. Retrieved November 13, 2014, from http://psychology.about.com/od/historyofpsychology/p/harlow_love.htm

Kay Hall, S. E., & Geher, G. (2003). Behavioral and Personality Characteristics of Children with Reactive Attachment Disorder. The Journal of Psychology, 146-147.

Karr-Morse, R., & Wiley, M. S. (1997). Ghosts from the Nursery (pp. 185-200). New York, NY: Atlantic Monthly Press.

Lake, P. M. (2005, October). Recognizing Reactive Attachment Disorder. Children’s Mental Health, p. 42.

The Adoption History Project. (n.d.). Retrieved November 13, 2014, from http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~adoption/studies/HarlowMLE.htm


12
Nov 14

Secure vs. Fearful

relationships

There are several different styles of attachment; secure, preoccupied, fearful and dismissive. The secure attachment style is defined as being relatively easy to become emotionally close to others and being comfortable depending on others, as well as being comfortable with being alone (Schneider 2012). The fearful style is defined as being shy in social situations, having difficulty sharing with others due to fear of being rejected (Schneider 2012).

In my relationships I am very similar to statement number 1 on the list of attitudes towards close relationships; secure. I feel comfortable becoming close to somebody, and sharing intimate parts of myself with others. I’m not preoccupied with relationships. In my marriage I don’t worry about doing things independently from my husband, nor do I worry that he may not love me just because he went to watch the basketball game with his buddies. I find it interesting that my husband is more like statement number 3; fearful. However, it makes sense when I think about how he communicates compared to myself. I openly share a lot about my childhood, most experiences I’ve had growing up and in young adulthood. I share intimate details of my experiences, whether it is a day at work or an event I went to with my girlfriends. When I perceive an issue in our relationship, I can easily talk about how I’m feeling and find a way to resolve whatever it is, rather than worry about what he might think if I bring it up and let it fester. I trust that he will accept me and be there for me. He on the other hand has always been quite reserved with sharing intimate details of himself, his childhood, or even his day to day experiences. For instance he will say his day at work was “good” when all over his face is “I had a crappy day.”

We have been together for seventeen years. At one point, after our second child we just couldn’t seem to get it together. We finally decided to give counseling try, as we love each other deeply. A very good decision with a great outcome! How we communicate played a huge role in our discord. Now thinking about our attachment styles, how I’m comfortable and openly share myself and he is reserved and uncertain about how he will be perceived. Makes a lot of sense!

Schneider, F., Gruman, J., Coutts, L. (2012). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (2nd ed.). Los Angeles: Sage.


10
Nov 14

Infidelity and the Bystander Effect.

“Humankind can not bear very much reality”

T.S. Eliot

Infidelity and the Bystander Effect.

Photo Booth Library

We can find countless blogs, articles, studies, books, movies, shows, and quotes on infidelity and every possible explanation for it and the emotional wreckage it causes. What I don’t see is anyone talking about how crappy it feels when you find out that everyone at your gym, all of your mutual friends, or everyone at the office knew your partner was being unfaithful. The social psychological aspect of infidelity is fascinating however what I have always been curious about is the bystander effect as it relates to infidelity.

I’m sure we all have had some experience with this type of betrayal. My first personal experience with infidelity is when I first noticed this phenomenon and then once my eyes were open, I noticed its presence with every single example of infidelity where there was an on going affair. Almost everyone in my social group knew that my spouse was cheating. What I learned from my personal experience is the bystander effect is a strong force and the reason my spouse was able to continue such a lengthy affair. I remember my mom explaining to me the bystander effect when she was in college. I was in middle school and she thought it was a beneficial concept for females especially to understand because we can be a vulnerable population. She wanted me to understand it so that would be able to recognize it if I were in a situation that this presented I would be able adjust my actions. I didn’t make the connection between this effect and how it affects other situations until the second time I had someone cheat on me. Yikes eh? It’s okay, I have learned a great deal through the process…and look…I’m almost a genius because I’m making this connection.

The bystander effect is the phenomena that people are less likely to help someone in need when there are other bystanders present. The idea of diffusion of responsibility explains this to some extent by suggesting there is a diminished sense of responsibility. (Schneider, Gruman, Coutts 2013)

Now, I’m not suggesting that knowing about the infidelity of co-worker or best friends husband/boyfriend is the same kind of jerk that takes a picture or records a video instead of calling for help or helping in some way. What I am suggesting is that even though there is an explanation for why people don’t tell you your partner is cheating by way of the bystanders effect and diffusion of responsibility, the emotional crap storm that happens when you get cheated on is magnified when you find out there was a silent audience.

What makes us not help each other in some situations and not others? The diffusion of responsibility from bystanders of my spouse’s infidelity leads me to wonder what story they told themselves about why they didn’t speak up. Who did they think was responsible? Did they even think about it? Where is our empathy for others? Maybe we use the bystander effect to lightly and instead we have some soul searching to do as individuals and need to take some responsibility for the way we treat each other.

References

References
Eliot, T. (n.d.). Four Quartets – Wikiquote. Retrieved October 1, 2014, from http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Four_Quartets

Schneider, F. W., Gruman, J. A., & Coutts, L. M. (2012). Applied social psychology: Understanding and addressing social and practical problems. Los Angeles: Sage.


10
Nov 14

Redefining core beliefs just in time

Crossfit: Redefining my core beliefs

By: Robin

It’s been almost two years since I started my Crossfit journey. I stalked our local box on Facebook for a month until I finally had the guts to go in…I was so excited for this new fitness adventure but little did I know my life was about to change, I was about to gain the mental strength I needed to handle one of life’s tornados – Divorce. Crossfit gave me I was always athletic and loved sports but what I lacked was something that affects every aspect of our lives, affected every aspect of mine – Self-esteem. My lack of self-esteem was rooted in my personality stemming from uninvolved parenting style and an unhealthy set of beliefs. Self-esteem, confidence, good psychological health, no matter what term we use, our mental and emotional state of mind is the driving force behind our decisions.

Here comes my life raft.

Crossfit is “the sport of fitness” and defines fitness as increased work capacity across broad time and modal domains. Capacity is the ability to do real work, which is measurable using the basic terms of physics (force, distance and time). Life is unpredictable (much more so than sport) so real world fitness must be broad and not specialized, both in terms of duration and type of effort (time and modal domains). (Glassman, 2002) This brief definition doesn’t do justice to the overhaul and magnitude to which it changes lives. Crossfit also uses the term “functional fitness” relating to its practice and it means training and strengthening the muscles you need for challenges in life. It could be moving a couch, carrying your kids, health care workers lifting/moving patients, any physically or mentally taxing job, and even our own personal internal situations, the list could go on.
The workouts are tough, sometimes they are a short but intense 3 minuets and others are endurance focused at 20-30 minuets….and with both there are times you think you might actually die or that would rather give up than endure the pain. The amazing part is what is actually happening in those moments. You know you can’t give up…because (social learning theory) the people around you aren’t giving up, they are dripping with sweat, breathing heavy, and fighting….giving this workout all they’ve got. It’s in those last few moments of the workout when you want to quit or die that you produce mental strength to override that voice telling you to quit. Then, the timer goes off, the unpredictable, perceived stressor aka the workout that was unknown until you got to your Crossfit box that day and you are on the ground, feeling relief, it was painful but you didn’t quit, you might throw up but you are still alive and slightly stronger than you were yesterday. You are now more conditioned and better prepared to face the next unknown challenge, more confident in your abilities because you know you’ll be okay regardless of the pain, in fact…you begin to believe in yourself, you develop this understanding that fear doesn’t have to paralyze you, it can exist in your space but no longer control you. It’s how you perceive the fear and stressors, your belief that allow you to cope with stress.
The mental strength I gained from Crossfit is directly correlated to the fundamentals that it defines as fitness and how Social psychology is applied to health, well-being, and coping with stress. It changed me all the way down to my core.

Perceived Stressors of Life ( Schneider, Gruman, Coutts 2013)

1. Life is unpredictable and uncontrollable; the events related to divorce are unpredictable and perceived negatively for even more added stress.
2. Task(s) are large and or overloaded – The tasks associated to divorce are time consuming, require large amounts of energy, and are physically and emotionally draining.
3. Events are vague – The events, tasks, and outcomes of divorce are all vague. They take time and to figure out what needs to be done and what life transitions need to go in order.

Perceived Stressors of Crossfit (also the foundation)

1. Constantly Varied daily workout (unpredictable)– Work -outs are varied in movements, pace, intensity, and time.
2. Social motivation comes from the group setting to create a positive yet intense physical and emotionally demanding work out (tasks).
3. Approaching each workout and deciding how you will accomplish the tasks are intense. You could go fast and burn out before you get all the reps done or you could start too slow and not be able to finish but still have energy left….Ahhhh! This is the worst. Knowing you have more to give but there is no more time. Big life lesson ehh?

We all have a different perspective on stress and it comes from the beliefs we have in ourselves and our abilities to face any given situation. We need mental and emotional strength to handle the uncontrollable and unforgiving situations life gives us…like divorce and a solid belief system/perspective on our abilities in order to make good decisions. Crossfit has taught me; to believe in myself, understand my weaknesses, my reactions to fear, and how to be stong no matter what is happening, and that sometimes being strong means believing in yourself to not give up.

References

Glassman, G. (2002, April 1). What is CrossFit? Retrieved from http://journal.crossfit.com/2002/04/foundations.tpl

Schneider, F. W., Gruman, J. A., & Coutts, L. M. (2012). Applied social psychology: Understanding and addressing social and practical problems. Los Angeles: Sage.

"I can do this, I am strong, I will do this."

“I can do this, I am strong, I will do this.”


10
Nov 14

Bystanders of a Shooting

Violence can happen in any community at any point in time. Often times, violence can be witnessed and no one will come forward to help stop the action that they see. Some people may not help because they do not want to get involved and others may not feel that they need to help because other people will help. The bystander effect and diffusion of responsibility can give insight into reasons why people do not help when they view an act of violence.

The amount of people witnessing an act of violence is important when considering if people are going to help. Unfortunately, the more people that witness a crime the fewer amounts of help the crime will have. This is seen through the bystander effect, which is when there are several people who witness an emergency but none helps (Schneider, 2012).  While it could be thought that more people witnessing the event would result in more help, the amount of people could result in less knowing what is going on and less people realizing that it is an emergency (Aronson, Wilson, & Akert, 2013). This lack of knowledge could cause those witnesses to think that help is not needed. Also, even if someone knows that it is an emergency, there may be a lack of knowledge regarding what needs to be done to help.

Diffusion of responsibility could also cause witnesses to not help with an emergency. With this, those who witness an emergency may fail to help because they think that other people are going to help (Schneider, 2012). When there are more people viewing the emergency, others do not have a sense of responsibility to help (Aronson, Wilson, & Akert, 2013). If each witness feels that someone else is helping, there will end up being no help in the emergency. Unfortunately, if no one is helping the emergency could become worse.

In another course, I have previously learned about the bystander effect and diffusion of responsibility. While we have learned about this, we also were to watch a video on an example of bystanders. When in a public area in broad daylight, a person shot at another person. When this was going on, many people were surrounded and saw this happening. Out of all the people viewing this, one women called 911 and a man had tackled the shooter. Other than them, no one helped and tried to stop the shooter as he was walking away from the crime. There were even camera men filming the crime while it happened and all they did was point at the shooter when he walked by them. This pointing did let the one who tackled the guy know who had committed the crime.

(here is the clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6oQNnPIa2g)

Through bystander effect and diffusion, it is seen why people do not help with and emergency. Although it would be nice to think that the more people viewing a crime would allow more people to help stop it, this is not the case. It is important to understand that not everyone is going to help with an emergency, especially when there are more people witnessing the crime. If people are aware of an emergency and know how to help, there is a better chance that they will help.

References

Aronson, E., Wilson, T. D., & Akert, R. M. (2013). Social Psychology (8th ed.).  Upper Saddle

River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Schneider, F. W., Gruman, J. A., and Coutts, L. M. (Eds.) (2012). Applied Social Psychology:

Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications


10
Nov 14

Natural born bullies?

66% of social media-using teens have reported witnessing online cruelty as well as as witnessing other joining in the harassment. 90% of social media-using teens have ignored cruel behavior on social media (Enough is enough,2011). We currently live in a world that relies on media. Media may have positive effects like cultural and political awareness as well as negative effects such as glorifying negative behaviors as well as cyber bullying. Negative behaviors such as cyber bullying are spread through social learning theory. This blog will discuss the recent increase in cyber bullying through social learning theory, its effect and ways we can decrease bullying online.

 

Garnering over 55 million post a day instagram is an ever increasing popular photo/video based social site (about health,2014). While instagram is a place to share your life with family and friends, it is also becoming a playground for internet bullies. Bullying via instagram may include posting malicious or embarrassing photos, posting cruel remarks under a photo or video viewable for others, tagging others to particular photo/video in order to spread image and garner attention, creating fake accounts in others names, as well as posting private messages for others to view.

 

This relates through social psychology through social learning theory. According to Applied Social Psychology, social learning theory centers around learned behaviors (criminal activity) that develop through interactions and experiences with the social environment. This may include observing and imitating criminal behavior of others and receiving positive consequences such as peer approval from others (Coutts, Gruman, Schneider, 2012).

 

Because we live in a culture where media permeates nearly all aspects, it is unreasonable and nearly impossible to remove it from teenagers lives. Cyber bullying is a learned behavior which means it can be unlearned.It is important to recognize that cyber bullying is an ever increasing problem which needs immediate intervention. A possible solution to cyber bullying would include media appeals. Since media is being utilized to taunt other it can also be utilized to promote empathy and positive social behavior. Goals of this intervention include holding people accountable for their bullying behavior and decreasing bullying online. The intervention would be implemented through commercials on instagram as well as celebrity spokesperson to spread awareness. Commercials would include appeals to children as well as parents. Potential messages may be to keep computes in easily viewable places, talking regularly with children about online activity and etiquette(About health, 2014). Adolescents should have a healthy balance of exposure to media and should be open to other activities. This may include getting involved in intellectual and physical stimulating activities that promote mental, social and physical health. (Mokeyane,2013). For an example of an successful celebrity spokesperson appeal of anti bullying please click the link below.

Taylor Swift tells bullied teen keep walking in the sunlight. http://www.today.com/popculture/taylor-swift-sends-touching-instagram-message-bullied-teen-fan-1D80126920

It is also imperative that all appeals promote empathy as well as inform the public of the dangers of cyber bullying. Impact of this intervention may include decreasing cyber bullying statistics, promote reporting of cyber bullying as well as promoting media outlets to create measures against cyber bullying.

You don’t need to be a cape to help someone all you need is a voice. Don’t be afraid to use yours.

 

REFERENCES

About Health.( 2014). 8 Ways Kids are Using Instagram to Bully. Retrieved from: http://bullying.about.com/od/Cyberbullying/fl/8-Ways-Kids-Are-Using-Instagram-to-Bully.htm

Coutts, L., Gruman, J., Schneider, F., (2012). Applied Social Psychology Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (Second ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

Enough is Enough.,(2011). Cyberbullying Statistics. Retrieved from:http://www.internetsafety101.org/cyberbullyingstatistics.htm

Mokeyane, K.N., (2013). Media’s Positive & Negative Influence on Teenagers. Retrieved from:http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/medias-positive-negative-influence-teenagers-10506.html


09
Nov 14

Importance of education

As we grow and learn, we are able to understand ourselves and the world around us. When considering our youth and how they grow, a critical part of this process can be seen through education.  Our education is where we begin to develop important strategies in life. Academic self-concept and self-determination theory are important on how we understand who we are when thinking about education.

As students, we compare ourselves and our academics to those around us. The way we feel and our perceptions of our academic ability and the students around us is referred to as our academic self-concept (Schneider, 2012). When we look at how we feel about our school work and how we feel about others work around us, we may find that we are motivated by what we feel and see (Schneider, 2012). As we feel that we can do better or that others are doing better than we are, we are motivated to do our best to become achieve the accomplishments that we would like to achieve. With this knowledge, it is also known that the older we get, the more important it is for us to do well and the more important it is for us to do well (Schneider, 2012). If we have high academic self-concept, we are more likely to achieve academically. With that being said, the better we do in school, the higher academic self-concept we have (Schneider, 2012).

With regard to self-determination theory, the student’s desire comes into action. This theory looks into the question of what the reason is for learning a task. With this, does the student wish to learn this, or is this something that the teachers or society wants them to learn (Schneider, 2012). When students wish to learn information on their own, they have motivation and wish to succeed academically. With motivation, self-determination has an impact on the academic achievement (Schneider, 2012).

As I think about my academics, I have always been motivated to do my best. I have always been aware of how others were doing around me compared to how I was doing. My academic self-concept was more positive growing up because by being aware of others, I motivated myself to do as well as them  and even try to do better than them. Since I have an identical twin sister, we always felt that we had to compete against each other in school. Unfortunately for me, I had to work harder to do well in school than she did. It always seemed that she could get the same grade as me even if she did not open up her book to study. By viewing how well she was doing, I was determined to do well also. My self-determination helped me take the initiative to go out of my way to spend time learning and studying on my own. With this determination and studying, I was able to do well in school. As I got older, the success that I had in school allowed me to feel good about my academics and take more courses than I originally thought I would. The better I got, the more positive academic self-concept I had.

Through academic self-concept and the self-determination theory, students are motivated to do well in school. As students take the time to learn and understand the material, the more motivated they are and the better they will feel about their academics. With regard to their future, this is important because higher education means making more money.

References

Schneider, F. W., Gruman, J. A., and Coutts, L. M. (Eds.) (2012). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications


09
Nov 14

Virtual communities and their significance

Virtual communities

1
When we think of community’s we often think of the neighborhood or city we live in. However communities can take on many different forms even in today’s society with all the technology. When I think of community it’s a place where you know a lot of people and you join together to better your community and those in. However as this week’s lesson indicates populations today have become so large and mobile that it is sometimes hard to form relationships with those around you (Psych424, PSU WC L. 11).
People within a community who feel isolated from those physically around them sometimes choose to turn to online communities to meet people and form the relationships they long for. One common example of this is Facebook. This is a huge social networking site where you can stay in contact with different types of communities. It may be your childhood friends, college friends, or a potential love interest. The concern here is if technology and social communities will isolate people from their family or from reality and the things they need to face daily in their physical lives.

11

According to Ridings and Gefen (2006) a person will join online communities for a sense of belonging and a way to gain a self-identity. Sometimes people feel that they cannot get the social support they need from coworkers or family so they find it online with people who are often strangers. The issue with this is that it can often become dangerous when these relationships become serious in the sense that you choose to meet someone you have become “friends” with. Due to the fact that physical communities are so large often these online communities allow the individual to find communities or friends whom are interested in similar activities or have similar issues and situation that match their own, allowing for understanding and support (Ridings et al 2006).
As this week’s lessons it pointed out that not all online communities are beneficial. For example ass the lesson indicated sites that promote things like, anorexia, eating disorders, bullying or harm to one’s self or others can be harmful for those who join (Psych424, PSU WC L. 11). In addition it can cause isolation to occur as we have already discussed.

12

The main issue is to make sure that these communities do not overtake our real life situations and the need to work, and support ourselves and our families. Finding support that is healthy is ok in proportions but should be also found within our family and friends or possibly with a treatment specialist who can also give us the support and understanding we may feel we are lacking.

 

References

Pennsylvania State University World Campus (2014, October). PSYCH 424 Lesson 11: Community
. Retrieved from https://courses.worldcampus.psu.edu/fa14/psych424/001/content/12_lesson/04_page.html
Ridings, C. M., & Gefen, D. (2006). Virtual Community Attraction: Why People Hang Out Online. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 00.


09
Nov 14

The Red Cross

Communities have always been a constant factor in our everyday life, something that we come into contact with everyday and are involved with even when we are unaware. Even though communities are prevalent in our society there are some communities that can be considered as more important than others. In this term I mean the work done by the Red Cross. The Red Cross is an organization that is dedicated to helping others not just in the United States but world wide. This organization was founded by Clara Barton in 1881 during the Civil War and assisted in helping the war-injured as well as disaster relief efforts (Our History, n.d.).  

There have been many circumstances in the past where the Red Cross has brought together a group of people in order to help fight for a better cause, in this effort they formed communities of volunteers who were willing to help. These include natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Sandy, tornado devastation in the Southeast and Midwest United States, and most recently the Ebola break out to name a few. In 2012 it has been recorded that the Red Cross responded to 2,328 fires, building collapses, blackouts, floods, and other emergency situations (Disaster Response, n.d.). They also assisted 12,172 adults as well as children with shelter, food, and counseling following these disasters (Disaster Response, n.d.).

With most aspects of a community several people wish to focus more on the negative aspects that arise from the presence of a community. The Red Cross is an example that not all communities experience the bystander effect and other subjects related to the matter. There are some in the fray that go out of their way to help others who are need although the numbers are low. With the recent Ebola outbreak in West Africa as well as the United States, there have been about 8,000 volunteers who have been trained that have been prepared to help an estimated 39 million people (West Africa, n.d.).

m38940093_763x400-ebola-protective-gear

As well as services for those in need and emergency reliefs, the Red Cross provides information as well as training and certification to help in emergency situations. With these available services they wish to spread educational information that will hopefully reduce the inactivity that is found among others during an emergency situation.

 

 

References:

Disaster Response Statistics & Map. (n.d.) American Red Cross. Retrieved from http://www.redcross.org/ny/new-york/about-us/disaster-response-statistics

Our History. (n.d.) American Red Cross. Retrieved from http://www.redcross.org/about-us/history

West Africa: Ebola Outbreak. (n.d.) American Red Cross. Retrieved from http://www.redcross.org/ebolaoutbreak


09
Nov 14

Bystander Intervention: Direct, Distract, Delegate

Catherine Genovese

In 1964 a 28 year old woman by the name of Catherine Genovese was murdered and raped in Queens New York by Winston Moseley (Gado, 2014). 38 people had witness the assault and murder of Catherine Genovese (Gado, 2014). The witnesses lived in the apartment buildings across the street, and also in her own apartment building (Gado, 2014). “We thought it was a lover’s quarrel,” “I thought they were some kids having some fun,” and “These things happen all over the world, the stories were only giving us a black eye,” were heard from the witnesses when interviewed (Gada, 2014). Other witnesses said, “Frankly, we were afraid,” “I didn’t want my husband to get involved,” “We went to the window to see what was happening, but the light from our bedroom made it difficult to see the street,” and “I was tired (Gada, 2014).” One witness wanted to call the police but his wife stopped him, “I told him there must have been 30 calls already (Gada, 2014).” Why the hesitation?

Stimulus overload is defined as a concept used to describe a condition where our own nervous system becomes overwhelmed to the point that we no longer can simultaneously respond to everything that is occurring in our environment (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012). Because of stimulus overload we prioritize and select where we want to focus our attention in an effort to adapt and overcome stimulus overload (Schneider et al., 2012). There are six psychological retreats used to adapt stimulus overload: (1) rushing through social situations, (2) prioritize what we pay attention to, (3) set up structures to take out the personal element, (4) erect barriers to social interactions, (5) we use filters, and (6) we created specialized agencies to deal with particular problems (Schneider et al., 2012). All six of these psychological retreats play into the diffusion of responsibility (observers do not help because they believe others who are observing are helping) which ultimately plays into the bystander effect (multiple people witness an emergency situation and fail to intervene) (Schneider et al., 2012). It is clearly evident the 38 witnesses who failed to intervene in the Catherine Genovese case suffered from stimulus overload, and the diffusion of responsibility. How can this be changed? First, I fully believe knowledge and education is the key.

Active Duty Sexual Assault Statistics

For the past couple years, sexual assault has been hitting sky level statistics in the military. As a certified Department of Defense (DoD) Uniformed Victim Advocate (UVA), I have seen a change in the teaching strategies within the United States Marine Corps (USMC) with regards to sexual assault prevention. For years we would receive basic annual training on sexual assault. This training would provide our Marines and Sailors the basic information on defining sexual assault, defining consent, and the victim reporting options and procedures. Over the course of the last few years, however, the training has become more tailored. For example, our Non-Commissioned Officers (Corporals (E4) and Sergeants (E5)) are required to participate in “Take a Stand” training which essentially teaches them how to effectively be a leader and provide basic training in bystander intervention techniques in an attempt to prevent sexual assault. This year (2014) the Marine Corps has taken it a step further and has made it mandatory that our Lance Corporals and below (E1-E3) receive specific training that is centered on the bystander intervention techniques.

The bystander intervention techniques that are taught to our young Marines in detail are (1) direct, (2) distract, (3) delegate. With the direct technique, the bystander literally steps in to intervene. “Hey man, you really should leave her alone. I see how you are treating her and I can tell she does not like it.” Through the distraction technique, the bystander distracts the perpetrator in some way such as, “Hey! Is that the lead singer of Kiss over there?!” in order to remove the perpetrator from the situation, or to remove the potential victim. Through the delegate technique the bystander grabs help. Someone whom he/she feels can successfully dissolve the situation before it takes place. It can be a bouncer, bartender, a friend of the perpetrator, or even a friend of the potential victim.

Would any of these techniques – if used – have been successful at stopping Catherine Genovese’s assailant? I believe so. Her murderer had been distracted initially when one of the witnesses yelled down, “Hey, leave that girl alone (Gada, 2014)!” The assailant fled the scene and then returned to continue with his intentions to murder and rape Catherine Genovese (Gada, 2014). Had the spouse told her husband (delegate) to call the police instead of staying out of it – Catherine Genovese would probably have survived that evening (Gada, 2014). Despite the assailant being armed with a knife, had one of the neighbors went downstairs and directly intervened, she also would probably have survived the attack.

In conclusion – I strongly believe we need to be teaching bystander intervention techniques not just at the college level, but also in the high school level to ensure the education is reaching everyone. The techniques do work when properly executed, but in order for proper execution – one must be taught how to use them.

John Wooden

References
Grado, M. (2014). The Kitty Genovese Murder. Crime Library. Turner Entertainment Networks, Inc.

Schneider, F.W., Gruman, J.A., & Coutts, L.M. (2012). Applied Social Psychology Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (Second ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.


08
Nov 14

Would You Stop to Help?

At 10:40 on a Wednesday morning, Aaron Bentley, an eighty-six-year-old World War II veteran, stopped to fuel up at a busy Detroit gas station. While Bentley was pumping fuel, a carjacker knocked him down, grabbed the car keys and drove off with his vehicle. Unable to walk because he broke his leg during the attack, Bentley began crawling towards the gas station to get help (Karoub, 2012, Para. 3). While he crawled across the busy parking lot, onlookers passed over the eighty-six-year-old man and never stopped to help. When Bentley finally approached the gas station, “he asked a woman to open the door for him.” He said, “at first it appeared she wasn’t going to but she did and then kept walking” (Karoub, 2012, Para. 6). Bentley said “people were passing me just like I wasn’t there. I was crawling, and they just walk by me like I’m not there” (as cited in Karoub, 2012, Para. 5).

Bentley’s experience is a classic example of the bystander effect, which “occurs when multiple people who witness an emergency situation fail to intervene” (Schneider, Gruman & Coutts, 2012, P. 280). There are a number of documented cases involving people that do not offer help to the victim if other bystanders are present. Diffusion of responsibility is believed to be partly to blame for the bystander effect. When other people are around, people feel less obligated to intervene because “they believe that others will help” (Schneider, Gruman & Coutts, 2012, P. 280). Unfortunately, people’s unwillingness to intervene and help the victim in a dangerous situation has had devastating consequences. In 1964, Kitty Genovese, a twenty-eight year old woman, was attacked and stabbed to death outside her apartment. Aware that was confrontation and that the women may be in possible danger, nearby neighbors neglected to call police because they “just didn’t want to get involved” (10 Notorious Cases of Bystander Effect, 2009, Para. 34). If her neighbors had become active bystanders and called the police, Genovese could have very well survived the attack. Her neighbor’s decision to not get involved may have cost Genovese her life.

Being informed and educating others on the influence and the consequences of the bystander effect and diffusion of responsibility is critical. Understanding how the presence of others can influence behavior will allow people to more mindful of their behavior and reactions in situations that involve a person or animal in distress. When focusing on preventative measures for overcoming the bystander effect, it is important to understand that the impact of an unfamiliar or shocking situation can also result in a diffusion of responsibility. When confronted with an uncommon situation, people will often assess the response of others to determine how they should react. If observers are unresponsive, others may feel less obligated to get involved. Reflecting on a crisis and actually being at the scene of an emergency certainly have different effects but taking time to think about possible incidents and practicing a course of action is a good way to prepare if the situation were to occur. Getting involved in emergency training programs and partaking in CPR certification training is also very beneficial in preparing for crisis intervention. Discovering ways to overcome the bystander effect and choosing to assume a helping role may not only help an individual in need but it may be a critical decision that determines life or death.

Reference

Karoub, J. (2012, February 25). WWII vet says nobody helped after he was carjacked. In Yahoo News. Retrieved November 6, 2014, from http://news.yahoo.com/wwii-vet-says-nobody-helped-carjacked-212827755.html

10 Notorious Cases of Bystander Effect. (2009, November 2). In Listverse . Retrieved from http://listverse.com/2009/11/02/10-notorious-cases-of-the-bystander-effect

Frank, S. W., Jamie, G. A., & Larry, C. M. (2012). Applied Social Psychology Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (2nd ed., p. 280). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.


08
Nov 14

Stigma of Substance Use Disorders or Addiction

A few blog posts ago I wrote about the stigma of mental health disorders such as Depression, Anxiety, Bi-Polar, and Schizophrenia. Since then I have been thinking about how much we hear in the news both locally and nationally about people having issues with and problems caused because of the use of drugs and alcohol (which is also a mental health disorder). If you are not aware substance use disorders are also laid out for diagnosis in the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and reside beside other disorders such as the ones I mentioned earlier. I am surprised when I hear people discuss these issues surrounding drugs and alcohol and realize they have no idea that most of these people are probably suffering from a disease. I am blown away that people still believe that substance use disorders are a moral failing or a choice. Probably surprising to some but the American Medical Association has deemed Alcoholism as a disease since 1956!  Because of this I have decided to devote another blog to reducing stigma! Stigmatization is defined as “labeling someone as being deviant, different or flawed.”

Substance use disorders are commonly treated as a moral failing or a criminal issue rather than a public health problem/issue. Probably if you asked someone what an addict or alcoholic looks like they would still refer to a guy in a trench coat with a brown paper bag living under the bridge. When really the disease of addiction can fit on any face, age, race, sexual preference in the world. In the 1920’s the disease model became prevalent trying to distinguish what was a disease and what was not. With the technology of the time they could not see a defect in a organ associated with addiction so they discounted it as a disease. Although they did see symptoms associated with it but they are behaviors and are not very desirable so it made things worse. Which is now why most people say addiction is a moral failing or a criminal issue because all they can see the symptoms which are deviant. Much newer research has revealed to us much more about addiction. We do know now that the brain is the affected organ and it is a defect in the pleasure system which in turn leads to an obsession and compulsion that can hardly be called a choice. We also know that it begins with a genetic vulnerability much like many other diseases. I do not see people getting blamed and stigmatized for having a genetic vulnerability for cancer and developing it. With the new research out there we now not that coupled with the genetic vulnerability once a person begins using drugs or alcohol for a period of time the brain gets very confused. It begins to relate the drugs and alcohol with survival. The survival hierarchy is normally eat, kill, sex but the drug ends up taking the number one spot. It makes sense when considering addicts will end up choosing the drugs over everything ultimately destroying their lives and ending up in jails, institutions, or dead.

imagesT5F2UQ1U

The image above is showing what area’s of the brain addiction effects. It showcases two chemicals Dopamine (Pleasure) and Glutamate (Memory) which are two of the main culprits as far as chemicals with addiction. Drugs and Alcohol producer higher levels of Dopamine (Pleasure) being released in the brain than anything else in the world. When this happens Glutamate remembers it. Dopamine knowing it has never felt anything so good wants more and Glutamate remembering it says go get it. This is when any rational thinking becomes practically nonexistent and the brain begins to link the drug with survival causing all sorts of problems.

I can understand why people want to say that it must be a choice or a moral failing because people do some very sad and undesirable things when they are addicted which end up hurting others and themselves. I do believe times need to change though and people need to get educated on what addiction is and how we can play a part in solving the public health issue not making it worse. Recent studies say that we now have over 6 million people incarcerated in the U.S. and half of those are drug and alcohol related and a huge number are non-violent. I think also the stigma adds to people seeking help for addiction. People do not want to be known as “one of those people” so they try to stop themselves and find out they cant and many die in the process of trying to do so. I think that a lot of addiction is about how people view themselves and I think we have a society that because of the stigma makes people feel more like outsiders and therefore more difficult to recover. I think the solution to reducing the stigma of addiction is what I am doing right now…I am giving people a little education about a disease we hear about everyday but never ask any questions. I also think we need public advocacy. I think we need someone like the president to finally stand up and say that what we are doing is not working and finally change plans.

Schneider, F. (2012). Applied social psychology: Understanding and addressing social and practical problems (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, Calif.: SAGE Publications.

Rancho Mirage – How Addiction Lights Up Our Brains by Lange, Ph.D., MFT (Rancho Mirage – How Addiction Lights Up Our Brains by Lange, Ph.D., MFT) http://garylangephd.com/how-addiction-lights-up-our-brains.html


05
Nov 14

Why I Contribute to the Stimulus Overload

When grocery shopping, most people walk from aisle to aisle, comparing the products and judging the products’ worth in their minds, and sometimes even out loud. It would be silly to imagine humans, specifically women, sitting on grocery store shelves so that men could walk by and judge them aloud, right? Not quite. Unfortunately I have experienced what it would be like to be a product, rather than a person. This cruel event happened not once, but everyday on my walk to and from classes at my previous university in Columbus, Ohio. This is exactly the reason why myself and hundreds of other students across the campus took to their technological devices, so as not to be bothered by hecklers on the street because they appeared “busy”.

Everyday after getting out of my car, I immediately placed my headphones in my ears so that the disgusting gestures and words directed towards me on my walk to class would seem to go unnoticed. If I felt exceptionally uncomfortable or worse, unsafe, I would dig my cell phone out of my book bag and call my mother or my fiancé until I made it into the building. Along with being treated inappropriately by passersby on the street, I would often be approached by homeless persons begging for change. As many of my peers knew, it was unwise to tell a homeless person know because they would proceed to curse your name and follow you down the street. This was also a type of stigmatization towards homeless people on campus. Stigmatization is defined as “labeling someone as being deviant, different, or flawed in some way” (Schneider, Gruman & Coutts, 2012, pg.284). Even though some of the homeless people on campus were nice, college students often avoided them because they were infamous for being rude and dangerous.

One might think that it is ridiculous to feel unsafe or uncomfortable, even with these inappropriate characters lurking about because there are so many people around. Unfortunately, the bystander effect and diffusion of responsibility were prevalent on the campus. I, myself, am guilty of ignoring the fact that I just heard a young male sexually harass another female student by continuing on my way to class like nothing happened. There were various cases of diffusion of responsibility as female students were constantly raped at parties and the fellow students assumed that someone else had reported it to the police, only to find that the story had gone untold.

Knowing the potential dangers that the people around us hold, I think it is reasonable to contribute to the stimulus overload. It has become widely acceptable to see someone completely in a trance by their text message or blaring music through their headphones. Although this method of avoiding danger has proven effective, it can however, decrease your chances of social interaction in any given day.

 

 

Schneider, F., Gruman, J., & Coutts, L. (2012). Applying Social Psychology to the            Media. In Applied Social Psychology (Second ed., pp. 280-284). New Delhi:   SAGE Publications.


05
Nov 14

Water to Survive

As many of us know about 60% or so of the human body is made up of… you guessed it, water! Well water is a resource that as humans we need to survive, however we use it for many other things as well. For example we use water for daily hygiene, cooking, cleaning, watering our plants etc. We often take water for granted. For example we take unnecessarily long showers, we allow the water to run when we brush our teeth, and we water our driveways (why?). There are many ways we can reduce our water use and reserve the very small amount we actually have however we choose to ignore the signs.

This week I the class content I learned that ocean water (salt water) can be filtered to make it fresh water but that it is an expensive process. Although the resources to perform this task may be daunting it may be worth it over time considering the amount of water we use not just in this country but the world in general. Another great point is the fact that we use excessive amounts of bottled water. A great point made in the lesson was that bottled water is often nothing more than tap water or spring water that companies make you believe are better for you but really it’s the same. In general bottled water is actually worse because as they filter it they take out natural minerals such as fluoride in most cases that is good for your teeth (PSU,Psych424 L4, P.3).

The first thing that comes to mind when I think about water is the ongoing drought in California, when researching it I learned that this is the 3rd year that the drought has been going on although I don’t remember hearing about it much until this year (Koba, CNBC 2014). In addition I found some disturbing photos that show how bad the drought really is:

1

EarthJustice.com, Justin Sullivan Getty Images

This picture shows a car that was once sitting at the bottom of a reservoir however is not sitting on a dried empty lake bed. This is not the only spring, lake or reservoir in California to be in this condition. The most disturbing thing I learned was that even with all this drought and water shortages company’s such as Nestle are still using this state to collect their water for their bottled water. How is this possible with all the laws and restrictions that the state has on water usage? Well the sneaky thing about it is that Nestle uses water that is located on Native Tribal land and therefore is not under state control. According to Mark Koba from CNBC (2014) “Nestle owns and operates Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water, which has been bottling water from a spring in Millard Canyon, California, some 80 miles east of Los Angeles. It also makes water under its Pure Life brand from the same source, which is located on the Morongo Indian Reservation. Nestle pays the tribe for the water. Because the reservation is considered a sovereign nation, it’s not under any obligation to comply with state laws concerning the drought.”

 

To better understand exactly what parts of America currently have droughts and how bad they are compared to California where nestle is taking this water I have attached a chart below curtsy of CNBC;

2

 

If we really feel that it is necessary to filter our water it would be much more cost effective and resource efficient to buy a Brita and filter our own tap water! We must begin to reserve our resources by changing our way of thinking about them. There are many ways to reserve water, I feel the first step is to consume less of it starting with drinking less bottled water.

 

 

Resources

Jordan-Bloch, C. (2014). The california Drought. Retrieved from Earth Justuce: http://earthjustice.org/slideshow/the-california-drought?gclid=CP6uzpHH8sACFSMV7AoddEcAqw

Koba, M. (2014, August 7). California drought can’t stop production of bottled water. Retrieved from CNBC: http://www.cnbc.com/id/101892496#.

Pennsylvania State University World Campus (2014, September). PSYCH 424 Lesson 4:     The Environment. Retrieved from https://courses.worldcampus.psu.edu/fa14/psych424/001/content/05_lesson/04_page.html

 


03
Nov 14

Measures to Reduce Effects of Bullying

A little over a year ago a young man in our community took his own life. It was the devastating result of having been a victim of relentless bullying by his peers. His parents tried to address the issue through the school system, attempted to engage in discussions with the parents of the other kids that were harassing their son. They tried to resolve the issue using every resource they could think of, and then finally removed him from public school to do homeschooling. The bullying didn’t cease with this change. Through emails, social media, and texts their son was still being harassed. Since this very sad and unfortunate outcome of bullying, there has been a lot of emphasis on anti-bullying in our town. There have been articles in the local paper, and an anti-bullying campaign in our local schools.
Bullying is a real life issue that affects many people. It is aggressive behavior that can have detrimental effects that can have a lifelong impact, or in some cases the victim may choose to take their own life to escape the torment that bullying can cause. Since the dawn of time bullies have taken a toll on their victims, though before the onset of the internet the bullying took place in one designated space such as school or at work. The victim would be relieved of the destructive nature of the bully once he or she was safely out of school or home from work. These days a bully can reach their victim via the internet, using email or social media sites to harass their victim.
About 56% of students have been witness to bullying in school(http://www.bullyingstatistics.org). There different types of aggressive behaviors that are considered bullying. To begin with and most obvious, would be any sort of physical violence. This could be hitting, pushing, tripping, or any other physical act with the intent to scare or hurt another person. There is also verbal bullying which is depicted as name calling, harassment, or even making violent threats. There is also cyberbullying which is bullying but in the form of texts, emails, or abusive use on a social media site. This type of bullying can be violent threats, verbal abuse, or sharing of information with the intent to embarrass the victim.

bullying
Though bullying may not cease to exist, there are measures that can be taken to lessen the impact it may have on the lives of our children. To begin with parents can take an active role in teaching their children to be respectful of others, to have empathy and to not make fun of those who may be different from themselves. In addition, parents can encourage open communication so that if a child is a victim or a witness to this type of aggression he or she will feel comfortable confiding in a parent or another adult such as a teacher or the school nurse. If a child is the bully, offer rehabilitative options such as counseling or a class to help manage aggressive behavior. Parents can also monitor their children’s use of the internet from home, as well as content being shared on their cell phones. This way a parent can keep an eye out as to whether their child may be a victim or the bully. In addition schools can change their policies in order to reduce the negative effects that bullying has on students.

References

Statistics for bullying retrieved on November 2, 2014 from the World Wide Web: http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/bullying-statistics-2010.html

Schneider, F., Gruman, J., Coutts, L. (2012). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (2nd ed.). Los Angeles: Sage.


03
Nov 14

It’s Not You, It’s Me

I amMark_Rosen a volleyball coach for high school and club teams. As such, I have always prided myself on being able to pick out a good player. Even before I have seen them in action, I have said to myself, “that girl can play.” After reading up on the subject of education in our textbook, I realize that this might not be because I am a smart volleyball super-genius. Unfortunately, I think I may be guilty of creating a self-fulfilling prophecy.

A self-fulfilling prophecy is when one’s expectations of another influence the perceptions and behaviors toward them. These perceptions and behaviors then, in turn, cause the other person to act in a way that confirms these expectations (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012, pg 204).

Lets take an example to better show you what I mean. Two girls walk into the gym, player A and player B. I tell myself player A is going to be good. I also tell myself, player B is never going to amount to anything. As a result, I spend a lot of time working with player A. Giving her good feedback, push her to constantly give 100% effort, and I spend extra time explaining things to her. Also, because of my thoughts on player B’s lack of skill, I spend very little time with her, I don’t push her as hard, and I don’t give her as much feedback. Over the course of a season, player A gets much better, much faster than player B. I then tell myself, “What a great eye for talent you have coach.”

When in reality, my expectations about each player (player A will be much better than player B) have influenced my behavior toward them (I spend more quality time with player A). This behavior then causes player A to get much better than player B, or in other words, they confirm my expectations. When my expectations are confirmed, I tell myself what a great coach I am. When you put it in these terms, I think there could be the self-fulfilling prophecy in action.

Since this is applied social psychology, my attention naturally turns to implementing an intervention. Step 1 has already been explained; the problem is I may be creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. So what are the precipitating and perpetuating factors? A precipitating factor has to be my inner dialogue. Telling myself who can play before I see them play. The perpetuating factor would then be spending more high quality time with players I have told myself will be good.

With these factors identified, I can now begin to design the program activities. First, I must reserve judgment. Next, I must try to keep track of the amount of timkarch coachinge spent with each player and ensure that the time is roughly equivalent and of equal quality. Third, I must hold every player to the same standard of effort. So in order to implement this intervention, I will need a sheet of paper with the player’s names and the ability to mark when I gave them feedback. Next I will need rules that are equally enforced amongst all players. For example, hustle after every ball, call every ball, and cheer for your teammates.

To evaluate myself, I would go through the sheet and make sure I had roughly the same amount of feedback for each player. I would also have to videotape practice and make sure every girl was punished, every time she broke one of the rules. I would also quantify the quality of the feedback with this tape. For example, “good job” would be considered bad feedback because of lack of specificity, whereas “excellent footwork on your approach” would be considered good feedback.

Basically I need to make sure that the differences in their improvement over a season is due to their ability and hard work, not to my selective coaching. I feel like I owe it to the girls to give each one of them a fair chance to get better. Hopefully this intervention will better allow that to happen.

References

Schneider, F. W., Gruman, J. A., and Coutts, L. M. (2012). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.


02
Nov 14

What Motivates You to Learn Online?

The modern education system has changed drastically over the last decade with distant learning now being available from colleges, even reputable colleges. Online students are growing every year and giving some students who wouldn’t have had a chance to attend class now a way of completing their education. It’s a great effect of technology and providing an opportunity to many more people than ever before. A lot of people who have never attended an online class ask me how I keep disciplined enough to get assignments done and how do I stay motivated, well here’s a little look into motivation and education of any kind.

hires1

I base my motivation on the self-determination theory and for those who may not be quite familiar with the definition it “is the degree to which an individual sees him- or herself as being autonomous and having a choice in actions and behaviors, without feeling pressured to behave in a particular manner” (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012). For me it is the willingness from within to further my education and the absence from outside pressure to do so. But it’s not completely without extrinsic motivation as in today’s world a college degree will get you better jobs and higher pay which is a consideration as well. Having an intrinsic type motivation I think is the main ammunition behind successful students. We want to learn because we love learning and now with online learning available many of us now how a real chance to indulge in this passion.

Online does have its disadvantages like any other classroom and that can be the lack of engagement in coursework. Some classes you wish you could take over and over and others you never want to hear mentioned, ever again. I think it could be harder for teachers teaching online to engage their students because it’s still a new format. In a research article an online teacher mentions that “people need to remind themselves that educators are also learners who go through ‘waves of development and stages of growth with regard to technology’” but the goal is always to have student engagement (Boling, Hough, Krinsky, Saleem and & Stevens, 2012). It’s an aspect I never looked out when a class wasn’t everything I hoped it to be, sometimes it made me question my self-determination, was it fading? But no, we all go through rough stages.

Students look to have their motivation enhanced every once in a while to make sure we’re still doing this for ourselves and haven’t fallen too much on an extrinsic type factor. In a research study they found that positive feedback from instructors helped to enhance intrinsic motivation but it also had reinforce autonomy of the student (Deci, Vallerand, Pelletier and & Ryan, 1991). Often our only interaction as online students is with our professor and mainly through coursework so it can be a challenge on both ends to create an environment rich in engagement and intrinsic type motivation. Also many classes it feels like you are just reading and learning solely to be tested and not to applying it to your real world and “optimal learning [is] conceptual understanding and the flexible use of knowledge” (Deci et al., 1991). For those students who are self-determined there may be an edge to education because it our choice to go, not our parents or society’s, and this motivation may help in our success of achieving our degrees.

Expertise To Achive Online Education

One thing is for sure, I am thankful for online learning as it has given back a thirst for knowledge I feared would be out of my grasp to attain again. Not only do I love learning again but I am also proud to be able to do it at a college of my choice. As my self-determination is an intrinsic motivator to learn more and achieve by my choice and only by my choice. I also gained a respect for instructors of all kinds as it is not always to engage students like they would like but our feedback to them will help us all learn more. So keep on learning.

elearning

Boling, E. C., Hough, M., Krinsky, H., Saleem, H., & Stevens, M. (2012). Cutting the distance in distance education: Perspectives on what promotes positive, online learning experiences. The Internet and     Higher Education, 15(2), 118-126.

Deci, E. L., Vallerand, R. J., Pelletier, L. G., & Ryan, R. M. (1991). Motivation and education: The self-      determination perspective. Educational psychologist, 26(3-4), 325-346.

Schneider, F.W., Gruman, J.A., & Coutts, L.M. (2012). Applied Social Psychology:           Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (Second ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.


02
Nov 14

Motivated Learners

by Amy Caraballo

It is easy to believe that students are more motivated to learn when they are interested in an academic subject or school activity. Most people can easily recall examples of favorite subjects from their past in which they excelled. Many can also recall subjects not as interesting that required a lot more purposeful effort in order to get through the work. Having to muddle through work that is tedious is not only cumbersome but can also be stressful, particularly if the task is difficult. It can be even more stressful if there are stereotypes about student capabilities. In ninth grade, my difficult subject was algebra one.

Credit: http://cheezburger.com/2948232704

According to self-determination theory, behaviors that are intrinsically motivated by something from within a student, such as interest in the subject matter, are self-determined (Schneider, Gruman & Coutts, 2012, pp. 198-199). These are the subjects in which we excel and enjoy. I can say with much certainty that my motivation to learn algebra was not self-determined. In fact, my motivation was what self-determination theory considers external regulation – knowing there are extrinsic rewards or consequences based on compliance (Schneider, et al, 2012, p. 199). This extrinsic motivation consists of doing the work for the simple reason of trying to accomplish a goal or avoid a consequence of not accomplishing the goal (Schneider, et al, 2012, p. 199). In other words, as a college-bound student, algebra was required coursework; either I took the course and eventually passed it or I could not go to college. This was not a good way to get me excited about learning.

Credit: http://www.sandraandwoo.com/

Arithmetic had always been a difficult subject for me. Add to this the stereotype of females not being good at math and the stage was set for me to struggle. Stereotype threat, the fear of not being able to perform because of an expectation about a student’s group, has been shown to adversely affect student performance (Schneider, et al, 2012, p. 205). From the first day of algebra one, not only was I intrinsically unmotivated, I was convinced that no one believed I would never be able to understand this math. My grades reflected these phenomena.

Credit: http://rockpele.com/intrinsic-motivation-examples/

Studies have found that students are more engaged – actively involved, when there are opportunities for autonomy, competence and feeling connected with significant others (Park, Holloway, Arendtsz, Bempechat & Li, 2012). Self-determination theory posits that this self-determined intrinsic motivation provides better outcomes for student learning. Yet as was the case in my algebra one experience, many times students are given little opportunity for autonomy let alone competence, especially in the primary and secondary education years. Our public education and higher education systems would do well to take notice. Students who are provided opportunities for autonomy are more actively engaged and thus likely to be more competent learners, potentially more emotionally connected to others, and less stressed (Park et al., 2012). Perhaps if we engaged all learners, the phenomenon of stereotype threat would cease to exist. Until then, I am holding out on that last math credit while I anxiously await for Penn State to add a course called College Algebra for Dummies.


 

Park, S., Holloway, S. D., Arendtsz, A., Bempechat, J., & Li, J. (2012). What makes students engaged in learning? A time-use study of within- and between-individual predictors of emotional engagement in low-performing high schools. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 41(3), 390-401. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10964-011-9738-3
Schneider, F., Gruman, J., Coutts, L. (2012). Applied social psychology: Understanding and addressing social and practical problems (2nd ed.). Los Angeles: Sage.

02
Nov 14

Fear Appeals

Reading over chapter nine in Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems fear appeals stuck out to me. Instantly I recalled the numerous commercials I would see on tv for drug and tobacco prevention commercials and a recent interaction with my niece. Fear appeals have considerable amount of persuasive potential. Recently commercials aired on television have become much more graphic but present the public with important health concerns. This blog will center around Strong fear appeals and if they have an effect on the public.

According to Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems,  Fear appeals are centered around the idea that people will be more likely to retain and pay attention to a message to change their health behaviors, if related fears are activated in the message. Fear appeals in advertisements utilize messages, images and stories designed to scare intended audience into reactions. Majority of  current fear appeals on television describe harmful behaviors such as smoking, drug use and drunk driving (Schneider, Gruman & Coutts,2005).

 

Recently I was watching Once Upon a Time (EVERYONE should watch this show! http://abc.go.com/shows/once-upon-a-time ) with my niece. During this time-slot on ABC, the network usually airs all family oriented and younger audience geared commercials. However this night a tobacco commercial aired featuring Terri Hall (see Video below) which my five year old niece Ray found especially frightening. As soon as she heard Ms. Hall’s voice on the television her eyes widened as she attentively listened to her raspy voice. By the time the commercial flashed to Ms. Hall in a hospital bed explaining how tobacco led to the decline of health my niece was literally terrified to ever have a cigarette. She immediately became afraid for my mothers health as she knows shes a smoker.

I myself have watched tobacco prevention at a younger age and particularly avoided tobacco use due to fear appeals in the media television in particular. While I would often squirm at the images and results of the tobacco use the message was always meaningful.The anti-tobacco fear appeals I witnessed had a profound effect on me.  However I still to this day do not utilize tobacco products even though both of my parents smoke as well as my two housemates.

 

Strong fear appeals may promote awareness however they are only effective when paired with a quality high efficiency message. According to Scott Geller in order for a fear appeal to be effective it must include a strong structure of the fear appeal. This includes a threat component, action component, influence factors, and the ideal audience (Geller, 2013)

 

Strong fear appeals are  not only thought provoking but also effective in producing positive health effects and behaviors. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Terri Hall’s commercial and ads on TV and in other media has led to more than 1.6 million Americans to attempt to quit smoking and more than 100,000 succeeding (Newsmax, 2013).

According to Kim Witte strong fear appeals produce high levels of perceived severity and susceptibility. They are also more persuasive when compared to low or weak fear appeals. Results of  Witte’s meta -analysis revealed that strong fear appeals motivate adaptive danger control actions including message acceptance and maladaptive fear control which may include defensive avoidance or reactance (Allen, Witte, 2013).

 

While recent anti-tobacco campaigns have been criticized recently for being too graphic they have profound effects. As displayed strong fear appeals are most effective in producing positive health effects and behaviors when paired with a high efficiency message. While they may not discontinue the negative behavior altogether they are successful in promoting positive health behaviors.

 

Before my mother and I  dropped Ray off at home she turned to her to my mother kissed her and said in her little voice “Aunt Netta stop smoking before I don’t have a face to kiss you on you’ll be bald like the lady too”.

 

REFERENCES

 

Allen,M. Witte,K. (2013). A Meta-Analysis of Fear Appeals: Implications for Effective Public Health Campaigns. Retrieved from: http://heb.sagepub.com/content/27/5/591.short

Geller, S. (2012). Designing an Effective Fear Appeal. Retrieved from: http://www.safetyperformance.com/DesigninganEffectiveFearAppeal.pdf
Newsmax Wires. (2013). Terri Hall Dies:Anti-Smoking Cancer Ad Campaign Star Was 53. Retrieve from: http://www.newsmax.com/TheWire/terri-hall-dies-anti-smoking-cancer/2013/09/17/id/526098/

Schneider, F., Gruman, J., & Coutts, L. (2011). Applied Social Psychology (2nd ed.). Sage publications inc.


Skip to toolbar